Far gone are the days of trekking up to Vermont to ski for the weekend. As a New Jersey transplant to the Triangle Area, I’ve found some awesome ski areas that are worth taking a day trip to or even worth travelling to for an entire weekend. Boone, North Carolina has become a new favorite ski town of mine. The mountainous winding roads and piles of white snow make you feel as though you are out west. Although it is pretty small compared to northeast ski resorts, Beech Mountain Resort offers fifteen trails with four expert runs. Another cool option for skiing in Boone is Sugar Mountain Resort, which has a vertical drop of 1200 feet. Sugar Mountain’s summit offers some expert terrain while the bottom of the mountain caters to the more novice skier.
If you are willing to travel even further, make a long weekend trip to Snowshoe Mountain. It’s located in West Virginia, about a five and a half hour drive from the Triangle area. It’s a great place to rent a condo with a group of friends and take a nice long weekend in the 4,848 foot altitude. Snowshoe Mountain is the best there is to offer in southeast ski terrain. With 60 trails and 15 lifts, this mountain definitely compares to and competes with the smaller Vermont hills. Average snowfall here is about 180 inches. Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort also has an award winning ski school, complete with top of the line rental equipment. Snowshoe has its own village center, complete with swanky shops and chill restaurants. There are an infinite number of on-site places to sleep and the night life is pretty lively. Check out www.skisoutheast.com for the most up-to-date snow reports covering not only North Carolina, but Virginia and West Virginia too. See you on the slopes!
