Two and a half feet of Snow and Cold Temps Drive Early Open

SNOWSHOE, West Virginia – (November 15, 2012) – Snowshoe Mountain Resort (www.snowshoemtn.com), the #1 ski area in the Southeast, today announced it will officially open for the 2012-13 winter ski and snowboard season on Wednesday, November 21st, matching the resort’s earliest opening day in the last 15 years. Snowshoe officials credit over two feet of natural snow and excellent snowmaking conditions for the great early opportunity.

“If there could be a silver lining to the huge storm that impacted so many people in our region at the start of the month, it’s that our mountains, which experienced a warmer, shorter than normal winter last year, received over two feet of heavy snow with which to open our businesses and invite guests to our region,” said Frank DeBerry, President and COO of Snowshoe. “With cooperating cold temperatures we’re able to build a snow base and start spinning the lifts in time for a much needed Thanksgiving holiday weekend for many.”

Resort officials will monitor upcoming temperature and weather patterns prior to determining total terrain open at the start and eager skiers and riders are encouraged to seek regular updates at the Resort’s webpage (www.snowshoemtn.com) and Facebook page. The recent short spike in daytime temperatures and the long range forecast looks to support a better than average scenario for opening top-to-bottom terrain at Snowshoe Basin and possibly even the close-by Silver Creek ski areas.

“Silver Creek is typically not opened until the middle of December,” added DeBerry. “This fresh snow combined with our snowmaking capabilities has put us in great shape for the early ski season and we think we just might be able to add it to the mix earlier than ever.”
The new winter zipline will also open on November 21.

To allow guests to come and ‘ski it to believe it’, Snowshoe also announced a new $99 Early Unlimited Pass on sale through Friday, November 23rd, and valid any day through Christmas Day. The pass is available for purchase onsite, online at www.snowshoemtn.com, or through the resort’s reservations center at 877-441-4386.

The resort is also offering a “3rd Night Free” lodging opportunity for the Thanksgiving holiday period. The buy two nights, get the third night free is good for arrivals starting Tuesday, November 20th thru Friday, November 23rd. Details and availability can be checked by calling resort reservations.

For a full list of early-season activities at the resort, additional specials on lodging and lift tickets, go to www.snowshoemtn.com

About Snowshoe Mountain Resort
Snowshoe Mountain is the perfect year round destination for adventure filled vacations in West Virginia. Snowshoe covers a total area of 11,000 acres in the Appalachian Mountain Range, and includes the second highest point in the state at 4,848’ elevation. Snowshoe was named #1 Overall Ski Resort and #1 for Nightlife in the Southeast by OnTheSnow.com in 2012. In addition to terrific outdoor winter recreation, Snowshoe offers extensive lodging options, fully developed mountain biking trails, a popular golf course designed by Gary Player, wedding and convention areas, and a wide variety of summer outdoor activities. Snowshoe Mountain Resort is part of the family of Intrawest Resorts.