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The Weekly Altitude
By M. Scott Smith, DCSki Editor

November 25, 2012 —

Ready, Set, Fire the Snowguns!

A blast of cold air was all that was needed for many Mid-Atlantic ski resorts to fire up the snowguns. Over the weekend, many resorts were able to make snow around the clock from the high elevations of North Carolina up through Pennsylvania. Beech Mountain, Snowshoe Mountain, Hidden Valley, and Seven Springs are all laying down bases.

The ski season is already underway at several resorts, including North Carolina’s Cataloochee and Sugar Mountain Resorts, and West Virginia’s Snowshoe Mountain Resort. On Sunday, November 25, 2012, Sugar Mountain had five trails open, while Snowshoe had 7 trails open. Beech Mountain plans to open on Friday, November 30.

No resorts are open yet in Maryland, Virginia, or Pennsylvania, but that could change soon with aggressive snowmaking underway at Seven Springs and Hidden Valley Resorts. Although neither resort has announced an opening date, Anna Weltz at Seven Springs says it could be “soon,” and Hidden Valley is shooting to open by the end of the week.

Nighttime temperatures through the week should dip below freezing, and some natural snow is even in the forecast midweek.

Kickstarter Project aims to develop Adventure Case for iPhone

Matt Parrill has designed a specialized case for the iPhone 4 or 5 geared towards activities like skiing and snowboarding, and he is turning to the Kickstarter web site to solicit support to make the product a reality. The iXtreme case provides a tough composite outer shell, shock-isolating inner liner, water- and dust-resistant sound portals, integrated three-point mounting system with one-finger release, 180-degree three-element wide-angle lens and lens guard, and a viewing kickstand.

“The easiest way I have found to describe iXtreme is that ‘it turns the phone into a GoPro,’” writes Parrill. The GoPro is a wearable, ruggedized video camera that has become popular with adventure enthusiasts, capturing the action of sports like skiing and snowboarding.

Parrill hopes to begin manufacturing the iXtreme in the United States in early 2013, and has started a campaign in Kickstarter to raise funds to make that a reality.

View his Kickstarter page to learn more about his project.

North Carolina Ski Areas Association Offers “Gold Cards”

If you’d like to ski every day in North Carolina but can’t decide which resort to buy a season pass at, the North Carolina Ski Areas Association has your answer: for $800, you can purchase a Gold Card, which will provide unlimited skiing and boarding at six areas including Cataloochee, Sapphire Valley, Beech Mountain, Appalachian, Wolf Ridge, and Sugar Mountain.

The passes are limited to 100 and typically sell out by mid-December. For more information, visit www.goskinc.com/goldcard or call 828-898-4521.

Related DCSki Stories:

Firsthand Report: Snowshoe in the Rain (January 22)
Can skiing in the pelting rain at Snowshoe be fun? If you’re DCSki Columnist Matthew Graham, it sure can be. He describes his recent rainy adventure in this Firsthand Report.
(1 reader comment)

Firsthand Report: Snowshoe Mountain Resort (January 13)
Connie Lawn and Charles Sneiderman spent the weekend at West Virginia’s Snowshoe Mountain Resort. They filed this Firsthand Report.
(7 reader comments)

Mid-Atlantic Ski Season Gains Momentum (December 27, 2012)
A shot of cold air and some natural snow has helped launch the 2012-2013 winter season in a big way. Find out the status of Mid-Atlantic ski areas.

Firsthand Report: Early Season Skiing at Seven Springs, PA (December 23, 2012)
There’s never a dull moment for mid-Atlantic snowsports enthusiasts. Weather-wise we’re off to another roller coaster ski season, but the folks at Seven Springs, PA are doing their utmost to get in the game, as Jim Kenney discovered on an early-season trip on December 15, 2012. Jim provides this Firsthand Report.

What’s New for 2012: Hidden Valley Resort (December 23, 2012)
Visitors to Pennsylvania’s Hidden Valley Resort will find a number of improvements this winter, including a widened Voyager trail and snowmaking enhancements.

Hidden Valley, Seven Springs to open Friday (November 29, 2012)
On Friday, November 30, 2012, Pennsylvania’s Hidden Valley and Seven Springs Resorts will kick off their ski seasons.

The Weekly Altitude (November 25, 2012)
The Weekly Altitude provides a look at what’s happening in the Mid-Atlantic ski and snowboard scene. In this weeks issue: Ready, Set, Fire the Snowguns!; Kickstarter Project aims to develop Adventure Case for iPhone; North Carolina Ski Areas Association Offers “Gold Cards.”

What’s New for 2012: Beech Mountain Resort (November 22, 2012)
North Carolina’s Beech Mountain Resort is celebrating its 45th anniversary this winter. Thanks to recent snowmaking enhancements, Beech has the best snowmaking capacity in the resort’s history.

What’s New for 2012: Seven Springs Resort (November 22, 2012)
Dozens of improvements across Seven Springs Mountain Resort should provide skiers and boarders with a better experience this winter. The Pennsylvania resort has made strategic investments in snowmaking improvements, added an additional terrain park, and initiated a mountain beautification program that has made subtle refinements throughout.

Great Glades Almighty! (November 12, 2012)
What’s so great about glade skiing? Is it the adrenaline rush of a high speed slalom through the trees or maybe the seductive siren song of better, softer snow? DCSki Columnist Jim Kenney explores this question, while sharing his own favorite glades.

About the Author

M. Scott Smith is the founder and Editor of DCSki. Scott loves outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, kayaking, skiing, and mountain biking. He is an avid photographer and writer. To read other articles by Scott, click here.

 

 

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