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Hey Everyone! New guy from Raleigh NC

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jacksonhwall
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hello all! My name is Jackson and I'm a snowboarder from the Raleigh Area. Id love to connect with any others who ski/board the NC mountains frequently, always looking for new friends to ride with!

Also I'm heading up to Snowshoe for the first time ever in a month, any advice and heads up for that mountain would be sweet! thanks all!
Woodsrider427
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Welcome!! I'm fairly new to the board as well, I'm from Wake Forest. I occasionally go to the NC mountains, I'm actually heading to Sugar in the morning. I was planning to hit Wintergreen since it's a little closer and I bought one of their 4-pack passes, but they only have 4 trails open so not worth it.

What days are you heading to Snowshoe? We will be there the 31st-3rd and again February 8th-9th, I also might be going mid next week. We go quite often as we have passes, been twice already. The weekends can be crazy (unfortunately it's the only time my kids can go) so get out first thing (wait for the ropes to drop) if you are going on a Saturday and Sunday. By 10:30 or so the lift lines can get nuts (especially Ballhooter which is the main high speed on the Basin side), but usually let up a little around 12:30-1:00 when everyone goes in for lunch. Sometimes the Soaring Eagle lift isn't too bad of an option.

The Western Territory lift is a much better option, as it's usually much less crowded. But that only services black terrain, don't know what level you are. When the Ballhooter lift gets crowded we like to lap the middle blue runs (Skip Jack, Spruce, Gandy Dancer) and use the Grabhammer lift which is slow but usually minimal lines. My daughter likes those runs since she is not confident on the blacks yet.
jacksonhwall
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Woodsrider427 wrote: Thu Jan 10, 2019 6:11 pm Welcome!! I'm fairly new to the board as well, I'm from Wake Forest. I occasionally go to the NC mountains, I'm actually heading to Sugar in the morning. I was planning to hit Wintergreen since it's a little closer and I bought one of their 4-pack passes, but they only have 4 trails open so not worth it.

What days are you heading to Snowshoe? We will be there the 31st-3rd and again February 8th-9th, I also might be going mid next week. We go quite often as we have passes, been twice already. The weekends can be crazy (unfortunately it's the only time my kids can go) so get out first thing (wait for the ropes to drop) if you are going on a Saturday and Sunday. By 10:30 or so the lift lines can get nuts (especially Ballhooter which is the main high speed on the Basin side), but usually let up a little around 12:30-1:00 when everyone goes in for lunch. Sometimes the Soaring Eagle lift isn't too bad of an option.

The Western Territory lift is a much better option, as it's usually much less crowded. But that only services black terrain, don't know what level you are. When the Ballhooter lift gets crowded we like to lap the middle blue runs (Skip Jack, Spruce, Gandy Dancer) and use the Grabhammer lift which is slow but usually minimal lines. My daughter likes those runs since she is not confident on the blacks yet.
Thanks so much for your response! Im going up to wintergreen hopefully Feb 1st so maybe they'll have more snow by then. Im going up to snowshoe Feb 15-19. all of that info is super helpful thank you! I was worried about the crowds so that really helps!

as far as my skill level its funny you ask. I feel like im right at the cusp of moving onto blacks. I feel completely comfortable on every blue ive done but ive just been a bit nervous too jump over to a black. I know western territory are pretty legit hard runs, but how are the other blacks in the basin? any of those good for someone to try as their first black? thanks again for all of your help!
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brigand
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jacksonhwall wrote: Fri Jan 11, 2019 10:31 am
Thanks so much for your response! Im going up to wintergreen hopefully Feb 1st so maybe they'll have more snow by then. Im going up to snowshoe Feb 15-19. all of that info is super helpful thank you! I was worried about the crowds so that really helps!

as far as my skill level its funny you ask. I feel like im right at the cusp of moving onto blacks. I feel completely comfortable on every blue ive done but ive just been a bit nervous too jump over to a black. I know western territory are pretty legit hard runs, but how are the other blacks in the basin? any of those good for someone to try as their first black? thanks again for all of your help!
Grabhammer feels steeper to me than the Western Territories (with the exception of Lower Shays); Camp 99 is a fairly tame black and a good place to test your legs; Widowmaker has a decent grade to it but it's a literal straight line to the bottom. Choker is steep for like 3 seconds at the top, and then runs out to a gentle blue. Sawmill has never been open when I was at Snowshoe, so no thoughts on that one.

To be clear, I am no expert snowboarder, but I thought I was riding down Gandy Dancer over Christmas, and pulling up to the lift was pleasantly surprised to find out I had actually turned down Grabhammer. Grabhammer looks really steep riding up the lift and you can definitely psych yourself out- you always see people taking off their skis and walking down it - but if it's not ice, it's a pretty mellow black.

Whoopdeedoo at Sugar is by far the scariest run I have been down on a snowboard in the southeast. I've been laughed at by guys on the lift as they watched me slide down the whole thing on my heels :)
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brigand
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Here's a picture of the weather on the night of the 23rd to get you stoked for your trip. Hope you have good weather :) The weekend looks like it might deliver.
day 3 c (2).JPG
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Woodsrider427
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brigand wrote: Fri Jan 11, 2019 3:34 pm
jacksonhwall wrote: Fri Jan 11, 2019 10:31 am
Thanks so much for your response! Im going up to wintergreen hopefully Feb 1st so maybe they'll have more snow by then. Im going up to snowshoe Feb 15-19. all of that info is super helpful thank you! I was worried about the crowds so that really helps!

as far as my skill level its funny you ask. I feel like im right at the cusp of moving onto blacks. I feel completely comfortable on every blue ive done but ive just been a bit nervous too jump over to a black. I know western territory are pretty legit hard runs, but how are the other blacks in the basin? any of those good for someone to try as their first black? thanks again for all of your help!
Grabhammer feels steeper to me than the Western Territories (with the exception of Lower Shays); Camp 99 is a fairly tame black and a good place to test your legs; Widowmaker has a decent grade to it but it's a literal straight line to the bottom. Choker is steep for like 3 seconds at the top, and then runs out to a gentle blue. Sawmill has never been open when I was at Snowshoe, so no thoughts on that one.

To be clear, I am no expert snowboarder, but I thought I was riding down Gandy Dancer over Christmas, and pulling up to the lift was pleasantly surprised to find out I had actually turned down Grabhammer. Grabhammer looks really steep riding up the lift and you can definitely psych yourself out- you always see people taking off their skis and walking down it - but if it's not ice, it's a pretty mellow black.

Whoopdeedoo at Sugar is by far the scariest run I have been down on a snowboard in the southeast. I've been laughed at by guys on the lift as they watched me slide down the whole thing on my heels :)
I think Grabhammer is one of the easier blacks to start on, it was the first one my daughter ever tried. It does look steep looking at it from the lift but it's really not bad at all. The "steep part" is very short. I would say that even though Camp 99 is fairly tame it is much longer so you can get some speed going if you don't keep up the turns. Sawmill is about the same as Camp 99, although sometimes they don't groom it. I think they only classify Choker as a black because they don't normally groom it and let it bump up some, at least the times I've been there.

Of course I have no idea how any of this pertains to snowboarding, as I've never done it.

OP, to me the one that always seems to get people is Upper Ballhooter. It is a blue but I think a lot of people misjudge it (although in the grand scheme it's not really steep), especially when it's icy. It makes for some entertaining rides on the Ballhooter lift. The week of New Years it was insane, I've never seen so many people sliding down on their backs. It always surprises me how many beginners give that one a shot.

FYI, I was at Wintergreen today and they were pounding out the snow so they should be in good shape by Feb 1st as long as the weather cooperates.
jacksonhwall
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@Woodsrider427 thank you so much for all of the Advice and help! I think ill give Grabhammer and Camp 99 my first day. If im feeling cocky after that I may move over to the Cupp run hahaha. But seriously this is all such great info thank you so much! If youre ever riding in the Nc Mountains (Beech, SUgar, App) give me a shout, I m always looking to meet up and ride with people! I hope your snowshoe trip is awesome!! Ill be up there the weekend after!

@brigand AHH so much stoke! I've been checking their cams everyday. Im hoping they keep getting consistent powder so they'll be some when I go, but even so at least there will be a sick base. I hope your trip up there was great!
Woodsrider427
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jacksonhwall wrote: Mon Jan 14, 2019 11:09 am @Woodsrider427 thank you so much for all of the Advice and help! I think ill give Grabhammer and Camp 99 my first day. If im feeling cocky after that I may move over to the Cupp run hahaha. But seriously this is all such great info thank you so much! If youre ever riding in the Nc Mountains (Beech, SUgar, App) give me a shout, I m always looking to meet up and ride with people! I hope your snowshoe trip is awesome!! Ill be up there the weekend after!

@brigand AHH so much stoke! I've been checking their cams everyday. Im hoping they keep getting consistent powder so they'll be some when I go, but even so at least there will be a sick base. I hope your trip up there was great!
You're welcome!! I'm not that traveled of a skier yet (plan to change that over the next few seasons), but I've done a ton of laps around Snowshoe over the last few seasons so I know it well.

The only time I get to Sugar or Beech is early season weekends or during the week peak season. I think I am heading to Sugar on Wednesday. I do several weekdays at Wintergreen too as it's a little closer to me. I try to avoid weekends if possible. If you can ever do a weekday let me know, my schedule can be flexible with some notice.
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