Just got this email from Timberline Mountain. A high speed six person quad is beyond anything I could have imagined them doing. Cuts the ride time down to 5-6 minutes from what used to be about 12. This is just incredible news and gives us some positive news that we all need at this time. If they are doing that with the lifts I can't wait to see what they'll do with the rest of the mountain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Nt1SXDwVug&feature=emb_logo
Officials with Perfect North Slopes, the new owners of Timberline Mountain, have announced that skiers and snowboarders will be riding to the top on a brand new 6-passenger high speed chairlift next winter. The brand new Doppelmayr 6-passenger lift will be the first of its kind in West Virginia. In addition, the ski resort will have a 4-passenger mid-mountain chairlift that will service beginner and intermediate terrain along with easy access to a race course, terrain park, and most trail-side lodging. Other improvements include a re-graded learning area with a conveyor carpet lift, extensive upgrades to the snowmaking system, a fully remodeled rental shop, consolidated food service facilities, and an updated outdoor area for a fresh sense of arrival.
The resort, which originally opened in the early 80’s, fell into bankruptcy in 2019 and was not open for this previous ski season. Work to restore the ski area began immediately after the purchase by Perfect North Slopes in December. “We look forward to participating in the economic development of Tucker County and we’re excited to announce the significant investment in Timberline Mountain’s infrastructure that will take place this summer. I believe skiers and snowboarders next season are going to really enjoy the new experience on this very special mountain,” says Chip Perfect, President of Perfect North Slopes and CEO of Timberline Mountain.
Perfect’s family has been in the winter sport business for over 40-years, with the operation of the Lawrenceburg, Indiana resort. Perfect is also a member of the Indiana State Senate.
Timberline Mountain is nestled in Canaan Valley and features 1,000 feet of vertical drop and has a variety of terrain for skiers and snowboarders of all abilities.
superCalifragilisticexpialidocious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Colonel
I only visited Timberline once because I felt like it was falling far short of its potential. Between 21st century lifts and US 48/Corridor H reaching all the way to Davis noe, a return trip is much more attactive. Even with average snowmaking, it could really be a destination for DC skiers. I think we're going to find out.
The Colonel wrote:
superCalifragilisticexpialidocious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Colonel
+1. BRAVO!
I think the six pack is definitely a play for Balt-Wash market. The locals would have been happy with a second hand, but reliable fixed grip double chair:-)
They will instantly become a major player in the Mid-A.
JimK wrote:
The Colonel wrote:
superCalifragilisticexpialidocious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Colonel+1. BRAVO!
I think the six pack is definitely a play for Balt-Wash market. The locals would have been happy with a second hand, but reliable fixed grip double chair:-)
The locals who wanted a return to the TL they knew 5-10 years ago must be in shock?!!!
interesting question: where are all these new customers going to sleep...
This is awesome news! The best snow I ever skied in the mid A was at Canaan V about 20 years ago the only time I skied there
never tried TL , they sounded like promising owners when I spoke to a manager of Perfect ,this is just perfect!
The Colonel wrote:
JimK wrote:
The Colonel wrote:
superCalifragilisticexpialidocious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Colonel+1. BRAVO!
I think the six pack is definitely a play for Balt-Wash market. The locals would have been happy with a second hand, but reliable fixed grip double chair:-)
The locals who wanted a return to the TL they knew 5-10 years ago must be in shock?!!!
interesting question: where are all these new customers going to sleep...
I think the more prescient question is where will people park. At 2.5 hours from a good chunk of N. VA, a lot of folks will daytrip it on weekends. That 6 pack will handle a lot of people and if there's decent snowmaking, the mountain has ample terrain to accomodate them. Parking on the other hand is a more limited asset.
Timberline Mountain Ski Patrol is actively recruiting Volunteer ski patrollers for the coming season. Contact us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TimberlineSkiPatrol/?ref=br_rs
johnfmh wrote:
The Colonel wrote:
JimK wrote:
The Colonel wrote:
superCalifragilisticexpialidocious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Colonel+1. BRAVO!
I think the six pack is definitely a play for Balt-Wash market. The locals would have been happy with a second hand, but reliable fixed grip double chair:-)
The locals who wanted a return to the TL they knew 5-10 years ago must be in shock?!!!
interesting question: where are all these new customers going to sleep...
I think the more prescient question is where will people park. At 2.5 hours from a good chunk of N. VA, a lot of folks will daytrip it on weekends. That 6 pack will handle a lot of people and if there's decent snowmaking, the mountain has ample terrain to accomodate them. Parking on the other hand is a more limited asset.
I had heard the "we don't want modern lifts, because it'll get crowded" before. It turns out that model isn't really supported by the current marketplace. I am skeptical a mom and pop operated ski area could work there even if mom and pop weren't under indictment.
wfyurasko wrote:
I had heard the "we don't want modern lifts, because it'll get crowded" before. It turns out that model isn't really supported by the current marketplace. I am skeptical a mom and pop operated ski area could work there even if mom and pop weren't under indictment.
That was said by people who didn't work for Sugar in NC for years. Of course, some of those people probably know how much a detachable quad would cost. The old lift was a very slow double with a mid-station. Sugar upgraded the trails and other lifts on a slow but steady timeline since 2009. Much like Perfect North has been doing for a few decades from what I can tell. Sugar is also a family owned mountain. Now Sugar has more terrain and a base detachable to the summit. Not a lot of land for parking in Banner Elk either.
What did Timberline have for summer revenue? I would guess that the North family has plans for that as well.
Wow, and double-wow. A surprse to see this much, this big, this soon after closing. The place had deteriorated so much in facilities, operations, and management in the past decade. Always enjoyed the patrollers, ski school staff, and many other staffers I met, though ... not to mention the ski-crazies.
I agree with wfyurasko, JimK, LHC and others about TM becoming a major player in the Mid-Atlantic with these moves. All now needs to come to fruition and we need Mother Nature meets us at least halfway. I share johnfmh's concerns about parking - that parking pit was so often a haphazard hog waller. Well, if they can fix the snowmaking, lifts, and operations, I expect that the Perfect team can handle parking, too ... and maybe make a sheltered place to buy lift tix on those coooold mornings. â„ï¸. Best to Chip (hey, another skiing Chip in the Valley!) and the TM team - everyone!
See you on the slopes. â›·
Woody
marzNC wrote:
What did Timberline have for summer revenue? I would guess that the North family has plans for that as well.
At one point they had lift served mountain biking. Many of the trails are still there in some form. Scenic lift rides of course. The bar/restaurant was usually open and I believe they offered horseback riding through one of the local stables.
The Colonel wrote:
The locals who wanted a return to the TL they knew 5-10 years ago must be in shock?!!!
not really, but most of them have been kicked off this forum for exposing what was really going on and bashing the previous owners, who I guess were paying for advertising (if their checks cleared) so it put the moderator in a pickle probably
the real question is when is snowsmith making good on the bet about the lifts?! :)
chaga wrote:
The Colonel wrote:
The locals who wanted a return to the TL they knew 5-10 years ago must be in shock?!!!
not really, but most of them have been kicked off this forum for exposing what was really going on and bashing the previous owners, who I guess were paying for advertising (if their checks cleared) so it put the moderator in a pickle probably
the real question is when is snowsmith making good on the bet about the lifts?! :)
(Sigh.)
Nobody was kicked off this forum.
Timberline wasn't paying for advertising and I had no interaction with the management of Timberline.
The only administrative actions DCSki has ever taken were clearly documented here, and were the result of blatant Terms of Use violations. I can't even repeat the details of a couple of the deleted posts because they were so over the line.
Yes, I grew tired of having to keep an eye on a large volume of posts, many of which were borderline slander and could not be verified (or that I easily verified were NOT true -- such as repeated claims over the years that Timberline had been sold when it had not been), putting the poster at risk of being sued. And the e-mails I was receiving from readers made it clear that the silent majority didn't like seeing DCSki hijacked by a few users to become nothing more than a "bash Timberline all the time" forum. I encouraged folks to stick to the facts on DCSki and leave the most salacious and unverifiable rumors for other venues. It's not like there weren't plenty of damning facts coming out.
Some users thought they should be able to post whatever they wanted to (or make multiple accounts so they could post under multiple names) -- that they shouldn't need to adhere to DCSki's Terms of Use. When they met resistance they began attacking DCSki, making up stuff about being censored, having posts edited or deleted when they weren't, etc. Some users may have chosen to stop posting to DCSki, which is fine, but it's not because they were kicked off this forum. So I'd appreciate you not insinuating otherwise.
Scott - I agree with you. Some people were calling the place 'Tslime' and saying the management was intentionally vandalizing equipment. Totally inappropriate. Actually, Pugski, where many of the 'rebel-rousers' moved to is much more strict. No politics or mean spirited stuff is tolerated on that site.
Chaga - I was about as wrong as wrong can be. somehow I would like to make good on my bet in person. Perhaps at Tline gathering this winter. Who knows, the COVID 19 recession could kill the project👹.... I'd rather part with a fifty spot.
I am strongly in favor of the changes going forward at Timberline and am not a huge fan of mom and pop resorts. I suspect Timberline purchased a detachable 6 as opposed to a detachable 4 to gain more capacity and probably because the marginal cost difference was not a financial obstacle for it. I applaud this decision.
Parking at Timberline, however, really is a finite resource. The resort simply does not have the space to create much more parking and garages are very expensive and generally only built as an amenity for hotel or condo complexes. If business increases (which is inevitable), the resort is going to have to either (a) turn away some day visitors similar to what has happened at Bogus Basin and Crystal Mountain this year or (b) build or lease satellite lots somehere and shuttle people to the resort.
Scott wrote:
chaga wrote:
The Colonel wrote:
The locals who wanted a return to the TL they knew 5-10 years ago must be in shock?!!!
not really, but most of them have been kicked off this forum for exposing what was really going on and bashing the previous owners, who I guess were paying for advertising (if their checks cleared) so it put the moderator in a pickle probably
the real question is when is snowsmith making good on the bet about the lifts?! :)
(Sigh.)
Nobody was kicked off this forum.
Timberline wasn't paying for advertising and I had no interaction with the management of Timberline.
The only administrative actions DCSki has ever taken were clearly documented here, and were the result of blatant Terms of Use violations. I can't even repeat the details of a couple of the deleted posts because they were so over the line.
Yes, I grew tired of having to keep an eye on a large volume of posts, many of which were borderline slander and could not be verified (or that I easily verified were NOT true -- such as repeated claims over the years that Timberline had been sold when it had not been), putting the poster at risk of being sued. And the e-mails I was receiving from readers made it clear that the silent majority didn't like seeing DCSki hijacked by a few users to become nothing more than a "bash Timberline all the time" forum. I encouraged folks to stick to the facts on DCSki and leave the most salacious and unverifiable rumors for other venues. It's not like there weren't plenty of damning facts coming out.
Some users thought they should be able to post whatever they wanted to (or make multiple accounts so they could post under multiple names) -- that they shouldn't need to adhere to DCSki's Terms of Use. When they met resistance they began attacking DCSki, making up stuff about being censored, having posts edited or deleted when they weren't, etc. Some users may have chosen to stop posting to DCSki, which is fine, but it's not because they were kicked off this forum. So I'd appreciate you not insinuating otherwise.
Scott, thanks for the cool site! When I found it couple months ago I mentioned I was looking for people to ski the Beast, I just came up with the name Vermont out of the blue (or should I say white) I never thought about it maybe not being a good idea as this is Mid A site but you or anyone never said anything was wrong with that, now I am thinking I am back to more local skiing next seaso. And I will bring the snow! And maybe meet some nice locals as well.
I see on other sites how some bash others and the ones who have to chime in to back tbeir drinking buddies, not here you all rock!
peace, stay safe Vt.
Parking will definitely be an issue if they start to draw good crowds, the only option to me seems to be satellite parking down the road somewhere as the base area is all built up with houses. When we went to Big Sky a few weeks ago they had a shuttle system that ran continuously that seemed to work very well of pickup trucks and tractors towing flatbed trailers with a series of benches on them that could hold 20-30 people easily. It would make a few stops and people could jump on and off quickly while holding their skis/boards (vs a shuttle bus where you have to take the time to have everyone put their skis/boards in the back and go through a single door. This was a very efficient and easy to use shuttle that would work very well for Timberline if the could find some land down Timberline road to put in additional parking.
My guess is that there are many options for remote parking in and near Davis. Many customers will
be driving through Davis anyway. I am ready to buy my season's pass.
The stand-only trailer at Elk seems to work fine to get people from the parking lot to the base. There is also a small parking lot that can be used by season passholders who are happy booting up in the car. More on the same scale as Tline, as opposed to what is done at a large destination resort like Big Sky.
Parking at Timberline Mountain can and will be an issue. There are three parking areas at timberline and the rest is private. I'm a homeowner at the closest area and we do enforce parking meaning we will tow if the cars are not properly tagged and parked. I think there are solutions but it needs to be closely cordinated with local HOAs. This is a work in progress.
Does anyone have any intel on season pass/ski the valley ticket deals? How much/When they will announce? I know most other local places offer around 300$ for early buyers. I also checked and it is 300$ at Perfect North as well. They also offer a "Ski once a week" Deal for less than that.
Would also be awesome to see if they expand trails in the future. I have never skied there but based off what I can tell from reviews, for a 3 hour drive it has the best advanced terrain/snow combo in the area.
Hopefully Perfect North didn't bite off more than it can chew.
Vail just axed all planned new ifts and capital spending.
If the virus turns out to be seasonal, like the flu, there would be another awful winter next winter.
I sure hope that's not the case but hopefully by the winter we will have a much better idea of how the virus works and how to treat it. Stay safe out there people!
As far as Vail essentially freezing spending I think you also need to consider how different their situation is. They had to shorten their ski season by atleast a month at many of their biggest locations such as Vail, Breck, and Whistler. They had to issue refunds for people who planned trips they could not attend, and lost a ton of expected revenue (lost out big on Spring Break season). They also have southern hemisphere ski resorts that will need to close for most likely their entire season.
Where as Perfect North may have closed a week early so the year was normal for them. Obviously, I have no idea what their financials look like and they could have money tied up in different investment portfolios that are not doing well. All we can do is hope for the best but as of now I have a positive outlook on next season!
I messaged timberline mountain on Facebook about season passes and they told me they will go on sale this summer for 259$ for everyday and will have other options available too. Seems like a great deal to me!
Looks like season passholders for Perfect North who want to make the drive from the midwest to WV for a taste of Timberline will get a discount.
"New for 2020/2021: Perfect North Slopes passholders can use their season passes to receive 50% off their lift ticket at Timberline Mountain in Davis, West Virginia!"
There have been no updates to their Facebook page in over 3 weeks. Is it possible that lift installations and other work is being delayed due to the Covid-19 crisis?
Most states' stay at home orders treat construction work as an essential
activity regardless of the purpose of the construction. Whether or not the work is really
"essential", this does lessen the economic harm caused by the orders.
The construction is ongoing. Dopplemeyer is on site getting the foundations for the lift bases put together with re-bar. The parking lots are full with construction equipment and materials. This place will ROCK this season and although I don't want to hassle a lot of folks, I hope they have a great season. Timberline Mountain will be the mountain to ski in 20/21.
YEW!!!
Doesn't surprise me, developers get stuff done! Covid 19 is the new asbestos to construction workers just give em some protection and a safe distance and they work, I think they are going to be GREAT owners, thank you for the update as it saved me a drive out there, I am figuring on taking a drive there sometime and try and get to know the area and maybe meet someone from Perfect North and check out options for next season
Question for the (former and future) TL regulars - are you going to go ahead and buy a TL season pass for this year, or give it a season to see how things shake out? 3 seasons ago I did the SS pass. 2 seasons ago Ikon. Last season WTG (with the Wisp reciprocal benefits). Really considering taking the plunge back into TL this year but if there was a commitment from the new owners to have, say, WL open by mid-december that would seal the deal. Obviously weather-dependent - by "commitment" I mean that they would have the snowmaking infrastructure in place and would be willing to run the guns even in marginal snowmaking conditions.
This also assumes Covid doesn't impact ski ops, which at this point cannot be said with any certainty.
Probably if the price point is reasonable. I purchased the all access Epic, so I will want to ski Whitetail/Liberty and will probably take trips to NH, CO, and UT to justify the Epic, but that still leaves many weekends at Timberline. Another issue for me is direct access. I don't want to have to go to the ticket office every ski day. I want to ski directly from my condo to the 6Pack. 😀
Noticed that Perfect North has a Once-A-Week pass. $149 for adults 13-59 and $111 for 60+.
Perhaps there will be some sort of less typical season pass option(s) for Timberline to encourage people to go check it out in 2021. Seems like they must be aware of the popularity of the Snowshoe Ridiculous pass.
I'm hoping that Timberline and CV will be on the Indy Pass for 2020-21. During a stay at Massanutten, I could have a very good time doing day trips to Bryce. Perhaps day trips to Davis too, but more likely to stay overnight.
Being a long time regular at t-line, I will most probably buy a season pass or may do the ski school thing along with the wife. We live in our house in Yoakum III, but during the season base out of our condo if we are working. Location is important here and like John, I prefer to head straight to the lifts, by passing ticket windows. Dopplemeyer is working now getting the lifts sites ready. I would expect once mud season is over there will be real efforts to get the snowmaking infrastructure up to speed. I'm excited that WL will be wider w/o the silverqueen lift in the way and I would imagine that they will make snow early and often. Perfect North was over 50% open by mid November last year so they know what they are doing. With the valley's elevation and usual colder temps in late to mid fall we might get some early season turns around Thanksgiving. Back in the day CVR would always be open by Thanksgiving and Timberline used to always stay open well into April giving us well over 5 months on snow. Twas the life.
Timberline Mountain is going to release a website this summer that will have season pass sales, new trail maps, etc. and should answer most of our questions. Really looking forward to that release, hopefully it'll come out shortly after Memorial Day.
Really anxious to see their new trail map and how they will be configuring a number of the trails.
I wouldn't expect too much in trail change since they are working on the infrastructure for lifts and snowmaking. There is room for expansion but at the cost of some of our favorite power stashes in the trees or to skier's left of twister but it's west facing. I've been amazed at the changes we are seeing. Dopplemeyer has Timberline's six pack and quad at the top of their list and work is going on in earnest to have them installed. I don't know how long it takes to get a new lift in but at the rate they are going, we could be doing senic chair rides by the 4th. They are reconfiguring the lodge and will be reparing the decks which was mucho needed. I imagine the entire curb appeal experience will change as the lifts will both load in the area that is where the ski patrol building is/was. Lots of parking back in the area of the hotel and beyond. Probably will be twice what the old large lot held. It's exciting to see. Houses and lots are selling in the valley and folks are really excited.
kwillg6 wrote:
I wouldn't expect too much in trail change since they are working on the infrastructure for lifts and snowmaking. There is room for expansion but at the cost of some of our favorite power stashes in the trees or to skier's left of twister but it's west facing. I've been amazed at the changes we are seeing. Dopplemeyer has Timberline's six pack and quad at the top of their list and work is going on in earnest to have them installed. I don't know how long it takes to get a new lift in but at the rate they are going, we could be doing senic chair rides by the 4th. They are reconfiguring the lodge and will be reparing the decks which was mucho needed. I imagine the entire curb appeal experience will change as the lifts will both load in the area that is where the ski patrol building is/was. Lots of parking back in the area of the hotel and beyond. Probably will be twice what the old large lot held. It's exciting to see. Houses and lots are selling in the valley and folks are really excited.
Kwillg6,
That's an informative and encouraging update on Timberline Mountain. Can't wait!
Thanks for your post.
Woody
bousquet19 wrote:
kwillg6 wrote:
I wouldn't expect too much in trail change since they are working on the infrastructure for lifts and snowmaking. There is room for expansion but at the cost of some of our favorite power stashes in the trees or to skier's left of twister but it's west facing. I've been amazed at the changes we are seeing. Dopplemeyer has Timberline's six pack and quad at the top of their list and work is going on in earnest to have them installed. I don't know how long it takes to get a new lift in but at the rate they are going, we could be doing senic chair rides by the 4th. They are reconfiguring the lodge and will be reparing the decks which was mucho needed. I imagine the entire curb appeal experience will change as the lifts will both load in the area that is where the ski patrol building is/was. Lots of parking back in the area of the hotel and beyond. Probably will be twice what the old large lot held. It's exciting to see. Houses and lots are selling in the valley and folks are really excited.
Kwillg6,
That's an informative and encouraging update on Timberline Mountain. Can't wait!
Thanks for your post.
Woody
I live at the base of the mountain and watch the work go on as it has since January. We find the Perfect North family and workers wanting to be good neighbors which is a huge change from what we endured before. We welcome them into our piece of heaven.
johnfmh wrote:
Probably if the price point is reasonable. I purchased the all access Epic, so I will want to ski Whitetail/Liberty and will probably take trips to NH, CO, and UT to justify the Epic, but that still leaves many weekends at Timberline. Another issue for me is direct access. I don't want to have to go to the ticket office every ski day. I want to ski directly from my condo to the 6Pack. 😀
I saw an ad that said that early bird pass price would be $249 starting in May sometime.
chaga wrote:
johnfmh wrote:
Probably if the price point is reasonable. I purchased the all access Epic, so I will want to ski Whitetail/Liberty and will probably take trips to NH, CO, and UT to justify the Epic, but that still leaves many weekends at Timberline. Another issue for me is direct access. I don't want to have to go to the ticket office every ski day. I want to ski directly from my condo to the 6Pack. 😀
I saw an ad that said that early bird pass price would be $249 starting in May sometime.
Sounds like a great deal! I am going to take a ride and check out the mountain soon, thanks!
Be sure to check out DCSki's extensive Feature Story on the Renaissance of Timberline - it just went on-line here: http://www.dcski.com/articles/1614. You might want to brew a cup of coffee first, though -- it's one of the longest feature stories DCSki has run. I hope you enjoy it.
Great write up Scott. Looking forward to Timberline Mountain becoming the best game in town.
What's the status of corridor H these days? Does it go all the way to Davis?
how much time does it take to get to the valley from Pittsburgh?
Had the coffee ready! very cool, I knew theirs a reason I like the "valley " the one time I went there to Canaan skiing about 20 years ago, the snow was amazing, if it's like the other contributor said Stowe, we used to stay at the Vermont state ski dorms there for $15 a night included breakfast and dinner and of course those old blankets we used to pile on us riding up the chairlift, ahh the days before "safety "
I hope they stay away from mega passes, are strong enough to handle things themselves as they seem to be to keep crowds down, I hope to check it out maybe help clear some of those beautiful looking glades! Dig those pictures great write up!
Denis wrote:
What's the status of corridor H these days? Does it go all the way to Davis?
how much time does it take to get to the valley from Pittsburgh?
Corridor H (US 48) is a continous four-lane highway between Davis and Wardensville -- over 62 miles.
Denis - From the east, yes, from the west, no.
Denis wrote:
What's the status of corridor H these days? Does it go all the way to Davis?
how much time does it take to get to the valley from Pittsburgh?
From Pittsburgh around 3 hours. I'm about 3 &1/2 from some 25 miles north of dahntahn Pixburgh. I have day tripped it.
Yo, DCSkiers, what's going on at Timberline Mountain,WV? We need pictures and details about the ongoing revitalization of this ski area by the Perfects, the new TLM mountain owners. Tons of positive changes coming for the 20-21 ski season! Remodeled lodge, zip towers gone, old lifts gone, new lifts under construction (including a high speed six person chair), new improved & repaired snow making, etc!!!
what are the ultimate and interim plans for snowmaking? Few details known about this most important aspect of the new/future TLM, the Perfect Ski Mountain?
Assuming Covid-19 still a big problem this coming ski season, how might TLM operate within distancing protections, etc. For example only load two per six pack char only on the ends of each chair!?
The Colonel
The Colonel wrote:
Assuming Covid-19 still a big problem this coming ski season, how might TLM operate within distancing protections, etc. For example only load two per six pack char only on the ends of each chair!?
The Colonel
Keeping up social distancing will definitely still be necessary for this winter. All the ski areas that ran lifts in May (yes, there were a few) allowed singles and didn't put people who didn't know each other together on any chair.
The ski resorts in Australia and New Zealand are preparing to open by late June. Those island countries shut down international travel and went to Stay At Home quite a while ago. New daily cases are well under 25. Of course, much smaller populations than the entire U.S. In any case, how things run for the June-Sept ski season there will be watched by all N. American ski resort managers. Vail Resorts owns three resorts in Australia. Ikon has locations in Australia and NZ.
Lodge/food service/restrooms is going to be the big challenge if the virus is widely circulating this coming winter. Crowded indoor environments with little air circulation. Undoubtedly resort operators are all trying to figure this out now but it will place a huge premium on slopeside or near-slope lodging this winter, seems to me, particularly houses, condos and other single family occupancy dwellings with entrance/exit directly from the outdoors.
Norsk wrote:
Lodge/food service/restrooms is going to be the big challenge if the virus is widely circulating this coming winter. Crowded indoor environments with little air circulation. Undoubtedly resort operators are all trying to figure this out now but it will place a huge premium on slopeside or near-slope lodging this winter, seems to me, particularly houses, condos and other single family occupancy dwellings with entrance/exit directly from the outdoors.
What I'm watching is the speculation about how the Australian and New Zealand ski resorts are going to handle their ski season. Opening days have been pushed back to late June or early July. The biggest question is lodging for not only customers but also staff. The Australian resorts are mostly in national parks so really no big towns around at all. The one ski town that's less than an hour drive from the bigger resorts is really not the big.
Ski resorts in Australia have much more in common with mid-Atlantic or northeast ski resorts than destination resorts in the Rockies. Vail Resorts owns three resorts in Australia, so they will be learning a lot first-hand in the next few months.
The big advantage is that both Australia and NZ shut down international travel early on and was testing people flying in. People who tested positive were required to quarantine away from their homes. Australia has had less than 20 new COVID-19 cases per day for quite a while, for a country/continent with 25 million people. NZ has done even better. So community spread is very much under control with plenty of testing and contact tracing.
Timberline ski patrol has provided some new updates through May and June: https://www.facebook.com/TimberlineSkiPatrol
Poles arrived, and new quad chair is being constructed.
Here's the latest on the Timberline renewal by the Perfect family. The lodge is gutted. The decks have been torn off and will be rebuilt and reconfigured. The ticket windows will face the parking lot. The Patrol Sheck ended up in a big dumpster as has most of the debris left by the Herz's. All the old lifts are gone as are any reference to where they stood. The mid-quad lift towers were set yesterday and the bull wheels are here and ready to go. A lot of grading and reconfiguring the base area. Probably to accomodate the eriction of the six pack. The parking lots of choice will be the overflow lots of past years as the lifts will be just a hundred feet or so away. Curb appeal is improving daily as they clean up the maintence building area. A new Piston Bully groomer on site. I understand the there are plans at the moment to replace up to 3000' of snowmaking infrastructure which is a great start. They are using the old towers for drainage control. Labor day would be a great time to see what the excitement is all about. BTW... the real estate market has become very active. Timberline Mountain ski area managers have purchased quite a few houses at the base and available condos, etc in the valley are a hot commodity as well. Now we are waiting for the activity of the mountain to spill over into the valley community with restaurants and other extablishments once the COVID19 crap ends. Glad Monica and I retired here. Now to get the Ok to hit the hill again from my surgeon after last January's spine surgery. I have new boards waiting....
Sorry to hear about the spine surgery, Follow doctor's orders, don't rush things. Thanks for the great report. Would prefer more snowmaking upgrades. I assume that in addition to the 3000' of a new snowmaking system, that the Perfects' are repairing the existing snowmaking system. What do you mean: "using the old towers for drainage control?"
Snowmaking upgrades are in the works. Right now they wil be concentraiting on determining what needs attention and go from there. As you remember, Timberline had the capacity to make a lot of snow but leaks prevented much and caused a lot of issues. The old towers are being used for drainage culverts on the mountain. Why buy pipe when there is all of these existing culvert pipes? Makes sense. I've been impressed.
The mid quad will empty above the old mid and to the South where Dew Drop and Almost Heaven come together. About 150' higher than the old mid. I hear rumors about their increasing snowmaking exponentionally and installing an unreal number of pole-cats. Will be doing much repair of old infrastructure and improving as time allows. Might have a lot of terrain open for Thanksgiving. Make your reservations early and often. 150 days to kick off!
The Colonel wrote:
Sorry to hear about the spine surgery, Follow doctor's orders, don't rush things. Thanks for the great report. Would prefer more snowmaking upgrades. I assume that in addition to the 3000' of a new snowmaking system, that the Perfects' are repairing the existing snowmaking system. What do you mean: "using the old towers for drainage control?"
The upgrades in snowmaking are happening. The perfect family is wasting no time. Been walking the improvemnt areas and now I see new water pipe on the mountain. Haven't dug yet but since it's in the lower mountain area I would imagine they are going to fix leaks first. Was told that they pressure tested some things. Can't verify except there a a few wet areas which weren't that wet before.
Thanks for the info!
The Colonel
40 new Pole Cat towers arrived this week, along with more Pole Cats. They look like they are making significant upgardes to the snow making operation.
Timberline Mountain Season passes on sales this morning.............
jimboc wrote:
Timberline Mountain Season passes on sales this morning.............
timberlinemountain.com/season-passes This is the link.
kwillg6 wrote:
jimboc wrote:
Timberline Mountain Season passes on sales this morning.............
timberlinemountain.com/season-passes This is the link.
Wahoo , I am going to take a field trip there asap- how does it compare to other areas ? better then anything in Pa? thanks
Only comparables in PA ia Elk and Blue Knob. Skied most areas in PA over the yesrs and Timberline, due to its location gets copious lake effect snows when the winds are right.
Also update on progress at the resort. Parts for the 6 pack have been coming in. I think Dopplemeyer is ready to erect it when all gets here. Still waiting on the chairs for the quad. Grading and waterline/ snowmaking upgrades continuing. They are putting the new decks on the lodge and renovations continue. Looking at 3+ months till we can ski it if the weather cooperates. Getting real excited.
kwillg6 wrote:
Only comparables in PA ia Elk and Blue Knob. Skied most areas in PA over the yesrs and Timberline, due to its location gets copious lake effect snows when the winds are right.
Vermont, I agree with Kwillg6 about Timberline vs. PA ski areas.
The verticals among T-line, Blue Knob and Elk are comparable. Elk offers a greater choice of runs than Timberline. Blue Knob's glades and steeps can be truly gnarly (be sure to ski BK sometime after a decent snowfall). Timberline offers a full thousand feet, great steeps, a higher summit elevation, and the heavy lake-nourished snowfalls of the Canaan Valley.
Woody
While I plan to get the seasons pass at Timberline so I have lift access, I hope
they will be flexible on allowing uphill travel on designated
routes like many resorts do these days. Uphill travel is the
perfect way to socially distance! I also hope Whitetail is more
flexible on uphill travel this year than they were the past two years.
bousquet19 wrote:
kwillg6 wrote:
Only comparables in PA ia Elk and Blue Knob. Skied most areas in PA over the yesrs and Timberline, due to its location gets copious lake effect snows when the winds are right.
Vermont, I agree with Kwillg6 about Timberline vs. PA ski areas.
The verticals among T-line, Blue Knob and Elk are comparable. Elk offers a greater choice of runs than Timberline. Blue Knob's glades and steeps can be truly gnarly (be sure to ski BK sometime after a decent snowfall). Timberline offers a full thousand feet, great steeps, a higher summit elevation, and the heavy lake-nourished snowfalls of the Canaan Valley.
Woody
From a travel standpoint, one advantage of Timberline is that Canaan Valley is close by. My impression is that the snowmaking at CV has improved in recent years. Hopefully that will also be the case after the summer for Tline. So in theory can do a long weekend and ski at both. Blue Knob and Elk are pretty isolated and a bit too far away for a last minute decision to catch a snowstorm.
CV is on Indy. Tline day tickets probably won't be nearly as high as other ski areas within a few hours drive or DC/NoVA.
kwillg6 wrote:
Only comparables in PA ia Elk and Blue Knob. Skied most areas in PA over the yesrs and Timberline, due to its location gets copious lake effect snows when the winds are right.
I have skied each of these independents once. Each visit had light snow throughout the day and about 50% - 60% of the mountain open, so there are some built in controls for my research.
2012: Blue Knob
2013: Timberline
2020: Elk
All things being equal, I think I liked Blue Knob the best. The Stembogan Bowl is something you don't get at a lot of places. I also liked the lodge with the real fireplace and the rasta hut just for novelty.
Elk was the best run on the day I skied it, while Timberline under previous ownership was the worst by far.
I seem to have had my best days at these mountains and Massanutten. I wind up a Whitetail half the time because it's reliable and close, but I don't daydream about it like some of these other places.
This is all great info thank you!
the Stemboggen bowl got my attention not long after moving down here, I have not been to Blue Knob when it had lots of snow though so I have not skied the good parts there.
I was similar with Whitetail, easy to get to , good lifts, I did hit Whitetail after we got huge snowfall over a weekend it finally opened on a Monday about noon , skied the trails till it got pretty skied off then ducked into trees for the rest of the time, it started getting dark but the snow lit the trees up with light and the snow was so deep it was like slow motion,
I just got my season pass to TM yesterday! Although the price was more than I was originally quoted I was really excited to support the new ownership who I think will continue to improve the ski area as long as they keep getting revenue. I spoke with a general manager on the phone and made a comment that, "I hope we get more snow next year." He said they are trying to "hedge" their bets and are redoing all the piping and adding 60 new snow guns. Should be a great season (hopefully a safe one too)!
I am thinking of finding a season long rental for my family this winter in the Valley. Does anyone here have a recommendation or two to share? Thanks in advance.
Lots of pictures of the lift construction on the Tline website now.
https://timberlinemountain.com/project-gallery/
Single day lift tickets were posted on TM's site:
Interesting pricing scheme. Pay $85 for 8 hours, ski 4 hours or less, scan pass at the desk to verify and get $10 credit. Ski weekdays and get a $15 credit. They keep it all but give you an incentive to come back or use now for food/bev or other services. It doesn't look like the online purchase is up yet. Online purchase $5 discount.
If interested in a seasonal rental better start real soon. Folks who do this generally have the inside edge on getting the goods. Check with realtors first and try posting on some of the Tucker County and Canaan Valley facebook pages. I never had a problem renting my houses during the season.
The six pack towers are in place and the setting of snow guns has begun. Still grading and doing work at the base and the lodge and addition is moving forward. Waiting on lumber to finish the decks. Seems to be a supply problem nationally. For those who want to consider working there, they have the employment page up and I put in my application although am considering just skiing this year. The pub will be there again and the entire layout of the lodge will be very different from the funky way it was in the past. Might see the lifts turning as early as the end of September. Parking will remain an issue if the crowds materialize as expected. Got my season pass so don't know if ski skool is in my future. Would love to do some skiing before eating Thanksgiving dinner and if the temps cooperate, it'll happen.
kwillg6 wrote:
The six pack towers are in place and the setting of snow guns has begun. Still grading and doing work at the base and the lodge and addition is moving forward. Waiting on lumber to finish the decks. Seems to be a supply problem nationally. For those who want to consider working there, they have the employment page up and I put in my application although am considering just skiing this year. The pub will be there again and the entire layout of the lodge will be very different from the funky way it was in the past. Might see the lifts turning as early as the end of September. Parking will remain an issue if the crowds materialize as expected. Got my season pass so don't know if ski skool is in my future. Would love to do some skiing before eating Thanksgiving dinner and if the temps cooperate, it'll happen.
Any idea about which trails are getting the new towers?
Not sure at this time. I believe many will be in the base and the top areas but that's just a guess. Most trails do not have fixeded guns so it's a good bet that the trails to the skier's left would be a good candidate. Twister, Dew Drop, Almost Heaven, Thunderstruck, and white lightening all could use fixed guns. Whie Lightening is much wider than the others and will need guns to be moved in order to have full coverage. I know that when Snowshoe installed fixed guns on msny of their trails the tendancy was to make ribbons of snow which did not go treeline to treeline. I hope that will not be the case at Timberline Mountain. OTW the Drop and upper salamander have the snow sticks so there would be no need to put pole cats there unless they wanted the upgrade in capacity. Just wait and see. Yet to see where the majic carpet will be installed but they are really working on the snowmaking infrstructure at this point. Lots to do in the next several months.
White Lightning is too wide for WV. The winter winds scour it down to hard pack and ice. Why not plant a line of trees and re-establish Silver Streak, formerly my favorite run on the mountain, and that of many others? This would correct what many long time Timberline skiers regard as a great wrong. White Lightning was plenty wide enough in those days and Silver Streak collected blown in powder which was left ungroomed for those who like such stuff.
Totally agree with Denis - Bring back Silver Streak.
So do we need to start a "Bring Back Silver Streak: thread so the Perfects see it?
It was made wider for racing. I understand both sides of the equation but whan doing a gs race (read $$$ ) they needed a trail which didhn't present a problrm in setting a safe race course. Now that the queen's towers are not part of the equation maybe a revisit but I doubt it.
Maybe a new trail cut between WL and the Drop? Similar to Silver Streak?
Rickh wrote:
Maybe a new trail cut between WL and the Drop? Similar to Silver Streak?
I've skied that swath of woods. It's good but It needs a lot of snow. Just a bit of thinning would be sufficient. The trouble with ski areas making gladed trails is that they always overthin them. I like the Mad River Glen model where the skiers form volunteer work parties in summer for thinning and maintaining glades, under the guidance of a professional forester. Hand tools only are used; no chainsaws. No cutting of anything except saplings of 1 inch diameter or less. And very important, cutting must be done at ground level so that skiers are not tripped.
it wouldn't take a lot of trees or a lot of work to re-establish Siver Streak. Heck, a snow fence would work in the short run and provide guidance as to where trees or shrubs could be planted later. Maybe they could call upon snow farmer Chip Chase.
I sent a suggestion to Timberline management, which they acknowledged.
All things onsidered, Just getting the entire mountian open by mid December will be a feat! They know what they are doing and with the water and right temps, it will be amazing. Waiting to see where they are setting the new guns. They have moved the old portable guns into the parking lot to probably check them out and make needed repairs. Noticed the chairs for the quad are here and we should see the 6-pack chairs soon. I'm going to try to take some picks to share on here soon.
Pics will would be great!! Thank you!
Both the Quad and Six Pack chairs are there. Not sure if all of them have arrived, but RVA Skier on Pugski has a pix that shows them.
I guess it would have been just as easy to cut and paste. See six pack chairs on left
A buddy of mine snapped these pics over the weekend. I hope the link works
Wow! That deck is going to be a great assest for this first season post-Covid.
I noticed that although a day ticket is for 8 hours, it's possible to get credit on a "Timberline Debit Card" if ski less than 4 hours. Can use the credit for another ticket or food at Tline. Seems like a smart way to encourage someone to return at another time. I'm thinking about a day trip from Mnut. If it happened to start snowing too hard at lunch time, might want to leave earlier to get out of WV. ;-)
The work on the lodge is to increase seating capacity and inside space. This will be a 5000 sq ft addition on all four levels of the lodge. Very exiting indeed. They has a huge crew there this past week working on everything. Only about 6 weeks of good weather left before the potential of cold/snow here in the highlands. Leaves are already beginning to change. They are installing the polecats all the way up white lightening. Haven't instslled the conveyor carpet yet. They will be upgrading lights for some night skiing.
Just secured a seasonal rental for the winter and our ski passes! While up in the Valley for the past few weeks we observed the progress all over the mountain. The new lifts look spectacular, as do all the other changes.
Clyde Perfect, the original founder of Perfect North passed last Wednesday, August 26. Many of the folks who have come here from Indiana went back to attend the services being held today at Perfect North. Our condolences go out to the family and friends.
Changes, upgrades, and all sorts of progress being made at Timberline. Took a walk aroud this AM and even with the leaves changing and chilly mornings on the mountain, dozens of workers are putting in long days to get it ready. Hiked up Salamander and down Dew Drop. Improved snowmaking instlled. Polecats in various places and new wands. Pole cats top to bottom on WL. Moved them to the treeline and removed the other pedistals that had been placed there 5/6 years ago. They are coming up with ways to capture a lot of runoff for snomaking too. The addition to the lodge is going up and the decks will wrap around the facility. Lift ropes will get installed come October. I have pics but don't know how to cut and paste there here.
Well worth going to the Tline Facebook page for the 7-min video tour tour by Chip Perfect of the new lifts, both top and bottom. Plus a view of the lodge.
They are implementing RFID! Will be using AXESS. Same system that Alta chose years ago. Boyne Resorts is working with AXESS too.
Anyone else excited to see the trail map? I saw a Facebook reply on one of their posts that said something along the lines of, "new trail map coming closer to season start, new renovations still in progress."
I don't know how the job requirements for a liftie usually read, but I think the fact that Timberline wants people who are friendly and interested in being an Ambassador for the resort. The email I got recently was about season passes but included a link for employment opportunities.
Chairlift Attendant - Seasonal Position 2020-2021
Chairlift Attendants play an important role in the daily operations at Timberline Mountain. The primary role of this position is to ensure a safe uphill transport of all skiing and snowboarding guests. This involves directly assisting customers as they load and unload the chairlifts and carpet lifts, while being an ambassador for Timberline Mountain. Chairlift Attendants are in constant contact with our guests and must be friendly when assisting them. Chairlift Attendants work outside in all types of weather conditions.
The Lift Department is looking to hire approximately 30 new employees. Chairlift Attendant applicants must be at least 16 years old by 11/1/2020 to apply. Pay rate is $10 per hour.
marzNC wrote:
The Lift Department is looking to hire approximately 30 new employees. Chairlift Attendant applicants must be at least 16 years old by 11/1/2020 to apply. Pay rate is $10 per hour.
That actually made me cringe a bit. I'm not sure that I'd want to trust a 16 year old liftee.
Speaking of Lifts. 6pack in action today. Timberline Mtn 6 pack
Vermont wrote:
Doesn't surprise me, developers get stuff done! Covid 19 is the new asbestos to construction workers just give em some protection and a safe distance and they work, I think they are going to be GREAT owners, thank you for the update as it saved me a drive out there, I am figuring on taking a drive there sometime and try and get to know the area and maybe meet someone from Perfect North and check out options for next season
I was praising these guys 8 months ago, that this was the year to go with the independent ski areas and stay away from the mega passes, the Beast has been spectacular and it’s another great week here, they really showed why they are the best at getting a mountain going even though they have more ground to cover to get top to bottom skiing they did it no excuses
shame on Hunter mountain and other Vail resorts for leaving their pass holders dry, and not making snow to stay open, Vail knows they have such a huge pool of people to draw from so they don’t have to be loyal, they can piss off their pass holders and save money because they know they have more to take their place Looking forward to giving Timberline some business
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