Springlike Temps and Plenty of Snow! Get Out and Enjoy It!

Okay…so base depths are dropping some (about 3-4” at most locations since Tuesday morning) and so what if base depths aren’t quite as deep as some resorts are reporting;  there’s still plenty of snow.  Just look at the slope conditions on SkiSoutheast.com and we’ll keep it real for you.  Remember we are only reporting the minimum number at all resorts and the LEAST base depth according to their own numbers would be Ober Gatlinburg with 14” of coverage and Ski Beech with 22”.  Ober is closing for the season on Sunday and they have had a great season.  Ski Beech is still keeping an eye on the weather and their accounting ledgers and have not announced a closing date, however we’ve gotten pretty good at “reading” them and we could be wrong but we think Sunday will be the last day of the 2005-2006 season for them.  If you want to keep them open…head to the slopes!  There‘s plenty of snow and good side-to-side coverage but it takes people to keep them open. One look at the Ski Beech cam will tell you that there are no bare spots to speak of and full coverage right now. Get out and ski!

The best snow in North Carolina right now would have to be at Appalachian with Cataloochee getting a close second in terms of snow depth.  However all of the ski areas are going to skiing on loose granular and increasingly slushy, spring-like conditions with some thin coverage beginning to show by the weekend across the state.

THE BEST TERRAIN PARK IN NC – That argument has surfaced on and off most of the season particularly on the messageboard with fans of both Hawksnest and Appalachian semi offending each other with rants about how stupid one or the other is.  More posts hit in the last couple of days and we’re here to put our take on it…and let you guys and gals vote on it.  The new SkiNC / SkiSoutheast Ski Poll is asking “Which of the Southeast Resorts shown do YOU think has the best terrain park?  We posted the poll just seconds ago and already Appalachian Ski Mountain has the early edge with two votes in the first couple of seconds.  For the record WE were one of those votes!  I think it’s going to be a clear choice across the region that Appalachian probably has the best park followed by Snowshoe and Hawksnest will certainly get some consideration as they have devoted a lot of time and money to bringing the terrain park a long way since last season.  However they still have a ways to go to surpass the park at Appalachian.  Those guys really work it and you just have to give credit where credit is due.  Knowing Hawksnest, they will make further strides in the off season and we’d bet they’ll give the others a run for their money next year.

SKINC is ALL OVER!!! – Doug Burnett (AKA 2SlikStix on the messageboard) has started a “SkiNC Representin’ Campaign” like you wouldn’t believe!  When we held the SkiNC Summit 2006 at Ski Beech a couple of weekends ago Doug brought with him a self-created SkiNC flag that was immediately appreciated by all. 

Joe Harmon (AKA Snowbird) took the flag to the top of Ski Beech and all over the slopes there on Saturday and then followed that flag parade with one that he did at Cataloochee Ski Area on the following Sunday.  The flag was seen by hundreds if not more.  Then Mark McKelvy showed up with it at Bridger Bowl, Montana and we featured that with a Photo of the Day on SkiSoutheast and SkiNC.com. 

Today “pokealongjay” has the flag has made it to Big Sky and word has it that others from the messageboad have plans to take the SkiNC Summit Flag to Colorado, Tahoe and who knows where next!?!  As the SkiNC /Utah Summit crew would say, “that IS b-o-m-m-m-b-b-e-r!”

Temps will make for a great day to ski in a long sleeve shirt or sweatshirt and enjoy the sun and wind on your face.  Conditions are pretty much going to be Loose Granular and Variable no matter where you choose to ski today.  There’s good coverage at ALL resorts today…so get out and enjoy it while you can!

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]