When I decided after a 10-year hiatus from the sport of skiing (meaning I went skiing once at the tender age of 16) that it would be a good idea to see if I could still pull it off, Snow Trails in Mansfield was the place I chose to make my dreams come true.
Despite a less-than-satisfactory amount of snow thus far this winter, Sunday’s weather made for a perfect skiing day. It had snowed the day before (though Snow Trails can and does make its own), the sun was out, and it was cold but not too cold.
My husband and I arrived early in the afternoon and, as expected for a beautiful day on a holiday weekend, it was packed.
We navigated through the busy parking lot to the cluster of rustic buildings at the base of the hill, secured our passes and rentals — skiis, boots and poles — with ease and waited by the office for what turned out to be one of the highlights of the day: beginner ski lessons with a very nice man named Bill Fitch.
Without being at all condescending, despite the fact that he could — and literally did — ski circles around us, Bill taught us the basics of skiing, from how to hold poles to what to do in the unfortunate instance of wiping out.
He gave us individual attention, constructive criticism and encouragement every step of the way, and it made for a great day.
In short, it was a blast. But you don’t have to be a beginner to enjoy it — the facility has a little something for skiers and non-skiers of all ages and abilities, plus several new additions to its facilities and offerings.
Here’s a roundup:
• Click here to see a map with all the trails. There are two new ones, including Upper Cut and Timberline, both intermediate level hills. Snow Trails rates its slopes as 20% beginner level, 60% intermediate and another 20% advanced.
• Snow Trails also has a new Children’s Learning Center and new rental center, which we found to be in tip-top shape, well organized and maintained.
• Not into skiing? You can always check out Snow Trails tubing park, with six tubing lanes, a lift and its own lodge.
• For fun, stop by the Snow Trails “Get To Know” page and have a look at its list of “firsts,” from first chair lift in Ohio to first 30-Second Delay On-Slope Video Review System.
UPDATE!
This is Roger from the Ohio Office of Tourism. Winter temperatures have arrived to Ohio, and this is the perfect weekend to get out and enjoy Snow Trails as well some of Ohio's other great winter-friendly destinations. Check out the links below to get current information on conditions and events at each.
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