Try These 5 High Adventure Ski Routes If You Dare

Do you consider yourself a fresh-powder expert? A lover of the wild, windy trails? Check out Timberline Mountain’s double black diamond trail, Off The Wall. This trail is for experts only, giving you more room to whip down the mountainside on an exhilarating ride. Many of the trails offered are steeper than anticipated and packed with fresh powder, ensuring the park’s conditions are a dream for seasoned skiers.

Offering private lessons for ages 4 and up, Group Lessons for ages 9 and up and slopes for those of all levels, the mountain is also ideal for those just learning to ski.

Ski The Valley this season while maintaining an adrenaline rush at Canaan Valley Resort State Park. The Allegheny Alley Terrain Park, in the heart of the mountain, features a variety of boxes, rails and sculpted jumps for the daredevil skier or snowboarder. The park’s challenging box and rail inventory get changed up throughout each season to stay fresh. Some of the features you might experience are a C-box, 25-foot flat rail, flat box, 20-foot step-down jumps and more.

Anyone can have a fun adventure with Canaan Valley Resort State Park’s adaptive ski lessons for persons with disabilities, and the park’s unique Snowsports School.

Love high-speed thrills and challenging terrain? Snowshoe Mountain offers the longest double black diamond south of the Mason-Dixon. Since its development in 1998, Lower Shay, once a black diamond trail, has been converted to a double black diamond. Shay’s Revenge and Lower Shay’s Revenge trails combine to make their mark with a 1500-foot vertical drop, a gladed terrain option and 3554 feet of fresh powder. 

Cup Run, adjacent to Shay’s Revenge, will definitely get your legs burning if you choose that route. Looking for a lesson before hitting the slopes? Snowshoe Mountain offers a lesson for every age and ability level on the mountain, as well as slopes for those taking it easy.

While Winterplace Ski Resort is known for its superb slopes for first-timers and a top-notch ski school, it also offers challenging black diamonds and unique terrain. Plunge and Nose Dive, two of the steepest routes, are ideal for testing your high-speed technique. While these aren’t the most challenging black diamonds within the Mountain State, they are some of the best if you’re learning how to tackle more challenging terrain.

Want to skip the lesson and head straight for the fun? Check out Hickory Terrain Park and make some sick jumps to show off your skills.

Try out the most exciting cross country skiing in the East at White Grass Ski Touring Center. With 50 km of cross country skiing trails and 25-30 km of regularly groomed trails, adventurers can ensure they catch a smooth and scenic ride on the backcountry trails. Across the center’s area, 2,500 beautiful acres within the Cable Mountain Range is Bald Knob trail—the perfect place to experience wild elevation changes and unique mountain top views.

Bald Knob Trail is 4.2 miles long and full of local wildlife like red squirrels, pileated woodpeckers and chickadees.