Top Vertical in Midwest and East?
- Thread starter Gpaul
- Start date
Patrick
Well-known member
Gpaul":2gzhajkt said:
You're still pretty far from the Top skiing in the East. I did a quick look at Mapquest and the most important vertical in the East is over 11 hours.
Whiteface (Lake Placid, NY) vertical is over 3000 ft (don't have the exact number). Other big places like Killington and the rest of Vermont is over 11 hours also. Based on your location I would say that there are a few good areas in Pennsylvania, but that's all I can tell you. (However I know Alberta a bit more :wink: ).
For Pennsylvania, you might want to try to PM Ryan on the forum. I haven't seen him around here lately, but if I recall he lived in the SW corner of Pennsylvania. You at the Ski Resorts section in the Links section of Firsttracksonline (In the header above this page), you'll find links for most ski areas group by states.
lookn4powder
New member
Gpaul":e56huqxf said:
Your best bets are the local M.A.S.H. areas in western PA, MD, and WVa. These are Seven Springs (about 3.5 hr, Donegal I-70 exit, PA), Blue Knob (about 4.5 hr Bedford I-70 exit, PA), Wisp, MD, and Timberline/Canaan Valley, WVa (probably 3-4 hr too). Seven Springs is not far from two smaller areas, Hidden Valley and Laurel Mt (if still operating). I have skied all of these areas.
The best managed of these areas is 7-springs and this fact matters on crowded days. The worst managed and groomed is likely Blue Knob--but this might have changed as I haven't skied there for ~5 years. I don't have the area statistics handy, but I believe that they "boast" verticals of 750' (7-S), 1000' (BK), 600' (W), 1000' (T), 800' (CV), 500' (HV), and 900' (L).
Although Timberline/Canaan Valley are likely statistically coldest areas, Blue Knob seems like the coldest--even on 70 degree days--it's uncanny.
If you have skied much in the west, none of these will please you much, but fun can be had if you are not picky (I'm not and I ski the west a lot. MASH snow is still snow--just snow you can often hear).
If you just want to cruise, probably 7-springs and the WVa areas will suit. If you want to work on steeps, Blue Knob, WISP, and Timberline have some sustained 35+ degree drops. (BK's Extrovert is usually not open until spring.) Reasonable tree skiing is found at Timberline, Blue Knob, and out of bounds in Canaan.
If you extend your drive to 5-6 hours, Snowshoe (1550' vt) comes in range.
Gpaul":e56huqxf said:
Yeah, don't I know it! My first ski day was at a southern Ohio ski hill that used a rope tow. I believe it had a 200' vert.
Cheers,
Jeff
Thanks again Amigos!
We do ski out west, but living in OH will compel us to explore the east, driving, for a change!
I'm trying to become accustomed to the sizes and verticals for eastern mountains, I recall enjoying, VERY MUCH, 3-4 runs on Mt. Snow's North Face (jaws, plummet, olympic, river run, etc.), off chairs 18 and 10. Would you experts know the length of these runs? And, of the MASH resorts, which may have runs similar to these?
BTW, I also enjoyed Cannon and Loon (weekdays), and Pico.
Gracias!
We do ski out west, but living in OH will compel us to explore the east, driving, for a change!
I'm trying to become accustomed to the sizes and verticals for eastern mountains, I recall enjoying, VERY MUCH, 3-4 runs on Mt. Snow's North Face (jaws, plummet, olympic, river run, etc.), off chairs 18 and 10. Would you experts know the length of these runs? And, of the MASH resorts, which may have runs similar to these?
BTW, I also enjoyed Cannon and Loon (weekdays), and Pico.
Gracias!
highpeaksdrifter
New member
Patrick":3aa1ef1j said:
WF is 3460, but to get all that you have to hike up a bit in the Slides. Off the summit quad it's just under 3,200.
How far to Holiday Valley and other NY areas SW of Buffalo? They have MASH 700 verticals, but are supposedly well run and get good lake effect snow.
