East • News • Ski & Snowboard Industry News

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And the crown goes to… the honor of being first to open on the East coast (and usually last to close) is normally held by snowmaking behemoths like Sunday River or Killington. For the 2019-20 ski season though, it’s the stuff of legends, like the story of David versus Goliath. Someone else has stolen the crown! A small cozy resort by the name of Cataloochee in western North Carolina is crowned the first ski resort to turn its lifts!

How Did A North Carolina Resort Open First?

To pull this off, Cataloochee needed the “perfect storm” of weather. It had to be temperatures below freezing and low humidity. Although they’re typically the first in the mountains of North Carolina to open, this is a true testament at how much they’ve improved their snowmaking skills as well. With multiple days of overnight temperatures dipping below freezing along with the low humidity, they were able to shoot snow and open on Sunday, November 3rd. And not just one run either. They opened with three slopes from midstation down. The ski area has closed for the remainder of the week so they can continue making snow. But don’t worry. They plan on re-opening November 9th.

Congrats to Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley!!! We hope this is the beginning of your biggest winter yet.