There were plenty of firsts during my, ahem, first visit to Snowshoe Mountain. It was the first time I’d ever skied with actual snow falling (this picturesque West Virginia resort gets 180 inches of powder annually); it was the first time I’d ever even thought about snowmobiling; it was the first time I’d ever hunkered down in a Jacuzzi while my hair froze with frost and snow; and, unfortunately, it was also the first time I had ever broken a bone.

I’m not knocking Virginia’s ski resorts, but Snowshoe has something even our best can’t lay claim to — consistent cold weather that creates ideal conditions for natural snow and snowmaking. I was a little squeamish about this cold thing, I’ll admit. By the time we left Richmond on the Friday of Presidents’ Day weekend, it was already 26 degrees at Snowshoe, and that was our warmest temperature of the weekend.

We made the trip in four hours that seemed to fly by because of the spectacular passing scenery, Sirius satellite-radio tunes, and twisty, turning mountain climbs. After passing over the Calfpasture River, then the Cowpasture River, then naturally the Bullpasture River, we were on “Top of the World” — Snowshoe’s name for their central lodging check-in. While I was getting our keys, my boyfriend, Ted, sidled off and came back bearing a gift of much-appreciated long johns. As he said, it was well worth the price to stem any whining about the cold.

The resort is organized the way many ski resorts are situated out west. The village with all of its restaurants, shops, entertainment and amenities sits at the top of the mountain so skiers can conveniently ski directly out the back door of their lodge or condo. We stayed in Allegheny Springs (304-572-5909 or www.snowshoemtn.com) and had a living/dining room and full kitchen. It wasn’t fancy, but the location was perfect and offered slope-side viewing of mountaintop activity. 

The morning after our arrival, we awakened to snow flurries and temps of minus 6, so we took our time getting started. As we enjoyed a hearty breakfast of bacon and eggs, we watched plenty of brave souls queuing up off the lift at the top of our mountain. By the time we suited up, the snow was coming down with purpose.

Despite the cold (about 15 degrees by now), the scenery was beautiful and the conditions were excellent. We warmed up by drinking a cup of hot chocolate with extra whipped cream at Sunrise Backcountry Hut (304-572-5982) and downing some PowerBars before hitting the slopes again. When we just couldn’t take it anymore, we headed for the outdoor hot tub. About 15 other people already had the same great idea, and they looked like Titanic survivors with their frost-covered hair, beards, eyebrows and eyelashes.

Eating out in a ski-resort town can sometimes be a nightmare because everyone descends upon the limited dining establishments all at once. We showered in record time and were miraculously seated at about 6 o’clock at the Village Bistro (304-572-2213).

The next day, we waited for the temperature to warm up to 15 degrees again before venturing out. We approached the slopes much as we had the day before — hitting mostly blues, but also black-diamond trails. Conditions were excellent, so I was able to navigate the blacks fairly well — until I didn’t. After our afternoon hot-cocoa break on Sunday, I took a bad spill on the mountain. My ankle twisted unnaturally underneath me, and the slope suddenly looked like a yard sale — my skis and poles were all over the place. I was reminded of Presidents’ Day weekend exactly a year ago, when I twisted my knee while snow tubing at the Homestead.

Despite the discomfort (I later found out that I’d broken my fibula), I refused to pass up plans to go snowmobiling on a private tour by operations manager Andy Gibson. I held on tightly to Ted’s waist, and he used his motorcycle training to kick that machine into gear. We flew up and down several of the same slopes we had been skiing down all day. We were airborne several times, and it was absolutely wild.

I left Snowshoe on Monday morning vowing to break the Presidents’ Day weekend curse next year. Maybe I’ll spend all three days in a Jacuzzi.

A Highlight of the Trip

Split Rock Pools is a favorite après-ski spot, featuring saunas and hot tubs for adults and water slides and pools for kids. Also worth checking out is Snowshoe’s 15,400-square-foot Big Top — a family-oriented fun center that includes a basketball court, volleyball courts and an arcade area with nearly 100 video games, table games and billiards. Dance parties, karaoke, Ping-Pong tournaments and dinner theaters are just some of the activities held here.