Welcome to Winter Everyone!

First Trax

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The last time I visited with you guys it was St Paddy's Day (last Sunday) and I was admiring the warm views from my boat of Watauga Lake. I was DEEPLY effected by Spring Fever. It was running rampant around my office so I was bound to catch it…or perhaps I gave it to my staff. I'm not certain.

However, I was up at the lake, enjoying temperatures in the upper 60s (it reached 70° the day before) and I had visions of summer drinks coming out of what we fondly call our "Margaritanator" dancing through my head. I had even shopped for new jetskis and was ready to turn the updating and writing reins over to TheKenDog and Tonette for a final week or so of the season.

WHAT HAPPENED!?!?!

This past week we had snow and temps that I personally witnessed of 7° atop Sugar and Beech Mountain! I saw some legislator on Fox News threatening to sue Punxatawney Phil for forecasting an early Spring back on Groundhog Day, February 2nd.

YOU WANT TO "HEAR" SOMETHING INCREDULOUS????

Since February 2nd, portions of the West Virginia mountains have experienced 104.8" of SNOW! 55.2" of it came from February 3-28th and 49.6" of snow has fallen in March. Hell nearly a FOOT of snow has fallen up around Davis, West Virginia in the last 6-7 days!

…and I went and finalized the deal on the jetskis yesterday. Am I nuts?

HARD MESSAGE TO SELL…BUT…

I was speaking with my good friend Brad Moretz of Appalachian Ski Mountain earlier in the week. He called me and shared the fact that these last days of the season for App could be the best days of the season in terms of conditions. While the snow was softened a bit due to some 40s and 50s earlier in the week, they were firmed right back up with temps in the teens mid week and with the nice bit of natural snow on top…things were in mid season form.

App is open today and Sunday celebrating their "Meltdown Games" although like Brad said, "We may be having an ice skim instead of a pond skim".

Conditions will be great and we'll see who plays after Sunday. There's talk that Sugaror Cat (or both) might try to break some records by staying open into April, however I should remind you guys that it is only March 23rd and while I DO know that some ski areas WILL be open NEXT weekend, I'm relatively certain that most if not all of the Southeast and Mid Atlantic ski areas will call it quits by the 31st, if not before. Obviously some will close tomorrow (as App and Beech have already announced) and some are already closed.

Check the snow report and watch here for more updates.

Enjoy "WINTER" while you can. There's PLENTY of snow on the slopes. Bear in mind that App will be closing tomorrow with a top base of MORE THAN SIX FEET OF SNOW! Conditions will be as good as it gets for Spring skiing. Traditionally this time of year we're skiing or riding on slushy mashed potatoes and while there is SOME of that out there, there's also some really, really nice conditions for these closing days.

I was up at Sugar on Friday and things looked really nice for those few riders who were out there experiencing it.

Go enjoy your day and I'll update you guys on the other closings on Sunday and who will be open beyond. I got a couple of emails yesterday from readers PLEADING with us to ask the ski areas to remain open into April. It doesn't work that way guys and gals, and we'll see what happens…however if I was you guys and you are wanting to ride one more time before the season ends…I'd do it today and tomorrow…and consider myself lucky for those resorts that will still be open NEXT WEEKEND. Check the snow report for more.

Email me if you have any beefs, photos, kudos or images and what not: [email protected]

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