INTRODUCTION
Wintergreen Resort is a bit of a homecoming for my wife, Bonnie, and I. In 1994 we moved to Charlottesville and held our wedding at James Monroe's Highland estate. After three, great years in Charlottesville we moved to the Outer Banks where I worked as an owner of a watersports business and Bonnie commuted to Old Dominion University to teach.
Life has been good on the Outer Banks but when our youngest decided to attend Hampden-Sydney College it brought us back to central Virginia where we re-discovered the beauty of its rolling hills and the excitement of exploring the small towns, especially the ones with brewpubs.
We're thrilled to be here and look forward to sharing our place with others. We hope you enjoy it too. Let us know if we can be of any assistance.
Best wishes, John and Bonnie
9/9/2025
Lumberjack Weekend
9/15/2025
I haven't been yet, but the Lumberjack Classic at Devil's Backbone Brewpub sounds like a lot of fun. Individual and team competitions will fill the day while average-joes, like me, can enjoy other activities such as stein hoisting, wood painting, and karaoke.
Oktoberfest, 2025
Back around 1995-97 Bonnie and I were newlyweds living in Charlottesville. No kids, lots of sports, lots of socializing, basically, doing whatever we wanted. On occasion we would drive around the countryside and visit the local vineyards to sample their wine. It was nice but I'm more of a beer person. Fast-forward a few decades and beer pubs have practically taken over that same countryside. My prayers were answered.
I love craft beers and I tend to ride a certain brew for a long time. My current favorite is the Vienna Lager by the Devil's Backbone Brewery. Needless to say, when we started looking at properties at Wintergreen Resort my vote may have been a bit partial.
On October 18, 2025, Wintergreen will be celebrating Oktoberfest. Oktoberfest is a German word for; drink a lot of beer with friends. Whatever your excuse may be to drink more beer know that Nelson County has turned in to a hotbed for craft beer. Enjoy!
Let It Snow!
11/29/2025
Ever since we purchased this condo in the summer I've been raving about all the cool things to do during the warmer months. Then a funny thing happened last weekend as we visited for the first time with cool weather. We noticed change was afoot. Lift ticket machines were standing at the ready. Ski racks began to appear. The equipment rental shop showed signs of life. Most importantly, it was obvious that Wintergreen had begun testing the snow making equipment. Fast forward one week (ONE WEEK!) and the mountain cams show the beginnings of snow coverage on the ski trails (see screenshot above).
I used to snowboard quite a bit but I was never one to count the days to open season. I understand that Mother Nature is a fickle being and that no amount of hoping and wishing will improve my chances of riding conditions. To that point I've never witnessed a ski resort awaken from its off-season slumber. In reflection, it's not much different from when I would open my watersports business every spring. The conditions aren't perfect but you always needed extra time to dust things off, fix what was broken, and train a new group of rookies hoping you hired a good staff.
As an aside, know that the employees at a seasonal business are not always the "best and the brightest". If you encounter an employee who provides amazing service or who does their job well above par it's most likely a testament to that individual and not due to incredible training by ownership. The turnover rate at a seasonal resort is extremely high and management is playing a never-ending game of replacing the majority of their workforce every year. As someone who has coached a lot of sports I can tell you that once you choose your roster you're pretty much married to it for the next three months or more. There's rarely much change once the season begins. The same thing applies in the seasonal resort business.
Back to my original observation. Walking around the facility last weekend initiated an itch to get back on the slopes. Watching the mountain cams only makes this worse. Scratching this itch is only made more complicated since I no longer own any equipment. In addition, I have an artificial hip and a knee that is screaming to be replaced. I should know better. And yet....there is snow.
Here We Go Again
12/27/25
A few weeks ago my wife came home from work and I dreaded sharing the news with her. The snowboard boots I had ordered? They fit. This meant that actions would be set in motion to get back on the slopes. She was surprisingly supportive which left me wondering what her ulterior motive could be. Cash in on my life insurance? Distract me while she looks for a boyfriend? I'm still not sure but for now I will play along and go snowboarding.
On December 20 I returned to the slopes after a 20 year sabbatical. The break in action wasn't intentional, just necessary due to time, money, and kids. The first run was awkward, more so because I really didn't want to fall. After a while I got my timing back and things felt great. The funny part is that at 60 years-old I'm easily the oldest snowboarder on the hill.
Here's my experience for those visiting for the first time.
I decided to make this visit at 11am on December 19. An hour later I was packed and on my way. Getting to Devil's Backbone Brewpub in time for dinner I purchased a lift ticket and secured a board rental with my phone. Saturday morning I walked over to the Skyline Pavilion and began matriculating through the rental process. It took a little longer than expected but the staff were incredibly friendly. In the future I'll try to get my stuff early so I can simply walk from the condo and strap in at the top of the Blue Ridge Express.
The weather was perfect. Mid 30s, sunny, and great snow coverage. The early start was nice to avoid the crowds but by lunch time the lift lines became a little too crowded for me. I decided to take an extended lunch break at the condo which makes the location a huge plus. While resting up and watching TV I discovered a Cheat Code. If you download the Wintergreen app you'll have fast and easy access to the trail cams. By looking at the Checkerberry Cam you can see how busy the line is at the bottom of the Blue Ridge Express lift. At 3:30 I saw the line thinning out and within a few minutes I was back at the top of the hill for a few more runs before closing.
It had been so long since I last visited a mountain I forgot how much I avoided peak mountain times. In the future I will most likely be riding during the week if/when I can get away.
Ride on, John Van Lunen
Why Walk When You Can Pedal
9/21/2026
I will take this to my grave. Wintergreen is a great place to visit in the summer....unless you have kids. Kids are always the x-factor we parents design our vacations around. So let's pretend you don't have to bring the kids. Twice this summer I left the Outer Banks when the heat index was in the low hundreds and both times I arrived to the mountain top at Wintergreen and able to sit outdoors with a cold beer, sans sweat. Besides holiday weekends (and even then, the crowds are very doable) there is nobody around.
Thirty years ago, when we still lived in Charlottesville, I was very much in to mountain biking. When we eventually moved to the Outer Banks it was the one thing I left behind that I missed most about. Back then my favorite ride was at Sherando Lake, which is now just a 20 minute drive away. Having driven by it several times in the last year got me thinking. What if I got a mountain bike? What I found was that electric mountain bikes can greatly extend the age of the rider and full suspension makes it a lot easier on the body.
So I got an electric mountain bike. A Trek Powerfly to be exact. The nice people of Blue Ridge Cyclery hooked me up with a discounted demo that saved me over $1,000. This thing rocks. It climbs technical trails like a mountain goat. For the record, my right knee is complete trash. It's due to be replaced in about 5 years. And I barely think about it when I'm on the trails having a blast. Instead of mashing the pedals to climb a hill I just down shift, keep my feet turning, and the bike does the dirty work for me. It's a miracle. At 61 years-old I'm having a blast on the trails again and coming back to central Virginia has an added excitement of exploring new trails.
Speaking of new trails, there weren't nearly as many options as there are now. Thirty minutes from Wintergreen the city of Waynesboro has Sunset Park with 4 miles of incredibly designed trails for mountain biking. https://www.waynesboro.va.us/973/Sunset-Park
Staunton is a 45 minute drive from the top of Wintergreen and it has Montgomery Hall Park where you can find about 3 miles of technical trails. I'll give this to the designers; they maxed out every inch to create as much trail as possible. Afterwards, be sure to hit historic downtown Staunton for food.https://www.ci.staunton.va.us/departments/parks-recreation-/parks/montgomery-hall-park
Charlottesville is about 45 minutes from Wintergreen and just after I purchased my bike I christened it on the trails at Heyward Community Forest. The park has a wide variety of trails and at the time I was very much getting used to my bike. Definitely a place to return to and explore everything it has to offer. https://www.charlottesville.gov/facilities/facility/details/Heyward-Community-Forest-66
When we lived in Charlottesville I could ride to Observatory Hill (O-Hill) and have a fun ride on the trails, then return home. Out and back in a little over an hour, it was a near perfect workout. I haven't hit it on my new bike yet, but I will eventually make a pilgrimage back to where it all started. If you go, swing by Durty Nelly's Pub afterwards as your reward.https://cambc.org/https://www.durtynellyscharlottesville.com/
At this point you may be wondering about Sherando Lake. The park has an excellent loop that used to take me about two hours to complete. It was a serious workout with some lung searing climbs and loose shale sections I had to hike the bike. That being said, pushing and carrying a 70 pound e-bike is not the kind of workout I'm looking for. I think I'll pass. But if you're young and experienced, this area is a fun challenge. In addition, there's a lake for your post-ride soak (if it's not too cold). https://www.mtbproject.com/directory/8019458/sherando-lake-recreation-area
I give you this information to say All Downhill From Here is an excellent headquarters for your mountain biking adventures around the Blue Ridge Mountains and these shaded trails are a great way to get outside even when it's hot. Book your stay and enjoy the great outdoors at Wintergreen Resort.