Every time we take off on a ski/snowboard trip, all bipartisan efforts fail and factions splitter off to prepare to viciously debate the single most important question of the entire trip, who has more fun, skiers or snowboarders?

… obviously, snowboarding rocks.

Regardless of sporting preference, everyone does agree that skiing and snowboarding at Timberline in West Virginia is a pretty nice mountain retreat. Everything is reasonably priced, the lodges are spankin’ nice, and the mountain ain’t bad if you base it on East Coast standards. And if you’re lucky, like us, you’ll get a nice snowstorm just after you arrive.

We stayed at the appropriately named “Luv Shack” chalet, about ¼ mile from the lifts. If you’re lazy, you can still take a car up and park for free. We stuffed twelve us very comfortably, albeit had to pick some names out of the hats to see who got rooms and who got bunk beds in the loft. For $112 for the three nights, the deal wasn’t bad regardless where you crashed. Fantastic size hot tub, indoor and outdoor fireplace (smokers will appreciate it), what can we say, the digs where nice.

A few of the B.A.R. Team members and friends brought food with them on the way up here. Melissa and I of course, procrastinated and bought our stuff Friday at a Supermarket in Davis, which is the nearest town, about 15 minute drive north of Timberline.

Saturday the slopes where packed. We picked up two day rentals & lift tickets for $140 and definitely got good use out of them.

Snowboarders: You pick up your rental right next to where you buy your tickets from. The snowboard dudes are very helpful, and any of you newbies can ask away any questions about their equipment. They’re more than pleasant; they genuinely seem to want you to have a good time. The snow boots & board I got where great and definitely well kept.

Skiers: You back into the lodge and up some stairs, you can’t miss it. The rental equipment is in great shape. No worries, no straight skis here, they are all parabolic skis.

Timberline seems to be a mountain of substance. Despite the fact that this is an East Coast resort and therefore powder is hard to come by, there are some good points. The equipment is top notch as far as you can expect from rentals. The lifts are decent, 35 some trails, and 1,000 ft vertical drop, you’ll get some good runs. Just realize this ain’t Aspen, but ain’t bad either.

Salamander Run is the longest run, comes from behind the mountain. Great for beginner skiers and is a nice scenic route. Snowboarders should stay away as parts of it flatten out to a dead stop. Especially beginner snowboarders should think twice before going on the greens, you do need some speed to keep a snowboard well balanced (upright). It’ll be a lot more painful to learn otherwise, trust me.

Timberline’s Bar & Lounge is a bit on the small side. They got a kitchen next to the bar but you’ll save a few bucks if you walk downstairs to the cafeteria and bring up your own grub. If you get there on Thursday, you can check out a comedy show and other stop by for live music on Fridays and Saturdays.

We woke up Saturday to find it snowing early morning. Yes! Powder! But by the time we got to the mountain, hardcore early birds where already taking advantage. There was no way we’re going to get up before 10 am, but that seems to be the time to get there if you want to find some virgin runs.

Come Sunday the thermostat said 1 degree Fahrenheit. Right on. I decided to wait until about 3 degrees before trekking it back up for my half day. Of course, it was a lot colder at the top of the mountain! With wind chill, we were at -10 degrees.

But hey, lifts lines? What lines? Apparently, the early birds don’t go out below 10 degrees. I put on pair of synthetics under my jacket and snow pants, and I was just fine. Under Armour really freakin’ works! Perhaps we need to cover that soon.

The only irritation is steamed up goggles. Don’t believe the hype! Goggles steam up! We purchased Uvex and never looked back. Stop the spitting! Put away your toothpaste! All you need is this little blue bottle and you’ll be happily using your goggles as they were intended to be. This stuff worked so well that I might consider trying one of their goggles. Ack, so much to stuff to cover, stay tuned!

Not So Cool

How Much Dinero?

The Fine Print