{"id":118796,"date":"2020-01-06T09:41:57","date_gmt":"2020-01-06T17:41:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=118796"},"modified":"2022-09-23T10:18:17","modified_gmt":"2022-09-23T17:18:17","slug":"things-to-do-in-western-north-carolina-in-the-winter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/snowsports\/things-to-do-in-western-north-carolina-in-the-winter","title":{"rendered":"Things to Do in Western North Carolina in the Winter"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 2019\u20132020 winter season marks a landmark year for skiing in the American Southeast. Six decades ago, <\/span>The Homestead<\/span><\/a>, a small resort in Virginia, became the first ski hill designed to blanket its slopes with machine-made powder, spurring the development of a handful of new resorts across the South. Meanwhile, North Carolina\u2019s popular <\/span>Sugar Mountain<\/span><\/a> is celebrating its 50th birthday, as is the <\/span>French Swiss Ski College<\/span><\/a> at <\/span>Appalachian Ski Mountain<\/span><\/a>, where more than one million people have learned to ski since its founding in 1969. But resort steeps are only part of the winter scene in North Carolina; there\u2019s also snowshoeing and cross-country skiing\u2014even ice climbing, if you time it right.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe key to enjoying our winters is to keep your eyes peeled on the weather and be ready to go when there\u2019s snow,\u201d says Randy Johnson, the author of <\/span>Southern Snow: The Winter Guide to Dixie, <\/span><\/i>a history of winter sports across North Carolina and the South. A lot of winter\u2019s best action can be found within a short drive of Asheville, North Carolina, where a half-dozen downhill resorts and some of the highest peaks in the Southern Appalachians beckon. Here\u2019s how to take full advantage of North Carolina\u2019s mountainscapes when those big, white flakes finally start flying.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Downhill skiing and snowboarding<\/span><\/h2>\n

North Carolina is home to six downhill<\/span> resorts ranging from the family-friendly <\/span>Cataloochee Ski Area<\/span><\/a> in Maggie Valley to <\/span>Sugar Mountain<\/span><\/a> in Banner Elk, the state\u2019s largest ski hill with 125 sprawling acres. Skiing and snowboarding<\/span> are among the most popular winter pastimes, with lifts spinning from about mid-December to mid-March. Bonus: They all offer night skiing. Here are a few standouts from the state\u2019s lift-served options.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cataloochee Ski Area<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n

Cataloochee offers an ideal platform for learning with 50 acres of beginner- and intermediate-friendly terrain, interspersed with more challenging gladed runs like Wildcat Glade, where the trees are perfectly spaced. Ready to take things up a level? The <\/span>Ski and Ride Center<\/span><\/a> offers multi-week instruction geared to help fledgling skiers and snowboarders conquer the mountain in a single season. Lifts run from early November through March (and sometimes April), making Cataloochee\u2019s the longest season in the state. Adult weekday <\/span>lift tickets<\/span><\/a> start at $44.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Appalachian Ski Mountain<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n

Blowing Rock\u2019s Appalachian Ski Mountain\u2014or \u201cApp,\u201d as the locals call it\u2014is a modest, family-friendly resort with 12 slopes offering something for everyone. But what sets App apart is its freestyle terrain, which includes three parks and some of the biggest features in North Carolina, including a 32-foot-long S-rail. Newer riders flock to the <\/span>AppalTop Terrain Park<\/span><\/a>, which has smaller versions of the other parks\u2019 jibs, rails and boxes. On Friday and Saturday nights, riders willing to brave frigid temps can hit the <\/span>Midnight Blast<\/span><\/a> sessions when the lifts spin until midnight. The season typically stretches from mid-December to late-March, with weekday <\/span>rates<\/span><\/a> starting at $41 for adults.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"A

A skier gets some air at one of App’s myriad terrain parks. (Photo Courtesy: Appalachian Ski Mountain)<\/p><\/div>\n

Sugar Mountain Resort<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n

Sugar is where expert skiers and snowboarders hone their craft. Head straight for the peak (5,300 feet) to sample the steepest slopes, or test your mettle on the double-black diamond Whoopdeedoo, with its pulse-quickening, 48-degree slope. For an easier ride, load onto the resort\u2019s high-speed quad and sail down cruisers like Little Nell and Easy Street, or link the Northridge trail with Switchback and Upper Flying Mile for a top-to-bottom blue run. If for some reason you find yourself in need of a break from the slopes, head to the base, where you\u2019ll find a 10,000-square-foot skating rink and snow tubing galore. The mountain begins operations right around Thanksgiving and generally stays open through March, with adult weekday <\/span>lift tickets<\/span><\/a> starting at $46.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Snowshoeing<\/span><\/h2>\n

The deeper the snow, the better the shoeing, which makes snowshoeing a somewhat unpredictable pursuit in North Carolina. But conditions can be downright dreamy when the snow gods smile upon the Southeast. If you own your own snowshoes, make a beeline for the spots listed in the cross-country skiing section, where high-elevation means more snow. For snowshoe rentals, head to Sugar Mountain Resort, where you can rent gear, then head into the backcountry on a <\/span>guided tour<\/span><\/a> ($31 per hour, including snowshoes). Or, borrow shoes from the <\/span>Buckeye Recreation Center<\/span><\/a> in the town of Beech Mountain and take to the 23 miles of nearby marked trails for free. Newer snowshoers love the gentle-graded loop around the recreation center. If you\u2019re playing in Nordic skiing country, practice good <\/span>winter sports etiquette<\/span><\/a> by avoiding the tracks set by cross-country skiers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cross-Country Skiing<\/span><\/h2>\n

Ski lift? Nordic skiers are<\/span> their own ski lift. Find flat terrain and a Nordic workout isn\u2019t much harder than walking. But set your sights on skiing up and down the side of a mountain, and you\u2019re in for one of the toughest workouts going. No matter what sort of adventure<\/span> sparks your fancy<\/span>, <\/span>High Country Ski Shop<\/span><\/a> at the <\/span>Pineola Inn<\/span> near Linville, North Carolina, is your best bet for rentals, offering packages that start at $25 per day. Plan ahead though: The inn and ski shop are at least 20 miles from the closest cross-country skiing, and the drive can be slow when road conditions are sub-optimal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Wide,

Wide, perfectly groomed slopes at Sugar Ski Mountain. (Photo Courtesy: Sugar Mountain Resort)<\/p><\/div>\n

Moses H. Cone Memorial Park<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n

In Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, <\/span>along the Blue Ridge Parkway<\/span><\/a>, 25 miles of mellow, unpaved carriage trails wind through a forest of hemlock and white pine, and the gentle slopes make it an idyllic destination perfect for newer Nordic enthusiasts. Cruise the <\/span>trails<\/span><\/a> to <\/span>Flat Top Lookout Tower<\/span><\/a> for mountain views, or ski through the apple orchard and around Bass Lake for a 1.5-mile kick, gliding past an old barn and around the occasionally frozen lake. On the journey, catch a glimpse of the imposing 20-room, Gilded Age <\/span>Flat Top Manor<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Roan Mountain<\/span><\/h3>\n

Bisected by the North Carolina-Tennessee border, 6,285-foot Roan Mountain tends to be one of the snowiest peaks in the South, making it a prime spot for cross-country schussing. Start at <\/span>Carver\u2019s Gap<\/span><\/a>, an Appalachian Trail (AT) access point off <\/span>Tennessee-143<\/span><\/a>. You\u2019ll glide south on the gated Forest Service road, then climb Roan Mountain on a mellow grade through a garden of rhododendron. For steeper terrain, take the AT where it branches off from the road, following it to a shelter on the edge of <\/span>Roan High Knob<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Clingmans Dome Road<\/span><\/h3>\n

For some of the best snow in the Smokies, point your wheels toward Clingmans Dome Road in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) after the snow flies. The park leaves the road unplowed in winter, turning the stretch of blacktop into a powdery paradise after a storm. Though the National Park Service doesn\u2019t keep snowfall data for the road, nearby <\/span>Newfound Gap receives an average 69 inches of snow each winter<\/span><\/a>\u2014more than most ski resorts in the region. Ski the entire 14-mile out-and-back to earn panoramic views from the observation tower at the top of <\/span>Clingmans Dome<\/span><\/a>. Bear in mind that you’ll be deep in the park without easy access to services, meaning a Dome Road trek is best left to the over-prepared and ultra-adventurous. Always equip yourself with <\/span>backcountry safety skills<\/span><\/a>, including <\/span>avalanche awareness<\/span><\/a>, before heading out, and <\/span>check for closures at GSMNP<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Ice

Some winters provide the consistently cold conditions to make ice climbing an option in Western North Carolina.<\/p><\/div>\n

Ice Climbing<\/span><\/h2>\n

Yes, there\u2019s ice climbing in North Carolina, though it can be inconsistent. For safe ice, guides generally look for at least two to three consecutive days of sub-freezing temperatures. And some winters do get cold enough to make this a regular occurrence. When conditions are prime, the most popular destination is Highway 215, near the Blue Ridge Parkway, where water trickling over the stone road-cuts freezes, offering park-and-play climbing that\u2019s top-rope friendly. Unless you\u2019re an experienced climber with your own gear, look to <\/span>Fox Mountain Guides<\/span><\/a>\u2014their pros are all American Mountain Guides Association-certified\u2014to show you the ropes (<\/span>prices<\/span><\/a> start at $255 for a half-day).<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Ready to gear up? Head to the Asheville, North Carolina, REI retail store<\/a> to prep for your trip, learn about local classes and more.<\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The 2019\u20132020 winter season marks a landmark year for skiing in the American Southeast. Six decades ago, The Homestead, a small resort in Virginia, became the first ski hill designed to blanket its slopes with machine-made powder, spurring the development of a handful of new resorts across the South. Meanwhile, North Carolina\u2019s popular Sugar Mountain […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":72,"featured_media":118802,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[298,364,1542,12],"internal-tag":[],"class_list":["post-118796","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-snowsports","tag-north-carolina","tag-snowsports","tag-south","tag-travel"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/snowsports\/things-to-do-in-western-north-carolina-in-the-winter","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Things to Do in Western North Carolina in the Winter","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/snowsports\/things-to-do-in-western-north-carolina-in-the-winter","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/snowsports\/things-to-do-in-western-north-carolina-in-the-winter"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/01\/GSMNP_Sun-Setting-Over-Clingmans-Dome_Photo-Credit_Jody-Claborn.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/01\/GSMNP_Sun-Setting-Over-Clingmans-Dome_Photo-Credit_Jody-Claborn.jpg?fit=2048%2C1365"},"articleSection":"Snowsports","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jessica Bernhard"}],"creator":["Jessica Bernhard"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["north carolina","snowsports","south","travel"],"dateCreated":"2020-01-06T17:41:57Z","datePublished":"2020-01-06T17:41:57Z","dateModified":"2022-09-23T17:18:17Z"},"rendered":"