ROANOKE TIMES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, November 25, 1995                   TAG: 9511270045
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: HARRISONBURG                                LENGTH: Medium


MASSANUTTEN READIES SLOPE; SNOWSHOE'S ALREADY GOING

The Thanksgiving turkey is nothing but a carcass, the pumpkin pies are history and Virginia skiers are ready for the slopes.

Massanutten Resort in McGaheysville is expected to open at least one of its beginners' slopes today, marking the start of the state's ski season.

Wintergreen Resort in Nelson County is shooting for a Dec. 8 opening, spokesman Mark Glickman said.

``The new snowboard park is certainly going to be the big deal for this year,'' Glickman said. The park will be limited to snowboards and will feature a series of jumps, obstacles and terrain variations.

Bryce Resort at Basye is hoping to open Dec. 9, said ski director Horst Locher.

``If we get lucky, maybe we'll open sooner,'' he added.

The Homestead resort in Hot Springs is planning a Dec. 16 opening, said ski area manager Sepp Kober. But ``it's weather permitting. It could be earlier, you know.

``We just hope we have a good winter. Last year was terrible - terrible for the whole East Coast.''

January was particularly bad, with above-normal temperatures and lots of rain, ski officials said.

Across the border in the West Virginia mountains, skiers already are on the slopes. Snowshoe Resort opened Nov. 6, its earliest opening.

With its peak at 4,848 feet, Snowshoe generally opens before the Virginia resorts and closes after them. Snowshoe had 22 trails open Thursday, the most ever for Thanksgiving in the resort's 22-year history.

``The two hardest parts about the ski industry are getting people to start thinking skiing in November and getting people to continue thinking about skiing in April,'' Snowshoe spokesman Rick Dunlap said.

More than 45 inches of natural snow has covered the slopes in November, with 40 inches accumulating since Nov. 12.

``So far, man, everything is thumbs up here. ... Coming out of last year, this year is just fantastic,'' Dunlap said.



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