DAVIS, W.Va. – One of the West Virginia’s coolest late winter ski traditions is set to continue as Timberline Mountain and Canaan Resort are teaming up for “Light Up the Valley: A Two Night Torch Light Parade that will take place Friday and Saturday, Feb. 26-27.
At 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26, Timberline Mountain, which is having its first season open under new ownership, will be hosting the tradition started 25 years ago by the former owners Dr. Frederick Reichle and his family, who owned Timberline Four Seasons Resort until it fell into bankruptcy in 2019 and was sold.
At 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, the lighted torch parade will stream down the ski slopes at the nearby state-owned Canaan Resort, also located in Canaan Valley, the highest valley east of the Mississippi at 3,200 feet.
The Light Up the Valley continues the tradition that was always the final act of the typically season-ending event Snowy Luau, the Hawaiian-themed weekend party at Timberline. However, this year other year-end party plans are being made at Timberline, which currently has 100 percent of its 22 trails open.
“Let’s celebrate a fantastic season that’s still going strong! More skiing and snowboarding is yet to come this season,” s
said a Timberline spokesperson in a release.
Guests this weekend are invited to grab dinner before the show at Timberline’s Slippery Slope Bar & Grill on Friday, and Canaan’s Quenchers Pub on Saturday. The parade is open to the public to view but not to participate. The parade will consist of Timberline Mountain and Canaan Valley Resort instructors and ski patrollers only.
Canaan Valley, also home to White Grass Touring Center, a cross country mecca tucked between Timberline and Canaan Resort on the old Weiss Knob Ski Area, has enjoyed more than 100 inches of natural snow. Home to ski resorts since the 1950s, Canaan Valley averages more than 150 inches of natural snow each year. Timberline, which was closed for the 2019-2020 season, has underwent $15 million in renovations including two new high-speed lifts. Canaan Resort has underwent extensive renovations with a $12 million investment in 2020 at Canaan Resort and nearby Blackwater Falls State Park. Canaan Resort is home to 47 trails for downhill skiing as well as crosscountry skiing, ice skating, tubing and more.
For more information about Timberline Mountain and Canaan Resort, go online at www.timberlinemountain.com and www.canaanresort.com
