Hello from Fredericksburg...

A little back ground, been sking since my teens, 20+ years ago. Ski'd out west in high school a couple of times. Married my high school sweetheart whose parents have a house on the slopes at Wintergreen. Have two boys, 12 and 14 (soon to be 13 and 15) who have been east coast skiing since they could walk...

I came across the site in my research for a ski destination this winter/spring... I'm sure there is a better topic then the ice breakers for my many questions about where to go so I will save that discussion for there.

Seems to be a wealth of information here...

Thanks!!!

Hope to see you in the slopes. I'm usually with one of several red Spyder outfits and Volkl AC-40 skis. Great to see a new face (?) in the site

Welcome, GDWindowpane:
Been a while since anyone signed in on the "ice breaker" thread.
From what you mentioned I assume you do most of your skiing at Wintergreen - a great resort in my opinion.
Real destination ski resorts here in the mid-Atlantic (MA) are not plentiful, but what there are offer a first class, and individually unique experience.
Just quickly:
Snowshoe in WV. The largest ski area in the MA, plus a real four seasons resort. Lots of upscale lodging at the top of the mountain.
Seven Springs in PA. Another four seasons resort with a mojor hotel and all sorts of indoor activities when on a ski trip. Lots of slopes, not much vertical, but the number of chairs and great snowmaking negate the lack of vertical.
The Canaan Valley area: Two resorts with good skiing, great potential...unfortunately not yet realized. The Canaan Valley Lodge is a fun place to stay, the wildlife is everywhere.
Wisp in MD. Not much vertical, but well planned and many different slopes from faces to meandering treelined blvds.
Offers golf, white water rafting on a new manmade course and other goodies in the summer. More like Wintergreen, just not the vertical and quality.
And in Northeast PA a bevy of resorts capped by Elk Mountain albeit only a ski resort. But there are numerous small towns and big city hotels that you can call a temporary home while sampling Elk, Snow Mt., Blue Mt., Camelback, Jack Frost, and others.
Look forward to hearing more from you about what you are looking for, both in this area and out west.
Many DCSkiers have multiple years of on slope time and have seen nearly everything and offer great advice on nearly any resort. AD OCCASIONALLY WE manage an informal get together of 6 to 12 folks that we feel we know as "friends" but rarely see in person.
Again, Welcome!
The Colonel

Hi GDW

Good to see another Wintergreen regular chime in. Plan on being there every weekend next winter if fate allows. I have a soon to be 12 year old daughter who skis with me (usually somewhere way out in front).

Look forward to running into you. (figuratively speaking that is).

Thanks for the welcome!!!

The in-laws retired to Stoney Creek last year so we got a lot more skiing in seeing as we had a place to crash when the Eagle Swoop house was rented. Don't forsee that changing this tear...

We are avid golfers as well so we spend a fair amount of time at Wintergreen in the summer as well.

We are looking at going out west for a trip this winter/spring. From my reading I'm leaning towards a spring break trip, the kids break is the week of April 13th. My concerns were snow conditions, somewhat dispelled as I have been reading that the conditions should be fine and rates cheaper.

Been reading good things about Big Sky but air fare is almost double that of going into Denver. While in high school we stayed in Breckenridge and hit sever different mountains in the Summit area. That is attractive. Have read good things about Beaver Creek and Keystone so looking there to possibly set up base camp. Night life and non-ski activities not that big of a priority as we'll be on the slopes all day and if I remember I was pretty worn out after a day of skiing...

Thanks again for the welcome and I look forward to hopefully getting together sometime...

Don't forget to consider Salt Lake. With Southwest, the price is reasonable. You can stay in town and take the ski bus saving some cash on the resort costs. If you stay near Denver consider staying in Silverthorne and going to a few different resorts (Days Inn is cheap).

Budget Skiing is fun.

Ya welcome aboard, do not worries aobut u grammers they put up with mine, just don't talk abuot global warmings or tell any jokes that someone won't think funny and we'll have a good ole time .

GDW - what? Boy are u in for _ _______ awakening.

Sorry two tell you but i_ ___ ___ _____ing of ___ing __ get ____ S____ __ are ______ a ___ _______.

For example, look at my situation; really _ ____ ____ __ ____ ___ and time it __ ___ _____.

and to boot I just bought _ _______ ___ ____ ______ ______ down the _____ about $100___.00 __ __ best _________ a _____ f______ pursuing my w______es.

good luck with it all. Don't take m_ ______ as some sort of metric, but ____ ____ __ mind - you ____ ____ ___ ____ on the face __ ___ Earth; ___ __ __ the best.

E-

GDW,
Mid April for a long ski trip out west can be a bit iffy. This year was an exceptional snow year and there was lots of snoe everywhere out west. Some resorts close before the time you are hoping to go, simply because the skiers stop coming. But the late Easter this year should modify that situation if the snowfall is average.
I am sure we all will have more later to help you with your decision.
The Colonel

welcome to the site. I live in downtown Reva, VA. Culpeper is a suburb or ours to the north. Some others from F-burg lurk on this site as well. The Mrs and I have a couple of places in the CV area which is where I was yesterday, mowing grass.... been real wet up there this summer. Hope that equates to lots of pow-pow for the winter . Most of us have done all the areas in the mid-A and can share anything u want to know and some things u don't.

Colonel -

That's what I was worried about, waiting too long. Not crazy about taking the kids out of school for a week so was trying to work it into spring break. The other option would be during Christmas break, week after Christmas through new year's but I'm sure that's a prime time to go so rates/travel etc. will be higher. Each of the kids (my wife's brothers/sister) each get a week at the Wintergreen house, so we take them out of school for the that trip as well... Oh well, it's just education and they both do real well in school. Although my older son will be a freshman in HS this year so the fun really starts now...

I guess another option would be to hit somewhere in new england. I skied Hunter Mountain during a church group outing many moons ago. Didn't really enjoy it as I remember many skiers, skiing through the lift lines (which were long) and right across everyone's skiis... I guess that's what you get skiing that close to NYC... I've heard good things about Killington and Stowe...

If I could only win the lottery that might help the decision process...