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Learn to Ski: Five Common Mistakes of First Time Skiers

Breckenridge Colorado

According to the Breckenridge Ski Patrol “there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear”. Make sure you have the right gear for your ski adventure. (Photo Credit: gobreck.com)

If you’d like to learn to ski, there’s more to it than just figuring out how to walk in boots, use your poles or make a pizza to stop. We asked the ski patrol at Breckenridge Resort what are some of the most common mistakes for first time skiers. First, be prepared for the altitude change. Altitude sickness is due to the lower amounts of oxygen in the air at high altitudes. Altitude sickness can manifest itself in breathlessness, throbbing headaches and fatigue to name a few. To avoid the effects of altitude sickness, especially if you are coming to Breckenridge (or any mountain town) from sea level, is to gradually increase the altitude. If you are visiting Breck, spend one night in Denver first. This will give your body an adjustment period at 5,000 ft. prior to going up to 10,000 ft.

What else do you need to know? Here’s what else the Breck Ski Patrol had to say about common mistakes of first time skiers.

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Ski North Carolina: Comparing High Country Ski Resorts

Beech Mtn Resort

Beech Mountain has the only quad chair lift to get skiers up the mountain fast.

What: Ski North Carolina, Compare High Country Ski Resorts
Where: Appalacian Ski Mtn., Sugar Mtn. and Beech Mtn.
When: November – March
Cost: Ranges for youth and adult Lift Tickets $20 – $68

Recently I was invited by the North Carolina High Country on a press tour of the ski resorts located in the area. Each has its own unique qualities and offer skiers a little something different. All the resorts have invested in large snow guns, so as long as nights are below 32 degrees, they can create a winter wonderland on the slopes. Here’s what you can expect at Appalachian Ski Mountain, Beech Mountain Resort and Sugar Mountain Resort.

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Sugar Mountain offers Wintertime Fun on and off the Slopes

Sugar Mtn. Resort

Sugar Mountain offers lots ot do on and off the slopes. (photo credit: Sugar Mtn. Resort, NC)

What: Ski Sugar Mountain
Where: 1009 Sugar Mountain Drive, Sugar Mountain, NC | 1-800-784-2768
When: November – March (Call for conditions)
Cost: Lift tickets are $25 – $68 for adults | $20 – $45 Under 12
Midweek Learn to Ski Package includes rentals and lessons starting at $62
Complete rental set: $16 – $28 Adults | $10 -$28 Kids | Snowboard equipment is $25 and $36
Group Ski Lesson: $22
For Video: Ski Sugar Mountain

When most Southerners think of snow skiing, North Carolina probably isn’t the first place they think about, but it’s a great, drivable option for those that want to learn to ski, or to get their snow fix close to home. Sugar Mountain, near Banner Elk, NC offers 115 acres of skiable terrain and 20 slopes for ski levels from beginner green trails to the states only double black diamond advanced run. If you are thinking about bringing the family to Sugar Mountain to ski, here are a few things you need to know.

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Plan a Ski Trip to Copper Mountain, Colorado

Copper Mountain CO

What’s a Southerners first ski vacation like? Read on.

Guest post by Jennifer Close, Two Kids and a Map

When we moved from Pensacola, Florida to Denver, Colorado at the end of November, skiing wasn’t even on my family activity radar.  My husband was excited about being closer to the mountain because he is an intermediate snowboarder but I had no interest in skiing.  I had tried skiing once before on a trip to Wisp, Maryland and it wasn’t pretty.  The adventure ended in a snow mobile ride down the mountain with a member of ski patrol.  Not only do I have the bad memory of that one day of skiing, I am also not really a fan of cold weather or snow.  Or, so I thought.

Our recent visit to Copper Mountain has completely changed my mind.  As a Southern gal, I was very nervous and anxious about our ski trip.  I am used to tank tops, flip flops and trips to the beach but I was determined to make the best of it.

You can find nonstop flights from Atlanta to Denver for under $200 right now, which helps to make the mountains of Colorado accessible for that big winter family vacation.  If you are thinking about traveling to Copper Mountain, there are a number of things to consider before your trip.

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Ski Deals, Things to do in Atlanta highlight CBS Better Mornings

Field Trips with Sue on CBS Better Mornings Atlanta

Watch Field Trips w/Sue on CBS Better Mornings Atlanta

This morning was a Field Trips with Sue day on CBS Better Mornings Atlanta.With all the snow talk this week, combine with the fact that January is Learn to Ski month, we focused our first segment of Field Trips with Sue on CBS Better Mornings Atlanta on Ski deals. For our second segment, we stayed closer to home talking about things to do in Atlanta for MLK weekend and the next two weeks. Many of these activities are Free! Here’s more details on what we discussed, as well as a link to the actual video segments (just in case you weren’t glued to your TV in the wee hours of the morning.

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What to Wear Skiing: A Beginners Guide

Beech Mountain

To stay warm in the snow, dress in layers.

A ski vacation takes a bit more preparation than just throwing a bathing suit in a bag and heading out. For first time skiers, the most important rule of thumb is stay warm and dry. Otherwise, you’ll be miserable and won’t be able to enjoy the experience. This post is a beginners guide to What to Wear Skiing. We’ve outlined eight things to consider before leaving for the slopes. In addition, we give you some alternatives to purchasing expensive ski clothing. Continue reading What to Wear Skiing: A Beginners Guide

Ski North Carolina: Ski Beech Mountain

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.

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Where to Stay at Beech Mountain

Beech Mountain

No matter where you stay at Beech Mountain, enjoy the Free sledding hill in the center of town (across from Klonteska Condos. (Photo credit: Amy Morrison)

What: Lodging at Beech Mountain 
Where: Town of Beech Mountain, NC
When: Year-Round
Cost: Varies by date and accommodations (see websites)

Each time we go to Beech Mountain, we stay somewhere new. If there is natural snow, all the resorts offer enough room to build snowmen, have a snowball fight and generally play outside. In addition, the places listed here are participating in the Beech Mountain $99 Weekday Special and the $101 Learn to Ski Package.

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Best Ski Deals for Families

Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month

January is Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month. Lots of resorts around the country have special offers, including Cooper Mtn., pictured here.

What: Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month
Where: Across the United States
When: January 2013
Cost: Ski Deals and discounts available at most ski resorts

I love to ski. I was part of the ski club in high school and we went every Wednesday. It’s a little harder to do that out of Atlanta. However, recently, I went to Beech Mountain Resort in North Carolina on a press trip. As soon as I got on the mountain, I remembered how much I love skiing. The crisp air, the bright snow, flying down the mountain.

If you’ve never skied, it’s never too late to try. January is Learn to Ski & Snowboard Month and there are a host of deals to entice new comers to try the sport or if you’re like me, rediscover how much you love it.

This month on Field Trips with Sue, we’ll be featuring lots of ski-related blog posts and resort reviews. If you have a favorite ski resort, let us know about it. To jump start the series, here’s where to find some great ski deals.

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Beech Mountain Resort: Skiing Near Atlanta

Beech Mountain Resort Ski SchoolWhat: Skiing Near Atlanta at Beech Mountain, NC
Where: Beech Mountain North Carolina
When: Ski Season is officially
Cost: Varies by activity

Last year, my family took a vacation to Beech Mountain Resort. It was the first time my boys had ever been skiing and they loved it. Beech is a great place for kids and adults to try out skiing or get themselves ready for a vacation out west. Here is a guide to a fun filled family ski vacation at Beech Mountain, NC, including plenty of time away from the slopes.
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