Snowshoe, WV....Is there ever any reason to get there whatsoever?

[rmackd]

It seems like it would suck because it is in the mid-atlantic, but I have friends in Blacksburg that want to go. Would it be worth it to go there under any circumstances (powder day)?

[powdork]

we use to drive up from gainesville for early spring break and had lots of fun, though most of that was in bars. slush bumps on cupp run were fun.

[rmackd]

we use to drive up from gainesville for early spring break and had lots of fun, though most of that was in bars. slush bumps on cupp run were fun.

Yeah, I am in Jacksonville Beach, so I can drive up to BBurg and be just a couple hours from Snowshoe, so I am wondering if I should check it out. I would think, like any place, that it would be fun on a pow day. It has better elevation that I would have guessed.

[Edgnar]

I've skied there. It is a fun enough mountain. If it was going to cost me the same amount of money to go there or to go to Colorado/California/Wyoming/Montana/Washington, the decision wouldn't take a quarter of a second. But, for the mid-Atlantic, its a cool little mountain. I think they even got some decent snow last year.

[Sirshredalot]

I think you're better off heading up to Davis if you are looking for a more off-piste pow day experience, but from southern VA it's probably fine.

In my experience, WV and PA are broadly comparable to what you'd find in southern NH, but with warmer weather. Not worth going out of your way for it, but fine if you're in the neighborhood.

[Blacky1051]

Snowshoe is notorious for grooming on powder days. Cupp & Shay's are the only runs worth your trip. They have some glades on the Widowmaker side, but they closed at the end of last season due to a death. Not sure if they'll be open this year or not.

If you're looking for better skiing, drive the extra hour 1/2 north to Timberline/Canaan/Whitegrass.

[rmackd]

Snowshoe is notorious for grooming on powder days. Cupp & Shay's are the only runs worth your trip. They have some glades on the Widowmaker side, but they closed at the end of last season due to a death. Not sure if they'll be open this year or not.

If you're looking for better skiing, drive the extra hour 1/2 north to Timberline/Canaan/Whitegrass.

Thanks for the ideas guys. I really didn't even realize there were other mountains around there that were better. Good stuff.

[plurpimpin]

I've skied there. It is a fun enough mountain. If it was going to cost me the same amount of money to go there or to go to Colorado/California/Wyoming/Montana/Washington, the decision wouldn't take a quarter of a second. But, for the mid-Atlantic, its a cool little mountain. I think they even got some decent snow last year.

Agreed, I live in blacksburg so I get a season pass to snowshoe every year but my house is only 3 hrs away and I live in the parking lot in the winter. It's the best around but not worth traveling far to. From florida I'd just get a plane ticket and go somewhere worth while. Plus a REAL snowshoe powder day is pretty rare, only a handfull of 6"-12" days a year. Don't bank on a powder day. Most of the fun at snowshoe involves alot of alcohol (although no open container laws in WV is pretty sweet) You can jong slalom down the mountain with a beer in each hand and ski patrol just waves and says have a nice day... not that I would ever do that

[sb]

BTW WV highlands got a couple inches of wet snow over the weekend. Maybe another good year in the works.

[Grape_Ape]

Cupp & Shay's are the only runs worth your trip.

If you're looking for better skiing, drive the extra hour 1/2 north to Timberline/Canaan/Whitegrass.

QFT...

If you start figuring out the weather, you can hit a powder day with some regularity on the high ridges in the Alleghenies.

[daviski]

Everyone has summed it up pretty well. Anyday is a good day if there's powder but it takes a lot at Snowshoe before the groomers fuck it up. Go but don't go to far out of your way and absolutely avoid a holiday, or even a weekend if possible. A few things not mentioned yet

Ticket prices are way out of line at $79/69

The reported vertical is based on two runs (Cupp and Shay's) Vertical for the rest of the mountain is about 800'

Because the terrain is nothing that will wear you out in a day -- the funnest thing about Snowshoe maybe night skiing at the silver Creek area, the crowds are mostly tuckered out and tubbing/gorging by then. The lifts are fixed grip but they turn up the speed and you'll never have to wait -- a condo/bar complex is conveniantly accessed

[sb]

http://www.whitegrass.com/report.html

[sidewall]

Took a few trips there- Cupp is the only really good run. Some decent vertical and incline.

[OSECS]

I've tried to plan a trip there on several occasions and never follow thru. I go on line and start looking at the costs of lift tickets and lodging and decide I'd rather spend the extra $300 or so and fly out west for obviously far superior conditions even on the worst day.

For a day trip its fine. Cup and Shay on a mid week day are pretty empty, but the weekend brings out some scary ass yahoos who will take your ass out in a second.

[SuperChief]

Whats with all the hate? Snowshoe is awesome, in the summer.



Timberline has some pretty impressive glade skiing and the MTN bike trail building has greatly improved the area for off Piste.

[rmackd]

I've tried to plan a trip there on several occasions and never follow thru. I go on line and start looking at the costs of lift tickets and lodging and decide I'd rather spend the extra $300 or so and fly out west for obviously far superior conditions even on the worst day.

For a day trip its fine. Cup and Shay on a mid week day are pretty empty, but the weekend brings out some scary ass yahoos who will take your ass out in a second.

Yeah, this is what my option is, but it is more like a $500 difference. I can get in and out of SLC or Denver for around $300, and then am looking at another ~$200 to rent a car, whereas I can drive (albeit a long one) to Snowshoe in a day.

[RegCT]

Looks like more than a couple inches...

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...0.278701797906

[jimmy]

This

Whats with all the hate? Snowshoe is awesome, in the summer.

Timberline has some pretty impressive glade skiing and the MTN bike trail building has greatly improved the area for off Piste.

is all you need to know about skiing in WV rmackd. How long is this trip you are planning? Catch Snowshew for a week day on you're way up to or back from Canaan Valley if you want to check it out. When are you planning to go?

[OSECS]

This



is all you need to know about skiing in WV rmackd. How long is this trip you are planning? Catch Snowshew for a week day on you're way up to or back from Canaan Valley if you want to check it out. When are you planning to go?

Not a bad idea at all. Another thought would be to stop at Wintergreen on the way up or back. Mid week and the right conditions for a day or so is still better than sitting in a cubicle at work. Its got 3 slopes that are fun for a blue bird mid week day. 3 -4 hours between the Snowshoe and Wintergreen leg breaks up the trip north or southbound.

Leap frogging down the seaboard could be a cool road trip if you have good weather/resort info.

[rmackd]

I have no plans at the moment, and will just wait until it snows. If I see that they are going to get a foot of snow, I'll get in the car and go. Sounds like I will want to check out Timberline for sure, and maybe Canaan Valley. Typical trip would be a 3 day weekend. Thanks for the beta.

[skiski]

Canaan/Timberline/Whitegrass get more snow, have better terrain and are all-around better places. Timberline is my personal favorite. Yes, Snowshoe has the two 1500' runs ,but they are rolly polly, southfacing and kind of boring. The rest of the mountain is 800' or less and mostly so thickly treed that you could not ski the trees. TImberline has 1000' of fairly consistent, north facing vertical with some glades and other fun.
It would be worth another hour or two in the car to to go to Timberline/Canaan/Whitegrass. I grew up skiing WVa. Snowshoe is okay, but Timberline feels like home to me.

[Bluestrike2]

If you're heading to SLC, no need to rent a car if you're willing to take the bus . Besides, you're looking at a good ~$250 in fuel just driving to and from WV: cost-wise, there's probably little if any difference between the two.

As for WV, skip Snowshoe and head up to Canaan Valley. Plus they won't screw your wallet.

[present tense]

Was lucky enough to hit snowshoe during the big December east coast storm. sleeping on I-77 was not the tits, but once we got there we found plenty of deep (by east coast standards) ungroomed/untracked.

thinking they got around 30"+ while we were there

[Joe Dirt]

i used to sell real estate there...funny little place. canaan is cooler and has more varied terrain imo. go to the hot dog and wine bar in the village if you hit snowshoe though

[corona672]

Blacksburg to Snowshoe is a bit tough for a day trip. But if you wanted to do a 3 day weekend have some of your friends consider joining Techs snowboarding team. I think you just have to pay their winter dues and they let people stay in their house for cheap(maybe bring a guest or two too)...I dont think they are strict about if skiers join or not. I just get a pass to winterplace.. not really a good mountain but with ski team its only 160 bucks or so and an hour away from Bburg.

I havnt made it up to snowshoe yet, was going to poach the recent storm but i didnt have my gear down here yet or anyone else that wanted to go. So i can't say anything about the terrain there. I'm definitely planning a trip to White Grass and Canaan though this year.