NC Christmas 2003 trip

The trip starts in Tallahassee, FL. First, we drove to the Beech mountain, NC, ~500 miles. However, it takes nearly 9.5 hours to get there during the winter. First of all, we checked out local ski rental to get the equipment. It was a good idea, since 24^th and 25^th were good days there (not so many people around). 26^th was pretty much madness and the slopes were overcrowded. Then we drove another 25 miles to the the cabin in Plumtree, NC (45 minute drive). We got to the Plumtree around 7 pm and made 'pel'meni':) They were really good!!!

We skied the second and the third days of our trip. We ran out of fuel on the Dec. 24^th. That was a serious problem since almost all businesses were closed on Dec. 24^th and 25^th there. Be aware of that during holidays! We made it to the Alpine Ski rental only by 12 pm. (We wasted almost 1 hour trying to find some gas). People there were quite nice and they have very competitive rates for 'shape' skis. We decided to go with 3 day weekend special for $49 per person. They were quite nice in exchage of the skis (longer skis, boots, etc.) and refund for the unused days. I highly recommend this place (there was no big lines and we spent less than 20 minutes getting the equipment and less than 10 minutes returning the equipment).

We got to the Beech Mt. around 1 pm and decided to ski the day (12:30 - 4:30) and twilight (6:00 - 10:00 pm). Overall, it was Ok for very beginners. The weather was pretty rough on 25^th, so we're a little freezing. Price to quality ratio is not very good for the Beech moutain. For example, Perfect North Slopes in Lawrenceburg, IN, are much better for somewhat less money. We really got the feeling that people there were just making money without providing good service. The lift ticket was $38 from 12:30 to 4:30 pm and $48 for 8 hours (12:30 to 4:30 pm and 6:00 - 10:00 pm). The slopes are not as good as on Sugar Mt. at all. They were also making snow during the day. It is really not fun skiing under snow machine when it is about 20°F. It's got much worse during the twilight session when they turned on more snow machines. Beech Mt. resort also has outdoor skating facilities. However, it is very small and only good for the kids. The price is $12 per 2 hours. They do not sell the tickets for 1 hour or 1/2 hour. They also charge $12 even if one has his/her own skates.

On Dec. 26^th, we went to the Sugar Mt. This time we were smarter and got there around 12 pm. It was pretty crowded. We got the lift tickets from 12:30 - 4:30 pm for $40. It is really worth money. The slopes are were really good at the beginning. When more people have come, it became a bit worse, but still we enjoyed it. The weather was sunny and relatively warm. There is a variety of trails with intermediate level. That was really great for me and my wife, Elena. Most of all, I liked Upper Flying Mile, Big Red, Northridge and Switchback trails. The lifts are planned so that if one wants to ski up on the mountain, one may not wait a long time for the lift with beginners, when it gets crowded. It worked for us. I highly recommend this resort. Just make sure You get there early to have enough time to park and get a lift ticket. Pictures can be found here.