Down the slopes in Boone

Now that winter weather has returned to near normal, it’s a good time to venture to the North Carolina mountains for skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, snowtubing and ziplining.

Boone, located in the heart of the North Carolina High Country, is a great place to do so. The college town, with a population of 17,000, sits in close proximity to three top-notch ski resorts.

Appalachian Ski Mountain, located between Boone and Blowing Rock, is the premier place to learn to ski or snowboard in North Carolina. This family-friendly ski resort is home to the French Swiss Ski College, which opened in 1969 and has given more than one million lessons. Over the years, the French-Swiss Ski College has instructed Army Green Berets, Navy Seals, Secret Service personnel and thousands of Special Olympians.

The curriculum focuses on techniques perfected by the French and Swiss that achieved notoriety in the late 1960s. Appalachian Ski Mountain also embraces snowboarding lessons, and is a popular spot for accomplished snowboarders with three separate terrain parks loaded with a variety of features.

The resort’s ice skating rink is another popular option. Family website Trekaroo.com named the rink on its list of the 10 best outdoor ice skating rinks for families.

And when it comes to après ski, the greater Boone area boasts its fair share of dining, entertainment, shopping and craft breweries.

“There are over 100 restaurants within a 10-mile radius of Appalachian Ski Mountain,” says resort president Brad Moretz. “Because of our proximity to Boone and Blowing Rock, we probably have more dining choices than any other ski area in Eastern America.”

Other nearby ski resorts also have excellent snow sports options. Sugar Mountain Resort near Banner Elk is the largest ski resort in North Carolina, with 21 trails across 125 skiable acres. A new six-passenger high-speed chair lift whisks skiers and snowboarders to the 5,300-foot peak in less than six minutes, and Sugar also has ice skating, snowshoeing and multiple learn-to-ski programs for all ages.

Beech Mountain Resort in the town of Beech Mountain is the highest ski area in Eastern America at 5,506 feet above sea level. The resort recently built a glass roundhouse skybar at the top of the slopes with an observation deck overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains. Beech Mountain also added a state-of-the-art snowtubing park this winter. It’s located adjacent to the ice rink in the resort village at the base of the slopes.

If you want to experience snow but are not inclined to hop on skis, Hawksnest Resort is your ticket. Located just outside of Boone in the town of Seven Devils, this former ski resort has been converted to the largest snowtubing park on the East Coast. Hawksnest has more than 30 lanes for tubing with sessions that run in two-hour increments. A unique offering at Hawksnest is winter zipline tours, which take you directly over the snowtubing park below.

A trip to the area is not complete without a walk over the mile-high swinging bridge at Grandfather Mountain. See a view from the top of the High Country and visit their nature museum, fudge shop, restaurant and gift shop.

This story was originally published January 20, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Down the slopes in Boone."