I don't see it on the website but I know SNOWSHOE usualy closes their SILVERCREEK area before the rest of the resort. Does anyone know when SILVERCREEK will close this season?

Thanks.

According to the "Mountain Comments" in this page
http://www.snowshoemtn.com/mountain/win-mountain/snowreport-2006w.htm

"We will be pulling the ropes on the 2006-2007 season at the Silver Creek Ski Area this Sunday at 4:30 p.m"

This Sunday = 18th March.

Is this, like, "carved in stone"??? Is there ANY chance it'll be changed?????

Most folks I've talked to at SC don't like it but they still pull the ropes prior to the other SS areas - even with good snow.

Yeah--we knew that...but isn't it usually only two weeks or so prior to Snowshoe (proper)? This is three weeks...and just as the weather gets colder too. I can't communicate how disappointed I am. We've been bringing at least our family to Snowshoe for the past four years; first we stayed at Summit, then we stayed at a house on North Westridge, and decided that was the way to go!

For the past two years we've booked a larger house on Westridge--this will be the FIRST year that the second week of "Almost Heaven" won't include Silvercreek. (We're booked for the week of the 19th)

It's not Ball Hooter, or Cup Run that brings us back, or keeps us enthusiastically inviting OTHER families w/kids--it's Cubb Run, Knife Blade, Greenhorn and Timberjack. Sigh....the way I feel right now, next year I might just book Timberline in January (for less money than we're paying for Snowshoe in March) and enjoy the heck outta Salamander.

What upsets me MOST is EVERYONE up there KNEW this. We book through ReMax (who controls the house we like) Snowshoe told us that THEY should have told us--and boy should they...it's not like we didn't mention how much we were looking forward to Silvercreek and introducing our three year old to Cubb Run etc etc etc. Next to that, Skidder's just....well pathetic doesn't begin to cover it. I am NOT looking forward to taking her down Snowshoe's narrower trails either. I WANT CUBB RUN! (cries the disappointed soul)

I'm also bitterly disappointed in their advertising. We get e-mails not infrequently from Snowshoe--and in NONE of them was Silvercreek's closing date mentioned. It's ONLY because I "Lurk" here almost every day that I found out. (Long after they've got our money, unfortunately) All this "extended season" crap ticks me off. I don't like "spin", and the season's been scheduled to end on April 8th since back in October or November--I knew they were closing before my kids got out of school for Spring Break all season....we booked as early into "Almost Heaven" as we COULD and still, we're missing out on half the skiing--and the better half in our opinion too. (I know most the people on here are either WAAAY experienced type II's or Enthusiastic type III's, but we're a family of cautious type II's with two young children (and two teens, who aspire to become type III's) and we're hosting a family of total beginners, and another family of semi-beginners....and it's SILVERCREEK that we've been enthusiastically telling them about...it's Silvercreek that we've got hours of video of...oh I just feel crushed.

Thanks for the facts folks, I appreciate the heads-up.

I'm completely in agreement with Elrah, good points in all.

I usualy visit SNOWSHOE once a season (usualy around XMAS), but with the mild winter up to recent, I thought a SPRING session might be more fun. It's not unheard of for me to drop $2000 or more on a long weekend trip there, and if SILVERCREEK would stay open a couple more weekends I'd gladly give them my money.

What stupidity closing SILVERCREEK this early! With the season staring off so slow, and the more than substantial remaining base, this makes no sense whatsoever.

I remeber them closing early in previous years with plenty of remaining base, and again they lost out on me booking a Spring trip.

There are too many reasons to go into on why I'll only go when SILVERCREEK is open, so I guess it's SNOWSHOE's loss.

INTRAWORST just keeps getting worse.

I'm afraid this is a supply/demand issue; bookings in March drop significantly and at some point resorts have to pull the plug on terrain to remain cost effective (which is why every year, we see many resorts close to D.C. close shop completely even though strong bases remain). I understand why people are upset, but I would still be thankful that Snowshoe keeps the majority of their terrain open into April! They're usually the last resort in the region to close. There are a lot of staffing costs to keeping Silver Creek running, and I don't think Snowshoe could financially keep both SC and the basin area open into April. (If they could do that and turn a profit, believe me, they would!) They need to plan ahead a bit since March conditions could be lousy, so in part I think they're hedging their bets. It's been this way as long as I can remember -- this isn't a new policy. But, absolutely this policy should be communicated clearly to people booking a trip in March (along with standard disclaimers about March conditions being highly unpredictable).

Yes of course you are right Scott, but I swear it's the same thing every year... SILVERCREEK closed with considerable base left on the hill.

Maybe they could just open the SILVERCREEK runs on the weekends when they get the majority of traffic. It might even be intersting if they reopened SILVERCREEK over the SPRINGBREAK/EASTER weekend, for a real SpringFling... I'd come out for that trip for certin. Surely a limited openeing/re-opening could be fiscaly feasable?

I've been there late in the season (MARCH) when SNOWSHOE/SILVERCREEK has been dumped on (more than once I've driven away in a blizzard!), so it's not a question of base.

It's a shame really, Spring riding is the best.

Scott's right again. My only objection to the closing of Silver Creek this weekend is that they have pulled the plug about a week earlier than in the past.
But with it even open on the weekends they would have to staff up the hotel because more guests would stay there. They would have to groom some during the week, even if only open on the weekends to assure a good skiable surface. Why do this if there is not enough business to justify the costs and there are less than crowded slopes at the Basin and Western Terroritory and empty rooms at the Village area.
Instead of not going we skiers need to continue to support the resort by going skiing over the next three plus weeks, and while there complain about Silver Creek being closed. The few thousands lost due to Silver Creek lovers not coming would not hold an economic candle to the costs of keeping Silver Creek open. Or, as Scott said, if it was in their interest economically they would not close these trails early.
The Colonel

For at least the last 3-4 years I have been going to Snowshoe regularly, they close Silver Creek around the third weekend in March, so you have to book on/before then if you want to ski there. That's why we booked this coming weekend. I sure understand everyone's frustration though; we usually spend at least 1-2 days out of a 4-day weekend at Silver Creek. I think it's one of the few hidden gems at Snowshoe. I will definitely savor our time there this weekend before they close at 4:30pm Sunday!!

I don't want to defend Snowshoe, but they will warn you if your lodging is directly affected by trail closings; if you book at Silver Creek they will warn you that the trails will be closed in late season, and if you book at the Camp 4 condos they will warn you that the Camp 4 trail might not be open late in the season. So I think they do give a fair enough warning in the cases where the lodging and the trails are directly connected.

Personally, I wish Snowshoe and Silver Creek stayed open until May (as they could in a good snow year) but I understand they start losing skier interest past March.

Elrah,

You're right, Skidder doesn't compare to Cubb Run but the Northern Track area of the basin has a lot of good beginner runs that should suit you well.

For the past three years at least though, they've run their "Almost Heaven" special (where the lodging rates drop 45%) the first week of March!! This year, it didn't BEGIN until March 11.

The house we stayed in last year, (and in which my DISABLED Mother was quite comfortable) was already booked the weekend of the 11th (and every weekend before that) and was only available after the 18th. (Hmmm....as a matter of fact, it's available the 18th itself, but they don't allow a Sunday check in)

Either way, we'd be happy---if they kept Silvercreek open another week--or if they'd opened "Almost Heaven" at their usual time--but to cut into the ONE part of the season us "working poor" can afford the lodging to...that's just harsh!

LOL, Oh, they suit me fine... they suit my hubby fine...they suit the three older kids just fine...it's the youngest in conjunction with me/or my dh that concerns me!!! As I mentioned, we're cautious type two skiers...what I haven't mentioned is the fact that we're also overweight. (thus the caution) Having to PLOW is just torturous...each of us learned to parallel as SOON as possible...our youngest is three and we're using the Kid-Ski learning system...so--it's POSSIBLE to take her everywhere, it's just that we're going to have to switch off frequently, as plowing beside her is so difficult for either of us (Plowing only works for you skinny athletic types...those of us who are excessively cuddly just build up speed and use up already depleted oxygen levels in our thigh muscles!

I was SO looking forward to that magic carpet!!