Original Article in The Tennessean magazine
January 24, 2013, Written by Tracy Teo

On a recent trip to Beech Mountain Resort, deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, I imagined myself swooshing down Shawneehaw Run’s glistening slopes, a graceful snow bunny who had conquered her fear and was the envy of all the other “joeys” (as newbie skiers are called).

But before I took off exploring the resort’s 95 skiable acres, I had to figure out how to stay upright on the awkward appendages strapped to my feet. So, I signed up for a lesson at the Snow Sports Learning Center.

I stood in a semicircle on relatively flat terrain with the other beginners, awaiting instructions from a burly instructor named Phil Hyer. He had such a military bearing, I almost felt the need to stand at attention and shout, “Yes, sir!” when he asked questions about my ski experience, or more accurately, the lack thereof.

I soon learned that despite his commanding presence, he was a kind, patient man, eager to give us the confidence we needed to enjoy our time on the slopes.

“Everybody seen snow before?” Phil asked. I thought it was a facetious question until I remembered many Beech Mountain guests are from parts of the South where snow falls about once a century.

The previous evening I had a brief exchange with an 8-year-old from Florida. She had only seen snow on TV and described her day sledding down the youth hill near the Beech Mountain visitors center as “awesome.”

We began our lesson by learning to bring the tips of the skis together and fan out the tails to form a wedge, a move Phil called the “pizza.” Basically, this is how to put on the brakes, so it’s not hard to figure out why it’s the first thing a skier needs to know.

We set off individually to practice our moves. Preschoolers from another class zipped past me on their skis and snowboards, much quicker to execute their instructor’s tips than I was. They toppled over occasionally but quickly picked themselves up and moved on unfazed — a stark contrast to the beginning adults.

Phil glided over to rescue a young woman who had wiped out and was flailing her arms like a beetle stranded on its back. It was a comical sight, but when I found myself in the same position five minutes later, I failed to see the humor. From the vantage point of the ski lift, we must have looked like we were enrolled in the class that taught guests how to lie flat on their backs and make snow angels.

The beauty of family-friendly Beech Mountain is that, while it attracts plenty of experienced skiers and snowboarders, novices of any age can learn in a fun environment. Unlike some resorts out West, nobody gives rookies impatient, sidelong glances.

After returning my ski equipment, I headed down to the Alpine Village for some hot chocolate. I sipped it by the ice rink, where young skaters twirled and jumped like willowy ballerinas.

Glittering hoar frost clinging to the trees gives the North Carolina High Country the ephemeral beauty of an enchanted winter wonderland, like one of those breathtaking scenes from the film “Dr. Zhivago.” I noted with disappointment that it was starting to melt.

At an elevation of 5,506 feet, Beech Mountain is the highest town in the Eastern U.S. It has an average annual snowfall of 84.6 inches, but nobody can predict the weather on Southern ski slopes. If fickle Mother Nature doesn’t bless the resort with enough snow, there are 30 Super PoleCat automated snow guns that will.

Après-ski

Alpen Restaurant and Bar is a favorite après-ski hangout. Those who have worked up mountain-size appetites after a day on the slopes dig into hearty comfort food served in an elegant dining room that’s more Swiss Alps than Blue Ridge Mountains.

No new age cuisine here. Classic steak and seafood dishes are prepared simply, but perfectly. Pecan-encrusted trout topped with a surprising dollop of honey butter is a customer favorite.

Banner Elk Winery

There’s nothing like a wine tasting with friends to warm you up after a day on the slopes. Tucked into the bucolic mountain hamlet of Banner Elk is Banner Elk Winery, just a 15-minute drive from Beech Mountain.

During the warmer months, visitors tour the picturesque vineyards, but at this time of the year, there’s nothing more welcoming than the cavernous fireplace surrounded by comfy chairs.

The owners have found several varietals thrive in these mountains, and my friends and I were eager to quite literally enjoy the fruits of their labor.

We started with a crisp, citrusy Seyval Blanc, which I personally think would be the perfect complement to Carolina barbecue. After a couple more whites, we were introduced to Marechal Foch, the top-selling red, appreciated for its hints of blackberry and cherry.

We swirled and sipped our way through the evening as we discussed tomorrow’s ski plans. I decided I might make better progress with a private lesson.

The truth is, I never did make it past the bunny slope, but the natural beauty of the region and the fun post-slope activities already have me eager to try again next year.

For the original article, click here

Colorado Springs, Colo. (July 17, 2012) – America’s top gravity mountain bike athletes will descend on Beech Mountain, N.C. this weekend for the 2012 USA Cycling Mountain Bike Gravity National Championships.
 
It’s the second year that the gravity portion of the mountain bike national championships will stand alone, and more than 40 Stars-and-Stripes jerseys will be up for grabs in the downhill and dual slalom contests.  
 
On the dual slalom course, which was built by 2007 national champ Christopher Herndon, pro riders Mitch Ropelato (Ogden, Utah) and 2008 BMX Olympic medalist Jill Kintner (Seattle, Wash.) will fight to defend their titles from a year ago.
 
When the pro downhill competitions take center stage on the event’s final day, hundreds of fans are expected to gather near the course’s rock garden to watch. Kintner will have a second title to ride in defense of, and in the men’s event, Logan Binggeli(Saint George, Utah) will be the defending champion.
 
Racing begins on Friday, July 20 and will continue through the day on Sunday, July 22.

To read the original story, click here.

May 24, 2012 by Joe Avento

BEECH MOUNTAIN, N.C. — The folks at Beech Mountain Club figure they have the coolest golf course in the Eastern half of the country, and they’re putting their money where their mouths are to prove it.

Even when the summer hits its sweltering hottest this year, they’re guaranteeing cool conditions for people coming up for stay-and-play packages.  Beech is a private course, but many rental properties have memberships, meaning if you stay, you can play.  And if the temperature ever exceeds 79 degrees on a day when you’re playing, your green fees will be refunded in full. They’re calling it the “Summer of 79.”

“We want them to come up here to escape the heat,” said Brian Barnes, Beech Mountain Club’s general manager. “Once they get up here they learn it’s refreshingly cool.”

A National Weather Service reporting station was installed at Fred’s General Mercantile on Beech Mountain 20 years ago, and the highest temperature recorded since then has been 81. Beech Mountain, at 5,506 feet, has the highest elevation of any town in the Eastern half of the United States, and it’s only reached 80 degrees here eight times in those 20 years. So the chance of the club having to refund any money is slim.

“I really hope we do,” Barnes said. “I hope there are a few times that people do come up here and we refund their green fees and their full cost of golf. That would be good for word of mouth.”

John Carrin, in his 11th year as Beech Mountain Club’s head golf professional, says the lower temperatures are noticed immediately even by golfers who weren’t initially lured by the mild conditions.

“People are so happy when they get up here,” he said. “Especially from local neighboring areas — the Tri-Cities and over in North Carolina, Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem. We have as much as a 20-degree temperature difference. When it’s 90 degrees in the Tri-Cities it will be about 70 here.”

That’s a good reason to look into playing Beech, but once golfers see the course, it sells itself. The Willard Byrd design that opened in 1969 – it was later updated by Tom Jackson — is a treat at any temperature.

The club was the site of the fifth annual Battle of the Smokies last weekend, pitting teams of media members from Tennessee against their North Carolina counterparts. For the third year in row, the Tar Heel State came out on top.

The beautiful surroundings and tremendous hospitality, both at the club and the nearby Pinnacle Inn, made a third consecutive defeat a little easier to swallow.

On the golf course, the views of the mountains can be breathtaking. You can see five states. Many tee shots are from elevated tees. In fact, the fairway on the par-four 10th looks like an aircraft carrier from the tee, and golfers are trying to land their drives safely.

“The first thing we usually hear is, ‘Wow!’ ” Carrin said.  The layout isn’t long, but anybody with a hook better beware. Out of bounds lurks on the left all over the course.  “Most people just really comment on the views first,” Barnes said. “From so many places on the golf course, the views are wonderful. The mountains in the distance, the different states you can see. The ridge-top layout is friendly, but somewhat tight, and the greens are crowned. So the difficulty is right around the greens.  “People usually, once they play 18 holes, really can’t wait to tee off and play another 18 now that they know the layout.”

The stay-and-play packages are available through Oct. 21. Double occupancy prices start at $79 per person per night with a two-night minimum.

The club also has a tennis center with clay courts including a center court with stadium seats, recreational hiking, biking, swimming and a fitness center.  “There’s something for just about everybody to do whether you’re a golfer or not,” Carrin said.

And whatever you choose to do here, you’ll be cool while doing it. That’s their guarantee.  Chances are, they’ll be breaking 80 even if you’re not.

———

For more information on the “Summer of 79” promotion, call (800) 468-5506 or check it out at www.BeechMtn.com/summerof79.

Read the original article here: http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/Sports/article.php?id=100477#ixzz1vzqV39Vk

April 2012 – North Carolina’s Beech Mountain is emerging as one of the region’s top mountain biking destinations with the addition of a several new chairlift-assisted trails. Scheduled to open in June, the new trails are part of ongoing renovations and improvements at Beech Mountain Resort, located about 20 miles from Boone. This is just the latest development in the town’s bid to become a year-round outdoor recreation Mecca. 

For more than four decades Beech Mountain Resort has attracted skiers from all over the Southeast with some of the highest peaks east of the Rocky Mountains. But action at the resort often came to a grinding halt during the summer—until now. 

Last year Chris Herndon, the 2007 dual slalom mountain bike national champion, designed two new tails at the resort for the 2011 USA Cycling Mountain Bike Gravity Nationals. This summer marks the first time the course will be open to the public. Visitors will be able to take the resort’s high-speed quad chairlift—which will be equipped with special trays to carry bikes—to the mountain’s 5,506-foot summit. From there they can race down either an intermediate or advanced trail, reaching speeds of up to 45 mph as they navigate rock gardens, jumps, burms and wooded sections.

“Chairlift-assisted mountain biking is very popular these days, but it’s taken longer to reach the Southeast,” Herndon said. “This is really going to open up a type of riding that has been limited in our area for so long.”

The trails end at the resort’s newly revamped Alpine Village. There visitors can grab a bite to eat and a cold drink at Beech Tree Bar and Grill or View Haus Cafeteria. They can also check out some of the new shops, like Beech Mountain Village Bakery, which offers pastries, baked goods, and a small gift shop with T-shirts, hats and souvenirs.

Beech Mountain Resort’s general manager, Ryan Costin, said he plans to open the new trail system on the weekends starting in June, leading up to this year’s Mountain Bike Gravity National Championships, which runs July 20-22.

In addition to Beech Mountain Resort, there’s also the new Beech Mountain Adventure Trail Park, which the town unveiled last summer. Daniel Scagnelli, the fitness and wellness director for the town’s parks and recreation department, worked with dozens of volunteers to build the trail system. It features an eight-mile network of single track—known as Emerald Outback—that ranges in elevation from 4,700 to 5,400 feet, providing unparalleled mountain vistas and overlooks. The park’s second and third phases are scheduled to open in 2014, and will encompass more than 25 miles of trails, including single track, double track, technical runs and long, rolling descents. 

Cycle 4 Life Bike Shop in nearby Banner Elk is among the first in the area to provide mountain bike rentals and guided bike trips at the new Beech Mountain Adventure Trail Park. Owner Doug Owen said the new park is helping attract more people to the area, including both hardcore mountain bikers as well as families looking to enjoy some two-wheeled outdoor fun together.

In response to the park’s debut, Owen said he’s beefed up his mountain bike rental program, and is offering guided trips that last from three to four hours. He’s also offering special guided trips that involve mountain biking and wine tasting. The “Oz to Banner Elk” trip begins at the top of Beech Mountain near the old Land of Oz theme park. From there, he guides groups down a thrilling “creeper trail” along a ridge that provides scenic views of the Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina mountains. The ride makes a pit stop in the town of Beech Mountain for lunch, and then continues downhill to a tasting at the Banner Elk Winery.

These great new resources only add to Beech Mountain’s 51 miles of road bike routes, which vary from easy to challenging. All routes begin at the Visitors Center, with some passing through paved residential areas, while others wind past scenic Buckeye Lake and the town’s Recreation Center. So whether you’re a beginner or an experienced mountain bike rider, this summer is the perfect time to check out why Beech Mountain has become so much more than just a skiing destination.

— By Sam Boykin

To read the original article, click here.

Skiers and snowboarders will experience several new things this winter on Beech Mountain, starting with the name of their destination.

Beech Mountain Resort is now the official title of the snow sports resort, replacing Ski Beech. The change reflects an ongoing campaign to create top-notch conditions for both skiers and snowboarders, along with the revitalization of the Alpine village at the base of the slopes.

Visitors will enjoy significantly increased snowmaking capacity this winter, thanks to the addition of 10 SMI Super PoleCat snow guns. The resort now has 23 of the ultra high-tech guns.

“From a snowmaking aspect, we’re in the best position we’ve been in going back 10 years or more. All lift-access slopes now have a Super PoleCat on them, and most have two or three,” said general manager Ryan Costin. “It’s been a big investment, and I think people will be really impressed when they get on the mountain.”

Another aspect that will impress skiers and snowboarders is the opening of new terrain. The removal of an outdated chairlift has created new space on two advanced runs.

“It essentially opens up Robbin’s Run and Southern Star,” Costin said. “It really creates a nice flow for Southern Star. In years past, it took such a hard right turn that you couldn’t get the full experience of it. I think we’ll see that run become a customer favorite very quickly.”

New beginner terrain was also created on the site of the former tubing run.

“We’ve expanded the beginner ski school area by at least 100 per cent,” Costin said. “That is very important because we see a lot of beginning skiers in North Carolina.”

At the base of the slopes, the once-busy Alpine village will be bustling again. Two new shops have filled the final vacancies in the village that surrounds the resort’s ice skating rink.

The new additions are Roots Rideshop and Beech Village Gifts. Roots is a freestyle-based ski/snowboard shop. It features demo skis and snowboards, plus a full line of ski boots, snowboard boots and other freestyle accessories. Beech Village Gifts offers a place to warm up with a cup a java and purchase items bearing the new name: Beech Mountain Resort.

“The new name emphasizes that we’re open to everyone: skiers and snowboarders,” Costin said. “And, we’re getting involved with mountain biking and other activities. We’re a lot more dynamic than just referring to ourselves as Ski Beech.”

For complete information on winter 2011-12, visit http://www.beechmountainresort.com .

Find the original article on VisitNC.com by clicking here

BEECH MOUNTAIN, N.C. — It’s not what it was during the heyday of the 1970s, but the Land of Oz theme park endures.

The old Yellow Brick Road, made of 44,000 bricks, still winds around the top of Beech Mountain in a garden-like setting dotted with gazebos, boulders, craggy trees and occasional curiosities like the Witch’s Castle. For the most part, it’s quiet up here, marked by fierce winds that whip across the mountaintop at more than 5,500 feet elevation.

There’s a modest stream of visitors, particularly in the summer. The public can arrange for group tours or events in the park, or even rent out the renovated Dorothy’s House for the night.

Expensive homes situated just across the street bring seasonal residents to the top of the mountain, and a handful of people tend the park, giving tours and doing upkeep. The excitement returns when the annual Autumn at Oz celebration takes place, bringing back thousands of Oz lovers — former Land of Oz employees and fans alike.

Hosts and many visitors at the festival dress as “The Wizard of Oz” characters, paying homage to the classic movie about a little girl from Kansas named Dorothy who survives a tornado, visits a magical, sometimes scary land and finds out more about what’s important in life. The story, written by L. Frank Baum as “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” is both enduring and endearing, just like the theme park.

When describing the park, visitors often use the term “a magical place,” based actually more on Baum’s book than the movie. It certainly had an impact on people.

Former Johnson Citian Donna Devereux, who attended East Tennessee State University and now lives near Blowing Rock, is among them. As a teenager she was one of “about nine Dorothys” employed at the park on opening day in 1970.

“I would disappear in a puff of smoke and then reappear,” she said during a recent visit to the park. “I worked here for about four years. It was really fun. It spoiled me for any other work.

“I was here for the grand opening when Debbie Reynolds cut the ribbon. Carrie Fisher was here, she was about 13 at the time, and I was charged with keeping her company.”

The park in its heyday was a big hit. The brainchild of developer Grover Robbins — who also created Tweetsie Railroad, among many other enduring developments — and designer Jack Pentes, Land of Oz was a place filled with characters and scenes from the movie.

Visitors could take a ride around the park in colorful “hot-air balloon” gondolas, visit Dorothy’s house and experience it before, during and after a “tornado,” see a show that revealed the Wizard of Oz and have their photos taken with munchkins or any of the characters.

And there was the shiny (and sometimes slick) Yellow Brick Road that tied everything together.

In the design stages, Pentres indeed saw it as a magical place. He took special care to preserve the natural environment, which was much of what made the place seem so special. And Pentres worked from a child’s point of view, literally, getting down on his knees for the proper perspective as he created the park.

Visitors would drive up the steep, winding road with its hairpin turns, then take a gondola-style chair lift to the very top. The trip up the mountain no doubt added to the mystique of the destination on top.

The place attracted 400,000 people its first year and brought in quite a few celebrities during the decade, including Reynolds, Fisher, Ray Bolger, Anita Bryant, Muhammad Ali (then Cassius Clay) and Charles Kuralt.

“I got to skip down the road with Charles Kuralt,” Devereaux said with a laugh.

The park also featured many of the region’s finest artists and craftsmen, so there was quality shopping to be done. And the long-range views from up high were fabulous.

A recession and a changing tourist industry helped lead to the park’s demise. The property is now owned and managed by Emerald Mountain Realty & Rentals. Cindy Keller of Emerald Mountain oversees the place and organizes the Autumn at Oz festival, and on the company’s website she tells a summarized history of the place.

Keller lists “changing times, economics, liabilities, maintenance and other interests of its owners, along with the lack of change at Oz,” as reasons for its downfall. A fire in 1976 also took its toll, destroying some artifacts.

Devereaux was among those who hated to say goodbye.

“I was very sad to see it close,” she said, adding, “There was a magical feel to the top of the mountain.”

For a decade the Land of Oz fell into decline and was victimized by vandals and people seeking to take home a piece of Oz. In 1990 Emerald Mountain Properties started a 450-acre project to create home sites around the property, but also to protect and partially revive the Land of Oz.

Many of the small attractions at the park are gone for good, including some of the structures as well as the gigantic mushroom and the balloon ride. Dorothy’s House remains one of the highlights. People can tour the place, then experience the sights and sounds of a tornado before emerging from the dark to find another version of the house knocked askew. Witch’s legs are sticking out from the bottom of the outside of the house.

“The park is not, nor will it ever be, what it once was,” Keller writes. “However, with its maturing flora and graceful aging, it has evolved into its own unique entity.”

Visitors can also see Dorothy’s red slippers — actually a sculpture of the shoes, which are bolted down to the concrete — and slip their feet into them while catch a grand view of the mountains.

There’s a small museum filled with memorabilia from and about the movie, and items continue to resurface — evidence that the Land of Oz never actually died. Many people still find the park, even in its faded glory, to be a magical place.

For more information, visit www.autumnatoz.com

Written by Doug Janz

Find the original article here

Beer tasting, live music, scenic views and the 2011 USA Cycling Mountain Bike Gravity National Championships are on tap Sept. 24 at Beech Mountain Resort.

The inaugural Brews and Views festival is being held in conjunction with the three-day USA Cycling championships. Attendees can sample from more than two dozen micro and craft brews, enjoy music from four bands, and watch the first mountain biking national championships ever contested in the Southeast.

The festival runs from 2-6 p.m. and also has a bike expo, food vendors and a separate play village for kids. Brews available include: Star Hill, New Belgium, Olde Hickory, Blowing Rock Ale, Leffe, Red Hook, Widmer, Boddingtons, Blue Moon, Natty Green, Lone Rider, Oskar Blues, Harpoon and Carolina Cottonwood.

Throughout the festival there will be racing action from the nation’s best professional and amateur mountain bikers. The dual slalom amateur finals begin at 2 p.m., followed by dual slalom pro finals at 5:30 p.m. The fun concludes with a spectacular early evening fireworks show.

Live music will be provided by: The Corduroy Road, Uncle Mountain, Now You See Them and Possum Jenkins.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the gate, with designated drivers admitted free. Ticket price includes: beer tastings, souvenir glass, fireworks display, and admission to the Mountain Bike Gravity National Championships. Advanced tickets may be purchased online at www.bandtastic.com/brewsandviews.

For more info about Brews and Views or for lodging options, call (800) 468-5506 or visit www.BeechMtn.com.

This Article Published September 12, 2011.  Find the original article here.

Mile High Kite Festival is Labor Day Weekend at Beech

BEECH MOUNTAIN, N.C. – How much string does it take to fly a kite a mile high? Only a couple hundred feet if you visit the ninth annual Mile High Kite Festival on Labor Day weekend atop Beech Mountain. This festival takes place Sunday, Sept. 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the town meadow, located above 5,000 feet in elevation. Ample room is available for everyone to fly, plus there’s a reserved field for demonstrations from the Wings Across Carolina Kiting and Okra Society (WACKOS) and the Richmond Air Force club from Richmond, Va. Kite-flying music and announcing will be provided by Terry Murray of Kitebus Festivals. Meanwhile, prizes will be given for biggest kite, smallest kite and best decorated kite. Other activities include: races with kids pulling parachute kites, face painting, and a variety of craft and food vendors. “We like to float the idea to come up and make a weekend of it,” says Calder Smoot, the event organizer. “There’s a kite maker’s competition Saturday judged by master kite builder Charlie Dunton, and an all-ages street dance Saturday night in front of town hall. It makes for a great early fall weekend on Beech Mountain.” There’s no admission charge to Saturday’s street dance or Sunday’s kite festival, and the first 300 children under age 12 receive a free kite on Sunday. Volunteers will be on-hand with materials to help decorate the free kites, while vendors will have kites for sale. For more info or lodging options, call (800) 468-5506, or visit: www.BeechMtn.com. # # #

Beech Mountain poised to become a mountain bike mecca

At 5,506 feet in elevation, Beech Mountain is already a popular winter ski destination. Now, the mile-high town is readying itself for an influx of mountain bikers. The town of Beech Mountain has just finished eight miles of cross country singletrack, and the resort recently won the bid to host the U.S. Mountain Bike Gravity National Championships in 2011 and 2012. The championships and new singletrack could turn this sleepy town of 375 into the East’s hottest new mountain bike destination.

The singletrack—called Emerald Outback—is the brainchild of Daniel Scagnelli, the town’s fitness director who felt Beech was missing only one thing: sweet singletrack. Scagnelli, a trail runner, re-discovered an extensive trail system built by locals in the early 1990s and set a volunteer workforce in motion to rehab the trails. The town of Beech Mountain kicked in funds and signed easements with private landowners.

“It’s tight, twisty, and rooty, but there’s nothing too technical and no beastly climbs,” says local biker Andrew Stackhouse.

Emerald Outback is phase one in an expansive 25-mile network of singletrack called the Beech Mountain Adventure Park. Picture three distinct micro parks—the flowing singletrack of Emerald Outback, a park with dirt jump and wooden freestyle features, and a beginner-friendly mini-network of fire roads—all joined by singletrack connectors. The entire park will take three years to build, but the first connector trail, which drops 1,200 feet in elevation, should be completed this summer.

“This system will give the town an identity beyond skiing and allow us to position ourselves as a true four-season resort,” Scagnelli says. “There aren’t many places you can downhill ski, cross country ski, mountain bike, and trail run.”

Hosting the National Gravity Mountain Bike Championships for the next two years certainly gives credence to Scagnelli’s predictions. Part of the bid to host the national championships was the promise to build new downhill, slalom, and short track courses and retrofit the lift system to accommodate bikes. The new downhill park on the resort will connect with the expanding cross country park, and the 2011 National Championships will serve as the grand opening of the new downhill park. The resort plans to run lifts on weekends starting in the summer of 2012.

Written By – Graham Averill on June 30, 2011 for Blue Ridge Outdoors

Read the original article

Words and Photos by Kristian Jackson

With a little more than a month before race day, the construction of the USA Cycling Gravity Nationals course is nearing completion. Christopher Herndon and his trail building team of Danny Cesare and Michael Thomas have worked the slopes and woods at Beech Mountain Resort with shovels and an excavator to create one of the finest and most challenging race courses around. Recently, the build team took a break and put tires to dirt to test the course. Specialized/GROM racers Walker and Luca Shaw and local rippers Andrew Mueller and Alex LeSueur joined the ride.

This week, the crew will be back to moving dirt. Tons of it. The trucks will begin dumping soil for the sculpting of the Dual Slalom Course. Later in the week, the crew will dig in to redesign Beech’s old Mountain Board Course for incorporation into the new racecourse.

The USA Cycling Gravity National Championships will be held September 23-25, 2011 at Beech Mountain Resort. For more information, visit beechmontainresort.com.

Please note, the course is not open to the public yet.

Read the original article here

-Photo by Kristian Jackson

Trail builder and racer Christopher Herndon wants something big to happen at Beech Mountain. Herndon, a pro rider and trail builder was hired to construct the USA Cycling National Downhill course at Beech Mountain, NC, and he brings a healthy dose of professionalism to a mountain that is prime for the national spotlight. The mountain, a lush plateau high in the North Carolina high country, has had downhill races in the past, but has not seen what is in store under the studious eyes of Herndon.

“Most race tracks in the southeast have always been one-line tracks,” says Herndon.
“For Beech, I wanted to start from scratch,” Herndon adds. “I wanted a trail that was different from any of the trails that the regional racers have grown accustomed to.”

He knows what he is talking about. Herndon has raced professionally since 2000. He has competed as an elite US Downhiller in the 2006 and 2007 seasons, and he was the Dual Slalom National Champion in 2007. On top of that, he founded the Specialized/GROM team in 2010, one of the most promising corps of juniors in the United States.

Herndon, along with his stellar build team of Danny Caesar and Michael Thomas, is carefully transforming the woods and slopes into an incredible racecourse. The woods here above 5000 feet are atypical for the southern Appalachians. Missing are the rhododendron thickets and light-wringing canopies of dense trees. Here, the woods are open. Rocks, boulders, more rocks, some dark soil, bogs, ferns, and more rocks lay scattered between widely spaced, stunted trees. The crew works the rocks and soil by hand, paying attention to and minimizing their own impact.

This week, Herndon and crew worked meticulously to create their first memorable, and difficult, section of the pro track. “We are really trying to make a lot of options and lines,” Herndon says. “Racers will have to study, learn, and test to figure out which line is actually fastest.” This is a serious section. Built by serious racers for serious racers.

The team takes its attention to detail a step further. Not only are they crafting a challenging and sustainable trail, but also they want spectators to have easy access to the natural beauty and top-shelf racing. They have cleared all of the brush near the course to improve lines of sight for both spectators and media. They have also cut numerous access points from the slopes to the course for spectators and emergency response.

“This is going to be very much a World Cup style course,” Michael Thomas says. Riders will have to be on it to pin it. The crew has designed the course to put riders where they need to be. Intermediate riders will find lines that force them into mellower terrain. The pros will commit to some sizable hucks and tricky rock-tech to gain time.

Currently, the crew is digging the Pro Track and the Amateur Track. Construction on the slalom course will begin later this summer.

Something big is happening at Beech Mountain. The Beech Mountain Resort is putting it all on the table for this event on September 22nd-25th. Whistler-style lift trays are ready for the bikes (sponsored by Monster Energy). Plans are underway for an amazing event. The Downhill Nationals will mark the beginning of a three-year plan that will bring a legitimate bike park to the mountain and further solidify western North Carolina’s reputation as a serious mountain bike destination. For more information, check out: beechmountainresort.com. Stay tuned for more reports from the mountain.

- Story by Kristian Jackson, Featured on Free Hub Magazine

Read the original article here

BEECH MOUNTAIN— If Dorothy could have strapped on a pair of hiking boots instead of wandering through Oz in those iconic ruby slippers, the new Emerald Outback Trails at Beech Mountain would undoubtedly be her destination.

The new Beech Mountain Adventure Trail Park, which encompasses part of the offseason ski area, offers an outdoor haven for mountain bikers, hard-core hikers and families with a unique proximity to one of Western North Carolina’s quirkiest mountain spots, The Land of Oz park.

“This is a really new element for the area, and one that’s been a long time coming,” said Daniel Scagnelli, wellness and fitness director at Beech Mountain Parks and Recreation. “Once you see the trails, it’s obvious why this was a source of inspiration for Oz.”

Part of the eight-plus miles of Emerald Outback trails runs through the Land of Oz property, where visitors can see the yellow brick road, Wicked Witch’s castle and even rent a replica of Dorothy’s house, which is host to the annual Autumn at Oz festival.

The hiking and mountain biking trails are coated in their namesake’s emerald green, an abundance of native wildflowers and the mountain’s signature gnarled trees.

The trails range in elevation from 4,700 to 5,400 feet on the Avery-Watauga county line, giving the park the distinction of being among the highest such venues on the East Coast.

There’s a combination of single-track, double-track and gravel road trails traversing the mountaintop, all accessible from a trail head in the town of Beech Mountain.

“It’s exciting that this park is embracing what we naturally are,” said Candi McClamma, owner of the Archers Mountain Inn in Beech Mountain. “This will let people connect to this really unique ecosystem in a much closer way.”

The Emerald Outback is the first phase of the Beech Mountain Adventure Trail Park, which will grow to three phases encompassing 25 miles of trails. It was designed by mountain bikers, hikers and trail runners to meet the recreational demands of serious outdoor enthusiasts and novices alike.

For now, all the trails are open to the public at no fee.

“It provides guests that genuine feeling of being remote but with all the amenities of great restaurants, live theater and resort spots,” McClamma said. “You can go biking and hiking and get your dose of outdoors but not have to camp, which is something pretty unique for this area.”

“Whether you’re in the Oz Forest or out on Overlook Loop, you have 100-mile views around,” Scagnelli said. “The terrain is rolling and changes well. There’s not a whole lot of climbing and you’re always surrounded by something beautiful.”

–Casey Blake of the Citizen Times; May 11, 2011

Link to Article