Mid-Atlantic (VA, WV, MD, PA) for 2012-13

[marzNC]

From the webcams at 7Springs (updated every few minutes), looks like they are still blowing snow as of noon. I assume every mid-A ski area is doing all they can to get ready for the holiday weekend.

https://www.7springs.com/page/category.detail/nav/5021/Mountain-Cams.html

Mnut snow guns still on at the bottom as of noon. Their webcams are live streaming.

https://www.massresort.com/v.php?pg=728

Apparently Wintergreen got 6-7 inches of snow out of the storm. There is snow on the Mnut ski lodge roof but it doesn't look like there was that much. The last prediction I saw was for about 2 inches. It's the cold temps that are the important thing.

 

[vickie]

MarzNC -- Sorry you won't be extending your BK trip. But whenever you do explore the other areas, I think you'll have a great time. You have the skills to ski the whole mountain at each location ... "MarzNC's A-Mountain-A-Day Program" or "If it's Tuesday, This Mountain Must Be ____".

 

[marzNC]

Per usual, Mnut was not that crowded today. Being a timeshare resort means some people don't come until Sat afternoon because that's when they can get a unit.

Snow conditions up top were variable. Icy up top in the morning, groomed manmade that was nice in the middle, got sticky towards the bottom in the afternoon since it was in the 50's. More people on Lift 6 than usual because Lift 5 for Showtime (blue) was closed after mid-morning due to mechanical problems.

Probably will be too warm tonight for snowmaking. Cold arrives Sun night and then stays all week. We'll be back on Friday with friends.

 

[marzNC]

Pics of Mnut on Jan. 19 are here.

Anyone else skiing this weekend?

 

[marzNC]

Amazing what snowmaking can do with steady cold weather! Mnut may have all trails open by the weekend. Hope so since I'll be there with friends. Although they are beginners so won't be skiing at the top. My favorite black run, ParaDice, opened today. Along with the connector trails from Lift 5, Showtime.

Snow predicted for Thursday and Friday. Not much, perhaps an inch or two. Anyone following the weather for PA?

 

[marzNC]

Snowing in northern VA. Have heard there was at least an inch overnight. Mnut webcam showing flakes flying that aren't from a snow gun and snow on condo roofs well away from the slopes.

 

[marzNC]

Classic central NC weather closings starting earlier than usual. Freezing rain is predicted for Friday afternoon. All schools in the Raleigh-Durham area and several counties to the north and west are closing 3 hours early tomorrow. Works out for me because we'll just head north in the morning. Will be fine once in southern Virginia, which is north of the freezing rain threat and only expecting an inch of snow starting some time in the afternoon.

That means I will get to ski Friday late afternoon and evening.

Snowshoe expecting 3-7 inches out of the storm. Wintergreen looking for a couple inches. Massanutten may get an inch or two. Should be pretty!

 

[marzNC]

Great day at Massanutten! Had fun showing a VA Diva around the place in the morning. Snow was as good as it gets, 100% open, snow guns were on last night, few icy spots until the late afternoon when things were a bit scraped off, not too cold, not too warm. The bump run is a true bump run now.

Bonus was taking the Senior Clinic. Can't beat it for anyone over 50. $30 for 2 hours with a PSIA Level 3 instructor who's been teaching 20+ years. Since no one else signed up . . . I got a private lesson.

 

[marzNC]

Ugh . . . two days of temps in the 60's, followed by heavy rain. At least it's supposed to be cold enough for snowmaking before the weekend.

 

[Olesya Chornoguz]

Had a great morning/afternoon skiing at Roundtop Mountain, PA. I usually go to Whitetail, but last Sunday morning the lines were 25 min long by 11 am! One of the skiers I rode a lift chair with told me that Roundtop never gets very crowded even on weekends. so I decided to check it out. I really liked skiing there - very little to no lift lines, even in the afternoon. They were making snow so the conditions were really nice. It's a much smaller hill/shorter trails than Whitetail, but still pretty nice blue and black slopes. I didn't attempt to do the double blacks Roundtop cause one of them looks like the entrance of the run is about 30 degrees steep and very narrow and the other double black had huge moguls on it. Maybe in the future I'll work up the skills/courage.

 

[Marigee]

Relatively uncrowned at Whitetail today for a Saturday. think the cold temps kept people away. Whitetail made snow all day and will continue tonight so conditions should be good tomorrow. Sunday crowds are always lighter than Saturday crowds, and with Baltimore playing in the Super Bowl crowds will likely be even lighter.

 

[marzNC]

There is a lot to be said for going to a smaller mountain if it has shorter lift lines on weekends. More time on snow is the name of the game for Mid-A skiing as far as I'm concerned.

Wish I could've stayed at Mnut for another day or two. Cold enough for snowmaking all day and night Thursday. It was good on Thursday and great on Friday. Anyone who skied last weekend, then not again until this weekend would hardly know much snow that the heat wave plus hard rain took away Mon-Wed.

 

[Olesya Chornoguz]

There is a lot to be said for going to a smaller mountain if it has shorter lift lines on weekends. More time on snow is the name of the game for Mid-A skiing as far as I'm concerned.

I agree, I realized that after yesterday trip.

 

[marzNC]

I agree, I realized that after yesterday trip.

One of these days, love to show you around Massanutten some weekend morning. Would have no problem checking out all the blue and black trails by 11am when the lines for the beginner lifts start growing. Only need to wait 5 min there after lunch.

 

[marzNC]

Thinking seriously about doing a day trip to Wintergreen mid-week. Depends on the status for the Highlands. Although I also want to check out the Freestyle shop there now that I know they are capable of dealing with boot fitting tasks.

If WV were closer, I'd go there instead. WV and NC mountains got quite a bit of snow in the last few days.

 

[Olesya Chornoguz]

Mid-week skiing is great! Go for it! I wish I could do more of that, but my work has been really demanding lately - long hours and, I had to come in to the lab on a weekend several weeks in a row. It's a good thing I found time to go skiing almost every weekend as well. Glad that we have several ski places 1.5 hours away, close enough for quick half day trip. Skiing = less stress = happier me.

 

[marzNC]

Made it to Wintergreen today. Place was empty as expected. Great conditions in the morning before it got too warm. Then the snow got quite "sticky." Met someone fun on the lift so had a ski buddy for a while. Good day for practicing some stuff I learned in the Senior Clinics. Well worth the drive.

 

[marzNC]

An inch of snow at Mnut overnight! Didn't expect that. Anything they can get without snow guns is a bonus. We head back for a last long weekend on Feb. 15. Have family visiting this weekend or we'd be driving up this afternoon. Get to do a zipline tomorrow in sunny weather so that will be a different kind of fun.

Hope someone is headed out for skiing fun this weekend!

 

[Olesya Chornoguz]

I'm headed out to Roundtop tomorrow, some of my co-workers are coming too. I'm, excited!

 

[Olesya Chornoguz]

Had a great day skiing at Roundtop with one of my co-workers and her fiance. They are beginners, so I skied greens with them for a while. One of the green runs had moguls on it, and I did them to keep myself entertained on greens - it was actually fun skiing bumps on flat green. The snow was really nice - fresh man-made, a few inches of natural, slightly icy in a few places. Skied double black diamond slope Ramrod with moguls (the less steep of the two double black diamonds at Roundtop), and actually liked skiing it, skied it maybe 5 times. I felt challenged on it, but not panicked and was in control at all times. The bumps were few and far in between and they were soft, so that helped a lot. I'm starting to understand why people say bumps can be fun. The best runs of the day were the single black diamonds - smooth and with good snow, so I opened it up and just let myself go on them. I think I'm starting to understand what do they mean when they talk about "ski rebound" - the pop you feel when you come out of the turn, and I'm making pole planting a habit - had a great day of skiing today.