End of March - where to ski?
March 8, 2006
23 posts
14 users
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Hi there, i'm from the UK and am visiting some friends for the last week of March and am hoping to get some skiing in. We'll arrive in DC and spend the weekend looking around then hoping to ski on mon/tue march 27/28.
My friends live quite near to roundtop so if that's still open it would be ideal but it looks as though it usually closes for the season around then.
Which resorts closeish to DC or Harrisburg are the best bet for some late season fun?
Any advice gratefully appreciated!
Thanks
Chances are Roundtop will be closed by then. If not, then that's your ticket. Other areas within 3 hours of Wash DC that MIGHT be open in late March are Seven Springs, PA and Wisp, MD.
If you are interested in more ambitious skiing from Harrisburg, PA you can drive north to Hunter Mountain, NY in about 4 and a half hours. It's a fairly sizeable place worth a two day visit and should still be open and not crowded on your dates. Whiteface, NY, site of Alpine events for 1980 Winter Olympics is about 6 or 7 hours from Harrisburg. It is one of the most impressive ski areas in the Eastern US and while possibly not at it's best in late March, would be a noble, if demanding choice for a two day visit from Harrisburg. From Harrisburg you have the advantage of driving to those "upstate" New York ski areas via fine roads and without tangling with busy New Jersey or New York City traffic. FYI Harrisburg is about 2 hours north of Wash DC.
JimK
thanks for the advice. It'll be my friends driving so i'll see what they think about the longer trip north.
I've yet to ski anywhere on the east coast of the USA so any sort of skiing will be good news as this weekend is probably my last trip of the winter to Europe
I hadn't thought of Whiteface but that is a great idea, Jim. Whiteface often has wonderful spring skiing. It can be very cold and icy in winter. I'd check the weather a day before going. It can easily be below zero and still icy in late Mar. and early Apr. But if it looks warm and sunny you could get the best spring skiing of your life. The village of Lake Placid is one of the 2 best ski towns in the eastern US in my opinion. Stowe is the other.
Roger,
You might also want to check out Snowshoe, WV. They tend to stay open until the first or second weekend in April. Also, at this time of year, you shouldn't experience the much discussed crowding.
-Warren-
come on - we're forgetting Timberline - I think they are scheduled to be open until April 9th this year......?
jimboc, last day at Tline 4/2 but you are right, last two years they had fresh snow for closing day, seems like 1.5' in 04 and .5' last year.
Snowshoe is probably as long a drive from Harrisburg as Whiteface and 100 miles or more is on difficult mountain roads as opposed to Interstate almost all the way.
I am VERY happy to see some folks who will acknowledge that skiing does NOT end in early March!!!
Some resorts may be closed, but most of the West Virginia resorts stay opened until late March/early April. Seven Springs and Wisp usually seem to be opened into mid-to late-March as well. Wintergreen usually manages to hang on into mid March too. Remember all the snow we got last March?? Hey, we're coming up on the BEST time of year to hit the slopes!!!
Denis,
How do you come? What part of the drive to Snowshoe is difficult? I come 81S to 33W to 28S to 66W to Snowshoe drive.
-Warren-
Went to Snowshoe for the first time last week-end. Followed the Yahoo directions and took 33, hated it. Going up and down the mountain all the while making tight turns wasn't too much fun.
On the way back we went 28 to 55 to 81 to 66, much more pleasant.
+1 on Whiteface -especially- if there's a storm.
From Harrisburg, eh? I might have to change the above: I've driven that section of I-81 in a storm. Not a happy time.
Still, what about Elk Mountain?
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Snowshoe is probably as long a drive from Harrisburg as Whiteface and 100 miles or more is on difficult mountain roads as opposed to Interstate almost all the way.
Denis,
Snowshoe is about 6hrs from H-burg including a stop for dinner in Davis, I can get to Davis in 3.5hrs, another 2-ish to Snowshoe/Slatyfork. Pretty simple drive, out 40 to/thru Cumberland then a straight shot down 219. The year I went to the 'daks/Lake Placid it was an 8-9 hour jaunt if I recall correctly, further than you'd think. Can make it to southern VT (Mt Snow) in about 6hrs though.
But, yeah, close by in early April, look no further than T-line. Can always hike to the top if the lifts aren't running 'post season', at least that's what I've seen on Chip's site. 
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Going up and down the mountain all the while making tight turns wasn't too much fun.
rwglas, welcome to the forum.
But, are you quite sure you're on the right one? 
Sorry I thought this was DC Skeet, I always hit the wrong link.
Thanks for the welcome.
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Went to Snowshoe for the first time last week-end. Followed the Yahoo directions and took 33, hated it. Going up and down the mountain all the while making tight turns wasn't too much fun.
On the way back we went 28 to 55 to 81 to 66, much more pleasant.
To invoke more yahoomaps data than you'll ever want, a quick check indicates that from Harrisburg, PA the distance and time to Hunter is 266miles/4:50hrs, Canaan/Timberline is 210 miles/4:10 minutes, Whiteface is 435miles/7:10hrs, Snowshoe is 300miles/6:30hrs
Maybe it comes down to Hunter (weekday) vs Timberline or Whiteface vs Snowshoe.
Can you sing the old jingle...I love New York?
Elk,Pa might be a good option? And good ole West Virginny by God is fine, I just have a problem heading south that time of year when there is equally good or better stuff to the north for comparable drive times.
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Went to Snowshoe for the first time last week-end. Followed the Yahoo directions and took 33, hated it. Going up and down the mountain all the while making tight turns wasn't too much fun.
On the way back we went 28 to 55 to 81 to 66, much more pleasant.
To invoke more yahoomaps data than you'll ever want, a quick check indicates that from Harrisburg, PA the distance and time to Hunter is 266miles/4:50hrs, Canaan/Timberline is 210 miles/4:10 minutes, Whiteface is 435miles/7:10hrs, Snowshoe is 300miles/6:30hrs
Maybe it comes down to Hunter (weekday) vs Timberline or Whiteface vs Snowshoe.
Can you sing the old jingle...I love New York?
Elk,Pa might be a good option? And good ole West Virginny by God is fine, I just have a problem heading south that time of year when there is equally good or better stuff to the north for comparable drive times.
for the record, from my doorstep in Carlisle to the WG parking lot, 190mile, when leaving at 5am, it's a 3:15 trip. I can be in downtown Harrisburg in 25ish minutes from said doorstep. Not picking nits, just for reference. Elk is a good option considering drive times, but not sure about their late season condish......
T
To add fuel, Whiteface has had a lot of snow in the past few weeks and the slides are now open;
http://list.uvm.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind060...com&P=24815 These are rock slide paths with pitch up to 40 deg. or so that require climbing about 300 feet above the lifts. The slides are rarely open. When open they offer western style chute skiing, or so I am told. I've never managed to be there when they are open. Whiteface has the biggest lift served vertical in the east already; add the slides and they have about 3450. The views off the summit lift are superb. This lift serves the top 1900 vertical (Not counting the slides) and has 3 runs, a blue and the mens and womens Olympic downhill runs, Cloudspin and Skyward. There is never a line for this lift. On a warm spring day it is fantastic. Disclaimer - I love Whiteface when the conditions are right.
Thanks for all the advice guys. We are now planning to leave DC Sunday afternoon March 26th and head to Timberline for a couple of days skiing. Then head our friends place near Harrisburg for a few days.
I'll be back nearer the time for an updated snow condition report! In the meantime hope you get plenty of fresh powder - but leave some for us when we arrive....
Warren, your route is the quickest...just watch the mounties on 33. I have contributed an ample amount to the local coffers over the past 20 years. The Franklin area is the worst.
Given the really warm weather this week, is T-line, wisp and others still likely to have skiable snow this coming weekend?
Snowshoe is 100% open with 5" of new snow this week. Open til April 9th and will most likely close with 100% - just no business...always ends that way!
From the looks of it they will have plenty of open terrain. It'll be soft and the coverage will be getting thinner but it should still be excellent. I'm thinking WT this weekend then 7 Springs or Wisp the following weekend for the last hurrah then it's clean wax and store for the snowboard and break out the mountainboard for off season carves. Need to find me some nice dirt kickers near my place.
