Massanutten is firing on all cylinders.
SkiSoutheast’s Kenny Griffin and I hit The ‘Nutt for an evening session yesterday, and boy, oh boy, was it great.
We lapped No Hessitation over and over again. The newest double black diamond in the southeast truly does not disappoint. Since its so warm – spring skiing in February-type stuff on the ground – there were zero icy spots on any of the trails we hit. No Hessitation had plenty of bumps to navigate around (or over, if that’s your thing), and someone had done us the pleasure of digging out a few side hits on the lefthand side. That will likely be groomed for today, but keep an eye out for them if you’re out there early this morning.
I’ll be out on the slope in a black and purple The North Face jacket. Feel free to say hello if you see me on the slopes today. Reader MeiMei Ma did, and we ripped some runs down Upper Diamond Jim and Upper Paradice.
In total, Kenny and I hit 10 run in just under two hours on the slopes. We hit No Hessitation seven times, Upper Paradice once and Upper Diamond Jim twice. it was a great evening, and Kenny had even rode during the daytime.
What makes me most excited for this weekend is the opportunity to meet new people, and put faces to the names – or usernames – that I’ve been interacting with via email and Discord all winter. But the last thing I expected was to run into an old friend.
I bumped into my old buddy Nate – who I grew up playing youth hockey with in New Bedford, Massachusetts with – in the lift line last night. What are the chances?
Hetland Panthers forever.
Here’s the schedule for the summit today:
Saturday around noon at Base Camp Umbrella Bar
Join us at the umbrella bar at base of the mountain for lunch, drinks, and giveaways. SkiSoutheast.com will be giving away beanies, stickers and more. We are getting some new gear made up and plan on giving a bunch away. You’ll want to be on time or early as the freebies go quickly.
Saturday 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. – Après’ Ski Party
Join us at the Umbrella Bar at the base of the mountain for the Aprés Ski Party. Massanutten will have appetizers and drink specials.
Sunday morning – 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. – Creekside and Peak Express Lifts First Tracks
First Tracks on Sunday morning with only Ski Southeast attendees on the mountain! Massanutten plans to open Creekside and Peak Express lifts 30 minutes early just for us! This is always a highlight of our summits!
I am once again, asking you to listen to, download, and tell your mom about the Massanutten SkiSoutheast Summit playlist that I carefully curated just for you!
Here’s what else you need to know to ski and ride the southeast today:
Burton x Girls Go Shred Collaboration
Burton has up with Girls Go Shred for an event at Beech Mountain Resort.
The two are teaming up to offer a 100% female demo session on Sunday, February 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Participants can test ride all of Burton’s women’s boards and bindings, including Step Ons. All of that is included with the purchase of a lift ticket that day.
There will be a short product clinic, and those who RSVP will be automatically entered to win a 2024 Burton Feelgood. There’s an afterparty and raffle at Edge Of The World boardshop starting at 5 p.m.
Winterplace
Hit the slopes for a twilight session for just $49 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. from Thursday through Monday.
Live music from Brittany McGuire & J. Hatfield starts at 1 p.m. After that, the Winterplace Aprés-Ski retro party @ 5:00pm featuring Jamie Smith as DJ JLS. Prizes for best retro fit. No lift ticket required so come for a good time either way!
There are 27 open trails today, and seven lifts spinning.
Appalachian Ski Mountain
Yes. App Ski is 100% open. Go on and get over there if you’re in the North Carolina High Country.
Snowshoe
Today is Uphill Thang, and I am having HUGE FOMO (fear of missing out) that I will not be there to hit the skin track at Silver Creek for this. Athletic Brewing and Vokl skis will be there, and there are free equipment demos from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for those looking to learn how to earn those turns.
If you are headed to the ‘Shoe this weekend, and looking to mix things up, I cannot encourage you enough to give this a try.
The first time I ever earned my turns was in bounds at Loon Mountain Resort in Lincoln, New Hampshire. I carried my board on my back, and I snowshoed up the hill, I was sweaty, I was hungry, and betrayed the trust of the friend I brought along. And I was instantly hooked to the skinning life.
Snowshoe has 60 trails open again today.
Sugar Mountain
There are 20 trails and five lifts open today.
Snowmaking is not in progress today. There will be live music tonight from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. featuring, “The Collective,” and ther is NASTAR racing today at noon on Oma’s Meadow.
Ober Mountain
From the snow report:
We are open for skiing/snowboarding on Castle Run, Upper & Lower Bear Run, Ober Chute, Cub Way & the Ski School Slope, with the Terrain Park set up on Lower Bear Run. The slopes will be open 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.”
Timberline
Thunderstruck will be closed this morning for races, and will reopen to the public in the afternoon, the snow report says.
“When the optimal weather conditions roll in, we’ll be refreshing conditions and expanding coverage,” it says. “In the meantime, our groomers are working their magic to maintain our base and bring you some excellent conditions throughout the week. Conditions today are machine groomed with a soft and granular spring-like surface.”
Video Of The Day
Faction Skis. Simon Charriere. A van. Powder. So, so, so much powder. Switzerland. Daydream.
The Rest
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.