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Massanutten 2019-20

marzNC

Angel Diva
Was going to wait until I was up at Massanutten mid-Nov, but they are firing up snow guns on Nov. 8! Not used to that happening until late November. But given that there will be a hard freeze at my house near Raleigh tonight and for a few nights early next week, not really a surprise. Will be fun to watch the webcams.

Screen Shot 2019-11-08 at 10.08.13 AM.png

For those curious about last season, check out the 2018-19 threads for Massanutten or the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast.

https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/index.php?threads/massanutten-2018-19.23112/
https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/i...kiing-pa-nj-dc-md-va-wv-nc-for-2018-19.23010/
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Snowguns were still on full as of 8am this morning at Massanutten. It's still only 26 degrees! Per usual can see all the mounted fan guns for snow tubing, the teaching area, and the bottom of Southern Comfort on the webcams. Even did some testing on Geronimo (short green). Southern Comfort (green) and DJ (black) could be skiable by Nov. 15 given the weather forecast for the next week. I have no doubt Lower Showtime (blue) is also being covered.

https://www.massresort.com/play/snow-sports/snow-webcams/
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Although most of the snow made a few days ago melted in the warm temps as high as the lower 60s, it's winter again at Massanutten. May be snowmaking all day today. As of 8am, it's 16º and the fan guns are going full blast from the base to the top of DJ.

It's 12º at Wintergreen and they are snowmaking too.

Screen Shot 2019-11-13 at 8.07.32 AM.jpg
 

LauraVa

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Driving home from Charlottesville this afternoon, I could see that the guns were still blowing on top of DJ. So definitely on all day. Yipee!
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
As of 9pm, it's 23º and 65% humidity. That's well within the ideal "wet bulb" status for snowmaking. Now that Mnut doesn't have to worry about running out of water, they are going to be able to make LOTS of snow before Thanksgiving weekend. All the big fan guns bought in the last few years can turn out a lot of snow in a short period of time. Once there is a base, day time temps in the 40s won't result in that much melting.

snowmaking temp chart.jpg
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
The payoff for all the work and money over the last few years improving snowmaking infrastructure at Massanutten . . . they will be open before Thanksgiving! I can't make it but as a season pass holder and a property owner, I think it's great to see all the effort mean they can take advantage of longer cold spells. Local ownership and local staff makes a difference too.

Note that AUTHENTIC/INDEPENDENT logo, which is for the Indy Pass.

Screen Shot 2019-11-15 at 9.21.08 AM.jpg
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
The fan guns at the base are back on! It's 28º at 10:30pm, Nov. 16. Was still around 32º at the lodge when I went to get something at the General Store a couple hours ago.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Even though it was too warm for more snowmaking the past week, Massanutten still started running Lifts 4 & 6 yesterday afternoon. That was for property owners and season passholders only. Owners could get a free lift ticket. This weekend Southern Comfort and DJ are open for day skiing.

The longer magic carpet, Lift 8, will be open for beginner lessons. The third open "trail" is essentially the teaching area.

Screen Shot 2019-11-23 at 9.07.39 AM.png
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Looking really good for the holiday weeks. I think there might have been snowmaking all day today given the cold temps at lunch time, at least on the upper mountain. Being closed during the week means being able to make lots of snow all over the mountain without having to worry about any complaints from paying customers. Season passholders rarely complain about working snow guns during early season.

Massanutten will be open daily starting this weekend. That's pretty normal. The question is more how many trails are open. What's most exciting is when the connector trails between Lift 5 and Lift 6 get open so that it's possible to stay on the upper mountain for a couple hours with 3-4 ways down.

Screen Shot 2019-12-12 at 6.20.18 PM.png
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Day time snowmaking at Massanutten again! Forecast is for good snowmaking conditions until the weekend. This time what goes on Geronimo shouldn't melt off a week later. Also making snow on Lower Showtime. I'm sure they're hoping to get Upper Showtime open for the holidays as well.

Screen Shot 2019-12-18 at 10.45.15 AM.jpg
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
The annual Massanutten Demo Weekend by Freestyle of Charlottesville is Jan. 4-5. I'll be around that weekend. Check the Meet On The Hill (MOTH) thread for details or send me a PM if you can't find it.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Pretty much ideal snowmaking conditions all last night in northern VA. Mnut snow guns stayed on all day even at the base today. Hopefully Geronimo will be open by Dec. 21 for the start of the holiday week.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
First weekend with Geronimo and Lower Showtime open. Should have enough snow for a good holiday week, even though daytime temps will be headed up.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Demo Weekend is on for Jan. 4-5, 9am-2pm. Look near the bottom of Lift 4 (base of long green Southern Comfort), near the umbrella bar. Not only Freestyle of Charlottesville for skis, there is a snowboard company that will be around as well. Need to fill out the usual form and leave a credit card and driver's license while demo'ing.

Freestyle is bringing K2, Stöckli, Nordica & Blizzard for women. For men there will be skis by Stöckli, Kästle, K2, Nordica, Blizzard, Volkl, and Head.
 

alison wong

Angel Diva
Went to the demo day at M'nut.

Tried 3 skis: 1) Black Pearl 82 159cm, 2) Head Kore 93 163cm and; 3) Stockli Stormrider 85 161cm.

I like them all. It was funny 2 years ago when I demoed BP, I found it was hard to ski, despite many rave reviews about BP.

For Stockli, 4 years ago I would not even dare to demo. 2 yrs ago, I got the courage to demo it at Roundtop, thought the Stormrider was hard to tame and too powerful (more like the skis skied me, not I skied the skis).
This time, I found it was easy to turn and very responsive. I love everything about Stockli except the price.

I think this is the first demo I went that I liked all the skis I tried. My first demo 4 years ago, I was on the market for new skis and did not find anything I liked. Second and third demo, I was able to ski the skis I tried but they all required some kind of effort to make them work properly.

Now I know I have more options, I no longer feel it is essential to carry own my skis whenever I travel out west or overseas for ski trips.
 

LauraVa

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I demoed the Kore 93's and the Stormriders 168 yesterday when it was slushy crud and they both were great. I demoed the the Stormriders 161 and the Santa Anas 158 today. Of the 2, I really loved the Santa Anas. I wish I could have tried these in the 165s and I wish I could have tried them yesterday in the crud. They may just be my next ski.....
 

alison wong

Angel Diva
@LauraVa - it was nice meeting you at the demo tent today. Did not know you were coming. Funny you asked me at the demo tent if I am a ski diva... You had good instinct.
It's always nice to put a face w/ the screen name.

I like the Kore 93's! I tried Kore 93's at 163cm (my own ski is 160), felt a tad long, maybe my head is messing w/ me again. Coz I skied Rossi Experience 163 cm last season once and felt a bit long.... after that, 163 cm stuck in my head and associated this length as a long ski.
 
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LauraVa

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@alison wong-nice to meet you, too. I'm pretty much at Massanutten all the time, lol. I live about 15 minutes away. Yesterday was so different than today, warm and slushy. The Kore's were great in that stuff, so good to know that were good on the firm stuff as well.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
@LauraVa : sorry to have missed you. I was meeting up with friends who drove from DC so left by 11:30 and didn't get back until 2:00. My daughter and I will be around the rest of the week, probably skiing more before Thursday when she has a friend staying with us on the mountain.
 

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