I had hoped to ski each of the last 2 weekends, but life had a way of making that not happen. Now, I've actually got a weekend that I can do it, and I've got a weekend where the weather looks like it will cooperate, but now I've got to deal with holiday crowds.

I figure Whitetail and Liberty will be madhouses, and from what I hear, Wisp may not be much better. I don't know if I can convince the gf to make the trip to Timberline or Canaan, and Snowshoe's out.

Will Blue Knob be skiable or worth it this weekend at the upper beginner/lower intermediate level? They seem to be slow to open terrain, so I didn't know if we'd be jammed in with everyone on 2 or 3 green or blue runs.

Any suggestions for someplace within about 2-3 hours of Leesburg that would be good, or is it going to be bad everywhere, so we should just go close (i.e. Whitetail)?


aaron

Not sure of the reason the gf wouldn't want to go to TLine, but if it's the drive - I make it from Stafford in 3 1/2 hours comfortably, so I've got to belive that you can make it in 3 from Leesburg. Once you're at TLine, your 2 miles from Canaan and about an hour from Wisp.

The crowds will be interesting. It's been pretty empty up at TLine this year. The warm weather seems to make people forget it's ski season.

imo, which maybe slightly skewed for obvious reasons .. i think tline would be the best all around ski experience within 3hrs from you. the snow will be great, less crowded than most places, and much friendlier people convince her with the... we can ski all day, dinner at one of the places in davis, then some live music and a few brews at the purple fiddle. Hmm, I pretty much just described what could possibly go down in the books as 'the perfect day'

Bryce Mtn is never very crowded even on Holiday weekends and provides a nice experience at less cost for intermediates and beginners. believe it would be about 90 mins from Leesburg.
If you haven't been there I guess I would compare it to about twice the size of the Snowpark secondary hill at Whitetail, although it has about a half dozen ways down. Vertical is about 500'.

That's an understatement.

Aaron the ~slopes~ at 7 Springs, imo, are not nearly as bad on the holidays as you'd think. You can usually move around a bit and find a lift/terrain combination that suits you. The restaurants ande bars will be packed, and you may have to try Somerset for a place to stay.

Thanks for all the info... The drive to Timberline is the main deterrent. We actually skied there the first time we skied together (and the first time either of us had skied in years) back in February of 2006. Loved the hill, loved the vibe, but the drive seemed a bit long. Maybe some of the new construction over the last 2 years will have shortened it a little? We did l

We've done grass skiing at Bryce, and have enjoyed that. I don't know about the "less cost" angle, though. A $52 lift ticket is only $3 cheaper than Whitetail, but I guess you can at least ski a greater percentage of the mountain at Bryce...

It looks like it might come down to a choice between Timberline or 7 Springs... I'm now accepting arguments for choices between the two!


aaron

hmm.

* 7 Springs has 26 slopes open - TLine 14 (and that's using their inflated number).
* TLine reports 10" freshees in the last 24 hrs, 7 Springs 8".
* TLine has CV right down the road if you need more trails. 7 Springs has enough trails that you won't need more trails.
* Prolly better Apres at 7 Springs.

I guess a large part of the decision is where do you think the snow is going to go?

What did I miss?

The fact that you have a couple of Solid 1000 vert runs at TL..verses a couple of beefed up 750 vert runs at 7S...There are wild Spruce up At TL & Canaan & the place is "Wild & wonderful" & will out snow the Springs by a foot by sat..You have time to enjow all that WV ALPP Wild & Wonderful Beauty on their "Scenic" lifts...& you can feel your oats in a good ole fasioned Apres ski Fist Fight at TL Pub!...Wild Wild West By God VA..you can bitch about it but you can't help but love it!

Whitegrass...

In general I think that the lift lines at 7S will probably be less than T-Line. Even on busy holiday weekends the lift lines on most lifts were only 5-15 minutes or so. The only lifts substantially worst being gunnar and the main 6 pack. I assume that Gunnar will be much better given that it has 300% more capacity than it did last season.

I think the difficulty at 7springs will be finding a decent parking spot and getting a place to eat lunch. I suggest tail gating for lunch in the alpine meadows parking area.

If you want to get away / avoid the crowds go to north where there ar emore small ski areas I would think ski denton? Maybe holiday valley?

Seven Springs can make more snow than Timberline and have more trails open more quickly.
Nuf Said,
The Colonel

imo--7 springs hands down
reasons:
-like already said, terrain/# of trails open is far superior to timberline
-i feel that their 750 of vert skis like much more than that
-both will have 2 ft+ by saturday... timberline will have a little more fresh but 7 springs has 400X the snowmaking capacity so advantage still goes to 7 springs
-even if you dont wait in any lift line at timberline it will take you longer to get to the top thanks to the slowest lifts in the country.... this will be compounded by the fact that there prob will be lift lines

... either way, i am sure you will have a great time, the weather this weekend will be bone chilling cold but outstanding for skiing/snowmaking/snow

oh- and stay AWAY from whitetail, i made the mistake once before of heading up there on MLK day and it was miserable, also with the limited terrain they have it will likely be very crowded on the slopes

Like i said aaron go to 7springs.

After talking it over with the girlfriend, 7 Springs seems to have won! Now the question is whether to go on Saturday or Sunday. We both work Monday, so that's out, and we can only do one or the other due to other (flexible) commitments...

Right now, we're leaning to Saturday (less cold than Sunday), but we may have to play it by ear based on data available closer to the weekend...


aaron

Seven Springs will be an excellent choice; It has much, much more terrain than TL and, as stated above, has already made an amazing amount of snow this week. With the new 6pack on Gunnar, they have probably the single best area in the mid atlantic with the back side slopes.

That said, if you want to have a REALLY good day, just go EARLY. Drag yourself out of bed at whatever time necessary to be at the ski area by about 8:00 or so on Saturday. That way, you'll have more skiing/boarding than your legs can handle before it gets crowded, parking will be easy, and the snow will be perfect. Take an early lunch, and then the rest of the day will be icing on a very tasty cake! You'll "get back" the 3 hours of staying in bed many times over in ski-on runs and overall enjoyment.

I'll be at 7 Spr. on Sat. & Sun. working a group trip. If you see me say hello. One of my pole straps has a small swatch of green & black plaid, the on-slope identifier of this group,
http://www.uvm.edu/skivt-l/?Page=.%2FFAQs%2Fgreenplaid.html&dir=.%2FFAQs
It's unlikely that anyone else at 7 Spr. will have one. On Mon. I'll be at Whitegrass

what time you hittin WG denis? I would be up for some touring. I have yet to ski all the way up to bald knob. altho my downhill turns pretty much suck still at this point with the free heel, so i might solicit some advice along the way

Denis,
When did the plaid thing become the DCSkie identifier? I remember I tried to get agreement on some sort of identifier, such as red ribbons attached to ski poles, clothes, etc. but I think I was the only one sporting the red ribbons.
I have talked to Scott about a DCSki "elastic armband" for next season that can ordered in bulk at very reasonable rates. Could be part of the "gift" for helping $upport DCSki.
Have fun this weekend, I'm heading to Utah.
The Colonel

you are in for some supreme conditions sir! a buddy of mine is there now and keeps bombarding me with reports and pics from alta and grizzly gulch backcountry . man it looks sweet out there now!!

Let's say WG @ 9. I'll take my pole w. the green plaid inside where I'll be having a cup of coffee or talking to Chip. We can hatch a plan from there.

Colonel- Did you read the link? The identifier is for the SkiVT-List.

Have fun in Utah. Wish I were there with you.

Todd, & anyone else interested. Let's make that a Whitegrass 9 AM; sometime after 9, hopefully not much. And BTW, who likes rain crust. A light rain crust that shatters like glass can be fun. A thicker one that supports sometimes and breaks through other times can be real interesting. In the worst case Chip will have some rolled runs up to Round top.
http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php...Field2=-79.4665

I'll be way out west as well, but I'd like to recommend some of you take-up Denis on his offer; sounds like a great opportunity. Personally, I'd like to see more WG and freeheel action on the board, and really hope to make it up there in late Feb. Heck of a drive for me, but that seems to be it for the area. Next week I'll get in one or two days on the skinny sticks and hopefully some nice pics. Cheers all.

cool. ill do my best to be there on time! im actually a fairly early riser, just a slacker getting going

who else is in? would be a great way to put those new-learned tele skills to use the next day after the clinic

I Just PMed Crunchy..Or Todd since everybody is starting to get know each other..about having a hunkering to try out the high country with you all but This is one of those rare times that I have been able to get my family together...sooo Ive spared you an endless rabble on MPC..thank your lucky stars!...See any body else on the slopes of Canaan & TL that make it...Dress warm!...mon should be cool..I mean warmer...

You guys are convincing me to do the clinic on sunday. I've never free heeled, but will try anything once, twice if I like it.

I'll be sending my registration email tomorrow AM.

Snowboarders, skiers, ski boarders, and especially cocky experienced tele-heads beware! This train wreck only stops at the bottom.

Correction, just sent an email to the address nordic@timberlineresort.com, previously referenced by Jimmy.

I'll be at Whitegrass this monday. I'll be the guy wearing a hat with orange and black horizontal stripes and a green jacket, who is struggling with alpine trekkers and voile snakeskins.

hmm.. i have at gear, but wasn't planning on using it this weekend. .. since i don't know how good the glade and orchard skiing will be with the current snow being the only base? now if we get a nice big snow on top of whats there right now......

I'm going to try to make it. Wife has to work so I've got the day pretty much unscheduled.

Guess I figured that what's there now will provide a decent base, and with what's expected over the weekend the glades should be skiable...guess we'll see.

Was at Seven Springs yesterday 1/18. Wagner and main lodge area Fairly busy, but not bad on all of north face, also goosebumps and far left runs on front quiet too except for teen bombers. Got to love the ones on blades that go like bats out of he!!
Trail surface fairly hardpackish, ungroomed areas ranged from pretty decent crud to crusty-tricky.
Heading to Hidden Valley today to find out if it is one of the elusive local ski destinations less crowded for a Holiday Weekend.

I was just checking the Webcams and there doesn't seem to be anyone at Tline, no lift lines at all.

Seven Springs, Wisp, & Whitetail all looked packed with some pretty long lift lines.

Maybe Tline was the place to ski today.

I'm heading to WISP on Sunday. I hope some of those people stay home because of the cold.

Right. Of course, the webcam hasn't been updated since Thurday (you can tell by opening the file in a new window and looking at the file name which is date based).

That aside, I was out this morning for a couple of hours and it wasn't bad at all even though the bunkhouse seems full and the lot was pretty full too. They are running both lifts to the top and I don't think I waited over two minutes in line.

Meh, The only lift line shown on the 7springs cams is the main 6pack which is almost always a 15-30 minute wait on prime time weekends. if you want to take that lift then yea 7S will be horrible on a prime time weekend. But who does that? I rarely took the polarxpress more than once a day. It doesn't service anything worth skiing. Technically you don't need to take that lift ever if you take cortina quad and ski down the green to blitzen chair.

7S was dead this whole weekend. Normal crowds on MLK would be insane, this weekend was like a typical weekend. A bit of a line at the two 6'ers and that was it, everything else was nearly ski right onto a chair.

Funny thing is people will stand like cattle for 20 minutes at the Gunnar Express for a 5 minute ride to the top (frequent stops) while the Giant Steps chair was empty all weekend. I don't understand people sometimes.

Yep, that phenomena should be examined. I never could figure out what drew people to the Gunnar lift when the GS lift had nobody on it. IMHO, no appreciable difference between Gunnar or GS slope either.

Lost Girl Trail?

Matt I have to say the same thing. )check my response the the TR thread on my feelings about the Gunar chair.)

I thank all the local weather people warning people of DEADLY COLD. Left the slopes empty for us.