Snow Shoe
February 7, 2006
39 posts
20 users
5k+ views
I went to Snow Shoe over the holidays. The slopes were great but the lift lines and access to food was aweful. Vowed never to go back unless it was off season. Seemed like they spent way too much time on building condo's and not enough on what to do with all of those people once they were in the condo. Anyway, there is a glimer of light. Got a letter in the mail appologizing for the bad service and offering compensation. I am grateful and impressed
Well you're dead-on with the overcrowding portion on Holidays. I think most here would agree that the Shoe really needs to expand terrain. Here's to hoping the Widowmaker redesign is more than just a high-speed quad and a new feeder trail.
I was trying to drive to NY on 95N the day before Xmas. The road was crowded - IMAGINE THAT !!!
I own a condo in Snowshoe - that place is EMPTY during the week. What do you expect on a HOLIDAY??? If everyone that claims they won't go back actually DOESN'T - it would be empty on weekends too! But surprize. See you on the slopes.
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See you on the slopes.
No you wont.
Same here. I've made my one trip to SnowShoe.
Over-priced and over-rated should be part of their logo
2 each his own. If you're into paper plates, lousy facilities and an outhouse, and that's all you require - T-line fills the bill.
I just prefer martinis at FoxFire, indoor heated parking in RimFire, a 4-star restaurant, a cat-track ride to the back country hut for gourmet cuisine, indoor/outdoor heated pools and hot tubs, etc. That's why I bought there this year instead of the more "rural" CV...not that there's anything wrong with that...just not my cup of Stoli.
Wish I could meet everyone that says they won't do the Shoe' again, just so I can greet them everytime I see them back! Tline can use the business though, the Doc might just be able to open again next year with a little luck.
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2 each his own. If you're into paper plates, lousy facilities and an outhouse, and that's all you require - T-line fills the bill.
I just prefer martinis at FoxFire, indoor heated parking in RimFire, a 4-star restaurant, a cat-track ride to the back country hut for gourmet cuisine, indoor/outdoor heated pools and hot tubs, etc. That's why I bought there this year instead of the more "rural" CV...not that there's anything wrong with that...just not my cup of Stoli.
Wish I could meet everyone that says they won't do the Shoe' again, just so I can greet them everytime I see them back! Tline can use the business though, the Doc might just be able to open again next year with a little luck.
Oh so you don't actually ski. I agree it's probably the best place for lodge posing but thats not really my thing. Personally I like to ride so yeah if it's a shack on the side of an awesome hill with some character to it I'm pretty happy. Call me crazy but if I was into all that superfluous crap I'd move to Aspen.
Is this still DC Ski or did I miss something???
I agree with coach on the over priced and over rated. We never go to SS on any kind of holiday or 'event' weekend and its still not worth the money or the drive. We are going up next weekend just to get some usage out of our season passes [last year for those, next year getting passes for Heavenly] but then that's it. Next season any local trips will be to Canaan or Timberline or the Snowtime Three. I can stay on Ski Run Drive in South Lake Tahoe in a really nice 2 bedroom 2.5 bath townhouse condo for $136, tell me why I should pay $240 for a tiny 1 bedroom at SS. 5 hours to drive to SS, 5 hours to fly to Utah, hmmm, now there's a hard choice.
Sorry, but I think we have just outgrown Snowshoe, time to move on.
Cupp Run, Upper & Lower Shays, fed by a perpetually empty high-speed quad - compared to an "awesome hill" (never heard of Tline referred to like that) ... it's been a long week .... I needed that LOL.
And 5 hours to Utah. Funny - I leave my house at 5:00am and on the slopes at SS by 10:00am. Leave for the airport at 5:00am and at 10:00am still in the Security line LOL Funny how people list actual flight times and conveniently forget the drive to and from the airport, parking, checking in, security lines, transfers, hours long drives to and from the airport to the resort...oh well, right - only 5 hours to Utah (for the pilot)!!! But from your house to standing on the slope? With no one ever going back to the Shoe' ... why's everyone saying it's so damn crowded? Hey, to each his own - that's why they make beer & chips!
What sucks is that Snowshoe could be much better. Don't get me wrong I still go and enjoy it for the most part, but the frustrating thing is to think how much better it would be with one or two more trails on the Western Territory. If they ever add those then they could at least come closer to justifying their prices. Right now it just baffles me as to how Snowshoe carges $65 for a weekend ticket while The Canyons charges $69 (and you can easily get one for $50). And yes I know Snowshoe has to spend a lot of $ on snowmaking but still...
Monk,
The problem is that Intrawest is a property development company, not a ski resort company. They're developing the H**L out of the mountain-top without doing a proportional amount of work in the hill itself
I've been doing the Shoe for about the last 10 years and I'm not sure how much longer I will (I know Rich, I know, you keep hearing that
) Anyway, They really are catering more to the getaway crowd and the skiing is secondary
-Warren-
The lift is empty because the gapers are still wedging down the hill. Rich I understand you have a vested interest in Snowshoe and I understand the arguement that they're a property development group but that begs the question why did they even put those lifts and trails all over prime real estate. They should go ahead and put in more lodging in the trees between the trails that would be real ski in ski out. Then maybe they could add ride up martini bars at the slope edge and at the bottom of the lift. Oooh then maybe some heated lift chairs so you don't catch a chill.
As regards flying. Sure there's the check in and the security and the parking et al and then theres the 3200 feet of vertical and knee deep pow and all the other hassles that get in the way of a nice day by the fire.
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2 each his own. If you're into paper plates, lousy facilities and an outhouse, and that's all you require - T-line fills the bill.
I just prefer martinis at FoxFire, indoor heated parking in RimFire, a 4-star restaurant, a cat-track ride to the back country hut for gourmet cuisine, indoor/outdoor heated pools and hot tubs, etc. That's why I bought there this year instead of the more "rural" CV...not that there's anything wrong with that...just not my cup of Stoli.
Wish I could meet everyone that says they won't do the Shoe' again, just so I can greet them everytime I see them back! Tline can use the business though, the Doc might just be able to open again next year with a little luck.
Oh so you don't actually ski. I agree it's probably the best place for lodge posing but thats not really my thing. Personally I like to ride so yeah if it's a shack on the side of an awesome hill with some character to it I'm pretty happy. Call me crazy but if I was into all that superfluous crap I'd move to Aspen.
Is this still DC Ski or did I miss something???
Holy Crap, what a bunch of bitterness. I swear this website of DC Ski is my personal train wreck. It's horrible and I can't keep my eyes off it. Every day I read this place and I tell myself "I can't believe the attitude here" and every day I come back to see what new evil is lurking.
Rich has money. Great for him, I am jealous. Honestly, if I had money, I'd love the finer things in life as well. I think we all would. This petty crap of calling people wanna-be's and posers is just ignorant and mean spirited. Kennedy, have you even ever met Rich? Or do you just assume he's a Patagucci covered power wedge missle side slipping down bunny slopes? Does it really matter? Are we in such a rush to prove that we're better snow sliders than the next fellow that we have to cut them down?
My name is Steve and I suck at skiing. Everyone on the slope appears to be doing better than I am, my jacket is over ten years old, my pants have more patches than material on them, my boots are so scuffed you would think I kicked down a cinder stone road in the desert. I simply don't give two shits. I have as much fun as the next fool and more power to the martini sipping, heated garage parking people that frequent the resort. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have the privelage of high speed quads, snow making or grooming.
When I don't want to pay for over inflated prices or be around rich people then I don't. I strap on a pair of back country skis and hit the off piste.
Yes, it's pretty staggering that Snowshoe charges more for a weekend lift ticket than Alta. Midweek ticket at Jackson Hole is the same as a weekend rate at Whitetail...all I can say to that is WTF? But I don't see the need to cut on people, cut on local hills..this chest thumping smack talking is just ignorant and childish.
Kennedy...you ask "is this still DC Ski?" From my limited exposure of a couple of seasons here, I would say yes it is. A perfect human behavior study of the rampant East Coast mentality that involves crushing others to make ourselves feel good.
Like I said, this is my personal train wreck and I can't keep my eyes away. Keep the flames going. It just keeps reminding me why places like Whitegrass and the west coast are sooooo special to me. Thanks for the stoke
Steve
You're right I haven't met him but neither has he met me and I really don't care about what he does with his time or his money thats his deal. My point is simply this Snowshoe is no big deal. I've gotten to a point with it that 4 hours in a car, $65 for a lift ticket and overcrowded slopes are not worth my time or money anymore. What I'm not fine with is the assumption that I'm going to say these things and not back them up. It's this simple I am not going back to Snowshoe! I can have just as much fun spending an hour in the car going to Whitetail, tearing it up and getting home by lunch. For me it's not about the restaurants, the dining the nightlife it's about waking up first thing in the morning, standing on top of an empty trail, clear crisp air and and a mountainside of possibilities. The rest doesn't matter so much. It's fine if it's there but overall it's insignificant.
I don't care what you ride what you wear how you slide. I don't care if you're a pro or that every time you stand up you face plant, we've all been there. What you have to understand though is that when you are passionate about something, as everybody who posts here is, your views will polarize. So what you call a train wreck I see as healthy.
Slide on.
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Holy Crap, what a bunch of bitterness. I swear this website of DC Ski is my personal train wreck. It's horrible and I can't keep my eyes off it. Every day I read this place and I tell myself "I can't believe the attitude here" and every day I come back to see what new evil is lurking.
Rich has money. Great for him, I am jealous. Honestly, if I had money, I'd love the finer things in life as well. I think we all would. This petty crap of calling people wanna-be's and posers is just ignorant and mean spirited. Kennedy, have you even ever met Rich? Or do you just assume he's a Patagucci covered power wedge missle side slipping down bunny slopes? Does it really matter? Are we in such a rush to prove that we're better snow sliders than the next fellow that we have to cut them down?
My name is Steve and I suck at skiing. Everyone on the slope appears to be doing better than I am, my jacket is over ten years old, my pants have more patches than material on them, my boots are so scuffed you would think I kicked down a cinder stone road in the desert. I simply don't give two shits. I have as much fun as the next fool and more power to the martini sipping, heated garage parking people that frequent the resort. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have the privelage of high speed quads, snow making or grooming.
When I don't want to pay for over inflated prices or be around rich people then I don't. I strap on a pair of back country skis and hit the off piste.
Preach on brutha!
I can relate to several of the positive and negative comments made about snowshoe, but I really am surprised by how much hate this place gets. Snowshoe can be overpriced, yes, but it is not for rich snobs. IF you avoid holiday weekends, and wait for internet specials to be posted, most times you can get a weekends lodging and lift for under $200 per person. Also don't forget 2 nights 2 days for 99 bucks midweek. Their lift tickets are pricey on weekends, yes, but have you seen Canaan charging $60 this year for their holiday rate. Timberline for a full day is something like $52. Personally, i feel that 14 lifts (2 high speeds soon to be 3 included) is worth the 15 extra bucks compared to the 3 lifts at Timberline. Even if you wait for around ten minutes at the ballhooter lift, you are still at the summit faster than you would have been taking thunderdraft with no line. Before the valley lovers crap their pants in disgust with my comments, please understand that I LOVE the skiing at Timberline. It offers arguably the best challenge in WV, and unlike snowshoe they don't groom everything all the time, and when we have snow Tline offers fun glades, fun moguls, and a better all mountain experience. BUT, can we please stop bashing snowshoe and especially bashing intrawest. Yes intrawest has put in tons of condos while they still need more restaurants and trails. Yes sometimes it can get a bit pricey. BUT don't accuse them of not giving a damn about skiing. Look at who they own and operate. Copper Mountain, Winter Park, a stake in Mammoth Mountain, Stratton, Tremblant, and of course the granddaddy of them all with Whistler/Blackcomb. Intrawest has dramatically improved the skiing experience at snowshoe with better lifts, WAY better parks (did you notice that there is a 40 and 50 foot table in spruce glades), and a snowmaking system that can open the whole mountain in 2 weeks if conditions allow. The Western Territory is still the best terrain in the state, and we can complain that they only have 2 runs over there yada yada, last time i checked there are only 3 runs at timberline that really challenge you (Silver Streak, Drop, OTW). I think we give snowshoe too much shit because we all realize how much potential it really has and are frustrated we don't see faster development. How bout we see where they are in 5-10 years and look back at our griping today and laugh. Snowshoe is on the rise. Both the Valley and snowshoe wonderful destinations. The valley is very rustic and homey, but it doesn't have that big mountain feel that snowshoe and that part of the state has. When I am at snowshoe I feel like I am in another world. Let's appreciate what we have here at our fingertips and stop the bashing charade.
NDSkier....and the other positive commentors on this site...AMEN Brother.
I have always enjoyed reviewing the posts each day, but I am getting real tired of all the negatives. First it was MM, now Kennedy, etc.
We all have our favorite resorts, and frankly mine often change because of an experience, etc. I really enjoy Snowshoe, but I sure wish they would add more trails and infrastructure faster...but they will get there. Timberline is a great ski mountain, but the infrastructure is awfull. The lack of adequate lifts really robs from the experience, especially on a crowded day...otherwise it is a wonderful ski mountain. Canaan Valley is great because of the lack of crowds...many times I have skied there on a busy weekend and rarely waited for a chair to the top, even with only one chair running, but it needs better snowmaking. I can't wait to get back to Wisp to enjoy all the improvements, now and to come. Snowtime provides a great day ski product. The two top trails at Massanutten are fun to ski and usually no lift lines on their lift. Wintergreen provides the best view from the top of any mid-Atlantic ski area, wonderful real mountain vistas, and a snow making plant that is the envy of most resorts. Seven Springs I visit each year and enjoy the scene, etc. and the skiing.
Over 35 years of skiing I have been to every mid-Atlantic ski area, in snow storms, in rain, rotten roads, etc. From my 65 year old perspective things only get better each year. We DCSkiers have a lot to be thankful for and a lot of enjoyable snow play choices available.
I am not trying to repress free speach, but let's try to stick to the positives about each place when we post and not always rant about another resorts negatives, over and over. I suspect that most DCSkiers don't really care whether or not a poster plans to return to a particular mountain or not. Each resort has always changing positives and negatives going for it. I really enjoy this wonderful website that Scott has provided and the opportunity to share my experiences. I am reminded that a "bad day skiing or boarding beats a day at the office, or most anything else".
So, let's try to keep it positive, our frustrations to a minimum.
Thinking and wishing cold and snow!
The Colonel
Colonel - I like the way you think. Yep, I'm a CV man. I love the Valley in general and Tline specifically. Before the baby, my wife and I used to daytrip and weekend trip all over the Mid-A - Snowshoe, Wisp, Whitetail, Camelback, Greek Peak, Massanutten.... I'm not going to say anything bad about those places - I genuinely enjoyed the skiing at all of them - whether it was snowing, raining, crowded, or not. I honestly don't remember a ski trip or resort I didn't have fun at. Yep, some days were better than others but that's life. I ski to have fun, and I always find a way to enjoy myself. We ski Tline exclusively now. We've invested there - a house and season passes. That investment skims just about all my extra cash leaving nothing for exploring other resorts anymore. I do miss checking out other places - hopefully we'll get our mobility back in a few seasons so we can return to some of these resorts and check out some new ones.
As for the passion, bashing, and brutality of DCSki - man DCSki is tame compared to most internet message boards I've lurked on. In fact, this is the only board I post on for this reason. Want to see some flame wars? Check out mtbr or roadbikereview or easternuswx. Half the posters are chest-thumping, insulting trolls. People get booted, censored, and ignored. DCSkiers are equally passionate, but generally not offensive. Sure some of us need a little sensitivity training or thicker skin - but at the end of the day I think everyone checks out this board out of their love for skiing.
OK, my two cents. First I think it is a bit unfair to compare Kennedy to MM. Kennedy was just stating that he thought the Shoe was overpriced, not that apocalypse was at hand. Second, he has valid points. The Shoe is overpriced for what they offer. Few could argue this point. Rich's point was that it keeps growing, and he is correct. For VA/WVA it is the largest resort, and most people who live in this area will try it at least once. Will I go back? Nope sold the Condo in Nov. and won't be back. Did I make a killing on the sale? You bet! I much like others have outgrown the place. It was nice, but my needs have changed. If I have good terrain, a stiff drink and a hot tub at the end of the day, I'm set. To each his own.
BTW, Rich, you won't be saying hi to me............
Ullr - Just wondering, where did you re-invest?
My name is jimmy and i'm addicted to skiing. Got a grate parking space last sunday at the bottom of the lift. Got there just after the "all day rain showers" ended at 11:00am. Goggles or glasses, fanny flap or not, so much pressure, guy coming down off the piste towards the parking lot slips on the ice BOomcrashclatter falls flat on his back. He get's up and i ask him if the chairs are dry. Fanny flap no, glasses
yes, day's looking up already. Spent a couple hours cranking turns under a clearing sky, last bit of rain beeing squeezed out, big patches of blue breaking thru, got to make first turns of the season w/my buddy whit.
Doesn't matter where ur at what could be better than that.
My name is jimmy and i'm addicted to skiing.
Yeah! kennedy and Steve ... thats what its all about ... sliding.
Nothing more, nothing less.
I 'm lucky we can squeeze out a few pennies to go west a couple of time per year but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate our local hills. Would I like to live in SLC and be less than an hour from the greatest snow on earth, you betcha! But an early Sunday morning at Whitetail 1 hour away is more than most people have and it keeps my snow demons in check. Do I think Snowshoe is a crappy resort? No. Does the Red Fox have some of the greatest food around.? Yes. But ... we can no longer rationalize neither the drive nor the prices. All the new building has made the slopes terribly over-crowded, sometimes dangerously so. SS is not the fun it used to be. Our first rule of skiing is when the conditions become such that skiing is no long fun, then its time to pack it in. So that's what we are doing vis-à-vis Snowshoe.
And kennedy ... that's a marvelous tag line ... slide on.
Great post Swimmer. You can probably throw me in the bitter person list to... at least occasionally. One thing I've noticed on this board: the level of argumentativeness is inversely proportional to the quality of the weather. Go look back at the posts in December and see how many arguments there were. Then track it in January as the warm spell went longer, and longer, and longer. You can look back over the last few winters and see the exact same thing.
Good rule of thumb to avoid arguments on DCSki is to not check for updates after the snow bases start getting reported as "marginal" anywhere in West Virginia (and we all know the code words in the industry for "marginal").
Usually I tend to be pretty live and let live but this time I was really trying to drive a point home. I think Ullr and Snowcone get where I'm coming from in this and maybe the way I put was too aggressive. So with that in mind let me give you the reasonable explanation.
For a lot of people what and where you ride comes down to dollars and time and how much enjoyment you can squeeze out of both of these commodities. Generally I'm too busy to take a few days off work to go riding and since we don't have powder days let alone a powder day rule here time gets condensed. If Rich has time to go during the week when there isn't anyone there then more power to him but for the majority of us it doesn't work that way. So for what time we have we want the most from what we can afford. Where Snowshoe falls down for me is that by the time I figure in how long I have to drive, how much I have to pay for lodging and lift tickets divided by the time spent actually having fun (less the time spent in lines) the equation comes out negative. When you have a negative value thats a bad sign (look at my bank account, jeez). For Whitetail, 7 Springs or Wisp the equation comes out to a plus. I haven't been to Timberline but from what I've read it sounds like it might also come out to a plus. So when I read someone evaluating mountain based on lodges and restaurants it doesn't figure in the equation because these are not the components that result in me having fun on a slope. If they figured that highly then why would I even leave the DC area? Does this make more sense?
I really need to get to the shoe for the first time. :-s
In the spirit of fun, here's how I avoid crowds at Snowshoe on regular weekends.
1. If I think I need a warm-up I'll ski maybe two runs over on the basin side when the ropes drop.
2. From there I'll ski Cup & Shays for a 2-3 hours. My legs will be burning towards the end of this as I probably get close 10,000 vertical feet of skiing in.
3. Catch the shuttle to Silver Creek and eat a granola bar on the way over. I'll then ski Bear Claw and Flying Eagle for the rest of the day sticking to the Flying Eagle lift.
I've followed this pattern dozens of times and I'd say my longest wait in a lift line was probably a minute. Heck on Flying Eagle you usually just ski right to the chair and don't even stop; this is while people are waiting 20 minutes over at Ballhooter.
BTW, if you tell this to too many people I will hunt you down and take course sandpaper to all of your bases.
Wow, almost everyone here sounds pretty cool and I'd love to pick up the Happy Hour tab for them. (Wouldn't cost much since no one is returning to SS. LOL)
SWIMMER - you don't have to be rich - I'm not - got a good deal at The Summit. FYI: Top of The World (best investment there) are all UNDER $100k with excellent rental history and the new high-speed quad next year....I just preferred the Summit for my own personal use and a little more space for guests.
KENNEDY - Intrawest historically starts with a ski resort then develops it.
NDSKIER and THE COLONEL - very objective views.
ULLR - did I buy YOUR condo. LOL - I bought when you sold!
I bought at SS as much for an investment & income (rents out for $3k/week) as for personal use. I like being able to walk to all the restaurants & bars & activities. You gotta do something after the lifts close no matter what resort you pick!!! BTW - I spent my wonder (ski) years in CV, Tline Fri nites, CV Sat. days. And fond memories of the OLD Siriannis. For investment purposes, I just consider SS as more of an all-inclusive park-it-and-leave-it destination resort.
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My name is jimmy and i'm addicted to skiing. Got a grate parking space last sunday at the bottom of the lift. Got there just after the "all day rain showers" ended at 11:00am. Goggles or glasses, fanny flap or not, so much pressure,
...
My name is jimmy and i'm addicted to skiing.
my screenname is comprex and i'm addicted to skiing.
i have a goretex fanny flap and have used it 6 days this year.
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In the spirit of fun, here's how I avoid crowds at Snowshoe on regular weekends.
1. If I think I need a warm-up I'll ski maybe two runs over on the basin side when the ropes drop.
2. From there I'll ski Cup & Shays for a 2-3 hours. My legs will be burning towards the end of this as I probably get close 10,000 vertical feet of skiing in.
3. Catch the shuttle to Silver Creek and eat a granola bar on the way over. I'll then ski Bear Claw and Flying Eagle for the rest of the day sticking to the Flying Eagle lift.
I've followed this pattern dozens of times and I'd say my longest wait in a lift line was probably a minute. Heck on Flying Eagle you usually just ski right to the chair and don't even stop; this is while people are waiting 20 minutes over at Ballhooter.
BTW, if you tell this to too many people I will hunt you down and take course sandpaper to all of your bases.
Yep, that is part of the same magic formula I use on weekends. Silver Creek and Western Territory rule, the basin area is for gapers. But I think you are underestimating your vert at Cupp/Shays. I was skiing there with my brother in law in early Jan. From 9am-12pm on the Sunday, we made about 15-20 runs. At 1500ft each, that was 22500 to 30000 feet of vertical. I don't think I could keep up that pace all day, but it was a great three hours...
Flying Eagle and Bear Claw are the real hidden gems there, especially on a powder day.
Just wondering ... anyone know the vertical on Flying Eagle and Bear Claw? They are fine runs, especially after a few hours tearing my thighs up over on Shay's.
Believe it's 663 vertical, give or take a foot. I think they're listed at 700 feet, but it's a round-up. Incidentally, there's a round up on Cupp and Shay's, too. The vertical runs about 1450 feet. Not a huge difference, but a few feet anyway. Seems like ski areas like to up their vertical drop by about 50 feet (Wisp, Liberty & if I remember right Roundtop are also guilty of this practice).
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Believe it's 663 vertical, give or take a foot. I think they're listed at 700 feet, but it's a round-up. Incidentally, there's a round up on Cupp and Shay's, too. The vertical runs about 1450 feet. Not a huge difference, but a few feet anyway. Seems like ski areas like to up their vertical drop by about 50 feet (Wisp, Liberty & if I remember right Roundtop are also guilty of this practice).
You're probably right Roger. Of course, it's not a big deal when you're working with 1,500 in the Western Territory.
Now, if you're like me, and did much of your early skiing at a place like Paul Bunyan in Northern Wisconsin with a published 126' vertical, 50 feet matters.
FWIW, they even had a headwall named Widow Maker.
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Believe it's 663 vertical, give or take a foot. I think they're listed at 700 feet, but it's a round-up. Incidentally, there's a round up on Cupp and Shay's, too. The vertical runs about 1450 feet. Not a huge difference, but a few feet anyway. Seems like ski areas like to up their vertical drop by about 50 feet (Wisp, Liberty & if I remember right Roundtop are also guilty of this practice).
I've heard before that Snowshoe's claim of 1500' is not for the Western Territory by itself but for the resort as a whole. I believe it's the difference between the highest lift (probaly Widowmaker) and the lowest point, the base of the Western Terr. Most resorts calculate between the highest and lowest points, even if they're not connected. Snowshoe just takes it to an extreme being as there's a road in between them.
Ah, yes, Widowmaker at Paul Bunyan, very appropriate.
I'm looking at one job potentially in Madison. They haven't even selected for interviews yet but if it goes anywhere, maybe you could provide some insight into decent skiing within a few hours of town? The only place I've ever been to is Devil's Head... flat flat flat (not in not much vertical, the runs just weren't that steep). The midwest tends to have good fluffy snow, which makes up for the lack of vertical.
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Ah, yes, Widowmaker at Paul Bunyan, very appropriate.
I'm looking at one job potentially in Madison. They haven't even selected for interviews yet but if it goes anywhere, maybe you could provide some insight into decent skiing within a few hours of town? The only place I've ever been to is Devil's Head... flat flat flat (not in not much vertical, the runs just weren't that steep). The midwest tends to have good fluffy snow, which makes up for the lack of vertical.
GREAT college town.
As for skiing, well, the good news is that you're two hours closer to Colorado.
Otherwise,
Granite Peak (it used to be Rib Mountain) is respectable by local standards.
http://www.skigranitepeak.com/./mountain/index.cfm?sub=regionalComparison
Indianhead is pretty good, but that's a hike, as are the Porkies. Marquette mountain has some skiing, but the place to try now seems to be Mount Bohemia with 900 ft vertical, no grooming, and 100% black and double black glade and backcountry skiing.
http://www.mtbohemia.com/mountain.html
Unfortunately, I'm guessing Bohemia is 6 hours from Madison.
Tim (the T is for Tim, isn't it)- no need to mention Mt. Bohemia. Mt. Bohemia is already a legend among legends, on par with Alta and MRG. I have seriously considered flying to Houghton for a ski trip. It was my inspiration for Buckhorn- later to become the Moonshine Mountain that occasionally we talk about building ("Moonshine Mountain- makes Timberline's facilities look like Deer Valley").
Mount Bohemia is unapologetically hard core and ridiculously hilarious in its advertising. If I remember right, they had a brochure two years ago that pitched coming to their Mardi Gras party so you could "meet drunk chicks." They're a lawsuit waiting to happen; gotta love 'em!
No Roger, its Tom, and unfortunately, I'm unrelated to Tim.
I understand the story behind Mt. Bohemia includes a rich kid from Detroit with $2.5 million of Daddy's money, and a dream.
Their current poll is "Should we add beginner slopes?"
That's my home up there. I do need to try it out one day. The UP is a pretty special place. Drunk chicks? Most people don't understand going to the bars EVERY night. It's like the T-shirt I saw in Minneapolis ... Drinking problem in Minnesota? What drinking problem? We drink, get drunk, fall down ... No Problem!
When I lived in the UP, three local bars had 7 oz. drafts for a dime, one Tuesday, one Wednesday, and one Thursday. Try drinking a five dollar bill. Of course, before that, there was Mike's Resort, with live music on buck night. That's all the PBR you can drink for a buck. Drinking age was 18. Scary!
Wow,
I had no idea that this would take on the life that it has. Cool! Ok some clarification. Overall, Snowshoe was great skiing. I'm am a skier so I have little appreciation for long lines and long waits. As far as food goes granola can go a long way. So what do I excpet over the holiday? I expect to ski. Lots. I want big prices to translate to lots of available skiing. When I'm done I want to eat. Not necessarily fancy but in a reasonable amount of time. When I said I wouldn't go back. I'm talking over the holiday. Lots of other places give you more options. Holiday Valley for one. It's big so you can move into areas where the crowd isn't. As far as food goes. Lots of towns around. Long line here? See ya, going down the road. We couldn't get into a resteraunt so we order pizza at SS. Waited and hour and paid $40.00. Ouch! That's enough to even drive the carpet skiers away. I was however impressed by the fact that SS knew that they had problems and were trying to make it right. That does not happen to darn often. Hat's off to SS. As far as skill levels go. I slide fast and so do my sons. We can boogie to the western side and ski all day. Wife and girls are less aggressive. So they (and as a consequence we) paid a heavy price. Glad to hear that It's better at other times. Too far for me to go as a regular. Someone mentioned Tline. I agree Tline has good challenging slopes. Didn't mean to sound too negative. Just facts.
