I've never been to Timberline, but its tree skiing and location in the WV snow belt has me interested. Looking at a trail map, Timberline has only two main lifts (servicing all skiier levels). This has me a bit worried - I usually rely on skiing lifts which serve predominantly advanced terrain or lifts which serve the "fringes" of the mountain to avoid weekend crowds. (The larger the area, the better this strategy works.) What are the Timberline lift lines like on a weekend? Skiing mid-week at Timberline is NOT an option.

My experience is that Timberline has relatively severe lift lines on weekends... the after lunch backup is usually the peak time (like all ski areas), it also seems like that triple lift likes to hickup and stop for a while the times I've been at Timberline... T-line has (1) double and (1) triple that go all the way to the top... the triple has a midstation exit ramp. (there is a 3rd chair lift which servers the beginner area). Basically, lift capacity is not that much...a double plus a triple. (The Western PA underdog, Laurel Mountain manages a double plus a quad!, and almost as much vertical, about 900ft)

The good news is that there are plenty of good runs from the top... the runs that go under the lifts have a constant pitch all the way down the mountain... unlike Seven Springs North Face where the runs go steep to milder to steep to milder as you loose elevation.
As far as getting more runs in and avoiding lift lines, I would recommend 7 Springs on a weekend over Timberline... although I'm not sure how the regrading of the North Face will effect 'strategic skiing' (finding the shortest lift lines and best terrain) ... the Gunnar lift has been historically underused by the masses and has had shorter weekend lift lines.

You got T-line right. I avoid it alltogether Sat. My fav time there is Fri nite...empty. Leave DC in the afternoon and ski Timberline that nite and Sun, Canaan Sat.

THE CROWDS CAN GET BAD THERE
t-line has some of the oldest slowest and mosta outa date lifts i have seen... there some european lifts that keep bleaken fown or hipaking when they run (slowen down or stopen for short periods of time) i have never been able ot make it to the top with out this happening they need to do somethinga bout these lifts other than that its a great place...as long as its not crowed..

I just wanted to add that i rarly seee timberlines double person covered antique chair runnen..?? why is this the other chair can be massivle overloaded and this chair is still not runnen?? and they afraid someone might sneez and it will fall apart??