SNOWSHOE, W.Va. -- Look around you. Smell that cold, pine-scented air. Listen to the rhythmic squeak of the quad chairlift as it disappears from view over the crest of a snow-covered hill. You can almost imagine you’re somewhere in the Colorado Rockies. Okay, so you’re not. You’re in West Virginia, but don’t let that realization kill your buzz.

There’s no denying that the Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort, the mid-Atlantic’s largest resort, provides a “big mountain” skiing experience unmatched anywhere between Vermont and the Rockies. The modern village will remind you of Keystone in Colorado or The Canyons in Utah, so it’s easy to forget you’re only 190 miles from Pittsburgh.

And even if the trails are not exactly of the caliber of a Vail or Aspen, one look at the surrounding mountains might convince you that you’ve been mysteriously transported to Vermont. But before you grab your Vermont face mask and cold weather expedition gear from the closet, remind yourself you’re some 300 miles south of Killington. West Virginia skiing does have its advantages.

With a vertical of 1,500 feet, Snowshoe doubles the vertical of other Pittsburgh area resorts. And with 60 respectably-long trails, “the Shoe” can provide a wide range of skiing experiences from gentle to nearly harrowing.

New for the 2007-2008 season, Snowshoe will debut three expert trails off the Soaring Eagle Express, a $3.3-million high-speed Quad chairlift that debuted last season. “Camp 99” and “Sawmill” are two moderately steep black-diamond trails. The resort plans to groom both regularly, turning them into high-speed cruisers. Neither trail is quite as steep as the well-known, if overstated “Widowmaker” trail, which is adjacent, but both new trails should be moderately challenging and very similar to other black-diamond cruisers at the area.

And beyond the “Sawmill” trail, the woods have been thinned to create “Sawmill Glades,” which will delight tree skiers. Reportedly, the Glades will not be of the scream-at-the-top-of-your-lungs-as-tree-branches-slap-you-in-the-face variety, but more of a frolic among the pines. Still, the unconfident should probably make it a point to avoid the trees.

Once the lifts have closed for the day, visitors to Snowshoe will find good places to eat and drink, dance the night away, or impress the opposite sex with their awesome karaoke skills. It’s not exactly the nightlife equivalent of the Wobbly Barn at Killington, but if you’re looking for after-hours ski ambience, close to Pittsburgh, Snowshoe is near the top of the list (with apologies to Holiday Valley and Ellicottville, NY). In fact, the resort has developed something of a reputation as a spring break destination, especially with college students from the Southeast.

And while we’re talking about the village, much has been made of the fact that Snowshoe is an upside-down resort, with the village at the top of the hill. This is one resort where that familiar ski adage “We’ll meet up at the base” is a recipe for certain failure. But I found the summit village layout not entirely novel, as I’ve experienced this same layout in that North American skier’s Mecca, Dubuque, Iowa. Instead of ending your day with an exhilarating run to the base area, plan instead to wrap up your ski day with a sometimes chilly ride on the chairlift. Less than ideal, perhaps, but it just makes that steaming Snuggler taste that much better and the view out the saloon windows that much more majestic.

If you’re not planning on staying overnight at Snowshoe, count on about seven hours in the car traveling up and back, enjoyable for only the most rabid of winter warriors. So, while you can pack into the car at 5 a.m., pound the slopes until last light and drive back to the Burgh in time to catch the Channel 11 late news, Pittsburgh skiers would be better advised to stay and experience what Snowshoe has to offer après-ski.

All in all, West Virginia’s Snowshoe Resort offers big mountain appeal for Pittsburgh skiers who’ve become bored with taking those same old runs at Seven Springs or Peak N’ Peak. And all without having to jump on a jet plane.