For mountain bikers, finding ridable terrain can prove difficult. Private landowners often close their property to bikers, and government agencies frequently ban bikes from public lands. But in recent years, off-road pedalers have found a new friend in ski resorts.

Ski areas around the country - including a handful of mid-Atlantic resorts - have come to the rescue by opening their slopes to mountain bikers in the off-season and implementing programs to lure bikers. As a result, mountain bikers can explore new territory without fear of someone chasing them away.

You may see mountain bikers bombing down ski slopes on TV, but in reality most ski runs don't make for pleasant riding because of their steep pitch and the drainage ditches cutting across them. Most riding comes on maintenance roads and old logging trails leading away from the slopes to wilderness areas. These often combine with a few ridable ski runs to form a vast network of trails ranging from gentle roads to gnarly single track.

To draw bikers, most ski resorts offer a complete line of services, including rentals, repairs, tours and trail maps, and some also hold races, clinics and events. They often rate trails by difficulty using the beginner-intermediate-expert scheme found on ski slopes. Seasons generally start in May, giving resorts a chance to clear fallen trees from trails after the winter season, and run through October. Most charge a modest trail fee.

Resort operators as well as bikers benefit. Ski areas enjoy an additional source of revenue and remain open year-round. Many of the facilities that serve skiers in the winter accommodate bicyclists in the off-season. For example, lodging and restaurants are in place as well as ski rental shops, which become bike rental shops. And mountain biking results in a constant, rather than seasonal, work force.

Snowshoe Mountain

With more than 100 miles of trails, Snowshoe Mountain Resort in West Virginia reigns as the premier ski resort for mountain biking in the mid-Atlantic. The resort sits atop 4,800-foot Cheat Mountain in the Allegheny Mountains, surrounded by the sprawling, 850,000-acre Monongahela National Forest.

Snowshoe owns nearly 12,000 acres of forest land and has converted a vast network of roads remaining from a logging industry that boomed in the early 1900s. Trains out of nearby Cass once carried supplies to lumber workers in the mountains and brought timber back from the hardwood and red-spruce forests. The rails are long gone, but their paths remain as single-track and dirt roads.

Known as an upside-down resort, an oddity in the ski world, Snowshoe has its base at the top of the mountain rather than at the bottom. A five-mile drive up the steep and winding Snowshoe Drive takes you from state Route 66 to the lodge area. Two mountain-bike centers serve bikers, one at the bottom of the mountain near the Inn at Snowshoe and the other in the Silver Creek Lodge near the top. Most of the trails emanate from Silver Creek, so we booked a condo there for our weekend trip.

Trails cover both sides of Cheat Mountain, with mostly advanced trails - black diamonds in ski parlance - on the front, or west, side. These involve steep, hair-raising descents, and the ride back up is a long, tortuous climb, so Snowshoe runs a shuttle bus to return riders to the top.

A bike-shop employee encouraged us to ride to Bald Knob in the other direction, calling it the favorite ride at Snowshoe. After an hour and a half of moderately easy pedaling on dirt roads, we came to a rustic observation platform on Bald Knob from which we gazed at breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside. This is the destination for the Cass Scenic Railroad; passengers as well as cyclists often enjoy lunch on picnic tables here. Equally easy trails at Snowshoe include West Ridge, Shay Way and the road to Shavers Lake.

Back at the lodge, Silver Creek's combination indoor-outdoor swimming pool and hot tub welcomed us. The water felt as good after a day of riding as it does after a day of busting moguls in ski season.

Full of spunk the next morning, we embarked for the Enchanted Forest, a gnarly and narrow track under a dense spruce canopy. A trail beyond the Enchanted Forest took us to the abandoned town of Spruce, a former logging camp that thrived years ago; only building foundations, railroad bridges and rail-related hardware remain.

After lunch, we tackled a steep trail leading to an attraction known as the "landing strip." We asked at the bike shop how the mountain could have an airport on top of it, and a man told us it's actually an old strip mine. At the time miners carved it, strip mining was illegal, so they labeled it an airport to skirt the laws. Now it's a long, open field of grass that indeed invites small planes to land.

Our July trip coincided with Snowshoe's annual Fire on the Mountain Chili Cookoff, which had cooks from all over brewing their spiciest concoctions while competing for prizes. We relaxed to the sounds of a live bluegrass band and stuffed ourselves with chili. Snowshoe also holds its Symphony Weekend in August, featuring concerts by the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra under a tent, wine tastings, and arts and crafts displays.

Whitetail

America's newest ski resort, Whitetail, has joined the biking craze in a big way, taking advantage of its state-of-the-art ski facilities. Located just west of Interstate 81 seven miles north of the Pennsylvania-Maryland border, the resort on Two Top Mountain in the Tuscarora range sports 26 miles of trails. Bikers usually ride from the lodge, but on weekends and holidays, the Express detachable quad chairlift carries them to the top for an easier time of it.

We started with a jaunt up the face of the mountain on the Glades, a switchback trail with steep and narrow sections, and from there we rode along the ridge on the Bear Ponds Loop, which extends to the Maryland border. Later we made our way along the High Road to the summit for views of the ski slopes and the valley below. Trails at the main part of the resort proved strenuous, so the next day we abandoned any macho thoughts and headed for Whitetail's lesser-known terrain on the other side of Blairs Valley Road. Here we meandered through the woods and past the resort's snowmaking reservoir, taking the Dowling Farm Loop on the way out and returning on Roller Coaster. The Dowling Farm came majestically into view as we rounded the loop, and then we actually passed through the farm - a very peaceful and pleasant ride.

The lesson from this became apparent: Ski resorts rate mountain bike trails easier than ski runs, meaning an intermediate bike trail can equate to a steep, iced-over mogul field. The Dowling Farm Loop proved that if you stray from the hotshot crowd and explore beginner terrain, you may find it more enjoyable and just as good a workout.

Because it's so new, Whitetail has no lodging near its slopes yet, although it has built slope-side platforms for tent camping, complete with rustic showers, toilets, running water and fire pits. Several surrounding towns, each about 15 to 20 minutes away, offer accommodations. Hagerstown is most convenient, as it lies along Interstate 81 and offers a variety of hotels and restaurants.

Massanutten Resort

Just east of Harrisonburg, Va., at the southern tip of the 50-mile-long Massanutten Mountain ridge, lies another venue for ski-area biking: Massanutten Resort. As you approach from the west, the mountain flares to a prominent peak that looms large, appearing so close you can almost reach out and touch it. The ski slopes nestle on the mountain's east face, out of view until I pulled into the resort.

The bike-shop technician advised me to ride the resort's west slope trails a short distance away. To get there from the east side, you can ride or drive to an overlook at the top of the ridge. I chose to two-wheel it, passing the resort's golf course, tennis courts and swimming pool on the long, steep climb. At the top, scenic views of the ski slopes standing proudly over the resort community showed why they put an overlook here. From there, an abandoned paved road leads down the other side to a network of trails.

They seemed like the roads and driveways found in a housing subdivision. At the end of the paved road was a little building, like a guardhouse to a complex. Sure enough, this was the start of a vacation housing development to form part of the resort when developers built it 20-plus years ago. They ran out of money and left the roads half built - their loss became mountain bikers' gain.

The unique trails ambled alternately through forests and pastures. One went over the dam of an old farm pond and into a pasture where several horses grazed.

Massanutten offers few lodging options and amenities for guests wanting to spend a night or two, as it has mostly time-share condos. I stayed at a Motel 6 along U.S. Route 33 near Harrisonburg; numerous hotels and restaurants dot this stretch of suburbia.

Timberline

Newest on the scene, Timberline resort in West Virginia's Canaan Valley began offering mountain biking just two years ago. It only makes sense for an area that is host to the demanding 24 Hours of Canaan endurance race and links with the most expansive cross-country skiing trail system in the mid-Atlantic. Salamander, a two-mile-long beginner ski run, leads you on a gentle cruise down the mountain. The Thunder Draft triple chairlift carries bikers to the summit on weekends and holidays, allowing easier access to the 16 miles of trails.

Other sites

Rounding out the selection, Sugar Mountain near Boone, N.C., offers 10 miles of trails on a 1,200-foot vertical-drop mountain; Wolf Laurel near Asheville, N.C., has mostly lift-served biking; and Hidden Valley near Pittsburgh sends bikers on 30 miles of cross-country skiing trails.

With so many ski resorts jumping on the bandwagon, mid-Atlantic mountain bikers now have a plethora of new terrain to explore. And for once, they'll be welcomed with open arms.

INFORMATION

Here's how to get in touch with mid-Atlantic ski resorts that offer mountain biking.

* Hidden Valley: Hidden Valley, Pa., 800-458-0175

* Massanutten: McGaheysville, Va., 540-289-9441

* Snowshoe Mountain Resort: Snowshoe, W.Va., 304-572-1000

* Sugar Mountain: Banner Elk, N.C., 704-898-4521

* Timberline: Davis, W.Va., 800-766-9464 or 304-866-4312

* Whitetail: Mercersburg, Pa., 717-328-9400

* Wolf Laurel: Mars Hill, N.C., 704-689-4111

Pub Date: 7/12/98