Snowshoe Mountain Resort has made a number of enhancements for the 2011-2012 winter season. In addition to capital improvements, Snowshoe is offering a new pricing structure on its tickets, with mid-week discounts, multi-day discounts, and discounts for tickets pre-booked with lodging. Daily lift tickets will start as low as $37, depending on the discount.

The Skidway slope in Snowshoe’s main basin area is being transformed into the Progression Session Park, offering small to medium features for freestyle skiers and boarders. The new park will be the fifth area included in Snowshoe’s Mountaineer Parks. Across the five parks, 27 acres of freestyle terrain will be available.

Slopes such as Shay’s Revenge, Upper Ballhooter, and Spruce Glades can be difficult to groom due to their steep pitch. Snowshoe aims to fix that problem this year with the purchase of a new Winch Cat Groomer. This specialized groomer secures at the top of the slopes, enabling safe grooming of steep slopes.

Three new restaurants are being introduced at Snowshoe, including Sunset Cantina, the South Mountain Grille, and the Stash, providing new options for Southwestern, American, and Japanese cuisine. A new Columbia-branded store will also open in the Snowshoe Village, providing recreational apparel.

As an “upside down” mountain, Snowshoe’s main village and lodging is located at the top of the mountain. A more economical option, the Inn at Snowshoe, is located at the base of the mountain. This winter Snowshoe will be running regularly scheduled shuttles between the Inn at Snowshoe and the top of the mountain.

Snowshoe features an extensive on-mountain television production capabilities, and is upgrading its camera gear to high definition. Expect to see HD videos showing up on Snowshoe’s web site.

Snowshoe Mountain Resort began making snow in late October, looking towards a November 23, 2011 opening date. Photo provided by Snowshoe Mountain Resort.