With the winter season fast approaching and the debut of the new website, I figured it was a good time for me to write my first article of the season. So here it is!
For those who don’t know, I’ve been working from home in Charlotte (technically Davidson) ever since last season ended. Most of the stuff that I do for Appnet in the offseason can be done from here. Technology is awesome! Anyways, I’ve only been up to the mountains a handful of times since April and today was the first time I’ve been up there to see the fall colors. I was at Appalachian Ski Mountain to fix the webcam (more on that in a minute) and on the drive up and down I couldn’t help but gaze around at the spectacular colors. I’ve been reading Mike’s blog on ResortCams.com and I’ll look at all the cams every day to check things out, but neither really conveys just how brilliant the foliage is. You really need to see it in person if you haven’t before. If you can make a trip up there soon, I highly suggest it as the leaves will be all gone in just a few weeks!
As I said, I was out and about at Appalachian Ski Mountain to fix the webcam. We had a lot of connectivity issues with that camera last year, so I replaced the housing which should solve those problems. It should also improve the field of view that we have and we’ll be able to get the top of the mountain in frame. It’s going to be pretty sweet. Look for that camera to be back online soon once their resident IT guy configures their network.
^^^ I can’t wait for this to be white instead of green. ^^^
While I’m still on the topic of App, I have to mention that their 15th annual tent sale begins tomorrow and will run through October 28th. While I was there, I scoped out all of the gear on sale and I must say, there is PLENTY to choose from. The whole bottom part of the lodge where the rental area is located is filled with stuff. Any type of ski or snowboard gear you can think of, they have it on sale at really good prices. If you’re looking for a new setup for the upcoming season, check it out. I know I’ll be there on Monday after work. I had my eye on a jacket.
As you may have noticed, the website has a new look to it. This is just part of our plan in improving every aspect of Ski Southeast this winter. We plan on providing more content than ever including articles, videos, and photos from ski areas across the region. I am really stoked about this because it means I’ll be out and about every week at the ski areas to snap pictures and record video in order to give you all a firsthand look at what the current conditions are across the region. Getting paid to snowboard…that’s what I call living the dream.
We also want to do more contests and giveaways this season. Free stuff! Who doesn’t like that? Make sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter as we plan on utilizing social media more this season to make announcements about these things. While you’re at it, head on over to the messageboard as well and join our community of snow lovers. It’s another really good resource for all things ski and snowboard in the region and you can meet some cool people too.
So, what about the weather this year? As we all know, last season was pretty…poor. There’s no other way of saying it. I don’t even think I got in 20 days of riding which is very unusual for me. The general consensus in the weather community right now is that we will see near normal temperatures and average to above average snowfall. That sounds like heaven compared to what we experienced last season. That said, just about every winter forecast last year was a complete bust, so don’t put too much stock into them. Predicting the weather months in advance is still a huge challenge. Regardless, I don’t know if it can get any worse than last year. I hope I didn’t just jinx things.
Sugar Mountain and Cataloochee are usually the first resorts to open in the region each season and they generally do so in early to mid-November. Let’s hope this holds true once again this season because that would mean we’re only 3-5 weeks away from getting back on the snow! Woot woot! It’ll be here before you know it.
I’m looking forward to bringing all of you news and info from around the region this season once again. I have a feeling it’s going to be a good one. Here’s to a cold, chilly, frosty, frigid, powdery, and snowy winter!
Email me your comments, thoughts, photos, vids or anything else you like at [email protected]