I'm curious what Saturday crowds and lift lines are like at TL these days. I plan to ski Wintergreen on Friday, and am thinking about heading further west that evening and grabbing a cheap hotel in WV for the night. Could ski Timberline or Silver Creek on Saturday (probably avoid Snowshoe since it will be busy).

Anybody else plan to be up there on Saturday?

Saturdays can be pretty bad...worse than Sundays for sure. Hopefully this weekend won't be so bad because it is sandwiched between New Years weekend and the big MLK/inauguration weekend.

I think also that Saturday lines usually don't get too bad until around 11am -- before then, most of the once a year types are renting equipment, etc.

For the Mid-Atlantic area, Timberline is about as good as you get for lift lines on a Saturday. (Most trails are not bad since the majority of people are riding up the slow lifts.)

If the Silver Queen (name?) lift is open, that helps to cut down a lot on the waits. The most irritating thing about a crowded day at Timberline is the very frequent lift stoppages due to inexperienced (and often clueless) sliders. Added to a loooong lift ride up, even if the lift doesn't stop at all.

Several DCSkiers should be there this Saturday (me, Jimmy, David?)

I'll be around.

actually, the lift lines aren't bad. A lot has been said in the past, but if you use the queen (we call it the northwoods triple) maybe 10 minutes, max. The biggest day this season was last Friday in the PM. This weekend should be ok, though. I'll be there, along with the Mrs. Look for us at ski school where we will be adding to the carnage with the never-ever in the incubator area.

I'll be there on Saturday and Sunday. As everyone said, use the Silver Queen lift and you should almost NEVER wait more than 5-10 minutes. The main triple can have a 20 minute line and the Queen can be completely empty??? I can't explain it, but I sure enjoy it....

That's because everyone knows you can't reach any of the beginner trails from the Silver Queen.

I think that's why they made it the color it is... All of the black sends shivers down the spines of young beginners!!

Lift rides at timberline on busy days can be painfully slow with all the stop and go. On cold, windy days or days when the plastic chairs are frozen on the triple the lift ride just ruins my experience and I much prefer breaking out the splitboard and hiking up.

Because of groups on Saturdays, I would guess about 80% of skiers are beginners, and a lot of those folks are on skis/boards for the first time that day. So the beginner trails(salamander/twister/dew drop) are usually a junk show.

Stick to Off the Wall, the Drop, or anything with bumps and you will hardly see anyone until you get back down to the base.

I've experienced lines and the slow lift rides on a Saturday once before, and it made the few weekdays I've experienced there seem like heaven in comparison. So I have sort of mentally written off weekends (at least mid-season).

I think I am going to keep an eye on weather and maybe shoot for 1-2 days middle of next week. Supposed to be cold weather and snow showers all week.

skier219,
First, thanks for PM re the skis you are selling.
Ski Chalet is having a special day at Timberline next Thursday, the price of a ticket is in the single digits I think. However, I am not sure where/how you get a ticket. Will try to find out...tinkd I saw something on a post fairly recent post. Anybody out there help??
The Colonel

I would love to find out about this deal as well...I think someone posted a reply to one of my comments and said that you only get this deal ($2 Lift Tickets) if you purchase in advance from a grocery store in the DC area...

If someone is driving down that day...I might be offering a free drink at the pub for the purchase of a lift ticket...:o)

Still too early to tell whats going on that day...

All their website says is $2 lift tickets to Timberline for Thursday January 15. Stop by your local Ski Chalet for details.