Well, I for one am ready to be poached. I'm tired of paying big resort prices for not much of a hill. Please explain to me why Snowbasin UT (2,650 acres) charges $58 (with discount $46) for a weekend ticket while Snowshoe (224 acres), for example, sees fit to charge $65.

I think another resort, if done well, would definitely result in a serious shakeout with the customer as the ultimate winner. Competition is a good thing and generally results in lower prices and better service. I wouldn't worry about the NY crowd, they have their big NE resorts and I don't see them coming all the way down to WV for a fraction of the trail capacity and amenities. On the other hand, if you look at the license plates at Snowshoe, a good 60% of their customers are from the south; NC, SC MO, KY, TN etc. and for that clientele there -is- room in WV for another resort.

If, as johnfmh says, skier numbers are in decline, then how did many resorts have record attendance/profits last year? Maybe they lowered their ticket prices? Built better and newer amenities? Had great grooming? Opened cool backcountry for the hardliners?

I know it's what the market will bear, but I think the market will just make more trips out west and spend the same (or less) bucks for a much better experience. We will. We maybe won't get in as many skiing days per season, but the days we do, will be primo!

. "I don't see where the skiers will come from to support another large development like Almost Heaven, Wisp can only build its numbers by poaching skiers from the other resorts"- Think about it John.."ALMOST HEAVEN" will blow all of these places away.Think how many people the resort will POACH away!!! The resort will attract day skiers from even their 2nd homes up & down the the whole area.Even you will ski there..even with a TL season pass & home there. Think how many people will go to the resort over heading to new england...That will be a huge poach....You go Mr. Bright, you know whats up!

Wisp, 7S have the advantage of easy highway access. I-68 has been great for access to Wisp and the PA turnpike is usually well maintained. Wisp has great potential as a true 4 season destination and committment to maxing quality of skiing!

Almost Heaven will always have a problem (like SS does) of having people complain about the drive (yes even from NoVA!). I truely believe SS has the "Emperor's New Clothes" phenomena where you aren't supposed to acknowledge how painful of a drive it really is (I'd prefer to drive to Dulles and fly to Utah!)

Corridor H =Almost Heaven...See ya on the slopes!

CorridorH would equal Almost Heaven, if it was finished. Right now the various remaining sections more than likely aren't looking like they will be built in the next 10 years. Especially the section from I-81 to Wardensville which Virginia is adament about not building. Although the drive across north mountain isn't too bad so too many people shouldn't complain about that. But with several sections still up in the air over in the Davis - Greenland Gap area regarding civil war sites, miscaculated soil removal, etc, it will be a long time before the whole highway is ever built, if it ever is. Based on whom I've talked to and things I hear, it might not surprise me one bit to say that the Virginia section may never be built earlier than 2030 if at all unless Virginia becomes super rich.