SNOWSHOE, W.Va. — Opening up the day after Thanksgiving is fresh relief for at least one staff member at Snoeshow Mountain Resort.
“For most of us, it’s really our absolute favorite thing to do,” Shawn Cassell, Snowshoe Mountain Resort’s PR Director, said. “We’ve all been itching to do it since last March. We can’t wait. Everyone’s got their stuff out, tuned up, and waxed. We’re ready to roll.”
Besides the influx of winter sport junkies hoping to strap on skis or a snowboard, Cassell said most of the employees at the mountain resort are similarly excited to hit snow-covered trails once again. They were disappointed by last season’s late start.
“We really needed this going into this year and it feels really good to be opening here this close to Thanksgiving,” Cassell said. “It feels like things are back to normal after kind of an off winter. We’re so excited.”
Last winter, the resort didn’t have powder during the week of Christmas. Opening within a week–and in this case one day–of Thanksgiving is far closer to the norm, according to Cassell.
“If we’re already making snow and we are already getting trails open, just imagine how good of shape things are going to be when it’s time for your Christmas vacation or even later in the winter,” he said.
The opening is limited to 20 acres of terrain out of a possible 256, and the Western Territory Black Diamond courses won’t be open yet.
“It’s definitely just a fraction of what we have here,” he said. “But for people like me that are just ready to get on snow again, one or two routes down the mountain is all you need for a good day.”
As for this weekend’s opening, Cassell is taking a cautiously optimistic approach.
“We’ll see,” he said. “Opening day on a Black Friday, it’s hard to know what to expect.”
Cassell said there will be something for every level of skier and snowboarder, especially as the season progresses further.
“If it’s your very first day on skis to [being] an absolute expert, we have something here for you,” he said.
Snowshoe Mountain Resort’s ski season ends March 26.