The Rise of the Modern Mid-Atlantic Resort
By Eric J. Wallace / Photo Above: Soaring views from the upper slopes of Snowshoe Resort’s Western Slope area
Powdery wakes of crystalline snow erupt from my kids’ snowboard and skis as they carve through the manicured red spruce forest beside the slope. They laugh and point as five young deer gallop beside them through the blanketed trees then veer deeper into the woods. The teens bump back on-piste ahead of a steep drop where the world explodes in a panorama of knobby, undeveloped mountains that sweep into the horizon like a crazed tide. They pause and breathlessly describe the insanity of what just happened then resume the near two-mile descent.
I’ve written about outdoor adventure for 15 years and the tableau is as spectacular as anything I’ve experienced in Colorado, Vermont, or Maine. A storm dumped two feet of fresh powder the night before and a world-class grooming team has taken masterful advantage of the assist. Five-thousand-ish-foot westward views cascade through undeveloped, seemingly endless peaks in the Monongahela National Forest. My wife is enjoying a massage and spa session in the summit village area as we speak. And, best of all, we’re within a two-hour scenic drive of our Shenandoah Valley abode.
Wintergreen Resort
This is West Virginia’s Snowshoe Resort. Six years as season passholders have made us intimately familiar with the Ikon Pass destination and driven home just how incredible skiing in the Blue Ridge has become. The region’s first resorts opened in the early-1960s and were quaint by today’s standards.
“There weren’t a lot of trails in the early days and things could be pretty clunky,” retired Massanutten Resort Director of Sports Kenny Hess told me, reflecting on the Virginia ski area’s 50th anniversary in 2022. Tow ropes were common, lifts were slow, and snowmaking tech left much to be desired. Diehard enthusiasts from Western strongholds like Colorado were skeptical. “But here’s the thing,” said Hess. “For the first time ever, people in this region didn’t have to spend days driving or flying to experience reliable skiing: It was available more-or-less in their backyards.”
That ease of access seized the imaginations of outdoors lovers in the mid-Atlantic and Southeast. Beautiful locations, great amenities, and remarkable affordability compared to Western counterparts like Big Bear or Tahoe inspired visits. Surging popularity created a vibrant local ski culture that fueled innovation and investment. Trail networks evolved to offer more and better options for beginners, intermediates, and experts alike.
“If someone in a position like mine time-traveled from the 1970s, 80s or even 90s to today’s resorts they’d be shellshocked,” said Hess. “What we have and are capable of now is so dramatically superior, it’s like night and day.”
The summit lift at Massanutten Resort offers incredible views of the Shenandoah Valley and peaks in its namesake national park.
Ambitious improvements at Massanutten, for instance, have totally overhauled the resort’s fleet of snow guns and blowers, and the infrastructure that feeds and powers them. The new, state-of-the-art system is fully automated and can blanket nearly every inch of skiable terrain within 24 hours on a cold day—including five new trails that have been installed since 2020. Guns can also operate in higher ambient temperatures than their predecessors. The artificial flakes, meanwhile, have gotten much better at mimicking nature. The new abilities let snow-farmers create thicker base layers and create stashes that help protect slopes on warm days. All of this keeps more trails open and covered in powder throughout the season.
Best of all, the snowmaking upgrades aren’t isolated to Massanutten: They’re par for the course at virtually all of the region’s top resorts. And the enhanced powder pairs with a deluge of other improvements to hypercharge fun and bring added value to visits.
New high-speed lifts cut wait times and ferry more riders to summits faster than ever before. Stand-alone learning areas equipped with magic carpet conveyors combine with longer, breezier green trails to slash learning curves for beginners. Many resorts—like Wintergreen, Snowshoe, and Canaan Valley Resort State Park—have created experts-only slope areas and progression parks that cater to advanced intermediates and top-tier shredders. Piste-side bars offer classy respites for adult riders. Stay options have proliferated and run the gamut from low-key hotel rooms to ski-out luxury suites, cabins, and lodges. Après-ride activities range from James Beard Foundation honored fine-dining at Snowshoe, to a heated indoor waterpark at Massanutten, ice skating at North Carolina’s Sugar Mountain Ski Resort—and much more.
“I don’t want to sound too over-the-top,” said Hess, “but I’ve been in this industry for 40 years and this is a golden era for people who live in the region and love snowsports.”
My kids and I have skied and boarded at virtually every resort in the Southeast and mid-Atlantic. I’ve penned countless stories about our experiences and I have to say: Hess isn’t exaggerating. There’s never been a better time than now to hit the slopes.
