Ski Missouri

by Jim McCarty

Longing to try your hand at skiiing but not sure you’re ready to tackle the Rocky Mountains? Believe it or not, Missouri offers some fine skiing that will satisfy your sense of winter adventure.

If your idea of skiing Missouri comes from the poster of a man trying to ski in a muddy field, one trip to Hidden Valley near St. Louis (where the photo at right was shot) or Snow Creek at Weston on the Kansas City side of the state will change your mind. Both ski slopes, operated by Peak Resorts, offer state-of-the-art snowmaking equipment that can turn the slopes white in our fickle winters.

Even if you’ve never been on skis and don’t want to invest in equipment the two resorts will rent you the equipment and teach you how to use it.

Beginners will enjoy the easy grades equipped with rope tows that take you back up the hill for another run. Once you advance beyond the beginner level you can take ski lifts to the top and ski or snowboard down a natural hill with a 300-foot vertical drop.

A terrain park exists for those interested in extreme sports on jumps, bumps, mounds, quarter pipes, rails and table tops, all terms familiar to the intrepid snowboarder.

Both resorts have special rates for groups and offer training and skiiing packages. For more information call Snow Creek at (816) 640-2200 or Hidden Valley at (636) 938-5373. You can find both parks on the Internet at www.skipeaks.com.