To the skiers and snowboarders that frequent Bryce and Massanutten: welcome back. Chairlifts are spinning today at those two resorts, after the team took the middle of the week to make some snow.
And to our other readers that have been longing for some new terrain to open up, I have good news: Snowshoe, Timberline, and Sugar have all opened up some new terrain for the weekend. And Upper Omigosh is open for business at Cataloochee, as well.
As Brad Panovich reports in his forecast from today, we’ve got a big storm headed to the southeast that features heavy rain, that will almost certainly melt the base at some resorts. But the glimmer of hope is that Sunday night and Monday morning, a burst of cold air could turn that storm into wet, heavy snow. Whatever base we lose, we should be able to replenish, as snowmaking temperatures will persist into Thursday of next week.
So it might be slushy this weekend, but it won’t last long.
Here’s what you need to know today:
Massanutten
I’ve got good news, and I’ve got bad news.
The good news is, skiers and riders in Virginia will be able to head to McGaheysville for the weekend and enjoy skiing, snowboarding, and snow tubing.
The bad news is, the mountain will close on Sunday due to the heavy rain in the forecast.
(I know, it’s a lot of rain.)
Shoutout to the Massanutten snow reporter, for using the terminology “immature snow” to describe the rain. I haven’t heard that one before, but it’s great.
The team plans to open for daily operations starting on December 15.
Meanwhile, the hours for Friday will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for skiing and riding, and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. for snowtubing. Saturday they’ll be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for skiing, snowboarding, and snowtubing.
And as always, the season pass window is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. for those looking to pick up their pass.
Snowshoe
***New trail alert!***
Upper Flume is now open for skier access from Top of the World. Gandy Dancer, Cross Cut, Heisler Way, and the Progression Park are among the trails open today. As temperatures will touch the low 50s this weekend, skiers and riders should expect soft, playful snow conditions. Here’s what else the snow reporting team at Snowshoe had to say:
Load testing for the new Powder Monkey lift is going great this week and we’re still on track to get it spinning by mid-December…Registration for the 2024 Cupp Run Challenge is now open! Spaces will fill up so be sure to get signed up ASAP if you plan to race. “
West Virginia residents! Don’t forget that this Sunday, you can ski and ride at Snowshoe for free all day. Just show up to the Depot with proof of residency, and the team will set you up with a free lift ticket and free lesson for the day.
State or government-issued IDs are the only acceptable form of proof, and lessons are for those ages 13 and up.
Sugar
SugarFest starts now.
Two-time Olympian Krista Schmidinger is leading a clinic all weekend. If you missed today’s session, that’s OK, you can pay for each day of the weekend individually.
There are also food specials, lodging specials with up to 30% off typical pricing, and demos on ski and snowboard equipment from Salomon, Volkl, Nordica, Burton, Head, Never Summer, K2, Atomic, Rossignol, Ride, and Line.
An After Ski party Saturday features music from Glen Harlow and North Fork band from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Fireworks go off at 5:45 p.m.
If you’re looking to ski or ride midweek for cheap, Sugar has a deal for you. Next Wednesday, December 13, a lift ticket is just $25. What’s the catch? You have to show up dressed head-to-toe as Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, or one of the elves.
SkiSoutheast’s Brian Dix was at Sugar Mountain to kick off the most wonderful time of the year. Be sure to head over to his story for a recap on his powder day. A surprising bonus: no icy patches and hardly any bare spots to battle with. He’s also got you with a few friendly reminders on how to prepare for snowmaking days.
Bryce
Now open for the season, Bryce is offering discounted early season rates on lift tickets from today through December 22. An adult weekday pass will run you just $40, and the price bumps up to $55 on the weekend. A full day rental is $60.
Bootlegger, both beginner areas and the tubing area will be open, as of right now. The team is hoping to have Red Eye open soon.
And while some of the southeast will see rain on Sunday, Bryce is actually projected to get a dusting of snow in the evening.
Beech
The Lees-McRae Ski & Snowboard team will host the Southern Rails Ski and Snowboard Rail Jam tomorrow. But lucky for the rest of us, that means the Meadows terrain park is open today. It is the first terrain park Beech has opened this season.
Competitors must register online by December 8, and the contest will run from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. There will be $3,000 in cash prizes given away.
Here are the categories:
- Beginner freeski and snowboard
- Intermediate freeski and snowboard
- Advanced freeski and snowboard
- Women’s open freeski
- Women’s open snowboard
All of the proceeds will help fund the Lees-McRae team’s travels for the upcoming season.
After the rail jam, Beech is hosting a premiere of the Teton Gravity Research film “Flying High Again.” Doors open at 5 p.m. and the film starts at 7 p.m.
The film has a star-studded cast, and features riders like Danny Davis and Bode Merrill. But I’m particularly excited to see what the Queen of the Backcountry, Elena Hight, brings to the silver screen.
Be sure to check out the chatter about resort openings happening over on our new SkiSoutheast Discord channel.
Think snow!
Think cold!
Also 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.
Keep skiing the southeast.