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Hound Ears Ski Slopes, Blowing Rock, North Carolina

Discuss Lost or Closed NC Ski Areas here
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adm1n
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Hound Ears Resort Community and Golf Course is still in operation as a golf community. According to David Blust the resort used to have a couple of beginner trails that was operated mostly for guests to enjoy during winter stays. They had ONE chair lift and a rope tow.



The four-season resort still offers activities such as golf, tennis, swimming, and dining, and used to offer downhill skiing on two slopes.



Hound Ridge began skiing in the mid-1960s and operated until around 1991. They did some snowmaking and depended a lot on natural snow.



The ski area was almost an afterthought to the resort's other amenities. Ski slopes were tried almost as an attempt to give Hound Ears land owners something else for their money. The slopes had a very "private" feel to it as skiers were either homeowners or guests of the resort's packaged "stay and ski".



If you have any information or photos about this ski area, post here or drop us an email at [email protected]. This portion of the messageboard was implemented so that those who have skied or played at any of the closed ski areas can share their experiences and discuss "old times". Understand that the content shared may not be 100% accurate.
adm1n
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I personally remember visiting this ski area in 1990 as a newbie skier, looking for an easy place to learn. I thought Appalachian and Beech were a little too steep for my then girlfriend so we drove up and to Hound Ears. After visiting and watching a little while, we drove over to Appalachian and skied our first runs there.
jamsandwich
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can anyone give me a reference about where the slopes were? i drive by here a couple times a week and its always been in the back of my mind. thanks
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yardsale
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my guess is here:



http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 5&t=h&z=14



near the golf course at shulls mill. i've been looking for abandoned slopes, but seeing as how there were only two and it closed 20 years ago i'm not really sure
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ericwberg
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jamsandwich;226072 wrote:
can anyone give me a reference about where the slopes were? I drive by here a couple times a week and its always been in the back of my mind. Thanks



i skied there in the 1960's and i remember the slope in the back of the main building. The ski shop/rental/tickets were in the basement (golf shop converted?)
adm1n
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You could definately see the slopes right from the main drive into Hound Ears. I remember that the slopes were open to the public at one time and all you had to do was tell the person at the guard gate that - and they'd let you right in - kind of like the guard gate at Chetola in Blowing Rock.
sts9shredder
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the two "slopes" are still there and you can barely make them out on google. During big snowstorms I have made some kickers with friends and messed around on the larger slope. They are kind of shaded in the picture but the main slope starts near the corner of dogwood and linden and makes a dog leg turn up towards cedar lane. the smaller one is adjacent and is basicly a bunny hill



edit: great sledding hills!
skiing rules
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Skiatlanta, atljibsteeze and myself drove around back there for about 3o minutes last january looking for it, but we couldn't find it so we left and went to hawks
Tmiller72
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A LONG time ago I had just bought a Burton Cruizer snowboard ('89 or '90?). I went over to Hound Ears to ask if I could use it there, they had no idea what a snowboard was. haha
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Lee Smith
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Hounds Ear was the first place I ever skied as a 14 year old back in 1980 on a church youth group retreat. Took lessons on the bunny slope and they basically taught us how to snow plow. I tried it my first run down the main slope and wiped out the chair lift line. I have skied many runs since then over the past 30 years including the Birds of Prey world cup down hill at Beaver Creek but that day in 1980 at Hounds Ear was my last attempt at "snow plowing". The 1rst time I enrolled my kids in ski lessons was at Cooper Mt Colorado a few years back and 'snow plowing" was not in the curriculum thank God.
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