Wisp vs Snowshoe
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Anonymous
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First off...I think unfortunately all the local resorts including in WV are pretty much awful if the temperatures are not cold and there is no natural snow.
Snowshoe is the only resort around here that has a true mountain "village", although it is at the top of the mountain vs. the bottom where you find them in most resorts. That said, stay up in the village and it is nice to park your car and then be able to walk anywhere. It does take much longer to get there and I actually consider Snowshoe to really only have about 2/3 of the trails they advertise. They pull the old trick of taking what is really one slope and calling it a different name at various locations on the slope...that is how it gets to 60 trails. I thought Snowshoe was very crowded, but again, I went during what are now the commonplace DC winters when only 20 slopes were open...even though it was a random Monday in January (not MLK). I have to believe it is almost unbearable during Xmas week. I like Wisp if the conditions are good and most of the slopes are open. Unfortunately, that is a big If. It is much closer and the Deep Creek Lake area, especially where Wisp is located, has lots of restaurants. However, unless you just eat at the Wisp resort, you do have to drive. Again, Snowshoe is nice in having the village atmosphere. My family no longer plans ahead to go skiing anywhere within driving distance of DC. Have been burned too many times by a cold early December, followed by some massive rain storm and 50s weather that decimates the base. Heck, even Vermont is no longer as reliable as it used to be. |
Anonymous
Timberline and Canaan have plenty of lodging. Check Airbnb, Mountaintop Realty, Best of Canaan. Especially the week before Christmas, the week between Christmas and New Year’s may be a challenge. |
Anonymous
| I was shocked when I looked up weekend lift ticket prices at Snowshoe - $140ish. Timberline and Canaan are $90. |
Anonymous
All of this. Wisp is all-around easier. Snowshoe is all-around better. |
Anonymous
| Don’t waste your money or time on either of these. Been there and would never go back. Head straight to Whistler, BC. It’s the best ski resort in all of North America. |
Anonymous
This is the problem with skiing around here. If Whistler is a 10, then Mt Tremblant in Quebec is a 6 and Snowshoe is a 2.5 and Wisp a 2. Snowshoe is just way more expensive for what you get. Yes, it is better than Wisp…but 75% or 100% better (ie more expensive). Absolutely not. |
Anonymous
| Tremblant is about a 7 or 8 out of ten. We loved our ski visit there. And we prefer putting our money there if we have to stay near the eastern part of North America for skiing. So for us it’s always Tremblant for a quick ski trip. Whistler, BC for at least a four day trip. We just don’t waste money, time, or anything on local resorts within DC distance anymore. It’s always dissapointing unfortunately. And expensive for what it is too. |
Anonymous
Why didn’t you read the OP? |
Anonymous
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If OP just wants a place for newbie kids to learn, WV is fine. When there is snow.
But yeah, for anyone who has skied real ski areas (including New England), anything within 6 hours of dc is garbage. |
Anonymous
| This is OP. We have skied out west and acknowledge that it's 10x better than anything on the east coast. We just don't have the time for this trip. We have 3-4 days including travel days. Our plan is to drive somewhere one night, ski for 3 days and probably drive back after knocking off early on the last day. We're still waiting to see what the conditions are before we book. After this weekend I'm not sure if places will even be open before Christmas. |
Anonymous
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Mt Snow in Vermont has 15 trails open.
Anywhere in PA or south is BORING after 2.5 days, even in great conditions. |
Anonymous
Snowshoe has the best atmosphere because of the mountain village. You want to stay there so you park your car and never need it again until you leave. However, the skiing in both will be weak and Wisp will be much cheaper. Seven Springs in PA is another option. Has a quasi-village and is actually the closest of all three. Also, generally priced between Snowshoe and Wisp. |
Anonymous
| LMAO at snowshoe and atmosphere in the same sentence. |
Anonymous
Well, compared to Wisp and really anything within 5 hours from DC. You have to admit it is the only place around where you can park your car and then never use it again until you have to leave and you have 15+ restaurants all within walking distance. |
Anonymous
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Snowshoe is really the only decent place around to do a long weekend but if you add up the lift tickets, lodging, etc, it’s way too much. If you have epic pass, cost to go out west would be similar since you don’t have to pay for lift tickets.
We are going to Whistler this winter for 8 days. I was looking also into a long 3-4 day weekend at Snowshoe and for what you get it’s pricey. Fly 4 hours direct to Denver for under $300 is a lot easier than driving close to 5 hours and skiing is so much better, |