Opening on December 14, 2019, Canaan Valley Resort has invested in upgrades that will see more trails open earlier in the season and help crowds move faster.
The resort located high in the Canaan Valley in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia has invested in nine fan guns, four tower guns, and five moveable guns and has upgraded its water supply by purchasing more pumps.
Resort general manager Steve Drumheller says the improvements will help staff make snow faster for prolonged durations.
“All of these upgrades will provide guests with an expanded number of trails to ski and ride much earlier in the season,” Drumheller says.
The resort has also attended to increasing skier numbers from last season by alleviating ticket-window lines, he says.
An additional ticket window will be available at the opposite end of the parking lot from the ski lodge for all skiers and snowboarders who don’t need to rent equipment.
"This will allow guests to purchase tickets quickly and jump straight on the lift to begin the day on the mountain," Drumheller said.
The resort's hotel will also provide a ticket and rental kiosk in the lobby so guests may purchase tickets before taking the shuttle to the mountain.
“All of these upgrades will significantly reduce the ticket-window lines we experienced on busy weekends last season,” stated Drumheller.
The resort has also invested in additional equipment rental, including snowboards and boots, due to the popularity and growth of the sport, and ice-skating equipment has also been updated.
“Our resort offers an overall winter adventure, and our ice-skating rink—behind the resort’s main lodge—has become more popular over the past few seasons," Drumheller said.
"To help guests experience ice skating, we have purchased additional rental skates for our fleet."
The State of West Virginia provided new pavement to the gravel parking lot at the ski lodge this year, as well as an expansion that provides an additional 75 to 100 parking spaces and space to house the additional ticket kiosk window. All of these upgrades will be ready by the resorts projected December 14 opening date, he said.
The weather forecast for mid-November in Canaan Valley is currently cooperating to allow optimal early snowmaking conditions on the mountain.
On Tuesday, the area is forecast to receive two to five additional inches of snow, followed by below-freezing temperatures each night for the remainder of the week. The Mountain Operations team is prepared to take full advantage of this early-season weather window and make as much snow as Mother Nature will allow, he says.
Canaan Valley Resort Ski Area is located in the highest mountain valley east of the Rocky Mountains and is known for breathtaking views of the Allegheny Mountains region.
The ski area at the resort attains a summit elevation of 4,280 feet above sea level and includes 91 skiable acres accessible by four lifts. It also boasts a terrain park, ski school, tubing park, ice-skating rink, and cross-country skiing trails.
The resort is a drive of approximately 2.5 hours from Washington, D.C. three hours from Pittsburgh, and three hours from Charleston, West Virginia.
Find out more at CanaanResort.com or call 1-800-622-4121.
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