McGAHEYSVILLE, Va. — A cold winter, literally and figuratively, left snow on the ground for nearly three weeks in my Alexandria yard. It was about time I lived up to my “don’t hate winter, use it” axiom and go skiing.
I choose NFL Conference Championship Sunday to take my two sons (16 and 10) to Massanutten. It was my third trip to the Virginia resort.
Customer Experience
I ordered lessons for 10 and lift tickets for 16 and myself the night before. We got a later start than I planned, so there was no time to go to Powder Shack on US 33 for ski rentals for myself and 16.
Once we got to Massanutten I wasn’t able to able to get our lift ticket cards out of the self-serve kiosk because of 10’s lesson. I had to go to the window and get started that way.
Inside the rental area, I had to enter our information again on a touch screen while we waited in line. I’m not sure why I had to do the work twice. Thankfully, there was helpful staff that moved 10 up to the front of the line so he could make it to his 1 p.m. lesson.
My older son and I had to get in line to get our skis (and boots for him) and that took a bit.
The whole process was frustrating – a really inefficient customer journey. I don’t think I’ll go there again if someone in my party needs lessons.
The Skiing
Once geared up, 16 and I started off on the Easy Rider lift while 10 was in his lesson. The lift stopped often and the lines were, well weekend lines, so we only got a few runs down ●Easy Street, ●Nutten-To-It and ●Southern Comfort. I was pleased how 16 did.
After 10’s lesson, it was time for more rides down Easy Street with him while 16 explored slopes himself.
The snow was good shape on a bluebird day.
Tag-teaming on skiing with 10, 16 let me go off and explore the blues and blacks.
Top of the Mountain
I went up the Creekside Lift and hopped on ■Mass Transit to get over to the Peak Lift. By then the crowds started thinning with the NFC Championship game starting. How’d have the thought the Commanders would have been there?
■Mueller’s Mile was my first trail off of the Peak Lift. Added since my last visit, this intermediate has two significant switchbacks. It was a little icy in spots; I think it’s probably the busiest off of Peak. It’s a fun cruiser though with with the two big turns on the way down – it reminds me of the Nile Mile at Camelback in Pennsylvania.
After Mullers Mile, I took a ride or two on ♦Diamond Jim and ♦Paradice. Great views, great runs. They are among my favorites in the Mid-Atlantic – fun cruisers that I can do laps on all day long. I didn’t have all day though, so wandered back over to ■Ridgecrest for the longest ride back down to meet up with my boys.
I skipped ♦♦No Hesitation too, the new run directly under the Peak lift because I’m not proficient at moguls and it was completely in shade. If I ever get up for a mogul run, it’s usually my penultimate or last run of the morning before lunch.
Overall, the snow at the top of the mountain was in really good shape and not just grading on a “above freezing Sunday afternoon” curve either. I wish I had more time on it, but that’s the challenge of getting your kids into skiing – they need help.
Finishing Up
After more time with 10, his ticket ran out and I got back up to the top via Mass Transit and Peak. It was down Ridgecrest again to conclude a bit of hectic ski day.
Grading on my scale of ● to black ♦, I’m giving my day a ■. The customer journey kept it from being a double blue like my previous trips.
I really want to get back and do another half-day late in the season when the life ticket prices go down. I think my 16 year-old is up for some of the blues and hope to get him out on them.
Mid-Atlantic skiing day trips from D.C.
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Getting there
There are a few ways to get to Massanutten – Google Maps suggests I-66 west to US 340 south, but I went the longer way taking I-66 west all the way to I-81 south and then down to US 33 east at Harrisonburg.
