Canaan/Timberline Conditions??
January 22, 2002
Anyone go to Canaan/Timberline over the weekend? I have a trip planned for next weekend and I was wondering what the conditions are like. Did they get much snow over the weekend? The weather forecast for the area does NOT look very promising. It is calling for warm temps and RAIN. Ive got my fingers crossed.
If we do have a warm spell and region wide rain this week, I think Timberline will be one of the best bets for next weekend because of the colder climate in Canaan Valley and they have built up nice bases on many of their trails. Unfortunately, the warm weather will prevent them from continuing to open new terrain. They even have plenty of natural snow-backcountry skiing out there now, but that may not last a warm spell. The Canaan Resort has had problems making snow this year due to lack of water, planning and poor management, and so I don't know if it is worth considering a trip there. There is always the possibility that it may snow over in Canaan by the end of the week if the warm spell ends as currently forecasted.
The resort put down at over 60 inches of machine made snow on its main trails. This snow combined with all the natural snow that the resort has been getting should put the resort in a good position if we do get this thaw. I skied Timberline on Friday, Saturday, and Monday this past weekend. Conditions were sublime. Nice powder on Saturday and well-groomed, hardpack for Sunday. Everyone that I spoke with on the lifts seemed happy except for the usual complaints about slow lifts. Slow lifts, however, mean fewer people on the slopes.