timberline 1st timer - what' s up?
February 6, 2006
24 posts
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ok, i've been watching all this timberline talk and now I get to visit this wkend with BSA troop 451. we'll arrive friday afternoon, ski saturday, leave sunday morn (i don't make the schedule). what should I do or not do? anything going on fri or sat night? where exactly is this purple fiddle place? we're staying in a donated lodge house 9 miles from the actual ski area. i would love to visit whitegrass, but i need to be at tline with all the boys. any advice appreciated.
btw - you'll notice me as the tall guy in gray jacket, orange atomics or k2 axis, with too many teen age boys around.
The Purple Fiddle is in Thomas, north of the Valley aways. As you drive into Thomas from the south, the road splits, high road vs. the river road. You gotta loop up into town, then break left back down to the river. Sounds complicated, but the town ain't that big, easy enough to find.
Live music is also at the Whitegrass Cafe on Saturday nights.
As for skiing Timberline...have fun with the kids. It's not like that terrain covers hundreds of acres. I'm sure chasing the boys will keep you busy.
Steve
Not sure from your post whether you are looking for adult only or group activities. Purple fiddle is definately a cool place, a little out of the way on a ski weekend (however, if your lodge is North of Tline up 32 then you probably will only be 3-4 miles away. It's a bit small for a boy scout troop - but it is very family-friendly (non-smoking, board games, ice cream, plus lots of great beer). Live music is blue grass - check their website for what's going on this weekend -
http://www.purplefiddle.com/index.htmlAs mentioned above, White Grass will have live music over the weekend as well. XC skiing promises to be marginal this weekend though. Again, it's a small place, probably not more than 50 seats and usually pretty full on the weekend.
Canaan Valley State Park has tubing and airboards - no one I know has tried out air boards yet. They also have a large covered outdoor ice skating rink - open until 10 each night I believe. They have rentals and video games - plus it is usually not very crowded. Definately a good alternate activity if the skiing is beat. I have not skied there since Thanksgiving, but their trail count is not great right now, and they don't have the snow-making that Tline has.
Blackwater Falls State Park (2 miles outside of Davis) has a sledding hill and XC skiing. Again, I imagine snow cover is going to be an issue this weekend, so nothing may be happening there.
Tline itself has downhill skiing and the lodge. I would expect everything except a handful of natural snow trails to be open this weekend. Coverage was exceptional this past weekend through Monday; however, there was a bare spot starting to show on Almost Heaven. The blacks and OTW were in great shape. The Drop is probably also in great shape - though it was closed last weekend for a college ski race. They also have live music friday and saturday nights in the lodge and I have heard great food in the Timbers Pub.
Food-wise, I like Coyotes (pretty big place on 32 right near the Timberline access road). Big menu, and everything I've tried there has been pretty darn tasty. I also like Sirianis Pizza in Davis. This is a very cool little (again maybe 50 seats) restaurant in Davis. I also like the food at White Grass and the Fiddle. Big Johns, right in the Valley, seems like a pretty good place for a large group. Can't speak for the food there, but they have lots of arcade games and kids really enjoy it.
What not to do? I imagine the mountain biking would be pretty soggy this time of year!
As a t-line "all the timer," I have one suggestion for leaders of boy scout trips....warn your kids about ski safety! If they don't know how to ski, make themtake a lesson before venturing up the mountain. I've skied there every Saturday since opening and it seems that it's mostly boy scouts who get hauled off the mountain, packed in an ambulance and taken to Elkins for x-rays or worse... May I suggest that unless your boy scouts are proven to be advanced/expert skiers they stay off the blacks. I was talking to one scout leader two weeks ago and he was describing the issues he was facing with two scouts in the lodge due to injuries sustained by running into trees, and trying to figure out how to get one scout who was still in the hospital.
Good luck to you with your trip.
Thanks so far. I should clarify, the boys are all skiing at Tline as will I - and really looking forward to it. They do this every year so they have their activities planned. It looks like we have enough adults that some of us can sneak out for awhile.
So that leads to a couple followup questions:
For Saturday night, say, what would be the difference b/w going to purple fiddle or whitegrass cafe?
How is the night skiing at tline and canaan? I thought it would be fun to check out canaan also - is it worth it at night ? (and what's up with that funky interactive map?)
I'll pass on the timely note about the lessons and agree completely. I'd estimate at least half the boys have some experience. I've been force-feeding lessons on my kids.
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So that leads to a couple followup questions:
For Saturday night, say, what would be the difference b/w going to purple fiddle or whitegrass cafe?
WG has two seatings for dinner, 6 and 8. Unless you have a dinner reservation there's not a lot of room to hang out and listen to the music but Chip would be glad to have you. Purple Fiddle is more about the show. If you plan on eating try to get a reservation at whitegrass and kill two birds with one stone.
"For Saturday night, say, what would be the difference b/w going to purple fiddle or whitegrass cafe?"
I'd say hitting Whitegrass gives you a great feel for the Canaan Valley vibe; however, the Fiddle is probably more of a bar/music club at night. The Whitegrass menu has a limited selection - maybe 2 entrees - and less of a beer selection. Whitegrass is only open during the winter, whereas the Purple Fiddle is open year round - so you can check it out anytime. Both places are small and can get crowded. Personally, I don't like to do a lot of night driving up there, particularly after quaffing some adult beverages - so you may want to base your decision on which is closer to where you are staying.
"How is the night skiing at tline and canaan?"
Night skiing at Tline pretty much sucks. The lighting is poor, and the number of slopes open is limited (only 6 slopes open for night skiing - no blacks and only 1 green slope and it's less than half-way up the mountain. Even though it's daylight now until almost 6PM, they rope off the rest of the mountain at 4:30. I haven't night skied at Canaan in years and do not know how many slopes they have open, but judging from a distance their lights seem a lot brighter than Tline's.
Good thread. I don't have much to add except to say that Timbers offers live music on Saturday night. For this weekend:
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February 3 & 4
Timber's Pub
The JB Tenney Ensemble 4pm - 10pm
The Macho Willie Band 10pm - 2am
Timberline Lodge
Under 21 - DJ Ken Roy 9pm - 1am
Don't know anything about these groups but it really doesn't matter, Timbers is convenient and the beer is always cold. If you have a problem with smoke, however, you may wish to avoid the place and go to the Fiddle. The Fiddle, along with WG, are more hippy sheik whereas Timbers is a place to hang out and talk with patrollers, instructors, locals, and psuedo locals like myself and Kim.
Thanks much. What about the skiing - any tips? is one chair better than the other? a secret slope or line not to be missed? weather looks kind of iffy. who's going to be up there on saturday?
cheers. Dave
ok, i'm out in the garage waxing away and no more tips in here? oh well, see you on the slopes saturday, looking forward to it.
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...I'd estimate at least half the boys have some experience...
The never-evers and the 20 days/year kids are never the problem. It is ALWAYS those with "some experience" that get seriously hurt or hurt others.
I've been on the hill teaching when groups like yours are on the hill, I've led some teen groups (not SS groups) myself, and, as an instructor, I've talked to a lot of group leaders about safety issues with their groups. Do yourself a favor and clearly lay down a set of rapidly escalating draconian consequences for ANY unsafe behavior (eg, hours sitting in the lodge).
Don't forget, the early teen kid killed at WT a few years was "somewhat experienced". He was with a church group from Kensington, and was apparently showing off by straightlining our main green run, Snowpark, when he lost it, went off the trail and slammed into a tree at full speed. For kids that age, particularly, boys, the balance is much better developed than their judgement or skiing skills. They can manage to stay upright at frightening speeds, but don't have a clue (a) how to turn at those speeds, or (b) that they shouldn't be going so fast given their skill and the other people on the slope.
Just my $0.02,
Tom / PM
just got back.
happy to report no injuries. the kids stuck to salamader and whiteout. about 2/3 took a lesson. miserable rain all day led to a very small crowd which helps. handed out several snowsport merit badges.
actually, my son, who is probably the most experienced of the group, got run down by a snowboarder which put him in the lodge for a few hours, but he recoverd to make a few laps with me down dewdrop at night in the lovely evening snow.
our lodge house turned out to be in harmon which was too far from Davis or Thomas for a visit but a few of us want to return for some summer camping so maybe then. I did visit the timbers pub for some medication on saturday night - nice crowd and atmosphere there.
I'll refute EUG a bit - I liked the place alot. nice long fall line trails, good variety, nice atmosphere. meat loaf and mashed potatoes in the lodge, what more do you want? put that place 3 hours from me instead of 7 and I'd be there all the time.
that was probably the most miserable weather I have ever skied - really cold and pouring rain. either me or my atomics don't like slush that deep. I skied everything that was open except off the wall and twister/winterset. at 6pm, it turned to snow and then almost heaven was wonderful and either me or my atomics got real happy. I'd like to go back and ski again in better conditions. as it was, we didn't leave until after 9pm so I after chasing kids all day and then skiing great snow at night, I was as beat as I have ever been skiing.
It was a good trip.
Pagamony - What the... !?!? How dare you refute me... !?!?
Hey, just kidding
Glad everything worked out for you guys. Sorry to hear about your son. That is my biggest fear when I ski with my daughter.
E
pagaamony, I'll be the first to offer you and the boys the "seriously hardcore skier" merit badge. I was in that same miserable 45 degree rain all day on Sat at Wintergreen. In between hard drizzle and hard downpour me and my gang got 3 or 4 hours of skiing, but it was some of the nastiest weather I've skied thru in a long time. I'd take 0 degs and blizzard over that cold drenching rain. Today, Sunday, was much better, sunny, around 30 degs and Wintergreen blew snow all day, all over the mtn.
Only thing I have to say 'bout skiing in the rain.... Goretex...It's a beautiful thing....It's a beautiful thing...
-Warren-
Amen to that.
However my gloves which are gortex got soaked on Saturday as if they absorbled all of the moisture from the outside. I'm curious as to why they did that.
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Amen to that. However my gloves which are gortex got soaked on Saturday as if they absorbled all of the moisture from the outside. I'm curious as to why they did that.
Most goretex gloves lack sealed seams. So the waterproof fabric itself works great, but the seams will still drink up water. I'm on my 5th pair of gloves since I started keeping track in 1989 (still have them all for backups), and none appear to be seam sealed (nor did I know to look until this year). For the next set of gloves, I will research it more carefully!
Also, if the outer fabric is dirty, it can wick/trap moisture and work against you and the goretex (by preventing inside moisture from escaping). I have been told it's extremely important to keep the outer fabric of goretex garments clean. As we all know, gloves are usually the first piece of gear to get dirty.
Please let me know what you find out in your glove research. It seems in the last two years that my same set of Gortex gloves has been a point of contention for me. While they work absolutely great on a cold dry day for 5-6 hours, they still start soaking in moisture bit by bit as my hands come in contact with the snow. However on a day like Saturday, within 2 hours they were heavy and wet as if they turned into sponges. Not that rainsoaked snow helped when I latched my bindings after getting off the lift.
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Please let me know what you find out in your glove research. It seems in the last two years that my same set of Gortex gloves has been a point of contention for me. While they work absolutely great on a cold dry day for 5-6 hours, they still start soaking in moisture bit by bit as my hands come in contact with the snow. However on a day like Saturday, within 2 hours they were heavy and wet as if they turned into sponges. Not that rainsoaked snow helped when I latched my bindings after getting off the lift.
Imagine skiing on Saturday with 13 year old gloves which probably didn't have any Goretex on them when they were new, many of the seams are split, and there is as much duct tape as glove material. Not the brightest move on my part. 
I ended up switching to my lightweight spring gloves on the thinking that my hands are gonna be wet anyway, at least I won't be carrying around five pounds of water.
imagine that all over. there was no defense, you would have needed over $1000 of goretex - can you buy goretex underwear? in the end, you just give up and accept being wet and hope for better next time.
then the temp drops and the chair bottoms freeze
Snowseal and leather gloves
buy yourself a cheap pair of leather work gloves, insulated or not, your choice
place in warm oven for a bit to warm leather up, not hot enough to burn you. Put on gloves, open container of Sno Seal paste
lather hands generously, really work in the sno seal. continue until leather can't absorb anymore.
enjoy cheap dryish gloves
other alternative is to pay 80-120 dollars for a quality pair of gloves.
Steve
HAHA! Yes, the chair bottoms froze, and our bottoms froze with em. I'm definately looking into those "butt flaps" that I saw some people sporting, that or duct taping the inside of my snowpants.
To know what it felt like on sat night, take ice. sprinkle salt. Hold in palm of hand and squeeze for about 2 minuites!
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imagine that all over. there was no defense, you would have needed over $1000 of goretex - can you buy goretex underwear? in the end, you just give up and accept being wet and hope for better next time.
then the temp drops and the chair bottoms freeze
Hey, you haven't lived until you have skied Vermont in the rain wearing top to bottom rain gear and rubbermaid gloves. I felt like a deep sea fisherman on skis. If you absolutely have to ski in the rain, pick up one of those cheap rain suits at walmart, they do help a little. That reminds me I need a new suit...
The foul weather survival secrets are coming out in this thread. I've used spray scotch guard type stuff on cheap ski pants before with decent effect. I used a plastic Busch Gardens poncho over my ski jacket on Sat for much of the day, with golf rain pants.
Costco often has Head gloves with Outlast in them for $15. I bought a pair a year ago and they are awesome for the dough, my hands never get cold, although I don't usually have a cold hands issue anyway. Plus it has the dry pocket in them so you could put those hot packs in them if you want. They probably have some cheap plastic liner embedded in them somehow?? All I know is that I could wring water out of them on Sat, yet my fingers seemed bone dry inside the glove!
Here's a pic from ebay of these gloves if you can link to it, or copy and paste into your browser.
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Head-Outlast-Hip...1QQcmdZViewItem
BTW, I heard it started lightening and thunder at Wintergreen about 5pm on Sat 2/4 and they closed all the lifts and took people from the bottom up on snowmobiles. We saw a dim flash or two when we quitting at about 430, but skiing in lightening is something, thankfully, I have never experienced on the slopes.
