Elk Mountain
A ski spot for purists–there’s no lodging, just spruce-lined slopes–Elk Mountain plans to have 20 trails open.
Distance from DC: Four-and-a-half hours
Full-day standard adult lift ticket: $66
344 Elk Mountain Rd., Union Dale, Pa.; 570-679-4400
Montage Mountain
Located near the Poconos, this mid-mountain resort features beginner and intermediate slopes on its top half and expert runs on the bottom.
Distance from DC: Four hours.
Full-day standard adult lift ticket: Running a $30 all-day lift ticket special both Saturday and Sunday
1000 Montage Mountain Rd., Scranton, Pa.; 855-754-7946
Roundtop Mountain Resort
This resort in south-central Pennsylvania is the realized vision of ski industry guru Irv Naylor upon his refusal to commute to Vermont to ski. Its slopes range in difficulty from easy to double black diamonds; 14 should be open for the weekend.
Distance from DC: Two-and-a-half hours
Full day standard adult lift ticket: $75 both Saturday and Sunday
925 Roundtop Rd., Lewisberry, Pa.; 717 432-9631
Seven Springs Mountain Resort
A snowboarder’s playground, Seven Springs boasts an Olympic-sized half-pipe and seven terrain parks, rated number one on the East Coast in Ski in 2015.
Distance from DC: Three-and-a-half hours
Full-day standard adult lift ticket: Rates are TBD upon this weekend’s reopening. Check website for updates.
777 Waterwheel Dr., Seven Springs, Pa.; 800-452-2223
Snowshoe Mountain Resort
The biggest snow resort in the Mid-Atlantic assures us it will be open this weekend. Its mountain has an impressive 1,500 vertical drop.
Distance from DC: Four-and-a-half hours
Full-day standard adult lift ticket: $49 Saturday / $41.30 Sunday
10 Snowshoe Dr., Snowshoe, W. Va.; 877-441-4386
White Grass Touring Center
For the cross-country ski enthusiast, explore 30 miles of groomed bliss. For those needing a surge of adrenaline, check out the backcountry trails earmarked for Telemark skiing and show off those carving skills.
Distance from DC: Three hours
Full-day standard adult ticket: $20
643 Weiss Knob Ski Rd., Davis, W. Va.; 304-866-4114
Wisp Resort
Great for beginners (the bunny hill has three lifts), Wisp’s 700-foot mountain offers long, sloping runs for the laid-back skier.
Distance from DC: Three hours.
Full-day standard adult lift ticket: Per a Wisp representative, it’s too early to tell if the resort will definitely reopen this weekend. If it does, rates might change (standard rates are $79 for a full-day adult pass on Saturday, and $59 for Sunday).
296 Marsh Hill Rd., McHenry, Md.; 301-859-3159
Kim Olsen ([email protected]) is a freelance writer in Alexandria.
