Snow is On The Way – Cold Too and Great Conditions Will Result as Winter Should Stick Around Awhile!

First Trax

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Most resorts are showing slightly less base this morning than yesterday and with the moderate rain that was falling overnight and as of 6:45am this morning, you can bet that some thin coverage and bare areas are showing on some slopes and that the base depths should reflect more of a drop.  HOWEVER, the GREAT news is that this may be the last of the mild air for awhile!  Yahoo!  Cold air returns around lunchtime today and along with it some natural snow.  All of the snowguns will be firing as well and we should see some amazing conditions shortly.  We’ll see improving conditions with each passing hour!  The next two weeks features COLD, snowmaking temps and you can bet that resorts will be taking great advantage of it. 

Gil Adams of Ski Beech even hinted that The Oz Run may be opening soon.  Maybe Top Gun at Hawksnest may get opened.  I was up at Hawksnest yesterday and spoke with Duggan up there and he said to expect the guns to be blasting as soon as temps allow.

We’re expecting to see some decent natural snow beginning today and overnight tonight so conditions will be good today, very nice tonight and GREAT for Sunday and beyond.

Check back later today for updates on the snowfall, some updated photos and comments as we’ll post updates as warranted.

Good Skiers and Riders here in the High Country –

I was blessed to be able to hang out with the 6th, 7th and 8th graders of Valle Crucis as they made a class day, field trip to Hawksnest yesterday and it is amazing to see the good skiers and snowboarding among the 11, 12, 13 and 14 year olds in that group.  Cody Bauer who is in the 6th grade at Valle Crucis and a member of my soccer team (The Appnet Little Dots), and daughter to a mom and dad instructor team at Sugar Mountain, is a good little snowboarder.  The amazing part is that she was only snowboarding yesterday because she just got new race skis and her dad didn’t want her skiing on them at Hawksnest yesterday.  The point is that she’s an even better skier and snowboarder.  Cody competes on the race team at Sugar and skis three to four times a week.  There were others in the group yesterday, including a young boy named Christian who could FLY, and Carrigan Doble (yes my daughter) who was probably the best form skier out there yesterday.

I also watched as several 7th and 8th graders were throwing down to nice moves on the snow hits, boxes and rails on Sock Em Dog.  It was really cool to see the kind of quality riders we have in the area and they were doing it for no reason other than the fact that they love to ski and ride.

Here’s some notes around the area:

Cataloochee Resort is expecting 2-4” of snow today and they are also wanting everyone to know that The Cat Cage Terrain park is open making them 100% open from 8:30am- 10pm with day, twilight and night skiing only. Weekend rates in effect. Tubing open from 10am until 10pm today. Ski Country Sports Demo Day is on Sunday, February 5 and US Ski Team Day on February 10, our kickoff for the Olympics, when we will donate $1 out of each lift ticket sold that day to help the Olympic Team GO FOR THE GOLD! Look them up on the web at www.cataloochee.com  for more information.

Ski Beech is expecting to crank up the snowguns first today as temps will drop quickest at the high elevations of 5,000+ feet!  They are self-reporting some thin spots (way to go Ski Beech) and they are running 12 trails today on a 12-24” base.

Sugar Mountain has been doing a nice job of reporting base and snowfalls this season. However they need to kick in with the self reporting of thin coverage and bare spots which they are not reporting this morning but they do have plenty of. Nevertheless Sugar is looking pretty decent with good snow in the main trail area and a base of 12-49”. If you’re into watching some really good skiers and riders you should check out the USSA Races this weekend-9am till 12 noon on Sugar Slalom only.  Sugar will be firing up the snowguns the moment the cold and snow hits today so take your goggles.

Wolf Laurel is still operating with 12 trails although their base depth is wrong.  They haven’t changed the base depth on their report in two weeks and snow melts down there as well.  So expect variable conditions…but also expect some thin coverage and bare spots there.  Until we see their base depth adjusted we’re just reporting “good snow”.

In closing, it will be a pleasure not to have to worry about base depths for a few weeks (other than to hope that resorts will keep it real) because some snow and plenty of COLD temps should kick in today and stick around for the next two weeks AT LEAST. Looks like this TIMELY WINTER that I keep writing about has made it such that our resorts have weathered the hard part, remained in decent shape and NOW THE FUN BEGINS!!!!

THINK SNOW AND COLD…maybe we can get a foot of snow out this just yet!

Until Next Time!

Be sure to check out www.SkiSoutheast.com for more news and stories for all of the Southeast’s ski areas.

Be sure to email photos, snow reports and comments to: [email protected]

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Jake Parris, a talented young ski racer, does a nice job off the top of Sugar a couple of days ago – Enlarge for nice photo
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