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The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
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2009
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
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Ta b l e
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
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Numbers of Note..................................7 Ski Levels.............................................9 App Ski Mountain..............................14 Beech Mountain .................................15 Hawksnest ..........................................16 Sugar Mountain ..................................18 French-Swiss......................................21 NASTAR Racing ..................................24 Ski Lessons.........................................25 N.C. Skiing..........................................26 Skiing in the South............................27 Cross Country....................................28 Catching Air.......................................29 Terrain Guide.....................................30 Helmet Safety....................................31 Snow Tubing......................................32 Ice Skating.........................................33 Snowboarding...................................35 If the Boot Fits..................................36 Getting a Deal...................................37 Board Fitting.....................................38 Grooming the Ground.......................39 Ice Climbing......................................40 Hunting..............................................42 Caving................................................43 Hiking.................................................44
2009
C o n t e n t s Cycling.................................................45 Frescoes of Ashe.................................47 Olympic Skiers....................................49 Dancing................................................51 Christmas Trees..................................52 Our Towns...........................................53 Banner House......................................60 Ashe Cheese........................................61 Grandfather Mtn.................................62 Wilkes County.....................................63 Ashe Arts.............................................67 Auto Tour............................................68 Blue Ridge Parkway...........................72 Winter Safety.....................................74 Weather Tips......................................78 Winter and Dogs.................................79 Remember When.................................80 Parades................................................84 Chambers of Commerce......................86 Coffee Houses.....................................87 Fishing.................................................97 Calendar............................................110 Winterfest.........................................119 ASU Performing Arts.......................120 Hayes Center....................................130 ASU Theatre.....................................131 Advertiser Index..............................136
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
Welcome to in the High
2009
Winter Times
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Winter Country
The High Country received its first significant snowfall on Oct. 28. An early snow doesn’t seem to bother this horse’s breakfast along Castle Ford Road in Watauga County. Photo by Mark Mitchell
2009 Winter Times Staff
W
e hope you enjoy the 21st edition of the Winter Times. Our mission every year is to provide visitors and residents alike a comprehensive, easy to read, and entertaining guide to the North Carolina High Country. And while winter sport remains the season’s main attraction, inside these pages you’ll read of the wide range of activities our region offers. From the fine dining and entertainment possibilities, to world class shopping, or how to find that vacation getaway you’ve always wanted-it’s all here in the Winter Times. Have a ball this winter! And to make sure you don’t miss a thing, take this copy of the Winter Times along for the ride. You’ll find it a good companion on your travels through the High Country.
Bruce Morrison................................................Publisher Jason Reagan.........................................................Editor Mark Mitchell............................................. Photo Editor Jennifer Canosa................................. Graphics Manager Donna Currie..................................Production Manager Charlie Price ................................ Advertising Director Randy Feimster............................. Circulation Manager Garrett Burkett......................................... Web Designer SALES: Brian McGuire, Sue Moore, Jennifer Brooks, Crystal Owens, Renae Jones, Sandy Russel, Ryan Houck and Fredda Blalock PRODUCTION: Emily Robb and Rob Moore GRAPHICS: Sarah Hutchins, Meleah Bryan, Levi Moore, Savannah Holbrook and Jennifer Walker WRITERS: Jeff Eason, Scott Nicholson, Frank Ruggiero, Mark Mitchell, Sherrie Norris, Melanie Davis, Jason Reagan, Cara Kelly, Tiffany Allison and Cady Childs
474 Industrial Park Drive • Boone, North Carolina 28607 828-264-6397 • mtfrontdesk@mountaintimes.com
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The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
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2009
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You’ve Got a Friend No wintry journey to the High Country is complete without a little backup. Every ski slope offers a ski patrol to help make the experience safe and secure even if you tumble. Photo by Marie Freeman
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
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# # # # Numbers of Note # # # # # # # #
Ashe County
Law Enforcement: Sheriff’s Department: (336) 219-2600 Jefferson Police: (910) 246-9368 West Jefferson Police: (336) 246-9410
Elk Park Police Department: (828) 733-9573 Newland Police: (828) 733-2023 Seven Devils Police Department: (828) 963-6760 Sugar Mountain Police Department: (828) 898-4349
Blowing Rock Police Department: (828) 295-5210 Appalachian Regional Healthcare System Police: (828) 262-4168 Appalachian State University Police Department: (828) 262-2150
Fire & Rescue: Creston Volunteer Fire Department: (336) 385-6500 Fleetwood Volunteer Fire Department: (336) 877-5100 Glendale Springs Volunteer Fire Department: (336) 9823539 Helton Township, Inc. Volunteer Fire Department : (336) 384-2420 Jefferson Volunteer Fire Department: (336) 246-9149 Lansing Volunteer Fire Department: (336) 384-4545 New River Volunteer Fire Department: (336) 982-4700 Pond Mountain Volunteer Fire Department: (336) 385-6090 Todd Volunteer Fire Department: (336) 877-1234 Warrensville Volunteer Fire Department: (336) 384-3700 West Jefferson Volunteer Fire Department: (336) 246-3551 Animal Control: (336) 982-4060
Fire & Rescue: Avery County Rescue Squad: (828) 733-2607 Linville Central Rescue Squad: (828) 733-2346 Banner Elk Fire Deptartment: (828) 898-4623 Crossnore Volunteer Fire Department: (828) 733-4304 Elk Park Volunteer Fire Department: (828) 733-0516 Elk Park Fire Department: (828) 733-5555 Fall Creek Volunteer Fire Department: (828) 898-5021 Frank Volunteer Fire Department: (828) 733-9336 Green Valley Volunteer Fire Department: (828) 765-9465 Linville Volunteer Fire Department: (828) 733-2188 Newland Volunteer Fire Department: (828) 733-4011 Animal Control: (828) 733-6312 Avery County has no county-operated animal control office; the number listed is for the Avery County Humane Society.
Fire and Rescue: Beaver Dam Volunteer Fire Department: (828) 297-4393 Beech Mountain Fire Department: (828) 387-4612 Blowing Rock Fire Department: (828) 295-5221 Blowing Rock Rescue: (828) 295-3504 Boone Fire Department: (828) 262-4520 Cove Creek Volunteer Fire Department: (828) 297-1375 Deep Gap Volunteer Fire Department: (828) 262-0635 Foscoe Volunteer Fire Department: (828) 963-6305 Meat Camp Volunteer Fire Department: (828) 264-3668 Seven Devils Fire Department: (828) 963-5343 Shawneehaw Volunteer Fire Department: (828) 963-4180 Stewart Simmons Volunteer Fire Department: (828) 264- 1112 Watauga Rescue Squad: (828) 264-2426 Zionville Volunteer Fire Department: (828) 297-4812 Watauga County Animal Control: (828) 262-1672
Avery County
## #
Law Enforcement: Sheriff’s Department: (828) 733-2071 Banner Elk Police Department: (828) 898-4300
Watauga County
#
#
Law Enforcement: Watauga County Sheriff’s Office: (828) 264-3761 Boone Police Department: (828) 262-4500 Beech Mountain Police Department: (828) 387-2342
High Country After Hours Emergency Veterinary Clinic: (828) 268-2833 located at 1126 Blowing Rock Rd, Boone
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The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
2009
r u o Y e s o o h e C d u t i t Al The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
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Slopes offer something for all skill levels
For a region that has had to fight mightily for its standing in the pecking order of the alpine w o r l d , t h e North Carolina High Country is home to four winter resorts that have thrived over t h e c o u r s e o f f o u r decades in the southern Appalachian mountains. Defying logic, Sugar Mountain, Ski Beech, Hawksnest and Appalachian Ski Mountain have not only survived, but grown stronger while refining a product that improves over time. Better utilities, better snowmaking, and the know-how of the men and women who have stayed the course have produced not just a viable industry, but a vibrant one. Nowhere is that commitment more evident than in the ski and snowboarding schools of the High Country.
French-Swiss Ski College -App Ski Mountain
Founded by Jim Cottrell and the late Jack Lester in 1969, French-Swiss instructors are nearing the one million mark in lessons served. No other organization has played as significant a role in the education of the southern skier. Cottrell founded the Southeastern Special Olympics Alpine Games and wrote the training manuals for Special Olympics Coaches at the request of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, matriarch of the games. Cottrell is a thirty-year member and past board of director of the Professional Ski Instructors Association (PSIA). French-Swiss programs dedicated to preparing students to handle all types of snow conditions. www.skifrench-swiss.com (828) 295-9311.
App Ski & Snowboard Lessons One-hour group lesson..............................$16 Two 1-hour group lessons ........................$30 (same day) Three 1-hour group lessons......................$43 (group discounts available) Private 1-hour lesson................................$38 (each add’l person add $16)
Learn To Ski & Snowboard Nov. 17 - Dec. 14, 2006 March 12- April 1, 2007 Lift ticket, ski rental & group lesson........$36 For snowboarders.....................................$48
SKIWEE Program Instruction for kids 4 to 10 years of age. Ski rental, lift ticket and instruction. 9:30 a.m. til 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. til 3:30 p.m. Register by 9 a.m. ....................$62 Afternoon only. 1:30 p.m. til 3:30 p.m., includes lift ticket, ski rental and instruction Register by noon...$44
Sugar Mountain Ski School
Director Len Bauer is in his 16th season at the helm of the highly regarded ski school at Sugar. He coached the Sugar Mountain race team for five years before taking over the top teaching spot at the resort. Bauer is a fully-certified level 3 PSIA instructor. If you don’t think Bauer’s been around the High Country a while make a note. He worked at the Land of Oz during the Beech Mountain summers of the late seventies and even taught grass skiing there one season. He did a teaching stint at Okemo, Vermont and he’s utilized all those experiences to find a home at Sugar Mountain. Bauer is particularly proud that all new Burton snowboards are in place for his Polar Bear Snowboard Program, while the ski school features all new shape skis. Bauer’s enthusiasm is infectious and its clear this is one guy who wouldn’t trade places with anyone in the business. www.skisugar.com (828) 898-4521.
Sugar Ski & Snowboard Lessons (Prices in parentheses March Madness rates begin March 5, 2007) Group Lessons.................................................$20 (15) Private Lesson-One Hour................................$48 (36) Add’l Person in Private Lesson.......................$20 (15) Private Snowboard Lesson..............................$48 (36)
Midweek Learn To Ski/Snowboard Monday through Friday, non-holiday. (8 yrs. old and up) Includes lift ticket, equipment rental and lesson. Learn to Ski Special.........................................$58 (44) Learn to Snowboard Special............................$72 (54)
Sugar Bear Ski School For children 5 to 10 years old includes equipment, lift ticket, lessons, lunch and supervision. Register 8:30 am-9:30 am. Full Day 10am til 3pm.....................................$75 (56) Half-Day...........................................................$57 (43)
Ski Beech Ski School
Scott Boutilier, director of the Snow Sports Learning Center, started his coaching career at Ski Beech in 1980 taking the position as racing director and head coach of the ASU Ski Team and USSA junior team. The season of 1991-92, Boutilier was hired as the ski school director working with one of the largest certified staffs in the south. Ski Beech is a PSIA certified school and uses the American Teaching System. The Snowsports Learning center offer group and private lessons for all levels of skiing and snowboarding. www.skibeech.com (828) 387-2011 Youth Learning Center: Shawn Brown is the director of the youth learning center, and registration is daily from 8:30 to 9:15. Pre-paid reservations encouraged as space is limited to first come first serve. Programs include lift ticket, equipment, day long instruction and hot lunch.
Beech Ski & Snowboard Lessons Skiing (3 yrs. old)...........................................$70 Skiing (4 - 8)...................................................$70 Skiing (9 -12)..................................................$70 Skiing (13 - 14)...............................................$75 Snowboarding (8 - 12)....................................$80 Snowboarding (13 - 14)..................................$85
Group Lessons One hour..........................................................$20
Private Lessons One Hour........................................................$45 Additional person...........................................$20
Polar Bear Snowboard School For children 7 to 14 years old includes board rental, lift ticket, lessons and lunch. Register 8:30 am-9:30 am. Full Day 10am til 3pm....................................$125 (94) Half Day 1pm til 3pm......................................$74 (56)
CONTINUED ON PAGE 12
PAGE 10
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The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide It’s “Good As Gold” at: Appalachian Ski Mtn., Sapphire Valley Ski Area, Sugar Mountain Resort, Cataloochee Ski Area, Wolf Ridge Ski Resort and Ski Beech!
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2009
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
PAGE 11
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PAGE 12
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
Altitude Continued From Page 09
Intermediate
Advanced
Local resorts offer a variety of terrain to challenge the intermediate snowsporter, from wide, gradual slopes to runs with steeper pitch and bumps.
If you’re the type of skilled snowsporter who enjoys a serious challenge, the three mountains in the area will live up to your expectations.
Appalachian Ski Mtn.
Strudel
-- Strudel is a wonderful short and wide intermediate hill with enough zip to thrill the beginner while allowing you to maintain control. It is also a great slope to continue learning the basics. Orchard Run -- This run is a nice dogleg that curves away from the rest of the mountain. Orchard has a narrower top section, a sharp and somewhat narrow curve and sometimes has bumps (moguls) on the sides. Not for the beginner, but definitely a playground for the intermediate.
Sugar Mtn.
The Flying Mile -- Sugar Mountain distinguishes itself by having the longest intermediate cruising run in the region. Starting at the top with Northridge run, a comfortable dogleg that for some reason changes names and becomes Switchback, the slope spills into the Flying Mile for a straight cruise to the bottom of the mountain – about a mile and a half from the start at the summit. Wide spaces, smooth terrain and moderate pitch make this a run to be enjoyed from top to bottom. The length is a guaranteed ‘leg burner’ for those not in shape. Big Red -- Big Red is a shorter intermediate run on the side of the mountain with a wide boulevard that alternates between flatter and steeper stretches as it steps down the mountain. This run is served by its own chairlift, which makes this the perfect exclusive slope during busy times.
Ski Beech
Upper to Lower Shawneehaw -- The upper section has a nice pitch to challenge the intermediate, but not enough to be risky, and it spills into the lower Shawneehaw’s extra-wide boulevard - a great section of snow to pick up some speed and still maintain control. Always watch out for slower people on this run. Lower Shawneehaw is actually served by it’s own lift, and is a perfect learning ground for beginners ready to step to the next level. Robins Run -- Hidden between the Shawneehaw and Southern Star (a steep and mogul-riddled advanced slope) Robin’s Run is a great crusing run which slips into the bottom of Lower Shawneehaw and the Powder Bowl. Relatively few bumps, a moderately steep pitch, and a wide area make this the perfect slope for advanced intermediates who love to carve turns.
Appalachian Ski Mtn.
There’s more than meets the eye at Appalachian Ski Mtn., the little mountain with a big heart. Big Appal, the centerpiece terrain there delivers a broad lane of exhibition area for the best skiers, and for the first time this season, snowboarders. Some of the south’s best junior racers have been developed here. Thin Slice and Hard Core offer two alternate routes from the top for the skier in search of speed.
Sugar Mtn.
For years Tom Terrific, the expert terrain at the top of Sugar Mountain, and the adjacent Boulder Dash run, served as the southern snowsporters’s benchmark of ability. And while the two slopes remain as challenging as ever, Sugar Mountain recently opened a third slope designated for experts only. Christened Whoop-De-Doo, this double diamond may be the steepest terrain in all the south. Once over the edge at the start of this run and the bottom literally drops out. The toughest part about Whoop-De-Doo is keeping snow on it. Its that steep.
Ski Beech Expansive Ski Beech offers four great runs from the top. From Upper Shawneehaw to White Lightning, and the designated r a c i n g slopes of Tri-South and Robbins Run, the resort delivers fastpaced variety. Formerly called “SkyDive”, White Lightning remains a favorite of many downhill lovers. In fact, White Lightning has been host to downhill and giant slalom events featuring racers like Jean-Claude Killy and Spider Sabich in the early days of the U.S. pro racing circuit.
2009
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
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The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
App Ski Mountain Pumps Up The Volume
A
ppalachian Ski Mountain is pumping u p for the ski season with a significant expansion of its snowmaking capabilities. Last year’s expansion, called the largest in the 47 years of the ski slope nestled between Boone and Blowing Rock, is a followup to a highly successful ski season last year. The snowmaking facility originally installed in 1992 has been replaced by a new pumping facility in a major step forward for the slope. “We’ve added more snow-making towers this year than any other year, ever,” general manager Brad Moretz said. “We widened a couple of our slopes and expanded our reservoir to be able to make snow as deep as we want to. We’re also making improvements to streamline our rental operations and our food service.” Appalachian Ski Mountain has 10 ski trails served by five lifts and has also has a 6,000-square foot ice skating rink. The slopes feature a vertical drop of 365 feet on the 17 acres of skiing area. The terrain mix for the slopes is 20 percent “easiest” and 50 percent difficult, with 30 percent “most difficult.” The longest trail is the half-mile Orchard Run, and all of the slopes are lighted for night skiing. Other features have been added to the terrain parks, which Moretz hopes to have open during the first few days of business. Appalachian Ski Mountain also boasts an award-winning snowboard terrain park. It was voted the No. 1 park in the region by a SkiSoutheast.com visitor poll. The park is designed for versatile maneuvers while also accommodating those new to the sport. A second terrain park on a new slope added in 2006 showcases numerous new boxes, rails, and features unique to the region. Appalachian Ski Mountain’s water pumping capacity is 4,000 gallons of water per minute and over a million pounds of snow an hour. There are eight new snow-making towers and improved the Apple Jack slope operations. Appalachian’s snowmaking reservoir has also been enlarged over the summer. “We are excited about the potential to offer mid-season conditions during our early and late season, and the ability to open our terrain parks much more quickly,” Moretz said. “We’ve followed up last year’s record year with a whole lot of improvements that will make for the best experience ever for all of our guests.” Appalachian Ski Mountain is traditionally one of the very first ski slopes to open in the eastern United States, and the improved snowmaking capacity should enhance its reputation. It generally averages about 120 days of skiing per year.
Appalachian Slope Specs Web site: www.appskimtn. com Office: (828) 295-7828 Toll Free: (800) 322-2373 Fax: (828) 295-3277 Snow Report: (828) 2957828 Address: P.O. Box 106 Blowing Rock, NC 28605 2 Beginner - 5 Intermediate - 3 Expert Slopes and Trails Open: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 to 10 p.m. Peak Elevation: 4,000 feet Vertical Drop: 365 feet Appalachian Ski Mountain general manager Brad Moretz
Schedule Appalachian Ski Mtn. / App Terrain Park Event Schedule for the 08-09 Ski Season((Nov. 21, 2008 Ð Scheduled Opening Day Celebration - First 100 skiers receive free ski ticket! Dec. 5 - Fresh Fridays #1 Dec. 6-7 - 47th Anniversary Weekend - 1962 Ski Ticket Prices Dec. 13 - Ladies’ Park Night Dec. 19 - Fresh Fridays No. 2 Dec. 24 - Skiing with Santa (1 - 4 p.m.) Dec. 31 - New Year’s Eve Extravaganza Jan. 4, 2009 - Shred for the Cup Slopestyle Jan. 9 - Fresh Fridays No. 3 Jan. 10 - Ladies’ Park Night Jan. 23 - Fresh Fridays No. 4
Feb. 1 - Shred for the Cup Big Air Feb. 6 - Fresh Fridays No. 5 Feb. 14 - Valentine’s Day Fireworks Celebration Feb. 20 - Fresh Fridays No. 6 Feb. 21 - Ladies’ Park Night Mar. 1 - Shred for the Cup Rail Jam Mar. 6 - Fresh Fridays No. 7 Mar. 20 - Fresh Fridays No. 8 Mar. 21 - Shred for the Cup Slopestyle Final Mar. 28-29 - Meltdown Games
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
PAGE 15
Hitting the Beech for Winter
S
ki Beech is at the top of High Country snow sports. Upon arrival at Eastern America’s Highest Town (elevation 5,506 feet), the winter getaway is complete. The Beech Mountain community has more than 4,000 beds available to visitors, with condos, townhomes, chalets and resort hotels. Shops, restaurants and bars offer everything to visitors, and that is before you get to the Ski Beech resort. “We’re proud of the variety of terrain we offer, but it is the village that sets us apart,” said Ski Beech Marketing Director Gil Adams. A picturesque alpine village is at the heart of the Ski Beech resort. A 7,000 square foot outdoor ice rink is the centerpiece, surrounded by Ski Beech Sports Shop with clothing, gifts and accessories, and a snack shop with an arcade, snacks and ice-skate rentals, and the popular Beech Tree Restaurants. A new feature is an open-pit fire ring where skiers can warm themselves, relax, and share stories. From the pinnacle of Beech Mountain on a clear day, the peaks in North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and both Virginias are visible. “Sometimes the mountain is sticking out of the clouds into clear blue and the people below don’t know what a great ski day we are having up here,” Adams said. The breathtaking views and packed village are not what keeps the numerous Beech Nuts driving up the mountain. Fifteen slopes with 100 percent snow making capability, the terrain is amazing. For the 2008-09 season, Ski Beech has added a number of new airless fan snow guns and hoses to their arsenal, allowing more snow is less time. The water supply from the reservoir has been expanded, with two new grooming machines. The Oz chair lift has been converted from a two-seat lift to a four-seat lift. “I believe we have a wide variety of terrain from the top of the mountain,” Adams said, “and with our high-speed
detachable quad you can chalk up a lot of vertical feet in a single ski day.” The are four primary routes from the top. There is the pure fall line of Upper Shawneehaw, the improv inspiring runs Southern Star and White Lightening, and a course called Robbins Run, named for the founding family of the resort. Ski Beech boasts a total of three beginner runs, eight intermediate and four expert slopes and trails. Ski Beech also offers a three-acre terrain park with gentle features for beginners, along with an advanced terrain park featuring its own lift. “We have added new life to the terrain park for this season,” Adams said. “The freestyle area has been remodeled, adding more rails and slides. Ski Beech is very family oriented. The ski area is bringing snow tubing back, and the tubing slope will be
2008-09 Calendar of events Nov. 29 - Opening day Dec. 22 - Begin Holiday rates Dec. 24 - Christmas Eve Service at 4:30 at Ice rink Dec. 31 - New Year’s Eve Celebration Jan. 5 - Return to regular rates Jan. 17-19 - MLK Weekend Jan. 19-23 - 26th Annual Adaptive Learn to Ski Week
Jan. 24-25 - Winterfest Feb. 7 - USSA Race Feb. 14-16 - President’s Day Weekend Feb. 21-22 - Crescent Ski Council Race Mar. 9 - Spring Fever Blowout begins Mar. 22 - Closing Day
near the cafeteria. The Youth Learning Center is dedicated to children. The focus is to keep children safe while letting them discover their own personal love of a snow sport.” An all day, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m, program is offered for children 3-14 years of age. The 3-year-old program is comfort oriented and one-on-one with an instructor. The program for ages 4-6 is also comfort oriented, while the older groups are performance oriented. The children are then allowed to keep the equipment until 4:30 p.m. to show you what they have learned and enjoy the slopes with the rest of the family. Reservations may be made online for a guaranteed spot in the respective class. Ski Beech offers several specials, and visitors should heck the Web site for specials. Ski Beech offers a Military Discount throughout the entire season. Military personnel and their immediate family are offered discounted lift tickets through the group sales office. Also available throughout the season is the One Extreme to the Other special. Adults over 70 years of age and children 4 and under, accompanied by a ticketed adult, will receive a complimentary lift ticket. The ski rental inventories at Beech, all shape skis, include 1,000 sets for the general public, and 600 sets in the group sales facility as well as snowboards. The group sales facility is an integration that expedites the rental process for all patrons of Ski Beech resort. To enjoy a “stay awhile” snow sport experience, Ski Beech is the place to go. Relax in the village or try out all 15 of the slopes, you are sure to enjoy the wintry getaway. Story By Melanie Davis
Ski Beech Slope Specs Web site: www.skibeech. com Office: (828) 387-2011 Toll Free: (800) 438-2093 Fax: (828) 387-4952 Snow Report: (828) 3872011 Address: 1007 Beech Mountain Parkway,
Beech Mountain, N.C. 28604 3 Beginner - 8 Intermediate - 4 Expert Slopes and Trails—2 Terrain Parks Open: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 6 to 10 p.m. Peak Elevation: 5,506 ft. Vertical Drop: 830 ft.
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The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
Snow Tubing Central Originally opened in 1964, Hawksnest Resort has undergone the most dramatic upgrade among local ski areas. The resort in Seven Devils is now the largest snow-tubing park on the East Coast, with over 20 lanes open. The resort owners made the decision to focus on snow-tubing and drop skiing and snowboarding so it could develop an identity as its specialty, and also expanded its snow-tubing to reach more families. The lanes are spread out over four separate areas, with separate rides of between 400 to 1,000 feet in length. There are two “carpet sidewalk” lifts to bring riders back to the top, with full snowmaking capabilities and lighting for all lanes. “We’re able to expand and become so much larger so it’s better for the customers, “ said general manager Lennie Cottom. “Since tubing is the only thing we’re doing now, we’re able to focus all our attention on making the lanes as nice as possible.” The snow-tubing park is hoping to open on Nov. 7. “Depending on weather, we’ll start making snow after the first of November,” Cottom said. Cottom also said the customer base will shift slightly toward families with younger children, though the sport remains popular with college students. Cottom said tubing has advantages such as lower equipment costs, typically lower ticket prices, and being easier to learn and enjoy. If being out on the snow gets your appetite raring, the Hawsknest lodge is the perfect place to grab a bite to eat. Large windows and a 2,000 square foot deck overlooking the slopes and tubing areas give tired skiers and boarders a place to cool off or warm up, and provides a nice place for those who just like to watch the action. A coffee and espresso bar on the first floor offers a relaxing spot to get warm and prepare for the next run. The resort also added online ticket sales this season,
and since some sessions sell out, Cottom said some people will want to check the Web site often. For more information on Hawksnest and detailed information on rates and packages, go to www.hawksnesttubing.com.
Hawksnest Slope Specs Web site: www.hawksnesttubing.com Office: (828) 963-6561
Toll Free: (800) 822-HAWK Fax: (828) 963-6564 Snow Report: (828) 963-6563 Address: 2058 Skyland Dr. Seven Devils, NC 28604 20-plus lanes Open: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., (Mon.-Fri.) 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. (Sat. & holidays) 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Sundays) Peak Elevation: 4,819 feet Vertical Drop: 100 feet
2009
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
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The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
Sweet as Sugar Sugar Mountain Resort hosts full season
S
i n c e 1969, Sugar Mountain Resort has strived to make skiing a sweet experience. Some 38 years later, the resort’s intentions remain the same, though it’s grown significantly in terms of size, services, sports and all-around fun. Coming off one of the most successful seasons last year with a record 140 skier days and record skier visits, Sugar Mountain Resort continues to look forward to making winter as sweet as sugar. Slope conditions continue to be a top priority at Sugar Mountain Resort. The long-term plan to replace and upgrade all snowmaking pipes continued this past summer. Three-hundred thousand dollars was spent on Sugar’s snowmaking infrastructure. On the Tom Terrific, or eastern side of the mountain, 3,000 feet of snowmaking pipes were replaced and upgraded from the unloading station of the Yellow (Summit #1) and Gray lifts (Summit #2) to the top of the mountain. The base of the Sugar Slalom slope was widened and additional snowmaking machines have been purchased for the upcoming winter season. The Yellow lift was named after its color was changed to a more indigenous gray. As a result, the Yellow lift has been renamed to Summit #1 while the Gray lift is now known as Summit #2. Six hundred new ski packages and 100 new snowboard packages have been added to Sugar’s rental fleet. The event schedule continues to be packed with a plethora of activities for a diverse group of patrons. A few of the highlights include special guest coaches, 1994 Olympic Gold and 1992 Olympic Silver medalist Diann Roffe and two-time (1992 and 1994) Olympian, Krista Schmidinger for Sugar’s 15th Annual Adult PreSeason Ski Clinic scheduled for Dec.12 through 14, 2008. On Jan. 10, 2009 Sugar Mountain Resort will once again host a National Winter Trails Day, a nationwide event offering children and adults the opportunity to try snowshoeing for free. An Easter Egg contest is scheduled for March 22, 2009. Sugar Mountain Resort’s 10,000-square-foot refrigerated outdoor ice-skating rink isn’t new this year, but it continues along with tubing and snowshoeing to complement the long-standing ski and snowboard activities available at Sugar Mountain Resort. The ice-skating rink is scheduled to open in early November.
Sugar Mountain Slope Specs
Website: www.skisugar.com Office: (828) 898-4521 Toll Free: (800) SUGAR-MT Fax: (828) 898-6820 Snow Report: (828) 898-5256 Address: P.O. Box 369 Banner Elk, NC 28604 7 Beginner - 10 Intermediate - 3 Expert Slopes and Trails Peak Elevation: 5,300 feet Vertical Drop: 1,200 feet HOURS: Office Hours: Ski Season: 8:00am - 5:00pm Off Season: 8:00am - 4:00pm, Monday Friday
Lifts & Ski Slopes Ski Season: Day Session: 9:00am - 4:30pm Half-Day Session: 12:30 - 4:30pm Twilight Session: 12:30 - 10:00pm (closed 4:30 - 6:00pm) Night Session: 6:00 - 10:00pm Christmas Eve: 9:00am - 4:30pm Christmas Day: 12:00 - 10:00pm Tubing: 10:00am - 10:00pm Ice Skating: 10:00am - 10:00pm See also: www.skisugar.com/hours
CALENDAR OF EVENTS Nov 27, 2008 (Thursday) - Nov 30, 2008 (Sunday) Thankgiving Turkey Treat more info Plan to spend your Thanksgiving at Sugar this year. For one low price, you can ski/ride the 4 days
of the Thanksgiving weekend, November 27-30, 2008 for just $109. Offer expires Sunday, November 23, 2008 at 5 pm. Dec 5, 2008 (Friday) - End of Season Snowshoe Guided Tours more info A great way to stay fit during the winter months! Snowshoe tours will be offered every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 3 pm and Saturday at 9am and 3pm. Based on instructor availability, additional tours will be given on demand for groups of 4 to 15. Dec 12, 2008 (Friday) - Dec 14, 2008 (Sunday) Preseason Ski Clinic more info 1994 Olympic Gold & Silver Medalist Diann Roffe and two-time (1994 & 1996) Olympian, Krista Schmidinger top the list of this season’s ski clinic coaching staff.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 121
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The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
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Skiing � Snowboarding � Tubing � Ice Skating � Snowshoeing Sugar Mountain Resort 1009 Sugar Mountain Drive Sugar Mountain, NC 28604
www.skisugar.com 800-SUGAR-MT 828-898-4521
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
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2009
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The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
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French Swiss Ski College Training skiers for 40 years
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Jim Cottrell
he French Swiss Ski College, located at Appalachian Ski Mountain, is an ideal place for people from beginning to advanced levels of experience in snowboarding and skiing to hone their skills. The college offers many specials for groups, students of all ages, scouts, and adults alike. One of the most important factors in outdoor winter sports is equipment and outerwear. The ski college has an equipment rental facility on site providing shape skis, snowboards, and insulated ski bibs and jackets. They guarantee dry ski boots and special attention paid to each customer to ensure proper fit and style. One can also come pick up their equipment the night before, in order to provide optimum time in lessons and on the slopes. Rental fees range from $13 to $25 dollars for adults, depending on day of the week and session. Students can receive a discounted fee with a valid student ID. The second step to a satisfying skiing or snowboarding experience is the right instructor. The instructors at the ski college have taught U.S. Navy Seals, Army Green Beret Platoons, and Marines. They have experienced almost every level of experience, from someone who is seeing snow for the first time to a lifetime winter weather athlete from New England. Finally, deciding what level and type of lessons to take can be the hardest part. There are a variety to choose from, and rates
run from $17 to $114. Group lessons are open to all levels of experience ages 6 or older. There are normally no more than 10 people per group, and give an opportunity to improve your sport socially and with many different people there to help. Group lessons are $17 for a one-hour session, $32 for two one-hour sessions in one day, or $46 for three one-hour sessions. Private lessons are also available for $40 per one-hour session. The college recommends these as the most productive way to learn a new sport. The instructors can teach in the best way that suits ones needs, and best of all, can be fit to the schedule of the student. ‘Ultimate’ private lessons can also be arranged, in which the student and instructor evaluate the student’s skills, and together create a three-lesson plan for improvement. SKIwee is a program with instructors specializing in teaching children to ski. The fee includes ski ticket, equipment and instruction. Designed for ages 4-8, SKIwee provides a program that blends instruction and play and was developed by SKI magazine. The price for a full day (9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. , 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.) is $65. A half day program (1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.) is $45. Appalachian Ski Mountain is available by phone at (828) 963- 7792. Also, the Web site, www.appskimtn.com, has more details on rates, lesson times and frequently asked questions.
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The World of
NASTAR Racing Program Traces Back to the 60s It was the brainchild of SKI Magazine editor-in-chief John Fry. Seeing the growth of skiing in the United States, but with no real outlets for the competition aspect of the sport, Fry adopted a universal handicap scoring system that was being used in France. In France at the time, ski instructors were rated by the percentage they lagged behind the time recorded by the fastest French ski instructor. This system was used so that instructors from other resorts could compare themselves to instructors at various other resorts. Fry believed the program would be applicable to recreational ski racing in the United States, adopted the program, and called it the National Standard Race. The program, later to be given the acronym NASTAR, was introduced in 1968 as a means to measure the performance of recreational skiers at resorts across America. Similar to golf’s handicap system, ski racers of all ages and abilities could now compare their times and compete with one another regardless of where and when they raced. NASTAR became the recreational race program at resorts across the country as competitors measured their skiing ability against the national standard established by the fastest member of the U.S. Ski Team. Only 2,297 persons and eight ski areas took part in NASTAR that first season, but behind the efforts of former U.S. Alpine Team coach Bob Beattie, the program took off. Beattie took over as NASTAR commissioner and guided the program through its growth. The program grew to more than 100 resorts and attracted close to one million skiers. Since
1968, more than 5 million skiers have raced NASTAR. One of the resorts that host NASTAR competition is Sugar Mountain. The program began at Sugar Mountain in 1976, and the program has flourished since its inception. “NASTAR has been well received here at Sugar,” said Sugar Mountain marketing director Kim Jochl. “People love having the chance to compete and enjoy the challenge of trying to get better.” While the basic NASTAR system has remained the same for more than 35 years, a few of the early practices of the program have evolved. The most significant change came in the form of age divisions. The first year of NASTAR featured no age divisions whatsoever. Currently, age categories are determined by a participant’s age as of December 31. The age divisions now range from 1-4 to 90-and-over. All participating resorts, like Sugar Mountain, are provided with a race package that includes all necessary materials needed for the successful execution of the NASTAR program such as start/finish banners, directional signage, gate panels, race bibs and state-of-the-art scoring/registration software. Resorts are ultimately responsible for the location and set up of their NASTAR course, but typically it is visible from a high traffic lift or lodge.
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Resorts have the option of single or dual courses, and each course is set up with 12 to 20 gates that racers must maneuver around. NASTAR encourages venues to standardize their courses to have a par time of 23 seconds. Each time you race NASTAR, you earn a handicap that represents the difference between your race time and the recorded time by the fastest ski racer in the United States. Yo u a l s o w i n a P l a t i n u m , G o l d o r B r o n z e medal depending on the handicap you earn. In the end, NASTAR provides millions of skiers the thrill of racing gates just like the pros. This thrill is what keeps skiers coming back to places like Sugar Mountain. “We usually bring in a big crowd for NASTAR,” Jochl said. “People just love having the chance to compete and have fun.”
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The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
Let that be a
LESSON High Country Slopes will take you to school
here are few things I fear more than breaking a leg. Having a terrrorist as a roommate or being forced into an intellectual onversation with Parris Hilton pale in comparison to my T fright of fractures after I broke a leg on, of all things, a motor scooter at 15 (sometimes I substitute “Harley” for “motor scooter” when I’m feeling macho). After suffering one break, I have tended to avoid activities that may leave open the most remote possibility of bone breakage until this past winter when I tried snow skiing for the first time. When my siblings decided to visit their baby brother in Boone, they were all gung ho about skiing and since I offered free accommodations they jumped at the chance like a politician on a spare ballot. We chose Appalachian Ski Mountain for our day trip because of its proximity to my house and its reputation as an ideal slope for beginners. We arrived at App full of excitement and a little fear and proceeded to outfit ourselves with skis and boots and all the essentials. Everyone looked like models from a Suzy Chapstick commercial except me. Since I’m allergic to style, I resembled a neoprene-covered hobo, despite my best efforts. We clomped outside and met App Ski Mountain instructor Jim Cottrell. Jim heads up the resort’s French-Swiss Ski College. Opened in 1969, the school is the oldest and is regarded as the best-known ski school in the Southeast. On this cold, pre-spring day, Jim had his work cut out. In addition to tutoring a pot-bellied journalist with two left feet, Jim and his assistant faced two grade-school kids, my twin nieces and my oldest and very single sister, who seemed more intent on “accidentally” falling into Jim’s arms at key moments like the proverbial damsel in distress. Jim handled the Reagan clan like the professional he truly is. He started by teaching the CONTINUED ON PAGE 96
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The State of Skiing North Carolina offers high hopes with top slopes
T
he highest mountains on the East Coast are in North Carolina, and the mercury often drops below zero degrees there. Two decades ago, however, few people were aware of these facts. But the 1960s marked the beginning of a new era, the era of the Southern Skier. Ski areas began to open in North Carolina, and within a few years nine areas were open. The crest of the Blue Ridge and the Eastern Continental divide meet near Boone, North Carolina, forming the scenic terrain surrounding the hub of Southern skiing. There are four ski areas within twenty miles of Boone and when the temperature drops below freezing in late November, the skiers start their migration to the slopes. The sport that was so novel in the 60s is now a major tourist industry in the South, and nearly a half-million Southerners watch the leaves turn in the fall, in eager anticipation of winter’s first snow.
Skiing is more than just putting on a pair of skis and sliding down a snow-covered slope. It is a mountain experience, a new environment, a place where young and old can enjoy a cold snowy day, either on the slopes or by a roaring fire in the lodge. Having a good time is what skiing is all about: racing a friend to the bottom, gently gliding down the beginner hill, jumping over moguls (mounds of snow) or picking yourself up after a fall. Skiing is fun! On a clear day, a skier can pause on top of a chair lift and see the picturesque landscape unfold below for fifty miles. Instruction is often overlooked, but is well worth the small investment; plan on taking lessons the first three to five days of skiing. Fundamental skills and safe skiing are difficult to attain without instruction. Don’t depend
on your friends to teach you to ski. Their intentions will be good, but you will probably develop poor habits and before you know it you will be skiing down slopes too difficult for you ability – a liability to yourself, your friends and the other people on the slopes. The only way to find out why North Carolina skiing is for you is to make the move and try it. And if you haven’t skied North Carolina for awhile, you’ll find it even better than you remembered.
Your First Time Skiing . . .
Do you remember the first time you stepped into a roller coaster? You didn’t know what it was going to be like, but you knew it would be exciting. Well, that’s your first day on skis. The first slipping, sliding run down the beginner slope is a thrill, a few spills and a lot of laughs, and before the day is out you are well on your way to balancing on skis. Being proficient is not necessary to enjoy skiing; however, being able to control your speed, avoid objects, and stop are very important for everyone’s enjoyment.
How To Get Started . . . Become familiar with skiing in general. By doing so, you will have a head start on what you need and what you can expect. Obtain information on learn to ski programs. Your first day on skis under the guidance of a trained ski instructor will find you walking, sliding, gliding, balancing, edging, turning and stopping – these are the basic skills used by all skiers. Some people will progress more quickly than others, but it’s exciting and gratifying to master a hill or slope that caused you some frustrating spills.
Before heading off to the slopes, make sure that you have everything you need to get the most out of your time at the ski area. Make up a list of clothing you will need, and don’t forget the little items that are so important, like a hat, scarf, goggles, gloves or mittens, long underwear, and proper socks. You may also want to bring a change of clothes, especially socks, because after driving to the ski area with your car heater on, your socks may be filled with moisture that translates into “cold” on the slopes. Rental ski clothing is available in many places. If you do not have clothing for cold weather, this is a good option. Plan to rent your equipment. This is probably the best plan for you because as a novice you’ll want to try the sport before investing in skis, boots, and poles. Keep in mind that when renting, boots are your most important consideration. Be sure they fit snugly but with room to wiggle your toes. Get to know your gear. Putting on your ski equipment can be traumatic, so it’s a good idea to do it in stages. First secure the boots, walk around the lodge and try to maneuver a set of stairs. Practice going up the steps, down the steps, and walking around for five or ten minutes, just to get the feel of the boots. After you’ve gotten used to the boots, make sure the bindings have been set for your height, weight and ability. Bindings hold your boots to the skis and are designed to release when you fall making the proper setting very important. Look forward to winter. Try snow skiing in the North Carolina Mountains.
Story By Jim Cottrell, President French-Swiss Ski College Appalachian Ski Mountain
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Southern Skiing
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hen I moved to the High Country five years ago to go to college, I did so with the intention of leaving my skiing career behind me forever. As a former ski racer, I had the opportunity to ski nearly every type of terrain this continent has to offer, from Maine to Mt. Hood, from Quebec to New Mexico, and several dozen places in-between. I’d spent every season as a ski racer traveling across the continent to compete, and lived for two years in the Mecca of aggressive alpine skiing, Crested Butte, CO. I thought I’d seen it all when it came to North American skiing. So never once did I think I’d end up skiing in North Carolina. And I certainly didn’t think I’d grow to love it. Southern skiing may never get the respect it deserves from northern and western skiers and snowboarders, but that’s a good thing. Let’s face it, southern resorts will never compete with the Sugarloafs, Okemos, Strattons, and Killingtons of New England, or with the Crested Buttes, Vails, Whistlers, and Lake Tahoes of the west. But as a Midwestern native, I can safely say that the on-snow quality we have here in the High Country is as good as any of the 50-plus resorts in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. It’s even as good as some of Ontario’s resorts. But that’s like comparing apples to oranges. What truly makes southern skiing and snowboarding special is accessibility. It’s amazing that only two hours off the mountain the temperature frequently reaches the high 90’s in the summer, yet in the winter people can make relatively short drives from Charlotte, and even as far south as Atlanta, and be skiing and snowboarding the same day. Sugar Mountain, Beech Mountain, Appalachian and Hawksnest can provide a quality fix of winter adrenaline in a world better known for its NASCAR and moonshine than for skiing and snowboarding. Sugar boasts a vertical drop that would make any Midwestern resort drool, with steep runs to match. Beech isn’t too far behind. Appalachian has snowmaking that is as good as anywhere in the country, and can pile it on thick and quick when the temperature’s right. And Hawksnest keeps a low enough profile to give locals a lot of runs on crowd-free slopes, something every ski community needs. Appalachian has an exceptional terrain park and Beech has the high-speed. What more do you need? The High Country is developing a strong competitive scene as well. Local skiers and snowboarders are picking up sponsorships and representing the region on the national level. Beech Mountain and Sugar Mountain both have full-fledged ski and snowboard teams, and have had several athletes represent the south at the Junior Olympics in skiing and at the U.S. Nationals in snowboarding. Southern colleges are competing in the United States Collegiate Skiing Association, a division that has rivaled the NCAA over the past several years on an individual level, with several USCSA athletes going on after college to have successful World Cup careers. Local athletes have gone on to have exceptional success at the national level, including former Lees-McRae standout Nathan Schwing, who took ninth in the giant slalom at last season’s U.S. National Championships, beating out a slew of U.S. Ski Team athletes and top collegiate racers. Southern skiing and snowboarding’s popularity has also led to great commerce off the mountains. Local ski and snowboard shops rival any in the country in terms of products and service, and all are staffed by knowledgeable people who know skiing and snowboarding. The recent upstart of winter sports has led to the opening of new stores across the High Country, proofpositive evidence that the industry is continuing to grow and thrive in the south. Where once there was very little interest, manufacturers are now taking notice of southern skiing and snowboarding popularity, and see it as a viable and critical
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2009
Crossing a new ski frontier S
Many find a fresh hobby off the slopes
So you say you’ve had enough of long lift lines, getting up at 6 am for rental equipment, taking lessons and not getting any better, and paying outrageous amounts of money on lift tickets that just seem to get more expensive year after year? But you still come to the High Country to get away from it all and spend a little R+R with the family, right? Well get back to the roots of skiing, jump on some skinny boards and experience the High Country the way it was meant to be, on cross country skis! Cross country skiing (also known as Nordic) is the High Country’s equivalent to hiking. In fact, when Mother Nature cooperates many of the hiking trails that you have used when visiting the High Country in the summer can be used as cross country skiing trails in the winter. What’s the relation? If you can hike then you can cross country ski. The snowfall in the High Country has fluctuated greatly in the last several years and unfortunately there is no snowmaking on any of the area’s cross country trails. Be sure to look out your window first before contemplating a backwoods excursion. The Farmer’s Almanac is predicting a fairly heavy winter, so if there is snow on the ground you’re in luck, but what’s next? Choosing terrain that is right for you. We are blessed in the High Country to have the largest mountains east of the Rockies. For the cross country enthusiast
this can be the greatest luck in the world or it can be sweatpounding despair. It’s wonderful if you are in excellent physical shape and have had at least some prior cross country experience. There is nothing more exciting than being able to tackle any terrain in front of you and let nature be your guide. However, if you are less than adventurous and have children that will be accompanying you check the trail guide on this page for suitable trails that the whole family can enjoy. The mountains of North Carolina are guaranteed to have a little something for everybody! If you’ve never had cross country experience it’s not a problem. Cross country is more closely associated with walking than with the downhill skiing you are familiar with at any of the High Country’s four resorts. In short, if you can put one foot in front of the other then you can cross country ski. There are a couple shops in the High Country that will satisfy your cross country skiing needs. The High Country Ski Shop in Pineola carries skis, poles, boots and bindings, as well as an assortment of other related hard and soft goods. There is also a rental shop if you don’t have your own equipment or aren’t interested in purchasing. The High Country Ski Shop also offers lessons so your first cross country experience is a safe and happy one. In Boone the place to check out for cross country equipment is 1st Tracks on Highway 105. 1st Tracks carries an assortment CONTINUED ON PAGE 105
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
Taking
PAGE 29
BOARD YET? THE LATEST IN SNOWBOARDS, SKIS, CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES
SALES & RENTALS HWY. 105 SOUTH
BOONE 828-264-7368
800-262-9036 www.1sttracks.com
Flight Making sure you’re clear for takeoff on the slopes
S
kiing and snowboarding are thrills that split atoms in the power plant inside of us. This surging adrenaline is pure energy without a prescription, unadulterated vigor. Quite often these feelings are enhanced by catching air off of jumps and feeling like birds (strapped to hundreds of dollars of equipment), soaring over the snow below. The issue we now face is if you don’t wish to hike up an icy terrain park and wait in line for the jumps with ruts, where can you find big air and stay on the good side of the ski patrol? It’s time to respect yourself while respecting others on the mountain and find places to jump inside the boundaries. Ski patrols don’t want to take your pass for jumping as they have better things to do with their time; though they enjoy a good aerial as much as the rest of us. But by altering our perceptions we can turn that granny slope into a hit parade and still show consideration for others on the mountain. Looking at the mountain’s terrain there are a few surefire areas where jumps develop naturally, either by way of the snow Cats (groomers), the snow guns, or the lay of the land. However there are imperative principles that govern slope jumping, freeride style. Safety is the first, middle, and last rule when it comes to slopeside jumping. If you hurt anyone else jumping will be strictly prohibited (and you’ll feel the guilt that comes along with it) and if you hurt yourself you won’t be jumping anymore either. So pay attention to a few basics that give us peace of mind on the mountain:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Trailside jumps are coincidentally where many people like to stand. Be sure to scout the jump from all angles to make sure it is safe. Set up a buddy system where you can be signaled when the jump is clear and you can continue free of the fear of someone skiing in your way. The landing is more important than the jump. Make sure it has a sufficient downhill angle, a decent snowpack, and room to ski off your speed. Wear a helmet and wrist guards (and maybe use cheaper goggles) to prevent injuries and keep you on the slope. Before you try anything wild, practice it first on a control jump (like in a park) so you get comfortable and can do it anywhere on the mountain. Learn to roll with the falls, ninja-style, but when you do fall hard (and you will) know when to say when, there is always another day. Always respect closed trails, your equipment will thank you, as they are usually closed for good reason. Carry a ski/board tool, as landings will apply high torque to your bindings and can loosen mounts or straps, especially if you crash. The number one place to find a decent jump is where the slope is intersected by a Cat track. Traversing trails created by Cats create inclines when they cross a down mountain CONTINUED ON PAGE 106
SKI & SNOWBOARD EQUIPMENT • CLOTHING RENTALS • SERVICE
Across From The Entrance To Sugar Mountain In Banner Elk
(828) 898-9786 • (800) 528-3874 www.skicountrysports.com
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The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
Terrain for Newbies
Tips for staying upright no matter what’s underneath
W
e may see a bit more ice than say Colorado...but if you ski enough, you’re going to experience some conditions no matter where you ski that will challenge you. Every skier lives for the day that they awake to look out the window to see a 24-inch deep blanket of the most perfect powder snow. But this condition is rare unless you happen to be in a few geographically blessed areas of the planet where the conditions are perfect. Snow is very dynamic. It changes throughout the day. It’s structure changes over time. It actually “flows” and moves down the slope. The well-rounded skier encounters most of these conditions throughout the skiing season. Let’s look at the various conditions, their effect on you, and what you have to do about it. There’s not a whole lot you can do to ski hard crust well. It grabs onto your skis and prevents you from accomplishing anything other than skiing in remarkably straight lines - not a good thing if you are about to ski off a cliff. (Unless you’re going to sacrifice yourself in hopes of having the cliff named after you! ). Hard crust can be formed when freezing rain falls on top of soft snow. It can also be formed by high wind which seems to cause the snow crystals to cement together and form a matrix. The main problem is that you cannot initiate any turns. Your skis will have created a slot in the crust and will follow that slot in a straight line. Unless the crust is thin, no amount of edging will turn the skis. When going fast, there’s only one solution. You have to jump up out of your tracks and turn in mid-air. (Not for the inexperienced skier... Solution: Stay away from hard crust which is more likely to be on black diamond runs, up top where the groomers rarely go!)
Hard Crust:
The term crud refers to broken crust. Depending on how icy the snow is and how big the pieces are, crud skiing can range from easy to just plain dangerous. If the pieces are large and perhaps frozen in place, your skis are going to have an awful time in any turns. Hop turns are a must here, too. 1. Traverse the hill to gain some momentum. Keep your skis parallel. 2. Anticipate your turn. Face directly down the fall line. 3. Set your edges and sink with your knees. 4. Plant your downhill pole. 5. Extend your legs launching yourself into the air. 6. Suck up your legs so that they clear the snow. 7. Pivot your lower body around. Keep facing downhill. 8. Land with your skis parallel and traverse to you next hop. You will need
2009
strong legs when skiing crud. Your legs need the strength to withstand the punishing hammering received as you bash into the snow lumps.
Slush isn’t too difficult to ski in. You do have to force your turns though as the snow is sticky and heavy. Slush conditions often mean varying conditions all throughout a ski run. It’s best to keep your knees flexed and ready for changes.
Slush:
Many skiers hate ice. Actually, ice isn’t all that difficult. What most skiers hate about it is the apparent lack of control. It’s almost as though the sound of one’s edges scraping across the ice sheet elicits a fear response. The natural response seems to be to hunker down low and assume an awkward pigeon-toed, snow-plow position. This is hardly a posture suited to strength and control.You will have some reduced control on ice. That’s natural since your skis cannot sink into the ice like they do on a soft bed of snow. Your skis will skid around more than usual and you won’t have the same fine control you’d normally expect. If you learn to accept the diminished control when on ice and learn what you can’t and can do. The best way to do that is to ski on ice some. After a little while you’ll find that it’s not that bad!
Ice:
Powder:
Powder is a wonderful ski condition. However, sometimes there can be too much powder. Here around the High Country, we only see powder conditions once or twice a season. Deep powder is when you’re skiing in the snow, not on it and those are rarer still in the Southeast and Mid Atlantic. But for those of us skiing in more normal conditions, our powder is more fluffed up new, natural snow. And it’s not that easy to ski in. It’s sluggish. It doesn’t move too easily. And if it’s deep it’s tough work.The trick to skiing this stuff is to get forward on your skis while initiating the turn then rock back to get your skis to come to the surface. Some people claim you don’t have to get your weight back...but do what’s comfortable for you!
Crud:
Be Safe!
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Use Your Head — Wear a Helmet L
ike many other athletic activities that have the risk of head injury, the federal government and the U.S. Ski Association recommend wearing a helmet for all snowrelated sports. In a study conducted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), 44 percent of the head injuries sustained during the study would likely have been addressed by the use of a helmet, which include injuries to the top of the head, back of the head, forehead and side of the head over the ear. Only 8 percent of people who sustained injuries in these areas were wearing a helmet at the time of their injury. The CPSC used national estimates for skiing and snowboarding head injuries for 1997, which totaled 17,500. The staff estimates 7,700 head injuries during the 1997 season could have been addressed by the use of a helmet. Based upon the review of death certificate data, 84 deaths from 1990 to 1997 were caused by head injury alone, which led the staff to estimate that up to 11 deaths per year may possibly be addressed with the use of a helmet. “We know that helmet use can prevent serious head injuries in a wide variety of sports and activities, including bicycling and in-line skating,” CPSC chairman Ann Brown said. “This study of skiing and snowboarding shows that helmets can prevent or reduce the severity of head injuries on the slopes, just as they do on the streets.” Although there is no state or federal ordinance requiring the use of helmets by snow sport participants, local ski patrols encourage their use.
“I feel like it is a safer environment if everyone is wearing helmets,” Joe Donadio of Appalachian Ski Mountain Ski Patrol said. “It is especially important for kids, their heads are protected a little bit better.” Donadio said that because Appalachian Ski Mountain is a smaller mountain than ski resorts out west, they don’t see as many fast-paced collisions with immobile objects like tree and lift poles. “It is kind of a beginners mountain, so we don’t see as many collisions here but it is a good idea to have a [helmet] on. The more protected you are the better off you are,” Donadio said. A nationwide study of ski injuries in Sweden for the 1985-86 season found that head injuries among those wearing a helmet were 50 percent lower than for non-helmet users. Based upon these findings, the researchers of the report concluded that the use of skiing helmets will reduce the risk of head injury associated with snowboarding and skiing. Most helmets are imported form European manufacturers, however, marketing literature accumulated by the CPSC has shown that more domestic manufacturers have entered the CONTINUED ON PAGE 108
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The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
Slopes offers slippery options for non-skiers
F
or all those non-skiers, there is a way you can get that feeling of flying down a frozen hill too. Visitors to the High Country can hop in an inflatable inner tube and enjoy a different way to ride down a hill. Snow tubing has given non-skiers a run for their money. With an inner tube to ride, they can whisk their way down a frozen, sculpted flume. The majority of the groups that love the tubes are those outof-towners. Now non-skiers can come along and have some fun too with an inner tube. These crowds can cause a lot of waiting though and even missed opportunities, especially on busy weekends and during the holidays. A limited number of tubes are available for each two-hour session, which can sell out rather quickly. If you want a chance at this fun-filled experience, plan ahead and arrive early. Sugar Mountain offers snow tubing that runs 700 ft. Each two-hour session is $15 on weekdays and $20 on weekends and holidays. Children age four and under are free. Sessions are offered every two hours starting at 10 am and ending with the last session at 8 pm. Tickets for each session go on sale thirty minutes before the upcoming session on a first come first serve basis and only include that session. Tubing sells out regularly at Sugar Mountain especially Martin Luther King and President’s Day weekends, which are the busiest times. Groups can download parental waivers for children 11 and under at the Sugar Mountain website at www. skisugar.com. Hawksnest has recently added a new feature for their tubers. They have added three more lanes to total eight ranging 1000 ft. A ski carpet, like a moving sidewalk, has also been added for a joyride back to the top and is the longest in the US. Hawksnest rates are $22 for a two-hour session Sunday-Friday with a new session at the top of each hour. Sessions on Saturdays and holidays are $25. Tickets go on sale at the top of each hour and for only that day. Group reservations are available for 15 or more. Hawksnest will be open on Mondays-Thursdays 11 am-8 pm, Fridays 11 am-10 pm, Saturdays and Holidays 9 am-10 pm and Sundays 9 am-6 pm. We end our snow tubing tour with Jonas Ridge Snow Tubing. Located six miles south of Linville, Jonas Ridge is in its third year of operation and features three tubing runs. When the skies turn dark, Jonas Ridge keeps the action going under their lights. The rates at Jonas Ridge are $20 for two hours of action Sunday-Friday. Two hours on Saturdays and holidays are $25. Groups of 15 or more can tube Sunday-Friday for $17. JOnas Ridge is open from 4 p.m. til 8 p.m.on Thursday; 4 p.m. til 11 p.m. on Friday; 10 a.m. til 11 p.m. on Saturday; and 12 p.m. til 6 p.m. on Sunday. On holiday Mondays, Jonas Ridge is open from 10 a.m. til 6 p.m. Hours are subject to change due to weather conditions.
2009
Ice Skating The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
magine what it was like to bundle up in all the sweaters your mother could find, run outside and find your friends while the cold made your cheeks red and tingly. Then, as soon as you could find a frozen over pond, you run as fast as you can to see who can get their skates on first, and gliding across the frozen, powder-white ice as the wind cut into your layers the faster you went. While ice skating outside may sound like a story your grandfather tells you about, in the High Country, the novelty of skating outside has been preserved in the valleys and bodies of water scattered between the mountain tops. While many of the lakes and ponds in the area tend to freeze over by December, it is not safe to blindly skate out onto a body of water without ensuring its safety. Which is why Appalachian Ski Mountain and Beech Mountain, ski and snowboarding resorts in the area, both provide an outdoor skating rink for visitors to the mountain. Beech Mountain’s 7,000 square-foot ice skating rink is located at the base of all the main ski trails, and surrounded by a row of bleachers for patrons to watch the tricks and turns skaters take on the frosty, pure ice as they carefully and skillfully glide along. A row of shops borders on the other side of the rink, making hot chocolate and other
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warm and comforting beverages only a short walk away. For more information, call (828) 387-2011. Appalachian Ski Mountain provides a rink with a gorgeous view of the Blue Ridge mountains as you partake in this classic winter pastime. The rink also has a refrigerated floor, to ensure the smoothest, coldest ice. Rental skates are included (if needed) in the $14 fee per session. The rink is open for three separate sessions during the season: noon to 2 p.m., 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., and 7 to 9 p.m. It is open from (weather permitting) Nov. 22 to March 23rd. There is also a special moonlight skating social after the fireworks show on New Year’s Eve. To find out more, call (828)295-7828. Sugar Mountain Resort features a 10,000 square-foot refrigerated outdoor ice skating rink, with skate sessions lasting 1 3/4 hours long, offered daily at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Rates are $15 per session and include skate rentals. Individual tickets must be purchased at the skating rink. Four hundred pairs of rental skates are available. Figure skate sizes include youth 7-4 and adult 5-13. Hockey skate sizes include youth 4 and adult 5-14. For more information, call 1-800-SUGARMT or visit www.skisugar.com.
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The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
Tricked Out 2009
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
PAGE 35
the ground. When they quickly pull their back leg up the tail reaches an equivalent height to the nose but the board will now be parallel to the ground. The air you catch will not be huge, but it will be enough to let you do things with it. Eventually your olly will gain more height as you learn to use the snappiness of your board tail. Ollies open the door to bigger air off of jumps and it also helps you set your edge before jumping, thereby adding precision to your jump and confidence to your landing. You will now be able to elevate over obstacles in the middle of the trail, like downed bamboo poles and bare spots, but it makes you look cool doing it. If there are any gap-jumps set up in the terrain park (or if there is a small stream nearby) you can use your olly to clear the gap and not have your board tail smack against the landing side of the gap. 180° Slide is a simple trick that will help you set up to ride fakie (when you ride your board opposite of your natural stance without changing your board setup). When you bring your board to a stop you normally bend your knees, shift your weight uphill and dig in your uphill edge (heelside or toeside) and decrease your speed. Using a heelside slide as an example, shift your weight more toward your front foot, and pivot the board around like you were bringing it to the horizontal Pho slide/stop (perpendicular to the tos slope), but do not dig in the by Mar ie F ree ma CONTINUED ON PAGE 46 n
A few snowboard flat tips
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o y o u r l o c a l m o u n t a i n ’s t e r r a i n p a r k i s n o t h i n g t o w r i t e home about and you yen for something fresh. If you have been riding long enough to be at ease with your edges, the trails no longer rule you, and you crave to improve, then its time for you to challenge the mountain. The spice of flat land tricks will make east coast riding more palatable while putting a new edge on your skills and adding flash to your style. Flat land tricks are when you maneuver your board without having to use jumps to do it. An example would be a manual, when you center your weight over your back leg (not over an edge) while pulling up with your front foot, and levitate your board nose (about 8 inches) in the air. It sounds simple, but the trick is to do this while riding. Initially try it at a stand still, and then add momentum. The first few tries will be choppy feeling and you will only be able to hold it for a few yards. Use your arms to steady yourself but do not flail them, as it will throw off your balance. When you gain comfort balancing over the tail of your board it will get easier and before long you will be able to hold a manual further than a lift line is long. The manual is foundational to so many flat land tricks, like ollies. An olly is when you center your weight over the back of your board (like during a manual), but when your board’s nose is hovering your snap your back leg up and put the whole board into the air. Watching someone olly you can notice that when their board nose is in the air and tail is on the ground, the board is diagonal in respect to
Boot Up PAGE 36
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
Maintaining happy feet on the slopes
I
n the ski and snowboard retail business, you can’t blame a potential consumer for coming into a shop and heading straight for the skis or boards. That’s where the excitement is. Technological innovation in skis and boards is at an alltime high, as is the marketing of those products. But buying skis or a snowboard without first being fit for a boot relative to your performance level is similar to buying a car without considering the engine or transmission. Particularly in skiing, the boot is the middleman, handling all the responsibility of relaying your athletic movements down to the ski. Buy a boot that’s too big, too small (albeit rare), or above or below your ability level and your comfort and performance will suffer. The same goes for snowboarding, although the binding in snowboarding shares more of the performance load than in skiing. Here are a few tips when considering your boot purchase.
Tip #1 – Get Specialized Help Work with a retailer who specializes and is certified in bootfitting. Let them examine your feet, and give them some history of ailments you’ve had in the past: broken bones, your previous boots, aches, pains, etc.
Tip #2 – Ignore the Hype Do not buy a boot just because it got rave reviews in a magazine or sports journal, and certainly not because your buddy thinks it’s the best boot ever. The testers in those magazines certainly have a level of expertise in bootfitting beyond yours, but the boot that fits and performs well for them could be the worst boot on the wall for you.
during the peak season. Your boot is the most important piece of skiing or snowboarding equipment that you’ll purchase, and your bootfitter knows this. Whenever it’s possible, phone ahead and let the shop know you’re coming. They’ll set aside time for you.
Tip #4 – Getting Branded Although there has been a trend by ski and snowboard boot companies towards building boots for the “average” foot, boot fit does differ by company and certainly by model. Your bootfitter will have a pretty good idea what boot may be best for you simply by analyzing your feet, but don’t hesitate to try on different companies and eliminate them (or accept them) one by one.
Tip #3 – Shop the “Down Time” Tip #5 – Super Getting fit for the right boot is not an in-and-out deal. Finding the right boot and assessing your needs can take an hour or more, Size is Bad for your Health and sometimes span several days if custom insoles and/or shell modification is part of the process. Plan on shopping for a boot during a shop’s down time, such as August through the middle of November, or midweek in the late morning or early afternoon
Boots, especially ski boots, fit snug at first. And let’s face it, we spend 99 percent of our time in comfortable footwear: sneakers, sandals, loafers, and so on, so when we stick our foot into footwear where the primary support is hard plastic,
it’s going to feel uncomfortable. Trust your bootfitter. If you measure a 26.5, then you should be in a 26.5 unless there are extenuating circumstances. The boot will feel tight at first, then as the liner breaks in, or “packs out”, the boot will begin to feel more comfortable. A boot that’s too big allows the foot to slide up and down the footbed, which causes the toe to repeatedly slam against the front of the boot. Customers often misdiagnose this as a boot that’s too small, automatically assuming that pain to the toe equals small boots. Other injuries that can result from oversized boots are sprained ankles, bruising, and in extreme cases broken leg, ankle, and foot bones. These are just a few tips that will assist you in making the right boot purchase. But remember, there is no substitute for knowledge and experience, so when shopping for your boots make sure the shop has a certified bootfitter that can assist you. In the High Country, Ski Country Sports in Banner Elk is an America’s Best Bootfitters authorized outlet that employs certified Master bootfitters. Call ahead for an appointment at (828) 898-9786. Also check out 1st Tracks in Boone (828) 264-7368 and Alpine Ski Center at the base of Sugar Mountain (828) 898-9701.
2009
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
Staying on Budget while
A
s a winter sports store salesman, the most challenging task I have is to put the consumer onto skis or a snowboard that is right for them. In the past 10 years, manufacturers have begun to narrow their focus so that each consumer can find a product that will not only fit their budget, but also their ability level. Ten years ago a person may have had one option, per company, that truly was a suitable ski. And for snowboarders? Forget it, very few options, sometimes as few as one or two boards per ability level (beginner, intermediate, advanced.) Today companies will often have upwards of a half-dozen choices for each level…or more. Well, with more choices there are more decisions to be made. This can make the purchase of new skis or a new snowboard that much more difficult, and exciting. But by following a few simple rules, you can be fully satisfied and get the most out of your purchase. The number one rule, without a doubt, is to be honest with your salesperson, and yourself, about your ability level. Most consumers have a tendency to “play up” their ability level, i.e. a beginner says they’re an intermediate, an intermediate says they’re advanced. The first question you’re likely to hear from a salesperson is, “What’s your ability level?”
By answering this, you’re salesperson will automatically have you narrowed down to probably 10 to 15 percent of the skis or snowboards on the rack without you even knowing it, and the transaction will continue from there. If you’re a beginner and tell your salesperson you’re intermediate, you’ll likely be choosing from a selection not suitable to your ability. Ski and snowboard constructions change drastically from entry-level up to advanced, so it’s critical that you make a purchase within your ability level. This starts by recognizing what that level is and relaying it to your salesperson. If you don’t know what your level is, talk with your
PAGE 37
Styling on the slopes
salesperson about what your experience is and they’ll guide you in the right direction. Try to prepare for and avoid the “new car” syndrome. When we go onto the showroom floor of a car dealership, our first reaction is to look at the newest, sleekest model the dealership has to offer. It’s the sharpest looking, often with the freshest paint job, and has more bells and whistles than any other vehicle on the lot. And more times than not, it’s not the best ride for your needs. If you bought it, it would probably be an impulse buy. The same is true in skis and snowboards. Manufacturers intentionally turn the dial up on the graphics of their higher priced skis and snowboards so they’ll stand out on the rack. The only problem is that if you’re a beginner or intermediate, you don’t need that ski or snowboard, just like anyone living in the mountains has no business owning a convertible or two-wheel drive. Should the way a ski or snowboard look have any influence on a consumer’s purchase? Absolutely, you should buy a ski or snowboard you like the looks of. After all, you’re the one who has to look down at them on the lift. But be aware that more often than not the ski or snowboard that has the most attractive graphics is often for the most advanced skier or rider, and is usually at the upper end of the price bracket. Ski and snowboard companies spend millions each season so you’ll take notice of their goods on the rack over other manufacturers. Be better prepared when you enter a ski or snowboard shop…do some research. All the ski and snowboard companies that you’re going to find represented in stores have websites, and although websites are traditionally biased towards their products, they do provide details such as: a list of skis and
snowboards and for what ability level they are for, construction specifics, the type of terrain the skis and snowboards are suited for (you don’t need a powder ski in the east), and often what the retail prices are. Skiing, SKI, Powder, and TransWorld Snowboarding magazines all have substantial issues dedicated to product reviews for the upcoming season, so that is also a good resource. Keep in mind, however, that the testers in those magazines are often experts, and test all levels of skis and snowboards, from beginner to advanced, and the way they ski or ride is drastically different from the way you do. Most stores will also have brochures that you can pick up. But perhaps the most important thing to remember when shopping for skis and snowboards is to work with your salesperson. They are your best resource 99 percent of the time, and your direct reference and resource between you and that ski or snowboard you’re eyeing up. Making a purchase is truly a team effort, and each party has to contribute information equally to make it a success. The individuals who work in ski and snowboard shops do it because they have a passion for their sports, not because they need to earn money. They could do that anywhere. Talking from experience, ski and snowboard salesmen are perhaps the most underpaid people in retail, which means when they are working to help you find that right ski or snowboard, they are working for you. But regardless, here’s a sure fire tip to make sure your salesperson has your best interests in mind. Before telling the salesperson what your ability level is, walk up to the most expensive ski or snowboard on the rack and say, “Would this be a good ski (or snowboard) for me?” If your salesperson says anything along the lines of “yes” or “sure” or “that’d be a good ski or snowboard for anyone” without first asking you any questions, you know you’re in the wrong place. The bottom line is to find a ski or snowboard that’s right for you. You know what you can afford, but do you know what you need? Use the above guidelines and resources and you’ll be well on your way to making a purchase that will make your season truly enjoyable.
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PAGE 38
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
Right equipment leads to a right good time
By Cara Kelly roperly fitting snowboarding gear is an essential base for a good season on the slopes. And purchasing the right equipment helps ensure a better quality riding experience. For anyone interested in pursuing snowboarding as a winter hobby, purchasing a good board is a great way to start. According to Drew Preston, equipment manager for Alpine Ski Center, for riders who have been snowboarding a few times and are really interested in spending time on the slopes, a quality, intermediate level board will be a worthwhile purchase. “It is always a good idea to buy something intermediate,” Preston said. “Riders grow out of beginner boards in less than two years in general, so it is kind of a waste of money.” One immediate and easily noticeable aspect of a higher quality board is weight. A light-weight board allows riders more maneuverability and a smoother ride, and is tell-tale of a higher price tag yet worthy investment. Another difference in a higher quality board is a result of the method of the board’s construction. Sintered bases are the most costly to produce but have many benefits. These bases are made slowly by heating powdered polyethylene under great pressure, resulting in a block that is then skived or cut to form the base material. Sintered bases are much higher in molecular weight, which increased abrasion resistance and wax absorption. “A sintered base is higher end because it is stronger and way more porous, so when you are waxing, the wax fills the entirety of the board and is more easily absorbed,” Preston said. “The wax stays inside the board better so it is faster.” The preferred style of riding plays an essential role in the desired characteristics of an appropriate board. Snowboarders who enjoy a freeride, all mountain-style
P
riding, using the whole mountain to enjoy natural obstacles to get air or just cruising down groomed slopes or back-country powder, should look for a lighter, stiffer board. “The stiffer the board is, the better it will hold a turn,” Preston said. However, freeride boards should also be soft and maneuverable enough for landing jumps and performing some freestyle maneuvers. Freeride boards are most often chosen by snowboarders, accounting for a large majority of sales likely for the board’s ability to be ridden on the whole mountain, from the park to the pipe. Freestyle and technical-style riding includes mostly trick riding, comprised of jumps, spins, grabs, riding fakie or generally pushing the envelope of creative skills. A freestyle board should be shorter, lighter and softer in flex, which allows for increased maneuverability and responsiveness. The soft flex makes the boards easy to turn and forgiving. “A softer board absorbs landings better than a stiff board that won’t bend,” Preston said. “Landing on a stiff board will sling you backwards a little bit.” High quality freestyle boards are more durable, allowing for a longer life-span. “A low end board will break with a lot of work,” Preston said. Height, stance and weight of the rider are the second largest factor in determining the correct board. A commonly used rule of thumb for length is to look for a board that when standing on its end, the tip reaches between chin and nose height. The width of a board should directly correlate with the foot size of the rider. It is important that the board be wider than the length of the rider’s foot to prevent the heels or toes from dragging while turning the board. Weight is also an important factor. Lighter riders should find a softer flex board, while larger riders should find a board with stiffer flex. Although purchasing an expensive board is generally worth the cost if the rider plans to get a lot of use out of it, Preston encourages buyers to really invest in good boots. “Put all of your money into o a good pair of boots if you can,” Preston said. The fit of a pair of boots has a direct and very noticeable impact on the riding experience, he
said A stiff boot provides a more responsive ride. The liner is thicker in less expensive boots, Preston said, and riders will fit in much smaller sizes of expensive boots. “Go absolutely as small as you can go,” Preston said about boot sizes. “Boots with a little room will be gigantic at the end of the season. You want your toes at the end, but not curled up, so there is little movement inside.” Boots with excessive room make it more difficult to turn and perform tricks, requiring more dramatic movements to create a response in the board. A nice pair of bindings should also be stiffer. Preston said bindings will be more comfortable and responsive as increasing in price. Although great deals can be found on the Internet, Preston believes several reasons make purchasing equipment in a store more effective overall. Specialty shops often o ff e r h e l p w i t h installation of parts and offer annual tune ups, including wax jobs, edge sharpening and filling dents. Properly fitting boots are an influential part of a good ride, which makes it important to try on a pair before purchasing. Summer or the end of the snowboarding season are great times to find sales, when shops must get rid of the gear from the previous season to make room for new shipments. The downside of shopping at the end of season, however, is a more limited selection. For beginners, Preston recommends renting a board at least once before making a purchase. “Just for the experience,” Preston said. “Rental boards’ bases are chipped and heavy, it won’t be as quality of an experience but it will at least let you know if it was fun.” However, for people planning to pursue the activity long-term, Preston highly encourages purchasing equipment. “You have a bond with your board. There is something about your own equipment. You will have a better time,” he said.
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
PAGE 39
Fabricating J
FLAKES
usthow important is snowmaking? Asimplequestion that elicits an answer that puts everything else in perspective. “Snowmaking is the lifeblood of the skiing industry in North America,” Brad Moretz of Appalachian Ski Mountain quickly answers with a smile. “Not just in the Southeast, but even in Colorado, British Columbia or Vermont. Anyone who is in the ski industry for the long run knows how mandatory snowmaking is to survive.” To supplement an average snowfall of 60 inches, North Carolina’s Ski Areas’ state-of-the-art snowmaking capabilities provide 100 percent slope coverage. When temperatures fall below freezing, the slopes take advantage of these opportunities to make snow. Snowmaking in North Carolina is key to creating fantastic slope conditions. The art of snowmaking involves creating a mixture of air and water under pressure and spraying it out of a snow gun. The mixture then turns to snow and falls to the ground. Temperature, humidity and wind are monitored to produce the most optimum skiing conditions. Those three conditions are the factors we consider when
The 411 on Snowmaking
making snow,” Moretz said. “We also take into account the number of people on the slope as well. Obviously, we don’t like to get people wet. Our goal each year is to not make snow during skiing hours from Christmas to the end of the season.” Hours of snowmaking per season range from 600 to 1500, depending on the weather and the specific ski area. Some locations go as far as stockpiling snow in key slope areas. When the weather turns warm or even to rain, these large piles of snow are strategically spread over decreasing snow base areas. Even when Mother Nature cooperates and natural snow falls at the slopes, there are many advantages to the snowmaking aspect. “Natural snow is more like window dressing,” Moretz said. “It’s festive and pretty, but it melts 10 times faster than machinemade snow. Natural snow also blows away quicker and packs down more. A better snow surface on the slopes is machine-made
snow. “Natural snow also has a negative effect because of road conditions. People worry about getting out on the road and that includes a ski slope’s staff.” Moretz added that machine-made snow, which is more of a granular flake, holds up better because of a protein additive incorporated. While Moretz remarked that Appalachian Ski Mountain averages around 600 hours of snowmaking in a typical season, he also broke down the numbers in terms of how much snow is made during these hours. “If the temperature is 18 degrees, we can convert more than one million gallons of water to snow on a long, cold night of snowmaking,” said Moretz. “The key is temperature and CONTINUED ON PAGE 107
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
PAGE 40
2009
Photos by Lynn Willis
For some, ICE is NICE W
Climbing the freeze
hile the temperature drops and the water begins to freeze, thrill seekers of the ice and cold awaken. Perusing the frozen water falls and icy slopes, ice climbers are ready to start their wintertime sport. The first ice climbers were alpine shepherds in the sixteenth century who used spiked horseshoe devices on their feet and alpenstocks (tall hiking poles) in hand to negotiate the steep icy slopes they crossed while controlling their flocks in high alpine valleys throughout the highlands of Scotland and the Alps proper. The same shepherds braved medieval lore that demons lived on the mountain summits and glaciers were dragons that would creep down into the valleys at night and drain the udders of sleeping peasants’ cows! In the early 1800s Victorian England began passing holiday’s in alpine villages and would pay the shepherds to guide the wealthy gentry amongst the peaks. This mutually beneficial relationship caused the shepherds to earn wages as guides and gain exposure to English culture while the clients were educated on the obscurity of mountain life. This mutual interest helped advance equipment and techniques at an exponential rate eventually leading into the late nineteenth century’s Golden Age of Mountaineering that saw the majority of the Alps’ summits attained. Luckily for us, modern technology has equipped us with fancy new crampons (metal spikes attached to one’s boots, facilitating traction on ice and snow) and ice tools (modified axes with pick-like blades, held in one’s hands and used to climb ice or snow). We no longer are bogged down by cotton and wool in the backcountry, but are liberated by breathable fabrics, quick dry materials, and functionally designed garments that keep us warm, dry, and comfortable while braving nature’s elements. Even so, we are humbled by the intensity of the ascents achieved by our predecessors who performed without any of our modern equipment. Steep thin ice with marginal gear will get the adrenaline pumping in even the most seasoned ice climber. The lack of natural protection (where a climber affixes anchors for safety) promotes top-roping of the ice climbs (when the rope is anchored above a climb for protection instead of the climber leading up from the bottom placing pieces of protection along the way.) During the warmer months you can usually spot the road cuts and cliff faces that seem to seep groundwater constantly; these are the gold mines you want to mark down for winter ice climbs. Unusually cold winters bless the South with pitch after pitch (variable length of a climb) of frozen waterfalls, iced up cracks and ice glazed low angled rock faces that provide technical and mental challenges to climbers of all skill levels. However, property ownership and access must be heeded to and permission gained from a property owner that is fully aware of the activity at hand. Luckily a few local climbing areas are off of the Blue Ridge Parkway or on National Forest land. Rob Funderburke, a senior guide for Fox Mountain Guides and Climbing School and an AMGA Certified Rock Instructor,
has been climbing since 2003 and has climbed a variety level of slopes and terrain. “I have done everything from scary, imprudent, and severe leads to casual jaunts in the winter. I have done first ascents and one-millionth ascents. I have soloed, rope-soloed, team simullead, lead multipitch, lead single pitch, lead mixed rock and ice, alpine mixed terrain, steep snow, ice that is falling apart, ice that monolithic,” he said. “You name it and I’ve done it.” He explained that some of objective hazards in ice climbing besides the obvious risk of falling and landing on icy and rocky slopes are injuries from errant axes, frostbite and hypothermia. But there are hazards in any activity he said. “Ice climbing is no more ‘dangerous’ than any other activity. There are risks that need to be managed,” he said. A climber can manage the “ice fall” factor by wearing helmets at all times and paying attention to their surroundings. Learning to climb carefully, position of the belayer, wearing proper clothing such as insulated apparel and communication play a key roll in safety, as well.
“Positioning the belayer away from the path of ice fall, announcing falling ice, and creating a rope and belay system that eliminates or minimizes the consequences of a falling climber are important,” he said. “We learn not to kick our crampons into the backs of our calves to avoid injury in the same common sense manner as a baseball player learns not to hit himself in the face with his bat.” Funderburke said that Climbing alone has a very different set of risks that require a very different strategy to manage for instance climbing 400 feet of ice in a remote setting has a very different set of risks than climbing 50 feet of ice beside the road. “‘Dangerous’ is very problematic word. Driving down the interstate is “dangerous”. How does one perceive risk, and how does one learn to manage it? That’s how I like to think about it,” he said. Fox Mountain Guides offered guided ice climbing in several CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
Ice is Nice Continued From PREVIOUS PagE different locations around the High Country. They offer top roped ice climbing, multipitch ice climbing and skills instruction. The main problem with climbing in the south is that the ice is not so dependable and the weather is inconsistent making scheduling a climb challenging. “Our best solution is our ‘Ice List.’” he said. “We have a long list of email addresses from clients who wish to climb ice. When conditions are right, we email all the clients on the list and take bookings on a ‘first-comefirst-serve’ basis.” Fox Mountain Guides also offers February expeditions in New England. And if children are an issue, Fox Mountain Guide recommends that anyone over the age of six is eligible to climb. “I think it can be a great family event provided that everyone in the family wants to be there,” he said. For more information or to join the “Ice List” visit ww.foxmountianguides.com or email them at info@foxmountainguides.com
Park and Play A roadside attraction located northeast of Boone off of the Blue Ridge Parkway is Doughton Park, a road cut climbing area that has attracted ice climbers for decades. When the gate is closed on the parkway, the ice climbing is on! Since you are literally climbing on the roadside, the only time you can climb is when the parkway is gated off from traffic due to the ice flowing over the road. Parking can be found in the pull off before the gate, and a quarter mile approach deposits you at the main wall, where on a clear day you can see the alpine bald of Virginia’s Mt. Rogers. Doughton Park offers a plethora of top ropes above the road and a handful of super technical ice and mixed climbs below the road. Mixed climbing is when there is not enough ice to cover one’s path, so features on the surrounding rock (cracks, ledges, frozen dirt) are also used to ascend. Using ice axes or crampons on bare rock is commonly referred to as dry tooling and is done in a gingerly so always extend extreme caution. This is just one example of how ice climbing is about experience. Other regional destinations include Roan Mountain (along the road before Carver’s Gap), the Route 215 Gap and Parkway junction and a few areas on the Western Parkway. Close to Grandfather Mountain and down in the Pisgah Forest is Big Lost Cove Cliffs. This has a backcountry approach where you rappel down to the base of a couple routes ranging up to WI5 (a high level of difficulty for waterfall ice) and climb out via 100-200 ft. fangs of ice. North Carolina /is/ the New Hampshire of the South when it comes to ice climbing, though the wealth of the climbing lies south of Asheville; i.e. the North side of Whiteside Mountain and numerous waterfalls and river bluffs between Cashiers and Highlands. Less
technical, yet just as adventurous, encounters can be found on the now ice and snow covered trails that you scampered up in warmer months. The new perspective on already covered ground is really quite exciting. The mountains that surround us in the High Country are great steppingstones for larger testpieces in the climbing world. If the climber is tactical and cognizant, he or she can use the icy slopes of the Profile Trail on Grandfather Mountain, the snowy dome of Snake Mountain, or any of the local ice climbing areas as training grounds. Practicing French technique, a flatfooted step that utilizes all of the points on a crampon, and other skills will ensure one’s path to self-sufficiency in the mountains and prepare a climber for bigger and more technical ascents just a plane flight or long road trip away. Time spent out in the cold wild will teach you about snow conditions, test your aptitude, and solidify learned methods and systems. Though keep in mind the danger of the mountains and the weather - it is multiplied during the winter season. Knowing the quality of the ice, your safety protection, and your limits as a climber /only /comes with time spent under the tutelage of a professional and practicing with experienced climbing partners. /There is no substitute for experience/, especially in a sport like ice climbing. Do not climb or mountaineer alone, tell others where and when you are going, dress appropriately, and be prepared like a Boy Scout. You never know what’s lurking in those ageless hills, proudly glistening in their winter skin, silent in anticipation of your arrival. It is recommended to purchase a how-to book on ice climbing like Jeff Lowe’s /Ice World: Techniques and Experiences of Modern Ice Climbing/. A more suitable suggestion is to hire a guide and take lessons; they are professionals for a reason (even that was understood hundreds of years ago). Literature that will open your eyes to the region’s best ice climbing is /A Guide to North Carolina Waterfalls/ and Southern Fried Ice: An Ice Climbers Guide to the Deep South by Michael Crowder. The auspicious candidate will find a copy of the out-of-print /Shades of Gray: An Ice Climber’s Guide to Dixie/ by Jim Detterline. Now that you’re in the know, take advantage of these southern gems and don’t forget your thermos of hot tea.
Story By Tiffany Allison and from staff reports
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The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
Covey Hollar Hunting Preserve Fowl play in the High Country
H
unting enthusiast will find an oasis in the High Country. The Covey Hollar Hunting Preserve offers a unique opportunity for visitors to experience superb pheasant, quail and chuckar hunting. The preserve is operated by Mark Scruggs and Don Jones. The 150 acres of private land in Deep Gap was donated by a local hunting enthusiast who supported Scrugg’s and Jones’ mission to bring feathered prey back to the area. The land has been planted with milo and millet, both food and habitat for the three bird species. Customers of Covey Hollar order birds and schedule hunts in advance, from a variety of available packages. The birds are raised to adulthood in large pens, allowing exercise room. Customers may chose to hunt one type of bird or a combination of the three. Of the birds released, Scruggs estimates about half escape from the hunters. This is a part of the mission of the hunting preserve. Habitat is available for the birds to live in the wild and repopulate the High Country. Prior to the hunt, the partners release the birds throughout the designated land. Hunters are then guided by one or both operator’s. The land consists of grassy hills and forests with some steep grades. Hunters should be prepared for a workout through the half-day or fullday packages. Jones owns hunting dogs, which are also a part of guided package. The specially trained dogs sniff out the birds by running around the fields. The avid outdoorsman may chose to bring his own dogs for the hunt. Hunters stand spaced apart on each side of and behind the dog. The hunter closest to the the location from which the birds emerge will shoot first. Participants will need to provide their hunting license, shotguns and ammunition. The Covey Hollar season runs from October to March, one month longer than wild bird hunting season. The preserve has been inspected and stays within state regulations for hunting preserves. In order to open a preserve, the state mandates that the proprietor open on no less than 100 acres and no more than 1,000. Fortuitously, one of the largest land-owners in the area happens to be a big proponent of hunting and lent 650 acres of his private estate, free of charge, to the idea of the preserve. Sterling Carroll, of Carroll Leather Goods owns a breathtaking plot of land off of the Parkway, 6 miles east of Boone, where Scruggs and Jones will guide all of the hunts. Overnight packages are available through the Mountain Side Lodge Bed and Breakfast, located on the Watauga River in Valle Crucis. While Covey Hollar is primarily geared toward guided hunts, Scruggs and Jones have also started a Quails Unlimited in tandem with the preserve. “Not only is Covey Hollar a hunting preserve,” Scruggs explains, “but we’re also into the conservation of quail as well. We do a seed program where we give the farmers in the area seed – millet and milo – and then we help them plant a buffer sown around their fields to help the quail habitat come back up to the mountains.” Jones also contends that any hunting preserve inevitably replenishes the bird stock
in the area as well. “When you go out to hunt you never harvest all the birds,” he says. “There’s always some left. There’s a fair possibility that some of them will survive and restock, at least in the area that you’re hunting in anyway. But the mortality rate is pretty tough on them though, what with bobcats and coyotes and foxes.” Scruggs and Jones hope to have Covey Hollar up and running on October 1 but are already available for booking hunts. “Wing shooting had just gone by the wayside in this area,” says Scruggs, “and we want to bring it back.” For more information and pricing on various packages, visit www. coverhollar.com, or call (828) 9634010. To book an overnight package, visit www.mountainsidelodgebb.com, or call toll-free (877) 687-4333. Story by Melanie Davis
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
Got a Craving for
W
Caving?
hat makes a mountain? Is it a snowcap, or a seemingly endless forest of pine? Maybe the answers aren’t literal enough. The adventuresome type literally learn what makes a mountain by way of a winter caving expedition. “Winter caving is one of the top five things to do in the High Country during winter, but not a whole lot of people know about it,” said Grant Seldomridge, owner of River and Earth Adventures Inc. in Valle Crucis. Visitors might shy away from the idea of crawling deep into the Earth during the High Country’s coldest months, but Seldomridge said the temperatures below are an ideal 55 degrees Fahrenheit year round, “and that’s one of the things that makes it a quality experience.” Caving, he continued, is a full-on experience, a rather athletic feat. Like a hike, participants are moving the entire way through. River and Earth Adventures take customers into Worley’s Cave in Bluff City, Tenn., a cave that defies skeptics’ expectations. “A lot of people think it’s claustrophobic,” Seldomridge said. “There are only a few spaces where you’re hunched over to get through an area, but there’s no place where you’re forced to get on your belly and crawl and do anything like that.” Worley’s Cave features large corridors and chambers of sizes comparable to amphitheaters, and it is privately-owned and not commercialized, as far as sidewalks and electricity go. It offers what Seldomridge called a “real experience,” with all its rock formations in “incredible condition.”
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Activity offers insider’s perspective on mountains
“You’ll see formations that are 30 to 40 feet tall and 120 feet long,” he said. “It takes those formations, on average, a hundred years to just grow one cubic inch.” It’s like a walk back through time, he said. In terms of time, adventurers should plan to devote a day to the expedition, starting at 9:30 a.m. and ending back in Valle Crucis at 4:30 p.m. The trip is family-friendly, as children eight and older can participate. Seldomridge called Worley’s Cave “an underground playground,” since kids can crawl down passages and pop up in another part of the chamber, or take a fun slide down a muddy bank. Needless to say, caving and playing can build up one’s appetite. This, too, is covered. River and Earth Adventures offers a deli-style lunch buffet for customers, using local and organic foods. Though most tours into Worley’s Cave follow a 9-shaped loop, Seldomridge and company offer additional expeditions. “We do trips in other caves, but we really don’t advertise them as much as Worley’s, because this is perfect for people that have never caved and fun for folks that have not done it before,” he said. “For folks who have been with us a couple times before and want to see some different places, we’ll take them.” One such place is Robert’s Cave in Sugar Grove, Va., which
features many of the technical aspects found at Worley’s, but on a smaller scale. These trips are more technical in nature, requiring some experience and skill, as Worley’s 7-mile network of passages can sometimes grow tight. No matter the trip, customers are in for an educational experience, as well. The outfitters pride themselves on the educational aspect of their adventures. “We’re taking a whole different take on outdoor recreation, incorporating environmental education, as well as local and organic foods, trying to provide a real quality experience,” Seldomridge said. “When we’re caving, we’ll stop and talk about all the significant features, how formations form, and so on. It’s definitely fun, and customers also learn something.” During wintertime, River and Earth Adventures also offers interpretive hikes and kayak trips, with all the proper and technical equipment to keep adventurers warm and dry. As far as caving, though, Seldomridge said, “I personally guarantee it’ll be one of the top 10 coolest things someone’s ever done. It’s really a must-see.” For more information, call River and Earth Adventures at (828) 963-5491, toll-free at 1-866-411-RAFT or visit www. raftcavehike.com on the Web. Story By Frank Ruggiero
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The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
Like many High Country residents, Sharon Walker of Valle Crucis begins the long hike to her home. Photo by Marie Freeman
Hiking in a WINTER WONDERLAND The thermometer outside might be shivering, but that shouldn’t always keep outdoor enthusiasts from enjoying the bounty of Mother Nature’s High Country hiking trails. One of the area’s best locations to enjoy winter treks is the Moses Cone Manor Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It boasts 25 miles of gently sloping carriage trails, which are considerably safer during the winter than many of the High Country’s steeper trails, where one slip on ice can lead to a 50-foot fall. The trails are wide and well maintained so they offer a variety of uses, from hiking to jogging to horseback riding to cross-country skiing. Moses Cone Park is about 15 to 20 minutes from the intersection of Highways 321 and 105 in Boone. From that intersection take Highway 321 south toward Blowing Rock, then take the Blue Ridge Parkway south. The park is just about a mile from there at Milepost 294. Because Moses Cone is located on the parkway anyone planning on hiking there in the winter would be wise to call the BRP office to make sure which parkway sections are opened and closed. For statewide BRP conditions call (828) 350-3827. The Parkway Craft Center there is closed during the winter so individual trail maps are not available, but there is a centralized trail map sign on the grounds. One of my favorite Moses Cone strolls is the Rich Mountain Road trail, which is anywhere from about 1.5 to 2.6 miles oneway. That’s because after the first .6 miles hikers can choose between longer and shorter alternatives to reach the trail’s apex. The easiest way to reach the trailhead from the Cone Manor parking lot is to turn left (south) onto the parkway, then drive
about .5 miles and turn left onto the Highway 221 and Shull’s Mill Road exit. Take the first right onto Shull’s Mill Road and drive under the parkway. Follow Shull’s Mill Road for about .5 miles past Trout Lake and look for a sharp curve to the left. In that curve (on the right side of the road) is the gate to the trail and enough parking for two or three cars. If the parking spots are taken simply turn around park in the Trout Lake paved parking lot and walk up the road to the trailhead. This trail is about as wide as a one-lane road and consists of dirt and gravel most of the way (when it’s not covered in snow and ice). It is a gentle to moderate uphill grade most of the way out, making walking in winter conditions much easier than clambering over large boulders. One of the only difficulties for hikers here is avoiding horse “by-products,” which frequently dot the trail. Another, more dangerous difficulty if there is snow on the ground are several spots that can become icy. I recommend a good pair of hiking boots or shoes that are designed specifically for traction on wet, icy or other types of slippery surfaces. After about .6 miles the trail reaches an open field and presents hikers with the option of turning right and taking a different path that winds its way down to Trout Lake or continuing along the Rich Mountain Road. Follow the posted sign to take the Rich Mountain Road alternative. Then just a few minutes later hikers can choose a longer path (another two miles) or a shortcut (about one mile or less) to the trail’s end. The two alternatives eventually rejoin just before the path begins a final spiral to its summit. There hikers can relax and
enjoy the peaceful sounds and sights of nature without intrusion from civilization. There are no dump trucks belching clouds of black smoke into the air. There are no loud radios. There are no ugly prefabricated apartment complexes to spoil the view. The trail’s pinnacle also provides a perfect place to sit down and enjoy a picnic lunch or snack. Depending on your walking rate, how long you linger at the trail’s summit and how much (if any) snow and ice you must negotiate along the way, the round-trip from the trailhead should take anywhere from two to three hours. Two other trails in the area hikers might consider during the winter are the 2.7-mile Price Lake Trail at Milepost 297 and the Greenway Trail in Boone.
Winter Hiking Safety Tips
Winter temperatures can be downright deadly in the High Country so always think about safety first when considering a hike. If it’s below freezing and the wind is blowing at 40 miles per hour you should probably stay inside instead of wading through 3 feet of snow for two hours, especially if you’re not used to mountain weather. If you are going to hike make sure and tell someone where you are going and when you should be back. You might be able to run a marathon, but if you slip on ice and break your leg you’ll wish someone knew where to be looking for you. It’s also a good idea to bring a cell phone along just in case. Always dress warmly and in layers – mountain weather can change in a matter of minutes from sunny and mild to freezing with strong winds. Also be sure to bring warm gloves and a winter hat (no baseball caps that don’t cover the ears).
2009
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
PAGE 45
Pedaling through the cold
Winter doesn’t deter High Country cyclists
Road cycling is a very popular sport in the High Country during the spring, summer and autumn months. Although skiing seems to take over winter sports in the mountains, there is no reason cycle enthusiasts should allow cold weather to stop them during the winter. The right clothing and the right gear will ensure a pleasurable winter ride. Many road cyclist change over to cyclocross in the fall. The same frame style as a road bike, lightweight with drop handlebars, the cyclocross also takes a note from a mountain bike with knobby tread tires and cantilever style brakes for clearance needed due to muddy conditions. Mountain weather in late fall and winter months is not as conducive to the thinner tires of road cycling. Road conditions, including leftover salt, can pose a dangerous threat to road cyclist. Motorist on an icy patch may be the most dangerous threat of all to road cyclist in winter. Cyclist can be back on the road, however, during a dry patch of weather. Proper attire is key to safe winter riding. Fierce wind is common in the High Country. It is important to dress in layers with the first layer being wicking material to pull moisture away from the body. The outer layer must be a wind proof fabric. Remember the front of the body will receive all of the wind, so be prepared. Mike Boone, owner of Magic Cycles in Boone, recommends Gortex and carries several items of the line. “This product provides both wind and water protection,” he said. If, when you think bicycle and mountains, instantly a vision of splashing through puddles and riding over logs and rocks comes to mind, you may be more interested in mountain biking. Riding through a wooden area can also protect from the winter winds of the High Country. Unfortunately there are very few places for off-road riding in Watauga County. “Most of the property is privately owned, therefore illegal to ride on,” said Mike Boone of Magic Cycles. There are segments of the Greenway Trail off State Farm Road which are made for mountain bikes. Boone also suggests biking on the many miles of gravel, public road in the area. Most mountain bike fans travel off the mountain to the Dark Mountain Trails in Wilkesboro to enjoy the sport. It is a short 30-minute drive from Boone. Several mountain bike enthusiasts meet at Lowes Foods in New Market Center every Monday at 5 p.m. to caravan to the Dark Mountain Trails. This group was organized through
Photo by Marie Freeman
Magic Cycles, though the business does not provide bikes or specific trail tours on these Monday ventures. There are trails at the Dark Mountain site for all levels of skill and equipment. Full suspension mountain bikes are needed for portions of the more advanced trails. Shaw Brown, owner of Boone Bike & Touring said, “people forget about the ears, toes and other extremities.” Many bikers assume they can wear ski headbands and ear warmers, but they are often too bulky to wear under a helmet. Boone Bike & Touring offers a wide selection of insulated and warm clothing to protect your body and
extremities. Both Magic Cycles and Boone Bike & Touring carry the most important piece of gear a cyclist should own – a helmet. Whether you are road cycling or mountain biking, a helmet should be worn at all times. It could save your life. Winter weather doesn’t have to force you to give up your sport of choice; simple approach cycling the smart way. Think safety first and warmth second! Story by Melanie Davis
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Photo by Marie Freeman
Tricked Out Continued From Page 35
edge. Your board tail will be free since you have less weight on your back foot enabling you to slide it all the way around past horizontal so that your tail now faces downhill. Since you had shifted your weight to your front foot, it is now your back foot and you are controlling your board as you had when you were riding regular, but now you are fakie. Riding fakie is one of the single most effective things you can do to improve your riding balance and control; hence performance. It will loosen up your riding and add to your ability to carve because you will be more aware of your edges and your body position. The trails that were once too flat and simple will become challenging again as you try to ride it with the opposite stance. Luckily the learning curve is fast and you could be riding fakie almost as well as you ride regular in only one season. It is also a great thing to do if you are out with a friend who is learning to snowboard. Once the 180° Slide is comfortable, mix and match your new skills. Olly 180° and then use the180° slide to come back around regular. Combine your slide 180° with a manual, keeping your tail elevated 6-8 inches off the ground during the rotation from regular to fakie. If you can hold that slide with your board still perpendicular to the hill it is called a nose manual. A couple flat land tricks like these and people will be asking you for tips, after they take your picture. Your new arsenal of tricks will keep you busy while rediscovering the slopes you dismissed as beginners only. Getting comfortable with these new skills will not take long and will become your gateway to better overall riding. Now head back to your local hill and start practicing with your posse of riders and don’t forget to pray for snow.
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
PAGE 47
Ashe County is
Fresco Country
B
ecause the Advent experience of birth and rebirth is a spirit intertwined with the history of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Ashe County, the Christmas season has always been special to this congregation. The Mary Great with Child Fresco is the bridge to Christmas with its attention to the miracle of Christ’s conception. The fresco of John the Baptist reminds the congregation of John’s message to prepare for coming of the long-awaited Messiah. And the theme of Advent, Christ’s threefold coming: past, present and future is embodied in the history of this small, country church which continues to be a vibrant church community. The congregation was first established in 1892 on the outskirts of what is now West Jefferson. The birth of the congregation was followed 12 years later, in 1904 and 1905, the by the construction of a church building in the Beaver Creek section of Ashe County on land doanted by the Hamilton family. The church was completed in December of 1905, dedicated on Christmas Eve, thus the building’s birth coincided with the celebration of the birth of Christ. From 1904 until his death, Father William Savage was a resident priest for Ashe County. Following his death in 1934, for several decades St. Mary’s served a small but faithful congregation with circuit riders who traveled into Ashe County. In July 1972, the Rev. J. Faulton Hodge was sent to be Priest-in-Charge. When Father Hodge came to St. Mary’s, the congregation numbered about 13 members. Through joyful expression of the love of God in worship and in service to others, Father Hodge created an atmosphere in which other energetic people were encouraged to give their best and the congregation grew rapidly. In 1973, Father Hodge was confronted with an opportunity for a rebirth of extraordinary possibility. He was introduced to Ben Long, a young man who had recently returned from studying fresco painting in Italy. He learned that the artist was interested in painting a fresco at St. Mary’s. For months, Long had attempted without success to convince a church somewhere to let him paint a religious fresco
William Mangum’s painting of St. Mary’s in winter as pictured early in the 20th century.
St. Mary’s decorated for Christmas in 2007, showing Frescoes.
on its wall. Father Hodge’s spiritual ambition and the joy and energy in his congregation resulted in agreement to the project that resulted in Long’s first fresco in the United States, Mary Great with Child. The decision to artistically present the mother of Christ as a young, pregnant woman was reportedly the result of a conversation between Hodge and Long in which Long stated that he “felt a great expectancy about this place (St. Mary’s).” The fresco was completed in 1974, marking a turning point in the rebirth of the mission of this small, country church. The church’s mission took another giant step when Ben Long returned to St. Mary’s in 1975 to produce his second fresco. This work of art focused on the joyful preparation for the coming of Christ, John the baptist, the wild man of the desert, the forerunner of Christ. Word of the marvelous transformation at this small, country church began to spread. Sunday attendance markedly increased and many curious people wandered in to see for themselves. For his work at St. Mary’s, Long was presented the prestigious Leonardo da Vinci International Art Award and the lore of Beaver Creek began to spread outside the hills. Ben Long painted two more frescoes in Ashe County before he left to spread his talents in other parts of North Carolina: The Mystery of Faith at St. Mary’s and The Last Supper at Holy Trinity in Glendale Springs. When he moved on, he left a legacy embodied in the joy and life of Episcopalian worshipers in Ashe County.
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The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
White Hart Woods keeps the future of world business in mind and body
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ust driving into the parking lot of White Hart Woods at the base of Mt. Jefferson gives the impression that you have discovered something different. A few minutes walking through the garden and grounds confirms that impression. But, the center is more than just a peaceful place to enjoy a cup of tea with your significant other on a sunny afternoon, or to find unique handcrafted items from around the world, or even to pick up an original piece of art. You can do all those things, but it is all the other things offered that are bringing the center prominence in not only the artistic world, but also the business world. With the future of world business in mind, the staff continues to expand and mold the offerings at the center to the ever-changing business climate through cultural arts and leadership development. And it is all happening in the heart of Ashe County, in West Jefferson. White Hart Woods Center for Cultural Arts and Leadership is the brainchild of creative corporate consultant Vicki Hathorn and professional artist Raney Rogers. Programs at the center are designed to enhance the leadership abilities of individuals, be they corporate CEOs, teachers or parents, with the goal of simply making people better and more productive in whatever endeavors they pursue. Rogers, resident artist and cultural arts coordinator, explained that the center’s mission was to promote the benefits of cultural arts and leadership in business, as well as in personal lives. “Vicki Hathorn has been working in leadership consulting for corporations for over 30 years all over the world and I have been a professional artist for the past 27 years, and have traveled around the world to paint and study. Through Vicki’s leadership consulting experience we learned that business has to be done a little bit differently than it has been done in the past, and leadership comes down to recognizing that in individual ways everyone is a leader and everyone is an artist. It’s just a matter of pulling that artist and that leader out of each person. “What we did was to join forces to offer creative corporate consulting here on the grounds,” Rogers continued. “We feel like the energy here is just perfect for bringing in corporate executives and providing them with new tools for leadership. We are such a global market now with entertainment and technology; everything is so accessible to everyone that it’s no longer useful to hold to the old ways of managing and growing a company. Those ways are becoming extinct. You have to be more creative today if you want to keep up globally. That is where we come in.” Rogers’ part in the program is the introduction of creativity to the executives. This is done, she said, to get them to think outside the box and approach human resources, technology, growth and investment problems creatively. “Business, like life, needs to have a creative sector to it, and we have lost that. When we lose our creativity, we’ve lost the cultural arts aspect of our society,” Rogers said. “The United States is one of the societies that is very quickly losing its cultural arts. The farther you move from the cultural arts, the farther removed you are from the society you serve.” For corporations that depend on targeting specific sections of a society, Rogers said, this could spell financial disaster. The programs are designed so that they are as effective for large international corporations as they are for domestic corporations, and even small independent businesses, by reminding them and teaching them to pay attention to what the people they are serving are saying. But the center is not just a place for corporate types to come
and learn new ways to lead. “The basis for our being here is to allow people to express love, self love, love for others, to allow people to know that it is okay to have a joyful life, and also to help others by bringing programs here to make peoples lives better,” Rogers said. Another of the center’s focuses is on the leaders and artists of the local community, and providing them with a voice and a safe space to express themselves, while at the same time providing a venue where they can participate in the open and free exchange of ideas and skills for enriching their lives both professionally and privately. “That is the essence of globalization,” Rogers said. As a cultural arts center, White Hart Woods offers a venue of opportunities for performance in poetry, writing and visual art, as well as instruction in activities, such as meditation and Native-American spirituality practice. “It’s a matter of if you don’t know, you can learn, so walk through the door with an open heart and an open mind. Because if you believe that you have something to offer, you do. If you believe you have something to learn, you will. It’s just a matter of taking the steps to come to the center and see what is here.” The center physically consists of three major structures in addition to the gardens. The Charlie Building is an open and inviting space designed for performing arts gatherings of various types. It is It comes complete with a corner stage where the staff hopes to host several types of performances from readings to dinner theatre in the upcoming year. The Anna Building is the center of the cultural arts. The most interesting thing about the Anna building is the many sign-up boards on the walls covered with hearts and stars. The boards are a major networking tool for the center as visitors and attendees of the several workshops and gatherings adorn them with hearts inscribed with requests for classes on topics ranging
from interpretive dance to meditation and stars inscribed with offerings of assistance and guidance in a range of topics that mostly mirror the topics requested. The gift shop is filled with items ranging from Rogers’ original works of art to handcrafted items from Ten Thousand Villages and body products by resident massage therapist Liz Rogers. Most handcrafted items are purchased from Ten Thousand Villages, who seek out villages around the world from Nepal to Brazil to purchase one-of-a-kind items and provide a steady source of income for people who desperately need it. Don’t worry about asking for help with selecting the perfect item, as Liz Rogers will be right there to answer any questions you might have. The gardens, which are always open for the public to enjoy, are an eclectic mix of architecture and landscaping designed by Ashe County landscape artist Ken Rogers to radiate peace and calm, where you can sit and discuss world events with a friend, rekindle your romance with your significant other or read a book while enjoying the warmth of a raging fire on chillier days. Of special interest, according to Rogers, is the addition of Spa Days. Spa Days will be held periodically as warm ups for the future full-service spa that will become the newest addition to the offerings at White Hart Woods. “Our Spa Days are designed for total relaxation and rejuvenation and include yoga, meditation, massage, aromatherapy, gourmet lunch, champagne, chocolate and much more,” Rogers said. “Spa Days are very popular and fill quickly.” White Hart Woods is located at 313 Mt. Jefferson State Park Road in West Jefferson. For more information on programs and events at the center, click to www.whitehartwoods.com or call (336) 246-3600.
Schedule
Oct. 3: Opening Reception for “Images of Peru” by photographer Cathy Allinder from 5-7p.m. The exhibition will run through Nov 30. Oct. 4-5: 10-4p.m. “Painting Plein Air” with instructor Raney Rogers Oct. 11: “Spa Day” 10-4p.m. Oct. 17-18: “Cultural Introduction to the Arts and Folklore of Peru.” The Friday evening show will include musical segments, folkloric dance, authentic costumes and an overview of the history of the region. Saturday workshop will consist of geographical overview of Cusco Imperial City - The Inca Empire, dance and video presentations and a very special performance of “Marinera Nortena” and Chalan riding “Paso Fino Horse.” Oct. 31: “Cultural Masquerade Party” 7:30p.m. Nov. 15: “Spa Day” 10-4p.m. Nov. 20: Presenting one of Scotland’s finest traditional and Scottish folk music artists “Jim Malcolm”. Concert 7p.m. Nov. 22: Ashe Humane Society “Christmas photographs with Santa” and “Blessing of the Animals” Dec. 5: Opening reception for “Colors of Brasil” with two well-known Brasilian artists exhibiting for the first time in the U.S. and presented by Ana Herman 5-7p.m.Refreshments will be served Dec. 6: “Christmas Tree Lighting and Dinner and performance by Dick Wilson - string musician” 6:30p.m. Dec. 13: “Spa Day” 10-4p.m. All events at White Hart Woods are available by advance reservation due to limited space. Story By Ron Fitzwater
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THE MOUNTAIN TIMES’ WINTER GUIDE
S k i i n g a t M t . O ly m p u s
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’92 and ’94 Olympians to visit Sugar Mountain
1994 Olympic Gold and 1992 Olympic Silver medalist Diann Roffe and two-time (1992 & 1994) Olympian Krista Schmidinger will both be special guest coaches during Sugar’s 15th annual Adult Pre-Season Ski Clinic scheduled for Dec. 12-14. Considered one of the most accomplished skiers in American ski racing history, Roffe competed in three Olympics (’88, ’92, ’94) sharing silver in the giant slalom in Albertville, France in 1992 and winning gold in Super G in Lillehammer, Norway in 1994. Recognized as a big event performer, Roffe was the first U.S. racer to medal in the Junior World Championships. She shocked the world a year later by winning the world championship giant slalom in Bormio, Italy. With two Olympic medals and eight world cup podiums (two wins), Roffe continues to share her wealth of experiences with ski racers across the country. Schmidinger, accomplished in her own right, competed in both the 1992 and 1994 Olympics. She captured three consecutive silver medals in the Junior World Championships in ’86, ‘87 and ’88 and was the U.S. National Super G and Pan American champion in 1990. Schmidinger continues to participate in many programs at Sugar Mountain throughout the winter season. Both athletes will work directly with camp participants on and off the hill each day. “Their high level and impressive accomplishments bring a great deal of experience and knowledge to Sugar’s 15th annual preseason ski clinic,” a Sugar Mountain Resort spokesperson said.
In addition to Roffe’s and Schmidinger’s participation, Sugar’s Preseason Ski Clinic includes a three-day lift ticket, coaching fees, tuning clinic, video analysis and dinner Saturday evening. Daily participation is also welcome. For more information and/or access to a downloadable application, visit www. skisugar.com/specials/#15 on the Web or call 1-800-SUGARMT.
SugarFest kicks off Dec. 13 SugarFest kick starts the winter season with a weekend of pure winter fun. Sponsored by the Sugar Mountain Tourism Development Authority (TDA) and hosted by Sugar Mountain Resort, SugarFest will be held December 13-14. The two-day festival is packed with a long list of winter activities and coincides with Sugar’s 18th annual Adult Preseason Ski Clinic, where Roffe and Schmidinger will Diann Roffe both be special guest coaches. Both Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., 2009 ski and snowboard equipment from Salomon, Volkl, Nordica, Burton, Head, Never Summer, K2, Atomic, Dynastar, Rossignol, Ride, Line and Nidecker will be available for demo.
Sugar’s ice skating rink, located next to the Dave Nixon Pro Shop adjacent to parking lot D will be open, and with Mother Nature’s cooperation, tubing will also be open. “Ready, get set, go!” is what participants will hear if they enter the snowball eating contest at 3 p.m. on Saturday. Contestants will have two minutes to eat as many tasty snowball look-a-likes as their stomachs can stomach. A thunderous fireworks display at the base of Sugar Mountain Resort will follow Saturday evening at 5:45 p.m. Area band Boss Hawg will perform from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. The Edge of the World/Burton Rail Jam Expression Session will take place at noon on Sunday, as talented snowboarders pull off some of the most spectacular tricks. Later in the day, attendees can marvel as blocks of ice become ornate winter works of art. Special lodging rates for the weekend are offered by Sugar Ski & Country Club, Sugar Mountain Resort Accommodations & Realty, Resort Real Estate & Rentals and Sugar Mountain Lodging. For more information, contact Sugar Mountain Resort at 1-800SUGAR MT. For a complete list of events and times, log onto www. seesugar.com/tourism/sugarfest/.
With great aim and precision, Julia Roberts throws a snow ball at classmate Christian Ludwig. Roberts is forced to move away quickly as a snowball is about to be redirected back at her. Photo by Marie Freeman
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elcome to West Jefferson’s ARTS DISTRICT! The downtown murals are one facet of this small rural town’s personality. The mural project began in 1996; today West Jefferson sports twelve beautiful, intriguing, unique works of public art that showcase the history, culture and beauty of the mountain region. The murals offer a glimpse into Ashe County life. They provide the viewer with an appreciation for the community – past and present. The murals add life to the downtown area and nurture a sense of renewal and civic pride. For residents and visitors, the murals give a glimpse of the artistic talent that abounds in Ashe County. Contributing painters include West Jefferson, Ashe County and statewide artists, local students, and community members. The enthusiasm and the overwhelming support from the community have contributed to the mural project’s success. The Ashe Arts Center serves as the “hub” of information for the arts in Ashe County and the Arts Council has long taken the lead role in using the arts as a vehicle for change and growth throughout the county. Recently the Arts Council created a murals
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The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
brochure The brochure map is designed to guide you on an easy walking tour encompassing eight town blocks. Folks are encourage to take time to stroll through the streets of West Jefferson and enjoy galleries, studios, fine shops, services, delicious restaurants and interesting public art. The murals and public art have the power to beautify, enhance, inspire and to contribute to our living spaces. The Murals of West Jefferson have been created and funded by a variety of sources Funding partners in the West Jefferson Downtown Murals Project include HandMade in America, the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, the North Carolina Arts Council, the North Carolina Museum of Art, the West Jefferson Revitalization Committee/ West Jefferson Community Partnership, Ashe County Schools, local businesses, the Town of West Jefferson and the Ashe County Arts Council. More murals and public art are planned and there’s always something special going on in the area. For more information about arts programming, events or the murals in West Jefferson, call the Ashe County Arts Council at 336-846-ARTS.
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“Weathered Pines” by R.T. Morgan Located at Ashe High Country Realty “New River Traditions” By: Mary Ann DiNapoli-Mylet Located at Active Realty “Somewhere in Ashe” By: R.T. Morgan Located at R.T. Morgan Gallery “Devil Stairs Pass” By Stephen Shoemaker Located at Dollar Tire “Gardens of the Sea” By: Raney Rodgers Located at Acorn Gallery “Unity in Diversity” By: Mary Ann DiNapoli-Mylet, Spanish Student ACMS, volunteers from Latino Center Located at Geno’s Restaurant
“Spring Wildflowers on Mount Jefferson” By: Robert Johnson Located at AF Financial Group “History of Ashe Through the Ages and Seasons” By: Jack Young Located at Regency Properties “Wings and Things” By: Earle and Raines Thompson with the help of community volunteers Located at Ashe County Cheese “Hayden and Chaco” By: Olivia Harless and Stephen Shoemaker Located at Western Jefferson “Train at Jefferson Station” By: Stephen Shoemaker Located at Jefferson Station “Blue Ridge Parkway” By: Bessie Clay Located at Jefferson Station
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The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
Dancing
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the Cold Nights Away
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t is hard to stay active during the winter months. The hot chocolate, warm fire and fuzzy blankets put up a good fight against the idea of exercising in Boone’s below freezing temperatures. But dance is one way to stay fit and warm that is bound to raise not only body temperature but self-esteem as well. Laura Peiffer, a dance instructor at North Western Dance Studio, is a firm believer in the healing power of dance. “It helps with coordination and confidence,” she said. “Your forced into a language and a world you’ve never known. It’s good to be aware of your body and how you move.” The North Western Dance Studio offers a variety of classes ranging from ballet, jazz technique, hip-hop, clogging, tap, lyrical/contemporary and modern. Their dance classes include a wide range of ages and demographics. Peiffer teaches jazz technique, hip-hop, and lyrical/contemporary. “When you’re dancing your doing something rhythmically, but at the same time relieving stress,” she said. “It exercises your body while you free your mind. You are using your mind and your body and coordinating them together.” In the winter time dancing is necessary because of the painfully cold temperatures. One thing that keeps people way from trying out a dance class is the fear of being the only beginner in the class Peiffer said. “It takes a lot of guts for people to walk in for the first time, but they realize there are other beginners and loosen up,” she said. “Just come out and take one class and you’ll be hooked.” For more information about classes at North Western Dance Studio, contact (828) 262-3262. Salsa is also a great way to heat up body temperatures and heartbeats. Hassan Giassi, salsa teacher for Studio-K Dance Work Shop, offers salsa lessons every Wednesday from 6 p.m.-
7p.m. “The lessons are for beginners,” he said. “If you can walk you can do salsa.” Salsa is a structured dance and once the steps are broken down and a student learns the steps they can make it their own he said. His lessons are $40 a month for four lessons. He also offers monthly specials, which vary monthly. “Everyone is welcome to come,” he said. “Experience is not needed you can be a beginner.” Giassi also offers a latin night at the Green Park Inn every third Wednesday night of every month. It starts at 8 p.m. and the price is $10 for non-students and $5 dollars for students. “Everyone is welcome to come, the doors are open for free, but if you want to take lessons, it’s 10 dollars.” If $40 dollars is too much to spend and commitment is a problem, then take one class for $12 for one lesson at the studio. For more information about Studio-K and salsa, contact Hassan Giassi at (919) 264-2162. Story By Tiffany Allison
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2009
Seeking: The Perfect Tree Choose & Cut tradition continues in the High Country
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inter brings the family tradition of seeking the perfect Christmas tree. For a large number of Americans, traveling to the farm and cutting their own is now a part of that tradition. The High Country has a large number of Christmas tree farms to choose from. The most popular Christmas tree is the Fraser fir, with nearly 90 percent of the High Country tree farm population. Each farm varies in size, hours of operation, number of trees available, tree sizes and amenities offered. The Christmas tree industry has grown into an annual holiday event. Many farms offer warm beverages, hayrides, petting zoos and other holiday goodies, such as wreaths, garland or crafts. Trees are priced by the individual grower based on quality and height. Over the past several years, growers in Watauga County have averaged $6 - 7.50 per foot up to nine feet. Trees over nine feet can vary significantly depending on the amount of time and management that gone into the tree. “Many of the choose-and-cut farms are also available for school groups and other groups to tour,” said Linda Gragg, president of the Boone-based North carolina Christmas Tree Association. “Choose-and-cut farms offer an experience that embraces the central core of Christmas traditions—being with family and friends. With more than 200 choose-and-cut farms in the High Country, it is easy to find the perfect farm for a family to visit.” Customers can also relax in the fact a real tree is a Christmas gift to the environment as well. For every tree harvested, three seedlings will be planted. This renewable industry provides shelter to birds and small animals, while recycling the air. For every acre of Christmas trees planted, enough oxygen is released into the atmosphere for 18 people. Most communities offer a recycling program after the holiday season. These programs usually turn the trees into mulch for public parks and gardens. Tree farming is also a native industry. Nearly all artificial trees are produced in China from petroleum and plastics and cannot be recycled. North Carolina has 1,600 growers producing an estimated 50 million Fraser fir Christmas trees growing on more than 25,000 acres. Fraser Fir trees represent over 90 percent of all species grown in North Carolina. The North Carolina Christmas Tree Industry is ranked second in the nation in number of trees harvested. Listed below are the tree farms of the High Country. It is best to call in advance in order to confirm tree availability, hours of operation and farm accessibility in wintry weather. Most growers can be reached during snowy weather, but some require a fourwheel drive vehicle. Christmas tree. Anyone visiting the area is encouraged to check with growers and hotels, as many partner to offer discount packages. Web sites: www.NCchristmastrees.com Watauga Co. Web site: www.wataugachristmastrees.org Avery Co. Web site: www.averycountytrees.org Ashe Co. Web site: www.ashecountychristmastrees.com CONTINUED ON PAGE 101
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Welcome To Our
Winter TOWNS
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all it ‘diversity’, ‘variety’ or the next pleasant stop along the way, first-time visitors to The High Country will enjoy our mixture of rural, small town and urban life. And if you are returning, you will find some new places to enjoy but the old mountain hospitality still intact. The center of activity - the Heart of the High Country - is the county seat of Boone. This section is devoted to Boone and a sampling of the other towns in our region. Town life in the High Country offers a sampling of mountain life from the stimulating to the serene. Beyond the excitement and bustle of Boone, you can discover the elegance of Blowing Rock and the recreational outdoors atmosphere of Banner Elk. There’s the small town atmosphere of Newland, and the historic downtown and arts community of West Jefferson. Each community has its own flavor, appeal and things to offer the visitor. So join us for this tour of some of the best the High Country has to offer - we know you’ll have a good time!
Boone
Boone offers everything for residents and visitors in the High Country. The town can claim the finest in tourist necessities such as shopping, dining and lodging. From healthcare to financial services, specialty shops to major chains, Boone offers a comprehensive range of goods and services. Need an import car mechanic, 24-hour grocery or late night eatery? If you havent’t visited for awhile, we guarantee you will be pleasantly surprised just what you can find. Boone was once a typical small town until Appalachian State University (better known locally as “App” or ASU”) began to grow in the 1960s. Now this booming and acclaimed academic institution adds a zest and enthusiasm to life here.
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide The downtown is known as the Municipal Service District, part of the national Main Street Program where merchants and residents fund renovations and restorations which attract more businesses while keeping the small -town atmosphere. Visitors will find an intriguing blend of restaurants, shops and boutiques side-by-side with legal offices and residences. You’ll find the Jones House here, a center of cultural life in the community. This lovely Queen Anne-style house dates back to 1910. Once the home of a prominent local doctor, the Jones House now is home to an art gallery and hosts many local events. The university borders the downtown. Here you’ll find Belk Library, a major research facility. Farthing Auditorium and Broyhill Music Center are the scenes of great performances during An Appalachian Summer, the yearly festival of the arts. Boone is such a popular destination there are times it is congested. Traffic can get heavy, especially around the traditional rush hour of 5 to 6 p.m. You do have another option: park your car and ride AppalCART, our mass transit system. Summer routes cover the downtown, university and U.S. 321 (Blowing Rock Road). Boone’s history began around 1800, when Jordan Councill opened a store on what is now King Street. Then, it was just a rough dirt wagon road. In 1820, Councill got the right to open a post office (appropriately called Councill’s Store) and some people began to build homes and other stores nearby. In 1849, when Watauga County was created, Boone was picked as the county seat when the town was little more than a crossroads. Little remains to remind people of those distant days. The simple homes and shacks that once lined King Street have given way to attractive buildings that preserve the charm of the ‘teens and twenties. All that is in contrast to the modern city that has grown up around this center. With so much to enjoy, Boone is a magnet we think will
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draw you back again and again. Boone Area Chamber of Commerce: 828-264-2225.
Blowing Rock
If you return to Blowing Rock and find most of the town the way it was, that’s is no accident; folks here know when it’s best to leave things as they are. Blowing Rock is a place where people still smile and say hello to each other on the street. The town is a place where you can sit on a bench in Memorial Park and watch the world go by or spend all afternoon window shopping along Main Street. The Fourth of July Parade is still important, and you will find both patriotism and civic pride without apology. Memorial Park is the center of the community. Families can come by anytime to use the playground equipment (mom and dad can even try out the swings if they want to). Come on some Sunday evenings and you’ll hear a live concert in the park’s gazebo. Off Main Street are two other parks, both worthy of a visit. If you are headed south on Main Street, turn right on Laurel Lane and follow the signs; it is a divided and tree-lined lane. The Broyhill and Cannon parks offer a quiet place to rest and reflect. The two are a study in contrasts: Cannon Park is sort of rustic and still-wild, while the park around Broyhill Lake is elegant, a throw-back to the peaceful days of the late 19th century. Blowing Rock is renowned for its variety of unique shopping experiences. Main Street has antiques, art, crafts, imported coffees, rugs, fashions, flowers, mementos and more. The variety is amazing, the quality high and the fun unlimited (except by your imagination). Shoppes on the Parkway, a major outlet mall, is just north of town on 321. Here you’ll find clothing, crockery, jewelry, and more. There’s a reason Blowing Rock offers so much to the tourist: the town has been welcoming visitors for over a century. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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Beech Mountain
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Spectacularly situated on the very edge of the Blue Ridge, the town began to attract summer residents in the 1880s. At the turn of the century, most visitors spent the summer. Some built beautiful Victorian summer homes, many of which stand today. Hotels and motels followed, and the tradition of hospitality has only ripened and improved over the years. One final hint: Take a ride down 321 south of town. You’ll catch an incredible view of the John’s River gorge as well as a spectacular vista looking south to Hickory. Whether you have a day, week, or lifetime to spend, you’ll find a lot to enjoy in Blowing Rock. Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce: 828-295-7851.
Valle Crucis
As you travel along N.C. 105 south of Boone, there is a bridge where the Watauga River makes a sharp turn and starts its westward run towards Tennessee. There, set between high mountains, is a cross-shaped valley that has borne the name Valle Crucis since the 19th century. There is no more historic area in the region. Follow the Watauga River far enough and you will pass the site of the only Native American village known in this immediate area. Before that, there is the place where the first European settler of Watauga County, Samuel Hicks, built a fort during the American Revolution. That fort and most of the log structures of that day are gone, but there are many historic buildings that still remain. Valle Crucis was – and remains – the only rural historic district in North Carolina. Travel along N.C. 194 and you will pass homes, some still private and others now housing galleries and other shops, dating back to the early part of this century and earlier. A true treasure is the Mast Farm Inn. The main house was built in 1840, and has hosted visitors practically from the first. An even older log home, dating back to 1812, has also been lovingly restored. Not far up the road is another treasure, the Mast General Store. Dating back to 1883, the store remains an important part of the community, offering the “real” necessities of daily life, plus much more.
And look for a dirt track running down to the river from the Mast General Store; it leads to Valle Crucis Community Park; a beautiful recreational area with riverfront, a (catch & release) fishing pond, picnic areas, sports fields, and a walking/running/ cycling/skating trail around the entire complex. Residents rallied this year to prevent a widening of the main road through the Community - Broadstone Road - which they felt would have destroyed its unique charactere and charm. No trip to the High Country is complete without spending time in the “Valley of the Cross.” Be sure to enjoy the scenery, heritage, and especially the friendly people.
At 5,506 feet, Beech Mountain is the highest town in eastern North America. That means two things: when winter comes, it’s a great place to ski. More important right now, however, is that even on the hottest day of summer, it’s cool on top of Beech Mountain. Even when it’s steamy in the “lowlands” of 3,000-plus feet, the temperature stays comfortable here. The rest of the world seems very distant when you settle down on the front porch of a rental condo and survey the magnificent view that is one of Beech Mountain’s trademarks. As the cool summer night air sends you looking for a sweater, you’ll probably smile at the thought of how hot it is down in the lowlands. Beech Mountain is a four-season resort. There are over 5,000 beds available on top of the mountain. These range from the rustic cabins to mountain chalets to luxury condominiums. When it’s time to eat, you can enjoy anything from a deli sandwich to a gourmet meal by candlelight. During the days, there are many specialty stores for shopping, a golf course, horseback riding, tennis, swimming and hiking. There are nearby canoe and raft runs that are among the best the east offers. Nightlife is alive and well on the mountain. Whatever your musical taste, you can find a spot to enjoy an after-hours scene. There’s another good thing about Beech Mountain. The mountain is so huge that much of it remains in a natural state, with rich forests dotted by rolling farm land. It’s only a short drive from the “downtown” to the country - or resorts. Take your pick! Our guess is if you spend some time in Beech Mountain, you’ll want to come back to do some real estate shopping. Or at least book a slopeside condo for the ski season! Beech Mountain Area Chamber of Commerce: 828-3879283.
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Towns
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Banner Elk
Nestled in a spectacular mountain valley, Banner Elk has attracted visitors since the 1840s. In those days, it was called Banner’s Elk, a name you still hear among some older residents. The town got its name from an elk, reputedly one of the last in the state, that was killed by a local hunter. A college town, Banner Elk is home to Lees-McRae College. A visit to the college is well worth the time. The old stone buildings are picturesque, as is the campus itself. Hayes Auditorium hosts a wide variety of entertainment programs throughout the year. Banner Elk is a town of wonderful shops and restaurants all run by some of the nicest people you’ll meet anywhere. You will discover a unique blend of high-class and rustic existing happily side-by-side. Spectacular is hardly adequate to describe the magnificent setting of the town. The early settlers didn’t believe in living on mountainsides; they looked for valleys. Banner Elk’s valley cuts through lofty peaks on every side: Beech Mountain, Sugar Mountain and Grandfather Mountain essentially define its boundaries. If so far you are only a summer visitor to the mountains, you need to come back to Banner Elk in the winter. The town
is conveniently located between two of the area’s four ski resorts, Ski Beech and Sugar Mountain. Even if you don’t ski, the mountains are often snow-covered, adding to Banner Elk’s natural beauty. Finally, Banner Elk makes an excellent base for folks who want to explore the natural wonders of Avery County. It’s not far to Roan Mountain, Grandfather Mountain or Linville Falls. Avery-Banner Elk County Chamber of Commerce: 828898-5605.
Sugar Mountain
If outdoor activity is your thing, look no further than the Village of Sugar Mountain. Offering more than just great skiing, Sugar Mountain also provides its visitors with an array of ways to get outside and enjoy the beauty of the High Country. One attraction in particular is the summer lift rides on Sugar Mountain. On weekends, weather permitting, visitors can ride the ski lift to the 5,300 foot peak of Sugar Mountain. The 40 minuet round trip ride features a spectacular view of the High Country and runs from July 4 to Labor Day weekend. If heights aren’t your thing, Sugar Mountain can also be seen on foot. With numerous trails that wind throughout the Village of Sugar Mountain, you can see both the brilliant greens of the summer as well as the vibrant reds and yellows of the fall. The trails of Sugar Mountain are not just for those on foot. Many bikers choose the Village of Sugar Mountain for its variety of challenging and picturesque terrain. The Village of Sugar Mountain also gives tennis and golf lovers an opportunity to enjoy their favorite sports in the beautiful mountain setting. With Sugar Mountain’s golf course, six fast-dry clay courts and full service tennis pro shop, visitors will never be faced with the problem of finding something to do. Whether you come for a day or stay in one of the many comfortable lodgings the Village has to offer, Sugar Mountain will soon become your destination for great outdoor fun. Avery-Banner Elk County Chamber of Commerce: 828898-5605.
The Jeffersons
The twin cities of Jefferson and West Jefferson lie in the center of Ashe County. They are classic small towns, with warm, friendly people - and there’s always a place to park. Jefferson was the first to be founded, and is the oldest incorporated town in the High Country. It started in 1800 as the county seat for Ashe, which the General Assembly formed the year before. The new town stood near the base of Mount Jefferson. Both bore the name of Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence, vice president and then a political hero along the western frontier. Later that year, he would win election as president of the United States. Even as the population of Ashe County grew, Jefferson remained a quiet place, with relatively few homes and a courthouse. The focus of the county was, as it still remains, in the rural parts. Then the railroad came. Overnight, boom towns like Lansing and Todd grew. Logging meant work and money was relatively plentiful. All that, however, bypassed the Town of Jefferson. In 1917, a group of investors founded West Jefferson. Located south and west of Jefferson, the new community attracted the railroad. Jefferson went into an immediate decline. West Jefferson became the economic center of the county, though Todd, a major railroad center, was larger. Eventually, the railroad left. Lansing, Todd and other rail towns shrank to their present size. Fortunately, the Jeffersons soon had good roads and prospered. Today, the towns have differences and similarities. The old courthouse and surrounding buildings in Jefferson are the center of county government. A shopping center is located there, offering retail stores and services. The beautiful Ashe County Park and the Foster-Tyson Park is a perfect spot for an in-town picnic. West Jefferson’s downtown is busy and active. The old stores still stand and are full of interesting, dynamic shops. The town’s CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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stores offer everything from real estate to clothes. The visitor center, operated by the Chamber of Commerce, offers answers to questions and a wide selection of brochures. West Jefferson is home of the Christmas in July festival, an annual summer celebration of the holiday and the Christmas tree industry. The event features two days of live music, over 100 art and craft booths, and the friendliest people you could find anywhere! The Jeffersons are also the gateway to the region’s two state parks. Mount Jefferson State Park is located just off Hwy 221. To the north of Jefferson are the access areas for the New River State Park. Just south of West Jefferson, near the community of Beaver Creek, is St. Mary’s Episcopal Church. This is the home of the famous fresco of Jesus on the cross by renowned artist Ben Long. A painting of the Madonna pregnant with Jesus hangs on the sanctuary wall. Come to the Jeffersons and find what it was that made smalltown life so special. You’ll find that special life alive and well in these wonderful twin towns. Ashe County Chamber of Commerce: 336-246-9550
Seven Devils
The town of Seven Devils has its foundation as a resort community, though its history dates back to Native Americans who were likely seasonal hunters of the mountains. The town, which straddles the Watauga and Avery County border near N.C. 105/221, is noted for its craggy peaks such as Hanging Rock, Hawksbill Rock and Four Diamond Range. Developers of a resort gave the town its name in the mid 1960’s, and it grew as a golf course, ski slope, lake, riding ground and camping area. After the resort venture experienced financial trouble, the town was incorporated in 1979. While the golf course has been closed for a couple of years, Hawksnest Ski & Snow Tubing has expanded its operations and is one of the town’s centerpieces, though it’s also treasured as a quiet vacation and retirement community. The town is also celebrated for its scenic views, particularly of nearby Grandfather Mountain. F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n a n d e v e n t s , v i s i t w w w. townofsevendevils.org.
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Newland
Surrounded by renowned attractions and resorts, the Town of Newland also attracts, but quietly. This small municipality of about 700 residents has been the county seat since Avery County incorporated in 1911, beating out three other areas for the honor. Newland has the distinction of being the highest county seat east of the Mississippi. The fine traditional courthouse, recently renovated, was constructed in 1913, and overlooks an equally classic town square, bordered by shops and churches and complete with a memorial to Avery County veterans. Next to the courthouse, and also built in 1913, is the original jail, now the site of the Avery Historical Museum. Permanent exhibits at the museum include the original jail cells, numerous artifacts and information about Avery County history. Going west out of town toward Tennessee, plan a Saturday stop at the Farmers Market, and picnic or hike across the road at the Waterfalls Park, a unique recreation area sponsored by the Newland Volunteer Fire Department. A new Heritage Park, currently under construction, will be a major attraction when completed, due for sometime next year. So when you’re driving through town on your way to Roan or Grandfather Mountains, don’t forget to stop at Newland on your tour. Avery-Banner Elk County Chamber of Commerce: 828-
898-5605
Todd
There was time when Todd, nestled on the banks of the New River on the border of Ashe and Watauga counties, was the largest community in the region. It was a logging boom town back then, and the timber trains roared along the valley. Todd bustled, with many stores and hotels. Those days are long gone, but Todd remains a too-often overlooked treasure of the High Country. And while the train is gone - and with it the bustle - this little community has a lot to offer, starting with some of the best sites for bicycling, paddlesports and fishing around. The old train depot, a part of Todd life since the 1920s, is now home to Appalachian Adventures outfitters. Up the road, there’s the old Todd General Store which opened in 1914. The General Store, one of four historic structures in the community recently painted with funds raised in the community, is a living reminder of the old railroad days. The store features a Friday night traditional mountain music jam which attracts musicians from hundreds of miles around, and a newly created park across from the store hosts a summer music series at the ‘depot’ stage set up by the New River. There’s no community perhaps anywhere that has more CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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scenic approaches than Todd. No matter which way you choose to get there, you’re in for a treat. Consider these options: If you’re in Boone, there are two ways you can reach Todd. The first is to follow N.C. 194, a state-designated Scenic Byway, north from its intersection with U.S. 421 (near New Market Center, on the east end of town; watch for the sign). This route runs through farms and forests along an 11-mile run to Todd. The second choice is to turn off U.S. 421 at Brownwood Road. This is in Rutherwood, about two miles west of Deep Gap and seven miles east of Boone. Brownwood Road is located next to the office of Brady’s Roofing Co. and Pro Hardware. After crossing the construction for the new four-lane Highway 421, the route returns to beautiful rural Watauga County. First, you travel up through farms and woods to Brownwood, where a cattle farm fills a scenic valley. After crossing a large bridge, turn left on Railroad Grade Road and follow it to Todd. A word about Railroad Grade Road. This actually follows the route of the old railroad that once ran here. It runs right along one of the most beautiful parts of the New River. The scenery is gorgeous along the ride - a total of about eight miles. Because it is level, it is a premier family bicycling destination, so watch out for cyclists as you drive along. If you’re in the Jeffersons, you can pick up N.C. 194 south of town, just off N.C. 221 - watch for the signs. 194 is a Scenic Byway in this area, and it is a very pretty ride. It is also a fairly curvy road, so watch your speed! CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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Mountain City
High on the Eastern Continental Divide, Johnson County, Tennessee, is the eastern-most county in the state. Mountain City is the county seat, a community rich in history and the center of commerce for the area. There are many shops and stores that serve both local residents and visitors. The town has a truly marvelous setting, as much of Johnson County remains little changed since pioneer days. Traveling there will reward the visitor with spectacular scenery – and the added bonus of Mountain City and all it offers at the end of the road. The county is also a gateway to Watauga Lake. The place to begin your visit is the beautiful Johnson County Welcome Center. Conveniently located on U.S. 421 in a lovely log building, the Center provides information on the many attractions of Mountain City and the county around it. Their hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday,a nd 1-5 p.m. on Sunday. The telephone number is 423-727-5800. In 1749, Peter Jefferson (Thomas’s father) stood on Pond Mountain in what is now western Ashe County and looked west towards this area. Twenty years later, Daniel Boone and a party of pioneers cut a trail through here, defining a path that settlers would follow. Some of those made their home at what would become Mountain City. Be sure to visit this special town – walk where Daniel Boone once cut a way through the wilderness.
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Banner House
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built on heritage
Visitors to the Banner House Museum will receive the opportunity to experience 19th century mountain life and culture in the home of one of Banner Elk’s original settlers, Sam Banner. Visitors can view demonstrations as they wander back in time through the re-created household of the 1870-80s. The museum’s first exhibit, Banner Elk’s Founding Fathers, will run through October, and will feature photographs, family documents and memorabilia from the early days of the founding fathers into the 20th century. The museum will offer guided tours and demonstrations by trained docents. Visitors to the museum can also enjoy craft demonstrations, and shop for unique gifts in the Museum Shop, including pottery, woodworking and children’s toys and books. The Banner House Museum offers walking tours of Banner Elk’s historic district at 2 p.m. daily Tuesday through Saturday during normal museum hours of operation. The Banner House Museum will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The historic Banner Elk walking tour, which takes approximately two hours, covers incredibly beautiful but uneven ground and steep hills during the two-mile route. Tours leave from the Banner House Museum. The cost of the tour is $12 for adults, which includes the house tour, and $4 for children 12 and under (not recommended for children 8 and under). When one’s tour, or tours, are complete, visitors can find a special gift or memento of Banner Elk in the Banner House Museum Gift Shop. The museum gift shop offers a wide selection of unique craft and gift items including woodworking, pottery, knitting, children’s books and toys, nature guides, baskets, soaps and much more. The shop also carries a selection of objects tastefully decorated with the elk of Banner Elk for souvenirs and personal collections.
Mon-Fri 9AM-7PM; Sat 9AM-6PM; Sun 12-5PM (828)264-7327 468 New Market Blvd., Boone NC 28607 Behind New Market Center - Next to Boone Ford
No admission charge applies to shop-only visits and the shop’s inventory is expanded frequently. For those who wish to become more intimately involved in the heritage of Banner Elk, opportunities exist for membership in the Greater Banner Elk Heritage Foundation, which along with the Banner House Museum, is a non-profit organization that depends solely on donations, gifts and grants to support its many activities. Memberships play a vital role in the foundation’s funding and these annual gifts create a dependable base of support that allows
for the planning of future programs, events and projects. Each gift goes directly to the activities that preserve the history and heritage of greater Banner Elk. Membership categories include a basic membership for $75; a silver membership for $76-499; a gold membership for $500-999; a platinum membership for $1,000+; and a foundation membership for $5,000+. With membership in the Greater Banner Elk Heritage Foundation comes free admission to the Banner House Museum, 10 percent off in the Museum Shop, quarterly newsletters with updates and event information, and an invitation to an annual members’ only event.
2009
Visitors to the Ashe County Cheese Store are greeted by smiling associates and a large overall-clad mouse. Shoppers will find a vast array of not only Ashe County Cheese products but also an impressive selection of imported cheeses and Amish made products from quilts and wooden furniture to jarred goods. Photo by Ron Fitzwater
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When in Ashe, just say CHEESE The many attractions offered to visitors of the High Country each year seems to grow with the changing of the seasons. However one attraction in West Jefferson in Ashe County keeps drawing visitors back again and again. The Ashe County Cheese Company located at 106 East Main Street in West Jefferson was founded in 1930 and is the only cheese making factory of its type in North Carolina. Though the company has changed ownership a few times since 1930, the Ashe County Cheese Company has continued to grow in popularity and in product. Built by the Kraft Company, the business was called KraftPhoenix Cheese up through the mid 1970s when it was sold and renamed Ashe County Cheese Company. In that same year the store began, simply by selling cheese curd out of the factory, but due to unexpected and welcome popularity soon moved across Main Street to its present and ever expanding location. “I have been here for six years and I think we have expanded in one capacity or another every year,” said Store Manager Josh Williams. In 1993 the company was purchased by Mike Everhart and Tom Torkelson, two Wisconsin Cheese makers who saw the growth potential for the company which includes the production facility and the Ashe County Cheese Store, owned separately from the factory by Everhart. The factory facility was designed to produce 22 pound hoop cheddar cheese and to this day 99 percent of the facility’s production goes to that product. But the factory has also branched out to produce a limited number of spiced cheeses and also fresh butter. Of course the most popular item is cheese curd that is packaged fresh when the factory is in production and sold daily. The factory makes an average of 24,000 pounds of cheese per week from more than 200,000 gallons of fresh milk purchased from the Dairy Farmers of America and brought in by tanker truck. The milk is pasteurized on site and put into the vats to
make the cheese. After the cheese is finished and packed into molds to form the familiar hoop, cheese makers begin to separate the cream, curds and whey. The process takes a little time but when through the curd is recovered for packaging and sale, any cream remaining is skimmed to make butter, while the whey is pumped into waiting tanks for a special purpose. “About 600 pounds of butter is produced every two weeks,” Williams said. The cheese is sold to distributors who put it into chain grocery stores and small town Mom and Pop stores primarily in the Southeast but also parts of Pennsylvania, Mississippi and Missouri. The store also offers a vast selection of Amish made products from hand made quilts, wood furniture, jams and jellies to jarred goods such as watermelon-rind pickles. A trip to Ashe County Cheese Company is not complete without a stop by the viewing room and according to Williams the number of visitors during the year averages from 1,500 to upwards of 2,000 visitors per day from April to December with only a slight drop off in the colder months of the year. The company does not conduct organized tours but the viewing room is open daily and overlooks the production floor. Detailed photographs on the wall take the visitor through the entire cheese making process from start to finish. Future plans for the viewing room include installing a video display to take visitors through the process. On days when cheese is not being made workers are on the floor processing and packaging products, so there is always something to see. The factory makes cheese several times per week and the schedule is fluid; updated schedules can be found at the company’s web page. For directions, cheese making schedules or to order Ashe County Cheese products on line click to www.ashecountycheese. com
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Fresh & Frozen Views Offered At
Grandfather Mountain
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ost people know the activities offered and fun to be had at Grandfather Mountain during the spring, summer and fall, but what could there possibly be to do there during the winter? Quite a bit, actually. Grandfather Mountain offers an entirely different look and feel during the cold months of the year. “People can do the exact same things as in the summer,” said Park Naturalist Jesse Pope. “It’s colder, but the views are astonishing here in the winter. It’s the best time to have clear views of surrounding peaks and even the skyline in Charlotte.” All of the mountain’s hiking trails remain open in the winter, but hikers should be cautious of ice and snow on the trails. Park rangers clear as much as possible, but with the conditions in the High Country, icy patches typically can be found on the trails from December through March. Pope said hikers should have ice cleats to assist in walking on the snowy and icy terrain, and hike with care. Hikers during the winter months also should wear appropriate warm clothing. “It’s very different to be on the bridge with the rime ice on the trees,” Pope said. “You really feel like you’re in a winter wonderland. It’s a photographer’s paradise to be here in the winter. The views, the rime ice is really pretty when it gets on the trees. When snow is on the ground and there’s a blue sky or pink sunrise, you have beautiful colors.” Unless weather severely intervenes, all parts of Grandfather Mountain remain open during the winter, including the bridge, the nature museum, and the restaurant with its homemade soup and chili and other food. Another part of the park that is popular year-round is the animal habitats. “The otters love winter,” Pope said. “They love to play in the snow. If you catch a day when there’s snow on the ground, they like to slide down the hills in the habitat. If it’s a deep snow, they tunnel underneath the snow, and pop their heads out. Cougars also like the snow. In the winter, the bears will be hibernating, but you can occasionally catch a glimpse of a bear.” When snow falls, the mountain has its own snow removal equipment, but occasionally the snowfall is too
heavy to safely open the park. Anyone interested in visiting on a very snowy day should call ahead to see if the gate will open that day. Grandfather Mountain is located on U.S. 221, two miles north of Linville and one mile south of the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 305. Winter hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission is $14 for adults ages 13-59, $12 for seniors 60 and over, $6 for children 4-11, and free for children
Swinging Bridge Facts The Mile High Swinging Bridge was built to give visitors easy access to the breath-taking view from Grandfather Mountain’s Linville Peak. The 228-foot suspension bridge spans an 80-foot chasm at more than one mile in elevation. Surveys show that the journey to the other side is always considered the highlight of a trip to Grandfather Mountain. Access - requires climbing 50 stairs to reach the level of the Swinging Bridge. Those who choose not to climb the stairs can enjoy similar vistas from the parking area. Name - Former North Carolina Tourism Director Charles J. Parker coined the name “ Mile High Swinging Bridge” at the Bridge’s dedication in 1952. * The term “mile high” refers to the structure’s elevation above sea level (5,305 feet) * The term “swinging” refers to the fact that suspension bridges are free to sway. Built - 1952 * Designed by - Charles Hartman, Jr., Greensboro, NC * Construction - actually fabricated in Greensboro and then reassembled on top of the Mountain. Erecting the bridge took three weeks, a process slowed by inclement weather created by a hurricane off the North Carolina coast. * Cost -$15,000 * Dedicated - Sept. 2, 1952 by North Carolina Gov. William B. Umstead. Rebuilt in 1999 using the original towers. The cables, floor boards and side rails were all replaced using galvanized steel. One of the main advantages of the modern building materials is that they do not have to be painted. Now Grandfather Mountain employees will not have to hang out over the gorge to paint the span. * Redesigned - 1999 by Sutton, Kennerly & Associates Engineering of Asheville, N.C. * Rebuilt by - Taylor & Murphy Construction Company of Asheville * Cost of rebuilding - $300,000
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Winter in Wilkes Light-up Downtown North Wilkesboro Nov. 21. Main Street, North Wilkesboro Annually, Historic Downtown North Wilkesboro kicks off the Holiday Season with the lighting ceremony soon after dusk. Main Street is filled with the Lights, Joys, Smells, and Sounds of Christmas. Santa can be found in the lobby of Wilkes Towers ready for photos with the little ones. Local community groups take part in in providing hay rides, live entertainment, food, crafts, kids activities and such. Annually Friday before Thanksgiving 5:30 - 9:00 pm 2008 THEME: “A Dickens’ Christmas” Step back in time and enjoy the holidays the old fashioned way with “A Dickens’ Christmas”. Judging for the Most Creative, Most Attractive, and Best Use of Theme. www.downtownNorthWilkesboro.com Historic Downtown North Wilkesboro (336)667-4875 info@hdtnw.org
Christmas Love Light Tree Ceremony 5:30 p.m. November 23, 2008 Wilkes Regional Medical Center, North Wilkesboro ‘’Let Your Love Shine’’ on the ‘’Love Light Tree’’ in honor or memory of someone special. The tree sets atop Wilkes Regional Medical Center. (336)651-8162
Festival of Trees December 1, 2008 - December 27, 2008 Festively decorated trees, wreathes, and gift baskets donated by local businesses and various hospital departments are on display in the hospital lobby as a gift to the community to bring cheer to all! LAST DAY to Bid on wreathes and gift baskets TBA. Happy Holidays! Benefits health care programs sponsored by The Health Foundation (336) 838-1949.
Christmas Parade December 6, 2008 1-2:30 p.m. It’s a parade through the downtown streets of North Wilkesboro and Wilkesboro with all the local trimmings and of course Santa will be there riding the Fire Truck! Parade begins in Melody Square in North Wilkesboro and ends at BB&T in Wilkesboro.
Whippoorwill Christmas Open House December 7, 2008 2:30-5 p.m. at Whippoorwill Village in Ferguson Art, Pottery, Folk Toys, Stocking Stuffers, Books, Stationary, Jam, Jelly, Baked Goods. Live music. Tour the Whippoorwill Academy Schoolhouse, Matt’s Store, Tom Dooley Museum, Smokehouse Gallery, Chapel of Peace, Daniel Boone Cabin, Kilby’s Blacksmith Shop & Weaving Room. (336)973-3237.
Children’s Theater - Christmas Wizard of Oz
December 12-14 at Stone Family Center for Performing Arts at 613 Cherry Street in North Wilkesboro (located in Board of Education Building) Dec. 12 & 13 at 7 p.m. Dec. 14 at 4 p.m. The various High School Drama Clubs in Wilkes County will once again, in partnership with Smart Start, kick off The Childrens Theater season. There will be three plays presented for the 2008-2009 season. The first one being for the Christmas holiday season. Bring your children, parents, grandparents, the whole family. Enjoy the magic of Christmas through a child’s eyes. Tickets can be purchased at the door from Smart Start. Plenty of seating available for every night/day. Admission: Children 5 and under, free. 5 years and older, $5. For more information, call (336) 838-0977 or e-mail debbi@ wilkessmartstart.com
Breakfast with Santa
December 13, 2008 Join us and Santa for an All-You-Can-Eat Pancake Buffet at Benton Hall in North Wilkesboro! Benefit for Tiffany’s Place. LIVE Entertainment. Pictures with Santa $5. Happy Holidays! For details, call (336) 838-1332 or e-mail melissa1@ tiffanysplace.net
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BLOWING ROCK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
WINTER 2008-2009 CALENDAR OF EVENTS Nov. 29 - Blowing Rock Christmas Parade Nov. 29 - Chetola Festival of Lights Nov. 29 - Wood Kiln Opening At Bolick Pottery Dec. 5 - 14 - “High Country Christmas Carol” at Hayes Center Jan. 22 - 25 - Winterfest 800-295-7851 April 16-19 - Blue Ridge Wine and Food Festival 800-295-7851 9
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828-295-7851 • 800-295-7851 • www.blowingrock.com
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Public Library
KING STREET
Boone Fire Station , Various busine sses
WILCOX EM PORIUM, MULBERRY CAFE 161, ST. TRATTO RIA, OTH ER MER
The Shoppes @ Farmers
CHANTS
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Magic Cycles
HOWARD ST REET
Apartment Complex
e, ODB, Boone D rug, etc .
Red means private or reserved. These spaces are reserved for specific businesses. Town regulations state the business in question must provide signage to warn motorists of its status. Don’t park in these spaces unless you intend to immediately visit the business associated with the lot. Some lots employ wheel-lock devices which require a $60 cash-removal fee for vehicles in violation. 1. The lot in front of the Market Place at King Street is policed by a lot-management firm and uses wheel locks. Parking is for visitors to those businesses only. 2. The lot across from Wilcox Emporium uses a lotmanagement firm as in #1. Customers parking only please. 3. This lot is reserved for the Watauga County Public Library. For more details on its parking policy, call the library at 264-8784. Blue means parking is regulated by meters BUT the Queen Street meters are free on the weekends (after 5 p.m. Friday until Monday at 7 a.m.) Also free on weeknights after 5 p.m. Green means parking is free but limited to one hour. Most streetside spaces (slanted and parallel) are onehour. However, parking time is unlimited after 5 p.m. on Friday until Monday at 7 a.m. Also unlimited on weeknights after 5 p.m. Purple means park and pay by the hour (the lot at town hall off King Street). This lot is free on weekends and weeknights.
KING STREET
Espresso News
Boone Town Hall
Footsloggers
App. Twin Theatre, ArtWalk Macado’s, etc.
HOWARD ST REET
ASU Cam pus
Downtown Boone
Parking Key
Boone Bagelry
Grapevin
Black Cat Burrito
Haircut 101, etc.
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Melanie’s
JONES HOUSE
MAST GENERAL STORE
Angelica’s
U.S. POST OFFICE
Depot Street
Queen Stre et
Downtown Boone boasts 77 vibrant businesses and features world-class shopping, dining and entertainment. Finding a parking place downtown is no problem if you know where to look. We hope this map will help you navigate downtown and find the right parking spot for your vehicle. When parking, please be sure to read all signs. If you park in a one-hour space for more than one hour, you may receive a citation. However, most downtown merchants will validate your ticket without delay. Check the color-coded parking key to the left to find the status of various downtown spaces. For more information, contact the Downtown Boone Development Association at 262-4532. Food & Drink
Angelica’s Black Cat Burrito Boone Bagelry Boone Saloon Cafe’ 161 Cafe’ Portofino Capone’s Pizza Espresso News Macado’s Melanie’s Food Fantasy Mellow Mushroom Moonshine Restaurant Mulberry St. Trattoria Murphy’s Our Daily Bread The Trolley Stop Wildflower Restaurant Vidalia’s
Antiques/Artisans Art Walk Appalachian Antiques Bejeweled Boone Antique Mall Bracelet Co. CBM Inc. Fieldstone Antiques The Hamner Gallery, J&S Beaumont Pottery Hands Gallery Heirloom Antiques JBH Imports The Looking Glass Gal. Montesino N. Carolina Purveyors of Art Timeless Treasures
Clothing
Appalachian Tees Dancey’s Shoes Did Someone Say Party? Gladiola Girls Love Me Two Times M Prints Mega Tees Super Fly Watsonatta Westerns
Miscellany
Highway Robbery Mast General Store Mountaineer Mania The Shoppes at Farmers Hardware Wilcox Emporium Warehouse
Bead Box Boone Drug Dancing Moon Dragon’s Den Comics Farmer’s Backside Ski Shop Fat Cats Music & Video Footsloggers Grapevine Music & Video Heavenly Chocolates & Gifts The Hemp Shop High Country Lingerie Ink Link Tattoos Magic Cycles Oh Sheets Row-by-Row Bookshop Snow Paws Pet Boutique
The Tin Can Appalachian Twin Theatre High Country Bank RBC Centura Bank SOS Printing Southern State Agriculture
Healthy & Beauty BodyWorx Christy & Co. Hair Design Haircut 101 Headliners Nandrea Nelson’s Salon
Shear Wizard Skin & Hair
Sixie Barber Shop Split Endz Hair Salon
What if my car gets towed? Most downtown private lot owners use Bill’s Garage (265-3400) or Hampton’s Body Shop (264-3924).
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Tree Fest, concert highlight Ashe County Arts Council’s winter By Joel Frady
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he Ashe County Arts Council will hold a handful of events to keep locals entertained during the cold winter months, starting with On Agate Hill on Saturday, Nov. 22. The season will be headlined by Tree Fest, which will be exhibited at the Ashe Arts Center from Tuesday, Nov. 25 through Wednesday, Dec. 31. The season will also feature a celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and concerts by the Ashe County Choral Society in December and an evening of classical chamber music with Harmonia Baroque in January. Jane Lonon, executive director of the arts council, said that On Agate Hill is a culmination of a community reading program in which people were asked to read the Lee Smith novel to discuss along with the play. “It’s a one-woman show telling the story through the eyes of the central character,” Lonon said, adding that the play begins shortly after the Civil War ends and follows the heroine from age 13 to much later in life. “It’s a really neat show,” Lonon said. The show will star Barbara Bates Smith and will feature musical accompaniment. On Thursday, Nov. 20, the arts council will also host Lee Smith as she reads
excepts from her novel and answers questions from the audience. The Tree Fest exhibit is held annually by the council in West Jefferson and will present seven Christmas trees decorated by local artists and individuals. Each tree will be decorated after a certain theme, with the themes ranging from a recycled tree (all ornaments made of recycled items), a wine-themed tree, and Latino tree and an Elvis tree. The exhibit is free to the public. The opening reception will take place on Saturday, Dec. 4, from 2 to 4 p.m. during the arts council’s Holiday Open House. The Ashe County Choral Society will take the stage of the Ashe Civic Center on Sunday, Dec. 7. The Society is an all-volunteer community chorus that will be performing their 22nd annual holiday concert. “It’s a mix of sacred music, secular music and some familiar Christmas holiday tunes, along with some not-so familiar pieces,” Lonon said. She said that the choir is “a nice, big, full group. It’s a great chance for community members to come together that either don’t have somewhere else to sing or want a bigger choral singing experience and a chance to
sing repetoire that they otherwise wouldn’t get a chance to. “The artistic excellence and the quality is really quite fun,” she continued. “There’s some good musicians in Ashe County, and they freely give of their time and their expertise.” Harmonia Baroque, an ensemble featuring faculty members of Appalachian State Universitym will perform a concert at the Civic Center on Saturday, Jan. 24. Lonon said that the group will bring “outstanding artistic excellence” with their performance. On Monday, Jan. 19, the arts council will also play host to their annual Martin Luther King Jr. holiday celebration. The event will features readings from King’s speeches and writings along with a choir performance and a performance from actor Mike Wiley. “It’s a wonderful coming together of all the populations and all the cultures for that evening,” Lonon said of the event. To find out more about the Ashe County Arts Council or any of the events listed, call (336) 8462787 or click to www.ashecountyarts.org
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he High Country is a land of majestic mountain vistas, and at no time is this more apparent than in the winter. Views hidden by the foliage during the rest of the year open when the leaves fall to reveal breathtaking scenes. The air even makes a difference - cool, clear skies add a crispness to mountain peaks unobstructed by muggy or dusty haze. And when the snow falls . . . nothing compares to the cool, clean majesty of freshly fallen snow on the mountainsides. One of the best ways to experience the beauty of the High Country in winter is from the warmth and comfort of your car. Most
2009
regional roads remain open during lighter snowfalls, and all main roads are maintained following deeper snows, with the exception of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Grandfather Mountain
Grandfather Mountain, in Linville, is one of the East’s most popular tourist attractions. A natural Biosphere with a tourism slant, Grandfather Mountain features the famous Mile High Swinging Bridge as well as miles of hiking trails through pristine forest CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
Auto Tour Continued From Page 68 containing numerous flora and fauna, including several rare and endangered species. Winter is an especially excellent time to visit Grandfather Mountain. During the cold, crisp, clear days of winter at Grandfather, the views are nothing short of awesome. With the leaves of autumn having fallen, little stands in the way of vistas which stretch from horizon to horizon. The mountain has its own snow removal system and is open most days throughout the winter. It is advisable to call ahead during questionable weather. One interesting bit of weather trivia - occasionally high winds up to over 100 MPH will close the top of the mountain. If these winds are coupled with sub-zero temperatures, the wind chill can reach frosty levels – one time instruments recorded a very cool minus 70 degrees! For more information on Grandfather Mountain, which also has a Nature Museum and numerous Animal Habitats, contact 828-7334337.
Blue Ridge Parkway
One of the most popular and heavily traveled (except in winter!) roadways in the United States is the Blue Ridge Parkway. It runs 469 miles along the backbone of eastern America. While most highways seek the easy ways, the valleys and gaps, the Blue Ridge Parkway braves the crests, soaring from 2,000 to 5,000 feet above sea level as it crosses 469 miles of mountains. There is nothing quite like it anywhere else in the world. While almost all Parkway facilities close down in the fall, the road itself remains open, weather permitting, year round. There is one important fact you need to know: in this area, the Parkway is not plowed after snow storms, nor is it salted. That means road conditions can remain treacherous long after the main highways are clear. Call 704-298-0398 for up-to-date information. That said, don’t be frightened away from the Parkway - just use some common sense. There is a lot to enjoy this season. First off, the cold settles that characteristic haze that gave the Blue Ridge its name centuries ago. That means you’ll get unmatched views from the Parkway. On a good day, you can pick out individual buildings in Hickory; on a great day, binoculars may show you Charlotte.
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
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Here are some suggested places to visit, arranged by milepost from north to south: MP 241: Doughton Park offers an extensive trail system with excellent views and a taste of wilderness. As with all trails in the winter, be careful of possible storm damage. MP 267: Mount Jefferson is clearly visible to the west. This overlook offers an exceptional view of the Ashe County area. MP 272: The Cascades Nature Trail offers a relatively short walk to a spectacular waterfall that roars down a steep slope to the Piedmont hundreds of feet below. MP 282: The name of the overlook, Grandview, says it all. MP 289-290: There are three overlooks here that offer excellent views of the High Country. The first, Raven Rocks, looks down the Watauga River Valley toward the ski slopes. The second and third, Yadkin Valley and Thunder Hill, look far off into the Piedmont. MP 297: An easy 2 mile loop trail circles Price Lake. The water is covered with a film of ice much of the winter, and with Grandfather Mountain as a backdrop is easily one of the prettiest sights on the Parkway. MP 299-306: In this section, the Parkway crosses the southern flank of Grandfather Mountain. There are a number of overlooks with wonderful views into the valleys far below. This is also the home of the Linn Cove Viaduct, one of the engineering marvels of the country. MP 316: After mid-December, the access road to Linville Falls will be closed. But, if you’re up to a 1.5 mile hike in, you’re welcome to take a look. The falls, the largest in the region, swirl down into Linville Gorge, a scenic valley that remains wild.
Highway 194
One of the most delightful backroads to be found in the High Country is NC 194, which meanders in a zigzag fashion from the Virginia border all the way to Banner Elk and beyond. While some of its length passes through congested areas such as downtown Boone, most of the journey along NC 194 will take the motorist through undeveloped valleys and rich farmlands, past scenic rivers, and right to the front doors of such historic architectural landmarks as the Todd General Store and the Mast General Store. While there are numerous routes which lead to NC 194, one of the most logical might begin in Boone. Take US 421 out of Boone toward Winston-Salem and turn left onto NC 194 just past the New Market Shopping Center. NC 194 will head east to Ashe County weaving through farming areas and alongside one of the most scenic stretches
of the New River before ending up at the Todd General Store, one of the High Country’s oldest merchandisers. From Todd, follow NC 194 through mountain valleys and deep forests to the town of West Jefferson. Back in Boone, you can follow US 421 west toward Tennessee to the community of Vilas, where NC 194 will head south toward Valle Crucis. While in Valle Crucis, visit the Mast General Store and its Little Red School House prior to heading south to Banner Elk. The Valle Crucisto-Banner Elk segment of NC 194 is narrow and winding. From Banner Elk NC 194 continues to Elk Park at the Tennessee state line.
DRIVER’S GUIDE How to Drive in the Snow
Slowly and surely is the key to driving in the snow. Common sense should prevail – allow plenty of stopping time, don’t tailgate, and of course don’t drive when conditions are dangerous. Forcing the gas to accelerate will only make you spin – gentle and even pressure leading up to a slow start is the best. Never slam on the brakes, otherwise you will slide out of control. When your car begins to fishtail, turn the wheel into the slide rather than the direction you are trying to go – exactly opposite of what you would think.
Be Prepared For Winter
If you plan to do a lot of driving in the snow, a few items stowed in your trunk will serve you well. A set of chains helps in foul weather. Some mountains in the area, such as Beech Mountain, request snow chains of four-wheel drive on slick days. A snow shovel is a helpful tool for digging out stuck vehicles. A blanket, extra clothing (including socks and boots) and a flashlight are helpful in the event of being stranded.
Alternative Transportation
If you’re not familiar with driving in the snow, utilizing our transportation system is highly recommended. AppalCART bus routes service the entire town of Boone, and bus schedules may be found at various locations throughout, including lodging facilities and local restaurants. In general, buses are provided for weekend service to Sugar Mountain Ski Resort and Ski Beech. Please call 828-264-2278 for more information on the skiing routes as well as Boone town routes.
Finders Keepers Antiques
825-898-1925
www.finderskeepersnc.com Banner Elk
2009
Located at Grandfather Center 3990 Hwy • 105 South, Banner Elk Highway 105 S.
Grandfather Center
Boone
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The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
2009
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
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The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
Blue Ridge Parkway
Let the journey begin
L
and North Carolina. From Cumberland Knob in northern North Carolina, where our road tour begins, down to Linville Falls in Avery County, there are a 100 miles of Parkway to travel and enjoy. This beautiful road is some of the most scenic highway our nation has to offer. It is a wonderful drive, but the Parkway’s most precious treasures are hidden within its forests. The mountains invite you to park your car and detour on foot for a while. After all, it’s an amazing experience to view the mountains in the distance from an overlook, but it is absolutely magical to take the time to meet them in person. This is a high mountain road, so use caution. Obey the 45 mph speed limit, watch out for wildlife, and be careful of low clouds and fog that sometimes pass over the road. This can make driving dangerous, so use good judgment and pull over for a while. It’ll be a good time to read through this article or look at a guidebook. One suggested reference is William Lord’s Blue Ridge Parkway Guide.
Milepost 217.5: Cumberland Knob
The northernmost point on the Parkway within the High Country, this stop provides travelers with picnic tables and a number of hiking trails. There is also a visitor center, which can be contacted at (828) 657-8161.
Wild ponies in a winter wonderland.
ike ribbons of highway wrapping up a gift of mountain preservation, the Blue R i d ge Parkway i s a r o a d t h a t t a k e s people away from the traffic of modern life
2009
and into the slow lane. Car windows will beg to be rolled down to let in the cool mountain air, along with the songs of native birds that welcome you to a celebration of nature’s bounty.
Since its birth in 1935, the Parkway has allowed visitors to re-connect with the natural world and realize our inseparable ties to it. The 469-mile highway runs through the heart of the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia
CONTINUED ON PAGE 92
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
PAGE 73
Vintage Valle Crucis
from Mountain City, TN
Visit a National Register of Historic Places Community est. 1842
from Elizabethton, TN Mast Gap Road
A haven for travelers since the 1800s,
194
Valle Crucis, a National Rural Historic District, offers shops, beautiful bed and breakfast inns, delicious cuisine, rustic cabins, horseback riding, adventure and more.
Inn at Little Pond Farm Dutch Creek Trails
828-297-1011
ca. 1880 828-297-7117
Little Red School House ca. 1907
Original Mast General Store
St. John’s Church
Valle Crucis Valle Café Log Cabin 828-963-2804 Rentals & Sales
Est. 1883 828-963-6511
ca. 1858
Valle Landing
828-963-7774
Watauga River Road
Mast Store Annex
Outfitters & Candy Barrel ca. 1909 828-963-6511
194 Taylor House Inn ca. 1910 800-963-5581
Baird House
Mast Farm Inn
Lazy Bear Lodge
ca. 1812 888-963-5857
828-963-9201
Bed & Breakfast
Lodging & Restaurant
Bed & Breakfast ca. 1790 800-297-1342
Valle Crucis Conference Center Est. 1842
Dewitt Barnett Road
Valle Crucis Bed & Breakfast
from Banner Elk
828-963-2525
Valle Crucis Community Web Directory
River & Earth Adventures 866-411-RAFT
Mountainside Lodge B&B 877- 687-4333
Just 5 miles South of Boone
Camp Broadstone 3rd Annual
from Banner Elk & Linville
from Boone
r
1 pm–6 pm
ta
r ive
Sunday, December 7th
Broadstone Road
u ga
Fireside Tour
Summer Camp
& Retreat Center 828-963-4640
wa
Baird House – bairdhouse.com Camp Broadstone – campbroadstone.com Dutch Creek Trails – dutchcreektrails.com Inn at Little Pond Farm – ncinn.com Lazy Bear Lodge – lazy-bear-lodge.com Mast Farm Inn – mastfarminn.com Mast General Store – maststore.com Mountainside Lodge B & B – mountainsidelodgebb.com River & Earth Adventures – raftcavehike.com Taylor House Inn – taylorhouseinn.com Valle Café – gadabouts.com Valle Crucis Bed & Breakfast – vallecrucisbandb.com Valle Crucis Log Cabin Rentals & Sales – logcabinrentals.com
For Info: 828-963-6511 • www.ValleCrucis.com
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
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2009
Safety Tips
ozy vacations can suddenly become frigid nightmares for visitors who are unprepared for High Country winters. That’s why it’s a good idea that anyone planning a wintertime trip to the North Carolina mountains take a few precautions before beginning the trek. Many residents of the southeastern United States aren’t used to High Country winter weather, which can feature freezing temperatures, several inches (or even a foot) of snow and winds gusting to 50 miles per hour. That means they also aren’t used to driving in those types of conditions, which makes them more susceptible to accidents or getting stranded. Sonny Sweet, executive director of the Watauga County Chapter of the American Red Cross, said it has become a High Country tradition for the chapter to open shelters for travelers during winter storms. “It’s easy enough to get stranded in the winter,” he said. “For the past five years we have had to open up at least two shelters a year, normally in January, for stranded travelers.” One of the best ways to keep from getting stranded is to winterize your car before making your journey. “Give your care a tune-up, check your antifreeze and make sure battery cables and other connections are cleaned,” Sweet said. Another tip involves keeping the car’s gas tank full for emergency use and to keep the fuel line from freezing. The best way to keep from getting stranded in a winter storm is to refrain from traveling in a winter storm, but those who choose to take a trip under such conditions should at least create a disaster supply kit and keep it in the trunk of their car. Supply kits should include blankets, extra sets of dry clothing, tire chains, jumper cables, a first aid kit, a flashlight with extra batteries, a brightly colored cloth to tie to the antenna, a shovel and sand or cat litter to help with traction. Travelers should also pack a warm coat, gloves or mittens, a hat and water-resistant boots. “If you are in fact trapped on the road, have sufficient supplies in your car that can sustain you until help can arrive,” Sweet said. It’s also a good idea to let someone know your destination, your route and when you expect to arrive so that help can be sent along your predetermined route if needed. “Another thing that one should consider is having someone in the car trained in the Red Cross first aid and safety course,” Sweet. “The purpose of that is treating frostbite because in extreme cases people have been known to lose toes and fingers.” Those who do become stuck and stranded should stay with their car and not try to walk to safety. They should also tie a brightly colored cloth to the antenna for rescuers to see. The Red Cross recommends starting the car and using the heater for about 10 minutes every hour. Also leave the overhead light on when the engine is running so that you can be seen. Motorists should keep the exhaust pipe clear so fumes won’t back up in the car and keep one window away from the blowing wind slightly open to let in air. While sitting you should keep moving your arms and legs to keep blood circulating and to stay warm.
Weather Warnings Another way to avoid travel difficulties is to stay aware of road conditions via radio and television weather reports. “A winter storm watch means a winter storm is possible,” Sweet said. “A winter storm warning means that one has actually been sighted and is heading your way. When you hear such, it’s prudent to take the necessary steps to preclude being a victim of that event. “Wind chill is a big threat in the mountains. We have strong winds – as high as 60 miles per hour – and in 20- or 30-degree temperatures that can be quickly devastating to a human being against the skin. “So if you get a warning, stay indoors during the storm.” Those who must go outside should dress accordingly, he said. “When you’re dressing to go out in cold weather, use layering,” Sweet said. “It’s easier to take off clothes when you get too warm than it is to look for them when you’re freezing. You should also wear gloves and a hat to keep the wind off of your hands and head.” Sweet also recommended that those who are already somewhat unsteady when walking, such as senior citizens or the disabled, should purchase some sort of crampons, studs or cleats to fit on the bottom of their shoes for better traction on ice and snow. For more information about winter safety in the High Country call the local Red Cross chapter at (828) 2648226. For more information about the national Red Cross look online at www.redcross.org.
2009
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
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Winter Travel Continued From PREVIOUS Page
Tire Tips The only thing predictable about the High Country’s winter weather is that sooner or later the winter weather will turn nasty. That’s not much of a problem if you’re holed up inside next to a warm fire with nowhere to go. But from time to time a road trip is inevitable, which means you and your car will eventually have to brave the conditions and hit the road no matter what condition the road might be in. One of the conditions of high country living is driving over ice and snow. That can be a frightening prospect for even the hardiest of drivers.
The Hows For the most part, the fundamentals of driving on icy roads are ridiculously simple. Slow down, and keep as much space between you and the other guys as you reasonably can. More room means more reaction time, a valuable thing when the ice sets your head, and your car, to spinning. Slowing down lowers the chance of losing traction on slick roads and reduces the force of any possible impact with that snow bank at the bottom of the hill. It’s simple physics, if there is such a thing. Easy as those first two rules are, though, few principals of winter driving are more confounding than the two that follow. Braking and recovering from a full-on spin-out are somewhat tougher nuts to crack. Highway safety committees, drivers clubs, highway patrol associations – even NASCAR – all agree: stomping on the brakes is only going to make matters worse. Keep your foot off the brakes. On paper, this is very good advice. The problem is in the practice. At first, your brain will argue with the experts. Skipping unexpectedly across two lanes of traffic into the path of an oncoming semi would tend to inspire in us all an urge to pounce on the thing that, theoretically, stops the car. “I know, I want to do the same thing myself,” admits Joyce Hampton. She and husband Wayne have pulled more black ice victims out of more Watauga County ditches than just about anyone around. Their fleet of tow trucks has been plying county roads for 43 years, so Joyce would have a better idea than most what caused all those cars to go astray. Not to disparage anyone from any state with a panhandle at one end and a handful of keys at the other, but Joyce is not sure everyone from such warm weather climes is as well versed in the ways of mountain winter driving as they might be. And the main reason for all those crashes, she said, is the drivers have broken the cardinal rule of braking. “It’s mostly just people who don’t have a lot of experience on these kinds of roads in these kinds of conditions,” Joyce said. The concept behind the rule is, as usual, a simple one. Slowing down the front wheels even a little offers the rear wheels a chance to pass them up. And that’s the very definition of a spin-out. Of course, tourists aren’t the only drivers to find themselves in trouble during the winter months. Just about everybody runs across black ice some time or another. And when that happens, Plan B will have no choice but to rear its ugly head (to survive the slide, see the inset box). The right equipment is an essential part of any icy highway survival plan.
Travis Reeves, of Clark Tire in Boone, holds up one of several snow tires offered by the Blowing Rock Road store. Photo by Marie Freeman
Surviving the Spin Okay, you’ve found yourself smack in the middle of a spectacular, Hollywood-quality spin. First of all, promptly remove your foot from the brake. That’s most likely what caused this mess in the first place. The next step may come more naturally. If your car is spinning clockwise (evidenced by the scenery flying past your eyeballs from right to left), you’re going to want to turn the wheels against the spin – that is, counterclockwise. The
Snow Tires Of all the aspects contained in pinpointing the right winter driving strategy, snow tires are by far the easiest, because all a consumer need do is drive up to the tire store and ask for them. An hour later, a couple-hundred bucks lighter, and you’re ready to go. There are some handy things to know about snow tires, though, before trekking to the nearest tire shop to purchase them. Snow tires cost just slightly more — $10 to $20 more — than a low-cost summer tire in the same size. Studding the tires is going to cost $5 to $10 more on each tire. Brian Shaffer, of Phil’s Citgo, says studded snow tires will prepare just about any vehicle for the conditions likely to be found around town or on just about any paved road. Once the car leaves the pavement, though, snow tires help, but lose a lot of their effectiveness, he said. Two-wheel drive cars only need snow tires on the traction wheels – these are the wheels directly turned by the engine (We’ll get into the differences between two-wheel, all-wheel, and four-wheel drive vehicles in Part 3). “Anything more is just wasting your money,” Shaffer said. Front-wheel drive vehicles use the snow tires on the front. Rear-wheelers will take them on the rear. And the tire tech will figure it all out so there’s no reason to fret over which is which.
opposite is true as well. Turning the wheels into the spin tends to reduce the friction on the front wheels and allow them to once again pick up speed. The rear end returns once more to the rear, where it belongs, and the car eventually rights itself. Bravo. Science in action. But it takes more than technique to successfully navigate the twists and turns of a winter season in the High Country.
All-wheel and four-wheel drives will need a full set of snow tires, all similarly equipped, to keep their footing on slippery roads. The roughest on-road conditions, Shaffer said, call for full studding – a term that means simply that all the holes made available by the tire manufacturer are filled with the metal studs that penetrate the ice to grip the pavement. Less severe conditions may require the slightly less-costly half-studding. And milder conditions still, might allow for no studding at all. The softer composite rubber used in snow tires allows them, even without studs, to grip in ice and snow better than summer tires, Josh Jackson, manager of Boone’s Clark Tires, explained. On the downside, it also causes them to wear more rapidly. Regular tires can travel 60,000 miles or more. Snow tires, on the other hand, will max out at more like 6,000 or 7,000 miles. That’s enough for about two or three November-toMarch cycles before a new set is needed, Jackson said. And Jackson warned that snow tires should not be allowed to wear to the same extent as summer tires. The demands are greater in winter conditions, and a faded tread offers far less of the traction a snow tire is designed to deliver. Most tires have wear indicators that make replacement time more obvious. One more note from Shaffer: The decision to stud or not to stud must be made when the tires are new. The manufactured holes for studding will be useless once the tire begins to wear.
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The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
Downtown West Jefferson The Hidden Jewel of the High Country
Galleries, Restaurants, Real Estate, Shops, Entertainment, Lodging & Services Handcrafted
114 B N. Jefferson Ave. • West Jefferson, NC Also Dealer for Troutman Rockers
David Barr, Owner Store: 336.846.2717 Cell: 336.977.3957 Your Jewelry, Accessory and Apparel Shop
by POLLY OSBORNE
336.846.1878
S&S Home And More
For All Your Home Needs 336.452.1198 • 336.977.1291
05 South Ave. • Downtown West Jefferson
• Folk Artist ‘Grandma Moses Style’ • In House Scrapbook Store • Complete Hooked Rug Supplies ~ Classes Available • Unique Home Decor & Specialty Items
18 N. Jefferson Ave. West Jefferson, NC 28694 • 336.246.3295
Homemade World Class Signature Burgers and Sandwiches Best Wings in Town and Great Appetizer Selection
2009
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
Are You A Jacket Junkie? Get Your Fix At:
PAGE 77
Blue Ridge Paint & Décor, LLC 303 D East Second Street • West Jefferson, NC 28694 336-846-4522 • www.blueridgepaintanddecor.com Next to Ashe County Ford
Fashion for Real Women You’ll Love the Look!
336-846-9551
205B Shamrock Square, Jefferson, NC
LibbysLook.com
Hours: Mon-Sat 9-6
The Area’s Only Full Line Pet Supplies Store Dog Star Baker
(Across From Farmers Mkt.)
Locally Owned & Operated Not Your Ordinary Pet Supplies
Restaurant and Pub
336-246-5222
Appetizers • Desserts • Nightly Fresh Seafood Specials Steaks • Chicken • Pasta • Salads Homemade Soups • Sandwiches & Burgers
PAGE 78
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
High Country Winters:
2009
100-percent chance of Brrr! O
ld Man Winter. Jack Frost. Mr. Freeze. With the exception of the latter, such names are synonymous with winter, creating an anthropomorphic image of that cold, white season not only in the mind’s eye, but outside one’s front door. That first gust of winter air in the morning can jostle the senses better than the strongest cup of coffee, with that Jack Frost fellow nipping at people’s noses. Autumn is laying out the red, yellow and brown carpet, but that’s not to say this winter will be laden with snow, taking on that quality of picturesque snowscapes seen in Bob Timberlake paintings. Oftentimes, it can prove relatively mild. On numerous occasions, area ski slopes have opened Thanksgiving weekend only to close a matter of weeks later because of warm temperatures. Living in the High Country, though, one knows weather can be fickle. The sky may be blue and a gentle breeze might grace the crisp air, but to paraphrase the saying, “Wait five minutes.” Naturally, elevation is a high-ranking factor, since thinner air at higher elevations cools the environment by approximately 3.5 degrees per thousand feet. Clouds are also a player, either blocking the sun, raining or snowing sometimes all three. There is a system to High Country winters, and the routine passage of low-pressure systems brings bitter cold in tow, allowing Jack Frost to work his biting magic. Despite popular opinion, snow is not always abundant, as it depends on the northern jet stream. The jet stream can head west through the Rocky Mountain states, only to swing up west of the Appalachians and into eastern Canada. The result is a considerable lack of snow in the east. During times of snow drought, ski areas bring out the big guns snow guns, that is. While natural snow may not fall, temperatures will, creating ideal snowmaking conditions on the slopes. Though the art of snowmaking may be perfected, ski areas still smile upon natural snow. Dry air is not always ideal for snow, and the Gulf of Mexico provides the moisture necessary for what weathermen call a “snow event” in the High Country. When the jet stream and cold move south, high pressure from the Atlantic can force moist air up to meet the dry arctic air masses. When such a low-pressure system encounters the arctic cold in the Appalachian mountains, the result is a thorough whitening of the High Country. Fred’s General Mercantile on Beech Mountain is one to know. Sitting at approximately 5,500 feet above sea level, his store is a registered National Weather Service station, recording temperatures, humidity and precipitation. Old Man Winter checked in early in 2005, leaving behind two inches of snow on Beech Mountain in October with an average temperature of 48.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Naturally, November proved to be cooler on both fronts, with 5.2 inches of snow recorded and an average temperature of 40.5 degrees. In 2008, Fred’s recorded an average 44 total inches of snow. January was somewhat more mild, with 8.8 inches of snow recorded with an average temperature of 34.6 degrees. February, though, proved to be particularly brutal, with 33.9 inches of snow recorded and an average temperature of 25.7 degrees. March was another solid month, with 22 inches of snow and an average temperature of 34 degrees.
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
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Keeping your trip Pet Friendly T
he beautiful Appalachian Mountains can be a fun and relaxing vacation spot for every member of your family, even the four-legged ones. Local businesses and tourist destinations make all kinds of accommodations for our canine companions. Here are a few tips to keep in mind to make sure you and your pet have a fun, safe stay in the High Country.
Dog Park The Watauga Humane Society operates a dog park located along Don Hayes Road, about four miles from Boone off Old Highway 421 South. The dog park consists of about 3.5 acres of fenced land for dogs to play and socialize. About half an acre of the park is fenced off for small dogs. Owners must stay with their dogs while at the park and no animals besides dogs are allowed at the park. Aggressive dogs and female dogs in heat are not allowed. Small, bite-sized training treats are permitted; but food in bowls and longlasting chews are not allowed. The park is open every day from 6 a.m. to sundown. Day passes are available for visitors to the area for $3, which covers 12 hours of park access. In order to purchase a pass, owners must be able to show proof of each dog’s current rabies vaccination. Passes are on sale at the Watauga Humane
Society shelter, located at 200 Casey Lane in Boone, or at the Bare Bones Boutique thrift shop, located on Old 421 near the dog park. The shelter is open Tuesday through Friday from 12:30 to 6 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 12:30 to 5 p.m. Bare Bones Boutique is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information about the dog park visit the Humane Society online at wataugahumanesociety.org or call (828) 2647865.
Leash Laws Boone town law states that all dogs must remain on a leash while your out and about. Your pet may be very well behaved and stay by your side at home, but you don’t know how even a normally well-behaved dog will act in an unfamiliar place. Plus, it’s just good pet-owner etiquette. The area has hundreds of miles of dogfriendly trails, but just because you are outside of town limits, doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to let Fido off his leash. It is safer for you, your pet and any person or animal you come in contact with, to keep the leash on. The same goes for when you are enjoying the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Park Service has been known to implement $50 fines for not obeying leash laws.
CarltonGallery SPRING: June 1st - July 15th MID-SUMMER: July 27th - September 15th AUTUMN: October 5th - November 15th WINTER: November 28th - March 15th Opening Receptions On Sunday June 1st, July 27th and October 5th, 2:00 - 6:00 pm Holiday Open House - November 28th, 29th & 30th
CARLTON GALLERY AT CREEKSIDE
Located 10 Miles South of Boone on Highway 105 in Foscoe • 828-963-4288
www.carltonartgallery.com • info@carltonartgallery.com PAINTINGS • CLAY • GLASS • FIBER • WOOD • SCULPTURE • JEWELRY
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
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Retired school teacher, Margaret Sigmon, recalls “During harvest, my dad dug holes and lined t h e m w i t h s t r a w. Potatoes
f Wi n
es o
Pressure- Canner Fruit Cakes and Christmas Morning Surprises
m e M
t s a P
would be put in one, cabbage in another and limber twig apples in another. On cold winter nights he would peel and slice the apples for me and my brother. The cabbages turned sweeter while buried. They were made into boiled cabbage seasoned with pork fat. Hash browns and mashed potatoes were made from the potatoes. My mother wanted to make sure that my legs did not get cold so I had to leave home every morning with long brown stockings. My friends were by then wearing knee highs. I’m sure my teachers must have wondered about a mom who sent her child out in the cold winter with bare legs . . . Neither mom nor teachers knew that they were pulled off before reaching school and put back on before I returned home. My mother was a great cook and seamstress. I fondly remember the fresh coconut cakes, the fruit cakes cooked in the pressure canner, and the casseroles she made after watching Betty Freezer on the black and white T.V. My dad much preferred the simple old-fashion way of cooking instead of having so many different things mixed together.” Sigmon recalls the year she and her brother discovered their bicycle before Christmas morning, depriving their parents the pleasure of seeing their initial excitement. “We had had several good rides and had carefully washed the tires after each ride.” When the next Christmas rolled around all of the good hiding places were searched, to no avail. “On Christmas morning my parents were able to see our faces of delight when we saw our watches for the first time. Dad had gone to Miss Vertie’s house after we were in bed the night before and retrieved them from a trunk where they had been securely out of eye sight for six months.” Sigmon fondly remembers with love her parents working hard to feed, shelter and clothe the family. “I also remember community rook games with good pies and cakes for refreshments.”
ters
D
espite the phrase we’ve all heard most of our lives, “the good old days” were not as good as we might want to believe, agrees some of our senior citizens who lived through them.“Times were hard,” reflects Watauga native Truitt Coffey who grew up during the Depression. “We were poor to begin with, but we always had plenty to eat. We had to work hard for everything we had but it made you appreciate what you did have.” Coffey was raised in the Dutch Creek community, the youngest of four. “It took the whole family to make a living, and when we were big enough, we learned to pick up a hoe and use it,” helping in the fields from planting to harvesting. “We’d kill a beef and a hog every year, kept cows for milk and butter and chickens for eggs. If we wanted a chicken for Sunday dinner, we’d just go out and kill us one. We grew our own corn and had it ground up for meal and Mama always had plenty to eat on the table. Every morning we’d have ham or sausage, eggs, gravy and biscuits. We’d start out pretty heavy but by supper time, we’d usually just have cornbread and milk.” He remembers “back then” when snows were threefour feet deep in winter. “Dad didn’t have a vehicle but like most everybody else, traveled on horseback, wagons or sleds. When it was real bad, the men in the community would gather up lists of things people needed, and hitch up two horses to a sled and head to Mast Store to get everyone’s groceries. Sometimes it took more than one team to haul everything back up those slick roads. If the snow had melted some, they would take the wagons.” Coffey’s family heated with a woodstove. “We didn’t have any electricity or phones back then.” Christmas was a special time, but little was expected. “We usually got a few oranges and two or three sticks of candy. We did have two aunts that taught school and they’d figure out a way to get in the house when we were gone and leave us a little something, usually a little pop gun and a pair of gloves for me. We’d decorate a tree with popcorn and colored paper strips made into chains.” His wife, Joyce, born in the Timbered Ridge area, living there until her family moved to Valle Crucis when she was 11, remembers “real cold, snowy winters,” as a child, when her family would load up in wagons covered with straw and bundled in quilts to stay warm, would head off to church. The fifth of eight children, her memories of “hard times” were much like those of her husband, when hard work was expected by all members of the family and there wasn’t much time left for fun.
2009
i ro
Snows So Deep They Covered The Cars
Bobby Jones, Sr. of Boone recalls when, as a young boy, he and his brother shared a paper delivery route through town, “I had to get out of the car where Gateway Cafe used to be near where Dancey’s Shoe Store is on King Street – and walk across Orchard St all the way around the hill delivering papers and back by Andrews Chevrolet Place – where the library is. It would sometimes take me an hour and a half, or longer. The snow was so deep people had to dig out the top of their cars so no one would walk on them.” He often found himself CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
The old faculty building at Appalachian State University, year unknown.
2009
Memories
Continued From Page 80
“At the old high school football field, down the street from Chappell Wislon Hall, the snow would pile up so high you couldn’t see through chain link fence.” Reminiscing about Christmas, Jones shares, “During the war things were so tough - around ’45 to ’46 – for Christmas I remember getting an orange that Santa had cut a hole in top and put a stick of peppermint candy down in the middle. That was about it.” With a favorite photo to confirm his memories, Jones talks about his dad Tom Jones, pictured standing in front of an old 30-something model pick-up truck, on King St in the 40’s, near today’s Boone Bagelry. “Dad was pouring water in the radiator. At night and on cold days when the car was not running, he had to open it up and drain the water out of the radiator and the block so it wouldn’t freeze. That was either before antifreeze or when times were so hard he couldn’t afford it. Every time he had to start it, he had to pour water in it, then if he stopped for any amount of time, he had to drain it out to keep it from freezing up and busting. Talk about hard times, now that was it.” Jones’ wife, Georgia grew up in Beaver Dam. She, too, remembers at a young age not to expect much more than an orange “and a little bag of stick candy in your stocking,” or maybe an apple and a little home made doll. “You just didn’t get a lot back then.” She remembers popping corn to decorate the tree. By the late 50’s and into early 60’s, Georgia’s family moved to town. “My daddy was the deputy and jailer for eight years. He had a ‘49 Chevrolet and would set a kerosene heater in it to keep it warm while he went around picking up Dr. Len
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(Hagaman) and some of the nurses to take them in to work at the hospital. “We always killed pigs on Thanksgiving day. My daddy would set up a big metal drum, get the water hot and lower the pigs down in it. All the neighbors brought their pigs and killed them, too. Mother always had some kind of meat on the table for Christmas. We raised white sweet potatoes and sometimes we had them baked, other times, candied. We ate pinto beans in the winter that we had raised in the summer. I loved Mother’s fried apple pies, knee-deep cake made with thin layers of dried apple and molasses. She made the best homemade butterscotch and chocolate pies, too.”
Orange Slices And Monkey Sock Dolls
Bamboo’s Grace Vannoy, was raised with five siblings in the Meadow Creek area of Deep Gap, attending school regardless of weather. “They never called off school, but I remember having to get off the bus when it was really bad and walking over a mile over Clyde Ray Hill to get home. It would get bad and it was the hill was too steep for the bus. We attended Cranberry Springs Church and walked three miles to get there. It was rarely called off, but we had started out one really bad Sunday morning - and a neighbor who had a car, came to meet us to tell us that church had been cancelled. By the time we got back home, I was so cold and can remember sitting by the fire to thaw out. I believe that was the coldest I’ve ever been.” Vannoy remembers when snow drifted five-six feet high and climbing over the drifts that never broke through. Going to the barn to feed and milk the cow “was terrible,” but she also remembers playing and having fun, too. “Inside, we played checkers and we always had marbles.” Despite the weather, neighbors visited each other. “We popped corn, cut up apples, and sat by the fire and used molasses to make popcorn balls.” At Christmas, she
The streets of Boone were blanketed with snow in the late 1940s.
sometimes received a little porcelain doll and “sometimes a pair of winter shoes,” recalling one pair that looked like “boy shoes,” that she didn’t like but had to wear, anyway. Oranges, stick candy and sometimes orange slices were typical gifts. I can remember Daddy went to the Moretz Candy Company to get our Christmas, most of the time peppermint sticks. “Mother would always make some type of a fruit cake, but most of the time knee-high cakes with dried fruit. We thought that was wonderful. She also made sugar cookies and for other gifts, gray monkey sock dolls and little aprons for the girls. My daddy always read Bible stories around the fire at night – We knew everyone there was. Those winters were long but we were entertained.”
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The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
Watching...
A lonely goldfinch finds a perch to watch the falling snow. Photo by Marie Freeman
2009
2009
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
It Snow!
A cardinal stands out against the snow as it watches for a safe turn at a feeder below. Photo by Marie Freeman
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The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
Holidays on Parade
By Tiffany Allison
T
he High Country winter months bring harsh frost biting temperatures that would make any local or visitor stay inside under a pile of blankets. But over time cabin fever sneaks its way into the house and the need for sunlight outweighs the need for warmth. The High Country offers a plethora of holiday parades to visitors and community members to enjoy. These parades are just what the doctor ordered to cure that nasty case of cabin fever.
Christmas Parade The Boone Christmas parade is for people of any age. It is a public event and anyone is allowed to participate. “We invite everyone in the community to join,” Rice said. “We request that everyone with floats have messages that are appropriate for all members of the family.” The event is free and participants are to meet at Horn in the West two hours before the parade begins. The time is undecided. “In the past we have had a lot of people to participate,” Rice said. “We have a lot of fun.” For more information about the Christmas Parade contact Tuesdae Rice at (828) 262-4532.
Blowing Rock Christmas Parade Ashe County’s Holiday Parade The parade is Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. in down town west Jefferson. The Lion’s Club organized the parade this year and has asked George Hamilton the fourth, the international ambassador of country music to be the grand marshal. He will be playing live in several different locations around downtown. For more information please contact (336) 846-9550.
In previous years the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce previously organized the Christmas parade, but this year Blowing Rock Parks and Recreation will be in charge. The parade will start Nov. 29 at 2p.m. down Main Street in downtown Blowing rock, but line up begins at 12 p.m. The parade consists of decorated antique cars, people in costumes for the holiday spirit and parade down town said Amy Flieg, employee of Blowing Rock Parks and Recreation. Bands will also be supplying music to brighten the holiday cheer. Dead line for registration is Nov. 17 “ It’s an old time festival,” Flieg said. “ Where grandparents and grand kids will all dress up together.” For more information contact (828) 295-5222.
2009
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2009
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
Brewing Up Some Winter Fun
High Country Coffee Houses F
ew things do a body better than a hot cup of coffee or tea after a winter’s day of braving the frigid slopes or fighting brisk High Country wind gusts. Fortunately, Boone and Blowing Rock offer several venues to put some liquid warmth back into your frosty toes. Whether you prefer the bohemian atmosphere of a downtown coffeehouse or a more modern, shopping-center experience, a myriad of beverage brokers are sprinkled across the mountains. In addition to offering the best from the bean and leaf, many shops also feature periodic live music so “check local listings” beforehand. Here’s some of the more well-known caffeine refueling stations.
Boone Black Bear Books Although Black Bear Books is more a bookstore than café’, it’s homey, coffeehouse atmosphere makes it well worth a stop. Originally opened as The Book Warehouse, Black Bear offers thousands of volumes (many at decent discounts) and a passable array of coffees and teas. The alpine-style sitting area includes some cozy amenities like a fireplace, a comfy sofa, free wireless Internet and a fireplace. The store often features book signings by local and regional authors. News hounds can keep up to date with the New York Times and other metropolitan newspapers.
Hours: Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Location: 2146 Blowing Rock Road, Boone Contact: (828) 264-4636
Conrad’s Coffee Conrad Poe keeps his growing coffee business in the family. Poe, owner of Conrad’s Coffee Company, recently added a second store to his already thriving operation. Conrad’s is one of the few coffeehouses in the to roast its own beans. According to writer Frank Ruggiero, Conrad’s “German-crafted roaster heats beans up to 550 degrees, and can roast 30 pounds of beans at one time… Conrad’s Coffee roasts several hundred pounds of coffee per day, which is promptly packaged, placed in a bin and top-loaded to ensure freshness.” His new store at Highland Commons shopping center in Boone boasts “the largest selection of organic coffees” in the High Country, according to Poe. CONTINUED ON PAGE 102
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The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
2009
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
Keep up with the
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Jones
This historic house on King Street was built by Dr. John Walter Jones in 1908 for his family. Dr. Jones, originally from Alleghany County, was one of the first doctors in the area and his wife, Mattie Blackburn Jones, was the daughter of Manley Blackburn, a prominent Boone merchant and active community member. Christmas is a very special time at the Jones House Community Center. Volunteers decorate inside and crews from the Town of Boone transform the outside of beautiful historic home into a warm and welcoming home for the holidays. Once again, the lawn of the Jones House provides an excellent spot for parade watching ... the annual Boone Christmas parade passes directly in front of it. For specific event information, log on to joneshousecommunitycenter.org Photo by Marie Freeman
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The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
Parkway Detour remains through winter
A
Blue Ridge Parkway project could lead to extended detours for motorists in the latter half of the year. Goshen Creek Bridge, located about 5 miles north of the intersection with U.S. 321 at milepost 286, will undergo rehabilitation this spring and the work could continue until 2009. Alan Hollister, who oversees federal highways projects for the parkway, said the bridge’s structure will remain intact but the road surface and deck will be replaced and the bridge rails and steel will be repainted. “That section of the parkway could be closed for two seasons,” Hollister said. “We hope to open in December, but it depends on the progress of the contractor.” For updated parkway road conditions and closings, call (828) 298-0398. Although the Goshen Bridge is currently undergoing repairs, only a few elements of the historic structure will be lost. The existing features have been recorded and archived, in both older and newer technologies, to ensure that the bridge will in some ways remain just as it was when built after World War II. “There is no other bridge like it on the Blue Ridge Parkway,” said Gary Johnson, chief of planning and professional services for the Blue Ridge Parkway. Rock parapets rise nearly a hundred feet from Goshen Creek below, with distinctive stonework that Johnson said would be undisturbed by the construction. However, the picket-style railing will be replaced, and asphalt will no longer cover concrete on the road surface. ‘They're not doing anything with stone work at all,’ Johnson said. ‘The concrete deck has deteriorated to the point where there are places on the edge where you can actually see through the deck. The entire concrete deck will be replaced and the bridge rail will be replaced with a three-rail bridge rail system. The only difference will be the rail is no longer picket style.’ The distinctive bridge is most often experienced by those traveling above it on the parkway. It can be seen below from George Hayes Road, which runs parallel to Goshen Creek, and can be viewed from a few stretches of Bamboo Road. "The underneath has unique steel structure that will be cleaned and repainted that will take it back to the way it was when originally constructed," Johnson said. "It's pretty visible from down below." The Goshen Creek Bridge was constructed in 1948. The design elements to get the most complete make-over are the vertical picket rails which are integrated into bridge deck concrete and curbing, which are no longer deemed crashworthy by the engineers of the Federal Highways Administration. The park service and North Carolina State Historic Preservation agreed to extensively record the project for posterity. The current bridge will be extensively photographed and a video taken of the bridge approaching it for
from both directions at 10, 25, and 45 miles per hour. These records will be stored in the archives of the Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina Division of Archives and History/ State Historic Preservation Office and the Eastern Federal Land Highway Division office in Sterling, Va. "Anytime that we're going to make changes to a historic structure in the National Park Service, we're required to do photographing recording of that," Johnson said. "It used to be just still photographs, but in this project we decided, since you experience this bridge in motion as you're driving across it, we'd show what the bridge used to be like as you're traveling."
The bridges reconstruction project will include a new concrete deck, replacement of the historic bridge rail system, removal of asphalt bridge deck paving, including replacement with a modified concrete overlay, and the addition of a new modern guardrail. "That section is now closed off and a detour is in place, and essentially the project is underway," Johnson said of a 6.3-mile stretch of the parkway.
Detour Details The detour will begin for visitor traveling south at milepost 285.5, Bamboo Gap. These visitors will follow state road (SR) 1514 Bamboo Road to Deerfield Road, following
the detour signs along U.S. 321 south of Boone and connecting back to the Parkway at milepost 291.8. Parkway visitors traveling north will begin the detour at milepost 291.8, intersection of U.S. 321, following the detour signs along U.S. 321 to SR 1514, Deerfield Road to Bamboo Road which will bring them back to the Parkway at milepost 285.5. The total detour is about eight miles and work is expected to be completed by the end of the year. More information about the project, including archival photographs, can be found at http://www.virtualblueridge.com/parkway/ history/goshen-creek-bridge.asp. Story by Scott Nicholson
2009
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Equestrian venues gallop all over the High Country
I
t’s no secret that the High Country is home to fun for the whole family and the horse! But anyone who has ever tried to ride horses here knows that it can feel like the locations of the riding trails are a secret. Because of the high cost of liability insurance, vacationers can only ride in select places. This does not mean there are not an abundance of beautiful places to ride; quite to the contrary, it only means one must know where to look.
Leatherwood Located 15 miles southeast of Boone, Leatherwood Mountains is a horse lovers paradise during a horseback riding trip. The resort and development features full-service boarding accommodations for a horseback riding trip, that cater to the weekend guest or the full-time resident. Horse and riders travel from miles around to ride on our amazing North Carolina horseback riding trail system during your horseback riding trip. The horseback riding trails range from easy wide forest paths to rugged mountain trails. Facilities include 60 stalls, show arena and round pen. Leatherwood Mountains Premier Equine Facility is a destination horseback riding vacation for you and your horses. There are more than 75 miles of trails to explore that consist of long woodsy paths along beautiful ridges, old logging roads, lots of creek crossings and minimal to long climbs and descents. The trails are safe, well marked and mapped. Call (336)-973-5044 for reservations; for more details e-mail stables@goleatherwood.com.
DRIVING DIRECTIONS
From Wilkesboro - DRIVE TIME - AT LEAST 35 MINUTES FROM WILKESBORO - take Exit 286B (Wilkes Community College exit) off US 421, take NC 268 west 16
miles, turn right on Elk Creek/Darby Road 6 miles. From Boone - DRIVE TIME - AT LEAST 45 MINUTES FROM BOONE - take US 421 east (or south) 2 miles from town take a right at the light on to old 421 east (south) go 2.5 miles & turn right on winding Elk Creek Road 12 miles, turn left on Elk Creek Road 1 mile. From Blowing Rock DRIVE TIME - AT LEAST 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES FROM BLOWING ROCK - Take US 321 South towards Lenoir. Go Approximately 13 miles & turn Left on Hwy 268 & go approximately 14 miles on 268 EAST. Turn Left on Elk Creek Road (watch for the Leatherwood sign) & go 6 miles. Leatherwood is on the right. NOTE: Hwy 321 is closed on Tuesdays & Thursdays from 12 - 2 p.m. for construction.
Others In Watauga County, there is the Blowing Rock Equestrian Preserve, which offers nightly stall rentals only minutes from Blowing Rock. Not too far from Blowing Rock on the Blue Ridge Parkway is the Moses Cone Estate, with beautiful trails welcoming riders. For more info: • Moses Cone Memorial Park P.O. Box 26
Blowing Rock, NC 28607 (828) 295-3782 • Blowing Rock Equestrian Preserve PO Box 650 Blowing Rock, NC 28605 (828)-295-4700
To the South of Watauga County there are plenty of horseback riding opportunities. Not far from Moses Cone lies the Grandfather Ranger District of the Pisgah National Forest, which offers certain trails to riders. Although the district is indeed named for the landmark, Grandfather Mountain does not actually lie within its range. Adjacent to the Pisgah is the Nantahala National Forest, which also offers riding trails. To learn more about which trails are available to riders contact: • Pisgah National Forest Grandfather Ranger District Route 1, Box 110-A Nebo, NC 28761 (828) 652-2144 Northwest of Boone are located Mountain City and Laurel Bloomery, Tenn., home of the Gentry Creek Country Inn. Offering a 12 stall hotel for horses, Gentry Creek is also a full bed and breakfast. The Inn is only 10 minutes from the famous 35 mile Virginia Creeper Trail, as well as nearby trails in the Cherokee National Forest and Grayson Highlands State Park.
Woolrich • Columbia • Tresspass • Merrell • Alf • Wigwam • Sorel • Carhartt • Teva • Life is Good
Ski and Snowboard Rentals Visit the Backside Deli
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The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
Blue Ridge Parkway Continued From Page 72
Milepost 218.6: Fox Hunter’s Paradise Visitors to this lookout will notice a low knoll to the right of the ridge that was once a favorite place for hunters to gather around campfires and contemplate the chase ahead. Patches of forest interspersed with farmland can be seen for miles on a clear day. There is a hiking trail and picnic area here.
Milepost 230: Little Glade Mill Pond
The serene beauty of this pond, just off the road, is an oasis within an oasis. Dragonflies with flickering iridescent wings are plentiful here, as are butterflies and lighthearted human visitors. The area is flanked by thickets of rhododendrons and plenty of picnic tables, all within earshot of a nearby creek.
Milepost 232: Stone Mountain Overlook
From this overlook you can see Stone Mountain State Park. Stone Mountain is an immense granite slab mostly bare of vegetation. Distant ridgelines and swaths of nearly continuous forest unfold as far as the eye can see.
Milepost 238.5: Brinegar Cabin
This mountain homestead, once owned by Martin and Caroline Brinegar, has been preserved as a memorial to traditional mountain living. Beside the Brinegar Cabin, there is a tended garden that holds many of the crops that were essential for a self-sustained Appalachian family. Buckwheat, tomatoes, squash, and flax, which was used to make thread and homeopathic remedies, are grown here. Down the hill is a “spring house,” a small structure surrounding a spring that was used for bathing and keeping food cool. The homestead holds a century old loom that is still in use. Craft demonstrations are offered at various times during the summer season-check at
A lovely ride through the snow on the parkway. Doughton Park for a schedule. Also, there are two hiking trails that begin at the far end of the parking lot: the 4.3-mile Cedar Rock Trail and the 7.5-mile Bluff Mountain Trail.
There are also campsites for trailers and tents. Bluff’s Lodge has 24 rooms and great views of the surrounding mountains. To make a reservation call (336) 372-4499.
Milepost 238.5-244.8: Doughton Park
Milepost 242: Alligator Back
Doughton Park is home to Bluff’s Lodge, as well as Bluff’s Coffee Shop and Gas Station, where visitors can get a hot meal and crucial camping snacks, such as fluffy bags of marshmallows. The Bluff’s building also offers regional cookbooks and souvenirs ranging from homemade jams to delicate necklaces dangling with replications of the area’s native flora. The explosive, rich color of rhododendrons in late May and June can be enjoyed on the Park’s nearly 30 miles of hiking trails.
At the Alligator Back rest area you can learn about local predators and take a 20-minute walking trail to the Bluff Overlook. Sadly, the mountain lions that once roamed heavily in this area are no longer a major presence, but you might run into a wild chipmunk or squirrel!
Milepost 252: Sheet’s Gap
Sheet’s Gap is named for the small cabin built by Jesse Sheets around 1815. There is an overlook three-tenths of a mile south from here, with a walking trail leading back to the cabin.
Milepost 259: Northwest Trading Post
This trading post provides drivers with a place to rest and recharge, and is open seven days a week from 9 to 5:30. Offering homemade food, crafts, restrooms and gifts.
Milepost 260: Jumpinoff Rock
At the end of the parking lot there is an easy walking trail that takes you to Jumpinoff Rock. This is a nice walk for families with small children because of the level terrain and well-shaded trail. There’s also a small picnic area in front of the parking lot to take a rest and look out over the ridge tops.
Milepost 267: Mount Jefferson Overlook
This site overlooks Mt. Jefferson State Park, a 474-acre area surrounded by farmland. The 4,515-foot mountain was once a CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
2009
Blue Ridge Parkway Continued From PREVIOUS Page stop on the Underground Railroad. You might also be able to see Grandfather Mountain to the south if it’s a clear day.
Milepost 271: Cascades Nature Trail The Cascades Nature Trail offers a brisk hike through rich pine forests to a waterfall that rolls down the side of the mountain to the lowlands below. Hikers need to exercise caution on the rocks near the waterfall. People, even in recent years, have fallen to their deaths here.
Milepost 272: Jeffress Park At E.B. Jeffress Park there are plenty of hiking trails and a picnic area. Jeffress Park can be accessed from the Parkway despite the detour. Just drive past the detour sign through the construction area to the entrance of the park. There are two historic structures here, the Jesse Brown Cabin, built in the mid-1800s and the Cool Spring Baptist Church. Backtrack to the detour signs to re-enter the Parkway farther south.
Milepost 290: Thunder Hill Thunder Hill is an exceptional overlook near Blowing Rock, with unparalleled views of the Yadkin River Valley. This overlook is very popular with the locals, serving as a prime vantage point for observing celestial events.
Milepost 293-295: Moses Cone Memorial Park Moses Cone Park is home to the Cone Manor, a lovely Queen Anne-style home that has been turned into the Southern Highlands Craft Guild’s Parkway Craft Center, which is
Moses Cone Manor
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide accompanied by a visitor’s center. The visitor center can be reached at (828) 295-3782. Throughout the season, traditional craftspeople occasionally provide demonstrations on the front porch of the house. The Park also has 25 miles of carriage trails for curious visitors to explore on foot or horseback.
Milepost 295-299: Julian Price Park At 4,200 acres, Price Park has much to offer. There is an amphitheater, picnic area, campground, and canoe rentals, as well as 25 miles of hiking trails. The campground has 197 spaces, which are assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis. Price Lake is classified as general trout waters and no motor boating or swimming is allowed. The waters are excellent for fishing, but everyone over 16 who holds a pole should also hold a state license.
PAGE 93 breathtaking and are accessible by a number of short trails. The small gift shop offers an assortment of postcards and books. The campground is open year-round. Backpacking is allowed in adjacent Linville Gorge, one of the most rugged parts of the Eastern United States - contact Pisgah National Forest for details on this opportunity. For more information, contact the Linville Falls Visitor Center at (828) 765-1045. Beyond Linville Falls, the Parkway rolls on for another 152 miles, emptying drivers into Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As you spend your day traveling this glorious stretch of road, remain mindful of the speed limit and be sure to keep a full tank of gas in your car and drinking water on hand. In addition to the rest areas and hiking trails mentioned here, there are plenty of other interesting sites to see and trails to walk, so don’t be afraid to get out of your car and go exploring. Your daring might be rewarded! The Blue Ridge Parkway is a pathway to relaxation, education, and adventure. Enjoy it.
Milepost 298-305: Grandfather Mountain Between mileposts 298 and 305 is Grandfather Mountain, the crown jewel of the Parkway. This area is replete with awesome views and hiking trails, and the road itself is a tremendous sight.
Milepost 304: Linn Cove Viaduct The Linn Cove Viaduct, which wraps around Grandfather, is one of the great engineering feats of the Parkway. Completed in 1987 after close to 20 years of study, deliberation, and construction, the Viaduct is an elevated bridge that spans 7.5-miles around the perimeter of Grandfather Mountain. Constructed from the top down and pre-cast indoors to minimize the disturbance to the forested hillside, scrupulous care was taken to ensure that the exposed rocks and trees along the Viaduct were protected. This example of the stewardly melding of architecture and nature proves that human interests and natural areas can coexist through careful and compassionate planning and action. The Linn Cove Viaduct Visitor’s Center, located at milepost 304, providing travelers with restrooms and information, can be reached at (828) 733-1354.
Milepost 308: Pisgah National Forest At milepost 308 the Parkway begins its run through Pisgah National Forest, which continues all the way down through milepost 355. The drive through this area is incredibly scenic and there are plenty of places to pull off the road and go for a walk or have a picnic lunch. There are no facilities along much of this stretch, so take lots of water with you and don’t forget where you parked your car if you venture into the woods!
Milepost 310: Lost Cove Cliffs Locals, visitors, and scientists alike question the origin of the mysterious lights that appear to flicker and move about on distant mountains. Occasionally visible from this overlook, the Brown Mountain Lights have been the subject of almost a century of speculation and study. The earliest explanation for the lights dates back to an 800-year old Cherokee legend that says the lights are the spirits of slain warriors. Some scientists now believe the lights are an electrical phenomenon similar to the Great Northern Lights. The truth remains a mystery.
Milepost 316.5: Linville Falls
The grand finale as the Parkway leaves the High Country is the magnificent Linville Falls. The waterfalls at Linville are
DETOUR Reminder A Blue Ridge Parkway project could lead to extended detours for motorists in the latter half of the year. Goshen Creek Bridge, located about 5 miles north of the intersection with U.S. 321 at milepost 286, will undergo rehabilitation this spring and the work could continue until 2009. Alan Hollister, who oversees federal highways projects for the parkway, said the bridge’s structure will remain intact but the road surface and deck will be replaced and the bridge rails and steel will be repainted.
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h t i w y z o c p e Ke y delights r a n culi always been intrigued by the memories of winters I have past, shared by those who lived “the good old days,” when in reality, they weren’t so good in many respects. A lot of hard work was expected of everyone in the family – young and old alike – and a trip to the store for bread and milk at the first mention of snow was never considered. Our pioneering families prepared for winter many months in advance, grinding their own meal and flour to make bread and going out each morning in sub-zero temperatures to milk the cow for their daily supply of dairy. I’ve often wondered if we, a spoiled generation of baby-boomers, could survive as did our forefathers. Blessed that we don’t have to worry about it, we can try a few “old-timey” recipes that still work today, sure to keep us warm from the inside-out on a cold winter day.
Grandmaw’s Chicken Pie Cook a 5 or 6 pound hen until done enough for meat to fall off of bones. Remove from chicken stock and cool. Remove all meat from bones and chop up coarsely. Do not discard stock. (The 6- lb. hen will make enough for three 9- inch chicken pies.)
Pastry for one pie: 2 cups sifted flour 1 Tbsp. salt ¾ cup shortening Additional salt/ flour/pepper for chicken mixture Mix pastry ingredients well. Add enough cold water to make a stiff dough. Roll out half of dough and place in a 9-inch pie pan. Take 2 cups of chopped chicken. Add ½ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper. Place in rolled crust. Add ½ cup stock in which the chicken was cooked. Sprinkle over mixture 1 Tbs. flour. Roll the other half of crust, wet the lower crust and place top over chicken mixture. Pinch or crimp edge of pie, sealing well. Cut two or three small gashes in pie for steam to escape. Grease top of pie with melted butter. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until nice and brown. Serve warm.
Sweet Potato Pudding 2 cups mashed cooked sweet potato ½ cup packed brown sugar 3 Tbsp. melted margarine 2 eggs, separated ¾ cup orange juice ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg ¼ tsp. ground cloves Dash of salt 2 Tbsp. sugar Cooking spray Heat oven to 350°F. Boil unpeeled sweet potatoes until tender
2009 (approx 30 min). Drain, peel and place in shallow baking dish Cook remaining ingredients and pour over cooked potatoes . Bake 30 minutes. Makes about eight servings
Old-Fashioned Molasses Taffy ½ cup butter, melted 2 cups sugar 1 cup molasses 1½ cup water ¼ cup light corn syrup
Combine ingredients in kettle large enough to hold three times this amount. Place over high heat and stir constantly until sugar is dissolved. Cook rapidly lowering heat slightly as mixture thickens and cook until a small amount of syrup forms a hard ball in water (258 degrees). Pour on greased platter or marble slab. As edges cool, turn toward center with spatula. When cool enough to handle, butter hands lightly and pull candy until light in color and too hard to pull further. Stretch out into long rope about ½- inch in diameter and cut with scissors. Wrap in waxed paper. Makes about 1½ pounds taffy.
Old-Timey Fruit Pies
2 cups sifted flour 3 tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. salt 1/3 cup shortening 2/3 cup cold milk Sift dry ingredients together and cut shortening into dry mixture. Gradually mix in milk. Roll out on floured surface, cutting into 4 inch circles. Spoon 1 ½ tablespoon of sweetened fruit/pie filling on half of each circle and fold other half over it. Press edges together and seal with tines of fork. Prick tops and fry in oil in deep skillet turning as each side browns. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot.
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Lesson
Continued From Page 25 basics of simply moving with the skis. And although we mostly resembled drunken penguins, he had all of us improving our mobility within a few minutes. “Your getting better all the time,” Jim repeated several times, even after I fell for the tenth time (maybe he meant better at falling). Jim and his staff were especially adept at teaching the kids. As with most skills, kids pick up skiing much easier than stubborn adults. And, like all students, each of us excelled at a different pace. My brother and his wife, who participate in triathlons and foot races in the warm months, picked up skiing like Teddy Kennedy in a singles bar — fast and accurate. While I was still learning to stop, they were shooshing (yes, that’s a word) down the intermediate slopes like they were born wearing skis. As I said Jim was a great teacher, but he and his staff had a daunting challenge in trying to teach me to stop. While the folks at French-Swiss are good, it will take more than all the French and Swiss know-how the world possesses to rewire my brain-to-leg connections. So, I will still enjoy the slopes but I must have something soft to stop me. At the end of the day, we were all pleased with the App experience. I can’t say I’m very far past the beginner stage but I only took one lesson. Most people skiing for the first time never return. Jim said for the average person, it takes three times to be comfortable and in control on the more difficult terrain. The greatest joy for a parent in ski school is watching your wee ones begin to master a new skill — especially a fun skill. My son constantly gawked in amazement as I had the audacity to actually flop several times on my behind. “C’mon, Daddy, this is easy,” he said with a chapped-lip grin. As I picked my self up and removed snow from bodily crevices I recalled the old saying about youth being wasted on the young and vowed to remind my son of what he said when
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
he is someday a middle-aged dad. But seriously, I can’t stress enough the importance of taking ski classes for first-timers. The French-Swiss College divides the lessons into: First: balance, Second: transition to the chairlift and intermediate terrain, Third: building confidence and comfort on intermediate terrain. French-Swiss also conducts accredited physical education course and recreation programs for area colleges and universities as well as programs for scouting, 4-H Groups, church youth groups and ski clubs. Appalachian Ski Mountain offers the following “learn-toski” packages. The information also appears on the resort’s Web site at www.appskimtn.com.
Learn to Ski Package (includes lesson, equipment and ski ticket) Our special ‘invitation to skiing’ is designed to make your first time on skis an experience that’s easy, fun and inexpensive. Taught by members of the famous FrenchSwiss Ski College. Learn to Ski packages are offered only during the Early and Late season (Nov. 21 - Dec. 14 and March 8 - 28). Tickets for this package are purchased at the French-Swiss Ski School desk on the lower level of the lodge. Lessons are at 9:30 and 10:45am, 1:30, 6:30 and 8:00pm. Reservations required at least one day in advance. For beginning skiers ages 6 and up. 1-hour group lesson, equipment rental and beginner ski ticket - $30
offered only during the Early and Late season (Nov. 21 - Dec. 14 and March 8 - 28). Tickets for this package are purchased at the French-Swiss Ski School desk on the lower level of the lodge. Lessons are at 10:45am, 1:30 and 6:30pm. Reservations required at least one day in advance. For beginning skiers ages 6 and up. Credit card imprint required for snowboard damage or loss deposit. 1-hour group lesson, equipment rental and beginner ski ticket - $42
Learn to Snowboard Package (includes lesson. equipment and ski ticket) Try this fun and easy way to get the basics of winter’s hottest sport. Taught by members of the famous FrenchSwiss Ski College. Learn to Snowboard packages are
Group Ski & Snowboard Lessons
Appalachian’s premiere ski school is offered all season long. Classes are small to guarantee individual attention. All levels of skill accommodated. Tickets are purchased at the French-Swiss ski school desk on the lower level of the lodge. Lessons are at 10:45am,1:30 and 6:30pm. For ages 6 and up. Equipment rental and ski ticket not included. 1-hour group lesson - $15 Two 1-hour group lessons in one day - $28 Three 1-hour group lessons - $40 Private Ski & Snowboard Lessons There is no better way to improve your skiing than through personal instruction. All ages and ability levels accepted. One-hour lessons begin at 9:30am, 10:45, Noon, 1:30 pm, 2:40, 6:30 and 8:00, or by appointment. 1-hour lesson - $35 Each additional person - $15
SKIwee Lessons for ages 4 -10
The SKIwee program is designed to teach children to ski well and safely. The SKIwee program is an instruction and play program designed for ages 4-10 and developed by SKI magazine. Instructors are specially trained in teaching children. Participants receive an individual progress card and SKIwee pin. The price includes ski ticket, equipment rental, instruction and supervision. A hot lunch is included in the full day session. Register at the Ski School desk on the lower level of the lodge. Please note: Registration times are strictly observed. Full day SKIwee program (9:30am - 11:30, 1:30pm - 3:30) - $58 - Registration required by 9am Half day SKIwee program (1:30pm - 3:30pm) - $40 - Registration required by 12 noon.
Story by Jason Reagan
2009
Winter in Wilkes Continued From Page 63
Christmas with Old Wilkes Inc. December 13, 2008
1–4 p.m. Enjoy pleasant Holiday music from local church choirs at Wilkes Heritage Museum in Wilkesboro! Little ones visit with Santa! Refreshments and merriment for all! Admission fee. For more information, call (336) 667-3171 or visit www. WilkesHeritageMuseum.com.
Christmas at Mitchell Mill December 19- 20, 2008
Fri. 6-9 p.m. Sat. 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Friday evening enjoy a tour by candlelight! Tours led by colonial costumed guides inside 3 floors of the Mitchell Mill, now home of the Dixon family. Mitchell Mill will be decorated in traditional Old English holiday splendor. Seasonal refreshments served. Tickets available at the door. Reservations requested for groups of 10 or more. Contact (336)984-3061 or visit www.FoundingQuotes.com
Silver Spur Saloon’s New Year’s Eve Dinner & Party December 31, 2008
Dinner 6-9 p.m. Live music by Risky Bizzness. Celebrate with us! Tickets on sale NOW $15 per person or $25 per couple. Call (704) 592-5311 or visit www.lovevalley.com/spur/Silver%20Spur. htm
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
House of Worship New Year’s Eve JAM 8 p.m. until December 31, 2008 ALL are invited to JAM for the remainder of 2007 and WORSHIP in the New Year with us! J.A.M. - Jesus And Me! Visit our website to learn more about House of Worship, www. hisWorship.net.
New Year’s Eve Celebration December 31, 2008 Spend your New Year’s Eve at the best party in town! The annual WCC Endowment Corporation’s New Year’s Eve Party will be held on Monday, Dec. 31. Guests dance to the music of live band The Troupers and enjoy the Tyson Center Stage Cocktail Buffet, complimentary bar, traditional champagne toast, and a celebration breakfast. Make this New Year’s Eve one to remember by being a part of our special event! (336) 838-6260 or visit www. walkercenteronline.org
Winter Wine Tasting Dinner January 17, 2009 at Raffaldini Vineyard 6-9 p.m. Featuring 4 seasonal food courses & 4 specially chosen wines to complement. Culinary and wine descriptions will be given during the evening to enhance your enjoyment. This is an opportunity to share your food and wine passion with like minded friends. Atmosphere will be relaxed and casual with a focus on meeting new friends and enjoying the good things in life. Please your pre-paid reservation at 336835-9463 or by email eventplanning@raffaldini.com. For more information, visit www.Raffaldini.com. The Vineyard is located
PAGE 97 at 450 Groce Road in Ronda.
Children’s Theater - Beauty and the Beast
February 13-15, 2009 Feb. 13 & 14 at 7 p.m. and Feb. 15 at 4 p.m. The various High School Drama Clubs in our county will once again, in partnership with Smart Start, kick off the 2009 season of The Childrens’ Theater with the whimsical play, Beauty and The Beast. Seating will not be a problem and you may buy your tickets from the Smart Start staff at the door. You will have three weekend days in which to choose from to see this play. Come out and bring your family. Presented at The Stone Center at 613 Cherry Street in North Wilkesboro. For more information, call (336) 838-0988 or visit www.wilkessmartstart. com, or e-mail Debbi@wilkessmartstart.com. Admission is free to those 5 and younger and $5 for those over 5 years of age.
Wilkes Bridal Expo
February 23, 2009 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Fashion Show at 1 p.m. Brides are invited to meet the best wedding professionals in Wilkes. Admission is Free to All Brides, Grooms & Family. Booths are Available To Rent for Your Wedding Related Business - Spaces are Limited. Fashion Show begins at 1 p.m. featuring the latest colors and trends in Brides, Bridesmaids, Mother’s of the Bride and Junior Attendants gowns. The Wilkes Bridal Expo is an Annual Bridal Show Held in Wilkesboro. It Features the Areas Top Providers of Wedding Related Products and Services. The event will be held at the Holiday Inn Express in Wilkesboro. For more information, contact Weddings in the Yadkin Valley at (336) 696-9012.
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2009
Cast Your Line
winter angling
in the High Country I know the winter months are usually spent tying flies, relaxing in front of the fire with your baby or catching up on books and movies you just couldn’t get to when the weather was good. But sometimes you just get that itch, when you need fast flowing slate gray water, threatening skies and big trout. Don’t worry in the High Country you can fish all year round. When winter comes in with snow and ice, shorter days and cold mornings most anglers hang up their waders and rods until spring. The dedicated, the stout of heart and the folks who just can’t get enough fishing ply our local rivers and streams experience some of the best fishing of the year. “They’re in there mister” says local fishing guide David Stelling. One of his oft quoted sayings rings especially true in the winter months. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission continues to stock some rivers throughout the winter. With the heavy pressure of the summer and fall gone with the leaf lookers the trout become more docile as they expend less energy to conserve heat. This heat saving behavior makes trout
easier to locate but beware the lack of cover in winter months makes anglers easier to spot as well. Tactics change a bit during the winter but with a bit of practice and diligence you may just have many big and wonderful trout all to yourself. Winter patterns to familiarize yourself with include all matter of nymphs such as hare’s ears and copper johns, wooly boogers and other streamers. The serious angler may also wish to consider such regional favorites as the Pig Whistle, the Lopan and the flash backed egg chen. Winter fishing offers special rewards for the intrepid such as solitude, challenging fishing and memorable experiences. While the winter months certainly offer the highest fish per angler ratios of the year special care most be taken. Fishing involves cold, wet and unpredictable conditions year round but these factors are magnified in the winter months. Appropriate equipment is crucial for both safety and comfort. Dressing in layers is an important factor to implement in planning even a short day trip. Avoid cotton and focus on fabrics such as fleece, poly-pro and wool worn under a waterproof/ breathable outer layer. Waders and wade boots are an absolute necessity for winter fishing. Neoprene gloves and a warm hat are also good investments. Fishing with a buddy is always a wise choice in winter conditions. Snow, ice and unexpected fatigue can easily ruin a good day of fishing. River and creek banks can be slippery so fish with a buddy to avoid taking that deep permanent swim.
Taking turns tending the coffee fire alternating casts at wild rainbows while the heavy snowflakes fall, the air impossibly fresh and only sound is the crackle of the fire and splash as a big rainbow breaks the surface. Memories such as these can cement a life long fishing friendship. Also you’ll need someone to back up or story or take a few pictures. If you have any questions about winter fishing or are looking for a guided trip, or the right gear, check out one or all of the great fly-fishing outfitters listed below.
Appalachian Angler Outfitter and Guide Service
Located on Old Shull’s Mill Road off Highway 105 the Appalachian Angler covers all your fishing needs. This full service shop offers a wide selection of fine rods, reels, waders and any fly pattern from classic to the truly unique. The friendly staff at the Appalachian Angler will help you match the hatch, outfit you with the right rod or while away the afternoon with their outlandish fish stories. The area’s oldest fly-fishing outfitter with 20-plus years of experience, the Appalachian Angler has long been dedicated to guiding and outfitting fly-fishermen in the High Country. With an 80 percent return rate among clients, the boys down at the Angler have proven that customer service, and lots of big fish are all a part of the Appalachian Angler experience. The cozy shop is packed with industry favorites such as Sage, G. Loomis, St. Croix, Simms, and Patagonia. CONTINUED ON 103
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Safety & Courtesy on the Slopes A
s with enjoying life, enjoying a safe and etiquettefilled day at the slopes cannot simply be boiled down to following a few rules. On the other hand, it is a good place to start. “Knowing the North Carolina Skier’s Safety Act and the responsibility code is a very important part of a good day of skiing,” Beech Mountain marketing director Gil Adams said. “Following these rules makes all the difference.” • Always stay in control and be able to stop or avoid other people or objects. • People ahead of you have the right of way. It is your responsibility to avoid them. • You must not stop where you obstruct a trail or are not visible from above. • Whenever starting downhill or merging into a trial, look uphill and yield to others. • Always use devices to help prevent runaway equipment. • Observe all posted signs and warnings. Keep off closed trails and out of closed areas. • Prior to using any lift, you must have the knowledge and ability to load, ride and unload safely. “The code is an excellent start,” Adams said, “and it’s a start that needs to be adhered to, along with other safety guidelines. Skiing in control, taking skiing lessons and being properly dressed are also important aspects.”
Adams said when skiers lose control, errors may be made, which lead to injuries. A good start, according to Adams, is taking lessons before heading out for the slopes. “Lessons are good for everyone,” he said. “They key is take lessons from a qualified instructor. Sometimes, people take lessons from friends and learn bad habits. Even experienced skiers should take lessons from time to time to brush up.” Another aspect of safety involves something not often discussed – dressing correctly. Not only can skiers injure themselves because of mistakes associated with oncoming hypothermia, but being on the verge of hypothermia when injured is also a dangerous situation. “We advise our ski patrollers to rotate in from the slopes to warm up,” Adams said. “We don’t want them to be on the verge of being hypothermic right when they have to assist with an injury or problem. Plus, skiing is only fun if you are dressed properly.” Regarding injuries, Adams said the number one injury when skiing comes in the form of a sprained knee, while the No. 1 injury when snowboarding involves an upper extremity issue, like a shoulder, arm or wrist. “One of the best things you can do to help prevent injuries is to be in good condition,” Adams said. “Once in a while, there is a serious injury, but most injuries are not that serious. There is a misconception along those lines, but the general rate of injury is only three out of every thousand. Something that also helps prevent injuries is to know your limits. No matter your age, take
breaks, rest a little and get refueled. When people get tired, they get more careless, because they’re not as sharp.”
Story by Mark Mitchell
To keep skiers sharp, Adams offered a few more pointers: • Ski on trails that correspond to your skill level. Don’t attempt a run that is too difficult and risk injuring yourself. Conversely, don’t zip by novice skiers on beginner slopes and risk injuring others. • Learn trail markings that designate beginner, intermediate, expert and closed trails. • When passing someone fairly closely, call out, “On your left,” or “On your right.” • Cross a trail only if it is absolutely necessary and only when it’s safe to do so. Make sure you are completely visible to any skiers higher up on the slope. • Respect others’ rights on the slopes, just as you expect them to respect yours. • Stay with an injured person until ski patrol arrives. It is your responsibility of you caused the accident.
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The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
The Perfect Tree
Continued From Page 52
Choose & Cut Tradition continues in Ashe County When Ashe County was settled in the late 1700s, its economy centered around family agriculture and farming. Those traditions continue alongside the evergrowing agriculture enterprise of Christmas Tree Production. Ashe County Christmas Tree Growers are proud to be one of the top producers in the state and are famous for their Fraser Firs, considered by many to be the best tree on the market. In fact, this year made the second year in a row and the sixth time in U.S. history that a Christmas tree from Ashe County was chosen as the White House tree. Sunnyside Trees is just one of the many Tree Farms in Ashe County that will participate in Choose and Cut. Family owned and operated since 1975, Larry “Granddaddy” Elliott has been growing N.C. Christmas Trees and prides himself in grooming the perfect Christmas Tree. From shearing and shaping to harvesting at the tree farm, Larry loves what he does and it shows. Ask any customer. 2008 will be the second year Sunnyside Trees will offer Choose and Cut North Carolina Christmas Trees. “We have approximately 30 acres, with 30,000 trees to choose from, we offer Fraser Firs, White Pine and Scotch Pine Christmas Trees, Fraser Fir Wreaths and garland from Fraser Firs and White Pine. We are located at 636 Glendale School Road in Glendale
Springs,” Elliott said. “After you have chosen and cut your NC Christmas Tree (or we will cut it for you, if preferred) we will haul it to the entrance where it can be baled and loaded onto your vehicle. Stands are also available for anyone who needs one.” Sunnyside Trees will offer refreshments on the weekends.West End Wreaths, located at 2152 Beaver Creek School Road in West Jefferson, is the product of a friendship that grew into a partnership. An idea that turned into a reality. “Named for a favorite summer retreat in Grassy Creek, the West End Cottage, our company seeks to share a piece of that peaceful place where the summer forest hums with crickets, and June bugs, and deer, turkeys and other wild game that are visible year round,” Scott Ballard said. West End offers choose and cut Fraser Fir Christmas trees from 6-12 feet tall. A huge stone fire pit for keeping warm and roasting marshmallows, free coffee and hot cocoa and indoor bathrooms are available during Choose & Cut. A Christmas gift shop and FedEx mailing services for wreaths, garland and tabletop (3-foot) trees are also available. “The objective of our business is to provide a high quality product and reliable service for our customers,” Ballard said. “West End Wreaths is a family business based on tradition. We hope you make West End Wreaths a part of your family tradition. We‘re thinking inside the box.” For more information on West End Wreaths, call (877) 4-WEST-END or locally at (336) 846-7300. High Country Tree & Wreath will hold Choose & Cut for a fresh cut tree, wreath or
garland on Nov. 27-29, Dec. 5-7 and Dec. 12-14 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.8 a.m. to 5 p.m. They will have hay rides, a petting zoo and refreshments including hot dogs, hot chocolate and other drinks. Lil’ Grandfather Mountain Christmas Tree Farm in Laurel Springs began in 1985 as a two acre hobby. Since then, the farm has expanded to 60 planted acres with over 100,000 planted trees. Although primarily a producer of Fraser Firs, they are also cultivating Canaan Fir, Colorado Blue Spruce and White Pine.In 1993, Lil’ Grandfather Mountain Christmas Tree Farm started its first “choose and cut” tree operation. The “choose and cut” operation is geared toward enhancing the Christmas experience by allowing each family the opportunity to select their tree together in a pleasant environment. They added a wholesale operation in 1995 and have hand made wreaths just to fit customers’ decor. A spokesperson from Lil’ Grandfather Mountain Christmas Tree Farm said they can truly meet Christmas greenery needs. Mistletoe Meadows prides itself on producing high-quality, dense, farm-grown Fraser Fir trees, also producing White Pines, Spruce and Leyland cypress trees. In 2007, selected the Grand Champion Tree Grower by the National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA), Mistletoe provided the tree for the Blue Room of the White House. Besides Fraser Fir trees, Mistletoe Meadows also offer a full array of wreaths and roping. Wreaths range in size from a 12-inch to 60-inch finished diameter, N.C. Fraser Fir single- and double-sided wreaths, Boxwood wreaths and mixed wreaths, White Pine, Fraser fir, Leyland
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cypress, Boxwood and mixed roping in 30-foot and 75-foot lengths. Trees, wreaths and roping are offered at wholesale and retail. “This year, we will be offering N.C. Choose and Cut, which is a relatively new venture for our operation. As the owner of Mistletoe Meadows, I take pride in caring for my trees personally and passing on a quality product to you. As a smaller grower, I make sure my customers get the very best in Fraser Fir trees and greenery,” said Joe Freeman, owner and operator. Mistletoe Meadows Choose and Cut dates of operation are Nov. 28-30, Dec. 5-7 and Dec. 12-14. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. until dark on Fridays and Saturdays and 11 a.m. until dark on Sundays.Top of the Mountains Christmas Trees, owned by T.W. “Bill” Smith will also participate in Choose and Cut Weekends on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday following Thanksgiving and the first Saturday and Sunday in December from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Other times are by appointment only. For more information, call (336) 9823507.With over 400 Choose and Cut Christmas Tree growers in North Carolina, approximately 300,000 Choose and Cut trees are sold each year in North Carolina, according to the North Carolina Choose and Cut Christmas Tree Growers Association. A big portion of those are grown and sold throughout the High Country.For more information on Choose and Cut in Ashe County, click to www.ashecountychristmastrees.com/ choose_n_cut or call (336) 846-5850.
Story By Allison Canter
Watauga County Choose & Cut Farms
Ewing’s Fraser Fir Farms 175 Navidad Lane Vilas, NC 28692 Phone: 828-964-5579
Mistletoe Meadows Christmas Trees 583 Burnt Hill Road Laurel Springs, NC 28644 Phone: 336-982-9754
Avery County Choose-and-Cut Farms
Appalachian Evergreens PO Box 2750 Boone, NC 28607 Phone: 828-264-1609
J & D Tree Farms 576 Bryan Hollow Road Boone, NC 28607 Phone: 828-773-7925
Mountain Memories Christmas Trees 252 Rocky Gap Road West Jefferson, NC 28694 Phone: 336-877-0170
A White Christmas Tree Farm 10065 Linville Falls Hwy Linville Falls, NC 28647 Phone: 828-467-3743 Home: 828-765-8629
Big Ridge Tree Farm 762 George Eggers Road Banner Elk, NC 28604 Phone: 828-773-2857
RRR Tree Farm PO Box 1712 Boone, NC 28607 Phone: 336-877-0554
Reindeer Crossing Choose & Cut 153 Wiley Street Jefferson, NC 28640 Phone: 336-977-2876
Cartner Christmas Tree Farm One Balsam Drive Newland, NC 28657 Phone: 828-252-8830
Circle C Farm Will Cook Road Boone, NC 28607 Phone: 828-297-4373
Stone Mountain Farms 286 Cody Lane Vilas, NC 28692 Phone: 828-297-1251
Sexton Farms PO Box 1235 Jefferson, NC 28640 Phone: 336-246-8494
Elk River Evergreens PO Box 117 Elk Park, NC 28622 Phone: 828-387-7695
Clawson’s Choose & Cut 4944 Hwy 194 N Boone, NC 28607 Phone: 828-264-3162
Swinging Bridge Farm 711 Old Glade Road Deep Gap, NC 28618 Phone: 828-264-5738
Shady Rest Tree Farm 287 Trading Post Road Glendale Springs, NC 28629 Phone: 336-982-2031
Fraser Forest Christmas Tree Farm 697 Old Jonas Ridge Road Pineola, NC 28662 Phone: 828-737-9254
Sunnyside Trees 436 Sunnyside Park Road Jefferson, NC 28640 Phone: 336-977-3742
McDaniel Tree Farms 900 Grandview Lane Newland, NC 28657 Phone: 828-733-4495
Top of the Mountain Christmas Trees 516 W Reno Road West Jefferson, NC 28694 Phone: 336-982-3507 West End Wreaths 2152 Beaver Creek School Road West Jefferson, NC 28694 Phone: 336-846-7300
Sugar Plum Farm 1263 Isaacs Branch Road Plumtree, NC 28664 Phone: 828-765-0019
Cool Springs Nursery 162 Hanging Rock Lane Banner Elk, NC 28604 Phone: 828-898-8909 Cornett Deal Christmas Tree Farm 142 Tannenbaum Lane Vilas, NC 28692 Phone: 828-297-1136 Cross Ridge Christmas Tree & Horse Farm Cross Ridge Farm Road Vilas, NC 28692 Phone: 828-297-2255
Ashe County Choose & Cut Farms Grouse Ridge Tree Farms 14911 Old Hwy 16 Grassy Creek, NC 28631 Phone: 336-384-9094 Lee’s Trees 965 Helen Blevins Road West Jefferson, NC 28694 Phone: 336-846-7936
Two D’s Nursery 7849 Lonville Falls Hwy Crossnore, NC 28616 Phone: 828-733-6686
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2009
Coffee Houses
Continued From Page 87
quite sedate. “Located downstairs in the Plemmons Student Union, Crossroads is a cavernous coffee shop, with several couches providing a laid-back atmosphere. Being a campus hangout, Crossroads hosts several musical events such as (quoting from its Web site) acoustic guitar night, jazz night and open mic night.” Crossroads features shade-grown coffees (Sanctuary CoffeesSM). “Sanctuary sources only arabica beans grown on shade-tree coffee plantations along the migratory flight path from North America to South America,” states the Crossroads Web site. Hours: Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m.; Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Saturday, noon-6 p.m.; Sunday, 4 p.m. – 10 p.m. Location: Plemmons Student Union, Boone. Contact: (828) 263-9555 On the Web: crossroads.appstate.edu
Espresso News Since 1994, Espresso News has carved out a unique niche in downtown Boone. Although not located on the main thoroughfare of King Street but on the parallel Howard Street in downtown Boone, the coffeehouse — located in a former tractor dealership — has nevertheless drawn a huge buzz that comes from its exacting attention to quality coffee, espresso, lattes and tea as well as an inviting, bohemian atmosphere. A recent New York Times article described Espresso News as offering “the best fresh-roasted coffee you’ll ever taste.” Upstairs, bibliophiles can check out Mosaic Books, which offers, according to its Web site, “a superb collection of literary goodness for your perusal and purchase.” Downstairs, coffee lovers can savor the on-site roasted goodness while checking out the shop’s huge and diverse magazine display, featuring everything from Mother Earth News to esoteric journals of tai chi and qi gong fitness. Oh, and serious coffee buffs can bring their own cup for a discount. Net nuts can keep on surfing with free wireless service as well as limited use of a wired iMac. Hours: Monday – Friday, 7:30a.m. – 10 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. Location: 267 Howard Street, Boone. Contact: (828) 264-8850 On the Web: www.espressonews.com
Grateful Grounds What do you get when you cross some serious “DeadHeadedness” with thousands of beads and coffee beans — Grateful Grounds. Nestled in The Bead Box in downtown Boone, the new coffee shop is the brainchild of Allison and Ray Verling, two dedicated fans of the Grateful Dead who decided to combine a shrine to the band interwoven with a coffee experience. While Grateful Grounds is not a sit-down shop, it’s a much-needed pit stop that can refresh any downtown sightseeing trip. Allison has created new coffee drinks named after some of her favorite Dead songs, such as “Casey Jones,” “Scarlet Begonia,” “Brown Eyed Woman,” “Sugaree,” and “Lost Sailor.” The shop has a “Terrapin Special” featuring espresso, steamed milk, Ghiradelli cocoa and hazelnut. Hours: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. -8 p.m.; Sunday, noon – 5 p.m. Location: 641 W. King Street, King Street Mini-Mall Boone. Contact: (828) 265-2315
Conrad Poe owns Conrad’s Coffee in Boone.
Higher Grounds
Blowing Rock
On the east side of Boone, shoppers are often surprised to find a coffeehouse atmosphere in a mega-shopping center but transplanted Californians Matt and Gloria Scott have achieved just that at High Grounds. Located in the New Market shopping center, High Grounds is one of the newest kids on the regional coffee block. The Scotts offer more than 40 varieties of whole-bean java by the cup or by the pound — with plenty of varieties of decaffeinated and organic blends. Within a 24-hour cycle, the shop receives coffee from a supplier in Charlotte, which takes their order, roasts it and rushes it up the mountain. High Grounds takes ambience to a higher level with tasteful table and couch configurations that remind one of an evening visit to a fine home. Matt has even crafted some of the tables, which sit in front of a full-sized fireplace. Don’t leave without trying their amazing mini-cinnamon rolls and crumble cakes as well as sticky buns from Johnson’s Bakery in nearby Foscoe. Open mic night on Thursdays showcases a variety of local talent. High Grounds also offers free wireless Internet service. Hours: Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m.- 10 p.m.; Friday, 7 a.m. – 11 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m. – 11 p.m. Sunday, 9 a.m. – 10 p.m. Location: 201 New Market Center, Boone Contact: (828) 265-1114
Chickory Suite Coffee of Blowing Rock
Nestled in Skyland Books is one of the best kept secrets in Blowing Rock. Chickory Suite delivers a wide array of gourmet coffee by the cup and pound and will ship anywhere in the United States. Die-hard bean addicts can even join the Preferred Customer Coffee Club and receive discounts on your next coffee purchase. Hours: Varies, call before visiting (generally 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.) Location: 1116 Main Street, Blowing Rock Contact: (828) 295-4231
The Black Dog Internet Cafe
Formerly known as The Loft, the Black Dog offers gourmet coffees, baked goods, smoothies and free wireless Internet access. Location: Located upstairs in Footsloggers in downtown Blowing Rock (921 Main Street) Contact: (toll-free) (866) 834-6330; (828) 295-8360.
The Final Drip
Any report about local coffee availability would soon fill several pages. Several local restaurants also feature a coffee kiosk and all the above-mentioned shops offer a variety of other beverages. It’s best to check with the individual stores since hours and products do change.
Frank Ruggiero and Scott Nicholson contributed to this report.
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Cast Your Line
Continued From Page 98
The Appalachian Angler also carries a fine selection of flytying materials, instructional books, and accessories. The shop has got your equipment needs covered but their specialty is guiding. From “out their back door” and north to Alaska, from Tennessee to the Bahamas, the Appalachian Angler has a trip that’s right for you. With friendly guide whose passion for fishing has taken them around the world and all through our home mountains in the High Country the folks at the Angler share their fly-fishing knowledge year round. Give’em a call at (828) 963-5050 or find them on the web at www.appalachianangler.com.
Appalachian Angler Schools and Trips Watauga River Float Trip We have divided the 23 miles of this floatable, diverse river into sections. We pioneered floating in the Southeast here; consequently we understand which section is producing the best fishing on a daily basis. The Watauga has a healthy population of brown and rainbow trout/ South Holston Wade or Float Four years of slot limits and three years of protecting the spawning beds have greatly enhanced this Frying Pan of the
South. When water is released from the dam we float the entire 14 miles, fishing streamers and nymphs in the heavy water, and most days dry flies to rising fish. When there is no dam to release, we wade and fish long leaders to selective trout. Nolichucky Overnight Smallmouth Bass Trip The Nolichucky is a free flowing river falling from the higher altitudes of the North Carolina Mountains into Tennessee. It is famous for its healthy population of smallmouth bass. Appalachian Angler’s overnight expedition includes professional gear guides providing a safari-style camp for the guests, and most importantly, two whole days of guided fishing. The 18-mile float in whitewater series rafts equipped with custom oar frames and comfortable fishing seats offers great fishing and majestic scenery as well. Half Day Wade Trips/Half Day Schools The Boone area offers a plethora of trout streams, wild and hatchery supported waters consisting of native brook, rainbow, and brown trout. Our half-day trip consists of four hours of guided fishing on one of the nearby creeks or rivers, including the Watauga River. The fly fishing school is a great place for beginners to get their start or for intermediates to brush up on their skills. The trip consists of four hours of fishing, casting instruction, entomology, and stream tactics. Wilderness Wade Trips Get away from it all. Hike with one of our small-stream specialists into a national forest and spend the day fishing to intelligent, wild trout. Our guides have spent countless days prospecting the hundreds of mile of isolated streams. Blue Ridge Anglers Fly Fishing Guide Service Great fish stories start with local fly fishing guides Ollie Smith and Brownie Liles. These two characters have 30 plus years fishing and sharing their zest for a good time. Offering custom float or wade trips on the Watauga, South Holston, Nolichucky, North and South Toe Rivers these guys can do it all. Regardless of your skill level Ollie and Brownie can bring you up to speed and get you on fish. Welcoming families and kids these experienced guides provide all the equipment, all you have to is show up. Of course, 30 years experience and access to private trophy water should help. Contact Blue Ridge Anglers at 828 208 3428, 828 773 7751 or online at blueridgeanglers.com
Foscoe Fishing Company For over 15 years Foscoe Fishing Company, North Carolina’s only Orvis endorsed outfitter and dealer of quality products, has been serving fly fisherman of the southern Appalachians and beyond. Foscoe Fishing Company has a great new location in Foscoe between Boone and Banner Elk on Highway 105. FFCO has established itself as a leader in professionally guided trips and customer service. CONTINUED ON 104
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2009
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2009
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
Crossing New Ski Frontier Continued From Page 28
of ski and boots from Fischer and Karhu, as well as a huge selection of winter apparel and accessories. So if you’ve had enough of standing in line, dealing with big crowds, paying too much for lift tickets, or maybe you just want something different to do while visiting the High Country this winter, give cross country skiing a try. There’s a lot of beautiful country out there this time of year. Take advantage of it.
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Taking Flight Continued From Page 29 trail. Many east coast slopes run parallel and are grid crossed by the Cat tracks, so one can gain speed coming down one slope, take a tight turn onto a Cat track and launch off of the Cat track onto the next downhill slope. The pros to this are that you have speed, the landing is usually a good downhill angle, and you’ll have plenty of room to run out the landing (ski off your speed). The cons are that you must be wary of bystanders. In second we have the mountain maintenance crews who usually put snow guns on for long periods of time without changing their direction. This causes gross accumulation of snow mounds. Hmmm, smells like a jump to me. These are usually ephemeral jumps, since groomers are usually deployed the night after the snow is blown to reduce it to flat land. These hits (jumps) are usually on the side of the trail (out of skier’s way) and offer a clear view of landing areas and plenty of room to run out the landing. Snow mounds sometimes require some alteration to reduce the angle of lift off so you don’t sky rocket straight into the air. If you’re a snowboarder then you’ll be appreciative of the duality in the choice of your snow-riding vehicle. The nose and tail of a snowboard are wonderful makeshift shovels with which to
2009
shape the snow mound to a jump of your choice (don’t forget to angle it away from the woods at the trail’s edge). Once the proper shape has been readied you can hold your board by its bindings and use the flat bottom to smooth out a track to the jump and the takeoff of the jump. An easy third place finisher is the mountain itself. Ski slopes normally are made up of headwalls that drop into the slope that lead to another headwall and more slope. These headwalls are great because they drop off to the slope beyond, guaranteeing decent air for a jump. Snowguns are also placed at the top of headwalls so there is adequate malleable snow to form a jump. Unfortunately these headwalls make great spots for people to stand and preview the trail ahead of them, so keep this in mind. Headwalls are usually better during first tracks, at lunch, and late day when the volume of skier traffic has diminished. Respect the people around you and they’ll respect you, and enjoy the show. Remember, this information is the tested opinion of a freeride veteran, not this publication; we just want you to enjoy your mountain endeavor. Snowsports are inherently dangerous, so use your head; we are responsible for our own actions. This new view of our east coast trails will revitalize your motivation and prepare you to ride anywhere. Now you’re on the trail to better all-mountain experience, savor it and enjoy.
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Fabricating Flakes Continued From Page39 humidity. You really need the temperatures to be in the 20s to make substantial snow. If the humidity is low, you can make more.” According to Moretz, snowmaking not only helps a slope maintain a solid base of 12 to 18 inches of base, but also makes grooming a better proposition. “Machine-made snow is easier to groom,” Moretz said. “Grooming involves putting a good skiing surface on the slope. Grooming to a ski slope is like a Zamboni to an ice skating rink. We groom our slopes at least twice a day, paying particular attention to the lift areas.” A grooming machine has a 15-foot tiller on the back that grinds and churns the snow to create a corduroy-like surface. This surface has grooves and ridges that provide an easier skiing surface. While all slopes attempt to not make snow during skiing hours, sometimes it is a necessity. Here are a few tips for skiing during snowmaking operation. · D r e s s properly for the weather. Generally it is 32 degrees or below during snowmaking operation. · Wear goggles to protect your eyes from precipitation. · A scarf or some other form of face
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
protection may be helpful. · Avoid skiing too close to the snow guns. The snow farther away from the snow gun is often better. · Ski with caution whenever visibility becomes poor. · Always contact the slopes ahead of time for slope and weather conditions. As with all ski businesses, making the snowmaking process better, which makes for a more enjoyable time on the slopes, is always a top goal. “Every year,” said Moretz, “we are always trying to improve our snowmaking system.” Story by Mark Mitchell
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Wear A Helmet Continued From Page 31
SnowSports Industries America, a trade association of snow sports products manufacturers, notes that helmet sales increased 25 percent annually during the mid-1990s. Snowsport helmets can be purchased at nearly any ski or snowboard shop in the High Country. An important attribute to look for is a Snell certification. Snell is a non-profit memorial foundation that has independently tested manufacturers’ helmets since 1957. Snell has a special list of requirements for snowboard and ski helmets, considering the use of environment and nature of winter sports and the necessity of a lightweight product that won’t restrict vision or movement. Snell also takes into consideration the speed at which snowboarders and skiers generally travel and the types of impacts they may sustain. The organization recommends an easy way to find an appropriate helmet by following the four S’s, which include size, strap, straight and Snell. A helmet should fit comfortably all the way around the head, and additional padding can be added to make it more snug, according to Snell. The fit of the strap is also important. It should fit under the chin and around the ear, restricting the helmet from shifting on the head. A helmet should be straight on the head, reaching low on the forehead just above the eyebrows. Lastly, looking for the Snell certification is crucial. Snell sets the most stringent standards in the world, exceeding those set by the CPSC. The U.S. Ski Association, the national governing body for skiing and snowboarding, requires all competitors in their sponsored events, which include national Olympic teams, junior development programs and disabled skier programs, to wear proper, protective helmets. In addition to wearing appropriate helmets, the CPSC recommends selecting the right equipment with an emphasis on properly adjusted bindings and boots, refraining from attempting slopes beyond ability level, refraining from skiing or snowboarding alone, wearing warm and lightweight clothing and being in good physical shape before tackling the slopes. By Cara Kelly
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
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The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
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Wintry Images Photos by Marie Freeman
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Nov. 19 Members of the Hayes String Quartet will perform in the Recital Hall, ASU, 8 p.m. Admission is free. Call 828- 262-3020 for more information. Nov. 19: On Saturday, Nov. 19 – “The Neverending Story” will be shown at 7 p.m. at the Greenbriar theater on the ASU campus. Admission is $1. Nov. 19: On Wednesday, Nov. 19 – NJ Novak – Doors open at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. at Farthing Auditorium on the ASU campus – comedy/entertainment – Student admission in advance $18, student at door and guest $22 – Co-producer and writer of the hit comedy series, “The Office,” actor BJ Novak (“Ryan Howard”) is coming to Boone. He has scripted many of the show’s most memorable episodes, including “Diversity Day,” “Sexual Harassment” and “The Fire.” Before “The Office,” Novak was best known for his improve performances on MTV’s “Punked.” Nov. 19: On Wednesday, Nov. 19, the Chargers & Rechargers Hiking Club will hike the Mountain to the Sea Trail from Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 267 to milepost 256. An approximate 10-mile easy hike on the newest section of the MST. No dogs please. For more details, call hike leader Curly Perzel 336-982-8591. For more information, visit the group’s Web site at www.boonenc. org/hiking. Nov. 20: Concert by Jim Malcolm, 7-10 p.m. at White Hart Woods in Ashe County. White Hart Woods hosts concert featuring “Jim Malcolm”, one of Scotland’s finest traditional Scottish folk music artists and songwriters, and lead singer for the Old Blind Dogs. 2004 Winner of the Scots Trad Music Awards, as he is dubbed the “new male voice” of Scotland. Advance Ticket $20. Cash wine and beer bar available. Call 336-246-3388; White Hart Woods, 313 Mt. Jefferson State Park Road, West Jefferson. Nov. 20: Baritone Saxophone/Oboe recital — Hannah Eckerd and Beverly Benton will perform in the Recital Hall, ASU, 6 p.m. Admission is free. Call 828-262-3020 for more information.
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
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CALENDAR OF
EVENTS
Nov. 20: On Thursday, Nov. 20 – “Pineapple Express” will be shown at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. at the I.G. Greer theater on the ASU campus. Admission is $1. Nov. 20: A program on “Living with Cancer: Resources for Caregivers” will be presented Nov. 20 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at the Project on Aging, Watauga County Senidor Center, Boone. Call (828) 262-4332, extension 27, for more information. Nov. 21: “A Quick Opera Tour: from Purcell to Puccini and Destinations In-between!” at Rosen Concert Hall, ASU, 8 p.m. Admission is free. For further information, contact 828-2623020. Nov. 21: On Friday, Nov. 21 – Contra Dance – Doors open at 7:15 p.m., lessons at 7:30 p.m., dance at 8 p.m. at Legends on the ASU campus. Student admission is $4, guest $5, Calls by Adina Gordon, music by the Blue Eyed Girls. Nov. 21: On Friday, Nov. 21 – “The Neverending Story” will be shown at 7 p.m. at the Greenbriar theater on the ASU campus. Admission is $1. Nov. 21: On Friday, Nov. 21 – “Pineapple Express” will be shown at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. at I.G. Greer theater on the ASU campus. Admission is $1. Nov. 21: It’s a Green Park Paranormal Conference and wall-to-wall ghost hunting at North Carolina’s most haunted inn. Author Scott Nicholson and Paranormal Scene Investigators (PSI) will lead ghost hunts at the Green Park Inn in Blowing Rock. The conference also includes discussion panels and Saturday dinner, with a special “Beginner’s Ghost Hunt” on Saturday evening. The cost is $55 if registered by Nov. 1, $65 afterward. One-day Saturday registration is $25. For more information, visit the Web at www.hauntedcomputer.com or call 336-8772985. Nov. 21: Projected opening of the 2008-2009 ski season at Appalachian Ski Mountain, Blowing Rock. Nov. 21: “A Quick Opera Tour: from Purcell to Puccini and Destinations In-between!” at Rosen Concert Hall, ASU, 8 p.m. Admission is free. For further information, contact
828-262-3020. Nov. 22: On Saturday, Nov. 22 – “Pineapple Express” will be shown at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. at I.G. Greer theater on the ASU campus. Admission is $1. Nov. 22: On Saturday, Nov. 22, the Chargers & Rechargers Hiking Club will hike at Elk Knob – Hike to the top of the only state park in Watauga County. Elk Knob, at 5,520 feet, is the second tallest peak in the county. Follow the progress of current trail building part of the way up and then continue on a strenuous, very steep, rocky path to the top. Fantastic views. About 2.7 miles, bring water and a snack, and wear sturdy boots. Lunch to follow at Pam’s. No dogs. Leader: Pam Hoffman, 828-262-9779. For more information, visit the group’s Web site at www. boonenc.org/hiking. Nov. 22: Tellabration Storytelling Celebration. Nov. 23: Shawn Roberts will direct various performers in a World Music Concert. Admission is free. Call 828-262-3020 for more information. Nov. 23: Whitney Vincel and Charles Michael, horn, will perform in the Recital Hall, ASU, 6 p.m. Admission is free. Call 828-262-3020 for more information. Nov. 23: Members of the Liberace String Quartet will perform in the Recital Hall, ASU, 8 p.m. Admission is free.Call 828262-3020 for more information. Nov. 24: Student Composers Recital, Rosen Concert Hall, ASU, 8 p.m. Admission is free. For further information, contact 828-262-3020. Nov. 24: On Monday, Nov. 24, the Chargers & Rechargers Hiking Club will hike at the Flat Top Observation Tower – Meet at Cone Manor House in front of the Carriage Barn at 9:30 a.m. For more information, visit the group’s Web site at www.boonenc.org/hiking. Nov. 26: On Wednesday, Nov. 26, the Chargers & Rechargers Hiking Club will hike Grandfather Mountain from Boone Fork Overlook (Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 299) – The group will hike the Nuwati Trail to the Cragway Trail, then on to the Daniel Boone Scout Trail back to the parking area. Approximately 4 miles easy to moderate loop. No dogs allowed. Leaders: Bill and Becky Barksdale, 828-898-6977. For more information, visit the group’s Web site at www.boonenc.org/hiking. CONTINUED ON PAGE 114
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Grandfather Mountain Continued From Page 62
Walking and Hiking at Grandfather Mountain Grandfather Mountain has 11 trails varying in difficulty from a gentle walk in the woods to a rigorous trek across rugged peaks. It is in the backcountry that you come up against the more challenging hikes. For safety reasons, walking down the road is not permitted. In-Park Nature Trails Grandfather has a number of gentle paths that can be accessed from the summit road. Designed to offer a low-impact foray into nature, these paths allow guests to get out in the woods without requiring a long and strenuous commitment. Backcountry Hiking Trails Grandfather’s backcountry is very different from other areas in the South. * Trails take you through forests usually found in Canadian climates. * Many of the trails use ladders and cables to climb sheer cliff faces. * Grandfather is home to 16 distinct natural communities (ecosystems). * Is home to 70 rare or endangered species, including 29 that are globally imperiled. * Portions of the backcountry are sheltered within a Nature Conservancy trust. * Grandfather is part of the United Nation’s international network of Biosphere Reserves * Hikers access trails only by paying user fees. * Hiking is included as part of your attraction admission . Guests who purchase a ticket to the attraction may access the trails from inside the gates. * Guests who visit for hiking only may access the trails from off-mountain trailheads and must purchase hiking permits for one-half the regular gate admission price. If you want to enter the Backcountry from the Swinging Bridge area * Hiking is included in the price of admission. To access the start of the Grandfather Trail, please park at the Hiker’s Parking Area, a quarter mile below the summit.| * Please return to your vehicle at least one hour before closing time. If, in an emergency, you leave your car on the mountain, please call 733-2800 (Top Shop), 733-4337 (Gate) or 733-1059 ( Nature Museum) as soon as possible to notify Grandfather Mountain staff. If you do not call, we will send out a search party. If you want only to hike without going through the Entrance Gate * Guests wishing only to hike can begin at one of the two off-mountain trailheads located either on US 221 or NC 105.Atrail map will be supplied when you purchase your permit. * If you park at an off-mountain trailhead, plan on hiking back to your car * If you plan to have someone pick you up at the Hiker’s Parking Area, the driver of the pick-up vehicle will be charged regular gate admission to come in to pick you up. * Grandfather Mountain is not able to provide rides to or from trailheads.
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Southern Skiing Continued From Page 27
market to their success in the industry. The ski resorts of North Carolina have also begun to draw transplanted skiers and riders from other areas of the country. I have the same conversation every year on the lift with a guy or a girl who raves about the skiing or snowboarding down here, and how grateful they are that they have a place to ski or ride after moving from New England. Often they are as surprised as I once was that it’s possible to ski 25,000 vertical feet in a day, or that there’s enough snow to build a park. But it’s the little nuances that make it special down here. It’s the chance that it could rain in the middle January, or that we could have a storm at the end of March that drops three feet of fresh powder. Predictability is boring. There’s something special about seeing a Camaro with a rook rack full of skis. You don’t get that anywhere else. Another thing you won’t get at any other ski resort? At least three people on the mountain at all times are wearing camouflage, and
at least five have on at least one piece of clothing made by Carhartt. Hey, I’m one of ‘em. A couple other things I like about southern skiing and snowboarding? At least once very year I see someone who has just seen snow for the first time. On most days I can go skiing in the morning and fly fishing in the afternoon. You can get a whole meal at the cafeteria under five dollars. FIVE DOLLARS! Most of the ski patrollers are better skiers than the ski instructors, and any college kid who wants a job at a ski resort can get one. If it weren’t for southern skiing, my future wife wouldn’t have been working in the same ski and snowboard shop that I was. Coincidently she’s from Alabama. Only through southern skiing could a southern belle meet and marry a backwoods Michigan boy. And this I promise, no where else in the skiing world will you buy a ticket and hear, “Ya’ll have fun!”
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS Nov. 27-28: Thanksgiving Turkey Treat at Sugar Mountain Resort, Sugar Mountain. Plan to spend your Thanksgiving at Sugar this year. For one low price, you can ski/ride the four days of the Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 27-30, 2008 for just $109. Offer expires Sunday, Nov. 23, at 5 p.m. Nov. 28-29: Chetola Resort’s Festival of Lights. Nov. 28: Christmas in the Park and lighting of the town. Nov. 29: 14th Annual Thanksgiving Wood Kiln Opening. Nov. 29: Beech Mountain Holiday Market, 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. at the Buckeye Recreation Center at Beech Mountain. It’s one-stop holiday shopping. Including homemade gourmet tasting, hand-blown glass beaded jewelry, holiday baked goods, stained glass, unique wearable yarn art, scented candles, poinsettias and fresh garland, framed photographs and artwork, gift baskets. Also enjoy a holiday movie, popcorn, and a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus. Call 828-387-3003 for more information. Nov. 29: Blowing Rock Christmas Parade. December: Snowshoe Guided Tours at Sugar Mountain Resort, Sugar Mountain. A great way to stay fit during the winter months. Snowshoe tours will be offered every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 3 p.m. and Saturday at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Based on instructor availability, additional tours will be given on demand for groups of four to 15. The program includes a one hour tour and snowshoe rentals. Adult tours are for ages 12 and up. Children’s tours are ages 8-11. Sign up at least 15 minutes prior to your tour time in the Ski/Snowboard School Building. Cost is $20 (including snowshoe rental). For more information: www.skisugar.com/skischool December: NASTAR at Sugar Mountain Resort, Sugar Mountain, starting Dec. 13. NASTAR is a public racing program that provides recreational racers with the opportunity to compare their ability to the fastest member of the U.S. Ski Team. NASTAR races are held every Saturday and Sunday at noon on Big Red. Dec. 1-2: Toe River Studio Tour in Burnsville and Spruce Pine. Artists and galleries invite you to their informal open houses and sales. This is a rare opportunity to visit many of the studios in this world-reknown artist’s community. TRAC galleries in Burnsville and Spruce Pine serve as information centers for the studio tour. Stop by to ask questions, see photos of participants or pick up maps. Watch for signs with arrows at intersections and “Welcome Studio” signs at the entrance to the artist’s studios. For more information, call 828-765-0520 or 828-682-7215. Dec. 1: On Monday, Dec. 1, the Chargers & Rechargers Hiking Club will hike from Tanawha Trail to Holloway Mountain Road – Meet at the boat ramp parking area at Price Lake on the Blue Ridge Parkway at 9:30 a.m. For more information, visit the group’s Web site at www.boonenc.org/hiking. Dec. 3: On Wednesday, Dec. 3, Chargers & Rechargers
Hiking Club will hike from Grandfather Mountain Profile Trail to Calloway Peak (Avery County). Approximately 6 miles, estimated five hours. The scenic lower part of the trail is easy, then, there is a steady 2.5 mile uphill climb with rocky terrain near Shanty Springs to Calloway Peak, where there are 360-degree vistas at 5,964 feet elevation. Total climb of more than 2,000 feet. A permit is needed and can be bought at Invershiel Exxon at the corner of N.C. 105 and 184 next to McDonald’s. No dogs allowed. Leader: Curly Perzel 336982-8591. For more information, visit the group’s Web site at www.boonenc.org/hiking. Dec. 3-6: New Play Festival, 7 p.m., Greer Studio Theatre, ASU. A weekend of new plays written, directed and performed by students. Sponsored by the ASU Department of Theater and Dance’s student club, Playcrafters. All seats $4. For more information, call 828-262-3063. Dec. 5-14: “A High Country Christmas Carol” by Robert Inman at the Mariam & Robert Hayes Performing Arts Center. Tickets: $18, $14, $10. Presented by the Blowing Rock Stage Company. Blowing Rock Stage Company veteran playwright, Robert Inman, brings the Dickens classic to the modern stage. Set in the Depression-era North Carolina mountains, A High Country Christmas Carol is the story of a curmudgeonly country store owner Silas McTavish, who rediscovers the magic of Christmas with the help of an unexpected Christmas Eve visitor. For more information, visit http://blowingrockstage. tix.com or call (828) 2959627. Dec. 5: On Friday, Dec. 5 – Contra Dance – doors open at 7:15 p.m., lessons at 7:30 p.m., dance at 8 p.m. at Legends on the ASU campus. Student admission is $4, guest $5. Caller and music TBA. Dec. 5: Fresh Fridays at Appalachian Ski Mountain, Blowing Rock. Fresh Fridays will provide special setups in the parks, with themed events. Dec. 6: Blind Boys of Alabama: Go Tell It On the Mountain, 8 p.m., Farthing Auditorium, ASU. Tickets are $18, $16, $10. In this special holiday performance, the Blind Boys of Alabama perform comfortably familiar yet startling innovative works from their Grammy Award-winning album “Go Tell It On the Mountain.” Having always wanted to cut a Christmas album, for the Blind Boys of Alabama, “Go Tell It On the Mountain” was a dream fulfilled, as well as an opportunity to give something to others in need (a portion of the proceeds from this album’s sales to the American Diabetes Association). For more information, call 800-841-2787. Dec. 6-7: The Christmas Concert, directed by Jim Taylor, Hayes Auditorum, Lees-McRae College, Banner Elk. Times: Saturday, Dec. 6, at 7:30p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 7, at 2 p.m. Call (828) 898-8709 for more information. Dec. 6: On Saturday, Dec. 6, the Chargers & Rechargers Hiking Club will hike from Grandfather Mountain Profile Trail to Calloway Peak (Avery County). Approximately 6 miles, estimated five hours. The scenic lower part of the trail is easy, then there is a steady 2.5 mile uphill climb with rocky
terrain near Shanty Springs to Calloway Peak, where there are 360-degree vistas at 5,964 feet elevation. Total climb is more than 2,000 feet. A permit is needed and can be bought at Invershiel Exxon at the corner of N.C. 105 and 184 next to McDonald’s. No dogs allowed. Leader: Curly Perzel 336982-8591. For more information, visit the group’s Web site at www.boonenc.org/hiking. Dec. 6-7: 47th anniversary weekend at Appalachian Ski Mountain, Blowing Rock. Ski ticket prices are rolled back to 1962 levels. Dec. 7: Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, 2 p.m. Rosen Concert Hall, ASU. Admission free. For further information, contact 828-262-3020. Dec. 7: Whitney Divers and Kelly Jackson, voice, 4 p.m., Recital Hall, ASU. Admission is free. Please call 262-3020 for more information. Dec. 7: Appalachian Gospel Choir, Farthing Auditorim, ASU, 6 p.m. Admission is free. For further information, please contact 828-262-3020. Dec. 7: Appalachian Concert Band, 8 p.m., Rosen Concert Hall, ASU. Admission is free. For further information, please contact 828-262-3020. Dec. 8: On Monday, Dec. 8, the Chargers & Rechargers Hiking Club will hike from Old John’s River Road to Price Lake – Meet at Sim’s Pond Overlook at 9:30 a.m. For more information, visit the group’s Web site at www.boonenc.org/hiking. Dec. 9: Appalachian Chorale, 8 p.m., Rosen Concert Hall. Admission is free For further information, please contact 828-262-3020. Dec. 10: On Wednesday, Dec. 10, the Chargers & Rechargers Hiking Club will hike at Linville Falls – Includes section described in “100 Classic Hikes of North Carolina.” Moderate hike on several trails to see one of the most beautiful and well-known waterfalls in the state from several completely different perspectives. Exact distance and route will be determined by the weather. No dogs please. Leader: Frank Young 828-963-5188. For more information, visit the group’s Web site at www.boonenc. org/hiking. Dec. 12-14: Christmas Arts and Crafts Show “5th year. “ Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Boone Mall. Handmade crafts, lots of holiday art, jewelry, crafts and much more. Call 828-7330675 for details. Dec. 12-14: Preseason Ski Clinic at Sugar Mountain Resort, Sugar Mountain. 1994 Olympic Gold and Silver Medalist Diann Roffe and two-time (1994 and 1996) Olympian Krista Schmidinger top the list of this season’s ski clinic coaching staff. Cost: $150 season pass holders, $225 non-season pass holders. Daily rates also available. Dec. 13: On Saturday, Dec. 13, the Chargers & Rechargers Hiking Club will have its quarterly meeting, holiday party and feast for club members, spouses and significant others. Bring a gift to exchange and a dish to share. Hosted by Juin Adams at her home. Directions will be distributed near the time of the party. Call Juin if you have questions, 828-295-9607. For more information, visit the group’s Web site at www.boonenc.org/hiking. Dec. 13: Ladies Park Night at Appalachian Ski Mountain, Blowing Rock. CONTINUED ON PAGE 115
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS Dec. 13-24: Santa at Sugar at Sugar Mountain Resort, Sugar Mountain. Santa will be skiing, riding and talking with all the good boys and girls. Dec. 13-14: SugarFest ’08 at Sugar Mountain Resort, Sugar Mountain. Equipment demos, giveaways, ice sculpting, snowball eating contest, bluegrass music by Boss Hawg, fireworks, Edge of the World/Burton Rail Jam and more. Dec. 13: Boss Hawg Live at Sugar Mountain Resort, Sugar Mountain. Enjoy the acoustic sounds of North Carolina High Country bluegrass from 4-6 p.m. Dec. 14: Messiah Sing-Along, 6 p.m., Rosen Concert Hall, ASU. Admission is free. For further information, please contact 828-262-3020. Dec. 15: On Monday, Dec. 15, the Chargers & Rechargers Hiking Club will hike at the Thunder Hill loop – Meet at Thunder Hill Overlook, first overlook on Blue Ridge Parkway north of U.S. 321 at 9:30 a.m. For more information, visit the group’s Web site at www.boonenc. org/hiking. Dec. 17: On Wednesday, Dec. 17, the Chargers & Rechargers Hiking Club will hike at Roan Mountain – Raven Rocks to the Visitor Center via Chestnut Ridge – moderate to strenuous. No dogs allowed. Leader Carol Ann Mitchell, 423-772-4280. For more information, visit the group’s Web site at www.boonenc.org/hiking. Dec. 20: Santa’s Visit and Christmas Tree Lighting. Saturday from 4 to 5 p.m. at Fred’s Gazebo, Beech Mountain. Visit with Santa in the gazebo at 4 p.m. and then come to the Chamber of Commerce office at 5 p.m. for hot chocolate and cookies. Bring a Christmas tree ornament (preferably homemade) and help decorate the small tree next to the Chamber of Commerce. Lighting of the tree will be at 6 p.m. For additional information contact the Beech Mountain Chamber of Commerce. Call 828-387-9283, Dec. 20: On Saturday, Dec. 20, the Chargers & Rechargers Hiking Club will hike on the Mountains to Sea Trail – Join the group to view the progress of the Mountains to Sea Trail – some of which has been created by club members. See the parts completed and still to be done. No dogs. Leader: Gloria Marquez, 828-262-0357. For more information, visit the group’s Web site at www. boonenc.org/hiking. Dec. 22: Hiking Boone Fork Trail: On Monday, Dec. 22, the Chargers & Rechargers Hiking Club will hike the Boone Fork Trail – Meet at Price Picnic Grounds near the restrooms at 9:30 a.m. For more information, visit the group’s Web site at www.boonenc.org/hiking. Dec. 24: Skiing with Santa at Appalachian Ski Mountain, Blowing Rock. Dec. 27-28: USAA Holiday Slalom and Giant Slalom Competition at Sugar Mountain Resort, Sugar Mountain. Slalom and giant slalom races for licensed USSA racers. Juniors 1-6, and Masters. Registration follows USSA procedures. No registrations on race day. 9 a.m. start. Dec. 30: Bonfire and hayrides on Beech Mountain Dec. 30 from 7-9 p.m. at Beech Mountain Town Hall. An annual event on Beech Mountain (weather permitting, of course). Join us for hot chocolate or cider and warm yourself at the bonfire. Hay wagons will take you on a tour of Beech Mountain by starlight. Tune up your vocal chords for some season caroling. Hayrides and bonfire begin at 7 p.m. and it is free. For additional information, contact the Beech Mountain Chamber of Commerce. Call (828) 387-9283, Dec. 31-Jan. 1: New Year’s Even Extravaganza,
Appalachian Ski Mountain, Blowing Rock. Fireworks, torchlight skiing and more. Moonlight ice skating from 10 p.m. to midnight. Breakfast available from 9 p.m. to midnight. Dec. 31: New Year’s Celebration at Sugar Mountain Resort, Sugar Mountain. A New Year’s Celebration mountain style. The general public is invited, free of charge, to the torchlight parade and fireworks at midnight. A fee as well reservations for the indoor festivities are required and should be made in early December. January: NASTAR at Sugar Mountain Resort, Sugar Mountain. NASTAR is a public racing program that provides recreational racers with the opportunity to compare their ability to the fastest member of the U.S. Ski Team. NASTAR races are held every Saturday and Sunday at noon on Big Red. January: Snowshoe Guided Tours at Sugar Mountain Resort, Sugar Mountain. A great way to stay fit during the winter months. Snowshoe tours will be offered every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 3 p.m. and Saturday at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Based on instructor availability, additional tours will be given on demand for groups of four to 15. The program includes a one hour tour and snowshoe rentals. Adult tours are for ages 12 and up. Children’s tours are ages 8-11. Sign up at least 15 minutes prior to your tour time in the Ski/Snowboard School Building. Cost is $20 (including snowshoe rental). For more information: www.skisugar.com/skischool Jan. 3: Boss Hawg Live at Sugar Mountain Resort, Sugar Mountain. Enjoy the acoustic sounds of North Carolina High Country bluegrass from 4-6 p.m. Jan. 3-Feb. 2: Vietnam Subconscious Reality: David Shoemaker, Paintings and Memorabilia from the Vietnam War. Ashe County Arts Center. For more information, call Ashe County Arts Council: 336-846-2787. Reception Jan. 3 from 5 to 7 p.m. Jan. 4: High Country Junior Race Series Giant Slalom at Sugar Mountain Resort, Sugar Mountain. A Giant Slalom competition for all High Country junior racers. Registration is from 7:30-8:30 a.m. Race start is 9 a.m. on Big Red. Jan. 4: Shred for the Cup Slopestyle. Presented by Board Paradise, App Terrain Park’s “Shred for the Cup” series is the premiere freestyle competition series in the Southeast region. It consists of four unique events running throughout the 2008-09 ski season, providing fun and tons of prizes for skiers and snowboarders of all age and ability. Formats include Rail Jam, Big Air, and Slopestyle, and points are awarded for placement in each event to determine the overall series winners in all categories. Jan. 9: Fresh Fridays at Appalachian Ski Mountain,
in the parks, with themed events. Jan. 10: Ladies Park Night at Appalachian Ski Mountain, Blowing Rock. Jan 10: Boss Hawg Live at Sugar Mountain Resort, Sugar Mountain. Enjoy the acoustic sounds of North Carolina High Country bluegrass from 4-6 p.m. Jan. 10-11: Crescent Ski Council Competition at Sugar Mountain Resort, Sugar Mountain. Slalom and Giant Slalom competitions for Crescent Ski Council members. Competitions begin at 9 a.m. Jan. 13: Septuagenarian (70 & Older) Party at Sugar Mountain Resort, Sugar Mountain. A party to recognize Sugar’s “Senior Citizen Skiers.” Jan. 16: The “World Famous” Lipizzaner Stallions, Holmes Center, ASU. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. All seats are reserved. Ticket information: Adult Prime - $22.50 balcony - $19.50; child (12 and under) Prime - $20.50 Balcony - $17.50; senior (60+) Prime - $20.50 Balcony - $17.50; and children 2 and under are free. Groups of 15 or more get $5 off each ticket. The Lipizzaner Stallions are on their 38th anniversary tour in 2008. In 1970, producer Gary Lashinsky created a new family arena attraction, starring The “World Famous” Lipizzaner Stallions. Many horses and riders were brought from Europe to perform in this unique family oriented arena attraction. Over the years, 23 million people throughout North and South America, Great Britain, Europe, Australia and Hawaii have seen this internationally acclaimed spectacle. Jan. 18-19: College Race at Sugar Mountain Resort, Sugar Mountain. Slalom and Giant Slalom races for college students. Competitions begin at 9 a.m. Jan. 23: Fresh Fridays at Appalachian Ski Mountain, Blowing Rock. Fresh Fridays will provide special setups in the parks, with themed events. Jan. 25: Spartanburg Ski Club NASTAR at Sugar Mountain Resort, Sugar Mountain. NASTAR event for Spartanburg/Palmetto Ski Club members only. 11:30 a.m. start. Jan. 25: Student violin recital, Vanessa Chumbley will perform in the Recital Hall, 2 p.m. ASU. Admission is free. Please call 262-3020 for more information. Jan. 25: Graduate voice recital —Craig Brown will perform in the Recital Hall at 8 p.m., ASU. Admission is free. Please call 262-3020 for more information. CONTINUED ON PAGE 116
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS Jan. 27: African Children’s Choir: Journey of Hope, 8 p.m., Farthing Auditorium, ASU. Tickets are $18, 416, $10. For the past 24 years, the African Children’s Choir has worked with the most vulnerable children in Africa to show the world the beauty, dignity and unlimited ability of these remarkable youngsters. Following the brutal reign of Uganda’s Idi Amin—during which thousands of children were orphaned and left starving—the choir was founded by human rights activist Ray Barnett, and is comprised of children ages seven to eleven that have lost one or both of their parents. For more information, call 800-841-2787. For more information, call 800-841-2787. Jan. 29: Endowed Scholars Recital featuring Hayes Young Artist Scholarship and White Wind Scholarship Recipients, 8 p.m., Rosen Concert Hall, ASU. Admission free. For further information, please contact 828-262-3020. Jan. 30: Honors Voice Recital —Constance Waddell will perform in Rosen Concert Hall, 6 p.m., ASU. Admission is free. Please call 262-3020 for more information. Jan. 31-Feb. 1: Crescent Ski Council Competition at Sugar Mountain Ski Resort, Sugar Mountain. Slalom and Giant Slalom competitions for Crescent Ski Council members. Competitions begin at 9 a.m. February: NASTAR at Sugar Mountain Resort, Sugar Mountain. NASTAR is a public racing program that provides recreational racers with the opportunity to compare their ability to the fastest member of the U.S. Ski Team. NASTAR races are held every Saturday and Sunday at noon on Big Red. February: Snowshoe Guided Tours at Sugar Mountain Resort, Sugar Mountain. A great way to stay fit during the winter months. Snowshoe tours will be offered every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 3 p.m. and Saturday at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Based on instructor availability, additional tours will be given on demand for groups of four to 15. The program includes a one hour tour and snowshoe rentals. Adult tours are for ages 12 and up. Children’s tours are ages 8-11. Sign up at least 15 minutes prior to your tour time in the Ski/Snowboard School Building. Cost is $20 (including snowshoe rental). For more information: www.skisugar.com/skischool Feb. 3: Faculty Recital Series: “Two Birds with One Stone” featuring APPropos!, Rosen Concert Hall, 8 p.m., ASU. Admission is free. For further information, please contact 828-2623020. Feb. 5: Harmonia Baroque, Rosen Concert Hall, ASU, 8 p.m. Admission is free. For further information, please contact 828-262-3020 Feb. 5: Shred for the Cup Big Air at Appalachian Ski Mountain, Blowing Rock. Presented by Board Paradise, App Terrain Park’s “Shred for the Cup” series is the premiere freestyle competition series in the Southeast region. It consists of four unique events running throughout
the20 08-09 ski season, providing fun and tons of prizes for skiers and snowboarders of all age and ability. Formats include Rail Jam, Big Air, and Slopestyle, and points are awarded for placement in each event to determine the overall series winners in all categories. Feb. 6-March 8: “Colors: How do we see color? Chase away the winter blues with a little color.” Ashe Arts Center; Ashe County Arts Council, 336-846-2787. Feb. 7: Boss Hawg Live at Sugar Mountain Ski Resort, Sugar Mountain. Enjoy the acoustic sounds of North Carolina High Country bluegrass from 4-6 p.m. Feb. 8: USSA Giant Slalom Competition at Sugar Mountain Ski Resort, Sugar Mountain. Giant slalom competition for licensed USSA racers. Juniors 1-6, and Masters. Registration follows USSA procedures. No registrations on race day. 9 a.m. start. Feb. 8: Appalachian Chamber Orchestra, Rosen Concert Hall, ASU, 2 p.m. Admission is free. For further information, please contact 828-262-3020. Feb. 8: Student Trumpet Recital —Amanda Smith will perform in the Recital Hall, ASU, 4 p.m. Admission is free. Please call 262-3020 for more information. Feb. 9: Faculty Saxophone Recital —Dr. Scott Kallestad will perform at 8 p.m. in Rosen Concert Hall, ASU. Admission is free. Please call 262-3020 for more information. Feb. 10: Faculty Trumpet Recital —Dr. James Stokes will perform at 8 p.m. in Rosen Concert Hall, ASU. Admission is free. Please call 262-3020 for more information. Feb. 11: “The Great Tennessee Monkey Trial: A Radio Play” from L.A. Theatre Works, 8 p.m., Farthing Auditorium, ASU. Tickets are: $18, $16, $10. Starring a cast drawn from the ranks of L.A. Theatre Works Radio Theater, the characters at the center of one of the great debates of American society come to life in this magnificent, semistaged production of The Great Tennessee Monkey Trial. Based on the original transcripts of the 1925 Scopes Trial which championed the right to teach evolution in public schools, the radio play features unlikely heroes Clarence Darrow, William Jennings Bryan, H.L. Mencken and John Scopes, who set the stage for an ongoing national debate over the separation of Church and State in a democratic society. Although this confilct of social and intellectual values played out in a rural Tennessee courthouse nearly 80 years ago, the issues at the core of this thoughtprovoking show remain unresolved even today. For more information, call 800-841-2787. Feb. 12- 14 and Feb. 19-21: Trial scene from “Inherit the Wind,” directed by Ray Miller, 7 p.m., Greer Studio Theatre, ASU. Jerome Lawrence wrote “Inherit the Wind” nearly 30 years after the Scopes Monkey trial. Although the basis of the play is the Scopes trial, the play itself is not a historical retelling of the events. Instead, the play is fiction. Each of the two main characters, Matthew Harrison Brady
and Henry Drummond, represents one side of the central conflict: Brady represents the fundamentalist viewpoint, and Drummond is the advocate for science and freedom of thought. The courtroom battle that ensues between these famous attorneys is the focus of the play. For more information, call 828-262-3028. Feb. 13: Todd Wright’s Valentine Evening —Valentine’s with Todd Wright and Friends, 8 p.m., Rosen Concert Hall, ASU. Admission is free. For further information, please contact 828-262-3020. Feb. 14: Boss Hawg Live at Sugar Mountain Ski Resort, Sugar Mountain. Enjoy the acoustic sounds of North Carolina High Country bluegrass from 4-6 p.m. Feb. 14: Valentine’s Day fireworks celebration at Appalachian Ski Mountain, Blowing Rock. Feb. 15: Graduate Voice Recital —Tyler Young will perform at 4 p.m. in the Recital Hall, ASU. Admission is free. Please call 262-3020 for more information. Feb. 15: Student Guitar Recital —Jack Nugent will perform at 6 p.m. in the Recital Hall, ASU. Admission is free. Please call 262-3020 for more information. Feb. 16: United States Navy Band, 8 p.m., Farthing Auditorium, ASU. Admission is free. For further information, please contact 828-262-3020 Feb. 17: Blue Note Records 70th Anniversary Tour, 8p.m., Farthing Auditorium, ASU. Tickets are $18, $16, $10. To mark the 70th anniversary of Blue Note Records—the premier label in jazz—an all-star band featuring some of the finest musicians today is traveling the world celebrating this rich catalog of music. Led by Blue Note Records artist and pianist Bill Charlap, the group will explore classic tunes by Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, Horace Silver, Herbie Hancock, Lee Morgan, Wayne Shorter and many others. This performance features Peter Bernstein, Bill Charlap, Ravi Coltrane, Lewis Nash, Nicholas Payton, Peter Washington and Steve Wilson, and is produced by Dan Melnick for Absolutely Live Entertainment. For more information, call 800-841-2787. Feb. 19: Appalachian Symphonic Band, 8 p.m., Rosen Concert Hall, ASU. Admission is free. For further information, please contact 828-262-3020. Feb. 20: Appalachian Wind Ensemble, 8 p.m., Farthing Auditorium, ASU. Admission is free. For further information, please contact 828-262-3020 Feb. 20: Fresh Fridays at Appalachian Ski Mountain, Blowing Rock. Fresh Fridays will provide special setups in the parks, with themed events. Feb. 21: USSA SARA Championships at Sugar Mountain Ski Resort, Sugar Mountain. By invitation only. Feb. 21: Appalachian Jazz Ensemble I, 8 p.m., Farthing Auditorium, ASU. Admission is free. For further information, please contact 828-262-3020. Feb. 21: Ladies Park Night at Appalachian Ski Mountain, Blowing Rock. Feb. 22: Student Piano Recital —Kimberly Zeigler will perform at 4 p.m. in the Recital Hall, ASU. Admission is free. Please call 262-3020 for more information. Feb. 22: Sugar Bear’s Birthday Celebration at Sugar Mountain Ski Resort. Join Sugar Mountain Resort’s resident mascot, Sugar Bear, and his friends for a fun birthday celebration. Activities include the Great Bear Race, a magic show, special treats, cake and ice cream. CONTINUED ON PAGE 117
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS Feb. 23: Appalachian Concert Band, 8 p.m., Rosen Concert Hall, ASU. Admission is free. For further information, please contact 828-262-3020. Feb. 24: Appalachian Jazz Ensemble II, 8 p.m., Rosen Concert Hall, ASU. Admission is free. For further information, please contact 828-262-3020. Feb. 25: Student Composition Recital as a part of the ASU Darwin Celebration, 8 p.m. Admission is free. For further information, please contact 828-262-3020. Feb. 25-March 1: “An Ideal Husband” by Oscar Wilde, directed by Derek Gagnier, 7 p.m., Valborg Theatre, ASU. A dazzling blend of farce and morality, this play explores human frailty and social hypocrisy. Sir Robert Chilton’s secret is discovered and exposed. He is accused of having exploited government secrets for his own gain early in his political career. With this revelation from Mrs. Cheveley comes the threat of blackmail and the ruin of Sir Robert’s career. Yet in order to be a successful blackmailer, one’s own reputation must be beyond reproach. Tickets are $10 adults, $6 for students and children. Call 828-262-3063 for more information. Feb. 26: Spyder 2009-2010 Sample Sale at Sugar Mountain Ski Resort. The 2009-10 Spyder line samples are available in late February only at Sugar Mountain Resort. Quantities and sizes are limited, so come early. Feb. 26: Appalachian Symphony Orchestra, 8 p.m., Rosen Concert Hall, ASU. Admission is free. For further information, please contact 828262-3020. Feb. 27-March 1: “The Roar of the Greasepaint...The Smell of the Crowd,” Directed by Steve Parrish, Hayes Auditorium, Lees-McRae College, Banner Elk. Times: Friday, Feb. 27 - Saturday, Feb. 28, and Monday, March 2 - Tuesday, March 3, at 7:30p.m. and Sunday, March 1, at 2p.m. Call (828) 898-8709 for more information. March: NASTAR at Sugar Mountain Resort, Sugar Mountain, through March 20. NASTAR is a public racing program that provides recreational racers with the opportunity to compare their ability to the fastest member of the U.S. Ski Team. NASTAR races are held
every Saturday and Sunday at noon on Big Red. March: Snowshoe Guided Tours at Sugar Mountain Resort, Sugar Mountain. A great way to stay fit during the winter months. Snowshoe tours will be offered every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 3 p.m. and Saturday at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Based on instructor availability, additional tours will be given on demand for groups of four to 15. The program includes a one hour tour and snowshoe rentals. Adult tours are for ages 12 and up. Children’s tours are ages 8-11. Sign up at least 15 minutes prior to your tour time in the Ski/Snowboard School Building. Cost is $20 (including snowshoe rental). For more information: www.skisugar. com/skischool March 1: Richard T. Trundy Memorial Sugar Cup Competition at Sugar Mountain Ski Resort. A giant slalom competition for participants with at least an intermediate or above ability level. Proceeds go to the American Cancer Society in memory of Sugar Mountain’s former director of operations, Richard T. Trundy. March 1: Shred for the Cup Rail Jam at Appalachian
Ski Mountain, Blowing Rock. Presented by Board Paradise, App Terrain Park’s “Shred for the Cup” series is the premiere freestyle competition series in the Southeast Region. It consists of four unique events running throughout the 2008-09 ski season, providing fun and tons of prizes for skiers and snowboarders of all age and ability. Formats include Rail Jam, Big Air, and Slopestyle, and points are awarded for placement
in each event to determine the overall series winners in all categories. March 6: Fresh Fridays at Appalachian Ski Mountain, Blowing Rock. Fresh Fridays will provide special setups in the parks, with themed events. March 7: Boss Hawg Live at Sugar Mountain Ski Resort, Sugar Mountain. Enjoy the acoustic sounds of North Carolina High Country bluegrass from 4-6 p.m. March 12-April 12: Young At Art: Annual exhibit by Ashe County Students, Ashe Arts Center; Ashe County Arts Council, 336-846-2787. Recpetion March 13 from 5 to 7 p.m. March 9: March Madness at Sugar Mountain Ski Resort. Beginning March 9, and running through the end of the season, Sugar offers up to 25 percent savings on lift tickets, rental equipment, and lessons. Restrictions apply. March 14: Boss Hawg Live at Sugar Mountain Ski Resort, Sugar Mountain. Enjoy the acoustic sounds of North Carolina High Country bluegrass from 4-6 p.m. March 20: Fresh Fridays at Appalachian Ski Mountain, Blowing Rock. Fresh Fridays will provide special setups in the parks, with themed events. March 21: Shred for the Cup Slopestyle Final at Appalachian Ski Mountain, Blowing Rock. Presented by Board Paradise, App Terrain Park’s “Shred for the Cup” series is the premiere freestyle competition series in the Southeast Region. It consists of four unique events running throughout the 2008-09 ski season, providing fun and tons of prizes for skiers and snowboarders of all age and ability. Formats include Rail Jam, Big Air, and Slopestyle, and points are awarded for placement in each event to determine the overall series winners in all categories. March 22: Easter Egg Hunt at Sugar Mountain Ski Resort. Dress up in your Easter costume and come join Sugar Bear and Sweetie Bear on the slopes in search of prize-filled eggs. There may even be an egg containing a season pass. March 28: Boss Hawg Live at Sugar Mountain Ski Resort, Sugar Mountain. Enjoy the acoustic sounds of North Carolina High Country bluegrass from 4-6 p.m. March 28-29: Meltdown Games at Appalachian Ski Mountain, Blowing Rock. One last weekend of end-ofthe-season silliness! The Meltdown Games offer a wild new take on what fun can be. Cardboard box derbies, Terrain Park events, the Big Air Jump Contest and the signature Pond Skim/Costume contest are just part of the fun here at Appalachian Ski Mountain.
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Frosty Fun
in Blowing Rock 11th Annual Winterfest Celebration January 22-25 Sly and the Family Stone had a big hit with the song “Hot Fun in the Summertime.” Blowing Rock has a big hit on its hands that could be called “Cold Fun in the Wintertime.” Blowing Rock’s Winterfest celebration has become one of the hottest tickets in town, annually attracting thousands of visitors to the village at a time when skiing is usually the only game in town. For four days, Winterfest revelers enjoy live music events, wine tasting, a polar plunge in the icy waters of Chetola Lake, ice carving demonstrations, and much more. This year’s Winterfest will take place Thursday through Sunday, January 22-25, 2009. With the woolly worms predicting a snowier than average winter, this will be the perfect chance for folks off the mountain to visit us during the peak of the cold weather season. Outdoor events at Winterfest include free downtown hayrides around Blowing Rock Memorial Park, bonfires, hot chocolate and hot apple cider, and a chance to throw some snowballs at your friends.
Of course, nothing feels better in the winter than to come indoors after frolicking in the snow. Winterfest indoor events include the unique dining experience called WinterFeast, a wine tasting and wine auction event, the Winterfest Blues Festival at the Hayes Performing Arts Center, the Pro-Am Chili Cook-Off, a silent auction, charity pancake breakfast, and plenty of kids’ activities. Many of Winterfest’s fun festivities raise much needed monies for area projects such as the Blowing Rock Fire and Rescue Unit. The annual Polar Plunge at Chetola Lake raises thousands of dollars as brave souls dive into frigid waters. On several occasions, chainsaws have been required to cut through the ice to get to the water! To get your Polar Plunge or Chili Cook-Off application form, visit www.blowingrockwinterfest.com. They are also available at the Blowing Rock Visitors Center, 7738 Valley Blvd., and at the Hayes Center Box Office. Official Winterfest merchandise is available at Sunset Tees and Hattery on Main St. For more Winterfest information, visit www. blowingrockwinterfest.com or call the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce at (828) 295-7851 or 1-877-295-7801. Story by Jeff Eason
Photos by Jeff Eason
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2009
Big City Entertainment in Boone
ASU Performing Arts Series presents first class music, dance and theater Each year, Appalachian State University’s Office of Arts and Cultural Programs offers students, faculty and High Country residents the opportunity to witness world-class entertainment without having to leave the High Country. The ASU 2008-09 Performing Arts Series offers something for everyone this season as it presents the best in dance, drama and music.
Feb. 11—The Great Tennessee Monkey Trials
This year Appalachian State has a number of events marking the Bicentennial of the birth of Charles Darwin. Based on the original transcripts of the 1925 Scopes Trial, L.A. Theatre Works Radio presents the characters at the center of one of the greatest debates of American society. The Great Tennessee Monkey Trials presents the actual words of Clarence Darrow, William Jennings Bryan, H.L. Mencken and John Scopes as the question of the theory of evolution spreads into a more general inquiry into a national debate over the freedom of scientific inquiry and the separation of church and state.
Dec. 6—The Blind Boys of Alabama The Grammy Award winning vocal group The Blind Boys of Alabama will present a special holiday performance called “Go Tell It on the Mountain” at Farthing Auditorium on Saturday, December 6. The group will bring its patented soulful touch to holiday works such as “Joy to the World,” “White Christmas” and “Away in a Manger.” With rich harmonies and timeless music “Go Tell It on the Mountain” is a perfect way to start your holiday season. CONTINUED ON PAGE 134
2009
Sweet As Sugar Continued From Page 18 Dec 13, 2008 (Saturday) - Dec 24, 2008 (Wednesday) Santa at Sugar Santa will be skiing, riding and talking with all the good boys and girls December 13th through December 24th.
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
Jan 10, 2009 (Saturday) - Jan 11, 2009 (Sunday) Crescent Ski Council Competition Slalom & Giant Slalom competitions for Crescent Ski Council members. Competitions begin at 9 am. Jan 13, 2009 (Tuesday) Septuagenarian (70 & Older) Party A party to recognize Sugar’s “Senior Citizen Skiers.”
Dec 13, 2008 (Saturday) - Dec 14, 2008 (Sunday) SugarFest ‘08 Equipment demos, giveaways, ice sculpting, snow ball eating contest, bluegrass music by Boss Hawg, fireworks, Edge of the World/Burton Rail Jam and more.
Jan 18, 2009 (Sunday) - Jan 19, 2009 (Monday) College Race Slalom & Giant Slalom races for college students. Competitions begin at 9 am.
Dec 13, 2008 (Saturday) Boss Hawg Live Enjoy the acoustic sounds of North Carolina High Country bluegrass from 4:00-6:00pm.
Jan 25, 2009 (Sunday) Spartanburg Ski Club Nastar Nastar event for Spartanburg/ Palmetto Ski Club members only. 11:30 am start.
Dec 13, 2008 (Saturday) - Mar 20, 2009 (Friday) Nastar more info Nastar is a public racing program that provides recreational racers with the opportunity to compare their ability to the fastest member of the US Ski Team. Nastar races are held every Saturday and Sunday at 12 noon on Big Red. Dec 27, 2008 (Saturday) - Dec 28, 2008 (Sunday) USSA Holiday Slalom and Giant Slalom Competition Slalom and giant slalom races for licensed USSA racers. Juniors 1-6, and Masters. Registration follows USSA procedures. No registrations on race day. 9am start. Dec 31, 2008 (Wednesday) New Year’s Celebration A New Year’s Celebration Mountain Style. The general public is invited, free of charge, to the torch light parade and fireworks at midnight. A fee as well reservations for the indoor festivities are required and should be made in early December Jan 3, 2009 (Saturday) Boss Hawg Live Enjoy the acoustic sounds of North Carolina High Country bluegrass from 4:00-6:00pm. Jan 4, 2009 (Sunday) High Country Junior Race Series Giant Slalom A Giant Slalom competition for all High Country junior racers. Registration is from 7:30am-8:30am. Race start is 9am on Big Red. Jan 10, 2009 (Saturday) Boss Hawg Live Enjoy the acoustic sounds of North Carolina High Country bluegrass from 4:00-6:00pm.
Jan 31, 2009 (Saturday) - Feb 1, 2009 (Sunday) Crescent Ski Council Competition Slalom & Giant Slalom competitions for Crescent Ski Council members. Competitions begin at 9 am.
Feb 7, 2009 (Saturday) Boss Hawg Live Enjoy the acoustic sounds of North Carolina High Country bluegrass from 4:00-6:00pm. Feb 8, 2009 (Sunday) USSA Giant Slalom Competition Giant slalom competition for licensed USSA racers. Juniors 1-6, and Masters. Registration follows USSA procedures. No registrations on race day. 9am start. Feb 14, 2009 (Saturday) Boss Hawg Live Enjoy the acoustic sounds of North Carolina High Country bluegrass from 4:00-6:00pm. Feb 21, 2009 (Saturday) - Feb 22, 2009 (Sunday) USSA SARA Championships J1-3. By invitation only Feb 22, 2009 (Sunday) Sugar Bear’s Birthday Celebration Join Sugar Mountain Resort’s resident mascot, Sugar
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Bear and his friends for a fun birthday celebration. Activities include the Great Bear Race, a magic show, special treats, cake and ice cream.
Feb 26, 2009 (Thursday) - End of Season Back Again! Spyder 2009-2010 Sample Sale more info The 2009-10 Spyder line samples are available in late February only at Sugar Mountain Resort. Quantities and sizes are limited, so come early. Prices (30% off retail) you won’t find anywhere else!
Mar 1, 2009 (Sunday) Richard T. Trundy Memorial Sugar Cup Competition A giant slalom competition for participants with at least an intermediate or above ability level. Proceeds go to the American Cancer Society in memory of Sugar Mountain’s former Director of Operations, Richard T. Trundy.
Mar 7, 2009 (Saturday) Boss Hawg Live Enjoy the acoustic sounds of North Carolina High Country bluegrass from 4:00-6:00pm.
Mar 9, 2009 (Monday) - End of Season March Madness Beginning March 9, 2009 and running through the end of the season, Sugar offers up to 25% savings on lift tickets, rental equipment, and lessons. Restrictions apply.
Mar 14, 2009 (Saturday) Boss Hawg Live Enjoy the acoustic sounds of North Carolina High Country bluegrass from 4:00-6:00pm.
Mar 22, 2009 (Sunday) Easter Egg Hunt Dress up in your Easter costume and come join Sugar Bear and Sweetie Bear on the slopes in search of prize filled eggs. There may even be an egg containing a season pass!Please call for additional details. .
Event details are subject to change due to weather and other variables. For more information and updates, visit www.skisugar.com on the Web, call 1-800-SUGARMT or email events@skisugar.com.
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The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
SUNALEI PRESERVE
Sunalei Preserve, a mountain park carefully balancing homes with the stirring landscape of a giant mountain and its surrounding valleys. Located in the northernmost and highest region in western NC, just minutes from Boone. With fewer than 120 homesites among nearly 1,000 acres, only a select few are destined to become a part of the Sunalei lifestyle. Home sites from $225,000 to $650,000. Custom homes from $1,000,000.
B O O N E • N O RT H CA R O L I N A 828.263.8711
w w w. S u n a l e i P r e s e r v e . c o m • w w w. B l u e R i d g e R e a l t y. n e t
2009
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
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SweetGrass. Bridging generations. There are moments in life that can’t be planned and won’t be forgotten. It is here at SweetGrass that families come together to rediscover the simple pleasures of life and each other. Whether it’s strolling through the wildflower meadow, swimming at the 22-acre mountain lake or enjoying ice cream in downtown Blowing Rock. Find your place at SweetGrass. Lots from $175,000 and homes from the $500,000s.
Visit sweetgrass.com or call 877-295-0276
Equal Housing Opportunity. © 2008 CNL Blowing Rock 1, LLC. This is not intended to be an offer to sell nor a solicitation of offers to buy real estate in SweetGrass by residents of New York or New Jersey or any other jurisdiction where prohibited by law. BRK8114AC
Obtain the Property Report required by Federal law and read it before signing anything. No Federal agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of this property.
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
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2009
Outdoor Patio Casual, Family-Friendly Atmosphere all ABiCts perm Adjace Parkinnt g Lot usic
Live M
Eccle
ctic
can
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Head Chef Michael Vetro Open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner 1182 Main St. • Blowing Rock, NC • 828-295-9683
- Live Music Thursday: Todd Wright & Andy Page Jazz Duo Sunday: Classical Guitar by Justin Butler
NOW HAVE ALL ABC PERMITS Dinner Nightly • Early Bird Specials 828.262.5128 • Highway 105 South • Boone, North Carolina Live Music Through October • www.casarustica1981.com
2009
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
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Exp. 2/28/09
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
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The Woodlands Barbecue & Pickin’ Parlor Barbecue & Pickin’ Parlor The Absolute Best:
• Chopped & Sliced Pork • Homestyle Mexican Food • Ribs & Chicken • Luncheon Specials Weekdays 11am-2pm Live Entertainment Nightly No Cover • All ABC Privileges
catering: 295-3395
(828) 295-3651
Open Daily 11am-12pm • Kitchen closes at 10pm Tues, Thurs, & Sun Highway 321 ByPass • Blowing Rock, North Carolina
2009
2009
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
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The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
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2009
BOONE OFFICE:
2277 Highway 105 South in Boone 828/263-8711
“Serving the High Country for over 26 Years”
BOONE FORK CAMP
Intimate mountain community adjoining Blue Ridge Parkway, Julian Price Park, & conservancy lands. Gorgeous 1-acre heavily wooded building sites. Seven miles to Blowing Rock. Lots from $139,000 $329,000. Select homes from $649,000-$849,900.
YONAHLOSSEE RESORT OFFICE:
Shulls Mill Road in Blowing Rock 828/963-6400
www.BlueRidgeRealty.net
SUNALEI PRESERVE
Generous homesites from 2-20 acres focusing around conservancy lands & eco-friendly hiking trails. Clubhouse, tennis court, putting green, resistance pool, fitness center, & owners’ lodge. Lots from $225,000 - $650,000. Custom homes from $1,000,000.
YONAHLOSSEE RESORT & CLUB
A gated community minutes from Blowing Rock & Blue Ridge Parkway on 300 pristine acres adjoining Moses Cone Memorial Park. Award-winning tennis amenities. Lots from $169,000-$295,000. Townhomes & private homes from $195,000-$1,795,000.
BUYER’S MARKET. SELLER’S MARKET.
CROSS CREEK
Wooded homesites at a refreshing 4000’ elevation. Located off Aho Road minutes from Blowing Rock & the Blue Ridge Parkway. A great location, incredible views, & lots to do in your own backyard. Lots from $139,900-$249,900. Homes starting at $650,000.
VACATION AND INVESTMENT HOMES
COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES
Either way, it’s an... “I-need-a-REALTOR®” market. Rates are low and home choices are plentiful. Whether you are buying or selling, now more than ever you need Blue Ridge Realty to help you achieve your goals and realize your dreams.
SELECT BUILDING LOTS
AUTUMN CHASE
Located in the heart of Valle Crucis off Watauga River Road close to all Valle attractions. Magnificent views, gentle road system, underground utilities, & stately entrance. Lots from 1-2.5 acres. $139,900 - $219,900.
ESTATE HOMES
LUXURY MOUNTAIN HOMES
www.BlueRidgeRealty.net A Trusted Name In Real Estate!
2009
The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
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The Mountain Times’ Winter Guide
2009
Wilde
Winter
ASU Theatre examines famous trial, playwright
The Appalachian State University theatre department has been a vital part of the culture and art that defines the area since it first was organized in 1933 by Antonio Atonakos. The department has developed and expanded greatly since, and its seasonal performances feature young students trained in different performance methods, vocal stylings, and techniques. These shows have become a highly popular form of entertainment both on campus and throughout the high country. This year’s season, running from Feb. 12 to April 25, features four different performances. The first show, scheduled for showtimes on Feb. 12 through 21, is The Trial from Inherit the Wind. Directed by Dr. Ray Miller, former department chair, this play by Jerome Lawrence, is based on the infamous Scopes Monkey trial of 1925. The courtroom battles in this play are between the two famous lawyers representing either side in the case, Matthew Harrison Brady and Henry Drummond, are the main focus of the story. It is the sort of play that leaves one wondering about the questions raised between characters even after the curtain closes. An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde, running from Feb. 25 to March 1, takes place in 1895 and comedically details scandal, deceit, and blackmail between a group of somewhat arrogant lords and ladies. With “intellectual” conversations between characters, with comments like, “vulgarity is simply the behavior of other people,” it will be a challenge for audiences to stop laughing once the show begins. The Heidi Chronicles by Wendy Wasserstein follows the life story of an ardent feminist through her years in high school to her adult career as an art historian. This play gives the audience a chance to a view a woman’s personal experience struggling to be successful and independent and still remain true to who she truly is. The show opens on April 1 and closes April 5. Every year, the Appalachian Young People’s Theatre spends an entire semester completely building a touring children’s theatre company from the ground up. The group travels to different elementary schools to perform their hard work. This gives students a chance to experience what being in a theatre company is truly like, while getting a chance to interact with children and help expose them to new experiences at a young age. This year, the group will perform The Lake At The End of the World, a musical adaptation by David F. Eliet and music by Nancy Rosenberg. The Young People’s Theatre is exciting for all ages, but the audience can expect to leave feeling like a child again no matter how old they are. This year the show will be performed on campus from Apr. 17 to 19, giving students and community members a chance to see the delightful imaginary worlds that the company creates for elementary students across the state. Tickets for all the shows this season can be purchased at the box office, located in the Valborg theatre lobby. The office is open on Mon. through Fri., from 2 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $6 for ASU students and faculty and $10 for non-students. Tickets can also be purchased through phone orders at (828)232-3063, for a $2 service charge per order. For more information on any of the performances or showtime information, call the box office at (828)262-3063.
Oscar Wilde
2009
THE MOUNTAIN TIMES’ WINTER GUIDE
Blowing Rock Nights Feature Big Stars
In its two-plus years of history, the Mariam and Robert Hayes Performing Arts Center in Blowing Rock has seen more than its faire share of use. It has been home to world premiere plays such as Jan Karon’s Journey to Mitford, as well as countless musical and dramatic events. With luxury seating, great sightlines and perfect acoustics, the Hayes Center is guaranteed to give you a wonderful entertainment experience. Here’s a look at some of the exciting events coming to the Hayes Center this winter:
A High Country Christmas Carol
The amazing collaboration between novelist and playwright Bob Inman and the Blowing Rock Stage Company continues! Their previous world premiere shows Crossroads, The Christmas Bus and Jan Karon’s Journey to Mitford are among the most popular and successful stage productions the BRSC has ever presented. This year Inman and the BRSC will present the world premiere of A High Country Christmas Carol at the Hayes Center December 5-14. Inman brings the Dickens classic to the modern stage utilizing a setting of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina during the Great Depression. A High Country Christmas Carol is the story of a curmudgeonly country store owner named Silas McTavish who rediscovers the magic of Christmas with the help of an unexpected Christmas Eve visitor. Tickets are $18, $14 and $10.
Glenn Bolick
Master potter, musician and storyteller from the Blowing Rock area, Glenn Bolick will perform old-time mountain music and bluegrass tunes on guitar and banjo. A descendant of some of the first Appalachian pioneers, Bolick is an example of living history as he preserves the art of mountain people through music, Jack Tales and homespun humor. Tickets are $10.
Winter Blues Fest
Once again the mighty blues band The King Bees will host the Winter Blues Fest, one of the premiere event of Blowing Rock’s Winterfest 2009. The King Bees and other regional blues acts will present a powerhouse concert certain to raise the Hayes Center Roof on Friday, January 23. Tickets are $20 and $14.
The John Cowan Band
One of the signature voices in American music, John Cowan will bring his talented band to the Hayes Center on
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Hayes Performing Arts Center attracts wide variety of entertainment
With fiddle and guitar in hand, Cross delights audiences with his original yet familiar sounding original songs. His repertoire includes funny songs such as “Liquor in the Well,” “The Great Strip Poker Massacre” and “The Scotsman” as well as well-crafted blues-tinged songs such as “Nobby” and “The Bounty Hunter.”
ASU Vocal Quartet
On Thursday, March 5 the Quintessential Graduate Vocal Quartet from Appalachian State University’s Hayes School of Music will perform for the general public. The concert is part of a series of shows each year coordinated by the Hayes Center and ASU. Tickets are $5. Masked Marvels & Wondertales The Hayes Center presents the unique oneman show Michael Cooper: Masked Marvels and Wondertales on Friday, March 13. Visually stunning, the show features handcrafted masks, original stories of courage and wonder, outlandish stilt dancing and a physical repertoire that ranges from the madcap to the sublime. The resulting stage performance has been called “a moving sculpture.” Part mime, part actor and all entertainer, Michael Cooper has been traveling the world from Paris to Hong Kong amusing the masses with his one-of-a-kind revelry. Tickets are $20 and $14.
Tea for Three
On Sunday, March 15, the Hayes Center welcomes the one woman show Lady Bird, Pat and Betty: Tea for Three starring Elaine Bromka. In the space of two hours, Bromka presents a gallery of intimate portraits of three remarkable yet radically different First Ladies. Find out why Pat Nixon called the position “the hardest unpaid job in the world.” Emmy Award-winning actress Bromka starred opposite Rich Little in the PBS show “The Presidents,” playing eight different First Ladies. Intrigued by their stories, she collaborated with playwright Eric H. Wineberger to create Tea for Three. Tickets are $20 and $14.
In April
The 2009 season at the Hayes Center really heats up in the month of April with two unique competitions. The second annual HayesGrass Competition will pit talented bluegrass bands against Mike Cross each other in a tournament format. And the Blue Ridge Food and Wine Festival will host its “Iron Chef”-style cooking competition, Fire on the Rock, at the venue. Other events in April include Davis & Dow: Great Jazz Saturday, January 24. A three-decade veteran of Americana music, Cowan was part of the innovative band New Grass Re- Divas (April 3) Man 1, Bank 0 (April 4), the Asheville Lyric vival during the 1980s and has become an integral part of the Opera production of Rigoletto (April 10), John McEuen (April acoustic festival circuit with his unique blend of bluegrass and 17), the ASU Gospel Choir (April 23), Chicago City Limits’ MySpace or Yours (April 24), and Livingston Taylor (April soul. Tickets are $25 and $15. 25). For more information, or to order tickets, call the Hayes Center Box Office at (828) 295-9627, or visit www.hayescenter. Mike Cross North Carolina legend Mike Cross returns to the Hayes org. Story by Jeff Eason Center for a night of great music and belly-shaking laughter on Saturday, February 28.
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2009
While on your winter journey don’t forget to
have a
ball!
2009
THE MOUNTAIN TIMES’ WINTER GUIDE
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May Your High Country Experience Be Memorable
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Big City Entertainment Continued From Page120
Jan. 27—African Children’s Choir
The world renowned African Children’s Choir will present “Journey of Hope” at Farthing Auditorium on Tuesday, January 27. Human rights activist Ray Barnett started the choir for children ages seven to 11 who had lost one or both parents due to poverty, war or disease. Blending traditional song and dance inspired by the entire continent of Africa, the choir inspires audiences all over the world with its moving message of hope. The choir has performed with Sir Paul McCartney, Mariah Carey and have been featured on the television programs Good Morning America, Ellen, and American Idol.
Apr. 2—NC Dance Theatre North Carolina Dance Theatre presents its magnificent production American Masterpieces at Farthing Auditorium on Thursday, April 2. Featuring the best in American choreography, the three-part production features Alvin Ailey’s classic “Night Creature,” George Balanchine’s ballet “Who Care’s?” and Tony Award-winning Twyla Tharp’s classic “Nine Sinatra Songs.”
Feb. 17—Blue Note Records on Tour
Tickets & Times All ASU Performing Arts Series performances take place at Farthing Auditorium at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $10 to $18 and increase slightly on the night of the show. For tickets or further information, call the Farthing Auditorium Box Office at (828) 2624046, or visit www.pas.appstate.edu. Story By Jeff Eason
The undisputed premiere label in Jazz, Blue Note, marks its 70th anniversary with an all-star band appearing at Farthing Auditorium on Tuesday, February 17. Led by Blue Note pianist Bill Charlap, the group will explore the classic tunes of Buddy Powell Thelonious Monk, Horace Silver, Herbie Hancock, Lee Morgan and Wayne Shorter among others. Featured musicians on the tour include Ravi Coltrane, Peter Berstein Lewis Nash, Nicholas Payton, Peter Washington, and Steve Wilson.
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INDEX OF ADVERTISERS A1 Vacuum Solutions ...............................63 Active Realty............................................76 Adams Lumber & Hardware .....................81 Alpine Ski Center ....................................17 Ambience Home Accents.........................31 Antiques on Howard................................70 Antler Realty...........................................111 Appalachian Brian/Estates........................33 Appalachian Regional Healthcare Systems..................................24 Appalachian Ski Mountain ......................13 Artwalk....................................................70 Ashe Arts.................................................77 Ashe County Chamber of Commerce.......77 Ashe County Ford ...................................76 ASU Performing Arts Series .....................95 Banner Elk Winery ................................100 Batchelor Chiropractic Clinic.................138 BeansTalk Coffeehouse............................70 Beech Mtn. Chamber of Commerce.......140 Belladonna .............................................87 Black Jack’s Pub & Grill...........................76 Blowing Rock Attractions.........................17 Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce.....64 Blowing Rock Frameworks & Gallery ......64 Blowing Rock Grille..............................126 Blowing Rock Properties, Inc. .................65 Blowing Rock Realty................................65 Blowing Rock Resort Rentals & Sales.......64 Blue Ridge Paint & Décor, LLC.................77 Blue Ridge Realty & Investments............128 Bluemoon Guitars and Music..................77 Board Paradise........................................22
Bolick Pottery & Traditions Pottery...........64 Boone Bagelry ........................................71 Boone Drug ............................................71 Boone Mall .............................................25 Boone Point.............................................21 Cabin Fever............................................103 Cabin Store, The....................................100 Canyons ................................................127 Capel Rugs.............................................132 Carlton Gallery........................................79 Carolina Cabins ......................................94 Carolina Mountain Properties & Rentals, Inc..........................76 Casa Rustica .........................................124 Cha Da Thai............................................70 Char .......................................................70 Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff ...............................81 Classic Designers, Inc. ..........................129 Covey Hollar Hunting..............................37 Dancing Moon.........................................70 Dande Lion, The......................................07 Daniel Boone Log Homes .......................97 Daylight Donuts.......................................70 Deerfield Ridge .......................................10 Dereka’s Sugar Mountain Accommodations Center.........................88 Dewoolfson Down................................139 Doe Ridge Pottery....................................71 Dos Amigos ..........................................125 Dutch Creek Trails ..................................20 Elliot Beach Rentals................................103 Ericks Cheese & Wine .............................25 Fabric Shoppe, The .................................20
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INDEX OF ADVERTISERS Finders Keepers Antiques ........................69 Fischel Pies .............................................87 Flow Auto................................................07 Footsloggers.............................................83 Foscoe Realty...........................................35 Frasers......................................................77 Fred’s General Mercantile .......................91 French-Swiss Rentals ...............................28 Gadabouts................................................31 Gamekeeper .........................................126 Gems by Gemini .....................................64 Glendale Springs Inn & Restaurant ........103 Glitz & Glamour......................................76 Golden Corral.......................................125 Grandfather Mountain ............................34 Grateful Grounds / Beadbox.....................71 Green Mother Goods ..............................71 Gregory Alan’s Unique Gifts & Home Furnishings............................... 61 Happy Tails Pet Supplies .........................77 Hawksnest ..............................................19 Headwaters at Banner Elk, The ..............112 Heartwood Realty .................................129 Hickory Fireplace & Patio .......................91 Hickory Furniture ..................................118 High South Realty ............................76,113 Highlands .............................................124 Hobby Barn ............................................77 Home Antiques .......................................61 House Whisperers ...................................31 Jenkins Realtors, Inc. ...............................97 Jim’s Corner Furniture .............................20 Joe’s Italian Kitchen ..............................127 Joe’s TV & Satellite ..................................87
Just Plain Country ...................................10 Kim Jochl ................................................10 Kincaid Factory Outlet ..........................129 Kojay’s Cafe ............................................64 Laura’s Yarntastic ....................................20 Libby’s ...................................................77 Little Main Street Inn and Suites ..............87 Logs America ..........................................67 Lucky Penny ...........................................71 Lucky Strikes ...........................................82 Makoto’s ...............................................127 Mast General Store .....................02, 65, 70 McDonald’s ..........................................127 McNeil Furniture ....................................43 Mears & Associates ..............................104 Mellow Mushroom .................................65 Mountain Bagels ...................................125 Mountain Décor & Gifts ..........................71 Mountain Home & Hearth ......................06 Mountain Home & Hearth ....................129 Mountain Outfitters ................................33 Mountain Property Brokerage, Inc. .........25 Mountain View Realty ............................64 Mountain West Builders .........................43 Mountaintop Golf Cars ...........................67 Mystery Hill ............................................17 Neaco .....................................................64 New River Building..................................72 Night Secrets ...........................................63 Outer Sanctum Salon ..............................60 Paint Your Wings ...................................103 Peak Mountain Properties, Inc. ................77 Pleasant Papers .......................................24 Pssghetti’s .............................................124
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INDEX OF ADVERTISERS Quiet Country Amish Furniture ...............76 Ram’s Rack Thrift Shop ...........................71 Reserve at Sugar Mountain ......................08 River & Earth Adventures ........................83 S&S Home and More ..............................76 SageSport ................................................12 Sassafras ..................................................76 Sears .......................................................60 Serenity Day Spa .....................................88 Sheila McCoury Perry Properties..............88 Shops at Shadowline ...............................11 Sister Act ................................................64 Six Pence Pub .......................................126 Ski 1st Tracks ..........................................29 Ski Beech ................................................23 Skyline Telephone ...................................37 Sledgehammer Charlie’s Smokehouse & Grill ................................64 Steel Park ..............................................105 Sugar Mountain Lodging .........................88 Sugar Mountain Resort ............................19 Sugar Ski & Country Club........................33 Sugar Top Resort Sales ............................88 Sunalei Preserve ....................................122 Sweetgrass ............................................123 Tanger Outlets .......................................106 Tatum Galleries and Interiors....................79 Taylor House Inn .....................................72 ‘Tis the Season.........................................76 Todd Bush Photography ..........................82 Town of Banner Elk .................................85 Town of Blowing Rock Special Pages..64-65 Town of Boone Special Pages.............70-71
Town of West Jefferson Special Pages..76-77 Tropical Bar ..........................................124 Tropical Bar ............................................71 Turchin Center for the Visual Arts............89 Turtle Old Man .....................................132 University Nissan ....................................03 UPS Store, The ........................................76 Valle Cafe, The ........................................31 Valle Crucis Log Cabins .........................118 Valle Crucis Map......................................73 Vidalia ....................................................71 Vilas Village Trading Post ........................69 Village of Sugar Mountain .......................88 Village Real Estate ...................................64 Vintage Valle Crucis ................................73 Western Jefferson ....................................77 Westglow Spa .........................................06 Woodlands BBQ & Pickin’ Parlor, The...126 YMCA of Avery County............................87 Yonahlossee Resort Rentals ...................107
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