Category: Boone

Snowshoe Guided Tours at Sugar Mountain

While in most parts of the South, autumn solely means a slightly cooler weather change, in the Boone area, it also means we are nearing the season for winter activities on the nearby ski mountains!

On many of the ski resorts, they offer more than just skiing, for instance on Sugar Mountain, they offer snowshoe guided tours. Starting on December 1, tours are offered every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 3pm. And on Saturday at 9am and 3pm. There is both an adults and children’s tour for those between the ages of 8-11. The tours are 1 hour.

William Kradel Leave a comment on Snowshoe Guided Tours at Sugar Mountain Boone, Hiking, Outdoor Fun, Skiing, Winter Activities Tags , ,

Grandfather Mountain Birdwatching!

In addition to its wonderful scenery and trails, Grandfather Mountain is also home to a large variety of birds to enjoy watching!

Because of the many different microclimates on Grandfather Mountain, over 200 species of birds can be found here! And 100 of those have documented breeding colonies.

One of the surprisingly effective places to watch birds is at the Nature Museum Restaurant. There are many bird feeders outside which the birds enjoy. Some of the birds which can be spotted include Nuthatches, Carolina Chickadees, and Juncos.

For woodland birds, the Profile Trail offers many opportunities to spot species such as Warblers, Louisiana Water Thrushes, and Scarlet Tangers.

On Black Rock Trail, there are plenty of birds which prefer high elevations. Some of these include Kinglets, Hermit Thrushes, and Magnolia Warblers.

A special event in September is the annual southern migration of a variety of raptor species. Throughout the month, visitors can join trained staff to watch the migration and learn more about the passing eagles, peregrine falcons, and more raptor species.

William Kradel Leave a comment on Grandfather Mountain Birdwatching! Blowing Rock, Boone, Hiking, Hiking, Outdoor Fun

Music on the Lawn in Blowing Rock

Blowing Rock has always been a place of fun and relaxation throughout the seasons but especially in summer. Starting this Friday evening, at the Ragged Gardens Inn, the Music on the Lawn event begins. 
From 5:30 to 8:30, you can enjoy free outdoor concerts at the Ragged Gardens Inn. A wide range of family friendly music will be featured including classic country, blues, bluegrass and more! There will be drinks and food available to purchase and you can bring your own lawn hair to sit back and relax. 

William Kradel Leave a comment on Music on the Lawn in Blowing Rock Boone, Concerts and Events, Outdoor Fun

COVID Protocols for Beech Mountain Ski Resort.

It is finally getting cold enough for the ski resorts in the Boone area to finally open! With the pandemic ongoing, all of the resorts are taking extra precautions to ensure everyone is safe and can be comfortable enjoying the slopes.

Beech Mountain makes sure to clean and disinfect all high traffic and touch areas such as restrooms, ticketing, and rental areas using CDC and EPA recommended disinfectants for COVID.

Masks are mandated at all areas outside when interacting with staff, riding, in the loading And unloading areas of the ski lift, and in outdoor areas where social distancing isn’t possible. Masks are mandated at all times inside as well.

All outdoor seating and eating areas have additional separation to ensure social distancing between multiple groups

Hand sanitizers are placed throughout the resort in high traffic areas and sensor faucets are used in all restrooms.

A new paperless system Is used for rentals. You can fill out a paperless paper request and pick up the equipment without any contact with others which also speeds up the process

You can only ride chairlifts with people who you rode with to the resort or ride them alone. This will cause a slight increase in chairlift lines

William Kradel Leave a comment on COVID Protocols for Beech Mountain Ski Resort. Outdoor Fun, Skiing, Winter Activities Tags , ,

The Autumn Air in Boone and Blowing Rock

Despite approaching the end of October, it is still very much autumn here in the Boone area. The fall leaves on the trees are still very much a wonder to behold. It is a wonderful activity to do while we still need to keep our social distance. 

In the Boone and Blowing Rock area, there are plenty of places to view the fall colors on the mountain. In addition to being able to view the mountainside forest from the town of Blowing Rock, on the roads entering and exiting the town there are beautiful overlooks to take pictures from them. 

Grandfather Mountain is another wonderful place to view the fall colors. You do need to make an appointment ahead of time to visit due to the pandemic

Beech Mountain, while well known as a ski resort, also has trails to walk to enjoy the scenery throughout October, and guided tours on Wednesday and Fridays. The ski resort itself is scheduled to open November 21.

William Kradel Leave a comment on The Autumn Air in Boone and Blowing Rock Blowing Rock, Boone, Hiking, Outdoor Fun Tags , , ,

History of Appalachian Ski Mountain, opening Nov 20

Now that autumn is here, the ski slopes in the Boone area are that much closer to opening. Appalachian Ski Mountain even has a scheduled opening day of November 20.  So what makes Appalachian Ski Mountain special?

Appalachian Ski Mountain got its start in 1968 when Grady Moretz and four other partners bought the area at a public auction

Originally, the resort only had a 12,000 foot base lodge and 3 slopes. These slopes only had two rope tows for ascending the mountain. As it became more and more popular, in 1984 it underwent a major renovation which added chairlifts and a 6,000 foot addition to the ski lodge.

By 2010 Appalachian Ski Mountain has twelve slopes, three chairlifts, two conveyer lifts and one handle pull lift. The ski lodge itself now covers 46,000 feet and is very comfortable as well. 

William Kradel Leave a comment on History of Appalachian Ski Mountain, opening Nov 20 Boone, Outdoor Fun, Skiing, Winter Activities Tags , , ,