At Sugar Mountain, nine inches of natural snow accompanied the recent cold snap, with snowmaking beginning Thursday evening and expected to continue through Tuesday. The resort plans to open four trails — Northridge, Switchback, Upper Flying Mile, and Lower Flying Mile — served by the high-speed, six-passenger Summit Express chairlift. Easy Street and the beginner Magic Carpet area could also open if conditions permit.
Sugar will operate Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with full-day lift tickets priced at $80 for adults and $60 for juniors. Half-day tickets, valid beginning at 12:30 p.m., will cost $60 and $45, respectively. Night skiing is expected to begin in the coming weeks, with ice skating targeted for Thanksgiving and snow tubing planned for early December.
About 100 miles to the southwest, Cataloochee Ski Area near Maggie Valley will begin its 66th season on Sunday. Guest services will open at 7:30 a.m., with lifts scheduled to operate from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Cataloochee has also made offseason improvements to its snowmaking system and is introducing RFID lift-access gates, an updated ticketing system, and a new covered conveyor lift for its Beginner’s Luck learning area. Installation of the conveyor is still underway.
The two openings continue a tradition that DCSki examined in its October feature, The Race to Winter Begins: Ski Areas Test Snow Guns and Eye Opening Day. Although North Carolina is well south of the traditional ski destinations of New England, its highest ski areas benefit from elevations exceeding 5,000 feet. Sugar Mountain reaches approximately 5,300 feet, while Cataloochee tops out around 5,400 feet, giving both resorts opportunities to make snow when colder air reaches the Southern Appalachians.
Sugar Mountain has opened as early as Halloween in 2012 and November 2 in 2014. Last winter, it welcomed skiers on November 11 after receiving seven inches of natural snow. Cataloochee has an equally ambitious history, opening on October 28 in 2008 and October 31 in 2012. Those early openings have sometimes been brief, with resorts suspending operations until additional cold weather returns.
This year’s November 15 openings place both North Carolina resorts among the earliest in the eastern United States. In Vermont, Killington Resort was still building its snow base on Saturday, reporting approximately 200 snowguns operating on several trails, including Rime, Reason, Upper East Fall, and Superstar. Killington had not yet announced an opening date.
Elsewhere in the country, the ski season is already underway. Colorado’s Arapahoe Basin opened October 28, followed by Keystone on October 30 and Wolf Creek on October 31. Wolf Creek subsequently suspended operations following severe flooding, but resumed limited weekend skiing November 14. Loveland, Copper Mountain, Breckenridge, Vail, and Winter Park have also opened in Colorado.
In California, Mammoth Mountain began its season November 5, while Nevada’s Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe has also welcomed skiers. Minnesota joined the list this weekend, with Andes Tower Hills opening limited terrain Friday and Wild Mountain opening Saturday.
Additional North Carolina resorts are preparing to follow Sugar and Cataloochee. Appalachian Ski Mountain is targeting Friday, November 20, while Beech Mountain Resort lists Saturday, November 21 as its projected opening date. Both remain weather-dependent.
Closer to DCSki’s Mid-Atlantic readership, West Virginia resorts are also taking advantage of the recent cold snap. Snowshoe Mountain Resort began snowmaking on November 13 and is targeting a November 25 opening, while Timberline Mountain’s webcams showed snowmaking underway Saturday morning in Canaan Valley.
With Thanksgiving approaching, more resorts are expected to join the list as temperatures permit. For skiers eager to make their first turns of the season, however, North Carolina will have two options beginning Sunday morning.
As always, early-season terrain and operating schedules can change quickly. DCSki recommends checking directly with resorts to verify operating conditions and pricing before traveling.
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