Mystic Mountain at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa calls it Friends and Neighbors Night, and it's one of the best snowsports bargains of the season.

For only $20, guests receive a complete set of rental equipment -- skis or snowboard and boots -- and a lift ticket valid from 2-10 p.m. Fridays. If guests have their own equipment, the price is $15.

Want a lesson? It's only $25.

"We think this program is a wonderful way to introduce people of all ages to the sport and [it also] provides the perfect atmosphere for a family ski/snowboard night," said Matt Grobe, recreation director of the Fayette County resort.

The program represents a significant savings over the rates the resort charges Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays when a lift ticket, rental equipment and a group lesson for an adult costs $38, $29 and $35, respectively. The cost on those days for children 6 to 11 is $30, $35 and $25, respectively.

The savings also extend to the Hungry Moose Cafe on the second floor of the Sundial Lodge where there will be special discounts on food and drink Fridays.

"It's a terrific deal," said Ben Orendorff, manager of the 25-acre ski area that offers plenty of gentle terrain for fledging skiers and snowboarders and a user-friendly handle tow to take them back up the beginner slope.

A quad chair serves seven other slopes and trails, most of which feature a long, gradual gradient drop and then a somewhat steeper descent. The vertical drop is 300 feet, thanks to the man-made knoll at the top that provides momentum for skiers and snowboarders after they get off the chairlift.

In addition to downhill skiing and snowboarding, the resort offers cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, dog-sledding and snowtubing. The latter sport has a surface lift that transports guests back up the hill as they slide in comfort on their innertubes. There's also a Snow Monsters snow camp for children ages 4 to 12.

Grobe said the ski area and the lodge are open to the public and added that snowsports enthusiasts don't have to stay overnight "to enjoy the wide array of offerings."

Although Mystic Mountain is a mountain in name only, it is one of the most beginner-friendly ski/snowboard areas in the state. It is open Friday through Monday.

For more information, go to www.nemacolin.com or call 1-866-399-6957, extension 6070. For a snow report, call 724-329-6982.

West Virginia downhill and cross-country resorts used everything from rulers to yard sticks to measure the amount of natural snow they received during the last two weeks of December. And more is on the way.

Joe Stevens of The Media Center in Charleston said the storms blanketed resorts from Oglebay in the northern panhandle to Winterplace in the southern end of the Mountaineer State. Snowmaking crews also have added to the resorts' respective bases, some of which are approaching 4 feet in depth.

He said the series of storms has provided excellent cross-country conditions at the White Grass Center near Davis and the Elk River Touring Center near Slatyfork. White Grass is close to Canaan Valley and Timberline resorts; Elk River is near Snowshoe Mountain Resort.

Terry Pfeiffer, president of the West Virginia Ski Areas Association, said the storms were "exactly what we needed" for the Christmas and New Year's holidays. He praised highway crews for their round-the-clock efforts to keep roads leading to the resorts open and cindered, salted and/or sanded.

He estimated the state's snow resorts will have more than 200,000 skier/snowboarder visits during the late December/early January period.

For more information, go to www.goskiwv.com.

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