What’s New for 2005: Timberline Resort

Blanzy - Don't ruin the skiing experience at T-line by cutting down the trees between White Lightning and Silver Streak. Silver Streak is the best nonsnowmaking trail on the mountain.

"European style slope" - I guess you're going to ruin Silver Streak to attract more Europeans?

Wonderin wat european style is? Hope they add enuf snowmaking to cover all the yellow snow.

Nice report Scott, except for the part about cutting down trees. Thanks for the pics. John, How much of the new trail did you get to see and could you venture a guess how difficult it will be? Is it cut to the top yet?

Jimmy:

I hiked around the new trail in May. The trail extended up to the mid-mountain and was not very steep. Interestingly enough, it stopped at a rock ledge just above the tunnel in the picture. I looked at that ledge and thought, please, please do not blast it! It would be wonderful fun in the winter but it would make the trail double black and that's not the intention, so I suspect it will be blasted (if it has not been blasted already).

Since most of the steep terrain on the mountain is above the mid-station, I'll have to wait until they create the upper part of the trail to get a real feel for how difficult it will be. Tom B claims it will be an easy blue, and a good transition for beginners looking for something a bit harder than Sally but not as steep as Upper Dew Drop.

I was lucky enough to be able to spend all of last week up in canaan valley-so beautiful. I kicked back and read a book, did some spring cleaning, played a round of golf, and took several bike rides. I also walked the new trail at timberline. I walked it three weekends ago and it looks exactly the same as it did then. I didn't see any progress or anything close to a 25 degree pitch, and infact it looked like the trail goes uphill as it exits the tunnel. I don't see how they are going to make that grade work below the tunnel.

But the weird thing was that everyday last week when we drove by the resort and or road are bikes on the mountain we noticed that there was hardly anyone working on the mountain at all. I asked the bar tender in timbers pub where all the folks were that were cutting the new trail, widening lightning, extending off the wall and putting in the increased snowblowing. He said that they only had a couple maintenance people on staff!!! I don't know but it seems to me that they have a lot of work to do in six months, and they are going to have to really get on it if they are going to produce any of the things that the general manager discussed for the upcoming season.

In covering resort improvements over the years, I've noticed that often most capital improvement work doesn't happen until the late summer or fall. I'm not sure if there's any specific reason for this; it may be that resorts don't want to bring on a larger, full-time staff until closer to the ski season; that way they can keep them employed right into the winter season. Or maybe the weather is better (less rain, etc.) But this doesn't seem to be uncommon, and resorts can get a lot done in a short amount of time when they need to.

they need to build a supersick epic ultra dope steezy terrain park

your not jokin steezy. t-line is behind the times. last season every mountain i rode at had a terrain park up and going within the first few days of the season...except timberline. my buds and i rode there in january last season and never went back. i think they had a park open in march, but I couldn't tell ya.. because we were riding wisp's and snowshoe's terrain parks. t-line needs some boxes, rails, and some tunes to jam to..oh yeah i guess they need to get a park open first.

Hey,
I heard Snowshoe is turning all of Silver Creek into a terrain park, does anyone know anything about this?

yeah i heard the same thing. they claim it will be the biggest park on the east coast. i can't wait!!! hey I also heard that canaan is dropping a bunch of money for some new boxes, rails, and they are looking to really improve their terrain park.

forget t-line's park. whenever i ask anybody at t-line why they don't make the park a priority they say that management doesn't realize how popular terrain parks are and they just doesn't know the industry.

If that Blanzy guy would visit other mountains he would see that t-line is the only mountain in the southeast maybe the entire east coast that doesn't make a terrain park one of the priorities.

I was up at timberline with the family last weekend and my wife and I decided to walk the new trail. I have to admit that I have personally never built a ski trail, but I would assume that you would want the trail to go downhill instead of uphill. As soon as that new trail leaves the tunnel it goes uphill???? I know that the trail is not finished but I just don't see how they are going to make it work. I don't know?

I have to second the terrain park comment steezy made. When I was up there last weekend I also noticed that they put a really nice volleyball court in infront of the bar. It's to bad they won't spend the money to open a terrain park as soon as the mountain opens. Hey dude, that should tell you where there priorities are at... timberline is a SKI resort that makes it a priority to invest in a volleyball court instead of a terrain park for the kids to play in.

Southwind (7Springs), no doubt!
Anyone know what Timberline's "future corridor H exit" means?

How about a lift that works?

timberline is a great resort any season. it has great slops for beginners to experts. great long runs that are challenging. lots of FUN!!!