I went to WISP this weekend with the plan to ski both Friday and Saturday - and I was disappointed and only ended up skiing Friday. The staff was super nice, but the runs were just not very good (compared to the area, not to the north/west areas). The blues were more greens and they all seemed to have long flat areas where I was forced to push myself along with my poles. I can see that, maybe, for greens, but for blues I want an uninterrupted flow down the mountain. Also, the two blacks in the middle of the mountain are steep but dump to a really long flat area - almost like a sledding hill - so I was again pushing myself along.

It was just disappointing. I am thinking I will try seven springs and timberline next. Are they better in this regard?

Sorry to hear..I believe you authored a post last week asking about Wisp. You had some encouraging responses along with some about the wind, but none really negative. I briefly considered a more pessimistic "really? are you sure?" reply. Sorry I didn't.

It's a great place for beginners. Beyond that, I find it has no appeal (although it does have a bar - there's a positive!). Have not been to 7S or TL, but I sense you'll enjoy TL. I hope to make it there soon myself. Pathetic that I haven't.

You should have driven an hour south to Timberline to ski on Saturday. Fall line skiing 1000 vertical feet and Saturday was sunny and warm with packed powder. College racing on White Lightning, some really good action two competitions in the terrain park. Our blue trails are like the blacks at the wisp only longer and there is plenty of ungroomed, if you are looking for more challenging terrain in the mid-atlantic check us out.

Admittedly, there is nothing extremely challenging at Wisp, and there are a few awkward flat spots, but I usually enjoy the decent variety of intermediate-advanced runs, lower crowds compared to some ski areas closer to DC, and superb grooming. Did you ski beside the Mainstreet Chair over by the lake? Did you ski the two or three runs directly down the North Camp chairlift fall line? What about The Face, Devil's Drop and Squirrel Cage, the steeper runs on the front face of the mtn in front of the lodge?
What other mountains have you skied in the mid-Atlantic? Timberline is better for tougher runs, so is Blue Knob, and Snowshoe.

All jokes aside, Timberline has 1000 feet of vertical, and even though a few slopes in Snowshoe have 1500, you will immediately notice that TLine's slopes are more consistant than 20 resorts I can think of.
Upper White Lightning is Black, Lower White Lightning trail is blue... but you'll get a 1000 vertical and won't find yourself "pushing" on poles.
TLine is known for it very steady slopes.
Nothing is perfect, you'll find flows here too... but the skiing is really nice.

Sorry you had a bad time at Wisp. Like JimK, I have always had a decent time there, even on multi day trips, understanding Wisp's limitations. Every resort has its issues, even TL. While TGV is correct that the runs at TL are very consistent, like Wisp, the more serious blacks have annoying traits--OTW is fairly short and drops on to the flat green Sally making the run still enjoyable, but less so, on a weekend like this past one where the west wind and the wind chill were a factor. The Drop has a similar issue, it gets flat pretty quickly also, and (to me) the ungroomed whales become more of a nuisance once the slope tames and it to eventually flattens out to a green. The blue run Twister has its flats when it drops on to Winterset,. The slopes are all great but they are limited in number, Elk skis 2X TL to me (even tho it may actually not be) with many more consistently steep runs of 900 plus vertical and more bumps than TL. But Elk has issues, crappy annual snowfall, no out of bounds opportunities, the cart ride from the parking area to the slopes, and lodge issues similar to TL

But make no mistake, the tree-glade skiing at TL is phenomenal and IMHO better than anywhere in the Mid-A (Elk for sure and even BK because snows don't consistently deliver up there). My family and I had a fantastic time at TL this past weekend. We also had a great weekend at Wisp on MLK. Perhaps I could be accused of never being to a ski area I didn't like.

Loved the trees this weekend at TL, the great snow conditions, the horrible ineptly designed lodge, slow lifts (with plastic seats), clear blue skies, Penn State ski team all on The Drop at the same time, ambience upslope snow, the zero degree temps, and the below zero windchill. Great time and can't wait to go back.

Wisp has some steeper pitches than anything at Timberline. I know there are some lines in the trees at TL that are beyond my ability, but none of the pistes are as steep as the Face at Wisp, and there are some nice lines in the trees to skier's right of the Face. Probably other good stuff at Wisp, but I've only skied there twice and only the

Timberliners knocking the steepness of trails at other areas is funny. "Our blue trails are like the blacks at the wisp only longer..." Yeah, right.

I've never skied the black runs in the North Camp or Mainstreet area. From what I read here, I guess they aren't very steep, but both the Face and Squirrel Cage are steeper than any lift served marked trail in West Virginia.

I'd say Lower Shay's at Snowshoe is definitely steeper than Squirrel Cage and probably steeper than The Face (although that's a close one).

Although The Face is the only slope in the mid-Atlantic that history has shown to put skiers at risk of being caught up in an avalanche.

http://www.onthesnow.com/news/a/4920/avalanche-hits-wisp-resort-in-maryland-no-injuries

Not so sure that the Face is as steep as the doubles at TL. I will confess that i think the top of the right side of the Face is steeper than anything (with snowmaking) at TL, but Google Earth says otherwise. I tried to measure headwalls only and this is of course unscientific but an attempt to be objective, but is fairly useless.

Face from top to control fence 813 feet, 261 of vert slope is 32.1%

squirell cage top to bottom 1367 feet 361 of vertical 26.4%

Main Street top of headwall and highline pass to bottom 1311 feet 419 of vertical slope is 31.9%

OTW top of headwall after closed terrain signs on right to Sally, 886 feet 352 of vert is 39.7%. I measured this one twice.

Drop lift exit station to bottom of headwall 1078 feet 420 of vert 38.9%

WL catwalk to catwalk 1932 feet 615 of vert 31.8%

Thunderstruck top to mid station 2117 feet 601 feet 28.3%.

At Whitetail I measure Bold as 1948 feet at 689 of vert for 35.37%

Exhibition is 2248 feet at 748 feet of vert for 33.27%

I have never skied lower shays so i did not try to measure it.

IMHO steepest thing i have skied in the mid A is the skiers left side of upper gunbarrel at Roundtop, but of course it is very short.

Doing the math like you're doing, here's what I'm coming up with for Lower Shays

From the top of the headwall to where it mellows out (beginning of dogleg) is 934ft with 430 feet of vert, making it roughly 46%.

I actually think whitetail has the most consistent pitch, especially their blacks. The last 250 vertical feet of TL is all 'green'. That being said, I still prefer TL.

Are you talking about the two blacks shown in the video that David posted in this thread? They lead down to the main lodge. I've only skied Wisp once before, but I never noticed any major problem there.

If we are talking about the same slopes, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Timberline, Canaan Valley, Blue Knob, Roundtop all have comparable, if not worse, run-outs on many of the black trails.

When is the last time you had your skis waxed and tuned?

I agree that Wisp is vertically challenged and is annoyingly flat *at the top*, but there are some nooks and crannies to that place that should entertain any advanced skier. SCWVA swears by the place, and he can rip.

Did you try any of the bump and tree runs?

Thanks for everyone's replies - I appreciate the tips (I think TL is next on my list) and I didnt mean to complain about Wisp, I just wanted to share my experience.

Try this for steep and consistant:
TLINE: Silver Streek, Thunderdraft
WHITE GRASS: Bald Knob (actually steeper, but short)
Tomorrow morning special:
No complaints forecast for lift rides... Earn your turns (climb a hill)
Greelantern: don't worry - we are actually REALLY nice.

I think the discussion pretty much speaks for itself. Those of us who hibernate at t-line during the season do it for a reason. On any given day, the runs give you something different and special. Last year, the drop became my amusement park. What a ride! Each line through the bumps and whales was an entirely new experience on each run. Those who complain about the run out and the slow lifts must not be doing the advanced terrain all day. You it all day and the next becomes rather difficult due to rubber legs. The lift rides gives the latic acid time to disapate.

I call BS on that one. Sorry K-Will. If someone needs that much time to recover after a single run (even top to bottom OD or CB), time to consider a new sport or order a lung transplant.

It is incredible how much difficult skiing someone can get in at Whitetail in 4.5 hours. Plus, there is no (frontside) run off T-Line (trees or not) that is more taxing on the body than a run down Exhibition at Whitetail when it is fully bumped up. The Drop is very easy on the body by comparison.

I used to be a big fan of Wisp back in the day when you could do laps on Squirrel Cage. It was especially good for night skiing and spring skiing. The lift used to stop at the top of Squirrel Cage and the Face, now goes beyond into flatness. A lot of skating involved for the same fun.

Wisp seem to be colder and more exposed than CV and TL. 7S has the short pitches on the front which are fun. Wisp appeal to me is that you can bring a big group and everyone has a place to ski.

It hasn't been the same since they replaced the rope tow with a Poma in '58.

Winter 1955/56: Recreational Industries, Inc. is formed, offering the first winter of skiing. Marsh Mountain, a cow pasture owned by a local farmer, becomes a makeshift ski area. A one room hut with a potbellied stove is the lodge and ski equipment is rented out of the back of a pickup truck. One slope with a rope tow is opened on the area known as The Face.

That was unexpected, made me almost laugh out loud.

Too Funny! My Father-in-Law has been saying the same thing for years.

The Family and I will be skiing WISP this Sunday & Monday, maybe Tuesday. Please stay away because.......WISP - Not too Fun.........