State

It All Began At Cataloochee As ski slopes readied for Iho 1977-78 season, our writer recalled how a new, fast-growing segment of the travel industry got its start. tty BOR HIGH Millions of snow enthusiasts have skied. . .as well as skidded, sprawled, and snowballed . . .‘their way down North Carolina mountain slopes and they probably owe the opportunity to the farsightedness of one of the state's leading travel promoters — Tom Alex¬ ander of Cataloochee Ski Ranch in Haywood County. It was Tom and wife "Miss Judy" who thought about making the South and particularly North Carolina and Cataloochee a ski area when they pur¬ chased their mountain-top property in 1938. The Alexanders even sketched in a ski slope on a black and white photo¬ graph of the area 39 years ago. but the war years, slow economic times and other pursuits pushed the idea back a while. Finally. Alexander began to think about employees at Cataloochee being employed from the early spring thru the fall, but then being more or less out of work until the next "season" rolled around. Alexander's idea of the ski slope on the ranch property became more intriguing, and wintertime work schedules were developed to clear slopes and ready the area for cold weather use. Tom's ski idea had been prompted by the establishment in 1935 of the first rope tow for alpine skiing in the United States, at Woodstock. Vermont. If Vermont and New En¬ gland could have skiing, then why not North Carolina, with its much higher mountains — even though the season might be limited. Started in 1961 The idea grew and became a reality on December 21 . 1961 when three col¬ lege students hit the slope, these three being the first paying customers to ski in North Carolina. That winter of 1961-62 Cataloochee had 3.000 skiers. In fact, one of those first three skiers is now an engineer in Huntsville. Ala., and Dick Heckman is planning to return again this winter to Cataloochee where he helps instruct beginning skiers and also serves as a member of the facility’s ski patrol. Today. Cataloochee is but one of 10 ski operations in North Carolina readying for what operators foresee as another "boom" year. More than 338.000 skiers used North Carolina mountains last winter. Appalachian. Beech. Cataloochee. High Meadows. Hound Ears. Mill Ridge. Sapphire Valley. Seven Devils. Sugar Mountain and Wolf Laurel will be operating in North Carolina this winter. Making Snow The key to the entire winter is not so much the natural snowfall, which is as much as 100 inches in some areas, but cold temperatures — cold enough to make snow! With the new technology available in the last 10 years, plus constant re¬ fining and improving by such experts HOME SAVINGS & Loan Association “LET US BE YOUR FINANCIAL SHOPPING CENTER!” Corporate Offices Rocky Mount. North Carolina 446-0611 14 Convenient Locations to Serve You. Mi*. Tom Aleiondct (Min Judy) 1» trying out her homemode ikis m 1938 at Cataloochee Roach. Maggie Volley. Goll club» tent о» ski pole» ond the ski binding» ore fitted to hold bock the tip» ot the wood. Tom Alexander'» ideo of opening о »ki tlopc become a reality ot Cotoloochec in 1961 (photo courte»y Mr» Alice Aumen and Mr». Judy Coker) on the subject as Bob Ash of Beech Mountain, (he 10 ski areas have their "artifical" snow making equipment all ready to begin work. It's nice to have the “real stuff but they don't have to depend on it anymore, and that has stretched the ski season to the 100-day area. Temperatures need to drop to 34 de¬ grees and Ash and other snowmakers in the mountains get busy blowing highly pressurized water into the cold air and blanketing the ground with as much snow as necessary to ensure perfect ski conditions. It really i\ natural snow, but — is only located where the "guns" are pumping and pointing. And. if it doesn't snow on the surrounding countryside, ski condi¬ tions are usually as good or better than when it docs because the skiers coming from states all over the south, midwest and even the far west have an easier time of reaching the slopes with the dry roads and absence of snow-caused traffic jams. Long metallic lines of air and water snake their way up the edge of slopes all over the mountains, and large com¬ pressors are in topnotch working order as the season nears. THE STATE. January 1984 81