Need I say more?PS thats WV

Snowing hard with thunderstorms in all the higher elevations tonight, generally above 4,000' in WV and 2,800' in PA could see up to 6"

Hallelujah. I might have to make a trip to timberline tues!

That was some crazy weather yesterday. It was sunny and in the 50s then around 3:30 it clouded up and started snowing around 4. It was dumping hard for about the next hour and a half. I think Timberline picked up about 1.5 inches of pretty wet snow in that time. This morning we had around 5-6 inches on the ground and it was still snowing pretty hard. The snow we got over night was much dryer than what we got around closing yesterday

Thanks for the update WVK2rider. That's VERY ENCOURAGING. This may be the March snow for which we have been longing...

Snowshoe is reporting 8 inches of new snow with more on the way.

The long-range NOAA forecast also looks good.

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/data/forecasts/WVZ041.php?warncounty=WVC093&city=Davis

Also, here's a shot of Whitegrass posted today:



Chipper is reporting 8 new inches. BRING IT ON!

It looked like Timberline was making snow this morning when I left for work. The valley picked up a few more inches of snow yesterday and last night too. Looks like things should be in good shape for the coming weekend.

Thanks WVK2rider for the UPDATE!

This is very good news indeed and may signal a shift in the Timberline management's attitude about Snowmaking. In the past, they would often turn off their guns for good in March, but now it looks like the March business is good enough to justify late season snowmaking.

Well after reading all of the good snow reports I decided to go to Timberline this morning and boy I wasn't disappointed by a long shot. I woke up to 1/2" of snow here in Wardensville with dark/grey skys putting down the snow. It snowed like this all the way too Moorefield where even the trees on Branch Mountain along Corridor H were 'frosted'. I had extremely high hopes for Timberline. Once past Moorefield there wasn't anymore snow at all until around Smoke Hole Caverns. Driving past that and towards Seneca Rocks provided lots more 'frosted' tree's with sudden spurts of strong snows.

Once I got to Timberline it was a dream come true. All of the stationary guns at the base lodge were going full blast (I snapped photos) along with the mobile guns going on Upper Silver Streak, Upper Thunderdraft, Upper Thunderstruck with several more guns going at the top of the mountain by the lift. They alone produced probably 8" of powder up there that I decided to fall on purpose into under the lift just to feel it. The natural snow had frosted all of the trees of the upper portion of the mountain when I arrived at 9:30. ALL of the trails I rode on had a packed powder base with at least 3" of ungroomed powder from the overnight snowshowers. Personally this didn't feel like March, it felt like an early February outing.

Throughout the entire day it was constantly snowing and I believe that might have tacked on an extra inch or so early but by midday when I ate lunch I noticed temps were warming up and when I left around 2:30 the snow had turned to a heavy wet snow. The sun was poking between the clouds and after noon alot of melt started happening in sunny areas below midstation. The parkinglot that I drove into which was packed snow this morning was slush if not gone. Any sun exposed areas melted just enough so that the packed surface was like someone spilled cooking oil. All of the snowguns at this point had been turned off around 2pm which I found odd at the top of the mountain because the station guy said it was 25*F.

Upper Salamander was closed and I peeked around the turns at the top of the mountain and didn't see anything as to why it would have been, but exiting lower silver streak I looked upwards and saw 2 snowcat's pushing snow around and grooming by the condos. The terrain park was open with LOTS of powder all around and I even attempted my first jump of about 6" which I landed.

Personally if the temps hold and they continue to make snow with possible more precip happening this weekend may feel like a February weekend. I'll try to get this film developed and posted ASAP before the weekend.

49 & 1/2 hrs later It is still snowing in the valley!!Mother nature has only taken a few coffee breaks during this time period.I'll be skiing there this w-end,taking advantage of the spring rates with the mid winter conditions . Anybody ck out the deal at canaan valley resort & conf cntr? $29 per person per day march 14,15,16 includes rm,rentals,lift & the use of the pool,ice skating,hot tub ect..." Thats a BARGAIN!! Rogerz we had 78 to 81 all last week in nc & now a 7.5 ride will put me in good stuff.Could ride to sugar mtn (5 hrs) with 8" of fresh stuff.Thats in response to where else but CA could you golf & ski in the same week.The mtns are nicer in ca But the se North carolina beaches blow Ca away. We will catch up in the mtn dept I hope.EAST COAST BABY!!

PS Glad you got some great cond Out in tahoe rogerz Cuz its been raining with thunder storms & highs in the upper 50's since you left.Hope your cliff jumping boo boo heals fast JohnL!I wish i could ski as good as you all sound.The only time i hit the glades is to take a leak & the only time i go over a cliff is because i didn't know it was there!

DO I HEAR SICK DAY OR WHAT?

Thanks Bawalker for getting me extremely pysched for the weekend!!!!

Can you post some of those pictures you snapped on the forum?

I'll be getting those up within the next day or so. I used a Kodak disposable camera rather than a digital one... I don't yet trust myself to carry one without falling and breaking it.

If I wasn't meeting someone from DC up at Wisp I'd go back to Timberline again.

Did it look like this:

Yup! Well almost. The snow didn't frost too much on the bare limbs of non-pine trees but it still was there and visible. I could look up at the mountains and see a nice frostline accompanying all of the mountains.

Btw let me ask you... where is Mt. Porte Crayon geographically located vs Timberline? As I was leaving and heading South on 32 having driven past Canaan Valley and starting the decent off of the Allegheny Plateu, I looked to my left casually at about 10pm angle and saw what looked like the Mt. Porte Crayon pictures posted on here. Is that it?

"Btw let me ask you... where is Mt. Porte Crayon geographically located vs Timberline? As I was leaving and heading South on 32 having driven past Canaan Valley and starting the decent off of the Allegheny Plateu, I looked to my left casually at about 10pm angle and saw what looked like the Mt. Porte Crayon pictures posted on here. Is that it?"

Yes! It is one of the most beautiful mountains in the mountain state--a perfect 10.

Bawalker that's the mountain-- there's the ridge you come off of for Canaan Valley followed by the Laneville Gap (route 45 as you drive down if I remember the route number right) and up past that gap is a humongous mountain that pretty much dominates the valley.

Ok Andy let me clarify: where else can you ski on a 12-15 foot natural snow base and then be at the beach six hours later? Yes the beaches in NC are better but I'm a skier first. Anyway if you ever want some ski lessons I'd be happy to exchange some in WV for some fishing lessons in Wilmington!

Was thinking of doing a last ski trip to Whitetail this weekend but if conditions hold perhaps Tline is feasible next weekend... pray for snow!

*Edited*

One word...

WOOOW


I saw the bottom part of it and the cleared out fields and those shapes are what caught my eye. If it's any consolation when I left Timberline at 2:30 which had a break in the clouds with sun, the top of Mt. Porte Crayon's summit was enveloped either in clouds or massive snow showers. I assume the way to get to that mountain is by using the Dolly Sods road beside that tiny local gas station after getting down off of the plateu?

The pictures posted on here don't do it justice. I'm assuming even there on Rt 32 it's still over 10 miles in a straight line from any side of that mountain? If that is the case that is the most donimating east coast mountain I've seen yet!

Posted with permission.

johnfmh - What angle is that taken from in relation to Rt 32, Canaan, etc?

I'll have to ask Jonathan and get back to you.. BTW, you can order these photos through his web site if you are interested. Who knows, he may be the Ansel Adams of WV and you will be able to re-sell it 20 years from now for big bucks.

Thanks for checking that out. I'm half tempted to buy a $500 digital camera with like 10x zoom and 5MP and go hiking with a group of people up there and do my own photography and get some of those shots of the valley, plateu and mountains.

It's snowing again hard in Wardensville right now, of course the ground is too warm for it to stick.

Bawalker:

You can get some good photos of the mountain from the Golden Anchor restaurant on RT 32.

If you want to hike the mountain, the main access trail is the Roaring Plains trail. You'll then have to bushwhack to the summit of MPC. The entire Roaring Plains circut is a 2-day hike. However, if you have a mountain bike, you can cycle to trailhead along a gated forest service road to the upper Roaring Plains Trail terminus. From there, hide your bike in the woods and hike to MPC. The bike/hike method will take you less than a day. There's not a lot of water up there so bring plenty of H20.

bawalker:

I was at timberline yesterday too - if you saw someone with a green jacket and orange hat skiing on a pair of straight edge skis, that was me. I agree, it was a great day. Snow was really good in the Pearly Glades, OTW and the Drop in good shape, groomed slopes all really carvable.

This was my first time skiing timberline after it has gotten fresh snow and
I can see why it has such a devoted following here. So when are we going
forward with the plan to buy the place and run it as a coop a la
Mad River Glen?

"DO I HEAR SICK DAY OR WHAT?"
Sick day indeed. I'll be the guy in the green jacket on the volkl V3's that look like they've been skied on the top instead of the bottoms standing in line Friday morning waiting for the rope to drop!

wgo I definately remember seeing that orange hat a few times throughout the day. I think once you may have gotten on the lift a few chairs in front of me. I was the guy on the black/white/orage metropolis board with a black helmet, goggles (had blue sunglasses on), black pants, and a white/blue jacket. I hung around the blue runs most of the day and if you happened to be on the lift you would have seen me on lower thunderstruck working on carving but skidding out a bit. Also if you happened to be on the lift down below the water tower and see snow that was dug out down to the ground in 2 places... or the guy doing that... that was me.

I didn't realize there wasn't a packed base under it and when I hit it and carved I sunk in taking a ton of snow out of two spots. Ah... the joy of powder.

I have some prop that i'm going to dev this summer & it is right across the street from the golden anchor.Now you all know why i am so pro MPC!! I will be only digging the well & septic & putting up a small A-frame garage bunkhouse.If MPC is Dev i will build the main chalet,If not dev i will sell to highest bidder & like I have posted before commit herry kerry(Jap suicide) With my ski pole on top of MPC!

PS..Roger I'm a pretty good skier,I just don't take to many chances anymore.I don't work & i don't get paid!So with all the bills & dreams of chalets & bigger boats My skiing is fast but in control.You are welcome on the "BAD BOUY" (21 footer) or the BAD BOUY JR.(14 footer) come on down!We catch a lot of crabs too! Maybe you can get yourself a surfer girl That goes for the frozen surf too!

Surfer girls and fresh seafood... hmmm NOW you're talkin'!