Updated 1-22-09 |
Wow, what a day on the mountain. I don't like to make people jealous, but if you weren't out skiing today, you should be envious of anyone who was. Bluebird skies; temps in the 30s; AWESOME snow conditions on the mountain. I had some media members in town so I was a very lucky girl and got to spend two hours riding this morning. We headed over to the Silver Creek area and were able to still make some "first tracks" at 11am. The snow was awesome, the sun was out and after weeks of wind chills below zero, 32 degrees felt like a spring day!
On top of the amazing conditions... can you say 5-6 foot base... there's a lot going on on the mountain right now. On Monday we opened our half pipe for the first time in four seasons. The pipe will be recut and shaped tonight, but from what I heard, it's in really good shape already. I know the park guys have been having a blast sessioning it. Many of them haven't been on a pipe in a couple years, but they're enjoying it, and getting a good workout in with all that hiking!
Speaking of the park crew, those guys are hosting the annual West Virginia Open on Saturday. Last season 75 competitors came out, and we hope to have a similar crowd this year. There is $4000 up for grabs, with $2000 each going to the top skier and snowboarder. The Open takes place Saturday evening on Skidder Slope, just outside the Shavers Centre. With a DJ, great on-snow action and the Moonshine Pub just inside, this is the place to be Saturday night. Competitors can register inside the Depot on Saturday, warm-ups begin at 4:30, and we should have the comp started around 5 p.m. These guys always do an awesome job, so definitely check that out.
Now for the BIGGEST news of the week!! Tomorrow (Friday) Lower Shay's Revenge will open, which means Snowshoe will be 100% open with 60 trails and 244 acres of skiable terrain. Lower Shay's hasn't bee open since the 2006-2007 season, so this is a big deal! The double black diamond slopes gives expert skiers and riders a real chance to test this skills. We won't be grooming the steep, and we'll let one side of the trail bump up, so if you're into bump skiing, be sure to head over to the Western Territory.
It's hard to believe, but things just keep getting better on the mountain. We've now had 132" of snow this season, which is just half an inch less than we saw ALL of last season. This week alone we've had 9" of fresh snow, and we've had 35" in the 22 days of January. With more than two months to go in the season, we should certainly see some more snow. Right now the long term forecast still looks perfect for us. Friday and Saturday will be a little warmer than the last couple weeks, but Saturday night the arctic air will return and snowmaking will restart. However, we've got such a great base across the mountain, starting at the end of January in the Snowshoe area, and beginning on Monday at Silver Creek, we plan to move to overnight snowmaking ONLY. Not only will this made conditions even better for our guests, it's also much more environmentally friendly. Speaking of the environment, did you know Snowshoe purchased wind credits this summer? The mountain purchased enough wind energy to power the Ballhooter lift all season. Pretty cool!
Well, the snow is great, the weather is perfect, we're 100% open and we've got a half pipe to play on... WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?! We just announced a new third night free offer, so there's no excuse; get in your car and get up here!
