T-line announced their winter schedule and the disturbing part of it is their shortened season. They open a week later that last season and plan on closing a week earlier. Although they have had to close early due to lack of snow, this is the first time in 15 years that I can remember a planned closing date before April. I guess it's a sign of the economy and times. Anyway.... that being said, it leaves me a week of prime skiing time prior to the Holiday. I think I'll start planning my trip out west now.

Wonder if they gave a discount on season passes. 11% should be about right. Now we can have something besides their late opening date to bitch about.

everyone I know who bought passes paid the going rate.... somehow, I really enjoyed closing weekend last year...poaching closed runs... jumping mud...good looking dirt chickens....no crowds... kick a$$ local's party on closing day. It's not the same in March. Maybe Doc will rethink this March closing thing. After all T-line was the only ski area south of Vermont to be open last April and that should count for something.

Dang, a week late. Does this mean that Timberline won't be open for the weekend of Jack Frost? If so, that really puts a kink in my plans...

yup. I dunno what they are thinking.

Which forum is this in? I can see it under recent topics but can't find it anywhere else. Why not in Discussions?

Denis,
The info about Timberline's winter schedule was included in a email sent on 30 August. Lots of ads for the Timberline "Hotel"!
The Colonel

Here is the winter portion of the schedule:

Ski Area Opening Day
December 10th Ski area opens

Military Appreciation Weekend
December 11 - 13
This weekend has been designated Military Appreciation Weekend in recognition of those who are serving in our armed forces. However, military discounts will be extended throughout the entire 2009/2010 ski season. There will be live entertainment on Friday and Saturday. Fireside Grill and Timbers Pub open with a full menu and a late night menu. Reserve early for ski-in/ski-out reservations at the upscale Timberline Resort Hotel and Suites. http://www.timberlineresort.com or email hotel@timberlineresort.com

Christmas Warm-Up Weekend
December 18 - 20
Entertainment this weekend will feature a return visit of the Saddle Tramps appearing in the Timbers Pub Friday and Saturday. Saddle Tramps Willis, Joe and Bill will perform contemporary and traditional country western music and Christmas carol favorites to sing along, western style. Enjoy their interactive family oriented entertainment. From 9:00 pm to 1:00 am Friday and Saturday nights. There is no cover charge for any performance. Shrimp special every Friday and award winning ribs every Saturday night during the entire ski season along with a complete menu at the Fireside Grill. During ski season it is important to reserve your slopeside rooms early at the Timberline Resort Hotel and Suites. www.timberlineresort.com or email hotel@timberlineresort.com

December 24
Christmas Eve - Fireside and Timbers Grill will be open as usual. We feature a full menu for dining beside the blazing fireplace and holiday decorations with a full view of the holiday skiers. Enjoy the snowy scenes of the 1,000 foot vertical Herz Mountain from the balcony of your slopeside ski-in/ski-out room at the Timberline Resort Hotel and Suites. Reserve early! www.timberlineresort.com or email hotel@timberlineresort.com

Christmas Day
December 25

Christmas Eve

Christmas Day - Timbers Pub and Fireside Grill will be open as usual. Christmas dinner served from noon until 7:00 pm. Skiing will be limited to 12:00 pm to 4:30 pm to allow Timberline employees Christmas hours at home.

Annual Winterfest
December 26 - January 3
This is a week of almost round the clock winter celebrations on the slopes or in the lodge. Skiing everyday from 8:00 am - 9:00 pm. Cafeteria opens at 6:00 am daily and Timbers Pub and Grill opens at 11:00 am daily. Timbers Pub and Grill open with late night menu nightly until 2:00 am. Nightly entertainment by the annual appearance of Teacher's Pet from Reading , PA , Dec. 27-31. Enjoy dinner and relax daily in the Fireside Grill and Timber's Pub open nightly until 2:00 am. No cover charge for any performance. Children's program daily ,on all holiday, and weekends. It is important to reserve early for slopeside upscale lodging at the Timberline Resort Hotel and Suites.

New Year's Eve Party
December 31
Come early New Year's Eve at 4:00 pm for our New Year's Eve warm-up party. Our popular New Year's Eve Buffet dinner and the Annual Big New Year's Extravaganza from 5 pm until 2 am. Live entertainment by Teacher's Pet, party, favors, and champagne to bring in your New Year! Reservations for the buffet dinner suggested; call 304-866-4801.

Wild West Weekend
January 8 - 10
The Timbers Grill and Pub and the Timberhaus Cafeteria will be in full swing to serve the guests for the Winter Wild West Weekend. The Saddle Tramps, becoming one of Timberline's favorite groups, is back. Joe, Willis, Bill and Dee will appear at the Timber's Pub 4:00 pm to midnight Friday and Saturday. There is no cover charge for any performance. Reserve early for slopeside lodging in the new upscale Timberline Resort Hotel and Suites. hotel@timberlineresort.com

Martin Luther King Weekend
January 15 - 18
During this long holiday weekend expect almost continuous activity at Timberline Lodge from early morning breakfast in the Timberhaus Cafeteria at 6:00 am until closing of Timbers Pub at 2:00 am. Entertainment will run until 2:00 am on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of Martin Luther King weekend. No cover charge. Reserve early for lodging at the Timberline Resort Hotel and Suites. www.timberlineresort.com or email us at hotel@timberlineresort.com

January 22 - 24
Country Legends Tribute Weekend
Enjoy the sounds of West Virginia 's rich musical heritage presented Friday from 7 pm-11pm and Saturday 5pm-9 pm at the ski lodge. Groups will perform contemporary and classic renditions of country legends. On Saturday, the celebration will continue at 9pm with classic rock until 1am at Timbers Pub. Reserve early for a room at the Timberline Resort Hotel and Suites. (www.timberlineresort.com or email us at hotel@timberlineresort.com)

January 29 - 31
Super Bowl Weekend
There is no cover charge for any of the performances. Friday and Saturday entertainment 9pm will be classic rock until 1am. Restaurant will be open early until late. Big Super Bowl party takes place January 31st in Timbers Pub featuring special food, drinks, and high definition TV. Reserve your room early at the new upscale Timberline Resort Hotel and Suites. (www.timberlineresort.com)

February 5 - 7
Mid Winter Rhythm and Blues Warm-up Weekend
Big party at Timbers Pub in the ski lodge, February 5th and 6th 8am-12am featuring rhythm, blues, and variety. Enjoy interactive entertainment. The big party continues with the energetic live entertainment 9pm-1am. Reserve early for your room at the Timberline Resort Hotel and Suites. (www.timberlineresort.com)

February 12 - 15
President's Weekend Celebration
Willie Nelson Tribute
This long weekend will feature three days of continuous music from early until 2am Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in the Timbers Pub. Willie Nelson tribute will be presented Saturday and Sunday by country legend Roy Scott and Harmony Scott. Later night performances will feature rhythm, blues and rock until 1 am. Reserve a room at Timberline Resort Hotel and Suites. www.timberlineresort.com)

February 19-21
Almost Heaven Weekend
Full menu at Fireside Grill and Timbers Pub and live entertainment on both Friday and Saturday. Reserve early for your slopeside room at Timberline Hotel and Suites. (www.timberlineresort.com)

Feb 27 - 28
Winter Celtic Music Festival
The Celtic celebration will feature Celtic music at 8 pm Friday and Saturday. Celtic music with its residual Irish and Scottish influence is now being performed increasingly here in the Appalachian Mountains . Appearing at the weekend Celtic festival will be Pete Tenney and Blaine Stevens playing traditional Irish and Scottish music on fiddle, guitar, mandolin and vocals. There is no cover charge for any of the performances. Late Friday seafood and Saturday BBQ ribs specials. Reserve your lodging early at the Timberline Resort Hotel and Suites. (www.timberlineresort.com)

March 5 - 7
Governor's Cup
March is the favorite time of year for many of our skiers to enjoy the high altitude Allegheny Mountain March conditions. Music, food, and beverages from early until late all weekend will be available at the ski lodge. We welcome participants to the traditional West Virginia Governor's Cup races and also welcome a number of ski councils to this weekend of ski races and festivities in the lodge. Entertainment Friday and Saturday evening. Plan and reserve early for your upscale slopeside lodging at Timberline Resort Hotel and Suites. (www.timberlineresort.com)

March 11-14
BIG Annual Pat Bowling Winter Rhythm and Blues Weekend
Weekend Tribute to Military Personnel and Guests
Entertainment this weekend will feature rhythm and blues music from 4pm to 2 am both Friday and Saturday. Join us this weekend of the best rhythm and blues of the area until 2 am. The public is invited and the cover charge is $5. Enjoy the food and beverages served from early until late Friday, Saturday and Sunday. There is no cover charge for the early performances. Timberline extends its deepest gratitude to the military guests from Patuxant Naval Air Station and welcomes all to the fourth annual Bowling Blues Weekend! Reserve early for lodging at the Timberline Resort Hotel and Suites. (www.timberlineresort.com)
March 19 -21 Snowy Luau Festival
Snowy Luau Festival is a long standing Timberline tradition which has grown each year to the current reputation as the biggest festival in the region. The family oriented weekend features authentic Hawaiian music by the annual appearance of Gordan and the Aloha Band, Polynesian dancers, pig roast on the deck and a huge bon fire. There will be prizes for the best and most unique costumes and downhill races. Saturday night there will be a fireworks display on the summit of Herz Mountain and a torch light parade flowing like lava from the top of the mountain to the base lodge. Then still more Hawaiian music and followed by even later rhythm and blues music until 2 am. There is no cover charge for any of the performances. Reserve your room at the onsite upscale Timberline Resort Hotel and Suites so you don't miss any of the fun. (www.timberlineresort.com or email hotel@timberlineresort.com )

March 26-28
Locals Cup
Closing Weekend
This weekend features great high altitude West Virginia Allegheny Mountain skiing. West Virginia ramp specials in the Fireside Grill and mountain music West Virginia style. No Cover! Reserve early for your slopeside room at Timberline Resort Hotel and Suites. (www.timberlineresort.com)

I can understand the Closing Date...But last year TL could have been 100% open for T-Giving...There is money to be made early..not so much late.

Long live TL...But Bring on "Almost Heaven"...or at least Tory..Canaan ski area?...Fo get about it....

Is the early season-late season dynamic really true in these parts? I know that in Colorado where I grew up, it was indeed common to have hundreds or thousands of people show up to ski down one ribbon of manmade on one run in late October, while in late April and May the entirely covered, warm and corn-snow laden ski areas would be nearly empty. Is it the case in the mid-Atlantic that there is real demand (not just people on DCSki) for skiing in November? I sort of think that people around here think of skiing as a Christmas, January and February exercise.

Norsk, I would hazard to guess that there would be more demand for Thanksgiving skiing than Easter skiing because of the pent-up anticipation among ski enthusiasts. But around here the conventional wisdom is that it's unrealistic to push for Thanksgiving skiing. The weather is just too uncooperative across most mid-Atlantic ski hills, especially the lower elevation areas. Even in the occasional years when there is sufficient cold November temps across the region to make enough snow to open a few runs, we're very likely to get a significant warm spell in December that would wipe out the effort. Having said that, Snowshoe WV seems to often try for Thanksgiving openings, I don't know how big a draw they are. They have one of the longest winters in the area. Wisp, MD is very aggressive about good manmade coverage for their annual Birthday Weekend celebration, which occurs in early to mid-Dec. This event features deeply discounted lift tickets (and lodging) and it can draw nice crowds when the conditions are good.

...I'd settle for a mid Jan opener if it meant they were going to put some pads on those old pieces of *&^& plastic orange chairs and stop grooming all the pow pow....ah with the first bitch about t-slime out of the way this season, it really is starting to feel like fall...

anyway, I wouldn't get to fired up about a dec 10th opener...that's a lot sooner than what I've been hearin'...

Hear..HEAR!!...It wouldn't take too much to make us regulars happy!

Thanks Colonel. But, my question is where do I find the message center (or forum) on DCSki? I found this in "Recent Topics" but I can't find the forum where it was originally posted and I hate to be missing something.

Used to be that CV opened on t-giving as well as the shoe. Wisp just recently began to open in early December. The opening date doesn't bother me as much as the closing date. Normally (as in regular weather patterns) we will get the biggest and best snows in March and early April. I guess the problem is that most folks are planting potatoes and peas and not thinking superior skiing conditions in warmer weather of late season. Regardless, I'm stoked and ready for the first turns.

I'm just upset because it messes up my Jack Frost plans!!!

I think this decision is short sited. They are taking two weeks off the attraction of their slopeside hotel, seriously doubt they'll get much play if they're not open so it sits empty for two more weeks than it did last year.

Lot's of talk on other forums about people staying closer to home instead of flying west this year, a bit of marketing goes a long way.

uh, Jimmy.... you said marketing? u no boy scouts don't stay in the new hotel. They stay in the luxery hi-rizers across the parkin lot.