Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 2:16 pm
I headed up to Cataloochee yesterday with my mom to make good on her Christmas present from me, a day on the snow. Luckily, her school canceled school yesterday and we were able to make it happen. We were a little worried about ice on the roads up from N. GA, but we were pleasantly surprised. It took a little longer than usual, but overall it wasn't icy at all.
The temperatures were FRIGID. When we got there at 10:45 it said it was 8 outside and when we left at 6:00 it said 7 and this was at the base. Who knows how cold it got at the top. I skiied below zero in Colorado last week and it did not feel as cold as Cataloochee was yesterday.
In the morning, the slopes were empty. I think the cold air kept people home, but around the time the twilight session started, the crowds started to pick up. I stayed out there until a little after 5 and the last hour it started to get really thin, again because the temperature was dropping drastically and the wind was picking up. The lift lines were pretty short all day. Never longer than 3 minutes or so, even when the double was closed for maintenance and the quad was carrying everyone.
The terrain park has gotten a lot better since I was last there. I think they are still having problems with their handle tow getting certified, but they still have the park next to the green slope. Yester day they had (from top to bottom) a flat box, a pretty long flat rail, a kink rail, a rail into a jump, a kink to flat to down kink rail, and a hip jump. I don't know if those are the right names, but that's what they seemed like to me
Sorry I didn't get any pics, but my camera ran out of batteries.
The main slope stayed pretty uncrowded all day.
Not the same on Upper and Lower Snowbird. They tended to be a massive traffic jam, pretty standard at the Cat.
There is great base coverage all over the mountain. They should have a great rest of the season because of this. Looking up at Upper Omi.
Even off trail, there is plenty of snow. The new gladed area is still good to go and even the hidden trail to the left of Lower Omi has tons of snow. This little spot had a great jump off the top and back onto the trail. The first time I did it, my stomach dropped out of me. This picture is looking down the trail towards the edge. You can kind of see a snow gun on the right.
Trails are looking very wide right now. This is looking up Upper Snowbird.
Alley Cat was great all day. not icy at all and super wide. The french drain on the right has mad a great jump, too.
I went skiing yesterday mainly because I miss it after doing six days out West. I really missed skiing the lift line so I had to hit up the one above Alley Cat. It had a closed sign, but I couldn't pass it up. I had first tracks, but a few people went after me, including a snowboarder who side-slipped the entire way down, taking most of the snow downhill. I hit it about five or six times and it had thin, but pretty nice natural snow.
At times, the slopes were pretty empty. This is looking from the hidden trail down toward Lower Omi.
Overall, it was a great day. Early in the day the snow was kind of hard, but it got better after lunch. The cold kept the crowds away and the natural snow has formed a nice base all through the woods and on little side trails. My advice, get up there if you can. This my tenth day on the slopes, and all I can say is keep the good days comin'!
The temperatures were FRIGID. When we got there at 10:45 it said it was 8 outside and when we left at 6:00 it said 7 and this was at the base. Who knows how cold it got at the top. I skiied below zero in Colorado last week and it did not feel as cold as Cataloochee was yesterday.
In the morning, the slopes were empty. I think the cold air kept people home, but around the time the twilight session started, the crowds started to pick up. I stayed out there until a little after 5 and the last hour it started to get really thin, again because the temperature was dropping drastically and the wind was picking up. The lift lines were pretty short all day. Never longer than 3 minutes or so, even when the double was closed for maintenance and the quad was carrying everyone.
The terrain park has gotten a lot better since I was last there. I think they are still having problems with their handle tow getting certified, but they still have the park next to the green slope. Yester day they had (from top to bottom) a flat box, a pretty long flat rail, a kink rail, a rail into a jump, a kink to flat to down kink rail, and a hip jump. I don't know if those are the right names, but that's what they seemed like to me
Sorry I didn't get any pics, but my camera ran out of batteries.The main slope stayed pretty uncrowded all day.
Not the same on Upper and Lower Snowbird. They tended to be a massive traffic jam, pretty standard at the Cat.
There is great base coverage all over the mountain. They should have a great rest of the season because of this. Looking up at Upper Omi.
Even off trail, there is plenty of snow. The new gladed area is still good to go and even the hidden trail to the left of Lower Omi has tons of snow. This little spot had a great jump off the top and back onto the trail. The first time I did it, my stomach dropped out of me. This picture is looking down the trail towards the edge. You can kind of see a snow gun on the right.
Trails are looking very wide right now. This is looking up Upper Snowbird.
Alley Cat was great all day. not icy at all and super wide. The french drain on the right has mad a great jump, too.
I went skiing yesterday mainly because I miss it after doing six days out West. I really missed skiing the lift line so I had to hit up the one above Alley Cat. It had a closed sign, but I couldn't pass it up. I had first tracks, but a few people went after me, including a snowboarder who side-slipped the entire way down, taking most of the snow downhill. I hit it about five or six times and it had thin, but pretty nice natural snow.
At times, the slopes were pretty empty. This is looking from the hidden trail down toward Lower Omi.
Overall, it was a great day. Early in the day the snow was kind of hard, but it got better after lunch. The cold kept the crowds away and the natural snow has formed a nice base all through the woods and on little side trails. My advice, get up there if you can. This my tenth day on the slopes, and all I can say is keep the good days comin'!