I hiked the new unnamed trail this past Saturday . The bottom is rather a flat run out from the tunnel to the winterset spur, but above that the slope is definetly blue to in some places pushing a blue/black combo . It will depend on how they blow snow on it, and how it's groomed. One thing for sure, there will have to be some major safety netting on the downhill side of the upper trail or we'll see tree crashes like in the movie "hot-dog." Water making pipes are at least half installed, the electric is being run at the same time. When viewing the hill from the top, it is reminicent of cupp without the final steep. It is accessable from both lifts by cutting left off the top of dew-drop. In places it is definetly steeper than dew drop. Especially on the upper switch back turns. Also....FYI all you "Drop" lovers I saw the evidence of pedistal installation for snow sticks on the Drop. Now, if that doesn't get you stoked, maybe the fact that the pump station upgrades will be happening soon so they can make snow on all this terrain, will. By the way, try the ribs on a Saturday night in the pub... They are delicious.

Kim:

Did you see any evidence of other improvements to the snowmaking infrastucture at Timberline (new pumps or holding tanks)?

Oh, I forgot to mention....after talking with a staff person who is in the know (he's working on resort improvements this summer) it seems that the cries for a terrain park early have been heard. The old half pipe area will be converted into such an animal. I don't know any more specifics, but it pays to nose around the pub on a Saturday night. Those looking to go elsewhere due to the lateness of t-line's play area should wait and see what they end up doing.

John, I was told by this same person that the old pumps have been removed and the new should be in place very soon. As far as holding tanks, I didn't hike up that way Saturday, but mention was made of something along that line. We'll have to wait and see.

If someone could tell me how to put pics on my post, I have a sequence from top to bottom of the new trail.

First you need a place to upload the pics too. Something like Yahoo or Webshots works just fine. Once you have the pictures hosted, simply click on the "Image" link when posting in a message and you will be given a box with HTTP:// text in it. Replace that with the exact link of your picture. For example: http://www.mydomain.com/pictures/skipicture1.jpg

Does that help?

Thanks...I tend to be tech challenged. Now if I could only learn how to use the tech in my skiis...

Kim:

Very interesting. I know that new trail is going to require a lot of snowmaking resources and was praying that T-line was not planning to "rob Peter to pay Paul" to get it on tap. I suspect this season's snowmaking priorities will be:

1. White Lightning, Woods Hole, Cross roads.
2. Lower Wintersett/Salamander
3. The New Trail
4. Everything else...

Perhaps with a few more pumps, they can get more terrain open faster than in past seasons. Only time will tell. Being competitive in the early season is key if the resort wants to book a lot of packages for the big three day weekends in Jan and Feb.

What about the lifts at T-line? any improvement?

I to think an early strong start to a season really helps these small resorts compete. I have always wondered why Timberline doesn't try to open until the second week in December. Certainly they could open earlier-they have the climate. I was up in the valley during the last to novemebers when it was plenty cold enough to blow snow and timberline wasn't for some reason. The climate in the valley is similar if not more conducive to making snow in November and Snowshoe usually opens by thanksgiving. The climate in the valley is much more conducive to making snow than deep creek and wisp is always open much earlier than timberline. Heck even Canaan resort opens earlier than timberline and I would imagine timberline has a better snowmaking system than Canaan.

It just seems like a strange strategy to me-to open your the mountain several weeks after competetitors knowing that on bad winter weather years the moutain might not even be 50 percent open until january. It would seem to me that with that kind of strategy the resort would simply be missing out on a month and half of potential income,especially not taking advantage of the Christmas holiday. Plus visitors who come to the mountain during the christmas holiday and can only ski two or three trails are surely less likely to return late in the season.

Hey Kim, that sounds encouraging that they plan on building a terrain park where the old "gully" used to be. But if I recall they filled that "gully" in two or three seasons ago and they have had that area, the bear claw, listed on their maps as a terrain park for the last two season. Heck, they have advertised it as being open on the radio. Last year we heard an advertisement on the radio to "come and ride timberline's two terrain parks" as we drove up for a weekend. When we got to timberline there wasn't even one terrain park open. I have never seen a terrain park or for that matter any jumps or rails placed in the bear claw terrain park area. I am skeptical, but if it were true it would be great.

Fred, i agree Tlines early season sno making is frustrating, hopeful that the new hardware improves the situation.

Kim, The questions in my mind; ARE the Silver streak trees still there? Will they be come December? How are the barBeeQ ribs? ?