With last week’s report of having so many new visitors to the site, together with resortcams.com and highcountryweather.com, I thought I would have a little faith that many are now returning visitors and give them some useful tips about the site, our resorts, and the sport in general. I understand those of you who are new to SkiSoutheast may not be new to skiing, but we all could use a refresher once in a while 😉
SkiSoutheast
– Be sure to check out our daily snow report on all 17 featured resorts, especially when it snows. Though that’s another reason to rely on us – you may not know that Beech got two inches the night before, or that Sapphire Valley is reporting some bare spots. We also keep a tally of total inches of natural snowfall for the season.
– We operate a message board in conjunction with the site, so feel free to join! You’ll find discussions on almost anything under the sun and everything on the snow, from users’ trip reports and latest gear purchases to beer counts and a ‘show your pets’ thread. It’s a great way to “meet” others with the same passion, and pretty cool if/when you actually run into message board member skilikeme on the slopes.
– We work with local meteorologists and of course our resorts to find out the latest and greatest information so we can provide it to you in real time. If you want to be the first to know when Ober is opening or how to get free lift tickets from Winterplace, check back here daily, but even better, follow us on Twitter. You’ll be in the know all season long.
Our Resorts
– Many resorts feature more than just skiing and snowboarding. Wisp has a mountain coaster open year-round. I can only imagine the views, not that you have a chance to really take them all in as you’re zipping around a corner like a racecar. Bryce, Sugar, and Cat, among others, have snow tubing. Who doesn’t enjoy sailing down the powder on a tube every once in a while? Timberline has a long list of extras, ranging from ice skating to snowshoeing and sledding. The kiddos are sure to have enough to entertain them.
– Quite a few resorts have Facebook pages that they keep up-to-date. You’ll find recent photos, comments and recommendations, and of course, praise from visitors. It’s pretty neat to read people’s opinions of their favorite spots. I found a few that I thought I’d share, but it was encouraging to see how many there were to choose from. A friend of App wrote ,"Best of both worlds, family oriented and badass terrain parks!" On Snowshoe’s page, an avid fan posted "hands down best riding on east coast :D." Mass "has EVERYTHING TO DO, Skiing was Great this year (2012)…," according to a visitor from last season. It’s evident that all 17 resorts have a considerable following and rightfully so.
– If you go to the individual member resorts pages, you’ll find more information than you could ever want to know, including mountain stats and area information. For example, you’ll see that Wolf Ridge has 20 trails that are broken down by 40% beginner, 50% intermediate, and 10% advanced. Wintergreen reports 118 for projected days open, with an average snowfall of 34 inches. On Canaan’s page, you’ll see their top elevation is 4280 feet with a vertical drop of 850 feet. We can’t forget Liberty Snowflex that’s open 365 days a year – the perfect place for experienced enthusiasts to gear up for the season. Some avid snow junkies take all of this into consideration when deciding where to go, while others just enjoy the extra information. Use it as you will.
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The Homestead’s Holiday Shop >>
– Obviously, the slopes themselves are the main attraction, but it’s always nice to know what comes with the packaged deal. You can easily find out about lodging, dining, and more with just a few clicks – whether it’s around our site or on the resorts’ individual sites. If you’re into pampering and amenities, be sure to check out the Homestead. A spa, saloon, 10 restaurants, and ski shop are just a preview of what they have to offer. And they’re not the only one – we promote these places for a reason!
One Fun Tidbit
– There’s one fad that you’ll quickly identify among the ski community, and it could go over one way or another with you. That’s counting days on the snow. You’ll either become hooked and keep your own records, maybe even more detailed than simply how many days in a season you were out, or you’ll want nothing to do with it and think those who do just want to boast. Either way, it is interesting to see the numbers, especially on the message board. One man known nationwide comes to mind and that’s Paul Schipper. His number was 3,903. According to the Aspen Times, he was " an avid skier who obsessively hit the slopes every day of the season for more than 24 years." Now that’s a streak! Figured I’d throw it out there in case any of you are just getting started – wouldn’t want you to miss a few!
To our newbies, we hope you decide to stick around! The 2012-2013 season is just getting started and we know you’ll want to see what’s in store!
Email me your comments, photos, even snow numbers at [email protected]!