BANNER ELK'S WINTER WONDERLAND

After driving the scenic winding road back down the mountain, we explored another exciting winter activity – the Wilderness Run Alpine Coaster. Carved into the snowy mountainside, this impressive adventure consists of a zippy 5-minute roller coaster ride in your own individual vehicle. With the promise of climbing high into the mountain and coming down at speeds greater than 30mph, it sounded like the perfect introduction to speedy descents in the snow for our trip.

We all grabbed the ticket bundle, a special package allowing each of us to ride the coaster three times. Up the mountain we cranked, like a regular land coaster, but instead of a view of amusement park crowds, we were treated to a wintery mountain landscape everywhere we looked. We hit the top, tilted down, and sped off. 

Each car is equipped with hand brakes to slow you if necessary, but it turns out we all felt the need for speed and headed down the coaster at full tilt. We hit bottom, jumped back in line, and did it all over again, reveling in the adrenaline rush. With dozens of twists and turns on the way down through the snow, it was a great lead-in to getting ready for the next day’s plans – learning to snow ski!

We were up early the next morning and took the quick 10-minute drive to Sugar Mountain Resort. It was exciting to know that, though nobody in our group had any experience snow skiing, there was no reason to be intimidated, as the resort had everything that we needed to enjoy a day in the snow. From private lessons to rentable ski equipment, beginners and experts alike can feel comfortable going to the resort and being prepared for their exciting runs. 

Sugar Mountain Resort features over 125 acres of skiable terrain, with its 20 slopes accessible through multi-passenger chairlifts and kid-friendly magic carpet lifts.  Fourteen of the slopes are even lit for night skiing or snowboarding. With a summit elevation of 5,300 feet, Sugar boasts runs as long as a mile and a half with a vertical drop of over 1,200 feet.

Our group was set up together for a one-hour lesson at the Ski School, where we had a session tailored to our status as newbies. First, we were outfitted to the max. Every kind of equipment and clothing that we needed for skiing – boots, thermal overalls, and even the skis themselves - was available to us. Considering the investment one would make if this equipment were purchased simply for a one-time trip, it is one of the main reasons that we chose to ski at Sugar Mountain Resort.  And with an inventory of over two thousand complete sets of skis and boots, there is never a chance that they will run out. 

Our instructor was knowledgeable and patient, and within the hour, we had all learned enough to venture out to the more challenging runs. We consulted the detailed maps, then teamed up and prepared to test our newfound talents. We encountered dozens of snowboarders too – they are welcome on all the slopes – and tackled runs as challenging as the intermediately-difficult Sugar Bear and more. The skiing was magnificent – the sun was shining, the sky was blue, and the powdery snow was picturesque and perfect. 

Sugar Mountain Resort is more than just snow skiing. Folks of all ages were seen on the tubing run, sliding down the icy 700-foot hill, then taking the electric magic carpet back to the top to do it again. There is also a10,000 square-foot outdoor ice skating rink that offers rentable skates. We ended our day with hot chocolate as we sat in the Last Run Lounge and recounted the day’s fun.