So far... this has been an awesome 2012-2013 winter ski season in the NC High Country. Appalachian, Beech and Sugar Mountain Ski Resorts have all enjoyed favorable weather and great ski conditions for the Southeastern states. Sugar Mountain opened the earliest in the resort's history for the Halloween weekend. The early start was followed by Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and MLK- all which were fortunately fun, cold, snowy holiday weekends. Great economic boost to the NC High Country economy.
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Many of the winter mornings, we have been greeted by fog and ice.
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Wind, fog & blowing snow have made for some frosty mornings. Visibility limited to 5-10 feet.
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Nothing like the clouds & fog clearing to reveal the beautiful NC and TN mountain ranges.
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Cabin down the street seems perfectly decorated for the holidays in a blanket of white!!
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Grouse Moor Drive on Sugar Mountain.
The road we have to navigate up to the top ridge of Sugar Mtn. Always a beautiful drive...
But often more dangerous than many weekenders prefer.
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Brian and I enjoyed New Years Eve with Chad & John. We ventured to the top of the mountain, out onto the upper most slope & watched the fireworks with members of the ski patrol. Unique experience to view the explosions at eye level. Each "bomb" lit the lodge, slopes and valley below. What a great way to welcome in 2013!!
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For two days- this was all that my dad got to see. Nothing past the villa below... Finally on the last day of his visit- clouds lifted, blowing snow ceased & views looking west toward Tennessee were revealed. Awesome snow covered mountain ranges- as far as the eyes can see...
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It's been an awesome "virgin winter" for us. We've learned that we must keep up-to-date with the Sugartop weather forecast and not the Banner Elk or Boone forecasts. Winter weather conditions up at 5,000 feet are not for the weak... We have experienced several winter storms with winds over 60mph and a holiday storm with sustained winds & snow over 25 mph that lasted two days. My dad called it a "whiteout" as he thought he would never get to see a view past our deck to the villa below. Jersey has been a trooper- she tackles snow drifts that are easily twice her height. But she is not a fan of the hard & slippery ice coatings that tend to blanket the higher elevations. We are looking forward to more wintery adventures before spring arrives in April - May.
