Mid-Atlantic/Southeast skiing (PA, NJ, DC, MD, VA, WV, NC, TN) for 2022-23

[marzNC]

Senior Skiing has added Randy Johnson to their list of contributors. His update for resorts in the southeast (NC, VA, WV) includes Massanutten, Bryce, Timberline, Snowshoe, Winterplace, Appalachian, Beech, Sugar, Cataloochee, and Ober Gatlinburg (soon to be known as Ober Mountain). Not sure why Wintergreen and Canaan Valley weren't mentioned. Although nothing major has changed at those two resorts.

Randy wrote the book Southern Snow in the 1980s and published an updated version twenty years late. It's clear he's been paying close attention to all the resorts in the region.

November 9, 2022

What’s New for the 2022-23 Season—Southeastern Edition - SeniorsSkiing.com

Terrain expansions and technology upgrades are routine at the seventeen ski resorts south of the Mason-Dixon Line. This year, that trend continues. Here’s what’s new for the 2022/2023 season in Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee. Virginia – Massanutten – 2022-23 marks the 50th...

www.seniorsskiing.com

The irony is that small mountains that have successfully relied on 100% snowmaking coverage for the last 40-50 years are doing quite well in an era of climate change when resorts farther north in bigger mountains are hard pressed to blow enough snow to open before Christmas during some winters. With airfares higher, if Mother Nature cooperates the southeast could have another good season from a financial standpoint.

 

[Lmk92]

"Belleayre is excited to announce that our snowmaking crew have been selected as one of the 7 finalists for Ski Area Management Magazine & HKD Snowmaker’s “I AM a Snowmaker” competition, going against other mountains across North America! We couldn’t be more stoked for the opportunity, and have our hard working group earn the recognition they deserve. Keep an eye out for the video to drop after the new year, and be ready to VOTE for YOUR Belleayre snowmakers!"

Can't wait to see this year's batch of videos!

 

[marzNC]

"Belleayre is excited to announce that our snowmaking crew have been selected as one of the 7 finalists for Ski Area Management Magazine & HKD Snowmaker’s “I AM a Snowmaker” competition, going against other mountains across North America! We couldn’t be more stoked for the opportunity, and have our hard working group earn the recognition they deserve. Keep an eye out for the video to drop after the new year, and be ready to VOTE for YOUR Belleayre snowmakers!"

Can't wait to see this year's batch of videos!

Not only is Belleayre a finalist, so is neighboring Windham.

Bryce and Massanutten are also finalists for the 2023 I AM A SNOWMAKER competition. Given that Massanutten is my home mountain, I know who I'll be voting for when voting happens in January.

 

[Lmk92]

Not only is Belleayre a finalist, so is neighboring Windham.

Bryce and Massanutten are also finalists for the 2023 I AM A SNOWMAKER competition. Given that Massanutten is my home mountain, I know who I'll be voting for when voting happens in January.

I don't think I've ever actually been excited about this.

 

[liquidfeet]

Does anybody reading here know how much terrain is ordinarily open at Beech, Sugar, and Appalachian during Christmas vacation?

Do these three mountains usually get their beginner areas open first thing? Or do they wait until they have top to bottom runs for the dedicated groomer-zoomer pass holders before they blow snow on the never-ever terrain?

The reason I ask is because my daughter and her family want me to take them to a North Carolina mountain to ski over Christmas. They live in South Carolina, and want to drive up for a few days. The kids, 4 and 8, have never skied. I need a mountain that is going to have appropriate terrain open for the kids to learn on, lessons available for both of them, and other things to do (tubing, etc.) after the first hour or so when the kids get tired.

 

[marzNC]

Does anybody reading here know how much terrain is ordinarily open at Beech, Sugar, and Appalachian during Christmas vacation?

Do these three mountains usually get their beginner areas open first thing? Or do they wait until they have top to bottom runs for the dedicated groomer-zoomer pass holders before they blow snow on the never-ever terrain?

The reason I ask is because my daughter and her family want me to take them to a North Carolina mountain to ski over Christmas. They live in South Carolina, and want to drive up for a few days. The kids, 4 and 8, have never skied. I need a mountain that is going to have appropriate terrain open for the kids to learn on, lessons available for both of them, and other things to do (tubing, etc.) after the first hour or so when the kids get tired.

Honestly, the slopes in NC will be more crowded than any of the ski resorts in New England over Christmas. It's not the time to go. Even Pres. Day weekend would be better from a crowd standpoint. Would you take a beginner to a resort within a few hours drive of Boston during Christmas week?

What's the smallest mountain you've skied in New England? Berkshire East is a much bigger ski area than Beech or Sugar. Berkshire East has 180 acres. Beech has 95 acres and Sugar has 125 acres. App has 27 acres total. You might consider the entire place a beginner zone in terms of the pitch and length of trails.

All the ski areas in the southeast have 100% snowmaking. They can be blowing on multiple trails at the same time. Goal is to be 100% open by Christmas week.

Sugar has a dedicated beginner area where there is no reason for better skiers to ski. The beginner slope with the magic carpet at Beech is essentially in front of the lodge. Not too much conflict with people who ride chairlifts except hear the bottom since that's how people get back to the lodge. I never bothered to ski App. I know a father in the Triangle who took his kids to App for day trips when they were learning and was perfectly happy. He only went on non-holiday Saturday mornings.

 

[marzNC]

It snowed in the NC mountains and in WV today! App, Sugar, and Cat are very likely to open before Thanksgiving.

November 13, 2022

Several Ski Areas Are Making Snow as of this Morning; Natural Snow is Falling as Well!

As we reported on Saturday morning, God’s natural snowmaking machine AND the snowmaking crews at several ski areas of the Southeast and mid-Atlantic sprung into action overnight and this morning....

www.skisoutheast.com

Basic info from the article linked above is below. The temps may be the overnight low.

NORTH CAROLINA
Appalachian Ski Mountain – 25° – snowmaking, a nice dusting of natural snow
Beech Mountain Resort – 21° – snowmaking, 0.5″ of natural snow
Sugar Mountain Resort – 20° – snowmaking, about 0.5″ of natural snow
Wolf Ridge Resort – 31° – snowmaking, 0.6″ of natural snow
Cataloochee Ski Area – 25° snowmaking, 0.36″ of natural snow

TENNESSEE
Ober Mountain (Gatlinburg) – 30° making snow mostly on tubing and terrain park, trace of natural snow

WEST VIRGINIA
Snowshoe Mountain – 30° – making snow and 1″ of natural snow according to early NOAA reporting
Timberline Mountain – 25° – snowmaking this morning, 1.1″ of natural snow
Winterplace Resort – 28° – snowmaking, picked up 0.6″ of natural snowfall
Canaan Valley Resort – 25° – no snowmaking, 1.1″ natural snow
Wisp Resort – 29°, about 0.6″ of natural snow

 

[marzNC]

Based on what Mike Doble of SkiSoutheast saw first-hand this morning, he expects Sugar and Cat to announced an opening date very soon. As of 9am it's 36 degrees at my house near Raleigh, 23 in Banner Elk, and 25 in Maggie Valley. That means it stayed plenty cold enough for snowguns to run all night at Sugar, Beech, and Cat. Daytime snowmaking will continue as long as it stays cold enough for sure.

 

[SarahXC]

Cat has had guns blasting 24 hours a day. Rumors of possible opening in the next day or two.

 

[marzNC]

Cat has had guns blasting 24 hours a day. Rumors of possible opening in the next day or two.

You won't have to wait that long.

November 14, 2022

It's Opening Day For Sugar And Cataloochee!

Opening Day is here. The 2022-23 ski season is set to kick off at 9a when Sugar Mountain and Cataloochee load the first chairs of the year. Sugar is going...

www.skisoutheast.com

 

[marzNC]

It's happening . . . there is lift-served skiing in North Carolina as of Monday morning, November 14, 2022. Cat managed to open from the top. With the cold weather expected to stick around until Thanksgiving, might even be possible for Cat to be 100% open by Thanksgiving weekend.

 

[marzNC]

Since Sugar does a much better job of using social media, they got the headline on Unofficial Networks. Cataloochee didn't update their website until about an hour after they started spinning the lifts this morning.

November 14, 2022

The East Coast Ski Season Starts TODAY! (1st Resort Opening)

Folks across the Northeast have been impatiently waiting for the ski season to get underway. It hasn't helped that our friends to the west have been

unofficialnetworks.com

 

[tinymoose]

Blue Mountain here in PA apparently blew snow last night.

Also, not sure if it was shared here, but little Spring Mountain outside Philly got a new snow making system that allows them to blow snow in basically any conditions/temps:

https://unofficialnetworks.com/2022/11/03/snowmaking-tech-all-temps/

 

[marzNC]

Also, not sure if it was shared here, but little Spring Mountain outside Philly got a new snow making system that allows them to blow snow in basically any conditions/temps:

https://unofficialnetworks.com/2022/11/03/snowmaking-tech-all-temps/

Interesting!

Beech Mountain in NC has a Latitude 90 for snowmaking when it's too warm for standard snowguns to operate effectively. Beech is only using it to get a head start on their tubing hill. If they can get that open for Thanksgiving weekend, that's a sure money maker.

What makes the Latitude 90 different from the Snow Factory is that it can make snow as a "frig" or it can be used in a standard when when the wet bulb (temperature, humidity) conditions are good.

 

[marzNC]

Apparently Blue Knob is blowing snow and hoping for enough natural snow to open a little terrain just before Thanksgiving.

The situation for opening dates in PA are shifting pretty quickly after the cold front moved in. OpenSnow has predictions of snow in WV and western PA by Nov. 20.

 

[kmb5662]

Montage in PA today hinted that they are going to begin blowing snow in the coming days. No info on possible opening dates as of yet.

Shawnee in PA is also blowing snow and as long as the weather continues to cooperate they will be opening 11/25.

Dropped my skis off at the shop today for a pre-season tune. Can't wait to get back out on skis!

 

[Lmk92]

If Holiday Valley isn't open yet, it will be soon. Buffalo may get 4 feet this weekend!

 

[diymom]

Are you close to E-ville? We might stop for a day on our way to CO.

 

[marzNC]

I drove through PA today. At the rest stop just east of Harrisburg, it was clear it had snowed and stayed pretty cold afterwards.

November 16, 2022, about 4:00pm

 

[Lmk92]

Are you close to E-ville? We might stop for a day on our way to CO.

Not really. My son goes to RIT, and my other son has a friend who is from Buffalo, so I hear about Holiday a lot. I hope to get there this season!