Haven't been to either but looking for which one will have better snow. I wanna go to Blue Knob since it's supposed to be fairly challenging for the region and has enough terrain variety. Most have said it's slightly more challenging than Tline, but in the end, the better snow may be what drives me one way or the other.
Any thoughts are greatly appreciated! Looking to go for the whole weekend.
If it's warmer go to BK where soft bumps on Extrovert are great fun. If it's colder go to TL. The temperature dividing line is a forecast high of about 55 in DC.
Will Ex be open? Soft bumps on Ex are a treat, but even under good conditions it is a challenging trail and you need to be on your game.
I suspect cover will be better at T-Line.
We skied BK today, and heard lifties saying that they thought that it was likely to be the last day of the season.
Coverage was OK overall, but thin in spots. There probably weren't more than 75 people on the hill all day.
NonstopSki wrote:
Haven't been to either but looking for which one will have better snow. I wanna go to Blue Knob since it's supposed to be fairly challenging for the region and has enough terrain variety. Most have said it's slightly more challenging than Tline, but in the end, the better snow may be what drives me one way or the other.
Any thoughts are greatly appreciated! Looking to go for the whole weekend.
May or may not be appropriate given your avatar pic. It is long-winded, but some good info on it if you separate the wheat from the chaff.
scottyb wrote:
Tline is terrible, do not go there.
Despite the terrible conditions, if you do go there, beware of the 6 foot tall yellow banana terrorizing the lifts, ski slopes and maybe even the bar...
JohnL wrote:
NonstopSki wrote:
Haven't been to either but looking for which one will have better snow. I wanna go to Blue Knob since it's supposed to be fairly challenging for the region and has enough terrain variety. Most have said it's slightly more challenging than Tline, but in the end, the better snow may be what drives me one way or the other.
Any thoughts are greatly appreciated! Looking to go for the whole weekend.
May or may not be appropriate given your avatar pic. It is long-winded, but some good info on it if you separate the wheat from the chaff.
I watched that and thought it was way too many words. I still didn't get a clear picture of what she was talking about. I've been teaching for a while, although not much lately and subscribe to the KISS principle, keep it simple stupid. I saw this in a recent PSIA email and like it very much,
A skier needs to be standing over the center of their feet.
They need to be able to distribute their weight over the outside ski, and then over the new outside ski as they make a turn.
They need to turn their feet and legs more than they turn their upper body.
And they need to have the ability to regulate pressure along the length of the ski.
Denis wrote:
JohnL wrote:
...May or may not be appropriate given your avatar pic. It is long-winded, but some good info on it if you separate the wheat from the chaff.
I watched that and thought it was way too many words. I still didn't get a clear picture of what she was talking about. I've been teaching for a while, although not much lately and subscribe to the KISS principle, keep it simple stupid. I saw this in a recent PSIA email and like it very much,
A skier needs to be standing over the center of their feet.They need to be able to distribute their weight over the outside ski, and then over the new outside ski as they make a turn.
They need to turn their feet and legs more than they turn their upper body.
And they need to have the ability to regulate pressure along the length of the ski.
Way too many words (and way too many posts), that is standard for the Epic Ski Instructors Forum!
The picture on page two of the thread captures the anti-pattern (using software engineering lingo.)
Hip movements are a hidden key to doing all that you've stated Denis. For example, I'm finding that I have a tendency to have my upper body/lower body separation occur at my waist, and not at my hip. And I have a tendency to "dip" my inner hip, which results in banking.
OK, back to where to ski next weekend! I'll be at Timberline, since that is where my season pass is. Coverage is great on all the snowmaking trails. Natural snow bumps under the upper liftine (Thunder Draft) may or may not be open - some thin spots with rocks. And they'll have to push *some* snow around where The Drop meets that green trail (about four feet or snow where the cover is starting to look a bit thin.) But The Drop will be open with nice moguls. And Off The Wall (groomed) has been a nice steep arcing paradise the past two weekends. If it gets real warm next weekend, it may bump up.
Going to be my 48th and 49th day on snow for the season. (gotta have our priorites) It'll mostly be local at t-line this weekend and if alst Saturday is any indication, a good time shall be had by all.
Hoping to get out to TL with wgo jr this Sunday.
Per Blue Knob's web page (which lists Upper Ex as closed - but the website is not always accurate):
JohnL wrote ...- but the website is not always accurate):....
Ain't that the truth.
If the OP is still reading, yes, Blue Knob can be all of those things you said, but I don't think this weekend it will be very many of those things. Would choose TL.
"Blueknobeis" is another language! Post and report make absolutely no sense.
Thanks for the advice y'all. Any recs on lodging in T-line? Now that I've got a place picked I'll start doing some searching, but recs are always welcome!
On the "hip dumping" - I've seen it referred to as something done in magazines or "posing." I certainly believe I was posing in the photo because I looked at all my other photos and I didn't look nearly the same or as aggressive. I think I picked that photo because I thought it looked the coolest though - which further confirms what I read about "HD". Apparently it demonstrates my lack of perfect form or turning skill though to critical eyes. So hopefully I don't hip dump too much. From my understanding, and from what I've read and practiced, you angulate to turn and angulating doesn't come from dropping your hip but instead by bending up. I'll certainly be paying attention this weekend if I feel myself doing it!
You might try The Village Inn or Blackwater Falls State Park Lodge. Apparently Cannan Valley Lodge is charging full rate +|- ($278+) for 2 nights (Fri/Sat). Two weekends ago they were offering 1/2 rates! You might call and try to get a better rate!!
For lodging, check out http://www.epicski.com/products/timberline-four-seasons-resort Canaan Valley Lodge likely has specials this weekend.
WRT Hip Dumping, to me that is a bad term cuz it doesn't describe to me what they were talking about in that thread. But I didn't mind staring at the demonstrator's nice hips for the 10-15 minute video.
I've been working on a bunch of hip-related stuff on my own skiing the past month, and for some reason your avatar pic reminded me of one of the pix in that Epic thread. It was a random thought, and feel free to ignore it.
That's why I'm not moving in my avatar pic. Prevents arm-chair analysis. ;)
And per The Colonel, apparently Canaan Valley Lodge is not having specials this weekend. Crazy that.
I’ve been working on a bunch of hip-related stuff on my own skiing the past month, and for some reason your avatar pic reminded me of one of the pix in that Epic thread. It was a random thought, and feel free to ignore it.
I've witnessed this and it's ugly!!
Hey NonstopSki and any others (wgo?) hitting T-Line this weekend, we generally swing by the ski school meeting area (near the upper lift on looker's left) at 10 AM each day. If you want to catch up for some turns.
Instead of hip dumping, maybe we can dump Charlie off the lift. Doh! Not needed, he just seems to jump off the lift.
Nice! I'll keep that in mind once we get up there.
Tline still has the old lifts right? Was reading through JohnL's guide over on EpicSki.
Hi -- having just skied Blue Knob three weeks ago and Timberline yesterday, I figured I'd add my two cents. Blue Knob was fun and the lifts (while slow) are nothing like the superslow lifts at Timberline. But, when we were at Blue Knob, Extrovert was an icy mess and many of the other trials were also relatively icy. It was still fun, but I can only imagine what conditions are like now given the warmer temps we've had on some days.
Timberline was a lot of fun yesterday and the snow for this time of year was excellent. There was coverage on almost every run and some of the blacks and double blacks actually were very nice. Even the "Drop," which the Ski Patrol told me was in bad shape, wasn't so bad and was a lot of fun. Of course the mountain was not fancy (but neither is Blue Knob). The problem with the mountain, as everyone says, is the Lifts. But, given the price and the snow, it would still be the better option and I hope to get out there one more time this year at least. But, again, the lifts were so bad that you really feel that you are missing out on some skiing time.
BaltoBill wrote:
........ But, again, the lifts were so bad that you really feel that you are missing out on some skiing time.
At least you're fully rested by the time you get to the top. ;)
I dunno, I find Blue Knob's bottom lift (which serves the primary terrain I ski) painfully slow also. At least it has a mid-station, that shortens the ride.
Guess I'll be bringing a book, or something like that :D
Love seeing the snow come down here in DC! I heard 6-8 at T-line. Even if it's all skied off by Saturday, at least there's some cover for the locals this week.
Just booked something with Mountaintop Rentals (mountaintoprentals.net) after some inquiries with VRBO. Didn't get my first choice, but got my 2nd! Sounds like lots of people are booking places for this coming weekend as half the places I inquired about were taken by the time they got back to me over e-mail (and more expensive than the place I got :) )
Got my tickets for TL for Sunday through liftopia. There are still a couple left for that date, if you want to save 10 bucks or so.
So, who's going to be there on Sunday? I'll stop by the teaching area at 10 am to see who shows up.
I'll be there Sunday, 10:00am is kindof early though....................
just kidding
Depends on how hard they par tea at the Shiver me Timbers.
Had some good laps on Friday afternoon, mostly mashed potatoes with a little corn and generous helping of scrapped off ice in a few high traffic areas.
Awesome show at the Pfiddy with Yarn. Dancin and good folks. Nice way to end the lift ride season.
Skied Saturday and Sunday. Saturday was interesting to say the least, but the snow wasn't at least hard, and it didn't actually really start raining till around 2 I believe. My friend and I still enjoyed it, despite the slow lift (I kept telling him if we were at Snowshoe, we'd be waiting in line instead of on the lift, but maybe not this weekend at 'shoe - either way my points stands. He's never been to Snowshoe, so he wouldn't know :D)
We were totally ready to not ski sunday, as one inch wasn't going make the Saturday EOD conditions better. We were thinking Seneca Rocks hike and then drive home.
Then we woke up at 8 AM and looked out the window from our Cabin in Old Timberline. Holy cow! Whoever had predicted an inch got it wrong. What a day! Probably the best I've had in the mid-atlantic ever honestly. Love the local vibe and found it prettier and way easier to get to than Snowshoe. And the non-existant lines is always a plus. We also just had a great time at our cabin on Thursday night and during the day Friday. Truly awesome to be deep in the woods and out of the city for a weekend. Felt way more secluded and peaceful than other mountain trips I'd been on (Utah, Colorado, California, Snowshoe, Seven Springs)
Canaan Valley is truly a unique place, and while Corridor H (all the way to Davis next year!) will bring more visitors, development in the Valley will be somewhat limited due to federal and state ownership of much of the land. Now, if only the present ski facilities would upgrade a little to make the sliding experience a bit more modern. Controversial somewhat, but a faster ride to the mountaintop at Timberline is a must, along with a functional ski lodge and a more robust automated snowmaking system. If Doc and family cannot swing it then lease or sell to someone who can. Timberline sits pretty vacant during most weekdays. Attracting sliders during this time should be a priority but will not happen without modern lifts and ski area infrastructure. Likewise more sliders should encourage improved infrastructure in the valley and surrounding towns.
While some regulars may strongly differ I believe the Timberline trail system can absorb more skiers attracted by improved lifts, etc., and it is my understand that there exists land and plans to expand the current trail network should it become overcrowded. Let me add here that the current on slope performance of many current employees at Timberline is first class (snowmaking, instruction, patrol) and amazing despite being hampered by outdated and limited facilities and the occassionally seemingly disjointed management of the place.
Yes, the valley would become a little more crowded, but the social benefits from a much improved TL for those living in the area should mean more and perhaps better jobs. A true positive offset for causing TL affectionados (myself included) a little discomfort. It will take fairly deep pockets to maximize the opportunities at TL, but if the opportunity presents itself, or the current owners can swing it, the results could be mighty positive for all involved.
Now I have gone and done it!
The Colonel
it is my understand that there exists land and plans to expand the current trail network should it become overcrowded
It is my understanding that land does NOT exist for trail expansion. You'd have to cut trails through the glades, which is the primary reason Timberline is so special. AFAIK, adjoining land is real estate or nature preserve. Any others with info on this?
Also, top of Timberline is subject to some pretty strong wings. Detachable quads have issues with high winds. Faster fixed grip is definitely needed, but I don't know if detachable would work.
I also don't think they'd be able to expand the base area/parking much since the don't own the adjoining land. Not sure what environmental restrictions would restrict a significantly beefed-up water treatment capablility needed for base area expansion.
Given a lot of these constraints, I'm very sceptical that a major expansion of Timberline would be economically feasible.
I regret that I didn't get to meet up with the DCSki group on Sat or Sun at 10 AM! Me and my snowboarding buddy honestly got a late start (he's the slowest moving person on the planet). Got out there by 10:30 one day and 11 the other.
I heard about some trail expansion before, but it definitely seems like TL is just keeping the place running. Seems like expansion and a better lift would require outside ownership, but I'm certainly not an expert. That's just my feeling from talking to some locals, etc. briefly.
What would it take, cost-wise, to replace one of the lifts with a faster fixed-grip lift? In the past I have not really cared much about the slow lifts - after a full day at TL, I usually felt like I got in my fair share of skiing. Now that I am skiing with my family as often as not a more typical pattern for me is to take some easy runs with the kids and then have maybe a couple hours to take a few runs on my own. It would be nice to be able to get up the mountain quicker during those 2 hours...anyway just curious if it is feasible for TL to undertake this kind of capital investment.
Meeting payroll and paying taxes is a major capital investment for T-Line...
I've been told (don't know if it's true or not), that they can run the lifts faster, but people have trouble loading/unloading when they do so. So you'd get more frequent stoppages. Which leads you back to a detachable lift, but that costs more $$ and you *may* encounter wind issues.
Trouble is, you don't really have much ability segregation at Timberline wrt the lifts and the terrain they serve. You have sliders who can barely stand up riding the same lift as advanced skiers. You can access beginner and intermediate terrain from the "expert" lift. And if the lines at the main lift get too long, parents take their little kids who need the lift to be slowed down onto the "expert" lift or others who can barely stand up use it because they don't want to wait in line.
And the main lift also has a mid-station, which serves mostly low-angle, beginner or near beginner terrain. In addition to serving all ability levels at the top.
I wonder if a conveyor-type loading system like they have for the green lifts at Massanutten would help. In principle this is supposed to reduce snafus during loading and could thus allow the lifts to run faster; in practice I am not sure how effective this system is or if there are even metrics to measure the effectiveness. Maybe the other M'Nut regulars have some thoughts on this.
I am officially going to switch sides here. I think after all these years we should have accepted the lifts at tline or moved on. They are not going to change soon. Yes they are glacial compared to a modern resort, but they are typical for not too many years ago. It gives me more time to meet interesting people on the lift and there are plenty to choose from and most return and return. See you next year. powder to the people, peace out.
wgo wrote:
I wonder if a conveyor-type loading system like they have for the green lifts at Massanutten would help. In principle this is supposed to reduce snafus during loading and could thus allow the lifts to run faster; in practice I am not sure how effective this system is or if there are even metrics to measure the effectiveness. Maybe the other M'Nut regulars have some thoughts on this.
I was waiting for that suggestion to come up. Based on my experience of the Supreme Lift at Alta, I find those lifts to be tricky to use, and I'd predict an even worse human rodeo at the lift loading area. There'd be bodies flying everywhere. Dude, you haven't seen people try to get on the lift at T-Line like I have.
Personally, I'd prefer lifts to never stop and let natural selection take effect. But I don't see that happening anytime soon. So, status quo it is.
wgo wrote:
I wonder if a conveyor-type loading system like they have for the green lifts at Massanutten would help. In principle this is supposed to reduce snafus during loading and could thus allow the lifts to run faster; in practice I am not sure how effective this system is or if there are even metrics to measure the effectiveness. Maybe the other M'Nut regulars have some thoughts on this.
I have no opinion about what would or would not help at Tline in terms of lifts since I haven't made it out there yet. As for the conveyor loading at Mnut, Lift 4 for Southern Comfort stops a lot less than it used to before the conveyor loading was added. What's interesting is that more people seemed to have issues loading this season compared to the first season. I think the lifties were talking to people more the first year or two about how to handle themselves. Beginner boarders were having problems on Lift 3 a fair amount.
The Supreme lift at Alta runs steadier than it did before the conveyor loading was added. Same issue, not many people know the best way to load. So they can get their poles tangled up when they don't put them in front of the gate before it opens. But I haven't noticed many times that the lift had to slow down or stop because of a loading problem. Does take a little getting used to since you have to be prepared to stop when you land on the belt.
The Supreme lift at Alta runs steadier than it did before the conveyor loading was added.
I've been skiing Alta for 20 years and I haven't noticed a difference.
Supposed TL added a new lift only to mid-station area freeing up other to top only? Even perhaps changing one of the top lifts to a quad. What if the newest "old Colorado chair" was mad "experts only" and sped up. I must say this lift is the only lift I have ever ridden where the lifties tell each to watch their head when loading! I just do not believe TL owners have explored all options possible to modernize the place and thus take advantage of addion customers lured by Corridor H ease of travel. Exploring a long term lease with a real ski area management company as is the new Vail arrangement with Canyons in Utah might be a viable solution, with the leasing company improving infrastructure to include computerized auto snowmaking. Wintergreen now has a similar situation with an outside company (Justice) owning and operating the resorts activities.
NonstopSki wrote:
...... What a day! Probably the best I've had in the mid-atlantic ever honestly. Love the local vibe and found it prettier and way easier to get to than Snowshoe. And the non-existant lines is always a plus. We also just had a great time at our cabin on Thursday night and during the day Friday. Truly awesome to be deep in the woods and out of the city for a weekend. Felt way more secluded and peaceful than other mountain trips I'd been on (Utah, Colorado, California, Snowshoe, Seven Springs)
Shhhhhhh..........Please keep this to yourself, we don't want all the Snowshoe tourist heading up to the Valley!
MarzNC and JohnL. I am not sure whether the carpet loaders are a good or bad thing. I am no SAM expert, but suspect that the resorts would not invest in them unless they saw some uphill capacity benefit. But I also see a lot of missed chairs (gates don't open), falls etc. so I am neutral on these gizmos Note: if your skis are tuned well and temp is right, you will slide way out in front of those in need of a tune. I think this would be a waste of $$$ for TL. I was there over MLK this year, and the rides were 20 minutes and this was due more the speed than lift stoppage. I can confirm this because it was extremely cold that weekend and lift stops were very noticeable.
The Col. said: "Supposed TL added a new lift only to mid-station area freeing up other to top only?" Now this is something to really think about. I have always been impressed with the dual lift set ups (Liberty Backside, Older Pocono resorts). Again, no SAM expert, but from some EPIC discussions is seems like the detachable don't have significantly greater uphill capacity due to chair spacing. Of course, they are faster for the rider, with less stops. The equation seems to be more skiers on the slopes and in line, than on the lift (think crowded WT day). Two side by side quads with a mid-station on one (run slower as a beginner lift) would seem to do the trick. You have a spare when one goes down, can open or close the 2nd lift as needed, and avoid JohnL's wind issues. (Note to JohnL, Cupp at SS has gotta have the same wind exposure as TL, right? Do they have wind issues with this lift?). I would also suspect there is less maintenance issues with 2 fixed grips than a detachable lift and JohnL did not mention icing as a problem with those lifts--they do get some frosty weather on the top of those mountains over there. Even one modern Doppelmyer/CTEC fixed quad would be a vast improvement.
The Col. said: "Controversial somewhat, but a faster ride to the mountaintop at Timberline is a must, along with a functional ski lodge and a more robust automated snowmaking system." The lack of snowmaking "umph" in the Valley was very clear this season. SS and the lowland resorts opened their systems wide and most were around 100% open by Xmas. I went to the Valley for MLK and the differential in snowmaking power or commitment was really apparent. A few of the trails with snowmaking (including Gravity) were not open at CV, and at TL Twister and Thunderbolt(struck?) were not open. I cannot recall, but it was also possible that Off the Wall was not open. To JohnL's point, the lodge is a tougher issue and there is no chance of redoing the base area now that the zip line towers are in place.
TL would need to completely redesign the lifts on the mountain. That means bringing in somebody from the outside who knows what they are doing. Given the debacle years ago when they put in the Silver Scream they could never pull it off from a finantial or engineering stand point.
It aint gonna change. We are lucky that the place is still in operation. If they mess up the FS permit it will be lights out. They painted themselves into a corner long ago.
Ski it for what it is.
scottyb wrote:
TL would need to completely redesign the lifts on the mountain. That means bringing in somebody from the outside who knows what they are doing. Given the debacle years ago when they put in the Silver Scream they could never pull it off from a finantial or engineering stand point.
It aint gonna change. We are lucky that the place is still in operation. If they mess up the FS permit it will be lights out.
Ski it for what it is.
I guess at the end of the day this is where I stand - it would be nice to have more uphill capacity but given the constraints TL has any attempt at this would probably do more harm than good. I think this was mentioned in another post, but during peak season the time spent in liftlines at some of the resorts with more "modern" infrastructure more than balances out the faster ride on a lift. This doesn't even factor in the quality of the skiing at TL when conditions are right.
wgo wrote:
scottyb wrote:
TL would need to completely redesign the lifts on the mountain. That means bringing in somebody from the outside who knows what they are doing. Given the debacle years ago when they put in the Silver Scream they could never pull it off from a finantial or engineering stand point.
It aint gonna change. We are lucky that the place is still in operation. If they mess up the FS permit it will be lights out.
Ski it for what it is.
I guess at the end of the day this is where I stand - it would be nice to have more uphill capacity but given the constraints TL has any attempt at this would probably do more harm than good. I think this was mentioned in another post, but during peak season the time spent in liftlines at some of the resorts with more "modern" infrastructure more than balances out the faster ride on a lift. This doesn't even factor in the quality of the skiing at TL when conditions are right.
mega ditto. i am one who thinks the slopes are already crowded enough - just say no to capacity. also, off the wall and drop were both open on MLK weekend, and I skied them both. (off the wall was a bitch, btw).
I do want to know more about the silver queen debacle,
NonstopSki wrote:
Skied Saturday and Sunday. Saturday was interesting to say the least, but the snow wasn't at least hard, and it didn't actually really start raining till around 2 I believe. My friend and I still enjoyed it, despite the slow lift (I kept telling him if we were at Snowshoe, we'd be waiting in line instead of on the lift, but maybe not this weekend at 'shoe - either way my points stands. He's never been to Snowshoe, so he wouldn't know :D)
We were totally ready to not ski sunday, as one inch wasn't going make the Saturday EOD conditions better. We were thinking Seneca Rocks hike and then drive home.
Then we woke up at 8 AM and looked out the window from our Cabin in Old Timberline. Holy cow! Whoever had predicted an inch got it wrong. What a day! Probably the best I've had in the mid-atlantic ever honestly. Love the local vibe and found it prettier and way easier to get to than Snowshoe. And the non-existant lines is always a plus. We also just had a great time at our cabin on Thursday night and during the day Friday. Truly awesome to be deep in the woods and out of the city for a weekend. Felt way more secluded and peaceful than other mountain trips I'd been on (Utah, Colorado, California, Snowshoe, Seven Springs)
Glad you enjoyed Canaan Valley. Sounds like you are our demographic & you get the place. I just don't get the people who want to make Timberline something it's not. There is plenty to like as it is, if you don't like it go to snowshoe. I really don't see how building a new lodge, paving the parking lot and putting in a high speed lift is going to encourage skiers from the city to drive 3 hours to ski there on a tuesday or wednesday. Mid week it is a ghost town, with or without a high speed lift or the owner serving hot chocolate chip cookies at the base of the lift.
jimmy wrote:
Glad you enjoyed Canaan Valley. Sounds like you are our demographic & you get the place. I just don't get the people who want to make Timberline something it's not. There is plenty to like as it is, if you don't like it go to snowshoe. I really don't see how building a new lodge, paving the parking lot and putting in a high speed lift is going to encourage skiers from the city to drive 3 hours to ski there on a tuesday or wednesday. Mid week it is a ghost town, with or without a high speed lift or the owner serving hot chocolate chip cookies at the base of the lift.
Someone always brings up the chocolate chip cookies (or heated towels at Deer Valley, or whatever). Not sure how this is the same as discussing the possibility of faster lifts so we can ski more.
Certainly agree that there is plenty to like as it is. I will keep skiing at TL no matter what types of lifts they have (and I think I have managed to pass on my preference for TL to the next generation).
I have to admit that I've never seen soft bumps on BK's Extrovert-- blue ice bumps, yes; soft bumps, no
JohnL wrote:
The Supreme lift at Alta runs steadier than it did before the conveyor loading was added.
I've been skiing Alta for 20 years and I haven't noticed a difference.
My time at Alta in recent years has been late season, often the last week Supreme is running. Perhaps there were more intermediates who weren't quite ready for loading Supreme the times I noticed problems. In any case, my daughter and her friends were young enough when the conveyor was added that I appreciated the change.
wgo wrote:
jimmy wrote:
Glad you enjoyed Canaan Valley. Sounds like you are our demographic & you get the place. I just don't get the people who want to make Timberline something it's not. There is plenty to like as it is, if you don't like it go to snowshoe. I really don't see how building a new lodge, paving the parking lot and putting in a high speed lift is going to encourage skiers from the city to drive 3 hours to ski there on a tuesday or wednesday. Mid week it is a ghost town, with or without a high speed lift or the owner serving hot chocolate chip cookies at the base of the lift.
Someone always brings up the chocolate chip cookies (or heated towels at Deer Valley, or whatever). Not sure how this is the same as discussing the possibility of faster lifts so we can ski more.
Certainly agree that there is plenty to like as it is. I will keep skiing at TL no matter what types of lifts they have (and I think I have managed to pass on my preference for TL to the next generation).
I saw you and the next generation making turns under the lift a couple of times on Sunday.
It's ok to dream a little, I would like to see a lift that ran to the top of winterset or good intentions to replace the mid-station on the Thunderdraft Triple. This would take the NASTAR, terrain park and beginners who are not going to the top off of the main chair. I would like to see the Thunderdraft Triple replaced by a fixed grip quad that would run faster than the trip.
Be careful what you wish for; rumour is you may get it.
I think most on here appreciate t-line as it is, powdered eggs and all. The crux is that the ski terrain is equilivant to Elk after which you have to go to NE to find better. The snow quality is better than most and the product delivered outside of the slow lifts is a skier's delight. You will find more good pow-pow skiers at t-line than any other place in the mid atlantic because the valley has more pow-pow than anywhere else. The "local" vibes that are discovered by most first time visitors is real change after sking corporate cordoroy factories elsewhere. After all, where else can one get a great greasy breakfast and sit next to the owner and his family while being assaulted by hoards of boy/girl scouts tripping over chairs and spilling their hot chocolate over you?
A smart move would be to install a magic carpet to service the beginer area, then they could reroute and or lengthen the blue lift to service midstation for the park/race folks.
scottyb wrote:
A smart move would be to install a magic carpet to service the beginer area, then they could reroute and or lengthen the blue lift to service midstation for the park/race folks.
Small changes/investments like this would go along way to making Timberline a better place to ski. Sure, Timberline is fun now, but it could be better. Also, with Corridor H reducing the time to get to Canaan Valley, Timberline could start pulling in skiers who currently go to areas closer to their home. For example, it use to be easier for me to go to Wisp than Timberline, but with Corridor H it is quicker and easier to get to Timberline.
Another small change would be to replace the damn safety bars that always hit your head on the expert lift.
I don't think anyone here wants to see Timberline become Snowshoe. Personally, I'd like Timberline to at least be able to run their lifts at the same speed that Blue Knob runs theirs.
As for the lodge, it would be nice to see them fix up the bathrooms a bit and have better service/food in the upstairs pub. The one time I ate there it took forever to get the food, and then when it came they managed to a burger taste really bad, which is hard to do.
Timberline could be fixed up a bit without losing its "rustic charm".
jimmy wrote:
I saw you and the next generation making turns under the lift a couple of times on Sunday.
We had a lot of fun. He was having some trouble dealing with the deeper snow on his 120 cm skis but there were some big smiles on Almost Heaven.
Anybody got a copy of a local map for the timberline area, even if it's just the "old timberline" area? There was some maps at the cabin we stayed at last year, but really would like to compare rental properties locations to what we had last year, and google maps doesn't seem to have it all?
NonstopSki wrote:
Anybody got a copy of a local map for the timberline area, even if it's just the "old timberline" area? There was some maps at the cabin we stayed at last year, but really would like to compare rental properties locations to what we had last year, and google maps doesn't seem to have it all?
answering my own question: https://www.taiwv.com/maps and http://www.canaanvalleymaps.com/
I just read this thread and everyone is pointing out the slow lifts at Timberline. Well exactly how slow is it- what is the ride time on the two lifts?
Assuming it does not stop much, and orange chair covers the full 1000 verticle feet. The advantage TL has is some of the best terrain in the Mid-A. Slopes rarely crowded, especially mid to late season when most all trails are snow covered. Suggest renting equipment elsewhere because the TL rental operation can take bit of time.
There is a mid station lift so good skiers can lap the bottom half expert terrain while beginners can putz down the flatter top low pitch portion only if they prefer..
I believe above comment about Blue Knob vice TL
