A few questions for anyone with western nc skiing experience....

1) what is the best place to ski....I've heard good and crappy things about Sugar and Beech, any recommendations?

2) do any ski resorts in western nc have nice tubing hills? taking someone skiing for the first time always gets old fast....tubing is fun too!

3) has anyone stayed in a cabin or lodge at any of the resorts? Looking for something quaint/mountainy feeling/private jacuzzi. Can anyone recommend a place they've like in the past?


I know there are nice places in VA and WV, but they are just too far away for what I'm looking for. Anything with an hour of two of Boone/Asheville would be great.

7/30/2009 10:37:10 PM

Friday July, 31st

Partly cloudy hot and humid with afternoon and evening storms which could become strong or severe. Highs in the lower-mid 90s. We have the next cold front on the way

Dude, chill out. It isn't going to get that cold.

7/30/2009 10:44:57 PM

I've only been to Sugar and Beech and prefer Sugar. I think just about every resort has tubing. I've always stayed at friends' cabins.

7/30/2009 10:50:06 PM

^^ haha, not going to make plans the week of....lots of work to do before then, but also something I want to keep in mind...


[Edited on July 30, 2009 at 10:51 PM. Reason : .]

7/30/2009 10:50:29 PM

I go to Sugar every year, because its cheap and close to home. Can't wait to go to Colorado next year though. Sugar was awesome over our "Spring" break this year with 10.5 inches of snow.

I don't bother tubing, I love skiing enough, and also hate going with a first-timer unless theyre not a pussy and can get the hang of it and go up the lifts with me. They have college rates that begin usually in the first week of March as well. And there's an Alpine Ski Center at the entrance off of the main road, just around the curve. It's cheaper to rent their shit too.

Stayed in the Little Main Street Inn & Suites - amazing! Such a steal for the place. Full kitchen with appliances, dishes and utensils. Fridge comes with half & half already in it. Living area with gas logs and TV. Huge bedroom with huge bathroom and nice jacuzzi, good lighting, nice tile floors, etc. Great little romantic getaway, especially during a snowstorm! I would recommend this to anyone and plan to go back for another ski trip.

The family that owns it is very friendly and stays out of the visitors way. Theres a small stock of cereals, soups, movies, popcorn, breakfast pastries, etc available as well. Only about 6-7 minutes from Sugar Mountain.

http://www.littlemainstreet.com/

7/30/2009 11:04:43 PM

I enjoy Sugar Mtn. when it's not crowded. Everything else in NC sucks IMO.

edit: I have been to Winter Park, Colorado and it is much much better, but if you can't make it out west every year, the long trails at Sugar are respectable.

[Edited on July 31, 2009 at 12:16 AM. Reason : ^]

7/31/2009 12:12:14 AM

Wintergreen, VA. ~3 hours from raleigh. probably better than anything you'll find in NC.

7/31/2009 12:59:00 AM

Any mountainy places to stay near sugar mtn?

7/31/2009 7:54:06 AM

there are places all over in that area - I would look at the Sugar website and I think they recommend a few places.

7/31/2009 9:22:25 AM

The only place worth going to within a day's drive of Raleigh is Snowshoe, WV. I wouldn't go skiing in Western NC even if I had a free lift ticket. If you "really" wanted to though, Sugar is the least shitty.


I'm thinking about going out there sometime this winter. I want to learn how to snowboard, and don't want to waste any precious time doing that when at a good ski resort.

7/31/2009 10:06:42 AM

Sugar really isn't bad -- just don't go expecting much. I also like that it's extremely easy to access, as its right off a main road in Banner Elk. My friend used to be the bartender in the sugar mtn lodge. I always questioned serving alcohol mid-day to people who are heading out on the slopes, but whatever. As for accomodations, you can check this out: http://www.sugarmountain.com/

Beech always felt a little trashier to me. It can be a bitch to drive up there too, especially if the roads are icy/snowy.

App is just way too small. They do have a cool lodge overlooking the slopes though.

Your best bet for somewhere relatively close would be Winterplace in WV. It's not the greatest, but it's significanly better than anything around here, and they have some pretty good tubing slopes IIRC. Just watch out for the loads of youth groups that will inevitably be there, and the horrendous karaoke in the main lodge.


[Edited on July 31, 2009 at 10:43 AM. Reason : ]

7/31/2009 10:32:04 AM

Quote :

"The only place worth going to within a day's drive of Raleigh is Snowshoe, WV. I wouldn't go skiing in Western NC even if I had a free lift ticket. If you "really" wanted to though, Sugar is the least shitty."

wintergreen, VA is also really nice. Thats doable in a day trip. Used to do that all the time. Leave at 5am and come back after night skiing.

This past season I went to some place in PA because I was visiting a friend in DC and it was also really nice. It was my first time skiing on pure powder and not the shit you get out here.

7/31/2009 3:50:40 PM

^^the problem with most things in western NC is that they're small resorts and get overcrowded in a hurry. I don't care if the lift tickets are $10 I don't want to spend 80% of my time in a lift line.

7/31/2009 5:40:31 PM

are there any cabins/places at sugar mountain that you can ski in and ski out of? I saw there was the Sugar Ski and Country Club, but they looked really run down. Do they own all the condos/cabins that surround the slopes?

8/22/2009 8:05:13 PM

^bttt

11/1/2009 2:42:17 PM

Sugar and Beech suck the least.

Appalachian Ski Mountain has last place firmly locked up.

11/1/2009 7:52:54 PM

Quote :

"I always questioned serving alcohol mid-day to people who are heading out on the slopes, but whatever."

Don't ever go skiing in Japan then. Dudes roll up to the gondola at 9am with a beer already in their hand

11/1/2009 8:26:54 PM

Wintergreen has a nice setup indeed. It's got more variety than Sugar with 3 distinct groups of trails. Everything at Sugar feeds off of one main trail and lift basically.

11/1/2009 10:07:18 PM

If you go anywhere around the Boone area I would recommend renting from 1st tracks (http://www.1sttracks.com/). It was right down the road from my place and they have good student discounts.

I think Sugar is probably the best within that area. I did night skiing at Beech once when it was really foggy and it was just a mess, but I guess that was our fault for not checking the weather first.

As far as staying somewhere, if you're looking for something cheaper I would look in the Boone/ASU area. There's plenty of hotels with decent prices. I would imagine prices increase the closer you are to the mountain.

11/2/2009 8:46:16 AM

i like wolf laurel for tubing

11/2/2009 10:54:36 AM

Quote :

"the problem with most things in western NC is that they're small resorts and get overcrowded in a hurry. I don't care if the lift tickets are $10 I don't want to spend 80% of my time in a lift line."

What's worse about the overcrowding than the lift lines is just generally not being able to rage on the slopes, because on even the "advanced" (and I use that term loosely, for 99% of southeastern skiing) slopes, there are hordes of people creeping along at a snail's pace with no idea what they are doing.

Also, from what I remember, the NC ski areas aren't even inexpensive, anyway. They're pretty much the same price (and often even MORE) than even really good places to ski out west. $64 to ski Sugar Mountain? Are you kidding? I just looked--Alta is only $66. Hell, Mount Baker is only $44! It (along with the other Cascades resorts) isn't as good as the big names in Utah and Colorado, but it's about 1000x better than anything in the southeast.

11/2/2009 2:17:41 PM

Maybe that's an issue of supply and demand with pricing.

11/2/2009 3:10:02 PM

so skiing in western nc... as opposed to skiing in eastern nc??

11/2/2009 3:27:56 PM

so skiing in Western NC as opposed to nothing else.

11/2/2009 3:51:55 PM

often times early in the year/later in the year the slopes in NC dont hire anyone to check lift tickets during middle of the week, so if you have time on a tues/thurs (when slopes arent so crowded) it could be alright

11/2/2009 4:15:40 PM

unless you're a first timer skiing in NC is a huge waste of money and exercise in frustration. I'd rather ski in NJ.

[Edited on November 2, 2009 at 4:41 PM. Reason : i mean it!]

11/2/2009 4:40:57 PM

How does wintergreen compare to winterplace?

I know snowshoe is supposed to be the best but there prices were really high for the right after Christmas time (26th-31st)

11/2/2009 6:19:20 PM

unless you are a total neophyte, however much more Snowshoe costs is worth it.

It's not fantastic or anything, but it's decent enough to have a good time.

11/2/2009 6:35:35 PM

Yea I am a novice, So far I have found winterplace for those 5 days I can do for about 800, snowshoe was about 1500 - 2000.

Anyone got any advice on places to stay at Snowshoe?

11/2/2009 7:39:46 PM

are you going for the priciest lodging? How in the hell is a 5-day trip to ski WV costing that kind of money?



[Edited on November 2, 2009 at 7:45 PM. Reason : if you're spending that much money, go west young man.]

11/2/2009 7:44:38 PM

^^dude, WTF?! How in God's name are you spending that much. I've been to Lake Tahoe and a bunch of places in CO and never spent more than $1200 for a 5 day trip (3 days skiing). And keep in mind that cost includes the flight.

11/2/2009 9:31:04 PM

^ Yeah, I think my trip to Lake Tahoe last year was $1100 or so with a Lincoln Navigator rental, lift tickets, food, etc. Snowshoe rentals are expensive though. It's a very popular destination for east coast skiiers. I'd much rather throw in a $350 plane ticket and go somewhere better even if it meant staying a little further from the slopes to make it affordable.

[Edited on November 2, 2009 at 9:48 PM. Reason : l]

11/2/2009 9:44:26 PM

All of these posts about snowshoe is bringing back really good memories/vibes. I was there 2 times last year and my friend works in the ski shop at the top so i can get lift tickets for $5-10 a day and a place to stay for free as long as I keep the beer flowing.

I want to go this year but am currently unemployed blah blah but I really hope I can find a way after reading this thread.

11/2/2009 10:24:11 PM

http://www.marlintonmotorinn.com/

For the budget minded Snowshoe traveler I highly recommend this place. It's probably 35 minutes from the slopes. I think it was about $90 a night for a room with two queen beds the last time I stayed there although there was probably a AAA discount involved. They have the dankest breakfast buffet you've ever seen. I'm talking pancakes, sausages, eggs, bacon; all that shit. Perfect way to fill up before snowboarding all day and the perfect way to recover from a day on the slopes.

11/2/2009 10:32:16 PM

Shit and I thought my trip to Nagano was going to be expensive. I had no idea how pricey skiing in the States has become.

11/3/2009 1:47:29 AM

Off the top of my head a Snowshoe lift ticket costs $76. Thanks a lot IntraWest, you pricks!

For comparison, another IntraWest resort, Copper, only charges $80. For vastly superior skiing and more of it.

11/3/2009 10:58:49 AM

Costco has Snowshoe tix for around $40 or $50. A friend is supposed to grab a few for me the next time he goes so I'll try to remember to post the price. I have heard of people buying the Costco tickets and making it all day without the ticket ever being scanned (just breezing past the lift operator and not offering it to him); so they were able to use it again. I wouldn't count on it though.

You can also get in on the "bakers dozen season pass" group buys and get a season pass for around $330ish. Not bad if you're going to be heading up there for three or more weekends.

11/3/2009 11:31:03 AM

not cataloochee

11/3/2009 1:48:01 PM