West Virginia is an Undiscovered Ski Mecca

For the skiing family who wants a vacation in the West Virginia area of the Monongahela National Forrest, there's a lot to pick from. West Virginia's ski area is very accessible for people who live in nearby Pennsylvania or Virginia or even Kentucky. Within a few hour's drive is one of the most delightful wilderness areas of the entire east Atlantic region. Beautiful mountains and valleys, lovely waterfalls, streams loaded with abundant fish and wildlife abound. This state is truly a rural one and they have worked hard to make the most of their incredible resources. Many of the cabins and lodges I have found can be rented year-round for outdoorsmen in hunting or fishing parties, but the skiing season is right upon us and all the snow machines have revved up to make sure there's ample cover for sledding, snowboarding, skiing and every imaginable snow recreation.
Both Blackwater Falls State Park and Canaan Valley State Park are located nearby, as are Timberline and Canaan Valley ski resorts.

http://www.xtremewv.com/index.php?module=calendar&calendar[view]=month&month=11&year=2006
gives a calendar of special events beginning in Dec for the 2006-07 season. Click on the month to see if you want to plan a visit during a particular event. It makes planning much easier. This is an easy site to navigate and there's a lot on there to attract any winter lover.
The following resorts each have a site on the same server. I found that you need to contact them from the reservations area and that there are not readily available phone numbers. If you click on the reservations link you can find out the availability of accommodations. Then if you want to ask a question of get their phone numbersI believe you can click on the Support link at the top they will contact you within one business day.
http://www.skiingwv.com/snowshoe-mountain/ is the web site for Snowshoe Mountain. It is the largest in the area, with 56 downhill slopes, several village areas of homes and condos and other accommodations. Snowshoe is West Virginia's largest year-round resort. There are restaurants aplenty, used to feeding big crowds of hungry skiers and their families. Slopeside homes and condos can also be rented for a more secluded getaway. Just use the links on the site to look around at the activities and amenities that you prefer. Contact them directly from their site for

http://www.skiingwv.com/canaan-valley/ Canaan Valley is right next to that of Timberline and they share the upper slopes. This resort area overlooks the southern Canaan Valley. Canaan Valley has 34 downhill ski slopes, a large tubing park with five lanes, snowboarding and ice skating areas. There are many restaurants, lounges, and conference facilities-plus, there are 25 kilometers of cross-country ski trails, for a sport that is very popular in the West Virginia area. With 23 cabins and 250 guest rooms, there's ample lodging to choose from. Again use the reservations link and then click on the Support button to have someone contact you directly.

http://www.skiingwv.com/timberline/ Timberline claims that its slopes dominate the central Canaan Valley. They have shops and nightlife entertainment venues for when you leave the slopes. Those who want to spend some time hiking in the forests will find incredible rock formations and waterfalls-especially in the Blackwateer Falls State Park nearby. Cross-country skiing is a huge popular sport in the Blackwater Falls area, which is just about 5 minutes away from the slopes and the resort. The whole area has a snow cover in wintertime so any ideas of exploring the region nearby should be well panned out. The staff at Timberline have plenty of brochures and information to help you decide how to spend your time off the slopes.
Click on the lodging link to browse the different types and sizes of accommodation you want.
One thing I thought was interesting is that there is a sledding link on the sites for all these resort areas and it seems that this is quite a popular sport here. They say there are sledding runs throughout the area and outfitters should have all the gear needed for this, snowboarding and skiing.

Other area attractions follow:
http://www.blackwaterfalls.com/ falls of the Blackwater River whose amber-colored waters plunge five stories then twist and tumble through an eight-mile long gorge. They explain on their site that " the 'black' water is a result of tannic acid from fallen hemlock and red spruce needles. The falls are one of the most photographed sites in West Virginia."
This place sounds like a real winner for those who love cross-country skiing! They give lessons, supply rentals and groomed trails specifically for cross-country devotees. What impressed me is that they offer a 10% discount to any service members of the military who can show proof of active duty or honorable discharge. And this offer is good for any day, including holidays, year round!