ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, January 1, 1996 TAG: 9601020024
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B8 EDITION: HOLIDAY
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN
Snowshoe-Silver Creek Ski Resort had a white Christmas. You now can say the same about New Year's Day. In fact, the way things are going, how about a white Easter?
Located atop Cheat Mountain in Pocahontas County, W.Va., the resort has received 109 inches of natural snowfall during the early portion of the 1995-96 ski season. That's 4 inches more than for the entire 1994-95 season.
The resort got 55 inches of snow in November and just over 50 inches in December. The previous season, November produced 3 inches and December 6.5 inches, said Joe Stevens, a Snowshoe-Silver Creek spokesman.
A snowstorm that settled in during the Christmas holidays dropped 37 inches, said Stevens.
The resort has been touting 52 trails open, 11 lifts operating and a 36- to 70-inch base. Those numbers have grabbed the attention of skiers. Visits are up by more than 20,000, Stevens said. Thursday, the resort set a record with more than 1,000 check-ins.
While other ski areas in the Southeast haven't enjoyed Snowshoe's abundant natural snowfall, low temperatures have permitted round-the-clock snow making. The result has been a buildup of huge bases going into the new year. Appalachian Ski Mountain, in Western North Carolina, reports a 56- to-92-inch base. Virginia's Wintergreen has a 30- to 48-inch base; Massanutten, 36 to 60 inches; The Homestead 22 to 42 inches.
``Remember the wooly worm predictions,'' said Judy Donaghy of the Banner Elk Chamber of Commerce, where Sugar Mountain is touting up to 65 inches of base.
``The fuzzy little weather prognosticator said that the first six weeks of winter would be unusually cold and snowy,'' said Donaghy.
Not just cold, but ``phenomenal'' is the way June Brinkman of Massanutten Village described the weather and skiing conditions.
Until Friday, the resort, near Harrisonburg, had 10 days of around-the-clock snow making.
``We've never had all 14 trails open for Christmas-New Year's week,'' she said. ``It has been a record-breaker for us.''
Those kind of reports have stimulated interest in the ski trips sponsored by the Roanoke Ski Club. The club has a trip set for Snowshoe on Friday, followed by trips to The Homestead, Jan. 27 (call 989-1699 for information) and Canaan Valley, Feb. 23 (776-3395).
Two trips to the West have been booked, and a third has been scheduled for April 7-14 (884-2659).
LENGTH: Medium: 52 linesby CNB