Lorrie Tomlinson reports at Hawksnest on Friday:
We arrived at Hawksnest around 10 a.m. and still managed front row parking. It was a nice day for tubing with the temperature never falling below 45, while we were there. The wind was non-existent. Snow was soft from the warm temperatures. We had a blast. After one of the sessions, we visited the Ski Shop. Miranda was very friendly and helpful. Thanks to her tremendous customer service, we are now sporting some cool Hawksnest shirts.
Mike Edwards reports on Sugar Mountain on Saturday:
I was at sugar for most of the day session. When I arrived there was hardly anyone on the slopes and the rain had stopped. The surface was wet, frozen granular. There were a few thin and bare spots but the conditions were actually pretty good considering the warm weather and rain they have had recently. Later on in the morning the rain resumed and continued throughout the day. The conditions stayed pretty much the same with exception to the people that showed up. For a rainy day there was a fairly large crowd on the hill. I don’t think the rain dampened the skier’s spirits though. All in all I would say it was a pretty good day. Would not give it any thumbs up but it was close.
Mark McKelvy reports from Cataloochee on Saturday:
Cat Crew + 1 on 1-20-06 — It was a tough decision to go snowboarding the day after my birthday. I was up late the night before, really tired, and it is almost a 3 hour drive to Cataloochee for me. There was also a 90% chance of rain. I decided to go anyway as I knew it would be fun and my last chance to get up with these guys again before the UTAH SUMMIT. It was raining when I got there so we sat around in the lodge and drank beer and watched ski movies until it let up a little. Today, from the messageboard, we had Myself, Teledave, Mr. Stinky, Cbkoontz, GreshamB, Waynecash, and we met Porter for a minute at the end. As far as conditions go, I hate to say it, but it is hurting out there. The snow is getting really thin for sure and it was very wet with a light drizzle every now and again. At least the temperature was nice and there weren’t any crowds. We had a blast regardless of what it was like out there today. As always these guys are really fun to hang out with. I am glad I went out today as a day on the hill is a day on the hill.
Lorrie Tomlinson reports at Sugar on Saturday:
Saturday morning presented a little drizzle, but it stopped soon after our arrival around 9am at Sugar. I was surprised tubing was open. The snow was brown and you could easily see the grass on the golf course below. We proceeded to the slopes where a dense fog enveloped the entire upper mountain. Big Red was more grass than snow. The right side of Sugar Slalom was also mostly grass. Upper and Lower Flying Mile, Easy Street, and several other trails, had many very thin areas. We had around 1.5 hours of no precipitation and then the rain started around 10:30. We finally gave up and left around 1pm. I did not make any turns at other resorts today, but, in all fairness, the rain probably took a toll at all of them.
Elsa Barnes reports from Wolf Laurel:
Not a great day to be skiing on Saturday due to the rain! Wolf’s base has definitely dropped-you can see that from the webcam- but all in all the snow was soft and not too slushy on all the trails. I’m afraid that some of the trails will be closing this week if this weather keeps up, as there are bare spots showing on all the intermediate and advanced slopes. There were several out of town groups up for the weekend, and everyone I spoke with was having a great time in spite of the rain and general nasty weather. The lift lines became an issue about midday, but weren’t unbearable because they opened the double chair and I think alot of the folks just called it a day by that time. I went away thinking that we in WNC still have alot to be thankful for, because the conditions may not be the greatest, but there’s still SNOW and SKIING. I got to see teens having their first snowball fights- got asked how to put on their skis or snowboards by several folks- saw many riding the lift back down-and yes, I still think a bad day skiing is better than a good day at work!
SkiSoutheast reports from Wisp Resort:
What a difference a day makes. Saturday was wet in the AM, firmed up a bit in the evening and then the snowguns ran all night Saturday night and into the early AM on Sunday and you could see the added 2”+ of base across most trails. That and the cold temps (in the 20s) made for what were near perfect conditions on Sunday for first tracks. We still saw a few thin coverage areas, but the snow at Wisp is in quite good shape and they offer some really great terrain for all skill levels. I liked Eye Opener and of course Squirrel Cage is a favorite. We also skied down Boulder and Possum early in the AM before having to leave to travel back home. Wisp is looking VERY NICE right now.
Dave Tanneyhill reports from Snowshoe:
Snowshoe was nice this weekend, despite some rain that fell and despite a few bare areas. Like most they could use a little cold although I will say that the thin areas are along the 4-5% arena. Hey SkiSoutheast couldn’t that be a way to do? Report 90% coverage, etc?
On-Snow Reporters:
We will keep a log of the best reporter’s submission, photos and reports. Trust us it is way to time consuming to post every pic…but send them…because we are tallying the scores. The winner of the Best On Snow Reporter for 2005-2006 will win $1000 in cash, a FREE Getaway Vacation and more. The contest will run from now through March 1st and we will choose the winner. Our choice will be based on the following and IN THE ORDER of importance.
Quality of Photos
Quality of Reports (well written, informative, unbiased)
Number of Photo Submissions
Number of Reports
Extra points will be given for getting smiling faces in the photos and including names and cities where you can.
Extra points will be awarded for creative ideas.
We will choose the winner based on how helpful and informative the reports have been.
As of 01/23/2006 here are the top vote getters. (We will only document the top three to five here throughout the season…and we may begin posting the top ten, depending on how close results are.)
1. Lorrie Tomlinson
2. Kent Jackson
3. Mark McKelvy