Whitetail Ski Resort is the first major new ski area built in more than a decade. Its promise of quality is reflected in every aspect of the resort.

The terrain is logically arranged across the mountain and keeps the novices separate from the experts. Special beginners' packages; intermediate lessons to hone your skills; and expert's clinics for mogul runs, racing and handling the conditions of the day all taught by a 180-member ski school staff.

For snowboarders, the mountain boasts a half-pipe and fun snowboard park. Special instructors for shredders only ride the mountain and there are many competitions to enter during the season.

The ski area has calculated its "comfortable carrying capacity" to avoid the overcrowding so often associated with mid-Atlantic skiing. Once the limit is reached, the resort will not sell additional lift tickets until space is available.

Whitetail is only 90 minutes from Washington, D.C., and Baltimore.