So, the wife and I are going to snowshoe for a couple days in late January, but want to go somewhere to take a lesson and spend a day learning to ski over teh new years weekend. Home are is Manassas,VA (northern VA), and wanted to go somewhere probably we could check in on Dec 30th, take a lesson and ski all day the 31st, and if the resort had something to do on NYE's, do that, and more than likely come back home on the 1st. I dont really want to drive further than 3-3.5hours which leaves Bryce, WhiteTail, liberty, Masanutten, Wintergreen, Timberline, Canaan Valley, and maybe Seven Springs. Wife has never skied before, I did growing up but its been 15 years. I would prefer a place that has a hotel on the resort, but am not opposed to staying off the mountain as long as the hotel isnt to far away...

Which place has the best ski school and what I am looking for? Also, the wife and I are not drinkers, so thats not needed NYE'...

Any ideas?

Tough question. It's not that one ski school is any better than another (I'm partial to t-line since I teach there) but you may have difficulty finding lodging at this late date close to any resort. Our ski school at t-line has a super mix of instructors and really decent beginning terrain with salamander (2 mi long) our claim to fame. However, all the ski areas mentioned have good learning terrain with the exception of snowshoe so it's good to do the initial never ever thing now. Bryce is good for beginners and close to home for you. Whitetail may be a zoo over the holidays and I can't speak for liberty. Wintergreen will have the crowds as well. Massanutten is good and I'm peresonal friends with the ski school director and know that he would have good instructors as well.
Anybody else out there wanna make a call for the guy?

...I can't say much about the lowland resorts...but for real snow country I would second Timberline...I have worked at several ski schools in the Mid - A over the last 15 years and I would say Timberline's ski school blows the rest away for many reasons including but not limited to low student to teacher ratios, quality of instructors, and ongoing training of instructors....especially if you are looking to learn to snowboard...timberline has some world class snowboard instructors who are trained by some real classy folks ...be prepared for some crowds whereever you go that time of year...and remember to tip your instructor if you have a good time

I'll give a non-CV biased answer (sorry Tucker and Kwill):

I would eliminate Whitetail and Liberty, not because I don't like them, but WT has nothing to offer from the resort end of things (sit down restaurant, etc.), and Liberty is booked (or so I hear). And while all of the resorts will be crowded, these two will be especially crowded.

TL/CV are both a good option, but frankly I am not sure you need to make that drive with a never/ever along for the ride. But it is true that Sally and Timber Trail are two of the top 5 beginner runs in the Mid-A, and conditions over there are excellent right now (but so are they closer to DC as well--albeit man made).

Bryce is actually an interesting option, small mountain and not a far drive, could be less crowds, or not---may be just the ticket.

I think Mass. and WTG are also excellent choices and I would give a slight edge to Mass. perhaps for the never/ever---this is because at WTG you will be stuck on the Blue Ridge Express all weekend to ski greens, and this lift and slopes will be mobbed for sure.

So this is a really hard pick.

I need to add one more piece of advice regardless of where you go. Give yourself plenty of time to pick up rental equipment. You'll find that you will have a better selection in the AM unless you pick it up the night before. If you go to the Canaan Valley area I recommend renting at the Ski Barn on Rt 32 in the Blackwater Center just south of Timberline Road. Better equipment and the folks there know something about equipment.

Go the weekend after New Year's eve. It will be a lot less crowded (important for a newbie and someone who hasn't been on the slopes in 15 years), you'll save a lot of money, and you'll actually book a hotel relatively close to the slopes.

If you do ski over NYE weekend, Jan 1st AM will be the least crowded.

..John's advise is really the best...except for mine about tipping the instructor..it's going to be a zoo everywhere except for the morning of the 1st when everyone is hung...becasue of the ridiculous crowds the period between xmas and new years is kindly known as "hell week" in the ski industry...

Come on over to Canaan Valley Resort. We have whole molehill dedicated to beginners and I can pretty much guarantee that you won't be standing in much of a lift line the entire time. Timber Run should also be open which is the green from the top of the main area. A little smaller, a little cheaper, but a lot less crowded! (:^O)>>>

Snowshoe is probably out as too far and 100% booked (but there may always be a last minute cancel'n). Too bad as it is huge and was 75% open days ago. Silver Creek is never crowded.

Forget WhiteTail, Liberty, etc. - too small and PACKED.

I vote for Seven Springs 'cause it's the only place you will find plenty of adjacent lodging (Bedford & Sommerset).

Like JohnL said - Xmas/New Years is mad - after that it's wide open.

I am leaning towards Canaan Valley right now, seems nice, and i can get a hotel room still at the Lodge... just about 3hours from where i live and I hear good things

i ended up booking at Canaan for no other reason other than I was able to get a room on the mountain for just those 2 days at a decent enough price... Timberline was a close 2nd as was Seven Springs, If I didnt have a trip planned to Snowshoe in a month, Seven Springs would have won this time.

Thanks for all the help guys, cant wait to get up on the mountain for 2 good days.

A room on the mountain at Canaan Valley Resort?
Really?
Where would that be?

On the website, it says they have a Lodge... How far away from the Ski Area is the lodge?

I would suggest Canaan Valley for it's beginner terrain which is off to one side and has its own lift. Appropriate terrain that is uncrowded is one of the most important considerations for a never ever. Both Salamander and Timber trail have a double fall line for much of their length. (The "fall line", direction in which a beach ball would roll with no wind, does not follow the trail.) Instead it falls off to one side into the woods. This can be very challenging for beginners and when there are big crowds also leads to the snow being scraped off and icy. CV's beginner slope is free of this "feature" and is nicely pitched and of an appropriate length for a first time ever skier.

The Lodge is a couple miles from the ski slopes. They provide a free shuttle bus, I think.

damn, i wish the lady on the phone or their website would have posted that... Thats disappointing...

It's 2-3 miles and it's easy, even if you drive yourself.

I can't believe that you went to Canaan Valley?!
Alright... don't worry - it's okay.
Here's what you'll need to do:
1) wake up 30 minutes earlier.
2) get in your car for total freedom.
3) ski day one at Canaan Ski Area.
4) repeat, but ski all other days at Timberline - get there early for great parking (SLOPE SIDE).
5) ignore all of this & enjoy skiing - it's going to be a fantastic week starting tomorrow morning

I am a relative newbie myself (started skiing in 2007) and actually went to Canaan Valley and Timberline for my 3rd ski trip. Here's my honest opinion about the resort. Keep in mind that I didn't ski the whole mountain and the weather was terrible (freezing rain) on the day of our visit.

Initially, I was looking at Timberline because they had a great deal for a 3-night stay and 3 days of skiing package, but my friends can only do two nights. I proceeded to look elsewhere and came upon Canaan Valley.

The first thing the lady told me was how they were voted one of the best resorts in the Mid-Atlantic. I was sold! We booked the "Ski the Valley" deal where we can ski Canaan Valley one day and Timberline the next.

While the beginning area of Canaan Valley is on the right hand side of the mountain and it's secluded, the walk from the lodge to the base of the mountain is a killer from my memory. I ski-skated up 1/4 of the way and had to take my skis off to walk up the rest of the way. I was clearly out of breath by the end of the ordeal! I took a lesson and since I was a level 3/4 at the time (self-rated), I was the only one in my group and basically got a private lesson for the price of a group lesson. The instruction was quite good and he even made me ski down something that was way beyond my comfort level but I felt more confident in my ability in the end.

I liked the experience and the instruction, but I found Canaan Valley to be quite misleading. The "lodging area" is about 2-3 miles off. It feels more like a motel than a ski lodge. Furthermore, their number of runs are inflated. I remember they broke up one run into 2-3 different ones. While we all had a great time, I came away disappointed in Canaan Valley as a destination ski resort.

The following day, we went to Timberline and it was night and day. The lodging was slopeside! I actually loved Salamander for its length and the fact that it was pretty wide in some areas. Even though it was a green trail, I actually felt like I was skiing because of its length and I didn't have to keep going back on the chair lift every 1:30 minute.

I know you were just asking for advice and since I'm a newbie, I don't have the wealth of information that most posters do at dcski.com. However, I do remember my early days of skiing and I definitely prefer Timberline over Canaan Valley if you're heading that way already.

Hope you have a great trip and let us know how it goes!

Darwin

As I said, i only went with CV as they had 2nights room available at the lodge for a good price.

I am a little worried about the weather on the 31st and 1st now since it seems to be warm and rainy

Think Positive...
I'll be there also...always an enjoyable place, regardless of weather. Hopefully any rain will stay away over New Years weekend...otherwise base is more than sustainable for a little spring skiing...albeit perhaps a bit mushy.
The Colonel