While Neighbors Called It Quits On The Season, Sugar Mountain Fired Up The Snow Guns
It was closing weekend for several ski areas in the south last weekend. Despite the fact that the majority of my days on snow are spent in places like Utah and Colorado that host contests and events that I report on all year, I try to hit as many resorts as I can each winter in both Virginia and North Carolina.
I'm a big believer in the "ride your backyard" theory, and since I hadn't been yet this season, I booked a trip to Virginia. Just a quick Friday and Saturday rip. As I finished packing Thursday night, I checked the website of one of the ski areas to see how many trails would be open. That's when I found a surprising note.
"Thank you for a great winter season!"
I debated whether I should drive to Snowshoe in West Virginia, or continue up to Bryce Resort, the lone ski area that had remained open in Virginia. Then I looked at the webcams at Sugar Mountain, and made a decision.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Like much of the mountainous areas in the southeast, Sugar Mountain got several inches of snow and a sharp drop in temperatures. Many of its neighbors called it a season. Beech Mountain held its closing day on Saturday, March 14, 2026. Appalachian Ski Mountain's was on Sunday, March 15. That's not atypical of these ski areas - weather in North Carolina can be hard to predict, and skiers and riders don't typically flood the slopes at the end of the season. About an hour away, Cataloochee called it quits abruptly on March 11. And in only its second season, Hatley Pointe had its last day on March 7.
But Sugar Mountain turned on its snowmaking equipment. Vice President Kimberly Jochl sent me a brief email letting me know.
"Hey Josh," she wrote. "We plan to make snow again Monday through Wednesday!"
Sugar was able to do this thanks to a strech of cold weather in which the thermometer dropped as low as 16 degrees. The ski area also got hit with another 5" of natural snowfall. As of 7 p.m. on March 18, 2026, the snow guns were still firing, in hopes of spinning the lifts until the end of the month.
As of Wednesday night, Sugar Mountain Resort had a base of 33″ – 72". There were four lifts spinning and 10 trails open.
