When I woke up in Harrisonburg, Virginia this morning, I’m not sure if I expected a layer of snowflakes to cover the ground outside of my hotel, but it sure as heck didn’t happen.
The storm hasn’t quite started yet over here in Virginia, but the clouds are certainly looking like they’re just waiting for the go-ahead from Mother Nature.
I hit Massanutten last night for a brief night session, and finally got to experience the famous temperature inversion that I’ve heard so much about. Forgive me for sounding like such a novice, but it was crazy! Frigid temperatures in Harrisonburg while unloading the car at the hotel; warm and humid at the base parking lot while putting on my boots, and cold as anything at the summit, which left me wishing I had worn a midlayer.
Also one thing I wish someone told me about before: Because it gets so warm at the base, the parking lot can really freeze over at night. If you’re waltzing around in sneakers after dark in the parking lot, just be aware that you can go sliding.
Which brings me to my next point. It was a bit icy at Massanutten’s summit last night, as to be expected with night skiing and riding. The best tip I ever received for staying on your feet while snowboarding over ice is this: squat down and point your knees in the opposite directions. Give it a try if you’re cruising over an ice patch today.
Great news for the Massanutten locals and regulars: Mueller’s Mile is now open. It’s one of three open trails at the resort today, and I’m excited to give them all a try.
It looks like that monster prediction of 10 inches of snow has withered down to a prediction of 1 to 3 inches of a wintry mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain today. That’s a bit of a bummer, but the high temperature is slated to be 33 degrees, so we might be rewarded handsomely. Don’t forget your Gore-Tex jacket and your low light goggle lenses.
And bring your non-skiing and snowboarding friends to Massanutten this weekend, because the HeArt and Soul Fest is still going on through tomorrow. I caught some of The Legacy Band last night and they sounded great.
Today’s lineup features a HeArt & Soul Brunch at Campfire Grill, plus 10 a.m. yoga and an ice skating party from 3:15-5:30.
And if a festival at Massanutten sounds great, but you can’t make it this weekend, can I interest you in making plans from February 9-11? That’s when Massanutten and SkiSoutheast will host our summit. It’s a great way to meet like-minded, snow-loving people, and possibly make some lifelong friends in the process.
More information on that here.
Here’s what you need to know around the southeast today:
Appalachian Ski Mountain
App Ski is 100% open! The ropes are dropped on every trail, and every lift is spinning.
Thank a snowmaker if you can, today. These are the people who made it all happen.
App will kick off its Signature Shred for the Cup Series tomorrow with its rail jam. It is the first event in a series of three disciplines – rail jam, big air, and slopestyle. Smith Optics and Dakine are presenting sponsors, and you can register for that here.
Timberline
There are 19 of 20 trails open at Timberline this morning, with the only exception being The Drop.
The summit saw trace amounts of snow this morning, but the base area received that in form of freezing rain, so be careful out there, both on your skis and boards, and in your car.
All open terrain has been machine groomed this morning. The high temperature is 34 degrees.
Snowshoe
Snowshoe got a little bit of snow overnight, and there’s more to come. It could be a wintry mix, depending on how warm the temperatures get.
It looks like there are 28 trails open with eight chairs spinning, though that could change throughout the day.
Ober Mountain
It looks like more of the same today at Ober, with six trails and three lifts open. Mogul Ridge and Ober Chute Slopes are now open. But a Discord user reported some parking madness yesterday afternoon, so be prepared to use the tram if you’re headed there today.
The slopes are open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Beech
There are once again, 16 of 17 trails open at Beech today, and six of eight lifts spinning. The musical group If Birds Could Fly play today at Beech Mountain Brewing Co. That show starts at 8 p.m.
Don’t forget, you can forgo the long lines at the ticket booth by purchasing tickets online and redeeming them at designated pick up boxes. Here’s a video on how to do that:
Omni Homestead
There’s snow in the forecast, and that has the Omni Homestead team excited. The ski area is open to the top with a 10-12 inch base on three trails. Two lifts are open, and one lane of tubing is also open.
“Bring on the snow!” marketing director Lynn Swann said in an email. “With the forecast calling for snow across the Mid-Atlantic, skiers and snowboarders are excited to hit the slopes.”
Thanks to everyone that has already joined us on Discord.
Think snow!
Think cold!
Click here to join us on our new SkiSoutheast Discord channel. It is a great way to meet new snow loving friends and shares experiences, ask questions, and more!
And as always, email me at [email protected] with your thoughts and photos.