Slide down the lovely Appalachians at Ski Mountain with opportunities for lessons and a terrain park for the more advanced.
Just off the parkway near US 321 is another of North Carolina’s ski resorts. Appalachian Ski Mountain has nine slopes and four lifts. The resort is home of the
French-Swiss Ski College.
The resort traditionally offers the best rate during its opening-anniversary period, when you ski for 1962 rates of $5.00 for an adult lift ticket, $2.50 for a junior lift ticket, and rentals for $6.50. Look for this special deal early in December.
This past winter, my family and two other families went up to Blowing Rock and rented a couple of beautiful houses and spent several days skiing on Appalachian Mountain. I wasn't sure what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised. I spent a little over a year in Telluride, CO, and this is obviously not that. However, the place was great for a family get-a-way that didn't break the bank. We went during the week and there was hardly anyone on the mountain. At night, the college students come out, but even then, it was a great time with our kids and friends. We rented a house that was literally around the corner from the slopes. It was not walkable, however, because of no sidewalks and blind turns. We went in February, where we found that most of the houses offer your third night free! One of the few negatives, is that during winter, the town of Blowing Rock is basically closed. Instead of going here, you need to travel about 10 miles down the road to Boone.