Hi,
We are two guys in our 50s who like to ski and are looking for a new spot to try. We really like Seven Springs as it has good expert slopes and the terrain park/half-pipe, but we want to find something similar but different.
We live in Northern Virginia and are looking for suggestions for a place to try. We would like to stay within a 4 hour driving limit and plan to spend 2 days in the lodge (so hopefully it is close to slopes and reasonably priced).
Any suggestions?

Let me beat everyone else to the punch, head to Canaan Valley WV, get the Ski the Valley Pass, ski at both Timberline and at Canaan Valley. (going back at forth at will) Good terrain, good variety especially if you ski at both Timberline and Canaan Valley as opposed to just one or the other. The area is usually tops for snow conditions around here. Easy drive, takes about 3 hours from Arlington depending on stops.

Aside from "the valley" that everyone here loves, you might want to try Snowshoe. A lot of people hate it but I think mostly for the fact that it's crowded and can be pricey. There is a way to get around the crowds and one can always find discounted lift tickets (though it won't be as inexpensive as Timberline or Canaan)

Besides, the valley and Snowshoe, I haven't really found any place that's worth a weekend trip.

Maybe Blue Knob? I was told to go there only when there is a lot of natural snow but my timing never works.

I also hear that Elk Mountain is worth going.

Wintergreen can be fun but it 's always crowded on the weekend and the snow is not as great as WV resorts. (it's also 3 hours from DC, why not go to the valley instead?)

Wisp is good for beginners and they got a lot of natural snow -- 100 inches a year but once you are intermediate/expert it gets quite boring..

I have never really been a fan of 7spings.. Somehow, I don't feel like it is quite magical as WV Resorts but maybe it's just my taste. Also, I feel like you can get much better lodging for the same price at WV resorts.

For the past few years, I only go to the valley, Snowshoe or just fly out west. I think WV resorts are the only ones worth weekend trips from DC.

I'll put my opinion in... used to do the shoe all the time then discovered t-line. This past weekend thre was over 15" of light Utah style pow-pow and they were getting more. No other resort has glades like t-line. Steeps, yes, but you will get busted skiing the treesat other resorts. They have a real variety of terrain as well. CV resort has nice variety as well but mostly blue. On a pow-pow day, you can find freshies there all day, especially mid-week. Last word on t-line... folks don't go there for the modern facilities or fine dining. It's a skier's mountian and most forego the frills for the substance of the place.

If you think Seven Springs has good expert slopes and you like the terrain parks, then Blue Knob, Elk, Canaan Valley, Timberline are the wrong places for you.

I'd suggest Snowshoe (Western Territory advanced trails with their vertical and the front-side terrain parks.)

What JohnL said.

Snowshoe is the Seven Springs of WV.

And timberline is the blue knob of WV. Or is it the other way around?

Isn't Alta Timberline of the West coast?

No, Timberline (OR) is the Timberline of the West Coast.

If you're really paying attention to snowfall patterns, it is useful to have the Catskills (e.g. Belleayre) in your toolkit in addition to T-line/CV, Wintergreen and Elk. Especially in the early season (up to 2 weeks prior to Christmas).

2 tips about NY skiing within driving distance of NYC -
1) keep an eye on your skis.
2) truly $cheep lodging tends to be pest infested lodging. As in: keep your food and 'natural' soap in a steel cooler and check your luggage for stowaways.

Im sorry but when was the last time you went to 7 springs? They have some of the best advanced terrain in the mid-atlantic, and Snowshoes terrain parks are trash. I hate Nutting and what 7 springs is becoming but you cannot deny its one of the few resorts that offer somewhat steep terrain on a good selection of slopes.

The terrain parks are world class, they've dumped a small fortune into developing and maintaining them.

Some of the best advanced terrain, i dunno, you'd have to show me.

6-hour drive will be pushing a bit too much for a weekend trip? Traffic towards New York on Friday's afternoon /evening.

Amazes, but pleases me, that more folks don't consider Elk. It's within 5hrs if not less for most from DC. Was up this past weekend and it snowed continuously and had it's usual, laid back vibe. Big bumps on Tunkhannock and a further selection of blacks all groomed up and edge to edge. No lines. Chet's awaited afterwards.

..If I were you, I'd go to Snowshoe or back to the Springs! ;-)

I think the obvious reason is why drive 5 hours when you can get to the valley in 3 hours from DC? Canaan Valley / Timberline average 150-200 inches of snow a year while it's 60 inches at Elk? Also, I think there are also a lot more nice lodging around the valley (esp rental homes). Elk seem like a nice mountain but most of us just could not justify driving there..

Thank you for confirming my initial sentence. ;-)

Would love to know why you would drive to Elk vs Timberline/Canaan though? I haven't been to Elk yet and you just made me more curious!

Averages are wonderful ways to persuade oneself into missing dumps.

For example, Elk and the NY central region (Bristol, Labrador, Greek Peak) were getting pummeled with snowstorms from 2 days before Christmas through NYE, when points south were getting plain wind, and some were lucky to get freezing rain.

Good point! I never thought about keeping Elk on my weekend list. I did go to Wintergreen once when it got dumped and had fun but wouldn't go there on a regular basis. 5-hour is a bit stretching for a weekend trip though: I could drive to Snowshoe in 3.5 hour and the valley in 3 hours..

I understand the reasoning of going where the pow is but it seem like FreshPow meant to say that he/she goes there on a regular basis as opposed to WV Highlands. Also I am pretty sure that the chance of getting dumped with more snow is higher correlates with average annual snow fall

RE: hitting Elk.

In this case, I had a clinic/test to attend. It is a straight shot up I81 - as opposed to a mapquest adventure (for good or bad) to the Valley. It's 5 that drives like 3.5. Cruise control for much of it.

In full disclosure, I've not yet made it to the Valley. A busy season around here, often with a nametag, prevents more free weekends to check it out. I look forward to that virginal visit to TL. It's well overdue.

But back to Elk, it skis more like Vermont with the natural snowfall and they've done a good job of adding trees for wind protection, as well to diversify the usual parallel slope selections. It's a solitary mountain and pulls snow that doesn't hit its valley. It draws a good crowd of recurring families, many with nearby weekend homes, and has a definite "skiing" vibe to it (i.e. less focus on terrain park and boarders - no judging, just a statement). It's a bit of a throwback with no express lifts. At the same time, I think its terrain offers a good selection of green, blue and black. Food is cheap. Draft beers at $3. Lodging is going to be back by the Interstate as there's no village, save Chetsville, or large development at the base. Which, in closing, perhaps defines if you find that attractive or a detriment.

Thanks for the explanation! Sound like I might have to check it out at least once before dismissing it!

You should also definitely check out the valley. Same as Elk, it's no frill there but it's also quite "magical" and when you go there, it grows on you. Driving there is not that bad actually and will only get better when Corridor-H is completed (in a few years? 2.5 hours will be doable). If you drive there often enough, it's quite an easy drive (Snowshoe is a bit more challenging to get to) and you can save 4 hours per trip comparing to Elk. Right now, it's like driving 1.5 hours on interstate and 1.5 hours on not-so-bad local roads.

Yes, yes I should - and will. Whitegrass included. Thanks. Good dialogue here.

Snowy Luau weekend?

If anything I think snowglobe is understating the ease of the drive to CV today. Corridor H / US 48 drives like an interstate in my view, so coming from DC, the only 2 lane stretches are b/w Strasburg and Wardensville, and from Scherr to the Valley. Combined those are an hour at most. Its really 2+hrs of cruising. Come see for yourself!

Ha! With same thoughts, I looked that up about a month ago. Alas, I'll be in Telluride after a couple days at Silverton. Life - it's often unfair. ;-) 2014!

95 percent of skiers don't storm chase. Fixed schedules, have to coordinate with others, need to give work advance notice, don't want to drive in bad weather, etc.

Have to show me also. I hope he/she is not thinking about Goosebumps, Turtleneck, Turtleclaw, Yodeler.

Undisputed; but the question is whether the OP fits into that 95%.

I maintain that just based on their posting on DCski the OP has a 50/50 chance of being a stormchaser candidate and is therefore qualified to get a "select from this sheaf of solutions" type answer as opposed to a "let's find something reliable" type answer.

I'll wager a drink at Snowy Luau that even 95% of DCSki posters aren't storm chasers (beyond deciding when to hit their favorite 1-2 areas.) {"emoticon" { "icon" : cheers.png, "description" : "Cheers Mate"}}

Shall we start a poll?
*vigorous hand rub*

So if all we are doing is figuring out when to hit the Valley, what are we? Storm...timers?

And if we don't show up until 2 days late we're old storm timers?

Well, 2+ hrs is possible and I used to do it all the time until recently that US 48 became a major major speed trap!

Oops, my bad. Meant to say "2+ hours of cruising and less than an hour of 2 lane roads."

Are you talking about midweek or weekends? Wintergreen Highlands are fun midweek with no lift lines. High speed detachable six pack, about 1000' vertical, no intermediates/beginners in that section at all. Terrain park looks impressive but I have no idea what park rats think of the features.

I live in central NC. Decided a while back after exploring the options that Massanutten gives me the most time on the slopes for weekend skiing within a 4 hour drive of Raleigh. The big terrain park is has a separate J-bar and pretty big features. They just hosted a 3-college competition. There are only 3 black runs, 2 have 850 vertical and the other is short but has big bumps when snow conditions are right. Lift 6 never has a lift line, even on holiday weekends. Overall vertical is almost 1100'. 2.5-3.0 hours from DC depending on which side of DC you start from.

The bonus at Mnut for anyone over 50 who wants to improve their skiing is the Senior Clinic on Thu and Sun afternoons. 2 hours for $30. I've had two privates this season with Level 2 or Level 3 instructors. The regular instructor is a very experience Level 3. Headed back this Sunday for one more clinic.

For expert terrain, Blue Knob certainly has plenty for a couple days of fun. Slopeside housing tends to be for more than 2 people. There are condos that have a shuttle up to the ski lodge. It's an upside down ski area. Had a grand time at the DCSki BK Gathering a couple weekends ago.

Alta is the Timberline of the Wasatch

What's your vote for Timberline of the Sierra Nevada? Donner Ski Ranch?

Except Timberline allows snowboarders!!! Timberline > Alta.

The Canyons is the Snowshoe of the West ... spread all over the place.

I thought Timberline was the Timberline of the west.

I was channel surfing last night and saw that _The Shining_ was on BBCA. I wonder if I can get the wife to go out there since she is a horror movie and Stephen King fan.

A sTay at Timberline Lodge at Mt Hood is one of those things that should be on everyone's bucket list, skier or not.