Ski North Carolina: Ski Beech Mountain

Beech Mtn. offers several packages geared toward the new or novice skier, as well as a challenge for experienced skiers.

What: Ski North Carolina: Ski Beech Mountain Ski Resort
Where: Beech Mountain North Carolina
When: November – March
Cost: Adult lift tickets $25 – $63 | Children 5 – 12 and Seniors 65 – 69 $20 – $43 | 70+ ski free
Deals: $99 midweek Special
$101 Ski Deal
$45 Learn to Ski Package
Planning to ski MLK weekend? Beech Mtn. rates are regular weekday rates for MLK day
Video: For video of Beech Mountain Ski Resort

A few weeks before Christmas I was invited on a press trip to Ski Beech Mountain North Carolina. My family and I have been to Beech Mountain before, but this trip was just adults and although a lot of fun, I missed watching my kids learn to navigate the slopes, experience more snow than they’d ever seen in their lives and laugh themselves silly pushing each other down Beech Mountain’s free sledding hill. I keep looking at the calendar trying to figure out when I can go back with the kids. If skiing with the family is on your list as well, here’s what you need to know for your Ski Beech vacation.

Lessons aren’t just for kids. Experts say three lessons is the magic number to feel confident on the slopes. (photo credit: Bill Russ)

Ski Beech Mountain
Beech Mountain Resort has the highest elevation of any NC ski resort and boasts the only high speed quad lift in North Carolina. For those who don’t know skiing, the quad gets folks to the top of the mountain faster, so you aren’t waiting in line as long (unless it’s MLK weekend, and then you need to come with lots of patience). Beech Mountain recently took out a lesser-used chair lift to make more skiable surface, a great addition (or deletion) to make runs feel more open and inviting.

Beech Mountain continues to revamp their snowmaking capabilities. They’ve been adding high power snow guns each year and now have a total of 30, plus more than 100 smaller guns, which means that as long as it gets below 32 degrees at night, the slopes are a winter wonderland.

One of my favorite things about Beech is they rent ski clothes in addition to ski equipment. If you don’t have all that ski gear, you can rent it here. (Note: hats, gloves and googles cannot be rented, so you’ll need to bring those items)

Beech Mountain Resort has added Ric Wilkerson as director o freestyle terrain. Ric is known for creating excellent terrain parks.

Ski Beech: First Time Skiers Welcome
This season, Beech Mountain is courting the first time skier. In addition to stay, ski and lesson packages like the $99 midweek package and Ski101 package, Beech also offers a Learn to Ski Beech $45 midweek rental equipment, lift and lesson package during the month of January. To further entice novices, they have High Country Hosts that can walk first timers through the entire process. Beech Mountain isn’t a huge resort, but having someone who knows the ropes physically take you to each station so you don’t even have to think about it, is a huge benefit. If you’d like to do this, just ask for a High Country Host when you arrive.

Ski Beech: Lessons at Beech
If you aren’t a skier, make sure to take a lesson or two. Actually, the magic number is three. Three lessons and experts say you’ll get the hang of it and have a sport for a lifetime. My boys never got off the bunny slope on their first outing, but they all enjoyed the challenge and are eager to go back and learn more. (If I put them in ski SCHOOL, technically they are still IN school, right?)

For more information on Beech Mountain, see our other posts

• Family Ski Deals
• Beech Mountain FREE Sledding Hill
• Where to Stay at Beech Mountain
• Where to Eat at Beech Mountain
• Our Family Trip to Beech Mountain Ski Resort

This is a sponsored post, however, all opinions are my own.