A friend and I have a Saturday ski trip planned and we're likely to stay in Virginia. Last year we went to Massanutten and had a wonderful, bluebird day. Massanutten exceeded my expectations. It was my first time skiing in the Commonwealth after mostly skiing in the Poconos & Whitetail.
Neither of us have been to Wintergreen and are considering going there. I'm curious if Wintergreen is worth the extra two hours roundtrip or so (we're leaving from the City of Alexandria). Some factors to consider:
I appreciate the feedback!
Yaaaah-hoo-hoo-hoo-hooey!
””-
William F. Yurasko
http://www.yurasko.net/wfy/category/skiing
I have skied both Wintergreen and Massanutten quite a bit and I like both places. In my opinion they are comparable enough that it would not be worth driving the extra 2 hours to get to Wintergreen. Some thoughts:
- Wintergreen is somewhat bigger and has a nice variety of terrain. In particular the Highlands sections offers multiple runs that can be mixed and matched to offer several ways down over a legit 1000 vertical feet. I would say that sections of these runs are steeper than the two runs at Massanutten served by lift 6. Be aware that the Highlands section is not lit for night skiing and closes at 4:15.
- Wintergreen can get very crowded. Massanutten can get crowded as well, but the lift serving the more advanced runs at Massanutten is almost never crowded. The Highlands lift at Wintergreen is less crowded than the rest of the resort but in general it is still busier than lift 6 at Massanutten.
- Wintergreen is less likely to have any runs with moguls than Massanutten is. Wintergreen does have a small official glade that has been open for much of the season. I have had some good turns in there this season.
- I find the nearby food and drink options better near Wintergreen. I am not sure if you would be passing any of the restaurants/breweries if you are coming from Northern Virgina, though.
Thanks for you insight, wgo. Looking at the forecast, it may be too warm to stay in Virginia. I'm stumping for Blue Knob since White Tail is a likely destination later in the month.
Yaaaah-hoo-hoo-hoo-hooey!
””-
William F. Yurasko
The warm weather sent me north:
MERCERSBURG, Pa. ”” My annual ski trip with my friend Ryan returned to where they all began four years ago ”“ Whitetail. Unlike that time, we were both on skis on this trip. The unseasonably warm weather scuttled our plans to go to either Massanutten or Wintergreen, so we elected to keep it close to home. Whitetail has 935 feet of vertical drop and is just a few hours from the Capital Beltway
For future reference, on a Saturday I would suggest Massanutten over Wintergreen for anyone who can ski/board black runs in the Mid-Atlantic. The Highlands at Wintergreen are good fun, but are not lit and the wait for riding the lift can be 15-25 min by mid-morning. That negates any advantage of riding a detachable high-speed 6-pack. Sunday is a better day to check out Wintergreen if restricted to skiing on weekends.
By the way, the total vertical at Mnut is 1100' and Lift 6 is about 850'.
wfyurasko wrote:
The warm weather sent me north:
February 7, 2015 Skiing: Whitetail
MERCERSBURG, Pa. ”” My annual ski trip with my friend Ryan returned to where they all began four years ago ”“ Whitetail. Unlike that time, we were both on skis on this trip. The unseasonably warm weather scuttled our plans to go to either Massanutten or Wintergreen, so we elected to keep it close to home. Whitetail has 935 feet of vertical drop and is just a few hours from the Capital Beltway
Sounds like a fun day at Whitetail. Next time, consider getting up earlier to beat the crowd. Lifts start at 8am. My friends who drive from the DC metro area who have Snowtime season passes typically ski 8:00-11:30 on a Saturday and then head home.
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