A reliable local forecast…click here!

Monday, December 28, 2009. Waiting for my web guy to update this site and will post current events and conditions until such time when I can upload photos, vid, etc.  Both areas are open and Whitegrass is enjoying some wonderful, early season natural snowfall.  Yours truly had the rare opportunity to enjoy pre-Christmas, knee+ deep pow-pow after the big storm of 12/18-20/09 deposited 24"-26" of fluffy freshies on our mountains.  It's snowing as I type and 14 degrees out with 5-7 total expected.  Total natural snowfall this season is approaching the 55" mark.  Not a lot of our friends in VA, PA can claim those totals!  There is a good selection of lodging available for the upcoming New Years/Gator Bowl (Let's Gooooo, Mountaineers!) weekend with lots of fun activities planned!!  For more current events and reports from "on the ground" visit our other blog at canaanvalley.org.

Tuesday March 24, 2009.  As the season winds down, one can tend to forget about the fantastic spring skiing that is still available here.  Timberline will be open during the next two weekends March 27/28/29 and April 4/5.  The April weekend contains all kinds of end-of-season fun headlined by the “Locals Cup”, a really fun race event!  Canaan Valley Resort has pulled the plug on the ski season and is looking forward to opening the 18 hole championship golf course.  Yours truly will continue his somewhat non biased monologue on a similar report that is accessible from http://www.canaanvalley.org/.  As soon as my web guy executes some cool changes, you will be able to read about, view photos and videos of some local activities including (bad) golf, trout fishing, mountain biking, and general events that we enjoy here at the “Top of the Mountain State”!  Until then, come on out, work on your tan and enjoy some great spring skiing!!_____________________________________________________________

Friday Evening March 13.  I owe an apology to my 21 loyal readers.  I am in a condo in Dillon, CO., enjoying some of Summit County’s finest.  Lots o’sun and tons of vertical!!  Tuesday was spent at Keystone with cold, wind and snow in the morning and bright Rocky sunshine in the afternoon.  (20,000’ of vertical skied) Had to go to the highly rated Vail, so we drove over there on Wednesday (20,000 skied).  Skied lots of steeps and had the opportunity to check out China Bowl in bright sunshine and 10”-12” of light, dry, fresh pow-pow!!  Had an absolute blast at Breckenridge yesterday and had the opportunity to make some turns at 13,000’ above sea level. (more sun, 2”-3” of freshies)!! (25,000’+)  Today we endured more bright sunshine and 3”-4” fresh at Beaver Creek (23,000’) !!

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Tuesday March 3.  Light (cold) snow all day yesterday left a slight coating over everything.  12 degrees was our high yesterday with a reading at the house of 0 this morning.  Has warmed to a balmy 3 degrees with bright sunshine!  This weekend in the Valley will be fun-packed with great skiing/riding and lots of events for your entertainment!  Wild Thing Weekend will be at Canaan Valley Resort with events such as Lollipop Race for the kids, face painting, saucer races, a Boardercross, Airboard race as well as the Infamous Pond Jump (cool vid!!).  Timberline will be hosting the 49^th Annual WV Governors Cup as well as a Rail Jam (schedule of events)!!  Get outside and DO something!!!__________________________________________________________

Monday March 2.  Due to me being techno-challenged, some recent posts have not made the trip to the site!  Returning from DC last Sunday, we encountered some winter weather in Moorefield, WV in the form of scattered snow flurries.  Nothing on the road until Seneca Rocks and, by the time we crested the Allegheny Front at the Pendleton/Randolph County line, it was howling!  Took a drift over the hood of the Blazer on my lane in the Valley!  From Thursday 2/19 to Wednesday 2/25, we got a total of 12”-14”.  That brings the Valleys’ total natural snowfall to 172” for the season!!  A brief warming spell over this past weekend ended last night as the bottom dropped out of the thermometer to a whopping 9 degrees this morning with scattered light snow.  Was down with the flu all weekend and can only report second hand on the ski conditions.  Some granular, solid conditions on Saturday with a warming, softer, springlike surface on Sunday.

 

We are in the midst of planning for this weekends’ production of the 49^th Annual WV Governor’s Cup Races.  The longest running ski race in the Southeast will be held at Timberline March 7^th and 8^th. Giant Slalom on Saturday with the Slalom taking place on Sunday!  Many regional “young guns” will compete with some of us “rusty muskets”!! The race department at Timberline always sets some nice venues for this event…challenging, yet finishable!  The trick is to finish both runs on both days to qualify for the Cup!!

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Wednesday February 25.  Just took an official tour of the recently opened Timberline Hotel and Suites and I was pleasantly surprised by this new facility!  20 large units of varying sizes and appointments situated on the slope (15’-20’ from the skiing surface) offer guests real comfort and convenience!  Wifi, flat screen TVs, garden-style Jacuzzi tubs, and lots of different sleeping arrangements and more means there is a room for you!!

 

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Friday February 20 (PM).  Left the Valley this morning in the midst of a howling snow/wind storm.  11 degrees with 40+ MPH gusts.  Tough to measure the amount of snowfall, as there was grass showing between 4’-5’ drifts!  Gonna be a good weekend!!  Sitting here in a hotel about 6 blocks from the White House in DC and it dawned on me…folks that live in this urban confusion NEED to visit the Canaan Valley/Blackwater Falls area!!!  Imagine an entire county with a population of less than 7,000 and only one stoplight!!  (More ski resorts than stoplights!) __________________________________________________________

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday February 19.  It’s dumping out!  Heavy snow with wind makes for monster drifts!!  We could get over a foot by tomorrow.  Temps are in the low 20s and falling!  Good entertainment in store for the weekend (see the post of January 30) with excellent snow sports on tap!!  The 49^th Annual WV Governor’s Cup is scheduled for the weekend of March 7 and 8 at Timberline.  The Giant Slalom is on Saturday with the Slalom taking place on Sunday.  This is the “oldest” race in the south and all racers are invited! __________________________________________________________

Wednesday February 11.  A change in the weather is “afoot”!  High winds and colder temps with snow will represent a sudden change to this spring-like pattern we’ve had over the past couple of days.  The calls are starting to roll in regarding lodging for the Presidents/Valentines Day weekend.  There is still a good selection of lodging available in the Valley, so c’mon up to the high mountains of Tucker County!!__________________________________________________________

Tuesday, February 10. I guess a weekend update is in order!  It was a good one with many winter sports enthusiasts getting out and enjoying the more moderate temps.  This (brief) hiccup in the weather is just that…just a respite!  Both downhill areas might be losing some of their base depths, but nothing to be alarmed over!  Keep in mind that it is only the 10^th of February and we get most of our large storms in Feb. & March!  Currently, we are right at 144+ inches of natural snowfall for the season and stand a great chance of going (way) over the 200” mark before trout fishing season.  There are still good lodging options for the upcoming long weekend so get outta town and enjoy some high mountain excitement!___________________________________________________________

Thursday February 5. 4 below zero this morning and it snowed lightly all night.  My guess is that, over the past 24-36 hours we’ve received 6”’-8” of fresh, dry pow.  Was strapped to my desk yesterday although the word on the street is all is phenomenal on the hill(s).  Chip at Whitegrass has measured 144” of natural snowfall this year and it’s only early Feb.!!  Speaking of Whitegrass, rumor (and his website) has it that there will be a moonlight ski on Friday evening!!  Lots of good entertainment and even more great snow sports on tap for this weekend!!  Join us, won’t you???  Sure, you can battle the crowds at closer (and smaller) hills, but for an affordable real high mountain experience, check out Canaan/Timberline/Whitegrass!!

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Monday February 2 (Groundhog Day!)  In this case, Super Bowl weekend could easily be renamed to Super Ski weekend!  Saturday was sunny and cold with intensive snowmaking underway at both resorts!  “Super” Sunday was just that!!  Bright sunshine and moderate temps were the norm and a good time was had by all! (Especially our visitors from SW Pennsylvania)!  There are great lodging options still available for the upcoming President’s Day weekend and the conditions are fantastic!  Long range forecast looks more than acceptable with continued cold and snow (it’s snowing now!).  Check out this cool story on dcski.com!

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T.G.I. Friday January 30 Cold, snowing and blowing!  Most (if not all) slopes and trails are open at both downhill resorts and Whitegrass has skiers all over the mountains!  Snowmaking is continuing to build even bigger bases.  To heck with the economy, get out and enjoy our affordable winter sports!  Conditions are maxed out!

 

I gotch'er entertainment right here!!! Some of my loyal readers (I think I’m up to 20!) have commented on a perceived lack of entertainment/après ski in the area.  For those “nay sayers”, I say…read on!! This weekend, the Purple Fiddle will have Evan Bliss and the Welchers tonight and Taarka will perform on Saturday evening.  At Timber’s Pub at Timberline Resort, they are celebrating their annual “Celtic Weekend” with local musicians performing traditional Celtic music during Happy Hour.  All bets are “on” with Dick Dragon & the Monkeys at night and at the Timber’s Super Bowl party.  The Whitegrass Café will host local favorite Doug VanGundy (reservations recommended!)  For those seeking just a pub-like environment visit Quenchers and/or the Laurel Lounge at Canaan Valley Resort, Portside Pub at the Golden Anchor, Tucker’s, Muttley’s, Hellbender Burritos, Sirianni’s, Blackwater Brew Pub, Mountain State Brewery and the list goes on!  Remember to après ski responsibly!!

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Wednesday January 28 update (2:45 PM) It’s dumpin’.

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Wednesday January 28 (1:30 PM).  Well, our hopes of the storm’s path were for naught.  Experiencing a little of the “R” word with a change expected later this afternoon.  Was on the hill (Canaan) this morning, prepping the race course for the WV Special Olympics (a great program!) and the skiing was still exceptional.  Check our lodging pages, call for reservations and get ready to pack the car for a wonderful winter sport experience here in the mountains of West Virginia!

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Tuesday January 27 (1:00 pm).  Ho-hum…another day, another snowstorm.  Snowing hard now with a strong chance of a major winter precipitation event over the next 36 hours.  We are hoping our elevations lessen the possibility of any ice/freezing rain.  Check the events for this weekend at Timberline, Canaan, and Whitegrass.  The winter sports product here at the “Top of the Mountain State” is absolutely fantastic!  124” of natural this season and that doesn’t include the 3”-4” that has fallen since early this morning.  A word to the wise:  When traveling to this area, be prepared for winter driving conditions!  “All season radials…aren’t!!”

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Monday January 26.  To my 15 (thanks Red Man!) loyal readers, I am guilty as charged!!  Busy in the office and on the hill, I apologize for being tardy with my report.  MLK weekend was a hoot!  A little chilly (-24) on Saturday morning, the sun was out and the snow was perfect.  Snowed all day on Sunday and the hill only got better!  During the week this area received snow on and off and NO warm temps!!  Lost count of the inches and might just say a couple of feet!  Friday (Jan 23) was the only day the temps snuck above the freezing mark.  Bright sunshine and mid-40s, no wind!  Upper single digits/lower teens greeted our skiers this past Saturday morning with light (steady) snow all day keeping the surface softly packed with plenty of loose sprinkled around!  Sunday was sunny, cold with epic conditions.  I skied Timberline on Saturday morning and was pleasantly surprised with the amount of terrain open (just about all of it!!).  Same with Canaan Resort on Saturday…Gravity, Meadows, Ramble, the terrain offerings were/are too extensive to list!  Check the weather link above and you’ll see continued cold with snow!

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Friday, January 16.  13 below zero this morning with 10”-12” of natural over the past 36 hours!!  MLK weekend is panning out to be an epic couple of days on the hill(s).  Certainly some of the best conditions that we have enjoyed for some time!  Both resorts have made tons o’snow over the past three days and have many slopes and trails open!  It’s going to be really cold, so dress accordingly!________________________________________________

Tuesday January 13 (PM).  The snow started just as the bottom dropped out of the thermometer earlier this afternoon.  No intense dumpage, but good and steady.  Check the forecast link above and one will see some “blue cold” moving into the mountains.  Fantastic snowmaking weather for our MLK holiday weekend guests.  A high of 2 (two) degrees on Friday with Friday evening dipping to well below zero!  Heck, it's only going to be 7 this evening!

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Monday Morning, January 12.  Brrrrr!!  My last post indicated that there might be a chance of significant accumulation on Saturday.  “Might” is the operative word!  It rained!  Lost just a little cover, no trails.  Timberline actually opened two MORE this morning!  Canaan is almost ready to open some terrain on the Meadows and there are guns on Gravity! Chip at Whitegrass Touring Center is turning backflips!!  Long range shows a lot of (continued and very) cold and some snow through the weekend!  Speaking of weekend, it’s a holiday and there is still a good selection of primo lodging!  I know my loyal readers (all 14 of them!) wait to see the weather before planning a ski trip.  Click on the above link for the forecast, pack your long and woolies and hit the (real) high mountains!!  The tops of BOTH ski mountains exceed 4250'

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Friday Morning, January 9. Unbelievable!!  10” – 12” total and we’re still getting snow squalls and showers.  Temps never made it above 21 degrees yesterday (currently 15), so all of this snow is light, dry, fluffy, pow-pow!! Didn’t have to brush off the car this AM…just closed the door and it all just fluffed off!! Although the official forecast is not calling for it yet, I heard something about 5-8 more for Saturday on the radio!  Continued cold with some sort of snow activity for the next handful of days!  The unbelievable thing about it is I am on my way out of town and won’t be on the hill until Sunday.  This working for a living thing is highly overrated!!  Throw your gear in the car and head for the “hills”, it’s going to be an epic weekend in the Valley!!

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Thursday January 8.  “In the midst of it”…4”-6” overnight with temps in the mid-teens and blustery winds!! Both resorts are blowing snow and should be able to continue for a couple of days.  An additional 4”-6” of natural pow-pow should accumulate today and the foreseeable future looks white!! Timberline Resort is having a rail-jam on Saturday the 10^th!!  Check it out! It’ll be a great weekend to enjoy the winter offerings!!

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Wednesday January 7 (3:30 Update) My loyal readers (all 12 of you) might be interested to know that the wet precipitation event has turned to white, fluffy dumpage.  Since 1:00 PM, it has been snowing fairly steadily and already accumulating.  Long cold spell might mean a little more pow-pow than forecasted!  Could be a great weekend on the hill!

Wednesday January 7.  Although in the midst of a winter precipitation event of the wet kind, snow and cold is expected to return by this afternoon and we could get 4”-6” before the next system!  The guns are on the hill(s) and both areas will switch them on as soon as it gets cold enough.  Both reports this AM show that, between both resorts, we didn’t lose any of the 10-11 MILES of trails that are open, and it will only be getting better!  We are not alone in this “iffy” weather pattern, although our elevation helps!  (both summits exceed 4250’)

 

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Wednesday, December 31, 2008.  Dumping, Howling, Zero Visibility, all of the above!!  4”-5” already and it’s not even lunch time!!  50+ MPH winds this morning and still gusting.  Heard from a friend on the hill at Canaan Valley and many guns are on with the white stuff (man-made and natural) really starting to pile up!  Not sure if new terrain is opening soon, probably fixing what’s there before moving.  Long-range looks good, make plans today.  Have a very Happy and Safe New Year!!

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Monday, December 29, 2008.  Happy Holidays from the mountains!  I hope my loyal readers (all 6 of them!) are having great times with friends and family!  The cold returned to the mountains this morning and Timberline is taking advantage of it!  On my way out of the Valley, I saw a “localized blizzard” on their slopes with, what looked like, 60-80 guns blowing out some fresh white product.  It’s been a roller-coaster with the weather, but there have been no trails lost and some good skiing/riding being done!  There is limited lodging availability for the upcoming New Years weekend, so check the lodging pages on this site or canaanvalley.org and make some calls!

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Monday December 22, ’08.  “They” say that if you don’t like the weather in the Valley, just wait 5 minutes!!  Mid thirties on Sunday morning and that was the high!  4 degrees below this morning with wind chills of 30 below!!  Snowmaking began at both areas yesterday afternoon and the crews are hard at work building the existing base up and getting more terrain open.  Neither area lost any trails during the warm spell!  I skied Canaan Valley yesterday and it was fast!  An inch or two of fresh on top of a solid (and I mean solid) base!!  We are getting reports of some limited lodging availability in the area.  If you are thinking of joining us over the Christmas-New Years period, go to the lodging pages on this site and start calling!!

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Monday, December 15, 2008.  A great time was had by all this weekend at Canaan and Timberline!  Sunny and cold on Saturday morning with 4+ inches of fluffy pow-pow on top of firm groomed corduroy and the weather remained cold and sunny.  Sunday brought us more sun with warmer temps.  More winter weather on tap for this week!  Timberline has a lot of terrain open and both resorts are working to open as much of the hill as possible!  Join us before the Holidays and enjoy NO crowds and lower lift/lodging rates!

Tuesday December 9, 2008.
A little warming spell overnight, followed by a “winter precipitation event” turning back over to s’more snow!  Timberline is enjoying terrain to the top of their 1000’ vertical hill while Canaan will open on Thursday afternoon with terrain also to the top!!  On Thursday, from noon ‘till closing the lift tickets at Canaan Valley Resort are…get this…FREE!!  The first day for the Ski the Valley Pass will be Friday and they will be priced at the Early Value Season price.  Come out and enjoy some early season skiing/riding!!  Make Holiday plans today!!

Tuesday December 2
Just flew in from SC and boy, are my arms tired!  Returned to snow EVERYWHERE!  Whitegrass is up and running with tons of trails open as well as the famous Whitegrass Café.  Timberline will be opening on Thursday the 4^th with…get this…$1.00 LIFT TICKETS!!  Forecast is continued cold with snow, snow and more snow!  Get out of the Mall parking lot, throw your gear in the car and take advantage of some of the best early season offerings that I can remember!

Friday (TG!), November 21, 2008
8”-10” of light fluffy freshies overnight with heavy squalls rolling through on a regular basis.  18 whopping degrees out before lunch with a Winter Storm Warning through this evening.  Make your early season ski plans soon!!

  

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

12"-14" so far and that is a conservative estimate!  16 degrees this morning and the downhill resorts are still pumpin' it out!  Whitegrass Ski Touring Center is open and enjoying this fluffy pow-pow!! 

 

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Woke up to an additional 7”-10” on top of the 4”-5” received yesterday. Both ski areas are making tons o’snow and the long range forecast is continued cold.  Timberline is targeting the 4th of December to open and skiing should begin at Canaan Valley Resort on the 12th.  Planning to join us during the Christmas-New Years holiday?  Lodging is still available, but going fast…call soon!  Go to the Lodging page(s) on this site to get your information.