Come on everybody lets put a strong voice out there on getting a true big mountain alpine ski area going. The only place for the mid atlantic area is west va. Snowshoe is maxed out with just a 2 runs with 1500 vert facing west This is not the best deal + its to far. Let the south come up & ski there. The dc area needs mt porte crayon!!! It has just as much water access as snowshoe. I would think that with prop engineering It would have plenty of snowmaking water.This has The highest north facing vert. potential In the area(2200') If we dont go for the best we will end up with tory mtn with 1500 vert. not a bad consl. prize But west va will never see its true potential.& that will be a shame. & for all you hikers & nature buffs DONT BE GREEDY!!! There are endless acres out there for you & the animals. Everybody would still have 90% of that whole mtn range to do your thing. & that roaring plains & flatrock plains area is LARGE! Forget up north & out west Its to cold or to much altitude west va is just right + we can call it home! Now get with the program let scream & yell for this to happen!!

Forget about it. The environmentalists will unite against a new ski resort in the middle of the Dolly Sods area. They stopped Corridor H from going through that area and they will also stop a ski resort, which will involve much more than just a winter ski hill (the economics of ski resorts these days require massive vacation home/real estate development in the resort). Just the threat of environmental litigation negates this as a possibility.

I bet there are lots of less pristine areas in the WV highlands that would be suitable for a new ski resort. Driving down from Davis to Harmon, there are literally tons of big mountains; do any of them approach the 4000 plus foot elevation of the top of Timberline and Canaan Resort? Where exactly is this Torrey Mt.?

Mt porte crayon is not in the sods. it is between the sods & the otter ck widerness areas. & tory mtn is just se of harman tory has a 4475' elevation with a 1500 vert porte crayon is 4770 with a 2200 vert potential look all those mtns you are talking about(Im responding to mitch) use them for NATURE let us humans have the highest & snowiest Heck the biggest mtn(spruce knob) is allready off limits we have the sods otter ck & tons & tons of undeveloped areas Geez lets just make it all widerness no scratch that! Turning most of the mtns over to a few hardy hikers & leaving out tons of people who could ride up the chairlift & experience a true alpine envirement would be like not having headboats to take people out to the gulfstream to go fishing. If the people want it the people can have it!!!!

I would be interested to know if Andy actually lives in West Virginia or commutes there.

The ability of any ski resort to expand its ski area is dependent on a number of factors. In the case of Snowshoe, two of the deciding factors are the habitats of the endangered Northern Flying Squirrel and the Cheat Mountain salamander. I have been told Snowshoe wants to expand the backside (Cupp and Shays) but are having to wait on environmental impact assessments for the squirrel and the salamander. There are supposedly some log slides that could be easily converted to blue/black runs.

We love going to Snowshoe and do so 4-6 times a year. But I don't think I would enjoy skiing or biking there if expansion on the backside, or anywhere else for that matter, would be made at the expense and possible extinction of endangered species.

IMHO, it's not about highest available vertical, it's about the mountains and all their aspect, including resident beasties. It's a nice feeling looking down from the lift at Snowshoe and being able to spot footprints in the snow of the resort's namesake.

If you feel WV is vertically handicapped skiing-wise, then go west, young man. There's enough vertical at Whistler/Blackcomb to keep you busy for many a year.

Just my 2 cents worth.

dear snowcone,do those species you refer to live only on that side of snowshoe? I have some prop in canaan but now reside in wilmington,nc after spending most of my life in the md. side of dc. I fell in love with the west va alps after seeing there snow & spruce trees. Nowhere else close to dc could i experience this.Every where else only had these leafless sticks up & down there 30" snow a year average slopes. But i have watched timberline just take money & never reinvest it on the mtn.Canaan mtn could have a 1000 vert but year after year they sit still also. Yes sking is about vert.you want your legs to burn & your heart to race. No I wont go out west Not when west va can turn the trick. + i prob would get altitude sickness.We can have salamanders & slopes called salamander ITS been done.Quit holding up progress with this nonesense!If you want the animals back lets do it right with the elk, bison, & yes the mountain lion put them back on mt porte crayon ill give up on the ski area.

dear snowcone,do those species you refer to live only on that side of snowshoe? I have some prop in canaan but now reside in wilmington,nc after spending most of my life in the md. side of dc. I fell in love with the west va alps after seeing there snow & spruce trees. Nowhere else close to dc could i experience this.Every where else only had these leafless sticks up & down there 30" snow a year average slopes. But i have watched timberline just take money & never reinvest it on the mtn.Canaan mtn could have a 1000 vert but year after year they sit still also. Yes sking is about vert.you want your legs to burn & your heart to race. No I wont go out west Not when west va can turn the trick. + i prob would get altitude sickness.We can have salamanders & slopes called salamander ITS been done.Quit holding up progress with this nonesense!If you want the animals back lets do it right with the elk, bison, & yes the mountain lion put them back on mt porte crayon ill give up on the ski area.

There are a few other areas in WV with big vertical potential. Briar Patch which is just north of Tory Mtn. could wring out about 1900' of vert. There is also a mountain just north of Seneca Rocks which has a north facing wing with 2100 vertical fee. Although it is out of the "snowbelt", it is right off Rte.28 and about 1/2 hour+ closer to the DC area. I often search through www.topozone.com, where you can see detailed USGS topography maps, trying to find the "ideal" ski mountain. Very few reach over 1800 vertical feet and have the right exposure, slope and accessibility, not to mention environmental concerns. For pure fantasy, there is an area along the Allegheny Front with a 3100' drop north of Seneca Rocks, but it has a very steep upper face, a long run-out at the base and an east to south-east exposure. But as long as we're dreaming . . .

Andy i love your line of thought. i don't think the economics would support a big new wva ski mtn, but who says we can't dream? maybe if they made a mad river glen out of mt. porte crayon it might fly...no lodging, no snowmaking, minimal grooming, just a couple of old second-hand chairlifts and 2000+ vert! mid-atlantic alternative/hardcore skiers and boarders might seek it out and the local cv pinhead crowd might greatly enjoy it too.

I would ski a new area, no use lying about it, but with Canaan and Timberline struggling to stay afloat what is the point of another resort?

Andy - YOU don't be greedy. It isn't about preserving the place for nature buffs or hikers - it is about not developing every square inch of land. Bears and wildcats require a large habitat - man let them live too.

We have some great ski areas already - adding another one requires much forethought esp when it will just go under (or put one of the existing ones out of business).

For all you boring weak minded pretend to be men & all you non beleivers You can KISS MY WHITE SNOWY BUT!!! & for all you others thank you for your support!!!MT porte crayon is ON!!

Hope i didn't offend any one I was just excited.+ Id like to head off all the (you can't spell comments) believe,butt both were misspelled. I dont claim to be the smartest flake on the mtn!!

Id like to scratch that last comment I made. I do not want to offend anyone.I was caught up in the moment after reading about the possible dev of porte crayon.Years of frustration & hope & talkin so much trash over the years about the mtn to anyone who would listen just poured out.+ i misspelled a couple of words & ID LIKE TO RENT MY CHALET AT THE BASE OF THE MTN TO YOU ALL!!! PS. ck out goldenanchorcabins.com for a great shot of the mtn link on to lux cabins for another view no I am not associated with them

Brother Dude,

See that picture with the pencil and paper above your post? Edit button, man.

Way.

And we dun't care abuot misspeellings.

Flake on!

I agree with snowcone - if you want vertical go west.

With some planning, I could be on the slopes at Alta by the time they arrive at Snowshoe. I left for SLC one morning at 7:30ish from BWI and was able to have lunch at the base lodge at Alta.

Yeah it costs some dinero, oh well.

Given the economics of resort development, the recent near bankruptsy of Whitetail and Laurel Mountain, the environmental issues, the water required for snow making and the poor job that the ski industry does in promoting growth in the ski industry, I'll bet a brand new pair of skis tbat I won't see this new resort happening in my life time. I have mixed feelings about it. It would be nice to have 2,000 feet of vertical to ski near Canaan and I have a condo at Hidden Valley so I could drive there is 1.5 hours. However, Mt. Porte Crayon is also one of the last great unspoiled areas the Mid-Atlantic and your dreaming if you think that a Mad River Glen is economically viable in todays environment. We'll get condos, golf course, hotels, subdivisions, etc with the skiing or we'll get nothin'.