Even though the weather is not as winter-like as one might want, there is great skiing at both resorts with some snow/colder weather on tap for this weekend!  Canaan Valley Resort has some terrain from the top (4280') as well as the beginner area open.  Timberline is sporting a good selection of trails from their summit (4,268') so there IS skiing available!!  Forecast looks promising with snow (1"-3", maybe more) and some really cold weather.  Saturday night we'll be looking for the single digits and listening for the snow guns at both facilities.

Most local discussions involve "We were spoiled by the past two seasons with 210+ inches each"!

So we wait and watch the weather knowing that it is only the middle of January and there are a lot more opportunities for this season to turn itself around! 

Another great ski season has come and gone here in Canaan Valley/Timberline land!  Still awaiting final numbers from our resorts and will post as soon as I have them.  One number that I have is 211.  No, it's not an emergency or information phone number, it's how many inches of natural snowfall we have enjoyed!

Back to back 200+" seasons!  This is truly a high mountain environment where winter sports can be enjoyed in their purest form.  Yes, one has to drive a little farther to get here but feel free to do some research and check out the natural snowfall totals for those smaller and much more crowded resorts in VA, NC, and PA!!

Please remember that this area is not only a winter destination.  With over 1/2 of the land mass in Tucker County being National Forest, Federal Wilderness, National Wildlife Refuge and State Park, there's an amazing amount of outdoor recreation, scenic and nature-based activities for your family to enjoy.  You won't find any waterparks or go-kart tracks, just thousands of acres of wide open spaces sprinkled with small mountain resorts and cool mountain towns.  Some of the east coast's best mountainbiking and hiking is available here, you can play some high-mountain golf, whitewater boat, enjoy some fantastic trout fishing or just relax in a place where summer temperatures rarely exceed the mid 80's!

The website you might want to check for this and other information about visiting the Blackwater Falls/Canaan Valley/Tucker County area is canaanvalley.org.  OR you can go "low tech" and give us a call at 1-800-782-2775 and we can send you our visitors guide.

Davis, Wednesday PM during the dump!

It's Wednesday and it started snowing around 9:45 AM.

6-7 hours later there is a foot of freshies everywhere.

This is on top of the 134" we have received season to date.

If you live in VA and are looking at the upcoming VA winter school break as an opportunity to enjoy some winter sports...DON'T go to another (possibly closer), more crowded, more expensive, SMALLER, ski facility.  Drive that short extra time to enjoy Timberline (1,000' vertical) and/or Canaan Resorts (850' vertical).  They're bigger, less crowded, less expensive than the one's closer to you!  What part of that is difficult to understand??

I'll be on both mountains (not hills) tomorrow doing a little "Product Evaluation" and will have my digi cam with me.  Will share some cool pix with you first thing Friday morning!

Cold Trout in the Blackwater!

This photo is from this morning standing on the Park bridge and looking upstream on the Blackwater River.  It was/is still snowing and 13 degrees here in Davis.  The skiing is great and will continue to be off-the-hook throughout the weekend!

How do I know this you may ask?  I played hookey yesterday (1/12) and played around in the snow at Canaan Valley Resort.  The entire mountain was open with the exception of Ramble and Gravity (snowmaking underway) and conditions were wonderful.  My closest description is 4-6 inches of freshies covering a bottomless softpack.  I sampled some terrain that was 2-3 FEET of fresh pow.

The nice thing is that it will continue to snow and remain cold for the upcoming holiday weekend!  There is still lodging available in the Valley!  Make some calls, pack your stuff, throw the kids in the car and head for the "Top of the Mountain State" for some winter fun.  Do you remember last years' epic snowfall?  We are currently 4" ahead of last years totals to date!

Let's review, shall we??

A record was set for natural snowfall in December with over 75".  As of yesterday, we have exceeded 100" for the season.  The National Weather Service has posted winter storm watches for the area through Wednesday (1/12) evening with the possibility measuring it in feet!!

We have all kinds of winter sports available to you and your family.  Two wonderful downhill ski areas, one of the east coast's premier Nordic (cross country) Centers, miles of backcountry trails,  the Blackwater Falls State Park sledding facility, snow tubing, ice skating and much more.  A lot of our guests like to decompress in front of the fireplace with a good book!

With the MLK weekend quickly approaching and some lodging availability in the area, you are running out of excuses!!  GET OUTSIDE AND DO SOMETHING!!

Office Window View in Davis

Snowmaking on the Meadows @ Canaan this morning!

After a brief respite from our record setting December (75+") the guns were turned back on around noon on Sunday the 2nd and have been tirelessly producing piles of the white stuff since then for your wintersports enjoyment.  Mother nature has started to chip in with a winter weather advisory starting today (Thursday) into Saturday.  Some weather prognosticators have mentioned up to 8" before it's all done!  This weekend is wedged between two holiday periods and should offer great snow and smaller crowds!  Lots of events are going on including:

• The Ski Club of Washington DC will be celebrating it's 75th Anniversary here in the Valley
• The first Rail Jam of the season will be held at Timberline
• Airboard Clinic at Canaan conducted by extreme athelete Alicia Monahan
• Whitegrass will be observing Winter Trails Days and offering FREE lessons/clinics and equipment rentals for first time skiers and snowshoers

There will be lots of live music and fine food at many of our somewhat eclectic restaurant/pub offerings.  One doesn't have to go far to find these events.  Check out two microbreweries, Hellbender Burritos, Sirianni's Pizza Cafe, Muttley's Downtown and many more!

The 2010-2011 ski season is getting underway in a grand fashion.  More than 35 inches of snow has fallen since December 1 and the thermometer is doing its’ part to provide great snowmaking conditions.  Thursday night, on the way home from Steak Night at Muttley's Downtown, it was clear and cold with a major heat inversion going on.  It was 15 on the top of Canaan Heights and 0 (zero) on the Valley floor!  Both resorts are making tons o'snow to get more and more terrain open!  HUGE storm predicted starting as I type through Wednesday of this week.  Could get an additional 18-24 inches with single digit temps and wind!

Timberline opened from mid-station Thursday morning and got the top groomed out for a short while in the afternoon.  Canaan Resort  opened Saturday with mid-station on the main lift and the "Bermuda Triangle" on the lower lift.

This weekend at Timberline was "Military Appreciation Weekend" with discounts for those in the armed forces.  At Canaan Valley Resort they celebrated their 39th Anniversary with room rates at 39.00 and more specials based around the number 39!

We are calling around to all of the area's lodging companies and finding that availability for the upcoming Christmas - New Years’ holiday is getting to be few and far between.  If you are planning a ski outing, by all means, visit the websites of the resorts and lodging on this site and make your plans!

Hello my loyal readers, (all 6 of you!).  This will be my first installment for the rapidly approaching 2010-2011 winter sports season here in Tucker County WV.  Since the calendar changed from November to December, it has been snowing and cold.  There are a couple of inches on the ground and the forecast is calling for more with extended cold temps! 

 Both resorts, Canaan & Timberline, are making the white stuff as fast as they can and are aiming for an opening as early as next week!  Although there is not a lot of "new", we in the Valley are still aglow from our '09-'10 seasons where we received over 250" of the natural white stuff.  118" of it fell in February alone.  Isn't February a short month??  Just sayin'!

 Here in the office, we are putting together our shameless marketing and promotion plan and will be seen in some new markets and seen differently on some of our “regulars”.

 The Jack Frost celebration is planned for this weekend at Whitegrass Ski Touring Center and there should be a great turnout…maybe even some skiing!

Snowmaking is underway...Dec 2, 2010

 Make your plans to visit the Valley soon.  If you are considering the Christmas to New Year’s period, you’d best get on it.  Lodging, skiing, shopping and dining information is available on this site and, if you can’t find what you need here, you can always call the office!

 Bye for now!

It's early May and there are still small patches of snow on the ski hills.  "Warm" season outdoor activities are well underway with the Blackwater Bikes Thursday Ride at 5:00, Whitewater rafting, ramp digging, golf at Canaan Valley Resort, and some great trout fishing!

We will not be adding to this blog until we have some ski-related news which is usually in October.  Until then, I would ask my (12) readers to follow our goings ons on the canaanvalley.org  blog.

We had a great ski season with well over 250" of natural snow and will see ya on the hill next season!

Dry Fork "Gold" released to swim again!

Timberline Resort is still holding strong with 36 trails open!  Evening temperatures (20-30 degrees) have permitted the groomers to do their magic and keep the snow on the trails.   This is your last chance to come out and make turns before the season officially ends on Sunday, March28th .   $1 lift tickets will be offered after 12:30pm on Sunday, March 28th.

Timberline Resort will be hosting their annual Local’s Cup Race on Saturday, March 27^th and Sunday, March 28^th.  Everyone is considered a local during this event.  Saturday will include the Fireman’s Race, the Retro Costume Contest and the Bump Competition.  Sunday the GS Race will take place and all competitors are welcome: Alpine, Telemark and Snowboarders.   Sunday evening Ted Garber, Blues Americana Rock, will perform in Timbers Pub at 6pm.

Thanks for a great season, over 250" of snowfall, we look forward to next year!