A Winter Adventure, and Hopes for More

by

Travel

After a day on the slopes when our fingers are numb but our bodies heated from exertion, we gather in a cabin to shed outer layers and play Uno to the soundtrack of kid laughter and a roaring fire. This was our daily routine when four families made the trek to Snowshoe Mountain, West Virginia, for several days of winter fun.

Snowshoe Mountain includes three unique areas: Snowshoe Basin, Silver Creek, and Western Territory. Collectively, the mountain offers more than 60 trails and glades, five terrain parks, night skiing, and additional activities like snowmobiling, tubing, and backcountry adventuring.

As one who enjoys snowboarding, boutique shopping, and getting cozy by a fire, I look forward to a chilly winter getaway as much as a summer vacation. It’s the norm to pack up the proverbial station wagon for a trip to the seashore, but loading long johns, snow boots and ski poles makes for a unique type of adventure. There are numerous factors about Snowshoe that make it appealing to adventurers of all ages.

Cozy Lodging

Snowshoe offers a plethora of lodging options. Another family, who had been several times before, suggested Whistlepunk Condominiums. Trusting their advice, I looked at photos online, liked what I saw, and booked it. Pulling into the parking lot, it felt reminiscent of a Swiss Alpine village.

At the entryway of our condo was a stack of wood to feed the wood-burning fireplace inside. In the middle of the main room was an elongated dining table that became the meeting point and card-playing station for all the families.

It was the exact type of cozy cabin I’d envisioned for our family trip. Perhaps the most exciting part was that it was a ski-out unit. For my two boys, this was the first time they’d lodged somewhere they could ski right out the back door. After experiencing this luxury, it will admittedly be challenging to return to the days of lugging our snowboard or skis down to the chair lift.

Snow and Trails

Boasting an average yearly snowfall of 180 inches, I was hopeful we’d see a winter wonderland when we arrived at the mountain. The weather was not calling for natural snow in West Virginia, which was disheartening. In my mind’s eye, I’d envisioned a wintery white scene where snow boots were required to even cross the threshold of our condo.

On day one, the sky was clear and the ground dry, but low and behold, that evening it snowed like mad. My vision manifested, and we found ourselves tugging hoods around our faces to shield snowflakes, feeling very much like we were in a quintessential ski destination. By the time we left, warmer temperatures returned and the snow on the sidewalks was gone, but not before we had thoroughly enjoyed it.

Snowshoe Mountain’s trails cover more than 250 skiable acres. At times this made me nervous because the trail system was so complicated, I could barely navigate it. In true teen fashion, our kids mastered the map quickly and knew exactly where to go. As long as I stayed with another person, I felt OK about not getting lost. Despite my trepidation, I’d prefer it this way: The opposite would offer a lackluster trail system and kids bored by 11 a.m.

Night Skiing and Terrain Parks

Night skiing is a popular activity among the younger crowd, so we were grateful this was an option at Snowshoe. Granted, the main mountain does not have lights, but nearby Silver Creek, which is part of the resort, offers access to the slopes from 4:30 to 9 p.m. We boarded a shuttle for a quick ride to Silver Creek and, though it was frigid, it was fun to ski and snowboard under a starlit sky.

Snowshoe also offers five elaborate terrain parks scattered throughout the three main areas. We had a slew of snowboarders in our crowd, and they all enjoyed the jumps and rails offered at the parks. Even the skiers partook in the fun. A few of the adults attempted jumps, but that is not for me.

Additional Activities

Not everyone loves winter sports. For instance, my sister has not strapped into a snowboard since college and doesn’t plan to. Similarly, a friend with us injured her tailbone several years ago while snowboarding out west and afterwards gave away her equipment. These two enjoyed the alternative fun on the mountain: shopping, spa services, or simply reading beside a fire.

After several days, even the most avid among us were craving something different. One evening we enjoyed tubing, and I’ve heard the snowmobiling is exhilarating.

An outlier element that I enjoyed was the lack of cell service. It felt freeing to not be so accessible to the outside world. Interestingly, Snowshoe is smack in the middle of the 13,000 square-mile National Radio Quiet Zone (NRQZ). It’s the only place in the U.S. where cell phone towers and similar equipment are severely restricted or illegal. With that being said, the only way to effectively communicate while on the trails is to use walkie talkies, and the only way to communicate from cabin to cabin is via land lines. When I had to call my sister to see where we wanted to meet for dinner, we felt like we were back in high school, sitting on the floor beside the phone because the cord wouldn’t stretch further.

I felt relaxed and refreshed. It made me realize we need to take more winter vacations, and not always assume that summertime is more fun. We don’t have another trip to Snowshoe planned quite yet, but I’ve been looking at photos online, dreaming about that wood-burning fireplace and miles upon miles of mountain views. Who knows? Maybe I’ll be back in Whistlepunk before I know it.