Article Summary: As the holiday season approaches, people from all around the south are tuning up their skis and pulling out their snowboards in anticipation of a week long ritual of winter fun - going to ski North Carolina. This year promises to be a good one, as temperatures remain consistently cold, and Mother Nature is being generous with the real stuff!
As the holiday season approaches, people from all around the south
Some of the highest peaks in the Blue ridge Mountains are located
Although the elevation is high, and our slopes are vast and challenging,
Undaunted by Mother Nature, the fine folks of this northwestern
The best conditions for skiers and snowboarders exist when there
As the season progresses, daytime temperatures rise above freezing
Conversely, as nighttime temperatures fall below freezing, and
(c) Michael Talbert
are tuning up their skis and pulling out their snowboards in anticipation of
a week long ritual of winter fun - going to ski North Carolina.
This year promises to be a good one, as temperatures remain consistently cold,
and Mother Nature is being generous with the real stuff!
in the northwest corner of North Carolina, standing guard over the quaint little
resort town of Banner Elk in Avery county. Just east of the
continental divide is Grandfather Mountain, the highest peak
in the Blue Ridge, and to the north west of Banner Elk looms Beech Mountain,
which boasts of being the highest ski area in eastern North America. Sure Mount
Mitchell is higher, but itand#8217;s in the Black Mountains, a sub range of the
Blue Ridge.
North Carolina skiing does have its ups and downs. This is still the
south, and annual snowfall comes nowhere near to that of New England, where
lake effect snows keep the ski slopes blanketed pretty much all through the
winter. Our best scenario for natural snow is when moisture from an Atlantic
storm system collides with the polar jet stream dipping far into the south east
Appalachians - a phenomenon that happens far too seldom to run a profitable
ski resort throughout the season.
chunk of North Carolina saw these huge mountain slopes and their lack of natural
snow, and decided to do something about it! Sugar Mountain,
Beech Mountain, and even Hawksnest ski resort
in Seven Devils became early pioneers in snowmaking technologies. Today, man
made snow supplements ski resorts even in regions of the heaviest natural snowfalls.
In North Carolina, the roar of the snow guns can be heard throughout the valley
any time the temperature dips around freezing. Thanks to modern day snow making
capabilities, our North Carolina ski resorts are able to remain open pretty
much all through the winter and#8211; as long as it freezes of course!
is a healthy combination of natural snow and the man made stuff. When this happens,
skiing and snowboarding on our vast mountain trails is an experience that rivals
any of the east coast ski resorts. For the times when Mother Nature isnand#8217;t
so cooperative, there are some conditions that arise that every south eastern
skier and snowboarder should be aware of.
and the sun shines stronger on the slopes. In these conditions snow (man made
or not) will have a tendency to melt, providing for a wet, slushy skiing experience
- in itself something to get used to. Symptoms of this condition include a sudden
slowing down and an inability to make a successful cut, or turn. A well waxed
ski may allow you to glide more easily through these and#8220;slush puddlesand#8221;,
but as far as turning goes, its best not to even try.
the snow blowing starts, the snow that turned to slush during the day turns
to ice a night. Ice patches can be highly dangerous, causing one to speed up
uncontrollably, feeling kind of like your feet slipping out from under you on
a frozen pond. A well tuned pair of skis with sharp edges digging into the ice
is your best bet for slowing down. Patches of ice can sometimes be hidden under
a cover of fresh blown snow, which can really be an unexpected surprise. Any
large patches of ice are usually well marked, and snow cats can help break up
the ice, grooming the surface to make for a safer, more enjoyable skiing experience.
Repetitive days and nights of these conditions can cause large patches of ice,
and will eventually lead to the closing of trails (and the entire slope) as
the season progresses.
To be sure, these conditions exist at all ski resorts, and are a natural progression
of the season. It just seems to be more exaggerated in the south! Rest assured
that the North Carolina Ski Patrol vigilantly checks all trails, marking bare
spots and patches of ice, and will not hesitate to close trails where hazardous
conditions persist. State of the art snow grooming equipment and the ability
to generate a fresh cover of snow gives the North Carolina ski resorts just
the edge they need to provide for a more uniform surface condition, allowing
for a fun, longer and safer ski season.
In my next article, we will explore in detail Sugar Mountain, Beech Mountain,
and Hawksnest Ski Resort. Three top notch ski areas that make North
Carolina skiing and snowboarding the best in the south! Ski
North Carolina!
Article Source: http://www.upublish.info
About the Author:
Michael Talbert
About the Author:
Michael Talbert, a former resident of Banner Elk North Carolina, has spent many
of days on the slopes of Sugar
Mountain, Beech
Mountain and Hawksnest, and is living to tell about it! Not to be one sided,
he has also skied the slopes of New England, upstate New York, and Colorado.
Visit his website Banners Elk Outdoor Living at http://BannersElk.com 
Keywords: Michael Talbert, north carolina skiing, ski north carolina, sugar mountain, beech mountain, banner elk nc
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