In the October issue of SKI Magazine....

Snowshoe Ranked 17th in East

Welcome to wonderful West Virginia winters. We’ve been waiting patiently. High rankings for snow quality, weather, lifts, and scenery mean Snowshoe Mountain is the first southern resort to play with the big boys of the east. Thanks to more than 100 million bucks in investment from Intrawest, Snowshoe has hit the big-time with: more slopes; more night skiing; lots of just-opened lodging; hot new restaurants; added activities like snowshoeing and cross-country skiing; and a wilderness cabin; with more to come. Readers welcomed the opportunity to wax poetically about the ‘new’ Snowshoe, with comments like, “Thank God for a new Black Diamond trail and a new lift to service it.” That oft-mentioned trail is the new Shay’s Revenge, with 1,500 vertical feet, up to 60% steeps, and some serious bumps. It combines with old favorite Cupp Runn to make Snowshoe’s Western Territory. A new quad, reducing lift times from 20 to six minutes, makes the area better than ever. Other new Snowshoe additions that made many of our readers write include: expanded night skiing, a huge halfpipe, and a children’s learning center at Silver Creek, a snowshoeing and cross-country program, sleigh rides, as well as lots of new lodging and dining choices (they’ve built a whole new ski-in/ski-out Village sCenter). One reader covered all the bases, saying, “Many slopes, good terrain, great variation, good food, value.” Of course, with Snowshoe’s new-found success comes the inevitable crowds that can make mid-winter weekends wacky. If the snow is good (and it often is), get there mid-week for some of the best skiing and boarding in the east.

WHAT’S NEW A killer new run (Shay’s Revenge), a fast new quad, and a dedicated children’s teaching facility at Silver Creek.

A GOOD DEAL Early- and late-season skiing, $53 midweek and $78 weekend per night at Spruce Lodge. Call (304) 572-1000.

DON’T MISS A creative upscale meal at The Red Fox or Eli’s, plus tasty and cheap mountaintop pizza from Pizzazz.

READER REMARKS “Shay’s Revenge is awesome!” “Crowded on weekends.”