BOONE
The ski industry can invest in snow-making equipment, but that beautiful snow falling from the sky is something that money can't buy.
"A good snow is the best marketing tool you can have," said Talia Freeman at Ski Beech. "Our phone rings off the hook."
The resorts in Northwest North Carolina received about 7 inches of snow yesterday, before things changed over to sleet and rain, with hearty skiers staying on the slopes through it all.
The wintry mix of snow and ice that led emergency officials to tell people to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary has made this winter's weather a mixed blessing for the ski and tubing resorts.
"It's a balance between having terrific conditions on the slopes and not such terrific conditions on the roads," said Mac Forehand, the director of the Boone Convention and Visitors Bureau. "But the North Carolina DOT does a terrific job of getting the snow off the roads up here."
Kim Jochl at Sugar Mountain Resort said it's understandable that people don't want to drive when road conditions are bad. But, she said, the N.C. Department of Transportation and the resort's own crews know how important the resorts are to the area economy and work hard to get the roads cleared.
"Eventually the roads get fixed up, and the conditions are fantastic," Jochl said.
The past five seasons have been good ones for the resorts in Northwest North Carolina.
Sugar Mountain had nearly 70 inches of snow last year, and was open for 128 days. It's too early to tell, but after starting a week later than last year, the resort expects to catch up and be open about as many days this year.
The resort is celebrating its 40th season. Its longest season was in 2007-08, when it was open for 140 days. Its shortest season was 94 days in 2001-02.
The elevation, cold weather and advances in snow-making equipment mean that ski resorts have had some good years even when it didn't snow as much as usual.
With both good snow and improved snow-making capabilities, Appalachian Ski Mountain is aiming this year for its longest season ever, hoping to stay open until April 11, the Sunday after Easter.
Hawksnest, a Seven Devils resort that offers tubing runs and zip lines, was closed yesterday because of the snow and road conditions. Its Web site advised people to check this morning.
The resorts all have Web sites that include webcams. Travelers can check conditions and hours of operation before making a trip. The webcams can be seen at www.appskimtn.com, www.hawksnestresort.com, www.skibeech.com, and www.skisugar.com.
mmitchell@wsjournal.com | 667-5691
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