Finding snow hours away

By Libby Swope Wiersema

For the AJC

Wintry temperatures might mean snow in most parts of the country, but for those in the Southeast, the cold often signals nothing more than the need for a heavier coat and another log on the fire.

While the white stuff is somewhat of a rarity in these parts, there’s no need to feel snow-deprived. If the snow won’t come to you, you can always go to the snow. The quest for a wintry adventure is probably closer than you think — a drive to the Virginias can plant you square in the middle of one of the snowiest destinations in the region.

Snowshoe Mountain, Snowshoe, W. Va.

Imagine your family nestled snugly inside a cozy sleigh — it might not be Santa’s, but it’s the next best thing. Snowshoe Mountain, blessed with the area’s most abundant seasonal snowfall (180 inches), offers a 30- to 40-minute memorable winter ride across its snowy landscape.

“This season will see the return of horse-drawn sleigh rides at Snowshoe Mountain,” said Greer Hughes, marketing coordinator. “Equestrian Adventures will be partnering up with the Snowshoe Outdoor Adventure Department to offer both private and group sleigh rides in the Silver Creek area.”

Sleighs depart at two-hour intervals from noon to 8 p.m. daily. Warm up afterward with a hot beverage from the Silver Creek Lodge.

Snowshoers, serious and otherwise, have more than 240 acres on which to glide and slide. The resort also offers one of the most efficient and hard-working lift systems, capable of delivering more than 24,600 people to slope tops each hour.

For a more laid-back adventure, grab a tube and take to the resort’s 500-foot tubing hill.

Visitors can also experience “Snowshoe After Dark,” a night-time snowmobile adventure.

Advance reservations are a must for all of these popular activities.

The resort officially opened Friday. Lodging and dining are available on site and nearby.

The Homestead, 
Hot Springs, Va.

The Homestead, a 3,000-acre luxury resort featuring downhill skiing, snowboarding, ice skating and snow tubing, has added snowmobiling to its winter repertoire.

“The resort offers guided snowmobile tours every evening after the ski slopes close,” said Melissa Pogue, public relations representative for The Homestead. “Each tour starts with an instructional safety briefing and a few warm-up laps around the base of the mountain.”

Tours last 30 minutes to an hour, and helmets are provided. Drivers must be at least 16 with a valid driver’s license. Children as young as 6 will be thrilled to ride their own Polaris 120cc snowmobiles during special guided 15-minute sessions.

The resort’s ski area is scheduled to open by Dec. 24, with snowmobiling available, weather permitting, through March.

Canaan Valley Resort, 
Davis, W. Va.

What’s airboarding? Why, it just might be the hottest cold-weather activity to hit the slopes in decades. Airboards are inflatable sleds that can be steered. These lightweight “air rockets” measure about 4 feet in length and can make thrill-delivering hairpin turns and lightning fast stops.

If you enjoy sledding, you’ll love airboarding, Canaan Valley Ski Area Manager Michael Chaney said of the sport, now in its fifth season at the resort.

Canaan Valley Resort is one of only a handful of locations in the East to offer this exhilarating activity. Even more enticing is that, like the tubing and skiing offered here, airboarders at Canaan have their own dedicated area — an airboard terrain park, the first of its kind in the U.S.

With 39 trails and an annual snowfall of 150 inches, Canaan Valley is a winter paradise. The resort opens for the season on Friday.

Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Davis

Winter is a wonderful time of year for nature lovers and outdoorsmen at Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge. Home to more than 200 bird species, the park is open to visitors year-round and features a variety of wildlife in their natural habitats including grasslands, forests, wetlands and shrublands.

Enjoy a guided bird walk or go on your own. Binoculars can be borrowed if you are participating in a refuge-led tour or event. Snowshoe tours are popular during the winter months. Hunting and fishing are encouraged here, but will require a state license and free refuge-issued permit. Hunting permits are available weekdays only, or can be obtained in advance by calling the refuge. Hunting is off limits, however, March through August.

Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are also offered.

Winter visitors are advised to dress for the cold weather and bring drinking water.

Smoke Hole Caverns, 
Seneca Rocks, W. Va.

You won’t find snow inside Smoke Hole Caverns, but the scenery promises to be just as spectacular. Tour the magnificent caverns filled with dazzling stalactites, stalagmites, columns and other colorful formations. This winterscape maintains a 56-degree temperature all year — rather toasty if you’re coming in from a day of tubing and skiing.

The 45-minute to 1-hour tour covers approximately two-thirds of a mile of breathtaking underground terrain accessed through gravel paths, with one flight of stairs going up and two going down. Comfy shoes are a must. The minor unevenness of the paths is not stroller- or wheelchair-friendly. Cameras and video recorders are allowed. Have a bite in the cavern snack bar to re-energize you for more snow adventures in the great West Virginia outdoors.

— Provided by Demand Studios