Since we can't store pictures on this site (hint, hint), linking to what I posted on Epic Ski.

http://www.epicski.com/t/116723/timberline-wv-1-6

Timberline skied very well for week-old leftovers. Kudos to mountain management for opening (and keeping open) so many trails, natural snow only. The starter bumps on Almost Heaven were very nice; I wish T-Line would not groom it occasionally after/during new snow. Several bump newbies enjoyed Almost Heaven this past weekend.

Right you are John. It would greatly improve Timberline if they let one of their intermediate runs bump up. People love bumps but the Drop and Off the Wall are a bit to steep and narrow for many skiers. That is why the bump run at Whitetail is so popular. Never could understand why Timberline wouldn't diversify their portfolio of runs by letting one of the intermediates bump up.

Maybe they got some positive feedback from the past few weeks and they will listen to those customers although I won't hold my breath.

Such a logical thing that none of the Mid-A resorts seem to do (w/ the exception of the weird man-made mogul blue run at Liberty)

Not everybody likes bumps...especially the geriatic set.
The Colonel

Exactly. Not everyone likes bumps and not everyone likes groomers so why not offer intermediates both?

I usually shy away from the bumps because I have never been able to get the hang of skiing them. Having said that, after a couple of runs down Almost Heaven Sunday with natural snow that was still pretty amazing, I will continue to seek out bumps on intermediate runs. Thanks T'Line and Jimmy & JohnL for having the patience to wait on me.

We weren't patient, we just needed someone to press enough random buttons to nuke the P5H error and get the dang garlic bread cooked!

But the natural snow conditions on Almost Heaven with the mini-bumps (even 70 yo's could ski em) were sweet this past weekend. And the mini bump sections were easy to avoid if you choose to.

It was good garlic bread!




"Remember, when all else fails, push the start button!"

...I wouldn't recommend holding your breath, it would be groomed flat if it wasn't natural and so thin...we always try to push for intermediate bumps and not grooming powder(if you think about it---it is less work for the mountain to achieve a better product for customers), however, from my experience what happens is that there is one cranky customer who can't ski powder or bumps and who thinks the world revolves around him and instead of taking a lesson or figuring out how to ski the terrain or even just skiing something else he goes into the lodge every year and sits with the owners while they are eating or serving cafeteria food and gives the owners and management an earful for about an hour or two about how they should groom everything flat...they never hear from the folks that want to ski powder or bumps...as a customer you can get on Fred's official t-line facebook page and let him know that the intermediate bumps were fun and you would like to see more of them throughout the season...maybe if he saw a lot of comments like that on there it would register...all they are gonna hear is that cranky old anti powder/bumps guy if no one chimes in...

Yea, I won't hold my breath. But I was hoping that the circumstances that made them leave those slopes ungroomed might turn on the light switch in their heads that people like this.

On the other hand, I first hand witnessed them getting complaints on not grooming when it snowed a few weeks ago because there wasn't any easy down the mountain that was groomed and easy since Salamander wasn't open. Which was legit.

I've gotten ready next to the brain trust in the AM for years and never said anything but maybe I'll give them a little positive feedback next weekend.

Option 1:
Let's put it all in writing - addressed to Doc, Fred, and Tom - asking for what we believe (no more, no less). That might be more effective than spoken words.

Option 2:
We've been voicing: do not groom powder, allow some bumps (1/3 of a trail or something), etc...
Let's ask for the opposite: GRROOM all the powder... DON'T EVER let it bump up.
The result may actually surprise us: we may end up with perfect powder, and nicely bumped runs.

...seems like the only reason the web cam got "fixed" was that folks were asking for it on Fred's "official" facebook page...could be wrong,,,who knows...Vic, you probably know better than I...

Timberline's management actually reads DCSki.com - they really seem to enjoy the NEWS / TRAIL REPORT. Perhaps a combo:
Posting here...
Posting on Fred's page...
and a nice letter without any bad news...
(that's what I would recommend - and all of that is a lot of work if you think about it... but so is asking the same thing in person for years)
So, here's the first step:

Dear Sir,
Diversification is key to success in this time and age. I would personally love to see the following initiative.

The added bonus of turning skiers' right of Upper Dew Drop bumped up - perhaps groomed every two week, and then bumped up again. It would give people like me (who really enjoys bumps) constant terrain, WITHOUT taking away a groomed Upper Dew Drop for others who prefer the groomed surface. As proven with terrain parks, we can all coincide.

Let's perhaps call it Dew Bumps (another PR benefit that will add one more slope to your repertoire). Bamboo poles could mark the "virtual boundary" to clearly let people know and keep safety in mind.

Several other resorts have done this with great success.
The list of benefits is long - mostly in financial gain for you.

Thank you for your consideration.

**** This is what I am sending to them this morning ****

Hammer hit nail.

I think some of those customers may post on DC Ski.

As to a mini-bump section on Almost Heaven (or Dew Drop or Good Intentions or a combo), I'd suggest only part of the trail (or all of Good Intentions), to be groomed out say once a week (depending upon snowfall, temperature, weather, etc.) Mini bumps for intermediates is the goal, not a full-on bump run.

Not that Fred and Doc ever listen to Ski School, but mini bumps would seem like nice teaching terrain...

Ya lower White lightning would be good choice for a dedicated, intermediate bump run.

This


sounds more like a blowshoe or CV customer to me but I guess we get them in T-slime as well.

I just posted on the official Timberline web page that I would appreciate some intermediate bumps and to leave some ungroomed trails on powder days. Its easy to do and maybe a dozen or so posts might catch Freds eye.

no groom the pow pow!!!!!!

What he said!!

It's not grooming. It's snow preparation and given the fickleness of the weather here and limited terrain, much of the blue and black terrain in this region must be groomed to accommodate low ability levels endemic in the region and allow resorts to maintain the best snow surface possible for customers. I hate to say this because I enjoy the challenge of a moderately bumped up trail, but I also enjoy groomers as well for fun and relaxation.

For Timberline, the obvious answer is to grow intermediate bumps on one side of Lightning. However, blues need to be prepared, especially Dew Drop, which suffers from a lot of late afternoon sun. There are simply too many beginners who need groomed terrain to ski. That trail generally gets tracked out by 11 am during even the best ski weather days. Bumping it up would create nothing but traffic wrecks.

I think everyone agrees they should groom most of the mountain for exactly the reasons you mention - just not all of it. Which run to choose would be the second question if TLine decided to address this obvious need.

Makes sense to me. Small bumps are also good medicine for improving technique.

...sure the bumps should be groomed out when they get icyridiculous...sure all the blue trails shouldn't be bumps(I don't think upper dew drop should be bumps-to narrow and gets to crowded during night skiing, taking lessons to the top of the mountain with those slow lifts is a waist of time)...however its just makes no sense to have no easy to intermediate bumps when there are trails with very difficult bumps...the best thing would be to move the second terrain park over to lower heaven and let half of lower dew drop(the half next to the pearly glades develop beginner bumps)...that way folks could access dewdrop from their houses, instructors could make mid station laps with customers who want to learn bumps, and finally beginners could work their way into the bumps from a 1/2 groomed trail...I'd also like to see bumps on all of lower lightning and 3/4 of the trail width on lower/upper heaven after it makes that off camber turn...silverstreak is already a great bump run(atleast when there is natural snow) that would be one step up from blue bumps and then OTW and Drop are the next level...

...there is absolutely NO reason to groom powder---as wonderfully rare as it is to have a powder day in the mid-a it's just a crazy thing to even consider on any level...it's just something every skier/rider should experience as often as possible...yes like everything else their is technique when making turns in powder...

... I won't even get into the fact that out of the three resort in the valley the only one that has a terrain park or features of any kind midway through January for folks to play on is whitegrass--a cross country resort that has absolutely no manmade snowmaking, one tiny piston bully, and doesn't even advertise terrain parks--

Bump run.... lower lightning orgood intentions for intermediates. eitherway good for instruction. Advanced bump runs. Draft, drop, OTW. Nuff said.