As jubilant Maryland skiers listen to predictions of another snowy winter, local ski resorts are putting the finishing touches on new terrain and services they hope will keep cold-weather enthusiasts skiing close to home this season.
Anxious to welcome newcomers to the sport, a number of resorts near the Baltimore area have built new slopes, lifts and learn-to-ski areas and developed lesson programs and ski packages to meet the needs of growing numbers of beginners and to ensure that their first ski experiences are hassle-free.
Whitetail, Ski Liberty, Ski Roundtop and Wisp are extending the same welcome to snowboarders, whose avocation is the fastest-growing portion of the ski industry. Snowboarders, also called "riders" or "shredders," are invited to check out any slope, trail or bowl-shaped half-pipe or try their wildest moves at one of the new snowboard parks.
And in case reports of woolly-bear caterpillars foretelling heavy snowfall are mistaken, all the areas have upgraded their snowmaking capabilities to offset Mother's Nature's shortcomings. Depending on the whims of the weather, skiing could start as early as this month, with full operations expected by the Christmas holidays.
Ski Roundtop, Ski Liberty
For the past 30 years, Ski Roundtop has been teaching Baltimore area residents how to ski, helping them test their equipment and getting them in shape for bigger challenges at distant mountain resorts.
It's a tradition Irvin Naylor, chairman of the board at Ski Roundtop, says he hopes to continue in Lewisberry, Pa., for 30 more years.
"Three generations of my family have learned to ski there," says Mr. Naylor. "I taught my son, Scott, to ski there. Now he and I are teaching his son, Chet, and daughter, Leah. I know of many other families who are in the same third generation of skiing at Roundtop. It's really gratifying because I've always considered it a family ski area."
Ski Roundtop has renewed its commitment to teaching by enlarging its beginner area and adding a new quad (four-person) chairlift that is slow-moving and low to the ground, so first-time skiers can learn how to load and unload more easily.
The same commitment to beginners is evident at Ski Liberty, another area owned by Mr. Naylor's Snow Time Inc. The Carroll Valley, Pa., resort will be introducing a 15-acre area for first-time skiers that features a wide, lighted trail and a quad chairlift.
Michael Cobb, marketing director for the two resorts, says Roundtop and Liberty last year introduced nearly 25,000 people to skiing through packages that include a lesson, equipment rental and limited access to lifts.
Both areas will begin a First Class Skier program to identify first-timers with a pin so staff members can offer them extra assistance with equipment rental, at the lifts and on the slopes. And both areas offer a money-back guarantee if a skier does not successfully master basic skills after a beginner lesson.
The two areas also have snowboard parks set to open this winter, where riders will have specially designed terrain.
Filled with chair rails, telephone poles and picnic tables to jump and slide on, boxes, barrels and graded areas to skip and bounce off, the "snowboarders only" parks will be "a place for them to do all of their wild things," Mr. Cobb says.
To reach Ski Liberty, take Interstate 695 to Interstate 795, continuing on Route 140, then north on Route 16 and east on Route 116 to the entrance. To reach Ski Roundtop, travel north on Interstate 83 to Exit 13, and follow signs to the entrance.
Whitetail
The Whitetail Ski Resort is getting ready for its fourth season with more terrain for beginners, an enlarged snowboard park and a new retail shop for snowboard riders.
There will be a new Northern Lights beginners' trail at the Mercersburg, Pa., ski area, as well as a larger teaching area and an additional quad chairlift for novices.
"We introduce a lot of people to skiing," says Lisa Wolfe, communications manager for the resort. "There's also a growing interest in snowboarding. Some of the first-timers have already tried skiing and others are making what they see as a logical transition from skateboarding or surfing to snowboarding."
The resort will offer a six-session program for snowboarders with lift tickets, lessons and equipment rentals.
But before hitting the slopes, they may want to stop by the "The Underground," a shop just for riders filled with specialty clothing, hats, boots and boards.
Whitetail's recreational racing area has been enlarged and lengthened. Lighting has been upgraded for better night skiing, and child care is available for $5 with the purchase of a night pass.
Children ages 6 to 12 may sign up for six Saturdays of supervised skiing in the Whitetrailers program. For adults, there's the Whitetail Academy.
Morning and afternoon half-day lift tickets will be available daily, along with a noon to 10 p.m. ticket. A frequent-skier card costs $5, providing a free midweek or discounted weekend lift ticket after four visits and a free lift ticket anytime after nine visits.
(When ski season is over, the resort will open 20 miles of trails to mountain bikers. A ski lift will be in operation Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from about May through October.)
From Baltimore, take Interstate 70 west to Exit 18 (Route 68.) Proceed through the traffic light in Clear Spring.
Follow the snowflake and White tail signs seven miles to the slopes.
Wisp
For the past five years, Maryland's only ski resort has helped beginners through their first day on the slopes with its "Welcome to Skiing" introductory program.
In Wisp Ski Resort's $49.95 daylong program, first-time skiers learn everything from how to put on a lift ticket to how to read the trail maps.
First-time skiers gather for breakfast at 8:30 a.m. and then listen to speakers talk about etiquette on the slopes, proper ski attire and how to get on and off a lift. A 90-minute lesson is followed by a lunch break and an afternoon of practice.
This year, the ski school at the Western Maryland resort near Deep Creek Lake will offer a weekend program for intermediate level youngsters ages 8 to 14. There will also be a program for experienced skiers ages 6 to 12 who want to spend the day learning the basics of racing.
From Baltimore take Interstate 70 to Hancock, then Interstate 68 west to Cumberland. Take Exit 14A to U.S. 219 south to McHenry. Follow the signs one mile to Wisp.
IF YOU GO . . .
Prices at all resorts vary depending on whether the visit is day or night, weekday, weekend or holiday, half-day or all day. Some discounted packages are available.
* At Ski Roundtop, daily lift ticket prices range from $22 to $33 for adults. Rental equipment ranges from $18 to $35.
* At Ski Liberty, daily lift tickets range from $22 to $39 for adults. Rental equipment ranges from $19 to $41.
RF * At Whitetail, daily lift ticket prices range from $20 to $48 for
adults. Rental equipment ranges from $17 to $38.
* At Wisp, daily lift tickets range from $23 to $37 for adults. Rental equipment ranges from $16 to $26.
For information:
Ski Liberty: (717) 642-8282; ski report: (800) 829-4766
Ski Roundtop: (717) 432-9631; ski report: (800) 767-4766
Whitetail Ski Resort: (717) 328-9400
Wisp Ski Resort: (301) 387-4911; ski report (301) 387-4000