I'm debating on going somewhere within driving distance of a one day trip on Friday. Since conditions have been so good I want to go where there is the softest powder around. So far Wisp and Canaan valley are reporting 100% trails open and powder conditions. Timberline unfortunately is 80% open with packed powder. Any suggestions where the conditions would be the absolute best?

Canaan is NOT 100% open. They're making snow in the park, and one run is just never open anymore.

Timberline on the other hand, is probably making snow on The Drop and in the park. They're your best bet. I've found powder skiing at Timberline to be more enjoyable.

Just so you know what you're getting into... Timberline's reporting a grand total of 16 inches over the past 24 hours or so.

Overall skiing will probably be better at Timberline due to their greater vertical, but **driving** conditions will be much, much better going to and from Wisp. And they are 110% open with 10" of fresh snow over Sunday - Tuesday. Have a GREAT day on Friday....

Seven Springs is also 110% open and reporting 15" of snow since Sunday and 99" for the year.

"Since the on set of this last snow storm, we have received 15" of new snow. For the season so far, we received 99" of natural snow!!"

When it comes to Timberline, I know they groom, but is it their policy to groom every last bit of fluffy powder into packed powder? I really want to get that ankle deep+ powder plus when I fall it doesn't hurt near as bad as the ole packed stuff.

Timberline doens't groom everything. You can normally find powder under the lifts and in the glades, and on OTW and the Drop. And a few other places. Helps to have good timing and be there when its actually snowing or shortly after a storm though.

I have to give a few props to Canaan Valley trails like Dark Side, Weiss Meadows, Prosperity, etc. From what I recall these are mostly ungroomed and fresh powder can be had almost every time there's a good dump.

peace,
Enkin

I was at T-line this last weekend for a 10+" dump Friday night and they did not groom a thing on Saturday. This was especially awesome after skiing all Friday on perfect corduroy well all day (still untouched cord around at 4:30). OTW was much better with the pow and the glades were unreal. The next day, however, all the glades except the one to the left of Thunderstuck (opposite side of the trail from the new glades - not marked as a trail) which I felt to be the best of all anyway. On Sat there was some juniors racing and they did not even groom the racecourse, they just let it get rutted out to the course lines.

Also, I was wondering if I caught a lift at T-line this last Sunday with someone from this board? They knew a ton about the glades there and the history of the Cherry Bowl Glades - just curious...

You probably did... but it was not I.

I'll be up there Superbowl Sunday, where the lines are short and the descents long. Take me home... Cherry Bowl... to the place... okay, enough John Denver.

Enkin,

That was the case on Saturday @ CV. Totally untouched all day. That was the deepest powder I'd skied on in years, though the way I ski powder, no one would actually call skiing. More like sledding standing up!

Well for thsoe interested, I am going to be taking off tomorrow (It's greating being your own boss) and heading to T-Line. Anyone up for meeting for lunch at the lodge and discussing powder, dcski, and resorts?

I was at T-line today. In freckin credible. that is all.

Funny thing happened on my way to 7 Springs yesterday. The darn car took a wrong turn in Wash PA and I ended up @ Timberline. Wifey wasn't pleased (jealous bcause she had to work or worried I'd spend the weekend?). The drive from Friendsville MD to Thomas was scary with blowing, drifting snow covered roads but do not miss Timberline this week. That mountain is in prime condition, untracked powder somewhere all day Thursday; if something wasn't open I didn't have time to look for it.

JR put it best "infreckin credible"
that is all, Jimmy

I picked a great time to hit vail for the 1st time ever...last year this time was stowe for me.I wish i was spending all this money because the east was in a drought.Next year i am planning on a few trips to WV odds are against a great snow year.murphys law!!

'The' powder was in Cherry Bowl this weekend. Super soft, super-deep. Super-sticky-when-the-nose-of-your-snowboard-gets-stuck-in-it-after-hitting-a-tree.

I did however find some other great patches of powder at Timberline this weekend. Plywood Parkway had a load on it, and the trees between it and Lower Almost Heaven were home to many of my first tracks. The crazy looking snowboarder ripping that stuff up at mach 3 this weekend was I.

Canaanman, what were some of the tricks you were doing, and what jacket were you wearing? I saw a boarder going on lower almost heaven acting goofy and having a blast which made me try lower almost heaven, and with as much soft powder was on it... it WAS heaven.

Could've been me... although, I doubt goofy would be a good word to describe it. More like euphoric. I mean, its Monday, and I'm not having a case of the Mondays. That's how good of a weekend it was. Tired? Yep. Satisfied? Completely.

I was wearing a 686 "gunmetal" colored jacket (gunmetal, fancy-speak for gray). Black Burton cargos, gray helmet with lots of stickers, and orange/black Spys.

I definately seem to remember someone with a silver helmet and lots of stickers although I can't place the other features. I was wearing a black Pro Tech helment with black Burton pants on a Metropolis black and white board with an Ocean Pacific coat that is blue and white.

Interesting enough the lift lines weren't long at all and instead of being matched up with two other riders I ended up only riding to the top with one other person per time. I got some really nice chats in with people and mentioned DCSki.com. They were thrilled and didn't realize such a resource exsisted for Northern VA/DC/MD residents about skiing.

Ok Scott, when do I get paid for promoting DCSki? lol

Hey, it's everyone's civic duty to promote DCSki.

Actually, to be honest with you, I'm too bashful when I'm riding on the lifts or standing in the lift line to mention DCSki. Hopefully DCSki readers are more of an extrovert than I am.

- Scott

It's kind of interesting because the people that I rode up the lifts with were definately outgoing people. The first was a 30ish year old woman from Maryland married with kids. They were sorta familiar with Wisp, Liberty, and a few others and this was their first time to Timberline. She had asked me regarding any other resorts and I mentioned to her DCSki for resort information of all resorts in the area as well as this forum to find the best/shortest routes.

The second time up the lift was with a guy from Knoxville, TN who makes his yearly trip to Timberline but was discussing Timberlines excellent mountain qualities with me and asked about other resorts besides SnowShoe in the area. Again another opportunity to mention DCSki. Both of those people said they were highly interested in the information this site contains andplan to use it by visiting here.