After a 1 p.m. parade, fireworks explode in front of Miss Kitty s Chinatown Caf to bring in Lion Dancers whose street performances drive away evil spirits. Flying downhill is the name of the game at Deer Mountain and Terry Peak ski areas, just outside of Lead. Six chairlifts, including a new Kussy Express, take skiers to Terry Peak trails groomed for any level of expertise, from expert to novice. And the fun doesn t quit at dusk. Deer Mountain offers night skiing on weekends.
Snowboarders are welcome.
Four marked and mapped trails at Deer Mountain are just one of the options available to those that prefer the solitude of cross country skiing. Three XC trails in the mountainous terrain between Spearfish and Lead are groomed, marked and mapped. But strapping on skinny skis doesn t confine the enthusiast to groomed trails. Adventurous souls can break their own trails through the 1.3 million acres of the Black Hills National Forest. Deer Mountain hosts the 21 st annual Ski for Light on January 23-27, a program that enables the visually and physically impaired to participate in downhill and cross country skiing.