that works Jim. As I said too I'll be there Saturday, I'll swing by the meeting place saturday at 12:30. I'll stay there holding my board. It's a long dark blue board with a big green eye on it. I also use a red binding strap. I'll hang around for 10-15 minutes to see if anyone shows up radio @ 4-11.

Count me in for being there tomorrow starting around 11 and being on channels 4-11 on the 2 way. I'll give my DCSki.com call handle, or just let everyone know the local IT geek is there.

The wife and I will be there Sunday. She will be in a brown suade coat and I am in all black. Don't know may way around there but I will try to find the meeting place.

Unfortunately I didn't get to meet anyone from the board at Wisp. Couldn't raise anyone on the radio and couldn't hang around on Saunday for the meeting, had to go mee the inlaws.

Anyway, we arrived Saturday morning at around 10:30 to sunny skys and plenty of fresh snow. Got our gear together, note to Wisp managment, do something about the changing facilities because changing in the bathroom is gross. Anyway got on the hill and first took the magic carpet (wanted to make sure my wife remembered the basics) then headed over to the new North Camp. Lift lines were not too bad and within 5 minutes we were making our way to the top. We stuck to the green trails at North camp because my wife isn't ready for blues yet, but it shouldn't be too much longer til she is. North camp trails were wide with plenty of opportunity to ride up walls and cut surf style top turns. The other thing I noticed is the ample opportunity to snake powder lines in the trees, but er I wouldn't know anything about that.

The North camp lift system works pretty well with a mid mountain lift to get you back to the central part of the mountain and a lift at the bottom to feed you to the top. Snow quality was excellent all the way, nice and powdery top layers over solid hardpack that was rarely icy. The only problem with northcamp that day was the main Northcamp lift that kept breaking down, often for 15-20 minutes at a time. They eventually had to close the trails thatserved it til they got it repaired.

Near 3 o'clock we made our way back to the front of the mountain where lift lines had grown and trails were far busier. Myself and a friend went for a fe last runs down muskrat and boulder while my wife headed for the bar. That was so much fun we had to do 2 or three more runs on it. It was fast, wide and powdery. Again plenty of opportunity to poach pow, especialy bobcat bowl which was completly covered from edge to edge so I don't know why it wasn't open, and also at the bottom at the half pipe and again I wouldn't know anything about it. Lets just say there was a distinct lack of patrol.

Sunday got busy around 11 am but condiditonswere the same as Saturday. This time the patrol was out in force. Saw one guy gat nicked for ducking the rope into the half pipe area. When we left at 11 there was a line of cars and a tour bus coming in. The line of cars stretched all the way from the entrance down to the intersection so glad to be out of that.

Overall an awesome trip. Other notes, Lakestar lodge is a handy motel 5 mins from the resort but it is very basic. went for steak at a restaurant beside the black bear, beautiful place but the steaks were not good which was dissapointing considering they were upwards of $20each.

I was there when they cut the rope for North camp - I made the very first *legal* tracks down Saw Mill? Whip Saw? What ever the blue is down the right of Chair 7 (I think it is chair 7 - the joys of unknown brand spanking new terrain!)

Anyway, while I was somewhat unimpressed with the terrain - it is "aquamarine" at its worse but the little black diamond trial was not open) it did make Wisp feel like a much bigger resort. Certainly if you like 7S over Wisp b/c of the size then North Camp just may sway your opinion.

I don't remember any North Camp Chair breaking down, but Chair 3 went down several times.

All in all, kudos to Wisp for the expansion. Let's face it - here in MASH we can't expect too much in the way of extreme terrain anyway - but the new terrain made the place feel much larger and it is really cool to hit something you have never seen before so it is worth a looksy.... and this coming from a guy who is not a Wisp fan!

Maybe I am just stoked from first turns this season!

Aside - I didn't know you could see Timberline and Canaan from the top of Chair 3 - but you can. There they were plain as day and you can see Mt Storm power plant as well. I am sure Wiap regulars will scoff at my naivete - but I have never been there on such a beautifully clear day berfore!

PS I called on the radio - channels 4 and 11 for "DCSkiers" but nore response - but I did here someone else call for DCski.

May have been me. I was putting out calls every so often. The North Camp expansion is a much bigger deal for beginners I think because that is what it predominantly is, beginner terrain.

No to get my wife some more lessons for intermediate.

Oh as a side note. Willi's in Fairfax does a good tune. wifes skis excellent, my board excellent.

What direction are you looking to see Timberline/Wisp from Chair #3? Can you see the slopes with the naked eye, or does it require hefty binoculars?

I ended up bailing on Saturday since I was still recovering from a nasty virus. Made it to Wisp today for a day trip and met up with Tommo, JimK, and Jimmy at the 12:30 line-up. (Hope I'm not forgetting any other DC Ski posters, but I'm not used to getting up at 5:30 AM on a Sunday and am not thinking too well right now.)

We lost Jimmy half way through the afternoon. R U OK? Let us know ...

First time to Wisp for me. Had a blast in the trees between Devil's Drop and The Face, and on Devil's Drop (which I think was closed.)

Weather was overcast with a few inches of new snow in the PM.

I kinda liked the new North Camp Area - some pretty good cruisers though lacking somewhat in vert. Though my favorite section is the headwall overlooking the lodge. The Main Street section was still closed this afternoon. Wouldn't mind catching the view of the lake from there sometime.

Overall, real good snow today.

Nearly 100 percent open before December 15th, 7 bucks for a lift ticket, and new snow falling, hey not bad.

I just got out of that long liftline . I dunno what happened i thought i was in the middle of the pack there on boulder, JimK & dave behind, didn't see which way you and tommo went......lost again. Guess i missed the frontside tour.

Real sorry I missed you guy's I was hoping to tear it up a little. I can't understand why some of the terrain wasn't open because it sure wasn't for lack of coverage, but it was all the sweeter for cutting illicit lines. By 11 am on Sunday I was getting tired of dodging traffic. I was coming down boulder at one point and perched on top of the curve was a group of at least 1 tots on skis paused like little exocet missiles ready to launch. I tucked in carved hard around the turn and took off before they could ensnare me.

You all didnt think it was windy at wisp sunday?
Sometime it felt like you were getting sand blasted the wind was blowin so hard....especially in the new area...

It was a great time though...I missed everybody sunday...kinda got a late start...I looked for dcski pins, but never saw one...

North Camp - wisp is a short mountain to begin with and boy those runs over there are short!! At least they spread out the mountain nicely. The expert run over there is about 400 feet vert max. Agree that beginers and itermediates will love it over there....

The wife and I got there at 5pm on Sat, had dinner at the Black Bear and were at the mountain at 9am on Sunday. It was windy, but livable. Was hoping that the bowl and some of the other blacks on the front would be open, oh well, you still could not beat it for $7! The new area was nice, and by having 2 sides to the mountain, it did feel very big. The crowds were no where near what I thought they would be, but we did stay away from chairs 2 & 3. Went downstairs for toe warmers for my wife at lunch. Is the rental line always that long? It looked insane!

Overall, I thought it was a nice place, very clean, and well maintained. We would like to go back when all the terrain is open.