Since taking my last turns in April with Jimmy, I have been bored stiff without doing it on the snow. I know, I know, some with perverted minds would say that the snow is too cold to do it on and why would I be doing it with Jimmy anyway , but just out of curiosity, what is your favorite trail to cruise in the mid atlantic? This would be the trail you just LOVE to let 'em rip on. I love fast GS turns on several trails on different mountains, but will keep it under my helment till later....

I'll bite.

There are good choices at many mid-Atlantic ski areas, however the fun factor is aided at mtns with verticals of 1000' or more.

Because of the length and pitch of Cupp Run at Snowshoe, WV it is hard to beat when the snow is good and the crowds are low. If they offered an intermediate bail-out option around Lower Shays that run would be a great cruiser too. Some of those summit runs at Timberline, WV are great including The Drop, particularly with the soft snow and groomed corduroy conditions I experienced in early Jan. The two easy blacks off Massanutten quad chair and Cliffhanger at Wintergreen are nice too. . But my sentimental favorite from boyhood days is the rag tag, mini adventure of Stembogan at Blue Knob, PA. You have to ski some groomers and flats just to get there. There's something of a "bowl" at top, then it's rocky and weedy with a funky fall line, alternating between steep and flat and very curvy. Wide open powder field at bottom in the right conditions. If you access it via the Edgeset trail you'll even catch some tight, but not super steep bumps. Lot of different intermediate-advanced stuff in one in-bounds run that almost gives you a feeling that you just skied something out-of-bounds.

Why don't we do it in the snow, umm
Why don't we do it in the snow, mmm
Why don't we do it in the snow, aah
No one will be watching us
Why don't we do it in the Snow?

Beatles?

So Kim, u mean let it rip, manwe wereflyin justtry towipethis $hit eatin offmy face kind of trail?

Dew Drop at Timberline, early in the day, cuttin cord from edge to edge. I like the consistent pitch, the turns and it's just steep enough to really fly. Hit it with my daughter monday after luau, so cool to hear her right behind me, matching turns, man we were flyin, first time she really let it rip i think, the on her face sparkle in her eye when we finished, priceless. That's my favorite in WV.

Anything groomed at Timberline are my favorite's to GS turn, but other notables

At Blue Knob - Expressway with all the little rollers is hoot at speed.

Springs - North Face slope

Wisp - Squirel Cage

Snowshoe - like every one else said Cupp

and At Hidden Valley Imperial and Cobra will allways be my favorite cause i could rack up vert there so fast...about 8 runs an hour if I was skiing with me right hand girl Kelli B. I ma almost sure that in hte last 3 years no ones has as many runs on the double lifts at Hidden Valley. I think the other HV people on this board would agree;)

Ya, Jimmmy! That kind of trail. Those which make it easy to boot out when laying the skis on their edge...the tears in your eyes ripping as your edges carve perfectly railed tracks in the cords. Ms. M can't wait till next year to leave me in the powder, ripping big GS turns after missing out in March with the fracture. You know, the kind of rippin you can do on Cupp, Dew Drop, Lightening, and the Drop. Another favorite is Ramble @ CV either runs off the quad at the Nut. You gotta get up early to rip those kind of turns at WG though. When I was a weekend warrior at the shoe, I loved having to teach at the Creek cuz the crowds were so much less, and ripping turns was safe from Cascade, north. North face at 7S and is great as well. Geez! How many months till it snows again???? Maybe I'll wax my boards in the meantime...you know...it gets me in da mood for rippin'. Besides, it's too early in the unseason to begin discussions about beer, boots, and ....

I'll play, though i don't get around as much as you guys. it's not just the slope, it's what you do with it.

* outerlimits gets credit for being new and has a nice tilt, but since it was usually so slushy it was real treat when it was nice and firm. sort of reverse logic there.

* i have a weird weakness for wp snowbowl as well, i can't explain it.

* tline - the day i was there white lightning was great even with crappy snow but the drop was really marginal; finally we got heavy snow at night so almost heavan was better. several good laps with my 12 year old son were something to remember.

* cupp run is ok, but it just doesn't motivate me to drive twice as far as several other places and fight the crowds, so i have not been there in forever.

* cliffhanger. it has a good pitch and you can choose several different lines. more importantly, it now has sentimental value....

...this december, i thought i was really rippin it when i took the right to logger, forgetting that there are frequently ruts there. tips dug in and i went flying over the top, must have looked like an i.e.d. when i landed. so my little girl comes up behind me carrying my poles and asks "wow dad, are you ok?" (badly sprained shoulder took 2 months to heal, but didn't stop my skiing!) lift tickets: $100, being rescued by my little girl: pricelesss.


ps: yes, I have skied at pipestem. not my favorite slope but still fun. maybe in the middle of the hot summer i'll post a trip report.