CANAAN VALLEY, W.Va. — The announcement of a purchase of the former Timberline Four Seasons Resort by Indiana based Perfect North Slopes was exactly what tourism advocates in Tucker County hoped to hear.
“It’s the best news we could have received,” said Jessica Waldo, executive director of the Tucker County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“The community and our office and ski industry partners are all just very excited it’s going to remain a ski area,” she said.
Perfect North Slopes bought the resort, which was in Chapter 7 bankruptcy, after it sold at auction for $2.2 million Tuesday. They made the second highest bid during the auction and were outbid by First Asset Holding. Their bid was transferred Wednesday to Perfect North Slopes for a $30,000 fee.
The complicated sale and financial entanglements which had crippled the well known West Virginia resort in recent years will take a year to unravel. The resort will remain closed for the winter season of 2019-2020, but the new owners plan to reopen the resort at the start of the 2020-2021 ski season.
“I think that’s smart to take this year to regroup. Then we can work with them and really work to market the area as a new fresh start,” said Waldo.
The company plans to evaluate the property and the equipment on site in the year ahead to determine what improvements or additional investment will be required. The news is also a huge boost to many private individuals according to Waldo, who invested in slope side lodging at Timberline.
“There’s a wonderful community of houses around it offering slope side lodging which isn’t available everywhere and that makes it unique. I know the owners are excited to offer slope-side lodging with their houses again,” she said.
Perfect North Slopes is based in Lawrenceburg, Indiana which isn’t the first state which comes to mind in a discussion about successful ski areas. However, Waldo said despite the constraints of largely flat land and less than desired snowfall, they’ve found a proven formula.
“The fact they have warmer climate, less vertical, less elevation and everything against them, they are already open for the year. It’s promising to see they are ambitious and able to work with what little they have,” she said.