Still Traveling

By Charles

January 16, 2008 8:23 AM | Link to this

Sadly, there really are no good slopes below the Mason-Dixon line. Once you’ve had the experience of snow in the Rockies there’s no comparison.

My advice for someone who hasn’t skiied before (or, like most Atlantans get to ski once a year) is to head west. I’ve made the annual trip to Beaver Creek, CO the past few years. Its partnership with Vail offers so many options. Their ski school is excellent (especially for kids) with instructors from all over the world. It may be somewhat pricey, but well worth the price (and piece of mind you will minimize having an accident with an untrained ‘professional’).

By mayretter local

January 16, 2008 10:00 AM | Link to this

Ski da ‘Boat!!!!!! Steamboat that is.

The West is the best when it comes to skiing. the skiing around here is more about waiting in a long lift line and then 30seconds later getting back in that line to do it again - yech!!!!

By EG

January 16, 2008 10:38 AM | Link to this

I’m a lifelong resident of GA but married a Utah native. There is a reason our state motto isn’t “The Greatest Snow on Earth” and theirs is.

By TP

January 16, 2008 10:49 AM | Link to this

You are all correct that there’s no comparison between the conditions of southern ski areas and those elsewhere. I’m glad you are able to afford trips to Colorado every year. But, many families simply cannot afford to take their kids there, and then add the expensive lift tickets, rentals, food, hotels, etc.

Let’s see… Mom, dad and the kids can leave after work on Friday and drive from Atlanta to Gatlinburg or Cataloochee in 4 hours, ski 2 days, and be home by the kids’ bedtime Sunday night. You’ll use about $50 in gas round trip, get a hotel for 2 nights for about $180, lift tickets and rentals for 2 adults and 2 kids for about $230, and eat all your meals for about $200, for a total in the $600s range. No vacation days used, either.

To ski 2 weekend days in Beaver Creek, you’ll have 2 full days of travel (vacation days), 4 RT tickets $1185 (ATL-DEN $285 each), rental car and gas for about $170, then drive 3-4 hours from DEN to Beaver Creek, 3 nights hotel at nearly $400, lift tickets for nearly $600, ski rentals for $250, plus twice as many meals at twice the cost. You’ll be out of about $3,000 (over $2,400 more than the Gatlinburg trip) and 2 vacation days.

You tell me… why do you think we have ski areas in the South? Not for you, but for people that simply cannot go to the big, powder covered mountains far away from here. For the same cost a single trip to beaver Creek, the family can ski every weekend the slopes are open in the South and not use any vacation days. So, instead of whining about conditions here, why not be glad we have places where families can get started in the sport. Maybe they will someday be proficient enough and have enough money to join you on the big mountains.

By Eric

January 16, 2008 10:51 AM | Link to this

Ski Utah! Alta and Snowbird get more snow than anywhere in Colorado. You can stay less than an hour away in Salt Lake City where you have all the amenities of a major city and spend far less on everything from lodging to lift tickets. Austria is nice but the dollar goes nowhere right now. The apres ski is phenominal there. In August or September try Chile. It’s high altitude so the snow is good. The dollar goes a long way there and you can stay in Santiago unless you opt for Portillo which is absolutely beautiful. Wherever you go in the U.S., check local grocery stores for discounted tickets.

By skipatrol

January 16, 2008 11:38 AM | Link to this

Of course skiing in the south is not the same as skiing the Rockies!! But it’s better than not skiing at all and it’s an excellent way to loosen up those legs and retrain your muscles for when you do get to take a trip out west.

As “TP” points out, the costs are far less and you don’t have to use vacation days.

My husband and I volunteer on the ski patrol at Cataloochee and we’re skiing nearly every week-end from November through March—it’s great!

The main thing is—get out there and do SOMETHING!

By Lisa

January 16, 2008 11:49 AM | Link to this

Snowshoe is WV is a compromise between skiing the icy hills in the southeast for $$ and going out west for $$$$. You can drive 10 hours to Snowshoe (skipping air fare and car rental fees), accommodations are less. The village at Snowshoe is as close as you are going to get to the skiing out west experience and the vertical drop gives you much more than the 30 second icy free-fall you get in the southeast. When mother nature isn’t cooperating, Snowshoe makes their own snow, they have a fun tubing hill and the apres ski scene isn’t bad. We skied Snowshoe twice before sucking it up (and saving it up) to ski out west. We now skip summer vacations and eating out so we can do a spring ski to Copper or Beaver Creek each spring. My daughter can ski the double blacks and do the terrain parks and she’s only 11. Skiing is a life-long sport (or can be) and it’s a gift I’m glad we gave her. Something she will enjoy doing forever, and you can’t help but appreciate nature when you are out there in the Rockies. It’s given her a respect for the planet that is priceless. save up and take your kids, even if it’s once in a lifetime.

By Lisa

January 16, 2008 11:49 AM | Link to this

Snowshoe is WV is a compromise between skiing the icy hills in the southeast for $$ and going out west for $$$$. You can drive 10 hours to Snowshoe (skipping air fare and car rental fees), accommodations are less. The village at Snowshoe is as close as you are going to get to the skiing out west experience and the vertical drop gives you much more than the 30 second icy free-fall you get in the southeast. When mother nature isn’t cooperating, Snowshoe makes their own snow, they have a fun tubing hill and the apres ski scene isn’t bad. We skied Snowshoe twice before sucking it up (and saving it up) to ski out west. We now skip summer vacations and eating out so we can do a spring ski to Copper or Beaver Creek each spring. My daughter can ski the double blacks and do the terrain parks and she’s only 11. Skiing is a life-long sport (or can be) and it’s a gift I’m glad we gave her. Something she will enjoy doing forever, and you can’t help but appreciate nature when you are out there in the Rockies. It’s given her a respect for the planet that is priceless. save up and take your kids, even if it’s once in a lifetime.

By LydiasDad

January 16, 2008 12:00 PM | Link to this

Uh, nowhere. If you ski in the south you’ll simply learn to hate skiing. Too much ice and long lines. If you can’t go out west, don’t waste your time and money.

By Brad Methvin

January 16, 2008 12:11 PM | Link to this

Never again! We went to Sugar last President’s Day (big mistake=Like the Fourth of July) Even though it snowed so much, the worst was the lift lines, ice and crowded slopes.

We will save up and go out west. The slopes are wider, lines shorter, snow is guaranteed and you get to SKI!

By Settle for South

January 16, 2008 12:57 PM | Link to this

We’ve settled for skiing in the south simply b/c of cost. We now only go for sure once a year when we take the youth from our church. Let me give you a hint though- almost every church takes their youth skiing on MLK weekend so don’t go this weekend! Even with the promise of real snow, the slopes will be so packed with inexperienced people on the snow (aka ice) that it’s not worth going.

Cataloochee is only a 2-3 hour drive from the Atl metro so wait for another weekend when they’ve gotten fresh snow and then go. It’s still not like skiing out west but it’s better than nothing and can be fun if they have fresh snow. It will be crowded since a lot of locals come out when there is fresh snow but the crowds will be nothing like this weekend.

3 years ago we took our youth group to what is now Wolf Ridge over MLK weekend and I got to witness a kid in another youth group kill himself. He was out of control, didn’t know how to slow down and ran into a pole full-speed. I got to witness one of the chaperones call this kid’s parents to tell them they were life-flighting him out of there. I vowed that to be the last time I took a youth group over MLK weekend. It’s just too crowded and the kids will skip ski school b/c they’re too full. Plus, I can’t tell you how many ‘accidents’ I’ve seen b/c people can’t control what they’re doing. There are a lot of inexperienced skiiers and once you match that with no room to move, there are bound to be accidents.

That being said, we still take kids skiing (on a different weekend). My husband and I still take our son but we always wait until snow is in the forecast and then we just jump in the car for the weekend. We’ve been to every ski ‘resort’ in NC over the years and none are exceptional so it’s best to just go to the closest which is Cataloochee (plus Maggie Valley has cheap accomodations and a great pancake restaraunt on the way to the slopes!)

By another teacher

January 16, 2008 1:56 PM | Link to this

Don’t forget about up north. They have excellent skiing there, and it’s not as expensive as going out west. There are at least 5 ski areas outside of Syracuse, and it’s much cheaper that heading West ($17 rental and $38 lift ticket).

By telewhacker

January 16, 2008 2:20 PM | Link to this

If I have to ski in the south, I’ll go to Sugar or Beech, but I can’t even remember the last time these mountains had a good snow year.

I’d also go mid-week because the weekend crowds are brutal and dangerous.

P.S. People, stop wearing jeans to ski in! Scotchguard = redneck gore-tex :^)

By Reid in EAV

January 16, 2008 3:22 PM | Link to this

If ever there’s a year that conditions at NC ski resorts would be acceptable, this is probably the one. I began skiing on sheets of ice in Western NC, so by the time I finally headed to the Rockies I was miles ahead of where I thought I’d be and was skiing blue groomers my first day. (Once you can carve on ice, carving on real powder is a piece of cake.)

I am a big big fan of the SLC weekend trip, which, if it’s just you (without a full family) is not much more expensive than driving north. You just wait for a really good sale (I got NW to SLC via MSP for about $150 round trip, not much more than gas to Banner Elk and back these days), then fly out first thing on a Friday. Rent (and buy discounted lift tix) at a local shop on the way to the slopes, then use Park City QuickStart (http://www.parkcityinfo.com/quickstart/ to preregister and get a voucher you’ll need) to get your lift ticket free for the rest of the first day with the boarding pass from your flight.

Then pick a world-class inexpensive local resort for your full day — and at SLC as opposed to Denver, they’re all less than an hour from town. Alta, Brighton, Solitude and Snowbird are all great, and a few of those are amazingly inexpensive. Solitude is only about $50 if you buy at Canyon Sports.

Then get a good night’s sleep and fly home! Trust me, for beginners, skiing on a Rocky Mountain “green” slope beats skiing on any variety of NC slush, and they have world-class instructors too, if you want to spring for a lesson.

My $0.02.

By CBL

January 16, 2008 3:33 PM | Link to this

I’ve skied in Colorado, Austria, Vermont, and North Carolina- at least one trip in the last 10 years. I must say that you can have a good weekend in NC if you time it right. You cannot plan ahead for the best conditions there- you have to be ready to go on a few days’ notice. Wait for a good storm to dump 6-12” of snow mid-week, give them a day to clear the roads, and then it’s ready for the weekend crowd. The key is to leave Atlanta early on a Saturday morning and you’ll be skiing by noon. The afternoon will be crowded, but use the afternoon re-grooming hours to eat something or drink a beer before heading back out for night skiing. Skiing at night makes it worth it: no lift lines, empty slopes, 100% freedom to go as fast as you want. Added bonus is when they don’t fire up the snow guns and it’s serenely quiet.

By dunwoody to denver

January 16, 2008 3:42 PM | Link to this

Or, you could do what I did and move out west.

I moved to Denver 5 years ago and love it. Contrary to popular belief, it really doesn’t snow in Denver that much; it’s the mountains that get all the snow. We might get 2-3 decent snowstorms a year, but the rest of the winter it’s in the 40s-50s and sunny. The coolest part is that when it’s 45 out it feels like it’s at least 10 degrees warmer because of the altitude and the dry air.

With the exception of Aspen and Steamboat, all the major resorts are within a 2 hour drive of the metro area, and most are just a few minutes off the interstate (Vail is actually right ON the interstate). Since the majority of people here ski/snowboard, it’s always easy to find someone to go with you so you can carpool and save money on gas.

The only drawback I can think of to living here is all the Texans and Californians that are taking over, but they’re much easier to deal with than the Yankees :)

By Kevin

January 16, 2008 5:08 PM | Link to this

It may be a mistake to make your inaugural ski trip be to an East Coast hill. Go west, young man. Save your pennies and head for the Rockies, where you will almost certainly have an incredible first experience with some of the best instructors in the world.

By telewhacker

January 16, 2008 5:35 PM | Link to this

Hey Dunwoody to Denver, I just moved to Dunwoody from Denver.

How’s that I-70 ski traffic treating ya?

Have fun out there, Denver is a blast!

By PNorth

January 16, 2008 6:30 PM | Link to this

The lift tickets at Sugar aren’t much cheaper than out west. skisugar.com lists $62 for a Saturday ticket at Sugar. Breck is $86. And believe me, you are getting your extra $24 dollars worth by being able to ski on snow instead of ice, and not deal w/ the crowds and out of control skiers.

When Sugar does get good snow you can rest assured that rookie snowboarders will bulldoze it all the way down the hill since they don’t know how to carve and just ride down sideways leaving a nice swath of ice behind them.

By Bunni

January 16, 2008 9:33 PM | Link to this

I grew up a Tahoe ski snob but anyone who tells you to avoid skiing in the southeast shouldn’t call themselves a skier (or in the case of my kids shredders). Yes, it can be icy and crowded but is also a 4 hour drive from ATL. Going to Banner Elk allows us to take the kids to the slopes 3 or 4 times a year instead of just once out west. A couple of pointers will help you out. Avoid holiday weekends. Either Sugar or Beech are fine but YOU MUST CHECK THE CONDITIONS. If the weather is lousy (e.g., too warm, too warm and then too cold, or rain) don’t bother going. But, if they have been making snow or had the luck to catch powder (like we have in the past) by all means go and have fun. Make sure you get to the slopes early as there are alot less people first thing in the morning. If you rent, do it in Atlanta as it is a hassle you don’t want to bother with. You can also get your lift ticket the night before. As my kids say, a day on the slopes is better than a day off the slopes.

By JimmyD

January 17, 2008 8:30 AM | Link to this

If you sign up for PEAKS rewards, lift tickets to Breckenridge, Keystone, Vail, Beaver Creek, and Heavenly are comparable to East Coast prices. My 4 day lift ticket to Heavenly comes out to $64/day. To go to North Carolina is ~$50/day for most places.

Nobody has really mentioned this, but the SPEED of the lifts is the big thing you get out west. The high speed detachable quads get you up the mountain in 1/3 the time as conventional lifts. You’re getting an extra 1.5 - 2.0 hours of skiing just from faster lifts.

By Chuck

January 17, 2008 9:01 AM | Link to this

Moving here from Denver 3 yrs ago has made me go through some serious skiing withdrawal… Though I was very lucky last yr to ski Wolf Laurel NC and had 8” of fresh powder.. it was actually awesome. We camped in Hot Springs NC and had a blast using the hot tubs at night. I have skied every resort in Colorado numerous times, my all time favorite is Steamboat… Head to Strawberry springs for true hot springs 104 degree experience in a mtn river after skiing. Though clothes are optional at night. Little ones beware.

As far a a awesome resort closer to Denver, my favorite is Copper Mtn. They have the best lift system in the west. They really get the people up the mtn. Have fun and be safe..

By LO

January 17, 2008 12:24 PM | Link to this

Eric, Shhhhhh let’s keep Utah our secret so we don’t have the lines at the lifts like Colorado. For those who think it is sooo expensive out there, start watching Clark Howard’s airfare deals around Sept. and book a trip. You don’t have to stay in a ski n ski out slopeside so find a cheaper motel nearby and ride the hotel shuttle or a public transportation bus to the resort. Green slope lift tickets can be had for about $25 per day too. GO WEST to ski but it is nice to have the option to ski on ice near Georgia too.

By Bid Dog

January 17, 2008 4:27 PM | Link to this

For any of us that have skiied anywhere but in the South, we realize it’s about makin choices and compromises. My 8yo son and I returned to Wolf Ridge on Christmas Break and enjoyed 2 days of good skiing. The night skiiing with damp snow, if it’s not cold enough, is a bit of a challenge (think skiing along and then running into sand) but the Saturday morning the freshly groomed trails were GREAT.

But the other postings are correct - I grew up skiing in New York State and I’m shocked that all the rank amaeur snow boarders are allowed to roam like the do. Many can’t stop unless they are falling down and I recalled that we’d get our lift ticket pulled if we were that out of control. We saw 5 people taken off the mountain in a stretcher in one day. So ski safe, and watch out for your kids and avoid..yes AVOID the holiday weekends.

otherwise enjoy some close, affordable skiing..