MORE TERRAIN AGAIN TODAY!

Tyro, Upper Sunrise and Lower Diamond open today!

We will be open from 9am until 9pm tonight, skiing and riding on 14 trails with 5 lifts operating.  The ski area closes at 9pm tonight and fireworks begin at 10:30pm.  The Plunge is open with sessions from 10am until 9pm.

Congrats D Team kids! 

Great snow on Eagels Swoop!

MORE TERRAIN OPENING TODAY

Great snowmaking conditions continue!

We will add 5 more trails to our open list, providing more great skiing and riding options.  Upper Tyro, Tequila and Lower Sunrise will open at 9am.  Upper Cliffhanger, Hydraulic and Lower Wild Turkey will open around noon today. 

What's next??  Tyro, Lower Diamond and Lower Cliffhanger should open tomorrow morning.  We will be making snow on Acorn, Upper Turkey, Devils Elbow and in both Terrain Parks today.  Sections of the park might open New Years Day.  Check this report tomorrow for an update.

The Plunge opens today with session from 12noon until 9pm.  Tickets sell out, buy online to reserve your fun.  Click here to buy:  https://secure.wintergreenresort.com/e-commerce/

MORE TERRAIN OPENING TOMORROW

Great conditions today  - Thanks to Freestyle and all of the Industry Reps for providing demo equipment at the top of Eagles Swoop.

Higlands Update - We plan to open Upper Cliffhanger and Lower Wild Turkey around noon tomorrow (Sunday). Check this report tomorrow morning for another update.

MORE TERRAIN OPENING TODAY

Below freezing temperatures continue, allowing us to make snow and open additional terrain daily.  Today, we are adding Potato Patch and the Potato Patch Chairlift.  Tomorrow, we plan to open The Plunge Tubing Park and are trying hard to get The Highlands, Tyro and Sunrise open.  Check this report later today for an update on tomorrow's opening prediction.   

We are open today from 9am to 10pm, skiing and riding on 6 trails with 4 lifts running.  Tickets for the Plunge are available online at:  https://secure.wintergreenresort.com/e-commerce/  Remember, tubing is an extremely popular activity and sells out early.  Please purchase tickets in advance.

MORE SLOPES OPEN TODAY AND TOMORROW!

Great day to ski and ride!!

Eagles Swoop, both Cross Trails and Lower Dobie open today.  Dobie will open at 9am and Eagles Swoop will open at 10am.  Great snowmaking conditions continue into next week, allowing us to open more terrain daily.  Keep checking this report for the most up to date information.

The Plunge opens Sunday with sessions starting at 12noon.  Tickets are available on line at: https://secure.wintergreenresort.com/e-commerce/

WHITE

Beautiful morning up here, snow on the ground makes every day better!

Yesterday's storm brought about 3 inches of snow to the mountain, providing a great base layer to make snow on top of.  Temperatures fell through the night allowing us to crank back up and keep working on adding more trails.  Temperatures are forecasted to remain below freezing today and into next week.  Below freezing temperatures will allow us to open more terrain each day.  Keep checking this report for details.  Another storm is headed our way Friday night with 4-6 inches predicted.  Bring it on!

We will be open from 9a-10p today, skiing and riding Upper Dobie with the Loggers Alley Lift running.  Lower Dobie is very close and might open before the night session.  Eagles Swoop will open tomorrow, Potato Patch should open Saturday, The Plunge, Upper Cliffhanger and Lower Turkey should open on Sunday...  Below freezing temperatures and an awesome snowmaking system means trails opening daily.

See you on the snow!

 

 

SNOW!

2 inches on the ground with 3-5 inches expected! 

We are skiing and riding on Upper Dobie and getting back to the top using the Loggers Alley Chairlift.  We are making snow and will continue until temperatures warm up later today.  Colder air arrives overnight allowing us to make more snow and open additional terrain on Friday.  The next trails we plan to open include: Eagles swoop, both Cross Trails and Lower Dobie.  We have already started making snow on Tyro, Sunrise, Upper Cliffhanger, Hydraulic and Lower Turkey.  These trails will open later this week.  Keep checking this report for details.

Tubing - we are making snow and should open The Plunge over the weekend.  Keep checking this report for details.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Santa is bringing us cold temperatures, natural snow and snowmaking starting tonight!

Santa Rocks!

We are open from 10a-10p skiing and riding on Upper Dobie.  Snowmaking efforts should resume tonight and continue through the week.  We plan to open additional terrain daily starting Friday, maybe sooner.  Keep checking this message for up to date information.

The Plunge is expected to open Sunday.  We are going to try hard for Saturday, check this message for daily updates.

Merry Christmas! 

OPENING DAY!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!

We are open with beginner skiing and riding on Upper Dobie and the Loggers Alley Chairlift.  Lift tickets and GLS packages are discounted 30% along with the option of a 4hour or 8hour ticket.  Operating hours are 9a - 8p today and 10a - 10p Christmas Day.  These discounted rates reflect limited terrain open and will adjust as we open additional trails.

Winter returns on Wednesday with cooler temperatures and the possibility of a few inches of Natural Snow.  Once snowmaking temperatures return, we will concentrate on opening Eagles Swoop, Lower Dobie and both cross trails ASAP.  These trails are close to completion and only need a little more snow to get open.  The weather forecast starting Wednesday night supports around the clock snowmaking.  We anticipate opening additional terrain almost daily beginning later this week. 

Tubing Update-  Opening day for the Plunge looks like Saturday.  Please keep checking this report for details about opening plans and when tubing tickets will go on sale online. 

See you on the snow!

Opening Monday 12/23

Skiing and riding for the 2012-2013 begins tomorrow!

We will open Monday 12/24 at 9am and close at 8pm, skiing and riding on 3 beginner trails and operating 1 chairlift.  The open trails include: Upper Dobie, portions of Potato Patch, Upper Cross Trail and Lower Cross Trail.  Operating hours for Christmas Day will be 10am until 10pm.  With limited terrain, we will offer a 30% discount on lift and GLS packages and both a 4 hour and 8 hour ticket session.  These discounts will be available for the first few days and will be adjusted as we open more terrain.

Snowmaking should resume on Wednesday, allowing for additional trail openings later in the week and over the weekend.  Eagles Swoop and Lower Dobie are almost ready and we have already started making snow on Tyro, Sunrise and portions of The Highlands.  The snowmaking improvements are working great, and the weather forecast predicts around the clock snowmaking temperatures starting Wednesday night.  As soon as temperatures allow, we will be making snow and opening more terrain.

The Plunge tubing park will require additional snowmaking and is expected to open for the weekend, please check this report later in the week for opening information.

SNOWMAKING PROGRESS

Everyone,

Great snowmaking conditions with overnight lows in the 20's.  The snowmaking system is running incredibly well, allowing us to pump more water than ever before.  Overnight, we passed the 5,500 gpm mark beating our previous system max of 4,000 gpm.  The additional water allowed us to make snow on Eagles Swoop, Dobie, both cross trails, Potato Patch, Tyro, Sunrise, The Plunge and The Highlands.  More that 160 guns running at one time!

Temperatures are going to creep back up tomorrow into Monday before stormy weather moves into our area for the first part of the week.  Weather forecasters are talking about the possibility of some natural snow before temperatures fall off dramatically 12/26.  Christmas week is forecasted to be nice and cold allowing for round the clock snowmaking.  All of this cold air will allow us to provide great surface conditions and open terrain quickly. 

We are doing everything we can to open before 12/26.  Check this message for the most up to date information. 

MAKING SNOW!

Cold air arrived as the wet weather moved out, allowing temperatures to fall throughout the night.  The current temperature at the ski area is approximately 29 degrees (6am).  Temperatures will remain low for the next several days allowing us to run our snowguns hard.  We plan to make snow every minute we can in an effort to open before December 26th.  This message is the best place to find the most up to date snowmaking information and our opening schedule.

WINTER ARRIVES THURSDAY NIGHT

Weather Forecasters are talking about a pattern shift that will allow Winter to arrive later this week and remain in place.  Overnight Thursday it should be cold enough to fire up our snowmaking system and start laying down snow.  We are 100% ready to go.  All of our new snow guns, the pump house and water tank are online and tested....all we need is cold.

Opening Day prediction - December 26th.  The weather forecasts supports opening by 12/26 with the possibility of opening sooner.  Like all of you, we want to be on the snow now.  Cross your fingers and toes for cold weather. 

MAKING SNOW!!!

We fired up our guns around 6:30pm last night, concentrating our snowmaking efforts on Eagles Swoop, Dobie, The Plunge, Potato Patch, Highlands and both Cross Trails.  The system performed extremely well with approximately 2 million gallons of water converted to snow.

 

 

 

Today's high temp of 40 will likely force a mid morning shutdown.  Once temperatures drop back below freezing, we will resume snowmaking.

OPENING DAY UPDATE: Opening day is looking like sometime after December 19th.  Weather permitting, we will do everything we can to open before 12/22.  We want to be sliding as badly as you do.  Keep checking this message for the most current information about our opening plans, slopes status and snowmaking progress. Weather forecasters are talking about a transition to Winter early next week along with the threat of a coastal storm.  Cross your finger and toes for freezing temperatures!

TANK UPDATE:

Tank fill status as of Tuesday AM.

Tank status as of Wednesday AM - all most full!

 

 

As of this morning, the tank is full and doing exactly what we hoped it would.  Overnight we used our new tank to provide additional water for our snowmaking system.  Tonight we will begin recirculating our tank water through our chiller system in an effort to bring snowmaking water temps down.  Current water temp coming out of our valley lakes is 54 degrees.  Converting 54 degree water to snow is tough and overall snowmaking production suffers.  Cold water is a key component to increased snow production!  

SNOWMAKING UPDATE



December is starting out warm, however, this is not all that uncommon for VA.  Temps are expected to moderate in coming days allowing for the possibility of overnight snowmaking.  We are ready to go as soon as temperatures drop below freezing.

  

With limited snowmaking hours in this weeks forecast, opening day is likely to be December 14th or 15th.  Please check this report for the most up to date information.  We plan to open as soon as the weather allows.   

 

Pumphouse Progress Update:

 

The original snowmaking plant is ready to go allowing us to begin making snow as soon as the cold air arrives.  The new pipeline expansion is complete, tested and helped us make some snow last week.  The new pumphouse and water cooling plant should be online by 12/15.  Everything is coming together to help make this the best snowmaking system in our region.

 

BIG Pumps require BIG power! 





 

3,000+ gallons per minute of water cooling requires BIG water coolers!

 



Tank Progress Update:

Our new 5 million gallon water tank is scheduled to be filled this Friday. At a fill rate of 2,000 gallons per minute, it will take 41 hours of continuous pumping to get the tank full.

If you are wondering how big our new tank is, these 2 pictures should provide a good idea.

 

 

The concrete truck in this picture is not a toy.

 

The excavation required blasting and removal of approximately 26,000 cubic yards of material.

 

 





SNOWMAKING UPDATE

THE START OF THE 2012/2013 SNOWMAKING SEASON IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER.

TEMPERATURES COOLED OFF A BUNCH OVER THE WEEKEND HELPING LOWER LAKE WATER TEMPERATURES IN THE VALLEY AND GROUND TEMPERATURE HERE ON THE MOUNTAIN.  THIS WEEKS WEATHER WILL MODERATE STARTING TODAY WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF COOL AIR ARRIVING WEDNESDAY.  

CONSTRUCTION OF OUR NEW WATER TANK, PUMP STATION, NEW GUNS AND WATER COOLING CONTINUES AROUND THE CLOCK.  THE PICTURE ABOVE WAS TAKEN DURING THE INSTALLATION OF OUR WATER COOLING UNITS FRIDAY 11/23.  COLD WATER IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT WITHIN THE SNOWMAKING PROCESS, THESE UNITS WILL PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN OUR QUEST FOR A MASSIVE INCREASE IN OUR SNOWMAKING CAPABILITIES.

WHEN WILL WE BEGIN MAKING SNOW???

WE ARE WATCHING THE WEATHER CLOSELY LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT MIX OF GOOD NIGHTTIME PRODUCTION AND MINIMAL DAY TIME MELTING.   WEATHER PERMITTING, WE COULD BEGIN DURING THE MIDDLE PART OF THIS WEEK.

Tank Project - progress photo

SNOWPOWER starts with lots of COLD water ready and waiting to be used up.  5 million gallons of on mountain water storage requires a BIG TANK...  The 12/13 season is right around the corner and we are more excitied than ever!

 

 

Massive Snowmaking Improvements!!

Greetings Snow Fans! The Ski Area is undergoing the largest snowmaking expansion since automating the slopes during the 2001-2003 seasons. Since 2001-2003, automation provided efficiencies, awesome snow quality and increased production. Our newest project is all about a massive increase in production with the same incredible snow quality. We are going to be making more snow across all temperatures and a lot more snow overnight!

Key Improvements:

• More snow production across all temperatures means opening trails sooner, providing better snow coverage and keeping slopes open longer
• More snow on The Highlands. Previous pipeline constraints limited our snowmaking production on Highlands to approximately 1,500 GPM (gallons per minute). The new pipeline improvements will double our production allowing 3,000 GPM of water to flow through this section of the mountain
• Ability to run more guns on more slopes. Overall production increases will allow us to start making snow on additional trails giving customers more terrain sooner resulting in better variety and better value
• Increased production in our Terrain Park will allow us to open this area earlier
• Increased production in The Plunge will allow us to have more lanes early and late season
• Increased snow production overnight means when the forecast and base depths permit, we plan to make less snow while open and catch up overnight
• Ability to recover more quickly. Virginia can provide interesting weather... increased production allows for faster recovery

The scope of the project includes:

• 5 million gallons of on the mountain water storage allowing for increased production
• 3000+ GPM of water cooling, resulting in increased production
• Massive 16 inch pipeline from the snowmaking plant to key points within the ski area, resulting in much higher water volume and increased water pressure
• Additional 4000 GPM of high pressure fully automated water pumping (previous max 4000 GPM) resulting in a total max production output of 8,000 GPM
• Additional 3000 GPM of water cooling. Cold water increases snow production
• Additional TechnoAlpin fan snow guns
• Additional MyNeige tower snow guns

The Low Down:

• More guns and more water = MORE SNOW.
• MORE SNOW = MORE FUN. Bring it on!

Ski Area Closed for the Season.

Given the weather today and the forecast the remainder of the week, our hopes of re-opening Saturday are melting away...  Thanks for all of your patronage this Winter and we look forward to seeing you again next Winter.

Remember, Wintergreen is a great place to visit Spring, Summer and Fall. Come join us for Family Fun, Golf, Tennis, Music Events and more!

The ski are is closed.  Weather permitting, we may open for one final day on Saturday 3/17.  We will provide more details later this week.

Slide and Splash - Pond Skiing at 2pm!

Slide and Splash Weekend is here with sunny skies, great skiing, riding, tubing, fun music, great food, rail jam on Saturday, costumes and pond skimming on Sunday. Click this link for detailed information about this great event http://www.wintergreenresort.com/uploadedFiles/Events/Slide-Splash-Bash-Weekend.pdf Don't miss one of funnest weekends of the year, make plans to be here!

SKI & RIDE: We will be open for DAY SESSIONS ONLY today, skiing and riding on 12 slopes with 4 lifts. 

TUBING: The Plunge will be open today, with sessions from 10am-4pm. Advanced tickets for tubing are available online. The Plunge is extremely popular, to make sure you can participate, please purchase tickets online ahead of time.

TERRAIN PARK: The Upper Dobie Mini Park is set up with a box line, tank line, rail line, a propane tank spine, gas tank hip, cannon rail to a wall ride and 2 table tops. Box line- 10 ft flat box, 20 ft down box, and up box. Tank Line- small propane tank, tank bonk, large up tank. Rail Line - 15ft PHAT bar rail, 20ft down rail, double kink (flat up flat) rail. The table tops have 2 takeoffs each, with one small, two medium and one large.

Slide and Splash Weekend!

 

Slide and Splash Weekend is here with sunny skies, great skiing, riding, tubing, fun music, great food, rail jam on Saturday, costumes and pond skimming on Sunday. Click this link for detailed information about this great event http://www.wintergreenresort.com/uploadedFiles/Events/Slide-Splash-Bash-Weekend.pdf  Don't miss one of funnest weekends of the year, make plans to be here!

SKI & RIDE: We will be open for DAY AND NIGHT SESSIONS today, skiing and riding on 12 slopes with 4 lifts.

TUBING: The Plunge will be open today, with sessions from 10am-11pm. Advanced tickets for tubing are available online. The Plunge is extremely popular, to make sure you can participate, please purchase tickets online ahead of time.

TERRAIN PARK: The Upper Dobie Mini Park is set up with a box line, tank line, rail line, a propane tank spine, gas tank hip and small table top. Box line- 10 ft flat box, 20 ft down box, and up box. Tank Line- small propane tank, tank bonk, large up tank. Rail Line- 15ft PHAT bar rail, 20ft down rail, double kink (flat up flat) rail. The table top has 2 takeoffs, one medium and one small.