If Mother Nature cooperates, West Virginia’s Snowshoe Mountain Resort aims to open its slopes on Friday, November 20, 1998. The resort began snowmaking operations last weekend, but had to quiet the guns this week as temperatures rose. Favorable snowmaking temperatures late this week and next week should allow Snowshoe to open with top-to-bottom terrain on the eastern side of the Snowshoe area. The Silver Creek area, including the tubing area, is slated to open five days later, on Wednesday, November 25.

Skiers and snowboarders will find numerous changes at Snowshoe this winter. The Western Territory, featuring a 1,500-foot vertical, has been enhanced with the addition of a new expert trail, Shay’s Revenge. The slow, aging lift that used to serve Cupp Run has been retired, replaced by a brand new high-speed quad that will whisk skiers and boarders up the mountain in 6 minutes. DCSki was on hand for the new lift’s installation, and provided a behind-the-scenes look.

Shaver’s Lake, which feeds Snowshoe’s snowmaking system, has been expanded from 10 to 40 acres. More terrain at Silver Creek has been lit for night skiing, and Silver Creek’s tubing hill has grown to five lanes. Intrawest has also been busy building the Rimfire Lodge, the first phase of the new Wildcat mountaintop village. For more information on changes at Snowshoe, read the Sounds of Snowshoe.

Snowshoe had originally planned to open on Friday the 13th, but had to set the opening date back a week after an uninvited warming trend. Last year, Snowshoe opened on November 21, 1997. From November 30 until December 6, Snowshoe kicks off its 25-year anniversary with 25-year old lift ticket prices: lift tickets will be priced at $12. When Snowshoe debuted 25 years ago, it featured nine trails served by three lifts. Today, 56 trails are spread across the Snowshoe and Silver Creek areas, served by 11 lifts, including two high-speed quads.