Timberline in the summer...
October 12, 2004
21 posts
10 users
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I am going to be heading upto Canaan Valley tomorrow for meetings with state commissioners. Before hand I would like to get a chairlift ride in or possibly even a bike ride in on Timberline to get a ton of pictures. Does anyone know what the costs are for this, or if it's possible to take the chairlift to the top with a bike and ride down. I swore I heard someone say that was possible once.
I don't know the cost, but you can ride the chairlift with a bike, or at least I did a couple of years ago. They also rent them for those that don't have one, or don't have room to bring one along.
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Before hand I would like to get a chairlift ride in or possibly even a bike ride in on Timberline to get a ton of pictures. Does anyone know what the costs are for this, or if it's possible to take the chairlift to the top with a bike and ride down.
The ride is $4.50 but the THUNDER DRAFT chair only runs on weekends. The best way to get up the mountain without the help of the chair is via the Salamander trail on foot.
Hrm, Silver Queen doesn't run at all in the summer?
What about Canaan Valley's chair lifts? The meeting is at the lodge at CV so will they have a chairlift or one open for a ride to the top?
Silver Queen does not run at all during the summer--only Thunder Draft and only on weekends. The CV chair may run midweek. Check with the resort. If it does, do the Bald Knob Hike (it's on the CV Hiking Map available for a small fee in at the CV Resort). Bald Knob offers some of the best views of the valley.
For a good long-range photo of Timberline, drive down Courtland Rd and pull into the Wildlife Refuge Lot. There's also some nice short hikes in that area--a favorite for bird watchers.
Well... if you're going to photograph anything, photograph the recent trail destruction by Timberline's ATV race. I'll give you good bike directions to some of this destruction. Leave Timberline's lodge, bike down to the Thunder Stuck lift, then head up Winterset on Big Chainring. When you get to the bend on Winterset, start looking for a trail off the right side to an access road. Take this, then turn left and go up the first access road you encounter. Make sure to snap a picture or two of all the abandoned Vader chairs on your way up! You will eventually reach a point where two trails will diverge. One to the right and one across the road from it, to the left. You could bike out the one to the right, I haven't been out that way for years. But, if you desire... take the one to the left. Keep heading for the Mid-Station (the trail is hard to find, but you'll make it there, you want to end-up right AT the mid-station).
You'll see a pink ribbon in the trees, and a very ingrown trail. Bike down this trail... you're approaching the 24 Hours of Canaan final downhill, if you were wondering. Then, when a huge trail crosses your path, take some nice pictures, follow this a few feet and snap some more photos of the 'creek' crossing that's been obliterated. Also, you can bike out this a ways and get some good pictures. Finally, come back to where you left the small trail, and take pictures of the logs and debris intentionally put in the path of the old 24 Hours course to keep riders off of it. Finish with a fast descent down Lower White Lightning.
By now, you ought to have some good pictures.
Having an ATV race on a ski mountain struck me as odd. In Europe, farmers spend entire summers removing rocks from ski slopes. Why would a resort want to have ATVs chewing up the slopes?
I saw some of the damage Canaanman is talking about--depressing.
Don't forget, this is Timberline we're talking about. Maybe they didn't know any better? Can't wait to see your pictures bawalker.
jimmy
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Don't forget, this is Timberline we're talking about. Maybe they didn't know any better? Can't wait to see your pictures bawalker.
jimmy
Which would explain why they're having another one at the end of August... break-out the signs, megaphones, and duct tape, I'm feeling a protest coming on.
If you want a scenic barn shot make sure to take the road to CV Resort. About a mile off the state road that comes from Elkins, you'll notice an old barn on the left hand side of the road. It was a beautiful scene in March.
http://www.jarrettbaker.com/canaanbarnwinter.jpg
Which would explain why they're having another one at the end of August... break-out the signs, megaphones, and duct tape, I'm feeling a protest coming on.
I could not agree more. Timberline seems to be going the way of Blue Knob--destroying the mountain to make a quick buck but forgetting about major investments that would actually improve the mountain. The amazing thing is that people are still buying unfinished lots for as much $350,000. I only wonder what will happen when the residential land runs out.
john, I was afraid to use the BK comparison, hoping this was something they'd try and forget, but to be fair, we got snowmaking on OTW and the new 2.75 chairs on the Queen. One + one half steps forward, ??steps back.
canaanman...how about a log skidder pull. This is like a tractor pull but instead of the sled, we tie a big cable around the pumphouse and take turns pulling on it until we bury the skidder to the frame. We'll drag that sucker to the bottom of OTW and you can use it for a kicker
five months
jimmy
Jimmy:
I'm happy about any and all improvements as well but this ATV thing is over the top. Most ski resorts use staff or volunteers to clear rocks from trails (Chip does this for WG and in Europe, farmers do it in exchange for using ski slopes as grazing pastures for their cows). Why Timberline is allowing ATVs to chew up slopes and destroy slopes that are in nearly perfect shape defies logic and good sense. Whitetail doesn't even allow mountain bikes on its slopes and Snowshoe makes sure MTB trails do not damage areas prone to erosion.
The only positive of the ATV race is that the chewed up dirt attracts some interesting birds looking for worms and insects.
John:
I don't doubt the damage report one bit. If this is left as is it'll really be a mess after a couple of rain storm's. Someone on TL's staff told me (weekend b/4 the "perfect storm" in fact) that "this mountain is magic, it makes it's own weather." Maybe the magic of Herz will cast out the pestilence.
Jimmy
I dont see the problem with having ATV races on the mountain at all when the winter comes and there is three feet of snow on the slopes is anyone going to notace a few small ruts and if a ski resort takes the money they make running races and uses it to keep the costs of lift tickets down or more improvements then that is even better. so the way I see it anything a resort can do to be profible in the summer only leads to good things for the winter and with regards to Blue Knob I went there for the first time last winter and i thought it was great all the trails and glades were open with excelent coverage and this was like 2 weeks after the last snow storm so while i dont doubt that the slopes themselves have been damaged I think with enough snow anything can be skiable
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I think with enough snow anything can be skiable
True, but this is the Mid-Atlantic, not Utah or Tahoe. Undamaged slopes and glades require less snow to ski on. That means a longer season for the slopes/glades and less man-made snow needed for coverage. Less man-made snow means lower costs, hopefully lower ticket prices, and less natural resources consumed.
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I dont see the problem with having ATV races on the mountain at all when the winter comes and there is three feet of snow on the slopes
Some of last season's thaws reduced the base on staple trails like Salamander to almost nothing in spots. Few people will ski Timberline after thaws if they think their skis or boards will be trashed by rocks dug up by ATVs. An ATV race at a ski area is penny wise and pound foolish. WV has some decent areas for ATV racing (Hattfield and McCoy for example). Why ruin one of the state's best ski areas to make a few extra bucks? Anyway, Timberline does not need the extra money. They are selling lots on Winterhaven as fast as they can cut the trees down and level the ground. I wonder how the people who own the $500,000 slopeside properties feel about those races? It's not exactly what they bargained for when they bought these properties. But then again, property owners have no say over how the resort is run or not run as the case may be--perhaps the biggest flaw in the way ski resorts are developed in this country.
$350,000 for a 1/2 acre lot is a lot of $$$. Especially considering that you can get a similar size lot in Northpoint (a very nice development right off 32) for $20-30k. Are people actually lining up to buy these lots? Sounds to me like the DC Real Estate bubble mania that has spread to the beach resorts is now heading to West Virginia as well (at least in these very isolated instances). As much as I love CV, if I were to pay that much money for a lot, the resort would have to put Snowshoe to shame! Nothing against Timberline (a fine resort) but I would have to see some REAL plans for improvement (like Wisp and 7 Springs are doing) before paying a premium for slopeside property. Considering it's enviable location (as Corridor H gets more and more complete), climate, and terrain, common-sense would dictate some improvements. Basically amounting to a more upscale feel in the lodge and better dining options, amenities, etc. Certainly not rocket science for a knowledable business person/investor that sees the potential that does exist but is not being utilized. Nothing sucks more than overpriced cafeteria food!
I'm new to the forum, but this discussion about the ATV damage at Timberline inspired me to finally join in. I have a place up at Timberline, and regularly spend my weekends there all 4 seasons. One of my favorite "off-season" activies is mountain biking - and Canaan Valley has some of the best in the Mid-Atlantic. I regularly ride from our house over to the slopes and ride the trails at the resort along the old 24 hours of Canaan race course.
Well, after the ATV race most of those trails were completely obliterated. The race organizer ran the course through all of the trails marked for mountain biking. Single track has become double-wide, and the most of the trail network is now a foot or more deep in mud. I spoke with one of the employees at the bike center there last Sunday, and he especially lamented the demise of the infamous "Crash and Burn" downhill trail from the old race course. He said that right now, with another race planned for August, they have no plans to repair the damage or reroute the MTB trails.
It all comes down to $$$, and admittedly I doubt MTBers contribute much to Timberline's bottomline (they do not charge any trail fees); however, I can't see how they can continue to advertise biking on the mountain there after this race -- most of the original trail network is unrideable due to mud.
I also read that the race interfered with the Highlands Sky 40 mile ultra marathon race that was held the same weekend. Apparently, the race organizer transgressed beyond the original planned race course into the area used by the ultra-marathon. The ATV organizer then refused to back off the course, and the Highlands Sky race organizer was forced to cut a new course the evening before their race through steep terrain - in the rain!
Anyway, I know many fellow owners up at Timberline were not happy with the noise from the race. I don't know what this sort of damage will do to the ski runs; however, I wouldn't try mountain biking there anytime soon. We'll have to wait until next year to see if this ATV race becomes an annual fixture.
I just came back from Timberline and examined some of the slopes used for the ATV races. To make a long story short, there's a lot of visible damage to the trails--especially THE DROP, a natural snow trail that often has thin snow cover.
John, Have you been able to check this out lately. We took a stroll last Saturday from the top of Winterset, where someone is building what looks like a new hotel, across to the bottom of the drop. Looks like they've done some grading and put straw down in several areas. Farther up the mountain on the dew drop it looks like they're cutting a road accross? upper dew drop. Any idea what that's about?
Opening day not too far away!
jimmy
