CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
Winter is not here yet, but it is hard to tell from the chill in the air. The cold snap happened early this year, and that is great for skiers.
Just more than five hours from Charleston lays the southeast ski hub of Boone, N.C. All of these regional ski areas are open and ready for you. Ski Beech, the area's biggest resort, has all but two runs open. Sugar Mountain, with the largest vertical drop of 1,200 feet, is open with only two runs closed. Appalachian Mountain, with 100 percent snow making, opened with a 50- to 60-inch base with all runs open. So if you want to take a quick ski trip, North Carolina is ready for you.
If you are new to the sport, here are a few tips to make your trip more enjoyable and safer. The first concern is to keep warm and dry. If you don't own ski bibs you can rent them. There are several places in Boone that sell and rent ski clothes and gear. While a ski jacket is awesome, a good quality water-repellant winter jacket will keep you warm. Even a cloth jacket will work if you don't fall much and you spray it with a water repelling sealant.
One place not to skimp on is gloves. Leather will not keep you warm or dry. A pair of ski gloves is your best bet. Winter motorcycling or snowmobile gloves also work. A consideration, though, with either winter motorcycle gloves or snowmobile gloves is they may be too warm. This makes your hands sweat, which eventually will make your hands very cold.
Don't forget eye protection. Ultraviolet rays reflect well off the snow and make seeing difficult at times. If the resort is making snow, a cold blast of ice to the eyes will make you stop and question your decision to wear a pair of sunglasses instead of goggles.
Since most of your body heat is lost from your head, keep a lid on. While a toboggan or ski cap will keep your head warm, why not wear a ski helmet? Ski helmets keep your head warm and it might save your life.
Skiing is a relatively safe sport, but serious injuries do occur. Most of these are due to people running into trees, poles or boulders. Head injuries from striking such fixed objects tend to cause the most severe injuries. In 1998, Michael Kennedy and Sonny Bono died from head injuries when they struck trees. Had they worn helmets, they would probably be alive today. When they died, helmets were not often seen in ski areas. Now they are very commonplace and even fashionable.
Your gear is important as well. Your father's old skis, boots and bindings may look great, but leave them at home. New technology has reduced the incidents of broken legs by 95 percent from the 1970s. If you have your own equipment, a qualified technician should ideally inspect skis, boots and set your bindings before each ski trip. Improperly set bindings result in lower leg injuries, so this is not a point to skip. The good news is when you rent boots and skis a qualified technician inspects them for defects and sets you bindings. If you are new to the sport, rental boots and skis are the most cost-effective way to get into the sport. Unless you plan to ski more than 10 times during the next few years, rental is definitely the way to go. Our own Outdoor Recreation Center rents skis at reasonable rates.
If you are new to the sport, take a course and learn to ski properly. The ski school will teach you the basics -- things like how to get on and off a lift, how to Pizza (ski wedge to slow down and turn), French Fry (parallel skis to go straight), and even how to fall safely and get up safely.
At the end of the day when you are tired and ready to go home, do that. Don't ski when you are tired. Eighty percent of skier fixed-object collisions occurred in the late afternoon.
While the trip to Boone is a fairly easy drive, there is a 20-mile stretch on U.S. Highway 321 from Lenoir, N.C., to Blowing Rock, N.C., that is steep and winding with ongoing construction. You may wish to check with the North Carolina Highway Department for road closures due to construction. Make sure your vehicle is in good shape before you head out and check your tires, belts and fluids before you go. An all-wheel-drive vehicle is not required but if it does snow in the mountains, it can come in handy. Consider staying the night because, after skiing all day, you will be tired and ready for some rest before heading back.
If you don't want to drive, the ORC has trips scheduled. The ORC can make it a one-stop shop for you -- all you have to do is show up, kick back, relax and enjoy the trip.