Among the several new resorts that opened their lifts for the 2011/12 season this weekend, none welcomed skiers and riders with as much fresh terrain as Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia.

On Friday, Dec. 9 the mountain opened with 30 acres of terrain under brilliant blue skies. Snowshoe follows Killington for opening with the most acres of terrain on the East Coast.

Skiers and riders cruise down fresh cord during opening day. Photo Courtesy of Snowshoe.

The resort battled with early season warm temperatures that forced it to postpone opening for weeks beyond the original projection. Thanks to cold weather and round-the-clock snowmaking, the resort opened additional terrain to the Snowshoe area and Powder Monkey lift on Saturday, Dec. 10 bringing their total to 40 acres of terrain, 11 trails and five lifts. The resort continued to make snow on several trails throughout the weekend.

This year, Snowshoe was once again picked as the Best Resort Nightlife in the Mid-Atlantic/Southeast by OnTheSnow Visitors.

Snowtubing at Snowshoe is set to open on Saturday, Dec. 17. For the latest conditions click here.