Skiing on New Year's weekend (Beech Mountain: ski resorts, rentals, prices)

[CuriousLindsey]

My husband and I are planning a trip to the TN/NC mountain area over the New Year's weekend and we were planning to go skiing one or two days while we are there. I looked online and found about six different ski resorts in NC and Gatlinburg in TN. Are these all fairly similar? It looked like the prices were about the same everywhere for lift tickets/rentals. I was just wondering if anyone could tell me the differences between the resorts. I know on New Year's weekend it will probably be crowded, but if there are any resorts that are nice but less crowded that would be great. Thanks.

[mdp_az]

You couldn't pay me enough to ski in NC/TN on New Year's weekend. The limited slopes that are open will be choked with throngs of people, resulting in long lift lines, icy tracked out conditions, snow guns going full tilt if temps are cool enough, and slopes so crowded it's hard to get any turns in.

IMO, skiing in the southest is almost never worth the money for the lift ticket, but if you must go, try to go on a non-holiday weekday and find the mountain with the most terrain open. In late December, temps generally haven't been consistently cold for long enough for most resorts to blow snow on more than just a few trails.

[drfranklin]

Completely agree with MDP - expect long lines, high prices, and limited skiing - after all, this is the Southeast.

Ski Beech (now Beech Mountain Resort) is probably the best in the Southeast (NC/TN) - and, no, the ski resorts are not all the same. My discussion here does not include any resorts in VA or WV.

Yes, go during a non-holiday weekday (if possible) and you will have a much better time.