I was out in the valley Sunday-Wednesday and got in some great riding.
First day I managed to get up and be on the mountain by 9:30. It had snowed all night long and it showed. Timberline was making snow at the top and bottom and along Twister which was incidentally closed. Everything else was well groomed and running like fresh powder. Absolutely no crowds all day long and by mid-day the snow had stopped but the snow blowing continued all day. My day ended when I didn't respect the mountain and I found myself riding a little bit of fresh powder on a closed trail. Shortly thereafter I slammed my rear-end hard enough to warrant a trip to the hot tub for the rest of the day.
Second day my keester was still a bit sore but who cares when both CV and T-line could be seen making snow from my room at the CV lodge. This amazed me-I could see and hear the resorts making snow all the time I was there, but CV didn't open up a single new trail the entire three days. On my first lift up at CV I counted about a dozen others on the mountain with me which was fine, but I soon saw why. I believe somebody commented how what the had going on there was "rude" well...it's not rude it was just plain mean. They had tons of snow all over the place but only two main trails with one or two other short 'runs' emptying into them actually opened up. So much snow yet I could not get near it. Needless to say after only and hour and a half of riding at CV I had the buyers remorse. I spent the rest of that day venturing out into Davis and chatting up some locals at the burrito joint, which was a spectacular find way out in the mountains.
It snowed all night long and well into the next morning-and hard. Third day at T-line was fantastic. Fresh powder everywhere, they even opened up Thunderdraft which I had been eyeing up the first day. It was a bit iced out but it still had some fresh powder on the edges and was fun as anything I could find out west. The rest of the mountain was great, I loved the small bit of fresh powder just off to the right on Salamander that runs about halfway down. White lightening was also rockin' a fresh bit of powder on its extremities near the bottom. I was also able to spray fresh powder up to my face when I made a sharp turn half-way down Dew Drop. It was like a Warren Miller film
except I was in WV.
Overall the Valley resorts are in tip top snow shape. Canaan claimed to be opening a few more trails soon and Timberline is only getting better by the hour in my opinion. The only downside to my trip was the ridiculous experience I had staying at CV's lodge. Terrible rooms, sub-par food, and bad customer service. But you live and learn from those types of things. I recommend if you can get out to the valley, DO IT! The powder is fantastic and the locals claim Feb. gets all the snow out there. Looks like I will be back in a few weeks!
