Night skiing has long been a defining part of the Mid-Atlantic ski experience, allowing school groups, working adults, and budget-minded skiers to hit the slopes after dark. DCSki looks at why available night-skiing hours have gradually decreased in recent years, and why skiing under the lights remains an important regional tradition.
DCSki examines four Mid-Atlantic ski areas that have inspired years of reader speculation about untapped potential: Blue Knob, Canaan Valley, Laurel Mountain, and Winterplace. Drawing on their terrain, snowfall, infrastructure, ownership, and operating constraints, the feature considers what improvements might help each mountain deliver more of what skiers already value.
Before webcams, navigation apps, digital lift passes, and group texts, Mid-Atlantic skiers relied on snow phones, paper trail maps, printed directions, and carefully chosen meeting places. This retrospective recalls the uncertainty and occasional adventure of skiing before the smartphone while considering how modern technology has made trips safer, easier, and better documented.
Sustained cold temperatures have allowed Mid-Atlantic ski areas to ramp up snowmaking and begin opening for the 2025–26 winter season, with several resorts launching operations in the first week of December. Additional terrain and activities are expected to come online soon as snowmaking continues across the region. Above, an aerial view provided to DCSki by a skiing pilot shows snowmaking underway at Maryland’s Wisp Resort on December 1.
Positioned as an alternative to the mega passes, the Indy Pass — good at small and mid-sized independent resorts — is now back on sale, but only for a limited time. The Indy Pass now provides two lift tickets each at 271 resorts across 4 continents, including numerous areas in the Mid-Atlantic region.
An arctic air mass has brought ideal snowmaking conditions to the Mid-Atlantic, enabling resorts across the region to prepare for their winter season openings, with many planning to open in early December. Resorts like Seven Springs, Wisp, Snowshoe, and Timberline Mountain are leading the charge, while others are building their bases for upcoming announcements. Photo by Heidi Lews / Hidden Valley Resort.
The Indy Pass is back on sale with over 230 independent ski resorts across three continents, adding 30 new locations, including Bear Creek Resort in Pennsylvania. Offering skiers an alternative to larger corporate passes, the Indy Pass emphasizes smaller, local destinations and is expected to sell out quickly for the 2024-2025 winter season.
Winterplace Ski Resort in West Virginia is launching a two-year, multi-million dollar improvement project with USDA grant support, enhancing snowmaking, energy-efficient lighting, and guest amenities, while also introducing a new terrain park, remodeled dining options, and expanded clinics for the upcoming ski season.
Woody Bousquet had planned to spend this winter skiing north of the Mason-Dixon Line. COVID-19 changed his plans, and he found himself planning a week-long trip south, hitting 7 classic southeastern ski areas in 7 days. He chronicled his road trip in this Firsthand Report.
It is once again Spring, which means it’s time to consider purchasing a season pass for the 2022-2023 winter season before prices begin to inch up. DCSki breaks down the choices and factors Mid-Atlantic skiers should consider as they explore available pass options.
The second half of December wasn’t ideal for Mid-Atlantic ski areas: cold temperatures from early in the season yielded to unseasonably (and, to skiers, unreasonably) mild days. As the calendar advanced from December to January, that’s all changed. DCSki provides a roundup of the latest conditions at local ski resorts.
