Growing up in rural Southwestern Virginia, Shawn Cassell couldn’t wait for his birthday. It wasn’t about the presents or the cake that interested him, more so it was the chance it might snow on Feb. 8.
“I’ve always been a big fan of cold weather, and at least every other year it would really snow on my birthday. It would snow and my friends would come over, but sometimes there’d be too much snow and they couldn’t come over,” Cassell chuckled.
Back then, Cassell would watch the X Games on ESPN, which would showcase the world’s greatest skiers and snowboards, each launching themselves into the sky in a dazzling spectacle of talent, tricks and tree-topping air time.
By the time he headed off to Appalachian State University, in Boone, North Carolina, for college, Cassell was determined to do whatever it took to not only acquire the right snowboarding gear, but also tackle the nearby resorts: Beech Mountain and Sugar Mountain.
“Being on the mountain is hard to describe. It’s kind of this disconnectedness when you’re out there—I just love everything about it,” Cassell said. “And the best part is discovering another mountain, this new place to wander, which is the most important thing—to keep exploring.”
That spirit of mountain discovery and exploration eventually led to Cassell pursuing a career at Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia. Arguably the most well-known and elaborate ski resort in Southern Appalachia and the greater Southeast, Cassell is heading into his sixth winter at Snowshoe as its digital marketing and public relations manager.
“When I was at App State, we’d always try to make the trip up to Snowshoe—it was the best game in town for snow, as far as our region goes,” Cassell said. “That drive up to the resort? It’s like the West Virginia tagline ‘Wild and Wonderful’ was made for that drive and what you arrive at when you finally get to Snowshoe.”
On a map of West Virginia, Snowshoe resembles the center of a mountainous compass: the state capital of Charleston to the West, the massive university towns of Morgantown to the North and Charlottesville, Virginia, to the East, with Roanoke, Virginia, due South.
“You can look out from the top of Snowshoe and all you’ll see are mountains and trees. Looking north, there’s no development, just this enormous wilderness,” Cassell said. “Driving up to the resort, you’re going along windy roads through endless farmland. You drive and drive, and finally you pop out in front of this amazing village in seemingly the middle of nowhere—it’s a unique place, there’s nothing like Snowshoe.”
Less than two hours north of Snowshoe is another beloved ski area—Canaan Valley. Regarded as the first commercial ski development in West Virginia (and the highest valley east of the Mississippi River), the mountainous bowl is within a public recreational property, simply referred to as Canaan Valley Resort State Park.
“These mountains are pretty magical, and what’s really interesting is how the mountains are positioned,” said Mark Moody, marketing manager for Canaan Valley. “In the early 1950s, when the surveyors flew over this range to find a place to possibly put a ski area, they noticed this patch of land where the snow didn’t melt until April—it was perfect for skiing.”
By the numbers, Canaan Valley is home to 6,015 acres (91 acres skiable) with a summit elevation of 4,280 feet (850 feet of vertical drop). Each year, the resort sees upwards of 160 inches of snow that’s traversed by 47 trails, aided by numerous lifts: one quad, two triplets and one magic carpet.
“We’re a really family-oriented atmosphere here. Every season, Canaan Valley is a tradition for so many—you’re seeing people in their element out there,” Moody said. “And there’s such a vastness surrounding the mountain, this endless wilderness. On the mountain, you’re removing yourself from the stresses and hustles of everyday life, whether you live in a city, the suburbs or simply down the road.”
By comparison, Snowshoe sits on 11,000 acres (244 acres skiable) in the Alleghany Mountains. With a summit elevation of 4,848 feet, the resort averages around 180 inches of snow and around a half-million visitors each season.
Within the Snowshoe Basin area (which consists of Cheat and Back Allegheny mountains), there’s an 800-foot vertical drop on the slopes amid 41 trails, seven lifts, terrain parks and beginner hills. For those interested in night skiing, Snowshoe’s Silver Creek area offers six lifts dropping you down 18 trails, with 12 routes open throughout the evening.
Known as the “Western Territory” of Snowshoe, the treacherous and challenging terrain contains a 1,500-foot vertical drop with 1.5 miles of downhill, which is home to the legendary Cupp Run and Shay’s Revenge.
“There’s every type of ski surface imaginable here,” Cassell said. “If you can become an expert skier or snowboarder here, or anywhere in the Southeast for that matter, you’re going to be able to ski and board at any resort. If you can master Snowshoe, you can go anywhere out west.”
Geographically, Snowshoe and Canaan Valley are ideally positioned for natural snow.
“We’re far enough east where we can get those nor’easter, but we’re close enough to the Midwest to get that lake effect snow from the Great Lakes,” Cassell said. “At almost 5,000 feet of elevation, we’re in this micro-climate that holds the cold air and prolongs the ski season—it’s the right combination, that mountain magic.”
But, like most ski resorts in the South, snowmaking is of the utmost importance—to make sure the season opens on time, and to ensure the survival of the snow if the weather shifts warmer than normal.
“No southern ski area is going to survive without snowmaking. We start making snow as soon as possible, around Halloween, so we can cool the ground off and build our base from there,” Cassell said. “With the horseshoe shape of Snowshoe, any snow that melts will flow straight into the lake at the bottom, which then gets puts back through the snowmaking machines.”
With the 2020-2021 ski and snowboard season now underway, Moody is looking forward to welcoming guests back to Canaan Valley, whether it’s their first time or thousandth time hitting the slopes. Fresh snowflakes are falling alongside the dropping temperatures, with ample opportunities now wide open to dig deep and find yourself in the sacred landscape that is winter in Southern Appalachia.
“Every time I’m out there, I’m always looking at the mountains, wondering what’s on the other side of that ridge, where this trail goes and what’s behind the mystery of these peaks,” Moody said. “Everything that happens in the mountains is encased in the long, rich culture of this wilderness. It’s almost like its own world. There’s all this space up here—space for you to breathe, space for you to enjoy life.”
Hit the slopes
If you’re interested in hitting the slopes in West Virginia, the following resorts\ are open for the 2020-2021 ski and snowboard season:
- Canaan Valley (Davis) canaanresort.com
- Snowshoe (Snowshoe) snowshoemtn.com
- Timberline (Davis) timberlinemountain.com
- Winterplace (Ghent) winterplace.com
For a full list of winter activities and locations in West Virginia, you can find more information at wvtourism.com/seasons/winter.