Due to the lack of major snow in Tennessee, skiing is something we would have to go far up north to do, or so one might think. Hidden Valley Ski Resort is a large, snowy resort in Eureka, Missouri, only 3 hours and 27 minutes away. The majestic, white landscape is perfect for a family vacation. This resort has many family friendly snowy activities to enjoy. You can explore the beautiful trails, jump from ski lifts, slide down a snowy hill in a tube, fly across the sky on a zip line, and you guessed it, ski. Located at 17409 Hidden Valley Dr, Eureka, MO, the resort opens on December 21, at 9 am, just four days before Christmas. Hidden Valley has several different fun and adventurous events. These fun, adventurous activities include:

• Projected Opening Day, Sat. Dec 21, 9:00 am
• December Rail Jam, Sat. Dec 28, 4:00 pm- 8:00 pm
• Ladies Park Session, Sat. Jan 4, 12:00 pm- 1:00 pm
• January College Week, Mon. Jan 6- Fri. Jan 10, 1:00 pm- 9:30 pm
• January Slopestyle, Sat. Jan 11, 10:00 am- 4:00 pm
• First Responders’ Day, Wed. Jan 22, time not listed
• Host Open Race Slalom & Giant Slalom, Sat. Jan 25- Sun. Jan 26, time not listed
• King of the Mountain, Sat. Jan 25, 11:00 am- 4:00 pm
• Teachers Day, Wed. Jan 29, time not listed
• Big Air, Sat. Feb. 1, 1:00 pm- 2:00 pm
• First Responders’ Day, Wed. Feb 5, time not listed
• Ladies Park Session, Sat. Feb 8, 12:00 pm- 1:00 pm
• Passholder Appreciation Day, Sun. Feb 9, time not listed
• Teachers Day, Wed. Feb 12, 1:00 pm- 9:30 pm
• Spring Fling, Sun. Mar 1, 9:00 am- 4:00 pm

While this winter wonderland is likely to be a fun trip, it also comes with some cautions. Our wonderful principal, Mrs. Laura Brimm, explained that she once went to Hidden Valley Ski Resort, and she cautions those who intend to vacation there to be careful. She told us a story about her trip to Hidden Valley, and explained that her friend had an accident there and blew out his knee. When at the hospital, she and her friends were told that the locals call it Death Valley. The issue is that they cannot control the snow, so it melts and freezes to form ice. Which means that guests are skiing on ice, which can be very dangerous if you don’t have any kind of training. She explained that accidents tend to happen there every day due to the fact that most of the guests are not very familiar with skiing, especially on ice, making it very dangerous. While dangerous, it is still a gorgeous, snowy oasis that would be a fun place to vacation. If you are planning on visiting this beautiful ski resort, I suggest taking some lessons before hand.