Ski season wrapping up

We have owned Honey Bear House for several years now, but this was the first year that we actually took advantage of being close to ski slopes. This past weekend we made our second trek of the season over to Appalachian Ski Mountain where the kiddos (even the little dude) hit the slopes again. It was also the first time I've skied in probably two decades. And I didn't even die!

But just because ski season is over, it doesn't mean there's not a lot to do up in the High Country. Please take a look at our calendar to see what dates may interest you. It really is a place for every season of the year!

Wanna learn some history about N.C.'s ski slopes?

North Carolina is fortunate to have topography that allows for winter sports. The High Country alone boasts several ski slopes, as well as tubing at Hawksnest. Now a new book celebrates that heritage.

“North Carolina Ski Resorts,” the newest addition to Arcadia Publishing’s popular Images of America series. The book, by author Donna Gayle Akers, was released just this week.

The book boasts 200 vintage images, many of which have never been published, and chronicles the history of the state’s ski industry.

During the early 1960s, local leaders in western and northwestern North Carolina were dedicated to developing winter recreational opportunities in the mountains. North Carolina’s ski industry dates back to the winter of 1961–1962, when the Cataloochee Resort in Maggie Valley developed the first ski slope in the state.

Once thought impossible to make snow south of the Mason-Dixon Line, technological innovations in snowmaking allowed several other resorts to develop through the 1970s, including Appalachian Ski Mountain, Beech Mountain, Sugar Mountain, Wolf Ridge and Ski Sapphire Valley, all of which still operate today.

Images of smaller ski areas such as Hound Ears, Seven Devils, and Mill Ridge, are featured to honor these now defunct clubs.

Many of the present-day resorts have incorporated snowboarding, snowshoeing, ice-skating and snow tubing, along with mountain biking trails for summer recreation on the slopes.

“North Carolina Ski Resorts” showcases the rich recreational history of western and northwestern North Carolina.

Highlights of North Carolina Ski Resorts include:

• Many of the images date back to the beginning of the ski industry in North Carolina.

• Each ski resort has a unique story of their survival that can be seen through historic photographs.

• Changes in ski technology are evident in the photographs, as safer bindings and boots were developed.

This books is available at area bookstores, independent retailers and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at 888-313-2665 or online.

Good snow business so far

According to the Watauga Democrat, good temperatures have resulted in good, solid, steady business for the High Country's ski and tubing spots.

Temperatures hovered within the ideal range for snowmaking around Christmas and New Year's, two holidays that -- along with Martin Luther King Jr. and President's Day weekends -- can be make-or-break events for the local industry. 

And despite a few bouts of mild temperatures and rain during the past few weeks, resort staff say that equipment upgrades made in the past few years have enabled them to turn slope conditions around in no time at all. 

"We have invested so much in our snowmaking," said Talia Freeman, marketing director at Beech Mountain Resort. "What we did in three days last year we can do in one day this year. Even with mild weather, it takes us no time to recover."

Things seem good over at Hawksnest, which just so happens to be right beside Our Mountain Place. (Cough. Hint. Hint.)

The live webcam at Hawksnest Snow Tubing in Seven Devils on Monday depicted a constant stream of dozens and dozens of visitors queuing up to take a rolling slide down the resort's tubing lanes.

It's ski season, y'all

Sugar Mountain opened up for business last week, meaning we are thick into the ski season up in the High Country. The colder temps will make snowmaking possible, according to the Mountain Times.

Snowmaking began Sunday evening, Nov. 10, and continued until mid-morning Nov. 11. A brief warm-up shut snowmaking down for the day. However, the snow machines came back to life early Tuesday morning, as temperatures steadily dropped throughout the day. Overnight temperatures settled in the single digits at the summit and mid-teens at the base, creating an ideal snowmaking environment. Snow flurries also left a dusting of natural snow on Sugar Mountain.

But with the drop in temps come potential dangers. Be careful on the roads, folks, says the Watauga Democrat.

[I]f we can learn anything from the slick roads we encountered last week -- and the half-dozen or so documented accidents, roll-overs and delays those conditions contributed to -- it's the knowledge that we're not as prepared as we might be for black ice and winter driving. 

Much of that lack of preparation stems from not allotting enough time to arrive at our scheduled destinations when cold and wet road conditions come upon us unexpectedly. As a rule, it takes longer to get from Point A to Point B in January than it does in September.  

That's a rule we'll likely live by in a month or two, but for today, it's important to temper our more seasonal outlook with the remembrance that we've already shaken hands once with winter driving conditions.

THIS is a good sight to see!

We talked yesterday about the crazy weather that Superstorm Sandy has brought us. One of the benefits is the early snow on the area's ski slopes! Here's an image from the webcam* at Appalachian Ski Mountain, via Ray's Weather Center%.



*The High Country is blessed with a host of great weather-related webcams. For conditions closer to Our Mountain Place, be sure to check out the Seven Devils webcam, looking back toward town hall:

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%And no trip to the mountains should be complete without first checking out Ray's Weather Center. Bookmark it TODAY!