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Cold Spring Pursuits
Written By: Deena Bouknight | Issue: 2021/03 – March | Photograph By: Greg Newington
There are plenty of options for Cold Weather fun as winter shades into spring.
One never knows from year to year how long winter might last in Western North Carolina. March can be late in the season to experience significant amounts of snow, sleet, and frigid temperatures. But in 1993, the area experienced one of the worst blizzards in history.
Once the snow began to fall on March 12, 1993, it did not stop until three days later. Snowfall reached massive amounts in some areas: 20 to 40 inches.
All that to say, local slopes always plan through March to continue offering such outdoor activities as skiing and snow tubing. The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts continued cold weather temperatures and a decent amount of precipitation through March in Western North Carolina. Conditions will likely be ideal, at least part of the month, for people to enjoy winter weather pursuits at Scaly Mountain Outdoor Center, Sapphire Valley Ski Area, and at the Highlands Ice Rink, which opened Nov. 19, 2020, and closes for the season on March 7.
“Through March, we are still offering snow tubing and ice skating,” said Dow Harris, manager of Scaly Mountain Outdoor Center. And Sapphire Valley Ski Area provides daily condition snow reports for individuals interested in skiing, snowboarding, and/or tubing.
Prices for March winter weather activities range from $5-$15 per hour for ice skating to $30 per two-hour sessions for snow tubing and up to $80 for an all-day lift ticket and rentals. Each facility provides details regarding rates, times, and necessity of scheduling appointments due to Covid-19 restrictions.
After March, Highlands Ice Rink transitions back into Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park, Sapphire Valley Ski Area offers ziplining, and Scaly Mountain has planned an offering of spring-through-fall warmer weather options.
“Our trout fishing and gem mining operations should be operational again,” said Harris. “Our newly renovated restaurant will also be open. And we will begin making preparations to break ground on a Wiegand Alpine Coaster, but that won’t be completed until fall.”
