Winter Fun

New for 2011-12:

• Upgraded tower snow guns on three slopes 
• Expanded grooming fleet to three on-site snowcats 
• Expanded Midnight Blast sessions to include Nov. 25-26, Dec. 26-30, and every Friday-Saturday in January and February 
• New French Swiss Ski College options for women and intermediate skiers and snowboarders 
• New features for the App Terrain Parks
• Wrist guards for added snowboarder safety

Beech Mountain Resort  
Beech Mountain 
800-438-2093 
At a glance: 95 acres of skiable terrain with 15 slopes and trails (three beginner, six intermediate, four advanced, two freestyle terrain areas). Peak elevation: 5,506 feet. Vertical drop: 830 feet. Longest run: 1 mile. Lifts include five doubles, a quad and a high-speed quad with a panoramic vista. Also includes a village ice rink and the Beech Mountain Adaptive Snowsports Center for kids and adults with disabilities.

New for 2011-12:

• 10 new automated SMI Super PoleCat snow guns 
• Increased skiable terrain (achieved by removing Old Lift No. 2) 
• Added the "School Yard" beginner area where tube run had been located 
• New Roots Ride Shop with a full demo line of skis and snowboards plus a ramp for indoor skating 
• New gift shop next to bakery with souvenirs and Beech Mountain Resort logo items 
• Additional ski and snowboard rental equipment

Mark the calendar: Adaptive Learn to Ski and Race Clinic, Jan. 16-20.

Cataloochee Ski Area  
Maggie Valley 
828-926-0285 
At a glance: 50 acres of skiable terrain with 16 slopes and trails (eight beginner, five intermediate, three advanced) and two freestyle terrain parks. Peak elevation: 5,400 feet. Vertical drop: 740 feet. Longest run: 3,500 feet (Upper and Lower Snowbird). Lifts includes a double, a triple and a quad. Area offers interscholastic and NASTAR recreational race programs. Nearby Tube World features a five-run tubing park and a Wee Bowl Snowplay Area.

New for 2011-12:

• A new triple chairlift to replace the Easy Way beginner chairlift
• Increased snowmaking and new automated guns that will allow for almost 95 percent automated snowmaking capacity 
• A state-of-the-art HEAD BYS system replacing the old junior ski rental fleet 
• Replaced more than 850 pairs of adult skis 
• An automatic ticketing system 
• Free public Wi-Fi in all buildings

Sapphire Valley Ski Area  
Sapphire 
828-743-7663 
At a glance: 8 acres of skiable terrain with two trails (one beginner, one intermediate). Peak elevation: 3,780 feet. Vertical drop: 200 feet. Longest run: 1,600 feet. Quad lift for the main run. Also features the Frozen Falls Tube Park with a 500-foot run and a 60-foot vertical drop.

Mark the calendar: Great Sapphire Outhouse Races, Feb. 18.

Sugar Mountain Resort  
Sugar Mountain 
828- 898-4521 
At a glance: 115 acres of skiable area with 20 slopes and trails (seven beginner, nine intermediate, three advanced, one freestyle terrain area). Peak elevation: 5,300 feet. Vertical drop: 1,200 feet. Longest run: 1.5 miles. Lifts include four doubles, one triple. Includes a 700-foot, multilane tube run; ice skating; guided snowshoe tour; and public racing program.

New for 2011-12:

• New snowmaking machines for the tubing area 
• Expanded schedule for tubing and skating to match the ski and snowboard schedule

Mark the calendar: Santa at Sugar, on the slopes Dec. 10-24.

Wolf Ridge Ski Resort  
Mars Hill 
828-689-4111 
At a glance: 72 acres of skiable terrain with 23 slopes and trails (12 beginner, eight intermediate, three advanced). Peak elevation: 4,700 feet. Vertical drop: 700 feet. Longest run: 3,700 feet. Lifts include two quads, two doubles. With two tube runs and a zipline just outside the resort.

New for 2011-12:

• A second tube run, longer and wider than the original; open daily 
• An 800-foot zipline with two cables; open year-round 
• Expanded terrain park

More Winter Play

Hawksnest Snow Tubing and Zipline Course  
Seven Devils 
828-963-6561, 800-822-4295 
Hawksnest, home to the East Coast's largest tubing park, extends its reach by more than doubling its year-round zipline course. The Eagle Tour, which opened in Summer 2011, adds nine cables across more than 2.5 miles. Added to the Hawk Tour, the resort has 19 cables running 4 miles. The tubing park includes 20 lanes of 400 to 1,000 feet spread over four terrains.

Jonas Ridge Snow Tubing Park 
Jonas Ridge 
828-733-4155 
With six lanes from slow to speedy, tubers can pick their pace for the downhill ride. A "magic carpet" conveyor belt makes it easy to return to the top.

Moonshine Mountain Snow Tubing Park 
Hendersonville 
828-696-0333 
The park features 500 feet of fun with three lanes plus a half-hill for young tubers. Moonshine Mountain allows trains of up to 20 people, which is forbidden at other parks.

Scaly Mountain Outdoor Center  
Scaly Mountain 
828-526-3737 
Scaly Mountain offers year-round tubing with snow in the winter and artificial turf in the summer. The resort offers a separate slope for young tubers and also features a skating rink and bungee trampolines.

Beech Mountain Sledding Hill, Snowshoe Trails 
Beech Mountain 
828-387-9283 
The town of Beech Mountain maintains a free sledding hill for children 12 and younger (parents can ride with smaller children), next to Town Hall. A combination of natural and man-made snow keeps the conditions right. Plastic sleds are required. 

Beech Mountain’s Buckeye Recreation Center offers private snowshoe excursions and occasional group outings as well as equipment rentals. Call 828-387-3003 for details.