There’s about three full weeks of ski season remaining as of today. Some resorts are on late-season scheduling but all are in quite nice shape with plenty of snow to enjoy. If you are reading this column this morning, put down that golf club and pick up the phone and make a reservation to ski at your favorite ski area this week or weekend. Conditions are that good right now.
Be sure to check the SLOPE CONDITIONS page for openings and conditions. Things are slow on this Monday, so I’m going to have some fun. Read on…
MERRY CHRISTMAS CRYSTAL…
I want to thank Joe and Angie Stevens for their Christmas card! Thanks also to an old, midlands South Carolina friend, Rick Gore and his wife Beth for their Christmas card! Before some of you think that I’ve had some kind of server crash that is making us show old content – NOPE, this is March 12th, 2007 and I am just now getting two Christmas wishes. One was postmarked December 15th and the other December 22nd, so these were not connected cases of miss-directed mail. I LOVE THESE MOUNTAINS!
If you read this column often, you guys know how much I love and respect these hills that we live in! I tell people often that unless Christ returns sooner, they will plant me here! There’s so much to enjoy and love here. The Post Office is not one of them. I know that I pull your legs sometimes…but this isn’t one of those times. I reached into my mailbox this morning and lo and behold there really were two Christmas Greetings!
If this was rare situation, this wouldn’t be worthy as part of this column. If you ever watched the movie Funny Farm, starring Chevy Chase, there’s a couple of funny scenes that shows the local postal service delivering the mail and once he’s left – everyone meets on the street and hands the correct mail to each other. That is our mail service in Banner Elk. It may seem like I’m exaggerating but I assure you that not a week goes by that my staff doesn’t trade mail with another business in our building.
Complain you say?!? I don’t think so. A few years ago during a few straight snow days we had not received mail. I called the post office and spoke with Crystal, our postmaster, to inquire as to when we’d get mail. You know the rain, sleet, snow thing. I was told that the reason was because there was a pile of snow in front of our mail boxes that would require the mailman to put his vehicle in reverse. When I said that I didn’t want to complain…I was interrupted with, “No, Mike you called a few years ago when mail wasn’t being delivered to your PO Box daily.”
These people have memories! So, no I won’t complain and the truth is I kind of enjoyed getting a couple of Christmas cards today.
WE’RE ON MOUNTAIN TIME …
I kid because I actually enjoy what comes with living in the mountains. Things just go a little slower here and hopefully that will never change. “Progress” is happening here at our highest elevations and it’s probably not a good thing. A few years back we could not get next day delivery on any kind of package – now we can. I also remember when we ordered phone service from the local telephone company; the installation was contingent of whether or not “Herb’s” back was better. No, I’m not kidding.
I was told that I should relax and enjoy the fact that I was now on “mountain time”. That was nearly seventeen years ago and now I enjoy those kinds of idiosyncrasies. Almost daily I am reminded that I LIVE in an area that millions love to visit. I live in an area that is a mecca for almost every kind of recreation known to mankind. Hiking, biking, whitewater rafting, canoeing, skiing (water and snow), snowboarding, horseback riding, golf, tennis, caving, and rock climbing are just the tip of the iceberg…regarding things that you can enjoy in the mountains of the Southeast and Mid Atlantic.
So I’ll take the little quirks of living in the mountains anytime. So, thanks again Joe for the card and Merry Christmas Crystal!
OH YEA – THE RESORT NEWS!
I got off on a tangent this morning! There’s some news that should be shared.
Appalachian – 36° – 100% Open
Cataloochee is CLOSED on Mondays. They will be open all this week.
Ski Beech – 32° – They look really nice this morning and everything is open with the except of a small connector trail (Crossway). Essentially they are 100% open. With the 32° overnight temperature things will be quite nice and firm for the first half of the day.
Sugar Mountain – 32° – Essentially the same report for Sugar as for Beech, except that Sugar has a bit deeper overall base. They are 100% open with 20 trails…and 3 tubing lanes.
Hawksnest, Sapphire and Wolf Ridge Resorts are all closed for the season.
THE VIRGINIA RESORT REPORT –
Massanutten Resort – 25° – They reported a 4” drop in base from yesterday and Spring Conditions is the term they are using for their surface conditions on 14 trails (they are 100% open as well) and 10 tubing lanes for today.
Wintergreen Resort – 32° – They are day skiing this week and will reopen for night skiing this weekend. They are offering 25 trails of Spring Conditions.
THE WEST VIRGINIA RESORT REPORT –
Canaan Valley – 28° – They are 100% open with 37 trails available. Conditions are pretty nice at Canaan with a snow-firming 28° overnight and only a 2” drop in base.
Snowshoe Mountain – 30° – Snowshoe has 54 trails open today. They are reflecting a huge 13-17” drop in base depth from yesterday. We’re assuming that is just a major correction and not some major rain that fell only at the Shoe! ļ They still have a healthy 36-48” base but were reporting 49-65” yesterday. All slopes were groomed except for Knot Bumper, Choker and Lower Shays. The Flying Eagle Lift will be closed Monday – Friday along with Flying Eagle, Bear Claw and Laurel Run slopes. They will all re-open this weekend. We will be pulling the ropes on the 2006-2007 season at the Silver Creek Ski Area this Sunday at 4:30 p.m. so come on up to celebrate St. Patty’s Day Weekend and another great season at the Creek.
Timberline Resort – No Updates Since Saturday.
MARYLAND RESORT REPORT –
Wisp at Deep Creek Resort – 29° – They are open for Day Skiing only today on 30 trails of Groomed and Loose Granular conditions on a base of 37-86”.
Until Next Time…
THINK COLD AND SNOW!!!
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For more information about the ski resorts of the Southeast and Mid Atlantic visit www.SkiSoutheast.com
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