Ski Season Begins Monday In Western North Carolina

Light snowfall in Western North Carolina will help the effort of the Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley, NC to open earlier than they have before.

By: Mary Lu Saylor | WSPA-TV
Published: October 18, 2009

Light snowfall in Western North Carolina will help the effort of the Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley, NC to open earlier than they have before. Snow machines began snow making Sunday and will open Monday.

Full Press Release:
CATALOOCHEE SKI AREA STARTS SNOWMAKING TODAY
FOR EARLIEST OPENING, OCTOBER 19!

Maggie Valley, NC

Well…you could say Happy Fall, y’all!

With a dusting of natural snow from Mother Nature on the bright autumn leaves, Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley, North Carolina cranked up the guns to once again be one of the first areas to open in the nation for this year’s winter snow sports season. One of the East Coast’s most Southern resorts, Cataloochee will be the first area in North Carolina and one of the first in the East to make snow and open for skiers and riders in 2009/2010. The resort is set to drop the ropes on Monday, October 19, 2009, at 1:00pm. Operating for its 48th season, Monday’s opening marks the fifth straight year the North Carolina resort has been among the first resorts to open. Snowmaking began at 6:45 am on Sunday morning at a temperature of 25 degrees.

North Carolina’s first ski area continues to make significant improvements to its snowmaking capabilities allowing the resort’s operational staff to be aggressive in helping skiers and snowboarders with their first tracks of the season. “We continue to expand our automatic snowmaking system which allows us to utilize these early colder temperatures and allow us to open as early as we can”, says Chris Bates, Cataloochee’s Vice President and General Manager. “We remain committed to our customers to provide the most skiing and riding time we can each season and will continue to make snow and open early each year.” Only beginner terrain will be available with limited food or beverage service on site. Early season rates will be in effect.

Additional snowmaking will occur whenever temperatures permit.

For an up-to-date snow report and more information about the 2009/2010 season go to www.cataloochee.com