What conditions are you finding there and what do you think could be expected for the next couple of weeks?

I'd like to do a day trip there soon but want to make sure some of the black diamonds are open. It looks like they haven't opened the Expert's Choice lift yet. Anyone know if that's a realistic possibility soon?

Conditions were very nice today. Upper and Lower Angel were open and we did about 15 runs.

The wide arcing green run is open and very nice. Not crowded. Looks like they have enough snow to possibly open Snowdancer, Snow Park and Fanciful. Did not get a good look at the blacks.

The new deck and ski check are nice and the green quad will load much easier with the conveyer belt that helps you board. Should be good. Staff was great as usual too.

Just went to the we site:
We have great news for skiers and snowboarders! Today we open Upper Angel Drop, Lower Angel Drop, and Jib Junction. We now have skiing and riding from the summit of the mountain with the Whitetail Express Quad Chairlift in operation. Tomorrow, on Friday, we plan to open Snow Dancer, Snowpark, Stalker, Ledgewood, Launching Pad, and Home Run. Join us on the slopes today for some outstanding machine made packed powder.

Sounds like progress.

But has anyone heard when they MIGHT open the Expert's Choice lift and the slopes back there (Bold Decision, Exhibition, Far Side)? I think I'm probably unwilling to travel there unless I hear that at least one of those slopes is open.

Snow has been blown on Exhibition, but I'd say it's unlikely this weekend. Perhaps by next weekend? I'm sure Mgt would like to have it open for MLK. It just needs another cold snap. Watch the weather..

I would say next weekend would be best if your expecting the advanced terrain open. The forecast looks like it will be favorable to make snow toward the end of next week.. lets hope this warm spell the next few days doesn't do too much damage to the snow they already have made.

Next weekend is MLK weekend. Expect a madhouse @ Whitetail, especially Saturday if the weather is nice. With some more terrain open and a holiday weekend, there will be a lot of pent-up demand for hitting the slopes.

I was actually thinking about next Wednesday (if Expert's Choice is open, because when it is I just stay there all day). I'll be checking the status of that.

I wouldn't hit Whitetail on MLK weekend if you paid me to do it.

What if someone offered you a LOT of money?

^^^ not for all the tea in china

[/quote] What if someone offered you a LOT of money? [/quote]

Are you offering? Because... yeah!

NO WAY because I have a feeling you would want A LOT of money. If I had those kind of funds I would just pay someone to stand in line for me!

Hey I'm still interested in hearing reports from those who've been skiing at Whitetail, re: when that Expert's Choice lift area might open. According to their website they've been blowing snow on a couple of the slopes there.

My hope right now is to spend next Weds. at Whitetail if that area gets open.

I was there Sunday night and the skiing on what was open was pretty good and the area was practically deserted. While none of the expert terrain was open, the intermediate terrain skied more advanced than normal due to Whitetail allowing the trails to bump up. Snow Dancer was a mogul run Sunday night from top to bottom, with soft, medium sized bumps. I'm just starting to learn to ski bumps myself and I found them good bumps to work on my technique. It also was icy anywhere there wasn't bumps, so I couldn't cheat by trying to avoid the bumps. My quads were burning a bit after several runs down Snow Dancer since my bump skiing form is not that good yet.

The green runs skied fast and with so few people on the runs, it looked like Whitetail didn't care how fast you skied as long as you were in control. Some really good skiers were doing fast laps down Snowpark and Stalker.

Whitetail was so deserted Sunday night that there was times I was going down Snow Dancer and I was the only one on the trail. At most, I would encounter one or two others on that trail from top to bottom. Usually I didn't see another skier on it. In the green area, Snowpark and Stalker would only have between 5 - 10 people on it at one time.

While it was deserted, I did run into some other die hard DC ski members. I ran into PJ and Andrea in the cafeteria when I went in to grab a quick snack before heading home for the night.

Coverage on the one expert run they've been making snow on looked very sparse, however if the cold front that is coming in Friday stays in place for awhile, they can probably have that one run open by next Wednesday. I'd check there webcam on Tuesday before making any definite plans if having an expert run open is requirement for you going to Whitetail.

My advice is to not wait for Whitetail to open up more terrain if you can go up midweek or at night. While the number of runs open is limited, you've got the runs to yourself. With a ski season like this, you need to enjoy the terrain that is available.

Yeah, I think you're right. I'm going to go next Wednesday regardless. Just can't help but hope that more slopes will be open.

Awesome -- it looks like they've opened the Expert's Choice lift and one of those slops (Drop In) is open! They're making snow on Exhibition and Bold Decision. Definitely heading there this Wednesday.

Went to Whitetail today. It was a beautiful day and they had enough slopes open to keep things interesting... but unfortunately the snowblowers (strong, constant, up and down on every slope, blasting in your face) really impacted my enjoyment.

Of course I respect the necessity of snow blowing but as far as my personal experience goes, I question whether it was worth my drive to/from D.C. and the cost of lift tickets ($45).

I think they'll have a good late season there, though.

I skied several runs after I got off work on Sunday and will echo what Blue said about the bumps..definitely hardpack/ice between the soft bumps so really keeps you honest on your form. This weekend looks to be shaping up as best of the season so far, looks like if they are really working hard on getting Farside open which will open up all of the expert runs.

It is open and skiing EXCELLENT. WAX /AND/ Polish-brush your skis though - the snowgun product is very sticky, and will probably stay sticky through the weekend.

I was there Monday (MLK), and it was skiing quite well in my opinion. Planning on heading back up Sunday night for a few hours to get my bump on now that Exhibition is open.

I'm excited to head there in the coming weeks... I'm glad they're getting so many slopes open. But I'll be careful to check first whether they're blasting the snowblowers on every single slope.

WT's website says Exhibition was groomed last night. Does anyone know if there are any real bumps on Exhibition?

Good question. Saw the same thing, but on Facebook they suggested they'd let it bump up this weekend.

no bumps anywhere really. some starting to develop. conditions were epic today. with a group, greens were awesome. blues were redonculous!!!

My wife and I skied there today. Excellent conditions due to 4 inches of fresh and guns running every night and temps staying cold. Exhibition wasn't really bumped up the left side was groomed (with 4 inches of fresh snow on top), and the right side of the trail where there was less snow cover was starting to develop some bumps. Also the drainage ditches had formed some nice jumps which were a blast. It looked like Farside should open tomorrow, there was a lot of snow on it, just needed to be pushed out. By the end of the day Home Run had some nice bumps, but plenty of icy spots. Overall definitely a great day for skiing.

I had a wonderful 4 hours of skiing at Whitetail yesterday. A little slushy but a gorgeous day, no lines, and all the slopes are open including the three black diamonds.

My only gripe is the price - $49 for four hours on a weekday? How much has that gone up since last year -- because I remember it being more affordable. Anyone know of any good ways to get deals at Whitetail?

The Snowtime resorts don't offer any deals, beyond the Advantage card.

I skied Wisp yesterday. A 9am to 9pm ticket is $29 during the week. Night skiing (5-9pm) is $20. It was a nice warm day and the lots of people were out skiing.

Whitetail is missing the boat when it comes to mid-week skiing.

Yeah I was considering going to Wisp yesterday instead of Whitetail but thought it would be too long for a day trip from D.C.

Then again, at Wisp they have a $59 special for midweek skiing/lodging... I could have stayed overnight on Weds. for just $9 more than my four hours of Whitetail.

I've asked this in other threads, but is Wisp significantly better than Whitetail? From what I've heard it doesn't seem like it is, which makes it hard for me to justify the longer drive even with those awesome prices.

I think you need to just go and try it out for yourself and form your own opinion. At this rate you'll still be asking how a place is and the next thing you know the season will be over.

True. The season passes by in a blink of an eye.

I don't want to waste my time, but with the wide variety of opinions that seem to exist on Wisp, it does seem like I'd have to make my own judgment.

terrain-wise: no
snow quality wise: quite possibly on weekends like this.

I think it depends on which plateau you've reached. Wisp has interesting terrain and I think feels "bigger" than whitetail even though they don't have the same vertical.

My "plateau-reached" refers to my skill level. I've been skiing since I was a kid but haven't really progressed in skill since about age 14 since I don't have enough opportunities to work on it. :-(

At places like Whitetail, though, I'm perfectly comfortable and happy staying on the black diamonds all day. I'm sure at Wisp I'd also want to stay on the "advanced" terrain, whatever that entails. I'd be bored if there weren't enough challenging options. I like to make my legs ache.

If you are only interested in skiing advanced terrain, you may find yourself bored at Wisp. Wisp does have some good advanced runs. Depending on conditions, The Face can be extremely challenging. It is steep and usually left ungroomed. I'd say the Face is the hardest trail at Wisp. You can see what it looks like by viewing their webcams on their website, wispresort.com.

After the Face, you have Squirrel Cage right next to it. It is slightly less steep and usually groomed. Both the Face and Squirrel Cage are on the front face of the mountain. The next place for advanced terrain is the East Ridge area. The main advanced trail over there is Mainstreet, which has a decent constant pitch. It is also usually groomed. Eye opener is a fun trail, though I'm not sure it really deserves being called advanced. The main problem with Eye opener is that you need to take two lifts if you want to ski it again.

There is an advanced trail listed on the North Face area, but it is short and to be honest, I don't think it is much more challenging than any of their intermediate trails. Stay away from the North Face if all you want is advanced terrain.

If you really are looking for advanced terrain in the mid-Atlantic area, there are really only two resorts to think about, Timberline in West Virginia and Blue Knob in Pennsylvania. Both ski areas have terrain that is much harder than the advanced trails at Whitetail. Neither of these areas have the amenities that Wisp has or the snowmaking capabilities, but if you want challenging runs, those are the two places to go.

"If you really are looking for advanced terrain in the mid-Atlantic area, there are really only two resorts to think about, Timberline in West Virginia and Blue Knob in Pennsylvania. Both ski areas have terrain that is much harder than the advanced trails at Whitetail. Neither of these areas have the amenities that Wisp has or the snowmaking capabilities, but if you want challenging runs, those are the two places to go. [/quote]"

I beg to differ about other advanced trails in the Mid-Atlantic area: Snowshoe has several advanced trails that are open, in all three of their ski areas; Wintergreen has the advanced territory open with several trails in use; Massanutten has the two trails off the quad chair; and I am sure I am leaving out a few other ski areas such as Elk, etc.
The Colonel

there are no advanced trails in the Mid-A...it is all just beginner to easy-moderate terrain at best, compared to terrain across North America...

if ur comparin apples to oranges ur rite, Tucker. But.... for most folks who dn't wanna go elsewhere it's blu nob, t-line and lower sha's at the shoe.

...i concur...and I'll add that blue knob is super hit or miss, snowshoe, well is snowshoe...guess that leaves the slime...didn't get on the snow today(was taunted by chaga w/ a drive by infront of the post office), did end up driving by the shlopes between jobs...conditions looked like sweet spring conditions, w/ 0 crowds as normal...

[quote=The Colonel...I beg to differ about other advanced trails in the Mid-Atlantic area: Snowshoe has several advanced trails that are open, in all three of their ski areas; ....The Colonel [/quote]

Lowers Shays is fairly steep but the bumps suck. Cupp was ruined a long time ago and shouldn't be on the list. If SS lets Knot Bumper bump up properly, its the best trail on the mtn.

Lower Shays & Knot Bumper are both steeper than anything at WT.

Until someone shows me better, I will maintain, as I have for 25 years, thatt Extrovert at Blue knob is the only honest expert run south of the NY/PA border. I have skied all the others mentioned here. I am proud to be called an extropervert.

I'll toss in another mid-atlantic steep. White Lighting at Sno Mountain. I've seen multiple people fall on it and slide the whole thing, including a patroller.

Will that get you on any lists kept by the FBI, CIA, or other lawman agencies???

Probably should.

For people lamenting high lift ticket prices and lack of deals at SnoTime resorts, I empathize, however, there is one good deal in my opinion, the night club card, good beginning 1/2, it's good starting at 4PM, 3PM on Sundays, (which means you can get some day time hours in if your schedule permits.) Price was $174 if purchased before 11/4. That equates to beyond breaking even after 5 visits. (at $40 a ticket, $41 at Roundtop for some reason) I think this is a great deal, I've already saved a good bit on normal lift prices with the entire month of February to go. If you go a lot, you can really get the price per ticket down. It's a great deal, there's no doubt about it.

As for the expert terrain, because I like to take advantage of the night club card, I'm limited to the Snotime resorts, but have fun anyway, just go down what's there as fast as is safe and reasonable, and concentrate on improving technique. In other words, making the most of what's there.

I would love to go to places with more challenge, but the lift prices and distance, even Whitetail is stretching it a bit for me distance-wise, make me use the overused cliche "it is what it is." I think all 3 of the Snotime resorts have their charms.

As long as they have the NCC I'm in business, without that, the prices do become limiting, unless you don't have a lot of expenses in other areas.


By the way, last night at Whitetail, it hovered just under 60 degrees F, and there were gnats, flies, mosquitos, or something hovering around.
Not many, but they were there. That being considered, it was holding up pretty good.
Mike

Any bumps on Exhibition?

There were bumps on Exhibition on Monday however it was definitely starting to get pretty narrow in spots with rocks popping up in between the bumps in a few of the spots. Also by the time I got on the slopes at 1245 (I had to work until 1100) it was like skiing mashed potatoes and as the sun went down later the mashed potatoes hardened into icy crud. Zero lift lines at all on Monday though.

I haven't skied Whitetail in about 4 years until today. From 9am until about 12pm the mountain was really good. Snow cover was pretty good and there were some bare spots but you could easily ski around them. As far as bump runs, everything except Exhibition was groomed but it didn't really have any bumps, just some small snow mounds but not really bumped for a real bump run. Overall it was a fun day but this afternoon the trails did get sticky - except the greens. And crowds - not there today. There were no lift lines and we sometimes had an entire trail with just the two of us on it.

One major warning - the last 20% of Farside has tons of rocks mixed all in the snow. My friend and I got 4 major gouges between the two of us on our skis (mine was rock skis but not his). A fun run until the end.

Anyway - it was good getting back to WT again and maybe it won't take as long to get there again. I'm really surprised the trails were as good as they were based on this nearly snowless winter. Good job WT.

Thanks for the report on WT, rmcva, esp. the pointer about Far Side. I'm heading up there for some runs and will watch out for the rocks!

Overall, I've also been impressed by what Whitetail has managed to accomplish this year.

Woody

Skied Whitetail this past Saturday 02/18/12. Unfortunately I am a beginner so I didn't get to the Blues or the Blacks;)
I did manage to get on Sidewinder for one run - my God that run is narrow and steep in places - especially with the lack of snow! First time on the long greens - scary for this guy.
But the view was spectacular - I wish I had the nerve to go back up and this time and remember to take a picture.
Also it is more difficult for those of us beginners because people tend to stop right in the middle of the slope which causes all of the other greens to stop too.
It was a great day for us Green skiers. The weather was a little too warm (50 during my 4 hr flex), but despite the slightly slushy conditions I think it was very positive overall.
Everyone was dining and hanging out on the larger outdoor patio.
From the two blues (Fanciful & Limelight - SnowDancer was closed 70% dirt)I saw up close - as I passed beneath them - the conditions didn't look too bad. No one was barreling down while I passed by.
Since this is only the third time I have skied, can anyone familiar with Whitetail tell me if the EZ quad going to Limelight & Snowpark has always had the moving floor with the gates when loading? I thought that was pretty cool and God do they ever need a Quad for Velvet. I took the double only once before I discovered the Quad for Northern lights and hardly had to wait the rest of the day on the "bunny" slopes.
I spoke with some of the staff down in the locker rooms. They were all very polite and accommodating. I asked how bad it has been for them.
they said that it was a tough season and one skier (not employee) was predicting they would close before March 1st. ( I hope not as I was hoping to get at least one more trip before the season is done.)
They have come a long way from having only about 2 slopes open late December and I think they are probably going to be in the red this season.
As I get better then I think I will feel more comfortable going to different resorts. Since i have only ever skied on Whitetail, i tend to favor it over the other 2.
I drove past Massanutten about 3 weeks ago on my way to visit Harrisonburg (JMU) and it was pretty inviting but I had no time then.

Marshall,

Thanks for the report. Don't be bashful about starting a new thread for your trip report in the future.

How were the crowds on Saturday?

Given the upcoming forecast, it wouldn't surprise me if Whitetail closes next weekend. But I'd bet on the first weekend in March.

Marshall - we were all green skiers at one time.It sounds as though you have been bitten by the ski bug as we were a long time ago. Soon enough you too will be enjoying the steeper terrain. I suggest you develop the necessary skills before going onto the blacks. There have been many inuries (and deaths) this year with skier going off the trails and hitting trees and rocks. That said, I have benn skiing for 38 years and I have never (knock on wood) injured myself. It is a sport you can enjoy for a lifetime. While non-skiers dread winter,you will be gettting excited as the weather turns cold. Then you'll take ski trips to Colorado, Utah, Vermont, etc. The obsession builds as your ski ability improves. I just love it! Keep up skiing and posting here on DCSKI.

Always good to see another person getting bit with the skiing bug. Whitetail does have some nice beginner terrain.

I was at Whitetail Sunday. Coverage is getting thin in some of the blue and black trails and I wouldn't be surprised if this was the last weekend for Exhibition as it was really thin. Conditions were spring like, with lots of wet heavy snow. The intermediate slopes got really crowded around 11am, but the expert area was never too crowded.

I suspect Sunday was my last visit to Whitetail for the year. I may hit Liberty or Roundtop the second weekend of March, but I don't think Whitetail will have much left by then.