Hey everyone!

I know I've been a bit quiet on the forums here for the last year or two, but have been dealing with several major life changes. Without getting into the deep details, it looks like I'll probably be moving to Lincoln, Nebraska if all goes well by the start of ski season. Lincoln isn't foreign to be as I worked there 3 years ago for a few months so it's like a second home.

Anyway, I didn't have time to explore Nebraska much then, but I wanted to check to see if anyone here knew of possible ski 'hills' close to Lincoln/Omaha.

While Nebraska isn't as flat as Kansas (sorry RogerZ!) it's still no Colorado or WV. BUT they do get insane blizzards and deep cold bursts.

Anyone familiar with the possible 'skiing/boarding' out there without an 8 hour drive to Colorado?

After looking at these you may reconsider the 8 hour drive.

Mount Crescent

Snow Creek

Good luck out west. Might want to see how to make that 8 hour drive work. Looks like you can get to many of the Front Range ski areas near Denver in about 7-8 hours. Perhaps Eldora and Loveland at about 7 hours, then Keystone, Copper, Breckenridge, Arapahoe Basin at about about 8, then WP, Vail, BC at about 9 hours. These drive times are probably too much for a regular weekend trip, but not if you left after work on a Wednesday or Thursday and skied until about 3PM Sunday, especially if you had a friend to share driving, gas and motels. If you could make that trip two or three times a winter it might pay to get yourself some Loveland and/or Arapahoe Basin four packs sold on their websites for about $130-140.

These may be a good resource for you:

http://www.cornhuskerski.org/


http://www.omahaskiclub.org/

Thanks for all of that info! I definitely wouldn't mind a 8 trip to Colorado if it's with a friend. It's those quick day long Saturday trips that I was wondering about. Sadly, all of the guys I grew up snowboarding with are long married and moved away. So what used to be 20 or so skiing days a season when I was right out of college dropped to 0 last year and 1 each of the 3 years preceding that.

FYI for those wondering why I'd be leaving the Wardensville/Lost River area of WV, here's why. Me and my computer/network consulting business along with relatives and neighbors are those affected:

http://www.moorefieldexaminer.com/lost-river-dam-back-on-the-drawing-board

I thought that project was abandoned and buried. Sad...

Unfortunately with government... nothing is ever buried. It's just shelved until there is a brief moment where opposition isn't as hot on them, and they forge forward.

Sadly I'm closing my business and everyone will be forced to relocate out of the area as I expect with eminent domain, the state will offer about 1/5th of what the land is worth and if the checks aren't taken, we are kicked out. Being that the land/housing bubble hasn't popped here like it has in other parts of the country, trying to afford the same amount/type of acreage, and house will be impossible on the payout government gives considering the cost of current land.

So not only does it close my business, I'm heading westward where land is cheaper, and where... to be honest, I'll be a bit freer from a tyrannical state like WV.

Mmmm.... You may go from the frying pan into the fire. One of my Air Force former colleagues just lost all rights to his land not even to the State of Nebraska, but to a CANADIAN company, and he's getting pennies to the dollar so they can drill through his farm and poison his water supply. Big court case there later at the end of September. He's probably going to sell off like you and move to Maine or New Hampshire.

Brad, before you depart for the flatlands (a real DCSki loss by the way!), please check with your sources and find out when next section of Corridor H due to open, and what is date to be open near Davis?
Anybody know???!!!
The Colonel

one of the contractors who frequents the local burrito shop told me they will have one lane open from scherr to the top of the mountain (bismark) later this fall. I wouldn't expect to see it open to davis this year though.

The climb to Bismarck will result in the greatest time savings of all the remaining sections. Rte 93 has some slow sections due to construction, but if the weather is good, you can make good time on it.

Though if only one lane opens on the climb this winter, you can still get caught behind a truck or slow tourist. But at least the double back on 42 would be eliminated.

Lou - Not to start a political discussion since this is a ski site... but I'd rather be living somewhere where if my house/land were to be taken, it'd be by a private company, not by our state/fed gov! At least with private companies (to an extent since the Kelo case happened) negotiations can happen that have a semi decent outcome. In fact in recent years with Dominion Power getting another 500kV line, those who didn't outright sell to the power company, did negotiate lease and or mutual beneficial contracts. One individual is a customer of mine and gets upwards of 75% reduced electricity for life as long as she owns the property where they took 1 acre.

The flip side is when government doesn't want to negotiate, it has legal authority to just take it at will and leave the individual setting. Still trying to find what liberty exists in that...

Colonel - As for Corridor H, I just drove it today! It was the first time for me to drive the newest section from Foreman to Scherr Mountain. I can tell you it is exactly 35 min on the dot from the Baker intersection to the 'exit' at Rt 93 at the bottom of Scherr Mountain.

As for the road that continues going from the Scherr exit to the top, the roadway briefly appears to be 95% done. A friend of mine who I play basketball with was a former crane worker on the bridges on corridor H before he changed jobs. He informed me this past spring that all that was left then was final paving, grading, and signage/guardrails. Everything else was essentially done to the top of the mountain.

When I got to the top of the mountain on 42, there is a brief detour before getting to the BP station. The detour is to allow construction of the overpass bridges for Corridor H to cross Rt 42 (no exit there). This construction is at best 50% done as only girders are in place, no final dirt/grading even close yet.

However on that detour I looked to my right to check out where the roadway stops at the top of the mountain and it looks almost done. I could see traffic being allowed to make it to the top of the mountain soon and being directed onto 42 at the BP station. However (while I didn't go there today) I was told by my basketball friend that the overpass bridge by the dam/power plant just had it's girders set this spring. So it's no where near done either.

I'd estimate another year, year and half for the Scherr to Davis section to open up. Mind you, this is with brief info I have, not a full 'scoop'.

Thanks!!!
The Colonel

take a right on knobley rd and cut through the greenland gap..way faster than going to the end of the freeway

FYI on Nebraska, I just discovered their highest point is over 600' taller than that of WV. Maybe there are a few mom and pop ski slopes out there?!?!

J

That was my route in the past. From my timing, I think the two options are a wash. Or close too it. Need to pay attention more when driving the gap.

Ever fly into Denver?

It's the mile high city, but east of Denver is flat. I think you get to a mile in elevation by one inch of rise per mile times a thousand miles.

The slopes are really wide in Nebraska, but not very steep.

Good one Jim! Unfortunately for Brad it is a "Great Plains" state and not a mountain state like WV. Wonder how much verticals is lost from west to east?
The Colonel

typical: 3500' ; max: 4200' ; next ?

---

Also, looks like Lincoln is about 30 miles from Omaha, which has an airport, which looks like your best option. You may find XC your best local option

*DOH!*

Actually Lincoln has an airport with United and Delta being the airlines. I've flown there many times. Hrm, that may be an option, though whatever I can do to avoid the TSA unconstitutional rectal exams is preferred.

Step 1: Put out "fill wanted" sign
Step 3: Ski Slope!

Did they randomly stick that marker in that field? Looks like the height difference is two inches anywhere in that view.

A gopher creates a new burrow and they have to move the marker...

http://www.summitpost.org/panorama-point/151932

One can only hope that in the distance where the horizon fades, there is a massive "off the wall" like vertical drop allowing for massive vertical. Ok, who am I kidding...

That close to CO, might as well hit up the resorts in CO and Wyoming at that point.

H

That "glide" to the head wall is longer and flatter than the top of Wisp. And at the bottom of the headwall is the Mississippi.

So, basically, its Mystic Mountain?

The drop to the Mississippi is what makes downhill skiing possible in states like Iowa and Illinois...not that it does the OP any good.

I forgot that the original post of this thread was skiing in Nebraska. Who changed the title to Corridor H? Internet penalty, half the distance to the goal.

Changed the title back to the original.

http://www.skicrescent.com/skiing-snowboarding-tubing/information/trail-map

I feel blessed here in the Mid-Atlantic seeing what is offered for the poor ski starved corn huskers. Actually, I just realized that Mt. Cresent is in Iowa.
There is also Gretna (great name for a ski area) - 20 skiable acres with a 200' vertical and Prairie Hills Golf and Ski Club - 15 acres with 120' of vertical.
There's got to be a hill somewhere in Nebraska that is just waiting for a ski area.

They DO have a nice ski resort in Galena IL, across the river from Iowa. Was there in my USAF days at Scott AFB. Almost 500 vertical (you almost ski into the river), nine lifts, and it's become a regional entertainment area.

Actually in this case, the eastern border of Nebraska is the Missouri river, not the Mississippi...

Yep, Chestnut Mountain. Nice views of the river, and some slopes with a pretty good pitch. Some good restaurants and B&B's in Galena, which my wife and I took advantage of when we lived near Chicago.

Right. It would be about a six hour drive to the Mississippi from Lincoln - so, pretty pointless for you. If the bluffs overlooking the Missouri were similar to those overlooking the Mississippi you would be in pretty good shape (by Midwest standards) for skiing, but based on looking at the Mt. Crescent web site this does not appear to be the case...still, I would bet you could squeeze some fun out of 300 vert after a good snowstorm.

I grew up in Nebraska. I LOVE skiing. I went to Mt. Crescent exactly 1 time in my life back in the winter of 2004 during my first year of grad school at UNO. Crescent actually had the largest powder day in the country that day with 13 inches of new snow. The place does not have 300 ft of vertical. I has 240 per this website: http://mountainvertical.com/best-skiing-in-the-midwest.html That 60 fewer feet is a really big deal. Plus, no matter which way you go down you either go so slow that you don't want to turn or you actually have to pull to keep going. I'm sure they do the best they have with what they have these days, but there is only so much they can do. Most skiers in Omaha don't bother with it and my parents didn't bother taking us there (I grew up in Norfolk). We went west. I have been to 46 ski areas across the country and Crescent is in last place. I live in Ohio now for a frame of reference.

Given that you are in Lincoln and not Omaha I would check Crescent out 1 to MAYBE 2 times max when you get desperate.

Head west. That's all there is to it. You can be to Loveland from Lincoln in 7.5 hours and Frisco in Less than 8 with good roads. When I was in undergrad at UNL back in the early 2000's on two occasions we left at 6:00 AM and were suited up and on the chairlift at Loveland at 1:00. A very common trip for us was to get done with class or work at 5:00 on Thursday, drive to Frisco/Breckenridge/Winter Park, ski Friday, Saturday, Sunday, leave the mountain at 3:30 and make it back to Lincoln for last call at the bars before 1:00 am and be to class first thing on Monday AM.

Look into getting a Silverton Unguided Pass Next Year. In addition to the unguided pass at Silverton, you get 5 unrestricted days at Loveland, Abasin and Monarch all for $199 if they do it again.

Good luck and go Huskers!

Definitive post on skiing in Nebraska from Droogie! And I added to his stars

I have no doubt that you made it to last call, but making it to the AM class???, I would have certainly blown that one off.

I have relatives in Columbus, so perhaps we can make a few turns this season at MRM or ST if I am out there, and when I say a few turns you, more than many on these boards, understand exactly what I mean.

I think Snowsmith may have already alluded to this. Some on posters should go ski a 250 foot vertical resort in the midwest, they will return happy with what they have in the Mid-A.

Just ask GRK, I bet he misses WTG's 1,000 foot high speed 6, and some of the other now flatlanders still posting here.

And on the X-C tip, perhaps the hills along the Missouri catch it, but where it is flat, the snow blows away fast, so the skiing is poor. Think the snow farm at WG and you get the idea.

Sorry to get off topic here...

Keith, I also live in Columbus. Whatever you do, do not go to Clearfork to ski. My wife bought me a Groupon and it may have had 150 feet of vertical. Two trails were open. One was a terrain park. On the plus side I was the only one on the slopes.

I end up at Mad River once a week because it is the only thing around to ski. And it is fine for what it is. A few hours of runs, then you head home.

This year I bought a snowshoe pass when they were having that $200 sale. I hope to get down into the "real" mountains 4-5 times this year. With one off trips to Seven Springs and Wisp. I won't make it to Colorado this year which kind of makes me sad. But there is always next year!

Brad, little did you know that your farewell post would become one of the most popular threads this summer. I'm sorry to hear that you lost the battle to keep your property. I hope you drop by here to say hello and tell us how your quest for snow sports evolves. Good luck in Nebraska!

that's just too unfortunate. cold, snowy, windy, and useless. I bet northern utah needs more IT professionals....

It sounds like Mt. Crescent is a smaller Bryce Resort...? I was really curious about any type of small ski hills out in the midwest in general after spending time in Lincoln in 2010 and driving out and back. Tho even then the idea of a ski hill larger than Bryce Resort was unfathomable out there.

Laurel Hill Crazie - It's not a farewell post, rather just a post regarding my regional situational awareness changes. Seriously tho, I won't be leaving DCSki, just giving new trip reports from a whole new area. Plus as an early member of the site, I just can't go through the withdrawls to bring myself to remove it from my favorites in firefox. lol

Tho it's sad (and frightening that gov has grown so large that expression of liberty through personal property ownership can be ripped away at the whim of gov) that my family has had to deal with this, this isn't the swan song of it all. The dam hasn't yet been approved to be built, various gov agencies don't necessarily have funds to buy all property just yet. So my family, relatives, and neighbors are still here. It's just that the Federal Court of Appeals said that the dam can be built by the agencies seeking to do it.

Anyway, since government condemnation of my home/land is bad for business and stifles me from trying to make business plans more than a month or two down the road. I decided just to close my IT business down, move, get started somewhere else while family & neighbors still stay here... for now.

Brad,
Sure would be nice if WV & Feds decided to invest the damn DAM money in sking in CV instead!
The Colonel