Dec 6, 2021 #2
Sugar, Beech, and Appalachian are relatively close, but have very little in terms of terrain and snow. Winterplace is 5hrs - ishinto WV, and then Snowshoe another 2hrs from there. As much skiing as I have done it's worth it to me to make a long weekend trip to Snowshoe and be done with it, or better yet head west for powder.
Dec 6, 2021 #3
When I grew up in Anderson, we used to go to Sugar Mountain. That came the closest to resembling anything that I now know as skiing. We could leave the house around 6am, ski mostly all day, and be back by 8 or so at night.
I know you said "without spending a lot" and it sounds like you're just trying to see if you "still have it," but if you conclude you do and want to take it to the next level, I think United has non-stop flights from Greenville to Denver now.
Dec 6, 2021 #4
Ricky, I agree. Couple others are Wolf Ridge between Asheville and Mars Hill and Cataloochee. Expect long lines at all of them
Dec 6, 2021 #5
Agreed. We go to Appalachian for a quick trip. Snowshoe if we have more time but it's a haul from Columbia.
Dec 6, 2021 #7
Ober Gatlinburg...
I live 15 minutes to Wolf Laurel...been a couple of times but prefer Gatlinburg...
45 minutes to Beech...been once with family and enjoyed...been years though...
Dec 6, 2021 #9
Was at Appalachian last week. They were making snow and it was blowing everywhere. No lines at all.
Dec 7, 2021 #10
Beach mountain hands down but finding a place to stay last minute is a pain
Dec 7, 2021 #11
I'm not a skier but Cataloochee in Maggie Valley seems popular and it would likely be the closest to you, I think.
Dec 7, 2021 #13
What Ricky said. Appalachian in Boone, NC may be your best bet because it won't stress your knees like Sugar or Beech will. Winterplace is good too but a longer drive. Pick your slope at Snowshoe - there's plenty of slopes with different degrees of difficulty. My favorite "local" is Beech but Snowshoe is my favorite slope this side of the Rockies. Haha just realized I'm talking like an active skier! I see knee replacements in my future too. I put away my gear a long time ago but like golf courses, slopes don't change their shape, so my info is still legit.
Dec 7, 2021 #15
Would Laurel or wolf ridge was always icier because the temps were higher than Beech and sugar and the surface went through many freeze cycles. I am thinking you will want beginner slopes to try those knees out. Sugar or Beech would be your best bet. I lived in Greenville and we would do both as day trips. Leave in the dark, get back in the dark but doable. Go to Spartanburg and take Hwy 221. Follow the signs. Use a rental shop in Banner Elk before Sugar. Usually better equipment and less wait. Can rent bibbs too if you need them. Good luck
Dec 7, 2021 #16
Appalachian is the best of the NC slopes if you are into terrain parks. That is why we choose Appalachian. If you are not into terrain parks, sugar or Beech would be best.
Dec 7, 2021 #18
My kids are boarders and love Appalachian terrain park. They would prefer it over snowshoe. The lift taking you to the park at Snowshoe is painful.
Dec 7, 2021 #19
I think if I was just getting back in to it and wasnt sure how my body would react, I'd probably pick Sugar. Just feel that's about the best place to gauge myself and see what I could and couldntdo.
Dec 7, 2021 #21
Our "local" favorite to Columbia is Winterplace. Its exactly 276 miles door to door up I-77 from columbia. Drove it o a fridayafternoon for night skiing many times. Would hotel stay 1 night, ski on saturday, and around 5-6 PM, trek back to Cola. Home before midnight but dead *** tired.
Its about 2.5 times the size of beech. However, if you're looking to rent a slope side cabin for a group or family, cant do that hardly at winterplace. Theres VERY few, and I never figured out how to find those cabins on the backside of the far right slope.
If you want to rent a place, Beech has the most around close.
I never went to Showshoe but have wanted to badly. its 100 miles further than winterplace, butyou basically go to winterplace almost, exit off, and another 120 miles off the highway so 2x the time.
I've gotten out to Colorado twice and that is AMAZING. I'd like to live and ski there. Breckenridge is the best we've found. Just vast ski terrain. Makes east skiing feel like a joke.
Dec 7, 2021 #22
I'd really like to take my boys and see if they can do it, and get them in wee ski school. But I'm terrified of the time, and money committment and then go straight out there, clip ontehri little skis, fall down, start crying, and the whole weekend is ruined.
With that said, they want to go tubing again. We didn't go last season due to covid. Thinking of going this season. We'd love to find a day trip to tube only from Columbia.
Can anyone recommend tubing around asheville that we could drive up, do tubing and trek back home same day? Boys are 6 and 4, and they ride a tube with us since they cant stop. S eemslike some places we looked at had rules about not sharing a tube, or min height requirements or something.
Help appreciated.
Sugar, Beech, and Appalachian are relatively close, but have very little in terms of terrain and snow. Winterplace is 5hrs - ishinto WV, and then Snowshoe another 2hrs from there. As much skiing as I have done it's worth it to me to make a long weekend trip to Snowshoe and be done with it, or better yet head west for powder.
Dec 6, 2021 #3
When I grew up in Anderson, we used to go to Sugar Mountain. That came the closest to resembling anything that I now know as skiing. We could leave the house around 6am, ski mostly all day, and be back by 8 or so at night.
I know you said "without spending a lot" and it sounds like you're just trying to see if you "still have it," but if you conclude you do and want to take it to the next level, I think United has non-stop flights from Greenville to Denver now.
Dec 6, 2021 #4
Ricky, I agree. Couple others are Wolf Ridge between Asheville and Mars Hill and Cataloochee. Expect long lines at all of them
Dec 6, 2021 #5
Agreed. We go to Appalachian for a quick trip. Snowshoe if we have more time but it's a haul from Columbia.
Dec 6, 2021 #7
Ober Gatlinburg...
Ober Gatlinburg - Ober Gatlinburg
obergatlinburg.com
I live 15 minutes to Wolf Laurel...been a couple of times but prefer Gatlinburg...
45 minutes to Beech...been once with family and enjoyed...been years though...
Dec 6, 2021 #9
Was at Appalachian last week. They were making snow and it was blowing everywhere. No lines at all.
Dec 7, 2021 #10
Beach mountain hands down but finding a place to stay last minute is a pain
Dec 7, 2021 #11
I'm not a skier but Cataloochee in Maggie Valley seems popular and it would likely be the closest to you, I think.
Dec 7, 2021 #13
What Ricky said. Appalachian in Boone, NC may be your best bet because it won't stress your knees like Sugar or Beech will. Winterplace is good too but a longer drive. Pick your slope at Snowshoe - there's plenty of slopes with different degrees of difficulty. My favorite "local" is Beech but Snowshoe is my favorite slope this side of the Rockies. Haha just realized I'm talking like an active skier! I see knee replacements in my future too. I put away my gear a long time ago but like golf courses, slopes don't change their shape, so my info is still legit.
Dec 7, 2021 #15
Would Laurel or wolf ridge was always icier because the temps were higher than Beech and sugar and the surface went through many freeze cycles. I am thinking you will want beginner slopes to try those knees out. Sugar or Beech would be your best bet. I lived in Greenville and we would do both as day trips. Leave in the dark, get back in the dark but doable. Go to Spartanburg and take Hwy 221. Follow the signs. Use a rental shop in Banner Elk before Sugar. Usually better equipment and less wait. Can rent bibbs too if you need them. Good luck
Dec 7, 2021 #16
Appalachian is the best of the NC slopes if you are into terrain parks. That is why we choose Appalachian. If you are not into terrain parks, sugar or Beech would be best.
Dec 7, 2021 #18
My kids are boarders and love Appalachian terrain park. They would prefer it over snowshoe. The lift taking you to the park at Snowshoe is painful.
Dec 7, 2021 #19
I think if I was just getting back in to it and wasnt sure how my body would react, I'd probably pick Sugar. Just feel that's about the best place to gauge myself and see what I could and couldntdo.
Dec 7, 2021 #21
Our "local" favorite to Columbia is Winterplace. Its exactly 276 miles door to door up I-77 from columbia. Drove it o a fridayafternoon for night skiing many times. Would hotel stay 1 night, ski on saturday, and around 5-6 PM, trek back to Cola. Home before midnight but dead *** tired.
Its about 2.5 times the size of beech. However, if you're looking to rent a slope side cabin for a group or family, cant do that hardly at winterplace. Theres VERY few, and I never figured out how to find those cabins on the backside of the far right slope.
If you want to rent a place, Beech has the most around close.
I never went to Showshoe but have wanted to badly. its 100 miles further than winterplace, butyou basically go to winterplace almost, exit off, and another 120 miles off the highway so 2x the time.
I've gotten out to Colorado twice and that is AMAZING. I'd like to live and ski there. Breckenridge is the best we've found. Just vast ski terrain. Makes east skiing feel like a joke.
Dec 7, 2021 #22
I'd really like to take my boys and see if they can do it, and get them in wee ski school. But I'm terrified of the time, and money committment and then go straight out there, clip ontehri little skis, fall down, start crying, and the whole weekend is ruined.
With that said, they want to go tubing again. We didn't go last season due to covid. Thinking of going this season. We'd love to find a day trip to tube only from Columbia.
Can anyone recommend tubing around asheville that we could drive up, do tubing and trek back home same day? Boys are 6 and 4, and they ride a tube with us since they cant stop. S eemslike some places we looked at had rules about not sharing a tube, or min height requirements or something.
Help appreciated.