I'm looking into doing a one-night overnight somewhere less than about 3.5 hours from D.C.

I do Whitetail for day trips, which is adequate for that purpose, but I'm definitely looking for something of higher quality. (For that reason I'm also taking the Virginia resorts off the ballot, along with Ski Roundtop and Ski Liberty.)

Right now the ones I'm considering are: Wisp, Canaan Valley, Timberline, Blue Knob. Anything I should add?

This would be for a trip driving up on Thursday night and skiing Friday. Looking for something with nearby affordable lodging and reasonable weekday lift tickets. We're a group of intermediate skiers but definitely would like some black-diamond options.

Any opinions?

If you're talking about the near future, you'll probably need to get on an airplane.

BlueKnob, all interstate highway drive, easy to find a cheap hotel in Bedford, eat dinner at Ed's Steakhouse, 20-30 minute drive to ski, their terrain is kind of unique in this area, really steep bumps and if conditions permit glades, they even have a bowl of sorts.

Timberline, last hour of drive will be on two lane, you can stay at Canaan Valley Lodge, eat dinner there or at timbers pub, siriani's, 5 minute drive to ski. Conditions at timberline will be better than BlueKnob period. Best glade skiing in the mid-atlantic, good terrain for intermediate & advanced skiers, honest 1000' vertical.

I'm talking about late January -- crossing my fingers that conditions will be OK by then. Trying to think about lodging reservations ahead of time.

It sounds like your endorsement would be for Timberline then? (Also, from what I'm reading everyone seems to wholeheartedly prefer Timberline to nearby Canaan Valley, huh?)

Canaan reminds me of Liberty or Roundtop with better snow.

All right then Canaan is now on my NO list.

Well, if you can change your dates to arrive Sunday night and ski Monday....Wisp's all day lifts on Mondays are $29. That's tough to beat.

How is Wisp compared to the other options I mentioned? I haven't been to any of them.

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How is Wisp compared to the other options I mentioned? I haven't been to any of them.

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For the DC crowd Wisp is like driving 3.5 hours to Liberty.

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For the DC crowd Wisp is like driving 3.5 hours to Liberty. [/quote]

Yikes, not a ringing endorsement. I've heard such varied opinions about Wisp. One friend of mine said it was the best within "reasonable" driving distance to D.C... I've heard other people absolutely pan it. I feel like the only way I'm going to get an accurate read is to try it out myself.

If you are talking about a weekday, I'd add (maybe 4.25 hour or so drive) Snowshoe, Elk, Blue and Sno Mountain to the consideration list. Search the forums for trip reports/reviews on those areas.

Wisp:
Con's:
- Vertically challenged
- Crowded on weekends.

Pro's:
- Generally very good snow (MM and natural)
- Several different sections to the area (which gives it a much bigger feel)
- Some interesting (though short) terrain
- Local area ammenities are a bit more upscale than the other areas being discussed (YMMV and you may be looking for more rustic)

I think, since we are talking about only one night for the overnight (meaning, only one day of skiing), we don't want to spend all of our time in the car. Over four hours is when you start to really feel the drive, in my opinion.

Trying to keep things fairly simple and as far as I can tell Wisp, Blue Knob, Canaan and Timberline seem to be the options there. Maybe Seven Springs but I've been there already and want to try something new.

I can see I'm going to get a RANGE of opinions on this forum, though!

Wisp - the terrain is fairly interesting, pitch is good and snow making excellent. A bit on the small side at 600'vert though.

Timberline - Terrain is really interesting, pitch is really good and 1,000' of vert. Elevation keeps it covered well.

Blueknob - You better time it during or immediately after a blizzard unless you like skiing rocks and ice. BK's biggest drawback is lack of snow making.

Never skied Canaan....too small for my tastes. If I'm there, I'm skiing Tline.

This past winter I had a better time skiing Canaan than Timberline. Granted I skied Timberline on a Monday (holiday) when it was crowded and a little icy and skied Canaan on a Tuesday, we had the place to ourselves with 6 inches of fresh snow overnight. It was the best day of skiing I've had in my limited (two winters and southern/mid atlantic) skiing career. Also Canaan often has good lift and lodging deals, we got lodging and lift tickets for two for $99. All of that to say that if I were to make the drive and had two days I would ski one day at each. However if you only have one day Timberline is probably a little better.
I think the main trouble with Wisp is being vertically challenged. That being said I plan to go back on their Hero's day to ski for free in January.

Right now solely based on the input in this thread I'm leaning toward Timberline.

Bias alert: I'm a Timberline homeowner. But that's also my point. We chose to buy at Tline over the others because, despite the "rustic charm," it has the best terrain in the Mid-A in my opinion (though BK has its devotees), generally reliable snow coverage when nature gives them ANYTHING to work with, honest big vert for this area across the whole mountain (1000' for real, not 1000' for Wintergreen) and semi-avoidable crowds if you know when/where to ski (hints: plan to ski all day Sunday, use the upper lift).

icy??? The past two years you had to really look for any ice, unless you night ski and then that's what to expect. I've skied all the mentioned areas and a few not mentioned. For a 3hr or less drive after some cold weather and say a lake effect event t-line in Cannan Valley is the best for big mountain feel. Warning...Warning... don't expect posh or even comfortable conditions at the base lodge. When folks call it rustic, it's at WV standards which is more rustic than anywhere else. But if you want the best snow covered terrain (sorry BK) it's t-line. We don't call it a skier's mountain for nothing. I admittedly have bias too. After home mountains at Massanutten and Snowshoe my choice is t-line and have been a homeowner for 17 years too.
Canaan, on a powder day has it's up side too. I've skied there after a pow dump and skied fresh lines all day. You just need to know where to look of course that's to be said for anywhere.

Do you all think this sounds like a decent plan for Timberline or would you suggest modifications:

1. Drive up (from D.C.) Thursday after dinner. Sleep somewhere cheap.
2. Ski most of the sunlit hours on Friday.
3. Leave early evening Friday to return to D.C.

It would work. I suggest you look at what's happening weatherwise and what they have been able to get open. Finding rooms on a non-holiday week night shouldn't be a problem. I think the cheapest rooms would be at the Village Inn which is in the heart of the valley and less than 10 minutes away from skiing.
Also, you will get great conditions after a cold front/clipper system rolls through. Down side on that is the whiteout conditions on the drive up into the highlands. Check some the other threads on that subject.
I suggest timing your trip to coincide with a weather event.

Fact check:

Check your topos on that claim. TL is not "1000 for real" IMHO. Just a little short (perhaps a 100 feet or so assuming a crowd around the lodge). Not saying TL is not the better resort, with full vertical utilization, compared to WTG, but in fairness to TL, the Highlands is a full 1000 with a HS six.

But, not real snow, no trees, no frosted spruce up top, etc. etc.

t-slime has the best terrain, best surface conditions, least amount of crowds, best ski school, and coolest locals in the mid-A...if you are just grabbing a room somewhere and don't have to book in advance then watch the weather and some of the unbiased snow reports on this web site and head up during the mid-week...there are NO crowds there during mid week/non holidays EVER...years like this could be hit or miss for terrain until early feb. unless it starts dumpin'..if you eat in the lodge cafeteria and tell them you're a boyscout or belong to a church youth group the owner will bus your table for you..

Better idea. Take Thurs PM off. Leave 1-2 PM from DC. Arrive ~4-6 PM in the Highlands. Relax and enjoy yourself. Get up early Fri AM well-rested for a full day of skiing.

I can drive from Annandale, VA to T-Line in about 3 hrs non-rush hour. I know most curves in the road and weather spots like the back of my hand. I also know some shortcuts and alternate routes to take based on weather.

Your original plan is an invitation for a miserable experience unless you have the endurance of Cal Ripken or the luck of a lottery winner. Say you leave DC area around 7 PM. You'll still likely hit residual rush hour traffic to either Frederick or Manassas (depending upon your route.) With remnants of rush hour, darkness, unfamiliar roads, a likely wrong turn, and possible toughish weather, your 3-3.5 hour drive can easily turn into 4-5 hour drive. You could be arriving at 11 at night (or much later.)

The roads in the WV highlands are dark, confusing, lonely and often subject to dangerous weather. You are at 3,000 feet elevation. There are very few people I'd trust to drive there happily the first time late at night.

Ha well... as a 30-year-old woman I might have some trouble with either of those lies but particularly the Boy Scout one. Could give it a try though!

well that's even easier...just head up to the bar and one of the ski instructors will bus your table + buy you a beer...John L has solid advise about the drive, especially if is snowing or has been in the last few days...you don't want to drive up here at night for the first time...I've lived up here for 15 years and still avoid that drive at night in the winter...

Also, the last 15 minutes or so of the Blue Knob drive can be pretty dicey. But that's more related to steep snowy rutted roads right at the mountain (lodge is at the top of the mountain.) You are more likely to get stuck on that drive, but it is only the very last section that I'd worry about.

I assume you have a car that is decent in snow and the driver has decent snow driving skills? (4WD not necesarily required.) Whitetail and Seven Springs are relatively easy drives in adverse weather compared to the other areas.

Good to know about the tricky driving to Timberline area (and Blue Knob) at night. I suppose we should shift our trip to leave crack of dawn Fri morning, ski during the day, stay the night Saturday and leave in the morning...? Less appealing because it seems like a waste to be driving during daylight hours but I also don't want to die going up there, so...

The goal is to catch some weekday skiing (lower prices/crowds) and only have to pay for one overnight. Friday seems necessary due to work scheduling stuff.

Ha! I knew that would get a response. And of course you're right about the Highlands. Legit 1000'. (I think Tline is close enough for govt work, admittedly measuring from the tippie top of the patrol shack at the summit to the parking lot below the lower lift.) My point was in the phrase "across the whole mountain." Highlands terrain doesn't do much for me, personally (YMMV) but more to the point, its only a portion of WTG. Rest of WTG is a midget version of Liberty, if memory serves. Tline skies 1000 or 950 or 900 or whatever you prefer across the whole hill.

I've done Blue Knob for day trips numerous times (though on weekends so I don't hit the AM rush hour traffic.) Under 3 hrs from Annandale (add more if you're downtown). Back by 8 PM. (Last year Blue Knob opened at 10 AM on weekdays; you'll want to look that up.) Wisp and Blue Knob are the limits for my day trips.

I'm in a ski house at Timberline. The last few years, I've regularly left my house at 6 AM, arrived by ~9 AM, and was on the chair by 9:15. But I know the drill and have a season's pass.

One more option to consider if you want to drive mostly at night and maximize daylight skiing. Drive via I-68 to MD 219 and stay in Oakland near Wisp. Drive the last hour or so to Timberline in the AM (daylight). That is a slightly longer route, but it is the preferred rough weather route for a couple of people I know. Drive back via a more direct route (you may still have a bit of daylight during the first part of your return trip.)

PR, if you start driving home Friday afternoon (say by 3:30), you should have daylight enough to get you down off the Canaan Valley plateau and onto better roads with better conditions. Then, if you take your time, the going should be OK unless a snowstorm hits. In that case, find a motel and ski a second day, maybe at Whitetail on the way home.

As someone who didn't grow up in the Mid-Atlantic or driving to Blue Knob or the Canaan Valley (for CV or T-line), I agree wholeheartedly with what's been said about watching the weather when you drive west to these Allegheny Front ski areas. Watching the discussions on the DCSki.com forums has helped me a great deal in choosing a driving route and well as choosing a ski area.

Every place is great after a powder dump, but Blue Knob requires good snow to be a good experience. I love it when conditions are "on". If bad weather looms, consider Wisp ... the roads aren't nearly as treacherous, nor the driving as tricky, as heading for T-line/CV or Blue Knob.

Woody

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Tline skies 1000 or 950 or 900 or whatever you prefer across the whole hill. [/quote]

Fully agree, and emphasize again the snow conditions and the trees.

Hmmm interesting that you do day trips to Blue Knob and Wisp. I've always scratched them off the list because it just sounds too far -- I'm wary of exhausting myself with a 3+-hour drive, hours of skiing, then back home. But I have several Wednesdays off in the winter so I'm always looking into stuff. So far Whitetail has seemed my best bet, however mediocre it is. (Reminder that I'm coming from NW Washington D.C.)

What do you mean by "I'm in a ski house at Timberline"? (Curious because the trip to the slopes takes you nearly 3 hours?)

Live in Northern Virginia. Head to Timberline most every weekend. Several of us share a winter rental house 10 minutes from the lifts.

Instead of heading up Friday PM, I often head up Sat AM.

Wisp is really under a 3:00 drive. I did it in 2:40 each way, would have been shorter if I hadn't stopped, on Sunday for a day trip from Arlington. It was a long day but 20 minutes closer helps a little.

PR,

Another benefit of timberline is the presence of a dedicated core of regulars. But you can probably tell that from all of the feedback you have gotten. There will always be people on the scene who can give you the scoop on what conditions are really like. If you ever get a chance to ski with this crowd you will be guaranteed a great day of skiing.

If you do ever get a chance to take a multi-day visit to the valley, you might want to consider a day at Canaan Valley Ski Area. While I agree with the general consensus of TL > CV, CV is a fun area in its own right. More flat areas where poling is required, sure, and generally not as steep, but still really good on a powder day.

As one of those "dedicated regulars" who tends to be considered almost a "local", I check the Whitegrass web site and Chip's daily report. Much more accurate than anything else going. He also has up to date chatter on the happenings in the valley. I like to keep up with all aspects of the valley, alpine, free-heelers, and the nords. We originally went there for the skiing, but keep going back because of the people and life style (and skiing).

There's obviously a lot I don't know about this scene/culture.

I've been skiing since I was a little kid, mostly in this region... but only last year at the age of 29 did I have that "Oh my God, skiing is AMAZING" epiphany moment. Winter has traditionally been my least favorite time of year, kind of a downer of a season for me, but I realized I could use skiing as an excuse to finally appreciate it and get excited for it. The same way I feel about swimming in the ocean in the summer.

In other words, I want to do some more exploring in this region and I'll probably be lurking around this board a lot.

You had better listen to these folks. They are not kidding about making the drive for the first time to TL in the dark.

However, as for the claim you have to look hard to find ice at TL, well, maybe I just got lucky but I have had no trouble finding it in my 2 trips there. I do have to say it is the best skiers mountain in the area. I would mention the slow as dog-$&*t lifts but that along with my ice remark will just piss off the locals.

As for WTG...if you are looking to rack up vertical, doing 1000'laps with a high speed lift is sort of nice. However, it is a nice place but definitely a different place when the Highlands are closed. Ski the Highlands in the morning on a weekday for WTG.

I grew up skiing at Wintergreen and made a trip there last February. I honestly don't know about that place. I can see how the Highlands would be awesome on a weekday morning. But since it's too far for a day trip for me, I'm mostly limited to weekends and it's hell then -- way too expensive for what it is, and really crowded.

I don't know of a single human being (except for Doc) who doesn't think that the Timberline lifts are the slowest lifts known to man and need to be improved ASAP.

Timberline and Canaan Valley have by far the least icy conditions in the Mid Atlantic. But you will get occasional icy days there. Nature happens. And the blues will be pretty scraped off at the end of a busy day. But, they are much less scraped off than Whitetail, Liberty, Roundtop, Seven Springs, Wisp, Blue Knob, Snowshoe, etc., etc.

Hey! Don't get me wrong. There is plenty of ice to go around, even at t-line. What I was implying is that the past two seasons has had such great conditions, I thought I was skiing out west. You would ski ice last season in the middle of the groomers where it had been scraped off. That's why in the afternoon we stuck to the trail edges or better any trees we could venture into. I got into waist deep pow-pow in the trees just about everywhere. Now for the intermediate, I suggest getting first chair and hitting it hard until your legs give out. That way you get the best conditions.

I will also comment about doing the drive at night. In winter black ice can ruin the day for even the most experienced winter time drivers. I take the southern route (33) and know every spot where black ice lurks. Caution is necessary, even if the roads appear dry and I have AWD. If it's above freezing and therre has been rain, the fog can bring you to a dead stop even if you know the road by heart. It's that vertigo thing, like skiing in fog or heavy snow.

Generally, folks on this forum tend to not recommend Snowshoe and I can see why. The price is steep at $79 on the weekend but right now they have the most coverage south of VT. You can actually drive to Snowshoe in 3.5 hours from NOVA and I did it many times when the road condition is great.

I used to go to Snowshoe more often when I was able to buy lift tickets from Costco (about $60 per ticket) and use buy-one-get-one-free AMEX deal a few years back but they don't have it anymore! The cheapest weekend lift ticket I can find these days is $73 at local ski shop.


I think it's still worth going to Snowshoe and fun can be had if you know how to utilize your time there and know how to avoid the crowds. I would probably spend the first 2 hours on the basin side immediately after they drop the rope (The basin side will become a zoo very quickly and the ballhooter lift around noon is a nightmare) and move to Soaring Eagle lift and then spend the afternoon at the Western Territory. Another secret gem is riding at Silver Creek during the day and the two black trails there are almost never crowded and usually in great condition.

No doubt about the ice at other resorts JohnL. I can think of one slower lift...that quad at Elk should have an in-flight movie.

I am just crabby because I will soon be skiing 300' verticals and dodging cows in Indiana. We will make it fun though. Truth be told, TL looks like my best bet for road trips from Indy.

Seriously? I didn't think it was possible to move slower.

Except for the no tree skiing policy, I've heard good things about Elk.

Alternative to put you at ease for the first time in the area of Canaan Valley:
Take a sick day (Wed) and leave at 5am Wed.
The last hour of your drive should be during daylight hours.
Roads should be well plowed by then.
Arrive at the resort by 8:45am Wed.
Ski Timberline (Wed)
Ski Canaan Valley (Thu) - bring a soup can, get $10 off your ticket.
Leave Thu late afternoon - get back into your comfortable bed by 9pm to recover.

You can expect better snow in Timberline & Canaan ski area than most other nearby places AND:
Less crowd - by a long shot.
More natural snow as mentioned earlier.

Timberline has a slow lift, but more terrain, steeper.
Canaan has less people, the lift is a little faster but no foot rest, the terrain not steep at all, but really fun even for advanced skiers.

Food:
Canaan ski area will have much better food on location.

Welcoming:
Canaan ski area will seem a lot more friendly if you are not skiing that much.

Other activities:
Ice skating, tubing, airboarding: Canaan.

Regular and good old fashion skiing:
If you may way laid back, and I mean totally laid back: Timberline is for skiers - but you have got to check out Canaan Valley because it's only 7 minutes away.

Having said all this:
I much prefer Timberline for its skiing and fully enjoy Canaan ski area, especially on powder days.

Powder days:
Timberline likes to groom everything - for as long that they have time.

Tickets & Info:
You can get a pass for both resorts and save money.
Ski The Valley pass.
www.canaanvalley.org (visitors' center & info)
www.visitcanaan.com (area info & tons of photos - updated every day)

Tree skiing:
It hasn't been mentioned yet, but Timberline has 2 new Glades Skiing cleared out and ready to be skied. 100's of man/woman hours spent this summer.

Grooming (final note):
The grooming at Timberline is generally a little better than Canaan. But again, do yourself a favor and try both. It's worth it.

The lifts are so slow and the chairs are so iced up, wet and cold that the lift attendants ride snowmobiles on shift changes instead of riding the lift!

If you are there on a day with a lift line never ride Doc's mighty quad, ride the doobie queen instead, both lifts are absurdly slow(understatment), but the quad has horribly "designed" ramps...to load the lift skiers must drop into the loading area going downhill right before getting on the chair(all the beginners fall and the lift chairs have to be stopped) and the unloading ramps were built too close to the bull wheel with not enough pitch (the chairs hit folks in the butt/knock them down before the ramp carries them away and the lift chair is stopped so they can get up)...both scenarios can turn an already ridiculous slow 15-17 min lift ride into a 20-25 min lift ride on a day with any sort of lift line...but the worst thing to me is the stupid plastic chairs...plastic is the worst surface for a lift chair, the chairs freeze solid w/ ice everytime it snows or they blow snow and when it is snowing and the chairs aren't a block of ice yet, a warm butt will quickly melt the snow and it will get you soaked and then freeze the chair when you get off...some sort of insulated vapor barrier butt pad is recommended when riding that piece of #$%# lift (you will notice a lot of the locals either wear butt pads on the inside or outside of their pants or carry them in there jackets to use on the lift)...watch out when you ride the doobie queen for hitting your head with the safety bar though...the safety bar on that lift was obviously constructed incorrectly and if you are over 5'6" or so you have to duck to not hit your head...

really when it is cold those slow lifts/cold chairs making dressing properly important there...it is not common to have negative windchills up top in the depths of winter here (I've been there on several -45 windchill days)...snow storms rarely ever come into the valley w/ out fierce winds, even with great layering, face protection, etc those slow lifts make taking more than 2-3 runs in row w/out going inside to warm up a painful task even when the surface conditions are excellent...I have skied all over the country/lived out west,blah, blah, blah, but have experienced some of the most brutal weather conditions here in canaan valley and riding a cold, slow lift compounds things quickly...

for the orange t-line lift I started carrying a butt pad in my jacket a few years ago...I use a small cutout section of that reflective bubble type insulation that you can pick up at lowes or home depot...it works quite well and folds up and fits in the jacket on the way down (I can't even notice it's in there)...by the way for a building application that stuff is a "snake oil" product, it provides a non-considerable amount of R-value for most applications...makes a good butt pad for Doc's mighty slow quad though...

all that being said, I still prefer t-line over any ohter Mid-A hill for the terrain, surface, and folks...but I am probably biased, I can do a trail count when I look out the window...

T-Line is undoubtedly the best in the area IMHO. Griping about lift speeds is just something to do because we CAN'T SKI.

I

On the lift issue, Elk vs. TL, I have a hard time picking the slower. I actually think the twin doibles at Elk are the slowest there but I think that the quad at TL is the overall winner in the mid-a.

TL and Elk compare very favorably to each other. The slow lifts mean uncrowded trails and like TL, you see a lot of good skiers on the mountain and many on teles. The no trees rule is an issue, but you will typically find more bumps at Elk and it feels about 1.5 times the size of TL. However, TLs runs feel a little longer to me. If you like steep groomers, you'll would probably find a little more variety at Elk. However, the conditions in the valley, and the other places to ski alpine and nordic, the backcountry, and other winter activities, make the valley the clear winner.

Tucker: let's write a book about the lifts. That was so classic, so well said, so funny... now I am crying!

I'm going to be honest, all the talk about the extremely slow lifts at TL is turning me off. I'd really really like to try TL, but for just a day of skiing I don't want to waste all the time freezing my a** off on the lift. My concern is not even for myself really but for my friends... I don't want them to be disappointed, since I'm the one orchestrating this trip.

With that in mind, is Canaan the better option for me and my friends? A reminder that we're a group of intermediate skiers. We definitely would like to be challenged and to ski on some diverse terrain, but we don't necessary need to have the option of super-difficult runs. Can someone give me a better picture of what Canaan is like?

Canaan might be a better option, but not because of the faster lift:
Their lift is faster, but only by 0.9 MPH (or something like that).
If you have friends with you, you may want to be at Timberline (foot rests are important) and you get to chat while you relax.
Canaan might be a better option if you want better food.

Hey Plateau

Don't let the lift talk turn you off on Timberline. I started the lift discussion but complaints about TL lifts are an annual occurrence. But so are complaints about other ski areas. Given your criteria and the things you have ruled out I don't see where else you will go. Tucker was making a point that no matter the issues TL is still the place to go.

Plateau, I agree with GRK. Several top-to-bottom blue runs to choose from at Timberline, and I like to slide over to Salamander to catch a break every once in a while. Yes, the lift at Canaan Valley is faster, but we're comparing snails and slugs here ... not much real difference.

In regard to Elk vs. Timberline, both would rank among my top 5 of the Mid-Atlantic. Would agree with KeithT on the comparison; more variety and more terrain at Elk vs. better snow at Timberline. Slow lifts at both, which keeps the runs less crowded and sends the masses to other areas with greater uphill capacity.

Woody
PS I enjoy Canaan, too, and try to ski there at least once a season, but T-Line is the clear front-runner. Catch your dinner at Siriani's pizza or Hellbender Burritos in Davis, or else make a reservation at White Grass.

If slow lifts turn you off, you will have a tough time being a Mid A skier or east coast skier for that matter, my beloved Smuggs is renowned for its prehistoric lifts. And if a place has a decent lift it is one out of 4 and the line will drive you to the backcountry $lowa$$ed lift where you will have an epic day. So dress warm, where a smile, stop for a beer or hot cocoa in a warming hut/lodge and just ski

My legs have never been fresh after a full day of skiing at Timberline.

Expect 12-13 minutes to ride up the lift each time, for approximately 1000 feet of vertical drop. (I've timed it several times over the years and I don't think I've timed a faster run than 11 minutes. I'm a season pass holder for several years now. I'd be curious if any of the regulars have timed an *honest unbiased* ride up the orange lift faster than 11 minutes.)

That translates to 3.5 runs or so per hour (depends upon how you get down the mountain.) You have to decide if that's enough skiing for you.

On a cold January day of around 10-15 degrees, the lift ride up can be brutal. But if you have a 25 degree day, no prob. February is generally warmer than January. And a Friday in early March at Timberline can be heaven.

I've skied all over Vermont, and I personally find the Timberline lifts to "ski colder" than a Vermont lift at a similar temp. Primarily because I'm skiing down a sheltered 2K foot bump or tree run in Vermont, and I'm sweaty at the bottom.

Despite the slow lifts, Timberline is my home mountain, so I think it has a lot to offer. I'm just being honest about what you can expect.

Are you considering the tree skiing at Timberline in that comparison? If you're only considering what's on the trail map, you haven't skied much of the mountain.

I've had plenty of days where I've only skied 1-2 runs on the trails, skiing 6+ hours in the woods.

(Hopefully the locals haven't gotten carried away over-thining some of the tree shots. They've done that in a few spots already.)

With a good snow year like we had the past two, there are lines at T-Line that would generally impress a Utah or Vermont local. And I've been averaging 10-15 days a year in Utah.

Drive an extra half hour and go to Elk Mountain....

Just for the record, I am more on the side than JohnL, than Otto. I ski both Elk and TL each year and love the time at both, but TL has bump, steep groomer, glade and tree options. Elk only bumps and steeps. I also enjoy nordic skiing so some time at WG, or even a quick glide out to Lindy Point add to the experience. Plus some ice skating at the Lodge and there is no comparison. I judge an area on what I have to pack for the weekend, and for the valley I pack everything. Elk is just not the same.

I may have said this before on another thread, with the valley you have two alpine areas, four nordic areas, the backcountry options, the average snowfall, etc. there really is no place south of NY with this much opportunity.

He's just jaded. We learned that last year.

PSIA

The lift actually has several speed settings...runs on middle/low range most of time I believe. For the snowy luau torch light parade lift ride the lift is set to a higher setting for sure, and I have been on chairs with people who timed the ride under/around 9 minutes. It could never be run at that speed for general public because of the onloading and offloading ramps situation and the attendants would actually have to "catch" the chairs ....running that old thing at high speed for an extended amount of time might make the hamsters in the power wheel tired too. I have also been in lessons on busy holidays where students have timed the ride at close to 25 minutes...extreme stop and go. All in all its best to ski mid week/non holiday...

Wonder if they will ever update that lift at T-line? I think I read form here or somewhere that the owner intend to keep it this way ?

I did a lot of Elk skiing last year. I think it is a toss up. Based on your statements doubt you are loking for tree skiing. I think you will have better luck finding nice lodging in canaan. Elk seems to be more geared to local skiers and there is a lake comunity about 20 minutes away that folks seem to do the 4 season getaway cabin thing. Canaan Valley area probably has the lead on night life, but there are a couple spots at Elk. I must admit I didn't go looking much at elk, but did look around for dinner spots etc..

Quote:
"CV area probably has the lead on night life..."

- wow, now I am totally amazed: I expected night clubs, casinos, movie theaters, museum of arts opened until 11pm, fine dining... -

Canaan Valley is in fact different, but I am not sure I would call Moon-Light xc skiing "night life" - but here again: maybe we should?!

It's all relative! Elk has arlo's country store and tavern. Plus about two resurants in a 15-20 minute drive. Canaan has a couple places in valley and at Davis you can hear live music and get a beer. And Canaan has at least 4 restaurant options within 20 minutes. However, in both cases for some reason the blues brothers jumps into mind. "we have both kinds of music, country and western".

My wife and I just got back from a Christmas trip to Canaan Valley and I can say there was actually night life nearby on Christmas day. We didn't feel like eating at the Canaan Valley resort for dinner Christmas evening and we ended up driving out to Thomas, which is about 15 miles North of Canaan on Rt 32, and grabbing dinner and seeing a great newgrass style band called The Boatman at the Purple Fiddle.

Live rocking music on Christmas evening. What more nightlife can you ask for?

Timberline is a bit more like Monté Carlo
(I am SO SORRY; I just couldn't help it)

The whole area is actually so laid back, so different - in a good way for the most part - but really nothing like "La Baie des Anges".