Timberline vs. Canaan Valley
January 19, 2007
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We're heading up to Timberline on Friday. Is it worth leaving a day to ski at Canaan Valley, or just buy a several day pass at Timberline? I'm still a newbie, but the kids are into terrain parks big time. This all assumes that there will be snowmaking this week.
Any advice?
Steve
Steve, If it wasn't for this *&^%$%&*(&grrrr!@#$@-ing (pardon the profanity) weather, you'd probably have gotten some good suggestions by now. Best thing to do at this point is watch the noaa for Davis and maybe check out the dolly sod web cam and to be sure conditions will be better this weekend than last.
From what I see on Tlines webcam it looks like they'll be starting over with %@$%^(*&^& snowmaking.
Jimmy,
You're starting to sound like me
. You can blame KWillg for introducing us
It is, in fact, pretty sad here although the temperature has started to drop. My thermometer says 51.4 right now. It had been hanging around 56 most of the day.
At least they have a foot of snow up on Sally to start with (not counting the holes) although to be honest, I didn't go out today, so that was yesterday's observation. Just couldn't get motivated for another 55 degree, rainy ski day.
Good news is on the way though. Assuming that you need a 27 degree wet-bulb temp to make snow, Accuweather says they will be able to make from 9AM tomorrow (Tues) through Noon on Thursday, and again from 8PM Thurday through Noon on MONDAY. Sorry, I can't post a link because this forecast is from a pay area of their site.
Keep the faith, maybe we'll see a few more trails this weekend!
And to stay on topic - Steve, if it were me, I think I would plan on TL all weekend. I don't think you're going to see too much in the way of parks opening up - maybe a box or rail here or there, but probably not much at either place. Probably not enough to make you want to make a special trip to Canaan.
Clay
Clay,
I'm really hoping that with three days of snow making, we'll see a lot more of the trails open. Probably be skiing through the guns all weekend. Last time I checked, Canaan was down to three trails, so it may end up as a rhetorical question. I just hope this is the beginning of solid weather.
Thanks, Steve
That's what I was hoping for this past weekend, but it seems they need about 3 days to reenforce the trails that are already open. Maybe they can do that during the week and bring some more trails online this weekend.
Clay
43.7 degrees and falling in Northwoods....
We just returned today from Timberline. I'd say the best to hope for is reinforcement of existing open trails - Salamander, White Lightning, and the Drop by the weekend. I do believe they'll be able to fix-up all these slopes nicely by this weekend. All other major trails on the mountain are starting from the mud up - unfrozen mud at that. There is little to no evidence of any previous snowmaking on the entire west side of the mountain - including all the blue trails. Without major natural snow , I can't see Timberline being able to open any new terrain until they have at least 2 weeks of solid snowmaking weather.
Even without new terrain, Timberline has done a great job keeping the skiing fun on the slopes that are skiable. The Drop was moguled up with a nice pod of baby whales on Sunday. The bumps and variable conditions on White Lightning were fun. Crowds were nil, should be next weekend as well.
Canaan is in far far ... far worse shape. I was there Saturday snowtubing in the rain. The 3 short "b" slopes were open as well as a run down a thin ribbon of white from mid-station. Mud everywhere else.
Tom
Right now, I would have to say T-line due to the availability of varied terrain. They have the best advanced terrain in the mid atlantic at this juncture. I expect that they will make every effort to have the lower terain park open by the weekend as well as lower heaven. I expect them to make snow on dew drop as well and we may see that open by Saturday with any luck. The only reason they didn't have intermediate terrain open from the start is the effort to get a twice as wide WL open and with the 2 mile slamander trail taking up to 10 days of snow making. I would ecpect OTW to be open by the weekend. The only thing keeping it closed would be access. It's real hard skiing through and over mud.... The skiing on the drop on Saturday was outstanding. The best snow for skiing bumps, soft and forgiving. Maybe, with a little luck, we will see some fresh in the form of lake enhanced this next weekend.
I'm psyched anyway. It will still be only my third day this year, not what I had planned for this season. As long as Salamander is open it should be OK. I had hoped to be ready for Twister, but I guess that will have to wait.
And there's Celtic festival and where there's a Celtic festival there's beer! I think I will survive the weekend.
Steve
I just came back in from the cold (frostbite warning believe it or not) and Sally is open right now. They have done a fantastic job keeping her open - it's a bit thin in spots, but my hat is off to the crew. I've got some pics I can post if anybody's interested.
Right now, its snowing and 27. Its a bit windy and they haven't turned the guns on yet. The guns I saw were lined up around the lodge (of course), Almost Heaven, White Lightning and upper Sally. That's not to say there aren't others out there, I just didn't see them.
I have to head back to reality soon. I haven't decided if I'll sneak a couple of more runs in before I go.
Clay
From the Timberline web site:
1/19-21 Winter Celtic Festival
The Celtic celebration will feature Celtic music at 4 pm Friday and Saturday.
Hey, do you think we get to sacrifice any virgins?
Steve
Looking at webcam now.....
Cold, snow flying (natural) and guns blazing.
Gonna be an awesome upcoming weekend. Celtic music, beer and skiing
I'm hitting the $2 demo day up there on Thursday - anybody else going to take advantage??
Thats the TL theme this coming weekend Tucker.Still snowing with about 4 inches so far, with snow in the f-cast for fri,sat,sun,mon,tue,...WED?....no wonder Mountain Masher seemed a little optimistic on the other thread!
Scratch that Tucker...I was replying to page 1...DUHHH on Me!
Kim: Do you really think Tline can open that much terrain by this weekend? You have much more faith in their much-hyped snow making improvements than I do. I am skeptical as to how much better the improved system really is.
Last year they opened most of the mountain by Christmas - a first in my memory - but only after a near perfect pre-season set-up of excellent snow making weather and much natural snow - almost 50" in November and December 05. The system sprang leaks by early Feb, and left the west side of the mountain to melt away in early March. This year has been the complete opposite, so it is not a good yardstick to judge the improvements against either. But what really struck me this past weekend was the complete lack of snow on any slopes other than those open. I can't see the new system capable of bringing any of those blues online with only 3-4 days of snow making.
Still I am crossing my fingers for this weekend - sounds like a perfect setup for a weekend long Lake Effect Prolonged Powder Orgy in the WVA Alps. See you there?
Tom
While that is true, and I'm no expert in snowmaking, the one difference I will point out between last week and this week is that when I left up there today, all of the slopes were covered (no you couldn't ski on them). My point is that the ground was being cooled before they started blowing on it, so maybe this will give them a leg up?
Clay
Clay: How much snow had fallen when you left?
About 2 inches give or take. I left around 3:30
Clay
Years ago when 1st introduced to WV, I was so Impressed with the Big Little Mtns,all the snow & the first wild Evergreens/pines/Spruce that I had seen in all my youth skiing in VA/PA that I started to call them "The WVA ALPS".....Alpine=All pine=anything from Canaan Valley & on up in elevation=..ALPS.......Lately though I have started to refer to the Mtns as the Alpps because they are in the Appalation mtn chain. SOOOoo Alps vs Alpps?You just posted them as alps TGD & I like em both but I think I will say... Long live the WVA ALPPS!
Tom,
I've seen them really put the snow to it inthe past. Maybe I'm being overly optomistic, however, I really believe that they want a blue open ASAP. Maybe with a little luck and a lot of work it may happen. The guns have been sitting and waiting. Now that winter has finally arrived, we should see progress. Now, that being said, watch them get another big leakin the infrastructure, shutting everthing down again...
Did I mention that they had 10-12 guns lining Almost Heaven?
I would bet the farm that THAT one will be open this weekend. I thought I had a picture of it, but I don't so this one of WL will have to do... (you knew you wouldn't get away without a picture
)
and one of the hard-working crew setting those guns...
Clay
...Great I dig the Boston Celtics too...what kind of music do the Celtics like...wow...a hole weekend festival for the Boston celtics...
Tucker u be ok just keep dringking tat boston bier, that's my theeory if you don't understand it just drink thru it, brewer + patriot...... i wus more intrstead in the sacrificial ritual oh welllll..... anyways i was alwayz more of a lakers fan, jerry west elgin baylor u remember thaem??? oh well showing my age ..... ig ot my check got my car fixed its my birthday, got a new headlight
Quote:
From the Timberline web site:
1/19-21 Winter Celtic Festival
The Celtic celebration will feature Celtic music at 4 pm Friday and Saturday.
Hey, do you think we get to sacrifice any virgins?
Steve
Anyone going to be in the valley this weekend?
Happy Birthday Jimmy!
We'll be there. Hope to get up tomorrow evening.
Clay
The snow makers have done an awesome job! Look at the 22:10 or the 21:45 pic (showing the picnic tables and the teaching area). I scraped the MUD off my boots on the steps there on Tuesday and had to step down to do it. According to those pics they've put at least 2 feet of snow down since then.
Let's hope they can keep it up!
Clay
Hit the $2 Lift ticket (Demo Day) yesterday at Timberline. Great conditions - no crowds. The will definitely have lower almost open this weekend - huge mounds of snow on it. No sign of the upper mountain intermediate terrain getting any attention though. (They were kinda making snow at the top of where twister and almost heaven are but certainly not "down" either trail
Thanks for the report. Could you tell if they've moved the guns yet?
As of yesterday at 3:30pm - they had moved 1 or 2 guns to the top - where twister and upper dew intersect......they started blowing at about 1pm. Did not see any hoses or guns lower down the trail on any of the upper mountain intermediate runs. They were blowing a lot of those little connecter trails on the lower half though.....
Hmmmm, sounds as though we'll need our rock skiis to do twister, DD or AH, Jimmy.
Maybe next weekend for one or all. I bet they have all the firepower on winterset to service the Mc Mansions.
Wintersett has always been more of a priority than Dew Drop or Upper Heaven. Typically, the last major trail to be finished is Upper Thunderstruck, which is one of my favorites.
Their priority is to service the houses. This may make sense in a normal year but this year, I think they need to triage things a bit. IMHO, they'd be better off focusing on Upper Heaven since Lower Heaven is done and Upper Heaven has a pretty decent exposure for a West side trail.
Actually, John, I looked real careful at the web cam shots and my hunch is correct. Winterset is the target. I agree with you. They need a top to bottom blue before opening Winterset. Then again, we aren't spending the $50-$60 a day for lift tickets like a family of eight for a weekend rental may who is staying along that trail.
That's for sure. I remember thinking last week as I saw people walking in their boots with their skis on their shoulders down Winterset "I bet that's not what they thought they were getting when they rented one of those babies..."
Clay
