Snowshoe Mountain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Snowshoe Mountain |
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The Village at Snowshoe
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 Snowshoe Mountain
Location in the United States
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| Location | Pocahontas County, West Virginia |
| Nearest city | Marlinton and Lewisburg to the south Elkins to the north |
| Coordinates | 38°24′32″N 79°59′41″W / 38.40889°N 79.99472°W |
| Vertical | 1,500 ft (460 m) |
| Base elevation | 3,348 ft (1,020 m) |
| Skiable area | 244 acres (99 ha) |
| Runs | 60 |
| Longest run | 1.5 miles (2.4 km) |
| Lift system | 14 chairlifts |
| Lift capacity | 23,400 skiers per hour |
| Snowfall | 180 inches (460 cm) |
| Snowmaking | 100% |
| Night skiing | at the Silver Creek area |
| Website | snowshoemtn.com |
Snowshoe Mountain is a popular ski resort located in Snowshoe, West Virginia. It's found in the eastern United States, within the beautiful Allegheny Mountains. These mountains are part of the much larger Appalachian Mountain Range.
The resort covers about 244 acres of land where you can ski. It sits in a special bowl-shaped area where two mountains, Cheat and Back Allegheny, meet. The resort's main village is unique because it's located near the top of the mountain, not at the bottom.
While Snowshoe is famous for its winter sports, it also offers many activities all year round. You can find great mountain biking trails and a golf course designed by famous golfer Gary Player. The resort also hosts a big Grand National Cross Country Racing event every year.
Snowshoe Mountain includes two main ski areas: Snowshoe and Silver Creek. Around 480,000 skiers visit each year. Most visitors come from cities in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions, as well as from across West Virginia.
About the Mountain
Snowshoe Mountain is the name of the resort itself, not the name of the actual mountain. The resort is built on Cheat Mountain. The highest point on Cheat Mountain is called Thorny Flat, which is about 4,848 feet high.
The resort has 60 different slopes and trails for skiing and snowboarding. It also has many acres of backcountry areas to explore. Two famous trails, Cupp Run and Shay's Revenge, have a 1,500-foot vertical drop. This is the biggest drop in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic areas.
A famous Olympic skier named Jean-Claude Killy helped design Cupp Run. The top of the mountain gets about 180 inches of snow every winter.
Snowshoe was planned to be a place for fun all year, not just in winter. It took some time, but now mountain biking and horseback riding are very popular. One big advantage for Snowshoe is its high elevation, which means it stays cooler. In January, the average temperature is about 28°F ( -2°C). In July, it's around 68°F (20°C). This makes it much cooler than lower areas nearby.
The resort has about 1,400 places to stay, like condos and hotel rooms. Most of these are owned by different people but managed by the resort. The winter ski season usually lasts a bit more than 130 days. During spring, summer, and fall, there are many sports, fun activities, and cultural events.
History of Snowshoe Mountain
Snowshoe Mountain first opened for skiing on December 13, 1974. Before that, the area was used for logging from about 1905 to 1960. After the logging stopped, the land was mostly empty and left alone.
A dentist from North Carolina named Thomas "Doc" Brigham found the mountain. He thought it would be a great place to build a new ski resort. Brigham had already opened other ski areas like Sugar Mountain and Beech Mountain.
The ski trails and lifts were given names that reminded people of the area's logging past. Names like Grab Hammer, J-Hook, Ball Hooter, and Skidder were used. Two trails, Shay's Revenge and Heisler Way, were named after special steam trains. These trains were used to move logs and workers around the mountains during the logging days. You can still see examples of these trains today at the nearby Cass Scenic Railroad State Park. There, they pull tourist trains on old logging tracks.
Even though Doc Brigham had big plans, Snowshoe faced money problems in its first ten years. But over time, the resort became more well-known and popular. In 1992, Snowshoe bought the Silver Creek ski area, which is only half a mile away.
In 1990, a Japanese company called Tokyo Tower Development Company Limited bought the resort. They built fun and recreation spots. Five years later, in 1995, a Canadian company called Intrawest bought Snowshoe. Intrawest was known for growing mountain resorts by building villages with shops and condos.
In 1999, Intrawest opened the Rimfire Lodge. This was the first building in what they called "The Wildcat Village." This name isn't used much anymore. The village grew quickly, with more condo-hotel buildings opening in the following years. These included Highland House, Allegheny Springs, The Seneca, and Expedition Station. A project called Eight Rivers was supposed to start in 2007. However, it was put on hold. Now, that land is used for a small surface ski lift, which the resort's ski school uses. In 2017, another company called Alterra Mountain Company bought Intrawest.
Intrawest also helped build other areas outside the main village. These included Soaring Eagle Lodge in 2006 and Sawmill Village in 2007. These were built by other companies. In 2006, a company called Fortress Investment Group bought Intrawest. Intrawest still runs as its own part of Fortress.
Images for kids
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Starbucks in the Snowshoe Village.
See also
