post season hike/ski
April 13, 2007
88 posts
18 users
74k+ views
In another thread, me, wgo, tromano, and David expressed interest in a post-season hike/ski in Canaan Valley (probably at TL from the sounds of it) in April. Let's use this new thread to discuss the possibility of meeting up and the logistics of a day (or two?) of "earn your turns" skiing. Anyone who is interested is welcome to join in. Those of you who have done this before, maybe you can share some details on the routine, best places to park, best hike routes and ski trails, and so on.
I'll start off with a general question -- while I would likely hike up and ski down, what's involved in a basic alpine touring setup? I have been thinking of setting up one of my pairs of skis with lockable touring bindings and skins, but I also understand touring boots are a good idea for better articulation and comfort, which might make that a project if I have to seek out and fit boots. If anybody has experience with basic touring setups, let me know.
Craig
If i can make it there i would definitely love to join in and earn my turns! How long into spring does skiable snow normally hold at t'line?
Uall can hike...I'm Taking an ATV to the top
.... on an April 13th in snow showers I'll never forget the EXTREME Sledding we did at Canaan...almost killed ourselves flying down a still very good base!
95/96? can't remember...too many cervaca's ago.
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I'll start off with a general question -- while I would likely hike up and ski down, what's involved in a basic alpine touring setup? I have been thinking of setting up one of my pairs of skis with lockable touring bindings and skins, but I also understand touring boots are a good idea for better articulation and comfort, which might make that a project if I have to seek out and fit boots. If anybody has experience with basic touring setups, let me know.
There ar eno real rules for touring. The lightest setups climb well and descend poorly. Other setups use Regualr alpine skis on the descent and trekkers and skins on the climb. Any ski will work for AT with skins. Special waxless AT skis are available which don't need skins, however these are ulralight and don't perform as well downhill. If you use a conventional alpine skiell skins are pretty much required. You can get trekkers or go for the real AT bindings. Touring boots are optional. You will have more comfort on longer tours but they give up down hill performance. IMO for lapping T-line trekkers with skins would be sufficient.
I just bought a pair of trekkers for cheap off ebay, so I am going to try those out with my normal alpine setup. For next year I may get some more touring-friendly boots but hopefully what I have will be ok for a few laps at tline...
I'm always up for that. If you want fresh powder you can't plan on it, you have to be ready to go when it snows, midweek or not. I always do it by watching weather, drive out the night before, stay at Blackwater Falls Lodge, ski the next day. Skiing the old glacier can be planned and can be done in a day trip from DC because it usually doesn't soften up until noon.
You don't need any special equipment to get a taste of this, just shoulder your skis and walk up. I also have 2 pairs of Voile Snakeskins (google it) which everybody disses but the work quite well for a straight ascent with no long approach. I have loaned them to alpine friends who have skinned up with all their buckles undone. Works quite well.
Chip posted a collage of one of our Apr. trips that is probably still on his site somewhere. I have the jpg and will send it if you want. PM me.
I have never hiked all day for turns (a few times off the top of a lift out west, but that's it), but I would love to try it.
Count me as interested..............
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I also have 2 pairs of Voile Snakeskins (google it) which everybody disses but the work quite well for a straight ascent with no long approach.
Odd enough I just bought a pair of Voile Snakeskins, also from ebay, also for very cheap. I was almost scared off from even that minimal investment by the fact that they seem to be universially panned, but decided to get 'em when several of the reviews did at least concede that they were OK for short, straight ascents. If I ever get a chance to do extensive touring I guess I'll have to invest in a real set up with glued on skins.
Welp, I pulled the trigger on some touring bindings (Naxo nx02) and skins which were on sale at backcountry.com. I have an older pair of alpine boots that have a soft flex and should be good enough to get me started, and I won't care if I pack out the liners any more. And I have two skis that I was thinking about selling but are good candidates for an AT setup. I'll pick one pair and set them up -- either 185cm Volkl Karma twin tips (119-87-111) or 181cm Atomic Sweet Daddys (121-80-107). I am leaning towards the Sweet Daddys because they are so lightweight, but still thinking about it (if anyone has advice on that, let me know).
I have been wanting to get into alpine touring for a couple years, and it's about time to take the plunge! It would be great if I can expand my ski season a little on both ends.
Outstanding!
So I guess what we need to do is monitor the post season weather. I am assuming that the weekends of Apr 6, 13, and 20 are candidates. Whatever weekend we go, I will be there with my wife and toddler. This will not be a pure ski weekend for us; plan is to spend a 1/2 day with me skiing and my wife snowshoeing (with kid in a backpack), and the other 1/2 of the day hiking together.
I would say the sweets. Which ever is lighter is key imo. 7mm isn't going to be a big huge deal in terms of float or stability.
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Outstanding!
So I guess what we need to do is monitor the post season weather. I am assuming that the weekends of Apr 6, 13, and 20 are candidates. Whatever weekend we go, I will be there with my wife and toddler. This will not be a pure ski weekend for us; plan is to spend a 1/2 day with me skiing and my wife snowshoeing (with kid in a backpack), and the other 1/2 of the day hiking together.
Yeah, that sounds good. I am quite flexible myself; no kids, and my wife will pass on the hike/ski day (though she might want to come along to do a light hike the next day if the weather is good). Let's keep an eye on weather and snow, and maybe the more experienced folks can add their thoughts. I am pretty much a skiing minute-man, and can be ready to go with a couple day's notice. My brother in law might be interested in coming along too; he's one of the best skiers I know and would probably enjoy it a lot.
Craig
Signs of a cool down at the begining of April...could be some snow at the higher elevs mid week after the ski areas shut down. Could be good hiki/Ski Conditions the following weekend for those that can't make it out during the possible snow event midweek....a little early...Stay Tuned!
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Signs of a cool down at the begining of April...could be some snow at the higher elevs mid week after the ski areas shut down. Could be good hiki/Ski Conditions the following weekend for those that can't make it out during the possible snow event midweek....a little early...Stay Tuned!
Cool! I am going to mount up my AT bindings and skins this weekend.
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Cool! I am going to mount up my AT bindings and skins this weekend.
what skis are you thinkin about puttin the AT's on? no ATs here but I have ski holders on my backpack. count me in for this too... but its not allowed to snow here till I get back from SLC 
(altho it looks like im gonna be in for a load of freshies out there later this week!)
You ain't left yet?? I thought you were on your way! Anyway Intellicast which copies the weather.com F-cast just updated their 10 day to confirm my "Hints" with snow showers for mon...the day after the slopes close. Its a way off but if the timing of the colder air speeds up, the last day at TL could have some flakes falling. If that happens I'll swear that the Snow Gods love Canaan Vly as much as I do!
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what skis are you thinkin about puttin the AT's on? no ATs here but I have ski holders on my backpack. count me in for this too... but its not allowed to snow here till I get back from SLC (altho it looks like im gonna be in for a load of freshies out there later this week!)
I ended putting them on the Sweet Daddys, in fact I have to finish up adjusting everything tomorrow.
I'll be prepared to hike or skin up, or maybe both!
OK, I did a test run of my AT setup today (location withheld because I may have been poaching). I did 4 laps of about 500ft elevation each. With the naxo bindings and climbing skins, going up is surprisingly easy (though I stopped for a breather every 20 strides or so). I am really impressed by the upward capability. The bindings felt clumsy underfoot the first time skiing down, but I got used to it and was turning pretty good after that. The snow was fairly nice, having sat for 4-5 days with no skier traffic. Other than a buttload of sun cups, it was a good surface. I think I even saw some bear tracks (or baby sasquatch) and found a whopping 60 cents of pocket change here and there!
Now, on to the proposed hike/ski in WV, I think sooner would be better, since the snow is going to disappear pretty quick. Maybe shoot for next weekend, April 7 or 8? Just throwing some thoughts out. In reality, it would be good to get first hand reports from people at TL this weekend to see how much snow is left, and maybe extrapolate to decide if it's worth skiing next weekend.
On a related note, is it OK to hike/ski at TL after they close down for the season? Do they allow that? I assume it's OK at CV since it's a state park, but the snow might be dicier there. Anyone with experience, please jump in!
Craig
p.s. I did a short section hiking in my boots with skis on my pack (in an "A") to test that mode, and determined that some sort of strap/etc would be good to stow the ski brakes. In addition, I am thinking it would make sense to tape or otherwise cover the ski edges for safety -- I would hate to take a spill with sharp skis strapped to my pack! Hiking wasn't too bad, but definitely a lot more work than skinning up.
As my main weatherman, Joe Bastardi, of AccuWeather predicted, late March/very early April is warm, but as he anticipated, the first two weeks of April (beginning around the 4th) will be much cooler and below seasonal temps. In other words, from about April 4-? the snow should stay on the slopes at TL, many nights near 20 degrees, maybe some snow the first full weekend in April, highs in upper 30s.
The Colonel
I'm not sure they officially allow access to their slopes, but they also don't officially forbid it. That said, seems the last 2-3 years Chip Chase has posted pictures and video clips of his sons skiing whales on OTW up to a couple weeks after tline's close.
Tom
Thanks, that is good to know. I wouldn't want to get in trouble for trespassing or anything like that!
Here's the on-mountain forecast for TL this week:
Will be interesting to see if that snow amounts to anything...
Long Range GFS was right on target! The GFS model that i looked at was generated at 7 pm march 23rd...."Snow for midweek after the slopes close"....Well here we are & there is snow F-Casted for wed nite(Midweek)& all the way thru the 7 day nws f-cast period!..just got back from a 7.5 hour trip to FL & will not be able to make any post season turns at TL...have fun whoever does...it should be a late winter wonderland!...Unbelievable!
I don't want to rain on anybody's parade, but I feel obligated to tell you that I saw a sign at Timberline posted on a tree at the bottom of Good Intentions that said something like 'No trespassing during non-skiing hours, violators will be prosecuted'.
I'm not saying don't go, just don't get yourselves in trouble
Clay
Apparently the GFS is predicting snow in a lot of locations where common sense says otherwise (due to some basic issues like near surface temps, boundary layer, etc), so the experts are skeptical. My hopes are siding with the GFS rather than the experts!
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I don't want to rain on anybody's parade, but I feel obligated to tell you that I saw a sign at Timberline posted on a tree at the bottom of Good Intentions that said something like 'No trespassing during non-skiing hours, violators will be prosecuted'.
I guess we'll have to avoid that trail! Seriously though, thanks for the tip. I suspected that might be the policy since I nearly got run off another closed ski area last week. It's a pity because there is so much good snow to be skied.
No problem. I really don't want to be a wet blanket and I have no idea what T-Line's policy is. I would just hate for you to drive all that way and then see the sign and think 'Why the @#$^*&# didn't one of the T-Line regulars tell me about that?'
Clay
I generally drive up condo road to the end, find an out of the way spot to park, walk down Salamander and up the Drop. I last did this in Nov. 06 and saw ski patrol jackets in front of me. I cautiously continued and said hello since they had noticed me and appeared OK with it. They had snowboards and teen age kids with them and were building a kicker. No problem.
I have never parked at the base because I think getting out with your skis in plain sight like that might be a bit provocative. I suspect the policy is; don't ask, don't tell, don't be obvious.
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I suspect the policy is; don't ask, don't tell, don't be obvious.
Sounds right Denis, i've been told if i ask the answer is no 
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The warm ground will take a couple of days to cool off so the snow that falls wed nite thru thur will have a hard time sticking....Look for another kick in the system for fri nite which will lay down a nice patch of late winter white for all you diehards by sat morn
....feb in april...word from a little Birdie at NWS
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.....I suspect the policy is; don't ask, don't tell, don't be obvious.
3yrs ago, after the closing weekend snow storm, I hiked up from the parking lot by the lift. I was passed numerous times by TL employees. I actually talked with these employees while I was getting my skis on at the top. After skiing down in over knee deep powder, my Wife hiked up. Know one ever said a word to either of us.
So is anyone else up for a visit to the glacier this weekend?
If they get a decent amount of snow (as in enough to bury the frozen coral underneath) then Saturday or Sunday would be a good day. If not, Monday looks like a great day as it will be the first day far enough above freezing, and sunny too. If the snow is marginal, then none of the days from Thurs-Sun will probably be worth skiing.
Craig
ps: Here's the latest mountain weather:
pps: how much snow would it take to make Whitegrass a viable choice??
I would be interested but it will be a game time decision. I am strongly considering going to Kmart on Saturday. Hmm...
59 degree drop in 40 hours! Inch of new snow...still coming down with a temp of 15. this will be going on thru the weekend.If snowshoe could have held on they would have had a nice Grand Finale weekend
...is this april 5th time frame starting to be a regular event or what?
well i just looked at the Dolly Sods webcam and it looks like some some bigass snowflakes screamin by! the only BAD thing about this for me is, the only day I can go up to the highlands would be Saturday because of family plans on easter!
if they have 6+ by friday night, i would be into goin up late friday night or sat morning. I dont have AT binders but i have ski holders on my backpack, so i might be able to make it up the hill faster than skier219's naxo's
Wanna put money on that?
Having done it both ways last week, I like the naxos+skins for speed. Then again, that pretty much requires snow on the ground!
It's a pity the TL webcam is down again, that would be a nice set of views to see, but I will keep an eye on the DS cam. We'll just have to see how much snow shows up. I think 6" is a good minimum to make it worth going. Sat would probably work for me (as would Sun), but Monday is looking like the best day.
By the way, for someone who skied UT powder just a few days ago, you're certainly itching to get back into the game awful soon!
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By the way, for someone who skied UT powder just a few days ago, you're certainly itching to get back into the game awful soon!
it's an addiction thats harder to quit than cigarettes. The bad thing is, I've turned into a good snow snob with the season I've had. Now I only want to ski snow from god and not from a hose
For those interested, at 5pm I had a total of 2" for the storm recorded here in Davis. Seems like there is a little melting from underneath from the recent warmth, but its in the low 20s now and I think that the snow throughout the night tonight and hopefully tomorrow and tomorrow night will do a better job of piling up. I'm sure the higher elevations are doing much better.
Hope someone makes it out to enjoy!!
I'll probably be there Sat. ~ 9 Canaan parking lot. If it looks like 6"+ I'll skin up to the National nordic. If less I'll go over to TL and ski on old glacier covered with new pow. I'm hoping for the former and think there's a good chance.
Denis, for someone like me, an Alpine skier with AT bindings and skins, how appropriate would a trip into the National Nordic be? (I'm in good shape and have always wanted to do it, the issue really resolves around the gear).
I guess for the hikers, this would be an issue, but maybe we can scrounge up a set of snakeskins and trekkers or something.
A fallback to TL sounds like a good backup. Maybe we'll get more data on the snow tomorrow. I even think 6" is a minimum for TL -- with the new snow, everything will be covered/hidden whether it is mud, grass, or the re-frozen old base. I think 6" is about the least amount of snow that can safely cover all the underlying surfaces. The glacier will surely ice up hard with the cold temps (12F tonight!) and I am not seeing thawing temps until Monday. I wouldn't want to hit that without a good buffer of fresh snow on top.
I dont feel like drivne 8 hours to VT. Denis and ski219 can you PM me some cell phone numbers so I can meet up?
Sorry I won't be able to get out there this weekend...looking forward to your trip reports!
So Roll call is:
tromano
Denis
Skier219
Beuhler?
Beuhler?
Count me in pending a last check/call of the weather this afternoon. I will PM you my contact info.
I just saw this on Accuweather:
I believe this is a storm system, separate from the lake effects snow hitting WV. I would be driving through that early tomorrow morning on the way to CV, and that could be an issue if the roads are messy (they don't have good snow removal down here).
Any thought of going Sunday instead? That would give us another 24 hours of snow accumulation in the mountains. Of course, some of you guys might have Easter plans.
I hate it that I can't drive up. Don't forget your camera!! I want to see some pictures!!!!
jonjon, thanks for that report.
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if they have 6+ by friday night, i would be into goin up late friday night or sat morning. I dont have AT binders but i have ski holders on my backpack, so i might be able to make it up the hill faster than skier219's naxo's
What about it crunch man, are you in? If someone had a set of snakeskins and/or trekkers for you to borrow, that would be great (or heck, maybe you can nab them at a local shop near you -- doubtful, but you never know). If you are limited to hiking, I think that makes TL a better choice.
The sods webcam is looking good right now, 9:45 4/6, lots of flakes flying.
http://www.fsvisimages.com/images/photos-large/doso1large.jpg NWS says mostly cloudy at Elkins,
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?CityName=Davis&state=WV&site=PBZ This suggests that it is highly altitude dependent.
I will try to be in the CV lot at 9 near the bunny lift (less obvious that way) and will skin up the meadows. This will give a chance for a good look around. (I once skinned Timber Run and learned that there is a lot of groundwater that way and I had icing problems.) If it's really good I'll just ski the meadows, or Gravity, or C liftline where it drifts pretty good and do laps of a couple hundred vertical feet staying high. The National Nordic is not far from the top of Gravity and it drifts there too. Depending on how good it is I may not even go that far. Never leave good snow to find good snow.
An AT setup w. skins is perfect. I have at least one, maybe 2 pairs of Snakeskins that I'll throw in the car in case anyone is skinless.
If we miss connections look for my tracks.
i probbaly wont know for sure till this evening. the 'daves weather report' link on whitegrass site says 4" so far. i think its pretty windy tho so there should be alot of drifting like denis mentioned, so some trails may have some nice cover.
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The warm ground will take a couple of days to cool off so the snow that falls wed nite thru thur will have a hard time sticking....Look for another kick in the system for fri nite which will lay down a nice patch of late winter white for all you diehards by sat morn ....feb in april...word from a little Birdie at NWS
Mr 219 that Snowfall map you posted shows that "Kick" I was talking about for tonite/sat morn. It looks like it will be trying to slide south & then curve around giving the snow to the Bay area.I think we have seen these maps before that show the snow missing the Canaan area...& what happens?..SNOW...Just like the F-casts saying the snow should be over this morn & its still kicking up there.I'm betting another few inches tonite to add to the few allready there.Earning your turns sounds like a great way to build up a thirst...tell the lady at TL Pub that the 1st picher of beer is on Good ole Uncle Fishki..put it on my Tab 
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The sods webcam is looking good right now, 9:45 4/6, lots of flakes flying.
http://www.fsvisimages.com/images/photos-large/doso1large.jpg
NWS says mostly cloudy at Elkins, http://www.erh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?CityName=Davis&state=WV&site=PBZ
This suggests that it is highly altitude dependent.
I will try to be in the CV lot at 9 near the bunny lift (less obvious that way) and will skin up the meadows. This will give a chance for a good look around. (I once skinned Timber Run and learned that there is a lot of groundwater that way and I had icing problems.) If it's really good I'll just ski the meadows, or Gravity, or C liftline where it drifts pretty good and do laps of a couple hundred vertical feet staying high. The National Nordic is not far from the top of Gravity and it drifts there too. Depending on how good it is I may not even go that far. Never leave good snow to find good snow.
An AT setup w. skins is perfect. I have at least one, maybe 2 pairs of Snakeskins that I'll throw in the car in case anyone is skinless.
If we miss connections look for my tracks.
OK, bunny hill lot at 9am sounds like a good time/place to meet, and a good plan of attack. I wasn't thinking about the meadows and other trails at CV, but the last time I was there they were loaded with snow. That may work out to be the best place for everyone (and I like the advice of staying with good snow if you find it).
I'll post back here late this afternoon to confirm my attendance after a final check on the weather. I would leave Williamsburg around 4:00am tomorrow morning, which ought to put me at CV around 8:45am if all goes well.
Crunchy, sounds like Denis can spot you skins if you make it.
BTW, if anybody wants to PM me cell/contact info, go ahead.
thanks,
Craig
What the heck is going on here!!!!!
You people are talking about skiing?
6 inch dumps?
Powder?
It's April!!!!!!
I don't believe any of this!
Where is Mountain Masher when we need him!!!!!
Have fun guy's, wish I could tag along, but I was stupid enough to summerize all of my ski's after what I thought was the final snow of 2007 (St. Paddy's Day).
u can see Tline from the Dolly Sods webcam now that its clearing up a bit, and the trails look pretty well defined
i think thats the CV ski area off to the right isnt it?
I summerized my skis too, but nothing a scraper can't remedy!
You know, we have not heard from MM since right before the St. Paddy's weekend. He has been conspicuously silent over the last couple weeks of mild weather.
Yep, CV far right and the single main trail of Whitegrass sort of in the middle.
Guys, I am sorry but I will not be able to make it on Saturday after all
. However I am going to keep Monday as a backup plan if it works out. Please take pics if you can and report back on the adventure! The webcam shows that the snow is still holding OK on many of the north-facing trails. With extra snowfall tonight, it should be good out there.
Craig
welp, I just called Tline and asked about skiing the hill this weekend and was givin the green light. he said it is a shame that the only reason they are closed is lack of attendance because the hill holds the snowpack so well, but remonded me the pub/restaurant will be open. Maybe we can sweet-talk one of the employees to give us snowmobile rides up the mountain
How about that! Cool deal. So who did you talk to -- one of the Herz family?
Hey its a little late, but I am driving up tonight. Where to stay close to TLline and for cheap?
The canaan Valley resort or the Motel next to big johns(across from Canaan Vly stores) Or the Camp ground at Canaan state park....Got any Sardines? You could play Eskimo in April
...Anybody Cking out the Dolly sods Cam..It shows it snowing at CV ski area & not at TL for the last hour. I've seen this happen before...where the snow has a hard time pushing over the ridge behind the Conference ctr.
NWS Canaan Hgts F-cast is calling for 3/4 of an inch thru sat...I will eat a chunk out of my Rock Skis if that happens! The Sods webcam has just filled in with snow...this will go on all nite & then the energy will transfer to the coastal low which will bring on aft noon backlash snowshowers to the valley. Scott wants us wanna be Snow f-casters to state our sources...this is the ist time that I will say my source is "Handy Andy's optimistic Snow F-casting Service"...Hope I'm not out of Buis on my 1st F-cast
i love it! i think DCSki just found its new weatherman! for some reason i cant get the webcam anymore. i wonder if they have limited connections or something
maybe jonjon1 from davis will check in with a realtime report
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for some reason i cant get the webcam anymore. i wonder if they have limited connections or something
Hey junior, it's dark out! You can still look at the 24-hour sequence though.
Early morning update -- picked up 5.5" here in Davis overnight and its still snowing steadily. May have picked up another half inch since I measured 20 minutes ago. It will be interesting to see Dave's report from Canaan Heights shortly. Anyone who comes should not be disappointed. Calling for 2-4 more during the day. Happy Easter everyone
Update on my update -- picked up another 2" between 7 and 8 o'clock. Snowing much more lightly now though.
I Rest my case
Thanks JonJon..Hey JR,I will add to 219's words of wisdom...if its dark & you only see a black screen on the Sods Cam..it means its snowing to hard to see the valley lights! You been hittin the Powder too hard lately there Crunch Master
.....Damm..2 more..in one hour?!??! thats almost a foot out of this storm...if we didn't have that warm spell most would have stuck....Waiting to hear from the Front line Grunt vet(Denis)
ug, im getting a late start, but will try to be there by noon. if anyone knows denis', tromanos', etc phone# can you either call me with it, or give them mine, so we can hook up? (703-338-9617)
thanks!
todd
A dusting of snow and still some flurries here south of Richmond, coupled with temps 20 degrees below normal! Y'all should have a great day up the mountain. It's like mid-winter all over again. Have fun.
The 10 am Sods Cam is showing a temp of 10 degrees with flakes afallin! The temp has been droping...April 7th...Where does this cold come from?..is this the last gasp of cold before the doom of GW sets in?...By Mon Morn the valley will be covered with an Epic amount of late season snow...I'm loving it even though I cannot attend
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welp, I just called Tline and asked about skiing the hill this weekend and was givin the green light. he said it is a shame that the only reason they are closed is lack of attendance because the hill holds the snowpack so well, but remonded me the pub/restaurant will be open. Maybe we can sweet-talk one of the employees to give us snowmobile rides up the mountain
And it is a flipping shame! Would've been sweet if they could've stayed opened at least through this weekend, as I would've gone. I'd love to have skied today, Saturday, and then head on over to my parents Sunday morning for easter (Winchester is kinda on the way back for me).
FYI, I woke up this morning with what looked like a good 2 inches of snow on the ground here in Fredericksburg! Now that the sun has come out, much of what was on the ground has pretty much melted off now. Figures that the weekend after the ski season is pretty much over, and we get another good dump, and no were to go to ski it for me. I'll have to seriously look into getting some AT gear!
2" overnight here in Williamsburg, enough for me to slap on my old 200cm Olins and do a couple runs down our side yard in my vintage ski clothes (no prob if I get grass stains on them). My wife came out in time to snap a shot on run #1 as I slipped past the Crape Myrtles:
Let me say, you haven't done it all until you have skied past Crape Myrtles in April on 200cm Olins wearing 20 year old ski clothes (though next time I would get drunk first and unbolt my antique wood skis from the wall for a real experience). I think this counts as another 0.0001 ski day on my tally, though I would rather be out there with Denis, tromano, and our new hero-boy crunchy! With 7.5+" of new snow on the ground they should be having a nice old time, and I am bummed I could not make it out there. I await some pics and a report from the adventurers!
Uh oh, snowing again... time for a beer!
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It is official. I have found someone that is more obsessed that I am. This snow has got me into the mood to get back out on the hill. As a matter of fact I pulled out TGR's Anomaly last night and watched it for the 100th time. I feel like ski season is just getting ready to start. I am so confused right now!!!
P.S. You are CRAZY!! But I love it.... I just wander what you neighbors were thinking when they looked out the window in April and see a guy flatland skiing in their housing development.
Thats amazing that you all got snow that far south & close to the Bay.Urll & Ski bum in Fred-burg & all the way down to richmond! You got to go skiing afterall..unbelievable! I'm down here in the Carolinas Chopping wood for our record cold nite we are going to get. I'm sure we will be hearing about some good snow squall action up at Canaan from the "out in the field DCSkiers" Powder in April once again!....Oh & David, You must not be getting to much down your way...watching those snow clouds heading for the Alpps?
I just Cked some OBS down here in my local NC Mtns & was surprised to see Beech Mtn getting 6" overnite with a low of 7. Grandfather mtn at 6000' got 9 by 7am & Mt Mitchell..the biggest Mtn on the east coast had a low of 2! There is probably a foot up at Grandfather right now...Who needs the WV Alpps? Screw you WV elitest snobs...NC Rules
....Wait a minute those were 7 am temps..it got down to 0 at Mt Mitchell
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Oh & David, You must not be getting to much down your way...watching those snow clouds heading for the Alpps?
I am here at 1,000' in North Central WV and we haven't got any accumulation on the ground. Right now it is coming down like the Dickens out there but if it holds true to how it has been then it will stop in about 5 mins. I was really surprised to see all of the snow in Craig's pic compared to the no accumulation we have here...
EDIT: Here is a shot I took right after the above post. Since that shot (apx. 10 mins) the snow has virtually stopped.
This has definitely been an interesting spring storm for the region. Actually this is the most snow we got here all season, so it's really odd to see it in April. Normally, we get a good 8-10" dump in Jan/Feb, but nothing at all this season until now. We continue to see some flurries this afternoon, but much of the snow has melted by now.
I am not surprised the NC mountains got a lot of snow -- I think they were flagged as a hot spot in some of the snowfall prediction maps I saw online. Those areas occasionally get big snow numbers.
BTW David, my neighbors probably didn't think twice about me skiing, after all the other goofy stuff I do. I spend most of the summer dressed like Carl the groundskeeper from Caddy Shack, doing yardwork (complete with beer stains on my t-shirt and mumbling to myself). This was probably one of my more sane displays.
You posted that pick at 207 & Clarksburg put an ob out at 227 of Heavy snow.....the Squalls keep coming. They got to be piling up at the valley! Next year I will try to save some time off for late in the season just for an event like this. I'm Lazy though & will bring an ATV along for some FUN! Hey 219,you started this thread & now you have racked up over 2000 hits...If you hadn't posted that pick of you in your back yard you would have been toast!
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You posted that pick at 207 & Clarksburg put an ob out at 227 of Heavy snow.....the Squalls keep coming. They got to be piling up at the valley!
By no later than 3:00 all of the snow had stopped and the sun had melted it ALL off. My neighbor's cars that are in the pic are completely clear as is any trace of snow that was in the grass. It has been doing this for 2 days now. Mother nature gives ya just enough to make you feel like it is going to stick around....then she snatches it right back up....
Well,..the Energizer Easter Snow Bunny keeps bringing Snow to the Valley & Alpps in general.It keeps snowing & snowing & snowing. I bet there has been about 16 inches that has fallen from the sky but the High April Sun & all the warmth we had earlier has kept the Ground total to about 7 or 8. Got down to 31 at my house & 29 a little further inland at the Wilmington,nc airport which broke the old record by 5 degrees!Couldn't Imagine how cold it would have got without this GW thang..
I Just saw 3 figures going up the Whitelightning slope at TL on the webcam..its back up..I wonder if that could be the dcski trio of Crunchy-Tromano-Denis??! Or 3 Pissed off bears heading back to the cave to resume the Hybernation
..ok the ole lady is yanking me off this computer...Yard work
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This snow has got me into the mood to get back out on the hill. As a matter of fact I pulled out TGR's Anomaly last night and watched it for the 100th time. I feel like ski season is just getting ready to start. I am so confused right now!!!
well, you definatley don't want to watch this video then! you might want to save it for next fall to get yourself fired up. http://pitonproductions.com/SkiingVids/Deepmini.wmv
caution.. severe stoking could occur!
I need a trip report for this adventure:) pics?? did i miss it?
well not much to report about here
i got to the CV lot too late to ski with Denis and Tromano, so i rolled over to tline for a few turns. Might have been more fun if I had AT binders and skins, cause hiking up Tline can be a little tiring
I ran into a few telemarkers about halfway up the hill tho. It looks like they had an easier time skinning up the hill than skiing down tho. There werent alot of barespots, but the base under the freshies was REAL soft and sticky, so it seemed to really slow you down. It was kind of sureal to be at such a lifeless deserted Timberline in the middle of a snowstorm tho. Almost sad in a way seeing ole faitful totally closed down, cause it hit home that the ski season is really over there
But at least I can now say I have 20 ski days since my season began in mid february (sounds better than 19 hehe) and I skied in the mid-atl in april
i hear yah - i need to get a cheap "AT" set up for just those type of situations.....
Windy too ..huh Crunch?! It was amazing to see so many flakes fall out of the sky with it being so cold & not see the snow pile up anymore than it did. It just reinforces my thinking that the Suns rays are just stronger than normal which is what I think is the main cause of GW. Even the OBS Guy at Canaan Hts seemed surprised!I bet up above 4500' in the Roaring plains the snow laid down thick(MPC Area)..Chip & crew from Whitegrass Head up there to get the last of the last at times. Post season now is bieng redirected to the NE....Switch to the Tuckerman thread!
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well ....cause hiking up Tline can be a little tiring ...
Did you hike up in your ski boots?
