Sugar Mountain

~Last week, just after Christmas, I went skiing with my parents at Sugar Mountain, a ski resort in the mountains of western North Carolina.  Due to snow and ice, we almost didn’t make it up the mountain to the cabin we stayed in (actually, we almost didn’t make it out of the house in Cary), but we did eventually make it there.

The day my dad & I went skiing was perfect, and while I was on the mountain, I managed to take some pictures:

^ I took this picture from the top of the mountains.  The altitude here is 5,300 feet, and with the cloudless sky, the visibility was fantastic.  The beautiful mountains in the distance are the Blue Ridge Mountains.If you’re wondering why the mountains appear blue (and hence where their name comes from), here is the answer (from the National Parks Service Blue Ridge Parkway FAQ):

“According to "A Naturalist's Blue Ridge Parkway” by David Catlin, "it can be legitimately claimed that trees put the "blue" in Blue Ridge, for hydrocarbons released into the atmosphere by the forest contribute to the characteristic haze on these mountains and to their distinctive color." The entire Appalachian Chain is extraordinarily diverse and rich in its vegetation, so there is perhaps more "blue" to the Blue Ridge and more "smoky" to the Great Smoky Mountains.”

^ Me striking a pose.  I’m the King of the Mountain!

 

^ Dad is ready to go downhill!  For an old man, he’s still spry on those skis…

^ I’m ready to go as well!

 

^ Just southeast of the mountaintop is Sugar Top, a large building of condominiums located on top of the nearby mountain.  Although the building is, in my opinion, truly ugly (but good for holding many Russian comrades, da?), the view from there must be magnificent. 

^ A map of the Sugar Mountain ski trails.  I tried out most of the runs; my favorite was to take the central lift all the way to the top, then go down Northridge to Switchback, then go down either Upper Flying Mile or Big Birch to the bottom.  Most of the pictures in this post were taken either at the summit or at the top of Big Red.

^ We stopped at the top of Big Red for a snack, and I took this picture of dad with the mountains behind him.

 

I really enjoyed skiing at Sugar Mountain.  Next time, however, I think I’d like to try snowboarding.  The way snowboarders maneuver seems to more closely match my skiing technique…or lack thereof!