Skiing in NC

EugeneTheTJ

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2010
Location
North Carolina
What's the run down of the ski places in North Carolina? I grew up skiing but for whatever reason we always went up to West Virginia or Virginia so I've never actually been to one of the local slopes. It's also been about 15 years since I've done it. I've got little kids (8 and younger) so ideally would like to find a place for the whole family. My wife has been but from what I've heard was a bit of a liability to say it kindly :)

Any good info on Beech vs Sugar vs Appalachian Ski Mtn?
 
Sugar has the better slopes IMO but Beech is slightly higher elevation so they can blow snow better. App ski mtn would be the last resort.

I would really watch the conditions carefully before you decide to go. This winter season or lack there of has been brutal on the east coast ski slopes.
 
EugeneTheTJ said:
What's the run down of the ski places in North Carolina? I grew up skiing but for whatever reason we always went up to West Virginia or Virginia so I've never actually been to one of the local slopes. It's also been about 15 years since I've done it. I've got little kids (8 and younger) so ideally would like to find a place for the whole family. My wife has been but from what I've heard was a bit of a liability to say it kindly :)

Any good info on Beech vs Sugar vs Appalachian Ski Mtn?
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There is a reason you always went out of NC, NC sucks but it is convenient (depending on where you live and the drive time)

Even VA mountains can ice over pretty easily
 
I always preferred Beech over Sugar, even though you drive by Sugar to get to Beech. I also haven't been in over 15 years, so my opinion is not that useful. Appalachian Ski Mtn is pretty docile, but actually might be better suited to the kids for that reason.
 
NC Skiing is a joke. Winter Place and Snowshoe are a step up. But I understand that sometimes you just want to hit a slope real quick.

I haven't been in years, but at Sugar there was one main beginner slope then a more difficult slope off to the left. as I recall. that beginner slope was one of the funniest sites I'd seen. it opened for night skiing and as I was going up the hill I looked down from the chairlift and the slope was littered with coveralled redneck bodies that were wiped out everywhere! No one knew how to ski! I laughed my ass.
 
Locals go to beech, church groups and tourists go to sugar. If you go to either of them accepting they aren't mile long runs or 5ft base then you'll most likely have a good time. I mean if we're being real, snowshoe and winter place suck too compared to anything west of Kansas.

But yeah, as was said, also check the weather. If it's 20 and windy you better bring some good winter gear to beech, and if it's 35 and possible rain just stay home.
 
I only started skiing last year, so take my advice with that in mind. I Have been to Sugar 6 times and Appalachian twice. I hope to go to Beech sometime in February. I like Sugar a lot better when I go by myself because if has a lot more terrain than Appy. But, I feel better taking my 11 year old son to Appy because it is a lot harder for me to loose him. It takes me about 90 minutes to get to Sugar from my house, and about 45 more minutes to get to Appy depending on traffic, so that is another reason I prefer Sugar.

I never went when I was younger and I regret it now. When I went for the first time in January of 23 I loved it. I am going to Breckenridge next week, so my opinion of NC may change.
 
Our family sold our place in wintergreen after ~20 years there 2 years ago. The last couple of seasons they have really taken a bit hit with the weather also, but I do like wintergreen overall better than the NC options if you are trying to stay within about a 3 hour drive from Raleigh.

Beech is best in the summer for downhill MTB sessions.
 
Beech
Sugar
App

Snowshoe is pretty expensive and not that fun to drive to if the weather sucks. Winterplace is a trap of church buses and youth groups.

In that order. Go crunch the math on what a weekend trip or two will cost you vs saving a bit and heading even to the northeast for a long weekend. There is a reason I used to put 80-100 days on snow in NC when it was free vs how often I have skied in the last 11 years since I had to start paying for it.
 
StretchASU said:
In that order. Go crunch the math on what a weekend trip or two will cost you vs saving a bit and heading even to the northeast for a long weekend. There is a reason I used to put 80-100 days on snow in NC when it was free vs how often I have skied in the last 11 years since I had to start paying for it.
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Oh yeah definitely no correlation to having a real job and a dad bod.
 
DSM Turbos said:
Beech is best in the summer for downhill MTB sessions.
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Beech has alot more trails, but Sugar is awesome if you like natural trails. My goal next season is to clear east coast rocks.

StretchASU said:
Snowshoe is not that fun to drive to if the weather sucks.
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Its not that fun to drive to in the summer either. We got off 64 in Lewisburg and it said to continue 60+ miles on a backwoods, curvy ass West Virginia road. It took us an hour and a half to go that 60 miles. We came back through Green Bank and down 92. Much easier drive.
 
This thread does bring back some memories. 2007 Southeast Retailer Demo at Snowshoe we got snowed in and the highway patrol shut down the roads because the plows couldn’t keep up. The next morning we hiked/skied right out of the cabin and poached the woods over on Western Territory following bike trails the whole way down.
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StretchASU said:
This thread does bring back some memories. 2007 Southeast Retailer Demo at Snowshoe we got snowed in and the highway patrol shut down the roads because the plows couldn’t keep up. The next morning we hiked/skied right out of the cabin and poached the woods over on Western Territory following bike trails the whole way down.
View attachment 410357View attachment 410358
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Damn you.. I saw these pics and thought they were current shots of Beech or Sugar Mtn.

I was getting ready to call Mark and tell him I was on my way to Boone for the weekend.
 
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