The Indy Pass

[MarzNC]

Amazing how one pass can change your view point, never even considered the Midwest till I started looking at all the midwestern areas on the Indy pass.

A multi-resort pass combined with an active ski forum . . . can lead to all sorts of ideas for a ski safari. For me, that started with the Mountain Collective Pass. Even though I never got a MAX Pass, but reading trip reports and plans by folks in the northeast who got it brought up places I wouldn't have considered otherwise.

Indy started in the PacNW. Doug Fish is from Oregon. He had some experience with a completely different marketing program for a few ski resorts in the mid-Atlantic before coming up with Indy. I imagine he's learned a lot about east coast skiing that he didn't know before. You don't hear about many people who grew up on the west coast making a special effort to check out skiing in the northeast. For sure, no reason to travel to the southeast for the purpose of skiing.

 

[Epicone]

A multi-resort pass combined with an active ski forum . . . can lead to all sorts of ideas for a ski safari. For me, that started with the Mountain Collective Pass. Even though I never got a MAX Pass, but reading trip reports and plans by folks in the northeast who got it brought up places I wouldn't have considered otherwise.

Indy started in the PacNW. Doug Fish is from Oregon. He had some experience with a completely different marketing program for a few ski resorts in the mid-Atlantic before coming up with Indy. I imagine he's learned a lot about east coast skiing that he didn't know before. You don't hear about many people who grew up on the west coast making a special effort to check out skiing in the northeast. For sure, no reason to travel to the southeast for the purpose of skiing.

Untill recently, I was unaware of ski areas south of New Jersey, never knew they have them in North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, I guess they even have some in Georgia and Alabama, I find that amazing. At some point would like to ski the south east, I have a quirk about driving south to ski, was in my forties before I drove south to ski butternut and catamount.

with rob Katz, rusty Gregory and Doug fish among others, it will be interesting to see what the industry looks in five years.

 

[MarzNC]

with rob Katz, rusty Gregory and Doug fish among others, it will be interesting to see what the industry looks in five years.

Chris Diamond published his first book about the ski industry in 2017. He felt the need to write another book, Ski Inc 2020, almost immediately because all of a sudden Vail Resorts had a direct competitor as Alterra was created. By the time he was ready to publish in 2019, he had to do quick revisions to adjust for the purchase of Peak Resorts by VR. I'm hoping he's working on another book because the ski industry is clearly going to shift again in the next few years.

For Doug Fish and Indy, the issues with capacity limits at destination resorts and the fact that many people will be unwilling to fly this winter bodes well for the independent ski areas/resorts that some folks think are too small to be fun.

 

[MarzNC]

Untill recently, I was unaware of ski areas south of New Jersey, never knew they have them in North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, I guess they even have some in Georgia and Alabama, I find that amazing. At some point would like to ski the south east, I have a quirk about driving south to ski, was in my forties before I drove south to ski butternut and catamount.

While I knew about the ski areas in NC and VA back in the 1980s, I didn't have the vacation time or money to ski midweek very often. Weekend lifelines when the ride is 7-12 minutes and the run is 3-5 min just wasn't worth it. So I pretty much just took a 1-week ski vacation out west every 2-3 years. I was an intermediate so was just cruising blue/green groomers. It was having a kid that changed my perspective. Being able to do long weekends when temps were in the 30s was quite fun with her. We would often bring along a friend and her mother as well.

NC, VA, MD have slopes that have been in operation for 30-50 years. Some are true 4-season resorts. Haven't heard much about Cloudmont in AL for a while. There is also a tiny hill in Gatlinburg, TN. Ober Gatlinburg is on Indy. The base is essentially mid-mountain, relatively close to the summit. I've stopped by during the off-season.

What few people in the northeast realize is that the Appalachian chain has high elevation all the way south. Beech Mountain in NC is over 5000 ft.

The best source of info about skiing in the southeast is SkiSoutheast.com . The webcam coverage in the southeast is amazing because of what the folks at SkiSE have been doing for a few decades.

 

[ScottySkis]

While I knew about the ski areas in NC and VA back in the 1980s, I didn't have the vacation time or money to ski midweek very often. Weekend lifelines when the ride is 7-12 minutes and the run is 3-5 min just wasn't worth it. So I pretty much just took a 1-week ski vacation out west every 2-3 years. I was an intermediate so was just cruising blue/green groomers. It was having a kid that changed my perspective. Being able to do long weekends when temps were in the 30s was quite fun with her. We would often bring along a friend and her mother as well.

NC, VA, MD have slopes that have been in operation for 30-50 years. Some are true 4-season resorts. Haven't heard much about Cloudmont in AL for a while. There is also a tiny hill in Gatlinburg, TN. Ober Gatlinburg is on Indy. The base is essentially mid-mountain, relatively close to the summit. I've stopped by during the off-season.

What few people in the northeast realize is that the Appalachian chain has high elevation all the way south. Beech Mountain in NC is over 5000 ft.

The best source of info about skiing in the southeast is SkiSoutheast.com . The webcam coverage in the southeast is amazing because of what the folks at SkiSE have been doing for a few decades.

Yes beautful smoky mountain are south east are 5000 to 1 . 6000 elevation

 

[Epicone]

Chris Diamond published his first book about the ski industry in 2017. He felt the need to write another book, Ski Inc 2020, almost immediately because all of a sudden Vail Resorts had a direct competitor as Alterra was created. By the time he was ready to publish in 2019, he had to do quick revisions to adjust for the purchase of Peak Resorts by VR. I'm hoping he's working on another book because the ski industry is clearly going to shift again in the next few years.

For Doug Fish and Indy, the issues with capacity limits at destination resorts and the fact that many people will be unwilling to fly this winter bodes well for the independent ski areas/resorts that some folks think are too small to be fun.

from what I understand Chris diamond is writing another book, out next summer I think, Chris diamond was gm of Mt snow untill otten moved him to steamboat, mr. Diamond is a western mass guy like me. If rob Katz gets vail thru this virus intact, it will be a bigger deal than the epic pass in my opinio.

 

[Epicone]

Yes beautful smoky mountain are south east are 5000 to 1 . 6000 elevation

I believe the tallest mountain in the east is mount Mitchell, North Carolina, not sure if they have skiing on it

 

[MarzNC]

I believe the tallest mountain in the east is mount Mitchell, North Carolina, not sure if they have skiing on it

There are routes for those willing to hike for turns in NC. But it's hard to find the right combination of weather and snow conditions. Mount Mitchell is skiable apparently.

There is a book called Southern Snow by Randy Johnson, published 2019, that has info about lift-served skiing in the southeast as well as winter hiking and XC skiing. He wrote the first version in 1986. Needless to say, the commercial ski areas/resorts have changed a fair amount since then. I picked up a copy at the Massanutten store at the base of the lifts. Fascinating read!

Southern Snow | Randy Johnson | University of North Carolina Press

This guide provides everything you need to know to discover the South’s best-kept secrets of winter recreation: snow-covered mountains, remote yet accessib...

uncpress.org

'Southern Snow' revisited: Randy Johnson updates iconic guide to winter sports in the South

For those of us who call the High Country home, or those who already know the region as a cold weather getaway, the idea of snow in the South is

www.wataugademocrat.com

Can I Find Good Skiing Down South?

Settle a bet between me and a buddy. He said there are a couple of pretty good places to ski in the South. I say there’s no such thing as good skiing in the South. Who’s right?

www.outsideonline.com

"The tallest peak east of the Mississippi, 6,680-foot Mount Mitchell is also the prime spot for backcountry skiing in the South. Skin or snowshoe to the open, forbidding summit, and you might be one of only four or five people to ski down its frosted slopes the entire winter. You have to strike while the iron is hot—or in this case, cold—immediately after a big snow, which only happens a couple of times each winter. Take the 5.6-mile Mount Mitchell Trail from the Black Mountain Campground to get to the top of the mountain. The ski run on the way down will drop you 3,500 vertical feet, provided there’s snow covering its entire length. Even under the best conditions, you won’t blink and think you’re in the Rockies, but navigate the rocks and roots, and you—and not many others—will be able to say, “I backcountry-skied in the South.”"​

 

[Epicone]

There are routes for those willing to hike for turns in NC. But it's hard to find the right combination of weather and snow conditions. Mount Mitchell is skiable apparently.

There is a book called Southern Snow by Randy Johnson, published 2019, that has info about lift-served skiing in the southeast as well as winter hiking and XC skiing. He wrote the first version in 1986. Needless to say, the commercial ski areas/resorts have changed a fair amount since then. I picked up a copy at the Massanutten store at the base of the lifts. Fascinating read!

Southern Snow | Randy Johnson | University of North Carolina Press

This guide provides everything you need to know to discover the South’s best-kept secrets of winter recreation: snow-covered mountains, remote yet accessib...

uncpress.org

'Southern Snow' revisited: Randy Johnson updates iconic guide to winter sports in the South

For those of us who call the High Country home, or those who already know the region as a cold weather getaway, the idea of snow in the South is

www.wataugademocrat.com

Can I Find Good Skiing Down South?

Settle a bet between me and a buddy. He said there are a couple of pretty good places to ski in the South. I say there’s no such thing as good skiing in the South. Who’s right?

www.outsideonline.com

"The tallest peak east of the Mississippi, 6,680-foot Mount Mitchell is also the prime spot for backcountry skiing in the South. Skin or snowshoe to the open, forbidding summit, and you might be one of only four or five people to ski down its frosted slopes the entire winter. You have to strike while the iron is hot—or in this case, cold—immediately after a big snow, which only happens a couple of times each winter. Take the 5.6-mile Mount Mitchell Trail from the Black Mountain Campground to get to the top of the mountain. The ski run on the way down will drop you 3,500 vertical feet, provided there’s snow covering its entire length. Even under the best conditions, you won’t blink and think you’re in the Rockies, but navigate the rocks and roots, and you—and not many others—will be able to say, “I backcountry-skied in the South.”"​

will have to get southern snow at some point to read,
the south I believe, is the fastest growing section of the country, read that somewhere I believe, so it’s important for the ski industry to have feeder mtns in the south to feed skiers either to the western slopes or northeastern slopes.

 

[ScottySkis]

will have to get southern snow at some point to read,
the south I believe, is the fastest growing section of the country, read that somewhere I believe, so it’s important for the ski industry to have feeder mtns in the south to feed skiers either to the western slopes or northeastern slopes.

+100000