White & Wild West Virginia

[amf]

Date(s) Skied: 1/9-10

Resort or Ski Area: Whitegrass

Conditions: powder, powder, and an extra helping of powder

Trip Report: After hearing of practically a week of non-stop snow with an extra dump forecast, I had to head south on Thursday. Waking up to 8 to 12" of fresh powder, we spent the day warming up at Timberline with some in-bounds skiing on Friday (warm being a relative term... temps never got out of the single digits). Despite some Stratton-style grooming on the slopes, the woods gave a hint of what lay in the backcountry so we headed next door to Whitegrass for Sat and Sun. Another 4 to 6" overnight only added to the already deep powder. Conditions were truly memorable - the only place I have seen deeper powder is Alta and Jay. Lines were in that have not been skied in years. Saturday was gray with off and on snow, while Sunday saw the snow finally taper off to painfully blue skies and sparkling diamonds all around. Between the two days we probably managed to skin & ski close to 3000' of vertical.

If you have never skied West Virginia, it can have the best conditions east of the Mississippi, bar none. Unfortunately, they are as ephemeral as a fly hatch in trout season. Some pics have been posted over at TTips by another fortunate soul.

 

[soulseller]

what is the URL for TTips?

 

[amf]

what is the URL for TTips?

Try this... you may have to cut'n paste... look for posts by tomimcmillar or camp

http://telemarktalk.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=60602&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=570

 

[amf]

Wva update

Officially 199" for the season to date; chest high fenceposts are barely sticking up out of the snow, all but the bottom 10" of which is pure powder. Spent two days skinnin' & skii-n' over the P-day weekend. Nothing compares in the east. Period. Almost 18" more possible thru Wednesday 2/17; they give up depth forecasts for the rest of the week and just say snow.

 

[billski]

Officially 199" for the season to date; chest high fenceposts are barely sticking up out of the snow, all but the bottom 10" of which is pure powder. Spent two days skinnin' & skii-n' over the P-day weekend. Nothing compares in the east. Period. Almost 18" more possible thru Wednesday 2/17; they give up depth forecasts for the rest of the week and just say snow.

Wow . Do they have steeps that you can take advantage of the deep with?

 

[soulseller]

AZ needs to organize a bus trip to Snowshoe.

 

[billski]

AZ needs to organize a bus trip to Snowshoe.

Yeah, like this afternoon!

 

[amf]

Wow . Do they have steeps that you can take advantage of the deep with?

Snowshoe has the longest steep runs, and IMO compare well with many NE black diamonds. Timberline has a couple of nice steep runs but generally less vertical. If you are willing to skin, the trees off Bald Knob between Canaan and Timberline compares favorably with anywhere in the east. Unfortunately, the little cliff drop-ins are getting filled up with snow!

I had my winter ski season fairly well planned out in the northeast this year, and have ended up with more days in WV than Vermont.