All:

First-time poster.

For the last four years my scout troop has gone to Timberline on President's Day weekend.  It's a pretty good deal, for less than $100 a day, scouts get:

- a bed in the bunkhouse
- lift tickets
- rental equipment
- three meals
- a beginner lesson

From home (Bethesda), it's about a 4h 15m drive leaving Friday afternoon, maybe a bit more with bad weather or traffic, a bit less than that on the way home.

For scouts in need of a lesson and without equipment, it's a great deal.  For scouts with their own equipment it is still a good deal.

I've read a lot of whinging about Tline, and believe me, I've been there 4 times and I get it.

But there are a lot of advantages to Tline.  The bare-bones bunkhouse and the provided meals mean low overhead -- nobody needs to worry about meal prep or complicated cleanup.

Tline no longer bunks anyone in the top bunk (I was told because of the fire marshall, don't know if that's true), and that made the bunkhouse go from way too crowded, to really not bad in a minimalist way.

The slopes are okay.  There's enough greens for our beginners, and some challenging blues and blacks for our advanced skiers.  The lifts are tolerable.

Timberline works pretty well for us, but I'm always wondering, can we do better?

So my question is, is there a better or similar option for scouts within a five hour drive from Bethesda?  I can't find one.  If any of you have any insight, I'd appreciate it.

MDSkiGuy

Bryce Resort is about half the distance / drive time from Bethesda vs. TLine and recently hosted a large Scout troop from Vienna, VA.  I understand that the resort helped arrange for lodging in recently renovated condos at Chalet High, which is near the base of the ski area, at a reasonable rate (http://www.spmvacations.com/resort/chalet-high/).  They also have a nice indoor heated pool and hot tub on premises.

Scouts were able to take group ski or boarding lessons, go snow tubing, etc.  While not large, ski area has about 5 different routes from top and Nastar racing on weekends.  Copper Kettle restaurant was redone for this season and they're building a brand new ski lodge to be opened next season.  Everything is centrally located so no fear of losing track of kids.

Happy to provide more info if you send me a PM.  Good luck!

You may have a tough time beating that T-Line deal, but next door at Canaan Valley Resort they do group discounts too and you might get some rustic cabins in the state park for lodging?

Here are more details about the scouting trip to Bryce I mentioned above (apologies for bad formatting):

"Earn your Snow Sports Merit Badge at Bryce Resort!
Bring your troop to Bryce for an all-inclusive Snow Sports merit badge package!

This weekend package includes lodging, meals, instruction, and equipment rental!
Price per person: $250.00 (includes all taxes, fees, and gratuities). Subject to availability. Rates do not apply during Holiday weekends. Includes:
Ӣ Two nights townhouse-style lodging (no sleeping bags)!
Ӣ Five meals from the Fireside Grille
Ӣ One lesson
Ӣ All equipment rentals (including helmet)
Ӣ All day lift both Saturday and Sunday

Going for your Advanced Snow Sports Merit Badge? Add and Advanced Sunday Clinic for only $20.00 per person
Enjoy four seasons of fun that is Bryce Resort with a ride on our tubing slopes for an additional $20.00 per person.

Call 540-856-2121 or email groupsales@bryceresort.com for more information."

JimK, thanks for the Canaan Valley suggestion, I'll look in to that.  I saw an article that said that Tline and CVR were going to begin to honor each other's lift tickets.  If so, next time we're at Tline maybe I will check out CVR.

pboulay, thank you for the information.  That's definitely not a better deal than Tline, but if Tline disappears into a crack in the earth then this might be a good deal.

MDSkiGuy wrote:

JimK, thanks for the Canaan Valley suggestion, I'll look in to that.  I saw an article that said that Tline and CVR were going to begin to honor each other's lift tickets.  If so, next time we're at Tline maybe I will check out CVR.

pboulay, thank you for the information.  That's definitely not a better deal than Tline, but if Tline disappears into a crack in the earth then this might be a good deal.

 

You won’t get a better deal for a scout troop than what you’ve gotten at T-Line.

The joint lift pass thing never happened. And won’t happen under current ownership.

CVR is very much worth checking out though. On busy weekends, much shorter liftlines.

Our troop would rent out a lodge about 10 mins from 7 Springs. There was probably 15-17 bedrooms (with plenty of baths) and we had between 40-80 people there (some years we had people sleeping on the floor) 

We would go through 7 Springs group sales for lift/rentals/lessons and get a pizza dinner and group buffet through the resort as well. We picked up breakfast, snacks, etc at costco and kept them back at the lodge and we brought cash for lunch at the resort. From what I remember we were looking at ~$175, and this was MLK weekend usually. I have been out of scouts ~10 years now, so prices have probably increased some.

We did do the TL bunkhouse one year... and between some issues with the lodge and only having one of the 2 lifts running on a holiday weekend, and various other TL issues (my impression of the resort on that one trip has been enough to keep me away) our troop opted to return the 7Springs despite the logisitcs of staying offsite being less convient and costing a bit more. The bunkhouse was fine... but pretty much everything else about that trip from the rental shop to the lift issues and dining problems left something to be desired.

The link makes it look like more of a bed and breakfast... which I suppose it could be, but we always had the whole place.

https://www.mapquest.com/us/pennsylvania/pine-slopes-lodge-1968431

Our troop did WinterPlace this month.  It worked out to about $115-$130 per person arriving Friday and leaving Sunday.  Their terrain was 100% open too.  This was also a resort complex bunkhouse.. Not slopeside but about 300 yards walk to..

FWIW, I used to arrange our troop trips.  For several years we put about 50 scouts and friends in a private house in Harmon.  When that went away we started going to Snowshoe where we found free lodging in Marlington.  Snowshoe group sales would do us a solid.  We always cook, even in the parking lots if needed.  Now the troop goes up to Beech for a similar deal.  Our venture scout size was a lot smaller and we rented a house in Old Timberline.  Costs in all cases generally worked out to about 100 bucks per, rising with ticket and rental prices.

Massanutten has two Scout Days, but may only be of interest for locals who as a day trip.  One Sunday in early season and the first Sunday of March.  For 2017-18, the deal is $60 for 8-hour lift ticket, 8-hour rental gear, and a 1-hour beginner lesson.  Assuming Mnut can stay open through March 4.

Thank you, all of you, this is some great information.

At some point we'll start to discuss next year's trip and this information will be very helpful.  We'll probably return to Tline, since we have an enthusiastic parent willing to organize it, and I'm happy with that choice, but at least we'll have some more information on alternatives.

Regarding the Tline/CVR joint operation, this is the article I saw:

http://www.williamsondailynews.com/features/timberline-canaan-valley-union-nears-completion/article_068a48c9-0d99-59a9-acff-c73b03396969.html

Herz seems pretty definite about it.  I have no idea myself.

Though the venue is not decided for next season what we have decided is to get a set of the SnowSports Merit Badge books and spend a few meetings next fall working through the classroom, book exercises so the kids already have all the off the snow clasromm requirements checked off. That way when we get out on the resort we can go straight to the on the snow requirements.  I watched the kids during the last outing and know who will need additional lessons and skiing/riding experience before we can legitimately check off the things like actual parallel turns and hockey stops.

It's a dis service to try to deliver a program that deep in one day for the entire book requirements.  Yes, it can be done if we cut a lot of slack on some of the snow requirements and skim over the book stuff quickly.  But, they can get a lot more out of it if it's done at a more realistic pace.

The Bryce deal is comparable to Timberline's, if not better.  First, you're shaving off over 120 miles of driving.  Second, you're staying in comfort and have a meal allowance that is more generous than Timberline's.  To boot, they have snow tubing and if the weather is bad - which is often on the east coast - they have a pool for the scouts to enjoy.

crgildart wrote:

Though the venue is not decided for next season what we have decided is to get a set of the SnowSports Merit Badge books and spend a few meetings next fall working through the classroom, book exercises so the kids already have all the off the snow clasromm requirements checked off. That way when we get out on the resort we can go straight to the on the snow requirements.  I watched the kids during the last outing and know who will need additional lessons and skiing/riding experience before we can legitimately check off the things like actual parallel turns and hockey stops.

It's a dis service to try to deliver a program that deep in one day for the entire book requirements.  Yes, it can be done if we cut a lot of slack on some of the snow requirements and skim over the book stuff quickly.  But, they can get a lot more out of it if it's done at a more realistic pace.

Good idea.  I woudl bring in all my ski gear and some old skis and let them try on the boots, walk around in the skis.  I would also setup a table with the tuning gear and get them to shapren and wax.  Then we had a ski trivia session.  There was 'varying' levels of interest - but you always get a few core kids that love it, and that is good enough.

pagamony wrote:

crgildart wrote:

Though the venue is not decided for next season what we have decided is to get a set of the SnowSports Merit Badge books and spend a few meetings next fall working through the classroom, book exercises so the kids already have all the off the snow clasromm requirements checked off. That way when we get out on the resort we can go straight to the on the snow requirements.  I watched the kids during the last outing and know who will need additional lessons and skiing/riding experience before we can legitimately check off the things like actual parallel turns and hockey stops.

It's a dis service to try to deliver a program that deep in one day for the entire book requirements.  Yes, it can be done if we cut a lot of slack on some of the snow requirements and skim over the book stuff quickly.  But, they can get a lot more out of it if it's done at a more realistic pace.

Good idea.  I woudl bring in all my ski gear and some old skis and let them try on the boots, walk around in the skis.  I would also setup a table with the tuning gear and get them to shapren and wax.  Then we had a ski trivia session.  There was 'varying' levels of interest - but you always get a few core kids that love it, and that is good enough.

A late Fall Saturday session at my house was on my mind for that.. Check the bindings to be sure they are working proplerly, no cracks in them or the boots, light tune and wax... Can get my gear ready while showing them how and letting them work on my rock skis hahahaha..  Some of them have their own gear.  They can bring it..

The recent cold nights allowed Massanutten to re-open for not only this weekend, but also March 16-18.  Scout Day was re-scheduled to today, Sat, 3/10/18.  Southern Comfort, Lower and Upper Showtime, plus Paradice & DJ are open for those who know enough to load Lift 6.  The teaching area is completely covered for beginner lessons.