From: djm408@tijc02.uucp (David Marks)
Subject: Re: To Snowboard Near Charlotte
Organization: Siemens Industrial Automation, Johnson City TN
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 92 18:29:10 GMT

From article <24JUL199208280477@utkvx1.utk.edu>, by zmueller@utkvx1.utk.edu (Wilhelm Mueller):
> In article <28394@goofy.Apple.COM>, blukie@msgate.corp.apple.com (Alan Samuel) writes...
>>I'll be relocating to Charlotte and I'm wondering about winter sports in the
>>south.   Where is the closest place for skiing and board'n???  
> 
> Unfortunately, you are not going to be too pleased.  The only thing in North
> Carolina, and I think the South for that matter, the rates as high as very poor
> to fairly poor are a small batch of ski areas near Boone NC (about 3-4 hours 
> from Charlotte).  The two biggest in that area are Ski Beech Mtn and Ski Sugar 
> Mtn.  I am not sure if they allow Snowboarding or not (when I was there a couple
> years ago, they did not).  All the snow is man-made, and they are nearly always
> packed ski to ski (typically 20 minute lift lines, and 5 minutes down the slope
> if you stop to have a picnic first (that is if it isn't raining)).
> 
> The next best area would be Snowshoe WVa (about 8 hours from Charlotte).  It is
> quite a bit bigger than NC ski areas (though still only a far cry from Western
> standards), and I know they allow Snowboarders.  You can get information on
> them by calling 1-800-CALL-WVA.
> 
> Sorry to be a downer, but I didn't want you to get your hopes up.  I've been in
> this skiing hell-hole for much too long and I want out!
> 
> 	---Wilhelm Mueller (ZMUELLER@utkvx.utk.edu)
> 	   University of Tennessee, Knoxville

I am a member of the Beech Mt. Ski Patrol and I can tell you from first hand
experience that not only are we not all able to go out west or to Europe all
the time, but that Snowshoe, WV _IS_ prone to long lift lines on weekends and
holidays.

With that in mind, think of the NC ski areas as neighborhood areas if you live
in Charlotte. Snowboarding is only allowed at Beech Mt. (800 ft. vertical),
the highest ski resort east of the Mississippi at 5000+ feet in elevation.
Sugar Mt., the other major resort in NC has 1200 ft. vertical, but does not 
permit snowboarding. A few years back (1989?) the national junior snowboarding
champ was from Beech Mt.

The remaining NC resorts are much smaller (600 ft vertical and less). All the
NC resorts make their snow and have 100% coverage. They often have plenty of
snow when there isn't any in the flatlands. In 1989 Beech Mt. had 50+ inches
of snow by Christmas; last year I skied 27 days in NC (I'm a volunteer, so I
don't go every day). Except for powder snow there is little difference between
natural and artificial snow. I have seen conditions range from -12F to +60F for
temperatures and from dirt to 60 inches of snow. I have skied in the rain, 
in a raging blizzard, and in nighttime fog. The southern skier is the most
proficient all-around skier due to the varied conditions with which he must
contend.

If you ski NC on weekends from Christmas through end of February, you will see
huge crowds; these are the closest resorts for people from Florida and Georgia.
We got to make money when we can and when the weather is good. However, if you
come on weekdays or in the evenings, you may be virtually the only one on the
slope.

Beech Mt. has the more challenging runs; Sugar has the longer ones (again, of
course, this is no where near a western or European experience). Both resorts
compare very favorably with equal sized N.E. areas, and I have skied many up
there recently. They are as good as Crotched Mt., Gunstock, Mt. Abrams,
Ragged Mt., etc. They are certainly smaller than Killington or Sunday River.
Snowshoe in WV, (1500 ft vertical) is the only larger southern resort.

Call 1-704-387-2011 to get Beech Mt. conditions, and 1-704-898-5256 for Sugar.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
David J. Marks                       |     UUCP:        ...!uunet!tijc02!djm408
Siemens Industrial Automation, Inc.  | Internet:     djm408%tijc02@uunet.uu.net
P.O. Drawer 1255                     |    Phone:                   615-461-2074
Johnson City, TN 37605-1255          |
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