West Virginia Outdoors....

WEST VIRGINIA WINTER RESORTS:

BIGGER & BETTER THAN EVER

West Virginia provides the perfect setting and ideal conditions for great skiing and so many other activities. The setting is perfectly pristine and Mother Nature certainly cooperates with wonderful winter conditions, but the resorts are making things even bigger and better for the Mountain State snow set.

Every season, Mother Nature obliges by dumping tons of white stuff on the state. But the resorts make it even better, providing state-of-the-art snowmaking, modern lifts, expert grooming, varied terrain over dozens of slopes, and a wide host of resort amenities--including slopeside lodging, dining, entertainment, and lots of other winter activities like snowboarding, tubing, snow blading, snowshoeing (see separate article), sleigh rides, and much more.

This year, West Virginia skiing is bigger and better than ever. Thanks to another round of off-season enhancements and more than a decade of great growth and improvements at all four resorts, Mountain State skiing is poised to experience the best year since Canaan Valley opened the state's first ski resort in 1971.

With more than $100 million spent since 1995, Snowshoe Mountain has drawn serious attention to the West Virginia winter sports world. This summer's capital improvements are again the largest for any resort in the mid-Atlantic and southeast regions. Snowshoe's dramatic growth and improvement led to a #17 ranking from SKI Magazine for the eastern U.S., a first for a Mid-Atlantic or Southeast winter resort. Highlights of the projects have ranged from construction of Rimfire Lodge (the beginning of the new mountaintop Village of Snowshoe) to expansion of the Western Territory trail system. The region's newest high-speed detachable quad lift services this trail system, making Cupp Run and the new Shay’s Revenge trails a huge hit last year.

Other changes included: the new Kids World at Ruckus Ridge Adventure Park, a 2,200-square-foot full-service facility for children and their parents; a new Magic Carpet surface lift for kids; and the addition of even more new rental equipment, adding to the exclusive inventory of shaped skis and step-in bindings for snowboards. But the cornerstone of Snowshoe's future is the Village of Snowshoe, which, when completed, will include more than 400 mountaintop homes and 100,000 square feet of retail, restaurant, and sspeciality shop space. The construction of Rimfire Lodge (and, next, Highland House), as well as the accompanying dining and shopping options, are the first steps in the development of the new mountaintop village, a formula which Intrawest (owner of famed resorts like Blackcomb, Stratton, and Copper Mountain) has used successfully in the past.  Snowshoe visitors this winter will be the first to enjoy the Village of Snowshoe, with highlights including: an array of new accommodations options in Rimfire Lodge; dining at Eli's Tavern (with food prepared by the former Greenbrier Executive Chef); and a wide variety of new shopping possibilities centered around a village-like atmosphere. Nearby, new options include sleigh rides, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, guided snowmobile tours, and an already-popular wilderness cabin.

Canaan Valley Resort continues to focus on its successful role as a complete (and casual) winter playland, adding attractions and services to meet the needs of skiers and other long-time fans of this well-rounded and very natural recreational resort. Along with appealing to skiers of every level and offering a great instructional program, over the years the resort has added amenities like cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, a year-round pool, tubing, an ice rink, evening activities, children's programs, and even sleigh riding.

Lots of Canaan Valley Resort guests return every year to enjoy the activities and accommodations at the 250-room lodge and 23 mountain cottages, as well as varied dining options and many special events. If you want to have it all this winter on and off the slopes, Canaan can provide it.

Nearby, Timberline tops the list for skiers in search of something a bit different. Top Timberline choices include a slow ride down Salamander--one of the region's longest runs--the resort's ten miles of mapped and marked backcountry trails (along with like-minded telemarkers, cross-country skiers, and snowshoers, who take advantage of single-ride lift tickets). A West Virginia ski season isn't complete without at least one stay at Timberline, where prices are staying the same for the third year in a row and night skiing is still free for multi-day passes

Last, but certainly not least, convenient Winterplace is still pursuing a multi-year enhancements program, a period when they’ve expanded every off-season. Winterplace is a winter wonderland for skiers in search of a full-service and all-inclusive ski resort. This year brings even more snowmaking and tubing to one of the most convenient resorts in the southeast, as well as an expanded rental program that features new shaped skis, step-in snowboards, and ski blades.

Whether it's an easy one-day outing or a weeklong West Virginia winter adventure, you're sure to find something new at the Mountain State's ski resorts. From Snowshoe's historic expansion to continued growth everywhere else, West Virginia winter vacations just keep improving with age.

West Virginia provides the perfect setting and ideal conditions for great skiing, snowboarding and so many other activities. The setting is perfectly pristine and Mother Nature certainly cooperates with wonderful winter conditions, but the resorts are making things even bigger and better for the Mountain State snow set.

Every season, Mother Nature obliges by dumping tons of white stuff on the state. But the resorts make it even better, providing state-of-the-art snowmaking, modern lifts, expert grooming, varied terrain over dozens of slopes, and a wide host of resort amenities--including slopeside lodging, dining, entertainment, and lots of other winter activities like snowboarding, tubing, snow blading, snowshoeing (see separate article), sleigh rides, and much more.

This year, West Virginia skiing is bigger and better than ever. Thanks to another round of off-season enhancements and more than a decade of great growth and improvements at all four resorts, Mountain State skiing is poised to experience the best year since Canaan Valley opened the state's first ski resort in 1971. With more than $100 million spent since 1995, Snowshoe Mountain Resort has drawn serious attention to the West Virginia winter sports world.

This summer's capital improvements are again the largest for any resort in the history of winter sports in the mid-Atlantic and southeast regions. Snowshoe's dramatic growth and improvement led to a #17 ranking from SKI Magazine for the eastern U.S., a first for a Mid-Atlantic or southeast winter resort. Highlights of the projects have ranged from construction of Rimfire Lodge (the beginning of the new mountaintop Village of Snowshoe Mountain Resort) to the installation of a new quad lift and adjoining trail system for famed Cupp Run (the new slope, Shay's Revenge, received rave reviews last season). The region's newest high-speed detachable quad lift services this Western Territory trail system. This is good stuff but took place for last season. You could do something on Shay's getting first season raves from skiers and snowboarders.

Other changes include: quadrupling the size of the resort's majorwater source, Shaver's Lake (which will aid future expansion and snowmaking); doubling the lighting for night skiing (also from last year) I would bring in all of the outdoor adventure stuff here and snowboarding at Silver Creek; adding more shaped skis to the rental program; and expansion of the popular Ruckus Ridge Tubing Hill at Silver Creek.  

But The cornerstone of Snowshoe's future will be the Village of Snowshoe Mountain Resort, which, when completed, will include more than 400 mountaintop homes and 100,000 square feet of retail, restaurant, and servicespeciality shop space. The construction of Rimfire Lodge (and, next, Highland House), as well as the accompanying dining and shopping options, are the first steps in the development of the new mountaintop village, a formula which Intrawest (owner of famed resorts like Blackcomb, Stratton, and Copper Mountain) has used successfully in the past.  

Snowshoe visitors this winter will be the first to enjoy the Village of Snowshoe Mountain Resort, with highlights including: an array of new accommodations options in Rimfire Lodge; dining at Eli's Tavern (with food prepared by the former Greenbrier Executive Chef); and a wide variety of new shopping possibilities centered around a village-like atmosphere.

Nearby, new options include sleigh rides, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and guided snowmobile tours and an already-popular wilderness cabin. Canaan Valley Resort continues to focus on its successful role as a complete (and casual) winter playland, adding attractions and services to meet the needs of skiers and other long-time fans of this well-rounded and very natural recreational resort. Along with appealing to skiers of every level and offering a great instructional program, over the years the resort has added amenities like cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, a year-round pool, tubing, an ice rink, evening activities, children's programs, and even sleigh riding.

Lots of Canaan Valley Resort guests return every year to enjoy the activities and accommodations at the 250-room lodge and 23 mountain cottages, as well as varied dining options and many special events. If you want to have it all this winter on and off the slopes, Canaan can provide it.

Nearby, Timberline tops the list for skiers in search of something a bit different. Top Timberline choices include a slow ride down Salamander--one of the region's longest runs--the resort's ten miles of mapped and marked backcountry trails (along with like-minded telemarkers, cross-country skiers, and snowshoers, who take advantage of single-ride lift tickets). A West Virginia ski season isn't complete without at least one stay at Timberline, where prices are staying the same for the third year in a row and night skiing is still free for multi-day passes

Last, but certainly not least, convenient Winterplace is still pursuing a multi-year enhancements program, a period when they've expanded every off-season. Winterplace is a winter wonderland for skiers in search of a full-service and all-inclusive ski resort. This year brings even more snowmaking and tubing to one of the most convenient resorts in the southeast, as well as an expanded rental program that features new shaped skis, step-in snowboards, and ski blades.

Whether it's an easy one-day outing or a weeklong West Virginia winter adventure, you're sure to find something new at the Mountain State's ski resorts. From Snowshoe's historic expansion to continued growth everywhere else, West Virginia winter vacations just keep improving with age.