Earlier this month, Massanutten Resort opened its first double black diamond slope, “No Hessitation.” The name honors long-time resort administrator Kenny Hess, who recently announced plans to retire this summer, ending his 44-year career with the company.
“Kenny Hess started his career at Massanutten Resort in 1980 to ski as much as possible while studying at James Madison University,” an official from Massanutten Resort wrote in response to Hess’s retirement announcement. “He has made significant changes to the Resort that paved the way for major growth, including the major ski area expansion currently underway, and introduced safety and risk management as a priority.”
On January 18 the resort celebrated the grand opening of the slope, and invited skiers and snowboarders in the area to come and enjoy the fresh tracks and ribbon cutting.
“Our new Double Black Diamond extreme difficulty trail is a great compliment to the two new Blue Square, more difficult trails (Mueller’s Mile & Ridgecrest) and Black Diamond most difficult trail (Slot) we added last season,” resort officials stated in its expansion plan. “The new terrain has dramatically changed the snow experience and flow around the hill. No Hessitation has a steep fall line trail that will increase the challenge factor for advanced skiers and riders.”
Other improvements coming to the resort include a new detachable quad lift, automated snowmaking guns, and a new online interactive trail map. This past year brought major upgrades at many ski areas in the Blue Ridge region, which BRO detailed here in our December/January issue.
Cover photo: Photo of the grand opening of No Hessitation run at Massanutten Resort—Kenny Hess (yellow jacket to the right) breaks ribbon. Photo posted by Massanutten Resort on Facebook.
