Skiing?

[DoNoHarm]

I know you said you'd rather not go to PA - however - the nice thing about the "Snow Time" resorts (Roundtop, Liberty and Whitetail) is that you can make day trips. If skiing or snowboarding becomes popular with your kid, it's great to have day trip options, instead of only getting on the snow when you can do a weekend or longer. All three have great beginner areas, and if you buy a first-time package (rental gear + lift ticket + lesson), then you can buy a "Mountain Pass" for the rest of the season (or the next season, if it's late in the spring) that gives 50% off tickets+rentals, with a free lesson anytime you come - it's an AMAZING deal.

Canaan is quite nice, and Timberline is right there so you can try both on the same trip. Snowshoe is much bigger and fancier, but almost 2 hours drive away so not so easy to "bundle with the other WV options.

 

[sxs]

Canaan Valley is beautiful.

You got that right. I spend time there every few years when I camp at Blackwater...or sometimes drive down from Deep Creek Lake State Park. But for that matter almost everything going on down 219 or 28 or in the surrounding areas is very beautiful. Nice place to speend some time in the summer as well.

 

[BlackBart]

Never skied in my life, I live only a half dozen miles from https://www.skiroundtop.com/the-mountain Now if someone wants to teach me how to ski I figure I'll be a instructor next year and I'll get you a discount.

 

[Tomcat]

.... There's a kind of cool little trail at the top of the mountain. Get off and then go down a trail (instead of a black diamond) that's not bad for someone just beginning....

Reminds me of Squaw Valley at Lake Tahoe. At the top of every ski lift or gondola there's a little sign with an arrow that says "Easy way down" Until you get to the top of the KT-22 which has the same little sign but it says "There is no easy way down"

 

[budman93]

Never skied in my life, I live only a half dozen miles from https://www.skiroundtop.com/the-mountain Now if someone wants to teach me how to ski I figure I'll be a instructor next year and I'll get you a discount.

Really? I am living 6.7 miles from roundtop right now.

 

[sxs]

Reminds me of Squaw Valley at Lake Tahoe. At the top of every ski lift or gondola there's a little sign with an arrow that says "Easy way down" Until you get to the top of the KT-22 which has the same little sign but it says "There is no easy way down"

Ahh, Squaw Valley. I was at Lake Tahoe back in the late 90's and skied there and also at Heavenly at South Lake Tahoe. Best skiing I ever did in my life. Then again, other than that, I've only skied within a few hours of home. It was late December and they had inches of powder over many inches of packed powder. I hadn't skied in 4 or 5 years and when I got to the top at Heavenly, I had some second thoughts about coming down. However, it was almost a piece of cake. I was used to skiing granulated, packed and even icy surfaces at places near Maryland. You have near total control on that kind of powder, plus you don't come down quite as fast.

Well, I guess Sawmill has a similar idea....but it's no where NEAR as big or long a trail as at Squaw Valley....or should I say, the one trail I skied down at Squaw Valley. Sawmill has a black Diamond coming down from the top of the mountain, but it turns into an intermediate part way down. However, you can ski the trail that loops along near the ridge and it sort of meanders down from there.

Edit: It was end of December 1997. I could time it because I remembered Sonny Bono was killed on a slope on Heavenly just a week or 2 later and when I googled it, he hit the tree on Jan 6, 1998.

 

[sxs]

Never skied in my life, I live only a half dozen miles from https://www.skiroundtop.com/the-mountain Now if someone wants to teach me how to ski I figure I'll be a instructor next year and I'll get you a discount.

Easier suggestion would be for you to get a job running snow tubing. Pretty much anyone can do that and it's a blast. I don't think you need to ski to run a Tubing lift. And heck, you might enjoy jumping on a snow tube yourself from time to time.

 

[scouse]

Thinking about taking my kid out to learn to ski. How is Caanan Valley resort? We have been to Blackwater a few times and thought that might be a good place. Would rather go there than PA. Is it a good place to learn skiing/snowboarding?

Hell, Whitetail is only an hour from B'more and DC, two from Annapolis. The conditions there now are excellent, their school is also very good. Don't "wing it", get the kids lessons you will be very glad you did. They have a "ski free package" for never evers, Ski for the first time and get a free pass for the next time you ski.

Just to qualify my remarks, over the past 40 years I have skied East coast and out west - nothing beats out west but locally, Whitetail is a very good bet - particularly for the kids and lessons.

 

[BlackBart]

Really? I am living 6.7 miles from roundtop right now.

Really............. I'm on Bremer Rd, n theory Conewago Township.

 

[BlackBart]

Easier suggestion would be for you to get a job running snow tubing. Pretty much anyone can do that and it's a blast. I don't think you need to ski to run a Tubing lift. And heck, you might enjoy jumping on a snow tube yourself from time to time.

Nope, bypassing the beginner and intermediate stuff............ super advanced s what I want to teach.

 

[Hollywood Ball]

I'll echo everyone else. Liberty/Whitetail/Roundtrip are OK for day, evening trips (haven't been there in a few years).

Snowshoe if it's for a weekend. Snowshoe's probably the best mountain on the East coast south of Vermont. I was just up there over MLK weekend. My best friend back home has a place at Shamrock. I make it up about once a year now and somehow maintain my snowboarding skills.

 

[budman93]

Really............. I'm on Bremer Rd, n theory Conewago Township.

Nice, so we are almost in a straight line on either side of roundtop.

 

[ground chuck]

What sad is that snowshoe is 7+ hours for me at that point im driving to okemo or killington or an extra 2 hours to sunday river.

We did boy scout ski trips at timberline. Not a bad place to learn how to ski.

 

[BlackBart]

Nice, so we are almost in a straight line on either side of roundtop.

Dillsburg ways?

 

[GoGoGadget]

My kids learned to ski at Wisp and Seven Springs.

I'd recommend Seven Springs more for 1st time skiers, quality of instructors, more reliable conditions, etc…

However, if you can swing a trip to Vermont. I HIGHLY recommend Okemo for new skiers (and experienced ones too). It's a great family resort with excellent skiing (unless you're looking for extreme terrain..).

The problem with places around here are the loooooong lift lines - especially on weekends and holidays.

 

[T-Man]

Ah, this thread is bringing back memories. Grew up skiing Okemo and Killington and all over Vermont and did Squaw Valley mid 90's. spent too much time in the Wobbly Barn as a kid. Jackson Hole, Wyoming is still my favorite though.

Ski school is an excellent recommendation. If your goal is just learning you can't go that wrong with any of the locals as there are always bunny slopes open.

 

[budman93]

Dillsburg ways?

I'm in school at Messiah College so yeah pretty much in Dillsburg.

 

[BlackBart]

I'm in school at Messiah College so yeah pretty much in Dillsburg.

Cool, lets go get instructor jobs at the slopes!

 

[budman93]

Cool, lets go get instructor jobs at the slopes!

I actually was just taking skiing for my J-term class for the second time (because why would you not want to get credits for skiing) and several of the instructors told me I should come take the course and teach skiing lessons lol. That would be pretty cool, plus free skiing, but I don't think I would be a good teacher. Maybe someday I will. You should probably learn to ski first though.

 

[BlackBart]

I actually was just taking skiing for my J-term class for the second time (because why would you not want to get credits for skiing) and several of the instructors told me I should come take the course and teach skiing lessons lol. That would be pretty cool, plus free skiing, but I don't think I would be a good teacher. Maybe someday I will. You should probably learn to ski first though.

I'm a natural, broke 400 first time I played golf! Skiing should be a cinch! I'll teach the chicks.