For people in Atlanta that ski, where do you go? (Decatur: ski resorts, leases)

[JAS]

Perhaps I-285 in a few days.

[Rocco Barbosa]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

We had a timeshare in Steamboat Springs, CO for years. Great place. I just much prefer western skiing conditions.

Nice.

[Clayton white guy]

Snowshoe, West Virginia. Worth the drive in my opinion verses the North Carolina resorts.

[dblackga]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

We had a timeshare in Steamboat Springs, CO for years. Great place. I just much prefer western skiing conditions.

So much envy . . . :-)

[ATLSkier]

I'm probably one of the biggest skiers in GA so here is my run down

I try to get between 13-20 days on snow per year. The most of these come in the form of day/weekend trips to NC with one or two week long trips out west to Steamboat, Alta, Park City, Taos etc

For NC skiing there are 2 geographic areas to choose from

- Boone/Banner Elk Resorts
Sugar Mtn, Beech Mtn, Appalachian Ski Mtn
- Asheville/Far Western NC
Cataloochee, Wolf Ridge, Sapphire Valley


Cataloochee offers the closest skiing to Atlanta. It is my go to. They open early (sometimes in October), have great snowmaking, and decent terrain. Cat is about 700 vertical feet and has under 100 skiable acres. I can usually get down the whole mountain in 30 seconds if I am bombing it.

There is a decent lodge/bar as well. In terms of immediate amenities Maggie Valley/Waynesville is not a bad place to spend a weekend.. Asheville is also really close.

Wolf Ridge is about 20 minutes outside of Asheville in Mars hill. It is a funky little ski area that never has its sh1t together. If it ever comes under competent ownership it has the potential to be the best ski area in the region. Problem is , that Wolf is always marred by some dramatic F up (lodge burning down, etc) that holds its back. It has an interesting and fun layout, decent vert, and is a great alternative to Cat.

Sapphire Valley is really close to Lake Toxaway, Highlands, Cashiers. Its a tiny ski area with about 300 vertical. Not really conducive to a great ski experience.

Regarding the Boone/Banner Elk resorts, Beech Mtn is my favorite. I prefer its layout and terrain to Sugar Mountain, and while Sugar Mtn has 300 more vertical feet, Beech gets more snow and has way more character. Sugar is a NC attempt at creating a Western Style Mega Resort and is kind of derided amongst avid southern skiers for its archaic rules and policies (i.e. not letting skiers into their terrain park until 2007. Expensive Lift Tickets. Bad Ski Patrol). While Sugar Mountain feels like a generic/soulless ski area like Copper Mtn or Keystone, Beech is like the NC version of Telluride or Crested Butte. The town of Beech Mtn is a legit Southern Ski Town with rich history and the distinction of being the highest town in the US east of the Mississippi. I have skied all over the world, including spending a season in Steamboat CO during a 500 inch snow year and the best Pow Day of my life was at Beech Mtn. If you have to take a multi day ski trip in the South it is the place to go.

Appalachian Ski Mountain is the last ski area around Boone. While it lacks vertical feet it is a favorite for having one of the best terrain parks on the east coast. While I really enjoy skiing terrain park (sliding rails, hitting jumps), I don't think the average City-Data ATL member is going to be doing this skiing, so its not really worth mentioning.

You could also consider going to Ober Gatlinburg for a ski trip, but that mountain is a joke for the most part.

TLDR: I live in ATL, Skiing is my life and here is where I go: Cataloochee, Wolf Ridge, Beech, Steamboat, Alta, Snowbird, Taos, Park City

[flyonpa]

I Like Keystone in Colorado.

[ATLSkier]

Summit County Colorado is the Rocky Mtn equivalent to Panama City.

[Tarzanman]

Originally Posted by ATLSkier

Summit County Colorado is the Rocky Mtn equivalent to Panama City.

Even so, the airfare is cheaper than to any other ski destination

[ATLSkier]

You don't directly fly into Summit County/Keystone- You fly into Denver. There are plenty of better resorts that are nearly as accessible as Summit that provide a much better skiing experience IMO. Check out Winter Park. Don't like Summit County/Vail because they are right off the interstate and seeing that ribbon of asphalt pierce through the mountains is a major Buzzkill. Steamboat, The Butte, Telluride, all feel like you are away from civilization and provide a more authentic skiing/western experience.

A more local comparison would be Vail/Keystone/Breck/Copper = Destin/Mirarmar/Panama City Vs Steamboat, Crested Butte, Telluride, Aspen=30A

[dblackga]

Originally Posted by ATLSkier

Wolf Ridge is about 20 minutes outside of Asheville in Mars hill. It is a funky little ski area that never has its sh1t together. If it ever comes under competent ownership it has the potential to be the best ski area in the region. Problem is , that Wolf is always marred by some dramatic F up (lodge burning down, etc) that holds its back. It has an interesting and fun layout, decent vert, and is a great alternative to Cat.

I used to go there when it was called Wolf Laurel and part of the Wolf Laurel community and lodge, and they added the ski area to the summer mountain resort lodge. My parents were from Madison County (but moved before I was born) and groups of us in college would go to Wolf Laurel in the 70's for skiing -- it was low-key and easy, not very crowded. It does seem to have had its share of challenges. :-( Too bad, because it's a nice little spot, you didn't have to wait more than five minutes for a lift, etc., and you weren't being run down by crazies. :-)