Most of his career was spent in real estate development and construction, however in 1974 he was presented with an opportunity to become involved with some ski resorts (Bryce Mountain, Massanutten and Blue Knob). My grandfather, Ray Costin, was a heck of a businessman. Even crazier is when I look back at how our family got into this business. Operating a ski resort in the South has its own sets of challenges and creates some pretty crazy days. My responses to their next round of questions usually include “Yes, I live in Charlotte Yes, there is good skiing in North Carolina Yes, I realize it was 65 degrees in January last week And yes, I’m a pretty good skier”. When people ask me what I do, they always look surprised to hear me say, “I work for a ski resort”. The separate snow tubing area has a run with a length of 350 feet.By Smarty Guest Blogger Shawn Williams, Beech Mountain Resort There are 15 ski trails, mostly suitable for intermediate and beginner skiers. Over the years it has increased its snowmaking capability and grown into a popular small ski area for the region. The ski resort is another one which can trace its history back to the Sixties. Wolf Ridge is located to the north of Asheville, just off I-26 near the Tennessee state line. Check accommodation availability around Asheville It is home to a campus of the University of North Carolina. Vertical drop: The ski area has a vertical of 365 feet with a top elevation of 4000 feetĪsheville is the largest city in the western part of North Carolina and makes another good base for those looking to visit the ski areas in the state, with three ski resorts nearby and the Boone area snow skiing within a reasonable drive. Skiable terrain: The ski slopes cover 27 acres Ski lifts: Appalachian Ski Mountain has six lifts, including three chairlifts The ski area slopes are 100% covered by snowmaking. The ski area may not be large but it offers three terrain parks and has an ice skating rink at the base station. It is the second-oldest ski area in the state (after Cataloochee) and runs daytime and evening skiing on the 12 trails. One of the smaller of the ski resorts in North Carolina, Appalachian Ski Mountain is located on the outskirts of Boone on the way to the resort town of Blowing Rock. The skiing includes a magic carpet for beginners and a separate terrain park, as well as a popular snow tubing area. That’s great news for any local skier or snowboarder as the nearby ski resort gets comparatively heavy snowfall for its location in the south-eastern states. The community of Beech Mountain is actually classed as the highest settlement east of the Rockies at an altitude of just over 5500 feet. Enter the desired visit dates and then hover over or click on the prices to see more information about the lodging. Check accommodation availability around BooneĬlick the ‘+’ or ‘-‘ signs to zoom in or out on the map (or use a mouse wheel). All of the ski areas are also resort destinations in their own right (as the area is popular with hikers in the summer months) with accommodation closer to the ski lifts.

The lively town of Boone is home to Appalachian State University and makes a good base for visits to the three ski resorts in the area. Certainly, the ski resorts here bear no comparison with the larger ski areas in those regions, but North Carolina can still claim it hosts the highest ski resort east of the Rockies and there are other options on the western side of the state that will keep the craving for snow satisfied for a while… Map of North Carolina ski resorts Map of ski areas in North Carolina North Carolina is the most popular destination for skiers and snowboarders in the South-East looking to get their winter fix without flying out to the Rockies or up to the chilly North-East.

Beech mountain ski resort