Mid-Atlantic/SE skiing (PA, NJ, DC, MD, VA, WV, NC) for 2018-19

[marzNC]

Liberty is closed until further notice. Whitetail & Roundtop are still open. I wonder why Liberty couldn’t keep the slopes covered? I didn’t think their distance apart makes such a difference.

Could be more of a business decision than a function of snow status. I get the sense that Peak Resorts approaches thin cover differently than Snowtime did. When conditions are poor, the only people likely to show up are season passholders who spend no extra dollars. But probably can't justify only running 1-2 lifts and shutting everything else down. Never easy decisions when Mother Natures doesn't help out.

As for distance, it can make more difference than you might expect. There are times when Beech, Sugar, and App in the NC mountains experience very different weather as it relates to the ability for snowmaking. They are within 30 miles. Massanutten and Wintergreen in VA sometimes are different, meaning one can make snow and the other cannot.

 

[ilovepugs]

I’m thinking I will sharpen the edges on my rock snowboard tonight and give Roundtop a try tomorrow after work! It looks like it’ll be cold enough to make a bit of snow, and if it’s warm tomorrow, maybe things will be soft?

 

[marzNC]

And it was such an exciting start to the season...:(

There is always a thaw that requires some level of a re-start in the mid-Atlantic. The heavy rain is what really messed things up. At least this winter there was enough snow for money to be made during the holiday period. When slopes are closed for Christmas week, it really hurts the bottom line for the entire season.

Snowmaking temps return to Massanutten by midweek. Certainly hoping they can get in a few nights of snowmaking before the demo weekend Jan. 12-13.

 

[Ski Sine Fine]

So it turns out I don’t have to work tomorrow, so might drop by Whitetail for a few runs.

 

[Ski Sine Fine]

I went to Whitetail today. Was surprised how many people were there, then remember it’s “College Week” - should have known since my sophomore is home as well. I took a run down a short green then headed up to Sidewinder, a longer green. It started fine, then the snow was all chopped up, pushed around, bumped up, and piles everywhere. It was like the mountain had a giant snowball fight and forgot to clean up. I. Freaked. Out. Half-way down I had to have a talk with myself ... trust the skis, don’t tense up, stay loose. I got down okay, but unconsciously clenched my hands so hard they started tingling. I went back to the short green and worked on my fundamentals. Not long after more college kids showed up. More dirt/debris also got churned up on the snow. I didn’t think that was good for my skis so called it a day. Working on techniques was good, but if I didn’t have a pass it would’ve been an unsatisfying day. Need more cold to make snow!

 

[HikenSki]

Yikes! Glad you at least got out but sucks about the conditions. It has been quite crowded here at Snowshoe this week. So much so today that I really got freaked out going down a chopped up and bumpy black, taking my time, when some hotshot jack@$$ whizzed by me by a few feet using the bumps as jumps. Really rattled my nerves. Had I opted to take the turn just a little wider he'd have nailed me big time. Really too many people on that run. Conditions this morning were fantastic and we were cruising the runs at rope drop, but by my mid-afternoon light rain and warm temps hit and turned everything to mush. We got another four runs in before calling it a day. Just too much work and I didn't want to mess up my skis with the thin cover. We really need a cool cold stretch to bring snow and the requisite snowmaking temps to the mid-Atlantic. Ugh.

 

[ilovepugs]

@Ski Sine Fine I had a similar experience at Roundtop! I was shocked that so many people were there considering how poor the conditions were. College week explains so much.

The top of Minuteman was totally bumped up and I froze and refused to turn because I kept worrying about turning into the dirt. Side slipped/stepped for an embarrassingly long time. I took two runs and was done. It was a lot of driving for very little skiing!

I hope it gets cold soon! Yeesh.

 

[Marigee]

Liberty is closed until further notice. Whitetail & Roundtop are still open. I wonder why Liberty couldn’t keep the slopes covered? I didn’t think their distance apart makes such a difference.

Snow making capacity at Roundtop and Liberty is much lower than at Whitetail.

 

[Marigee]

I signed up for the Whitetail Women's Day on the 18th. Really hoping they have some decent terrain open. Husband coming with to check out the place and we will ski after my session ends. We are here at Snowshoe this week and it is so bumpy yet icy in sections. Very tiring always needing to be on point and alert every second because it is so variable. Sigh... Lot of snowpack lost the last two weeks.

I will be working that day. Send me a PM before you head up and maybe we could ski a bit after your lesson.

 

[marzNC]

Snow making capacity at Roundtop and Liberty is much lower than at Whitetail.

Will be interesting to see if anything changes much in the next year or so with the changes in senior management for the former Snowtime locations. The longtime GM of Liberty was promoted to VP and GM of Whitetail, Liberty, and Roundtop. He is reporting to Jason Boyd, one of the sons of the founder of Peak Resorts, Tim Boyd. Jason is was promoted to Senior VP of Operations for the Mid-Atlantic, reporting to his brother, Jesse. The third Boyd brother, Josh, is responsible for Midwest Operations, also reporting to Jesse.

https://www.peakresorts.com/news-updates/page-1260/

". . .
Jason Boyd has been appointed to the newly-created position of Senior Vice President of Operations, Mid-Atlantic. In this new role, Jason will oversee the operations and management of Jack Frost, Big Boulder, Liberty Mountain, Whitetail and Roundtop, all in Pennsylvania. Jason will continue to report to Jesse Boyd, Vice President of Operations at Peak Resorts.
. . ."

 

[SquidWeaselYay]

Roundtop is closed again today. :( I can't blame them though, it was a ****show the last time I was up. Minuteman was horrid, all the snow got scraped off the top and Upper Lafayette wasn't much better.

Come to think of it, Minuteman may have been where messed up my bases....that brown patch was hard to avoid.

 

[Jersey Fresh]

Sticking my head back in here after a maternity leave for the 2017-2018. Headed to snowshoe this weekend with the baby in tow and I CANNOT WAIT. Its been too long.

Fingers crossed I fit into my ski pants

 

[LauraVa]

Yikes! Glad you at least got out but sucks about the conditions. It has been quite crowded here at Snowshoe this week. So much so today that I really got freaked out going down a chopped up and bumpy black, taking my time, when some hotshot jack@$$ whizzed by me by a few feet using the bumps as jumps. Really rattled my nerves. Had I opted to take the turn just a little wider he'd have nailed me big time. Really too many people on that run. Conditions this morning were fantastic and we were cruising the runs at rope drop, but by my mid-afternoon light rain and warm temps hit and turned everything to mush. We got another four runs in before calling it a day. Just too much work and I didn't want to mess up my skis with the thin cover. We really need a cool cold stretch to bring snow and the requisite snowmaking temps to the mid-Atlantic. Ugh.

I was at Snowshoe on Thursday. Agree, so crowded. I get very tense and nervous skiing with crowds. They are calling for cold temps and snow over the next couple weeks. Hoping to get back there towards the end of January when there will be more snow and less people.

 

[HikenSki]

I was at Snowshoe on Thursday. Agree, so crowded. I get very tense and nervous skiing with crowds. They are calling for cold temps and snow over the next couple weeks. Hoping to get back there towards the end of January when there will be more snow and less people.

Yesterday was great, especially at Silver Creek which seemed to get a little more snow and was colder than the village. Was amazing surfing on a few inches of powder over groomed snow. We played over there till little after noon and had a blast with few people. Realized I skied much less of the village slopes this trip because just so many people. We are headed back second week of Feb and hoping for cold temps and more snow.

 

[HikenSki]

I will be working that day. Send me a PM before you head up and maybe we could ski a bit after your lesson.

Great! Will do. Hubby will be with me after the lesson ends around 4pm. Would be great to put face to name and get your thoughts on trails etc since we've never been to Whitetail before.

 

[Lmk92]

We had a great Friday at Hunter. It was our first time, and we hope to make it back in better conditions! As the afternoon progressed, they closed some hills, which was sad. The crowds weren't bad for a $33/college student day.

 

[marzNC]

We had a great Friday at Hunter. It was our first time, and we hope to make it back in better conditions! As the afternoon progressed, they closed some hills, which was sad. The crowds weren't bad for a $33/college student day.

Good to know. Perhaps those people who normally ski the former Snowtime locations will think more about the value of a Peak Pass when Hunter is in better shape than Roundtop or Whitetail.

 

[SquidWeaselYay]

Good to know. Perhaps those people who normally ski the former Snowtime locations will think more about the value of a Peak Pass when Hunter is in better shape than Roundtop or Whitetail.

We thought about it for just that reason. I think we will do that next year. This year, we got the Ikon Pass for the whole honeymoon thing, so decided against it. But man....I hope we get some snow soon, the season for Roundtop is only going to be a few weeks long at this rate!

 

[marzNC]

I hope we get some snow soon, the season for Roundtop is only going to be a few weeks long at this rate!

Hard to say . . . remember the way last March turned out? But I agree that it's past time for the warm rain clouds to quit going so far north. Or at least the storms could move faster instead of dumping rain for days.

 

[Ski Sine Fine]

Good to know. Perhaps those people who normally ski the former Snowtime locations will think more about the value of a Peak Pass when Hunter is in better shape than Roundtop or Whitetail.

It really depends where you live. Hunter is a 6-hr drive w/o stopping from Northern VA. Snowshoe at 4 hours is more realistic for a weekend trip.