Ski Southeast Messageboard

So i got my first day on the slopes this season yesterday at beech and it was bitter sweet. First, the quality of the snow for opening weekend at beech was great! The left and right sides of shawneehaw had some great deep snow that was a lot of fun to play around in and better than i expected. The snow wasn't too wet or grabby at all like it was at lower elevations around the high country. The coverage was great! That being said I was pretty disapointed in the operations at Beech Mtn..



I usually give them a pass for just ab anything because they are the only ones with enough vision to install the only detachable lift in NC. But for starters the snow guns were really really unnecesary yesterday. The visibility yesterday was really bad already because it was dumping snow!!! The only guns that were on yesterday were on the the runs already open even though mother nature was doing its best to give them more coverage. I COMPLETELY understand that they are trying to build a base for those wacky warm spells BUT there is about 2 weeks of snowmaking temperatures forecasted right now and they have not opened night skiing yet which gives them a great opportunity to blast the hell out of the slopes. The visibility with these guns on the the natural snow dumping on its own was absolutely crazy bad. Also they had frozen blocks of snow under these snow guns that you could not see very well with the visibility that were 3 or 4 feet high. Those things should have been flattened out and were a major unexpected hazard.



Secondly, and less understadable than the snow guns. They acted like they were not ready to open for another month. I know its their first weekend open but is not early november its december now. The beech tree restaurant was closed ( there weren't many people there so i get that) so i went to the cafeteria to warm up and get something to eat. The mood inside that place could not have been more depressing. I've never been to a resort where everyone was so down. (This probably due to the punishment of the snow guns everyone was receiving). But the few options they had available to eat, chicken fingers and burgers, was all cold (this is coming from someone that just came outside from frigid temperatures). There was no music in there, the tvs were turned off, and there were no festive decorations to be seen. There are a lot of things that could and should have been done to that place very inexpensively to give it a much better feel. I got the impression that they didnt want us in there, it was that bad. I mean get a radio and put on some christmas tunes, the local radio, hell even the weather forecast??!! Not to mention it was Sunday and the tvs were off with dozens of football games on. Put up a few christmas decorations and make the place a little welcoming. While they are at it how bout tossing my food in the microwave for a few seconds.

Sorry to rant but I have worked at ski resorts before and I have to tell you there is no excuse for the way that mtn was operating this past weekend. I was really disapointed after I had heard that they were really revamping the place; I thought I was going to get a fun experience. I was so excited for ski season to start up and seemed like everyone around there was mad we were there.

Ouch, harsh! I usually bring my own operations. Duly noted. Do you live in the area?

More complaining about snow guns. SMH. Get over it. As for the cafeteria, they had beer on Saturday and that's all I need.

i board in the south and expect the guns. the wind yesterday was alot worse than the guns to me. i had to push our youngest thru the bottom of shawneehaw b/c the upward winds would bring her to a stop in the pow.



the tvs should have been on, but if you would have asked i'm sure they would have fipped the switch.



one thing i noticed yesterday in the cold blustery day was the lifty getting out of the house to help ppl on the lift. in the past this wasn't the case. the new guy @ the barn was checking passes/tickets and even helping the newbs get their equipment on.

1.) suns out guns out. or maybe the opposite. either way, get used to it. i, for one, want beech to blow as much as possible all day and night regardless of when i am riding.



2.) i do actually somewhat agree about the cafeteria. a few food, tv, and lighting upgrades would definitely spruce things up and if i was running the place i would sink at least a few thousand into it to make it a bit more marketable. with that said, i dont run the place and im not a lodge guy anyway, the only reason i ever go inside when i'm riding is b/c those im with want to for beer or whatever. i'd rather be taking another run or two. it's a long way from raleigh and the opportunity cost of taking a break is way too high on my stoke-o-meter. time is $$$ people.



3.) i had to google what "smh" meant. internet fail.



4.) tr's with lots of words suck.

OP=Worked in Colorado resorts, comparing everything to western resorts, Too much *****in. GTFOI dude. If you don't like it, don't go. That will mean less folks on the slopes= a better time for the rest of us. +1 to what carvebeast and Kendog said. I pay to ski and ride, NOT sit in the lodge.

Christmas Decorations?!



Really?

The love on this board is to mushy sometimes......

@Bronco Boarder 228329 wrote:OP=Worked in Colorado resorts, comparing everything to western resorts, Too much *****in. GTFOI dude. If you don't like it, don't go. That will mean less folks on the slopes= a better time for the rest of us. +1 to what carvebeast and Kendog said. I pay to ski and ride, NOT sit in the lodge.



No actually I'm not comparing everyting to western resorts. I would never do that bc there is no point in that. I'm 24 and I've been skiing in nc since I was 5 years old so I'm well versed in the NC ski industry. My love of skiing here in NC took me out west. Its just hard to go somewhere where there are so many obvious ways of making someones experience better.



I dont like to sit in the lodge either and I would have never gone in there if it weren't for being beat down by the snow guns. I'm used to the guns but I'm telling you sunday was just too much. Especially when they could have focussed on other terrain



Also can someone please tell me the reason as to why snow guns cannot be pointed diagonally down the run so that its not sand blasting you in the face?? There has to be a reason for this that I'm overlooking...

Yesterday they had some really good chili. It was hot. If your food wasn't hot enough for you then you should've said something to one of them and they would've made you a new order of whatever you had. Everyone that works in the View Haus is super nice and would've done whatever to make sure you had a good experience. The Beech Tree was closed because it doesn't open until the night sessions begin, which will be Friday.



The guns... oh the guns. Any time a snow gun is on, someone will be complaining. The first few weeks of cold weather at a ski resort is CRUCIAL and as much snowmaking as possible needs to happen. If you've skied in NC since you were 5, then you should've been aware of that when you bought your ticket. There's almost always hard, sticky snow underneath the guns, and they can't constantly groom the slopes during the day to prevent it. But once again, if you've ridden NC resorts for so long, then you should know this.



Honestly I thought that was the best opening weekend we've had in a long time. Yes the guns were a little annoying, but they turned most of them off during business hours both Saturday and Sunday. I didn't think it was that bad at all. Sorry you had a bad time, hopefully next time all that snowmaking will pay off and you can enjoy a nice bluebird day.