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Mid-Atlantic/SE skiing (PA, NJ, DC, MD, VA, WV, NC) news April-Sept 2020

marzNC

Angel Diva
The new owners of Timberline in Davis, WV are really getting the locals excited. The people who used to be making the drive from Pittsburgh or DC are clearly looking forward to the new lifts and renovated lodge. The new chairs have all been delivered. With all the slopeside lodging available at Tline, could be a good place for a ski weekend. It used to be the place to get away from weekend crowds before things went from bad to worse before the recent sale.

They are going to use RFID for lift access. Senior rates start at age 60. There will be something called a Timberline Mountain Debit Card. Those can be used for food & beverage, merchandise, rental, lessons, or applied to a future lift ticket. Pretty interesting way to provide a discount but at the same time encourage a return visit.

https://timberlinemountain.com/lift-tickets/

Your lift ticket will be an RFID card carried on your person for lift access. Your time to ski or snowboard starts when your ticket/card is scanned at the lifts, and it is valid for up to 8 consecutive hours of skiing or snowboarding! You’ll want to grab one for each skier/rider in your party since RFID tickets are non-transferrable.
ONLINE DISCOUNT
Save an additional $5 off each when purchasing online in advance.
BONUSES
EARLY RETURN BONUS:
Don’t have all day? Ski or ride 4 hours or less and receive a $10 credit to your Timberline Mountain Debit Card*. Tickets must be validated at a ticket window within 4 hours of first scan at the lift to be eligible.
*Does not apply to group, comp, value or promo tickets/passes.
MID-WEEK BONUS:
Hit the lifts during the week Monday – Thursday (non-holiday), and automatically receive a $15 credit to your Timberline Mountain Debit Card*.
*Does not apply to group, comp, value or promo tickets or passes.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Pretty sure I heard that someone had gotten an email that stated the trio of ski areas that serve the Pittsburgh market plan to be open for 2020-21. Seven Springs is the biggest, but Hidden Valley and Laurel Hills are were people are used to going to find less crowded slopes on weekends. A season pass is good at all three. I think a day ticket at 7Springs can be used at Hidden Valley on the same day.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
What I'm hearing on DCSki about the improvements being made at Timberline is pretty amazing. The lodge is being enlarged for all four floors, with a giant deck as well. A bunch of new Polecat fan guns are being installed on White Lightening, which is a wide primary trail. Lights will be upgraded for night skiing.

I'll definitely be trying to figure out a way to check out the new and improved Timberline, at least for a day trip from Massanutten.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
The Indy Pass went on sale to day, Sept. 1. A little more complicated than last year because there are more options. The base price for an adult is still $199, which provides 2 days at 55 independent ski areas/resorts all over the U.S.

For folks in the MidA and southeast, there are several Indy locations. Winterplace in WV is new for 2020-21.

I got to Bryce and Cataloochee for the first time using Indy last season. Hoping to check out CV and maybe even Ober Gatlinburg this winter. I'll get a discount since I'm also getting a Massanutten season pass.

Blue Knob, PA
Shawnee, PA
Canaan Valley, WV
Winterplace, WV
Bryce, VA
Massanutten, VA
Cataloochee, NC
Ober Gatlinburg, TN
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Snowshoe has announced opening and closing dates.

Basin/Western: November 25th - March 28th

Silver Creek: December 18th - March 14th (Last Day for Night Skiing is March 13th)
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
The change around Davis, WV is absolutely amazing. No one could have guessed a year ago how much would happen in 2020. In addition to the two replacement lifts, Timberline is putting in 70 new fan guns. That's a lot of snowmaking power!

August 31, The Parsons Advocate
Timberline Management Update Commissioners
https://parsonsadvocate.com/news/pa-local-stories/timberline-management-update-commissioners/
"Commissioner Fred Davis invited General Manager of Perfect North Slopes Jonathan Davis, along with Daniel “Booney” Neff, General Manager of Timberline Mountain, and Tom Price, Director of Operations at Timberline Mountain to the County Commission meeting. “I couldn’t be more excited to be in West Virginia,” Davis began. “In fact, my home base is in Indiana, both of these guys have roots back there, but I have to go back and these guys get to live here full time,” he laughed.

Davis stated that to date, everyone has been great to work with and they have enjoyed getting to know the area and the local residents. “They’ve made us feel like family,” he said, which is the lifestyle of the company they reign from. Full time staff is being developed at Timberline which is a combination of individuals from Indiana along with locals from Tucker County. Additional full time staff is being sought with a large need of seasonal employees.

Commissioner Davis told the Timberline representatives that he is working with others to incorporate a local shuttle service that would help provide the 350 needed seasonal workers to Timberline. In Indiana, about 60% of the employees are high school age youth, which Davis stated not only do they look at it as a first job option for them, but also an opportunity to incorporate life skills.

Ski patrol training is kicking off early October. Davis has been working with 911 Director Beverly Cantrell on ensuring safety on the mountain. In the instance the chairlifts are not operable in time; Davis has been in contact with Canaan Valley whom has agreed to allow the training to take place at their facility. “We don’t view Canaan as a source of competition, I think that the two of us can exist in the valley and I really hope that the two of us being here will be able to draw more people to Tucker County especially from out of state to bring those tax dollars in, more than one area in the valley could,” Davis added.

In July, Timberline kicked off their season pass sales, which Davis felt yielded a positive response, however there is little to no data to compare the sales to. The results so far have indicated over a quarter of the pass holders are coming from Virginia and approximately 65% who bought were from out of state. The goal is to open the mountain around Thanksgiving, should the weather cooperate.

Neff touched base on the chairlift issues after purchasing the ski resort which led to a large investment being made on the installation of the first six pack detachable lift in West Virginia. The lift is currently 75% complete with contractors from Harman performing much of the work. “We’re also putting in a four person fixed grip to Mid-Mountain,” Neff explained. The former lift used to have a midway unload point before continuing to the mountain top, however these are now two separate lifts.

Snow making improvements have also been done, this includes the installation of over 70 new fan guns. Approximately 80% of the concrete bases have been completed, with Neff stating, “It’s a big improvement.”

Price took over to highlight the improvements being made to the lodge including efficiency and COVID-19 safety protocol. A new, one level deck has been constructed along with rejoining the cafeteria and a lot of reorganizing. The rental shop boasts 1,000 sets of skis and 250 snowboards as well.

Davis stated that between Neff and Price, there is over 25 years of experience in the ski industry. Over $13 million has been put into the Timberline Mountain project from the Perfect Family in order to get the resort back up to par. “We’re not going to have all of our wants, we will have our needs,” Davis stated by the time of their seasonal opening. The goal for the summer is to incorporate mountain biking in an attempt to draw people to the valley year around.

Commission President Lowell Moore thanked them for coming to the meeting and sharing the exciting updates. “On behalf of the County Commission, we really appreciate you fellows for coming to Tucker County.” Commissioner Jon Bush stated he feels they will be a great addition to the area and said, “We’re really looking forward to it.”
. . ."
 

SarahXC

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@marzNC —any ideas you have read/heard re: Indy pass redemptions and how the “show your id at the ticket window” might interact with any independents creating reservation systems to get on the mountain? The amount of nearby resorts is definitely making it look attractive (presuming you could actually redeem the days on the weekend you wanted to travel to ski...)
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
@marzNC —any ideas you have read/heard re: Indy pass redemptions and how the “show your id at the ticket window” might interact with any independents creating reservation systems to get on the mountain? The amount of nearby resorts is definitely making it look attractive (presuming you could actually redeem the days on the weekend you wanted to travel to ski...)
Hard to say for weekends. But even though the number of Indy passes being bought in early Sept is much greater than the first season, the total is unlikely to overwhelm any particular region.

The price of Indy won't go up until after the end of Nov. Perhaps wait and call the local ski areas in Oct or Nov and see what they say. I doubt any of them have decided how to proceed yet. Even independent destination resorts like Taos are busily having meetings of managers in Sept to come up with a plan for getting the season started in Dec and past the holiday weeks at the end of the year.

Once there is 100% coverage and all lifts are running, the situation will change for all ski areas.

I wonder how midweek skiing will change at Indy locations because more families will have kids doing school online and parents are more likely to work from home. Could be that only Wed will be the only a empty day. I rather hope there are more people who ski Mon-Tue or Thu-Fri, instead of just Sat-Sun. Would be good for the Indy ski areas and the local businesses near them.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Unfortunately, the PA Ski For Free program for 4th and 5th Graders won't be available for 2020-21. It's too bad they didn't just switch it to being valid only Mon-Thu. Hopefully it will be back at some point in the future.

Snowpass Program Suspended
for 2020-21 Winter Season
Due to our current inability to guarantee complete fulfillment of the offerings traditionally promised with our popular 4th & 5th Grade Snow Pass, PSAA Member Areas have made the difficult decision to suspend the offering of this product for this upcoming season.
Winter sports resorts in Pennsylvania are currently exploring all of the safe and exciting ways we will be able to welcome guests to our resorts this upcoming winter season. We are diligently working with the National Ski Areas Association and state and local officials to ensure our winter sports playgrounds are open and ready to accommodate anxious skiers and snowboarders.
There is still much unknown about the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 virus, and as such, all of our state resorts intend to remain poised to make adjustments to our operations as needed in order to maintain a safe and healthy environment for our guests and employees throughout the entire winter season.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
For the folks who live in the DC/NoVA area and could use an Epic pass to ski the former Snowtime locations, check out the DCSki article by Scott Smith that's geared to Mid-Atlantic skiers. I'd forgotten that there is now a Northeast Value Pass, which covers PA and NH, $599. Also a Northeast Midweek Pass for $449. That's not a bad deal for people who want to ski Whitetail, Liberty, or Roundtop. With the capacity limits, could actually be a better experience on weekends than usual.

Your Questions Answered: The Upcoming Season at Mid-Atlantic Vail Resorts Properties
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Latest info for Snowshoe. Passholders, including Ikon, won't need a reservations. Day tickets may be pretty limited. Takes a bit of looking on the Snowshoe website to find the Winter FAQ that includes the stuff below.

Do I need a reservation to ski/ride at Snowshoe?
At this time, Ikon Pass, Ikon Base Pass, Snowshoe Unlimited Pass, and Early Season Pass holders will not need reservations to ski and ride during the 2020/21 winter season at Snowshoe. Guests who advance purchase a package (including lift tickets/passes and lodging, etc.) are guaranteed mountain access for the dates of their booking.
What are holiday and peak periods?
• Christmas: December 26th – January 2nd
• MLK: January 15th – 17th
• Presidents: February 12th – 14th
• Peak: Friday – Sunday, December 18th – March 13th
Can I buy a ticket on the day I want to ski?
To ensure access to the mountain we strongly suggest purchasing a pass (either Ikon or Snowshoe specific). At this time, we anticipate limited availability of walk-up tickets during the winter season. Some single day lift tickets may be available for day of purchase based on last minute availability.
Can I buy a single day lift ticket in advance?
We will be offering online, advance single and multi-day lift tickets in advance. These will be available in the coming weeks. Guests are encouraged to purchase in advance to guarantee mountain access.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Folks in the DC/NoVA/DE region may have another indoor ski facility to consider in perhaps 2-3 years. The Alpine-X project in Fairfax County is moving forward with another step in the approval process. A public hearing is likely on Oct. 6, 2020. The original proposal was submitted back in 2018.

Alpine-X is working with a company that has indoor ski complexes in Europe.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Timberline is going to have RFID! There is a new video tour on their Facebook page hosted by Chip Perfect. The renovated lodge is amazing! With all the slopeside lodging and a high-speed detachable 6-pack, I think Tline is going to be a true ski resort starting this season.
 

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