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Massanutten: Your Backyard Mountain Resort for Mountain Biking, Trails, and Shenandoah Valley Adventures with Morgan Mowbry and Charles Sexton (Ep 83, Pt 1)

December 2, 2025·35 min·2 clips

Quarantine is the hottest trail on the Western Slope, and Puzzler is the most infamous.

1. Virginia Outdoor Adventures focuses this Massanutten episode on mountain biking, trail access, and Shenandoah Valley adventure travel. 2. Host Jessica Bowser speaks with Morgan Mowbry and Charles Sexton, who are trail builders, volunteers, and local riders with firsthand knowledge of Massanutten Resort. 3. The episode asks what makes Massanutten both a backyard mountain resort and a place for riders of different skill levels. 4. Morgan says Virginia stands out for its four seasons, while Charles points to the state's mix of mountains and beach. 5. Both guests describe Massanutten as home turf because they can see the mountain from their house and reach trails quickly. 6. Charles says the mountain sits between Shenandoah National Park and the George Washington National Forest, giving their family access to rafting, kayaking, fly fishing, and biking. 7. Charles says his first pull toward Massanutten was the active gravity lift-service bike park. 8. He adds that the Western Slope now offers about 35 to 40 miles of trail. 9. Morgan says Western Slope group rides and the Women's Monday Night Ride through Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition helped draw her deeper into mountain biking. 10. She also says riding expanded into racing and a regular habit of showing up on the mountain. 11. The guests emphasize the community aspect, including parking-lot hangouts, ski-lift friendships, and post-ride dinners or shows. 12. Charles says Bob Henson, a new operations manager, is learning the culture by showing up in the parking lots and doing trail work. 13. Charles describes the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition as a key steward of trail access in the National Forest and across the Shenandoah Valley. 14. He says the coalition and Massanutten have a unique partnership that lets volunteers maintain and build trail on land tied to Great Eastern and Massanutten. 15. Morgan and Charles describe the annual Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition campout in Stokesville as a three-day event with almost 400 people and about 100 kids. 16. Morgan says her three-year-old daughter rode a Strider bike there, which made the event feel family-centered. 17. Charles says trail building is a sacrifice because it can replace a riding night, but he values seeing rocks, corners, and trimmed trees years later. 18. Morgan says volunteering gives her a sense of ownership because she has helped put blood, sweat, and tears into the trails. 19. The conversation is interview-based, conversational, and locally grounded, with Jessica prompting practical details and personal stories. 20. Riders, families, and visitors planning a Shenandoah Valley mountain-biking trip would get the most from this episode. 21. People wanting a general travel overview without trail-specific detail may skip it.

As heard by us

A mountain-resort trail story that balances beginner access, volunteer pride, and four-season appeal.

Massanutten reads as more than a mountain resort. It comes across as a working outdoor hub shaped by riders, volunteers, and a place that leaves room for a wide range of skill levels.

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Why you'd press play

A mountain resort that works for first-timers and trail obsessives.

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