One of the best sledding locations in the High Country is located in Beech Mountain. The town’s sledding hill not only has a great incline and slick base, but there’s music and hot chocolate nearby. There are also safety officials present, and plenty of places for mom and dad to sit and take pictures of young ones gaining speed.

The Beech sledding hill is located next to the Chamber of Commerce. It is open daily at no charge for kids 12 and under, although parents may ride with smaller children. Plastic sleds are required. Folks are encouraged to bring their own sleds, or they may be purchased at stores on the mountain.

“It’s a free and enjoyable place for children to have fun,” says Peggy Coscia of the Beech chamber. “They come from North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. We get a lot of folks from Florida who are excited because it’s the first time the children have seen snow.”

The High Country is known for its winter activities, not just sledding but skiing as well. Those are two great reasons to consider Living the Dream in Beech Mountain, where there are almost 200 active listings today.

Ashe County has an airport small enough to be convenient for occasional flyers with their own planes, and large enough for some corporate aircraft to regularly hit its asphalt. To better serve both, the country recently decided to invest some money in improvements to the mountain runway, including adding some length.

The airstrip, which runs east-to-west, currently spans more than 4,200 feet in length. When completed, the runway will stretch more than 5,000 feet, and enhance safety for pilots landing and taking off.

“We’ll be able to accommodate a wider variety and larger aircraft,” said Ashe County Airport Manager Eric Payne. …

The extra length will also improve the safety of pilots and their aircraft during takeoff and landing. Payne said the airport’s altitude, in conjunction with heat during the summer months, effectively makes the air thinner and reduces lift. Conditions resulting from high-density altitude make a longer runway welcome.

“Right now, we can get around that by taking off and landing in the mornings, or just after sunset, when temps have started to cool down,” said Payne. “But when it’s hot, it’s comparable to taking off from Denver, Colo.”

The airports of the High Country are well used (both Watauga and Avery counties also have one). They’re another amenity of High Country living, having a safe runway to touchdown when returning from a business trip or a brief flyaround to clear the mind.

The Ashe County airport is located about three miles east of Jefferson, where there are more than 90 opportunities to take off and Live the Dream in the High Country of North Carolina.

It’s almost like a rite of passage in the High Country. Most everyone has a memory of their first time exploring a ski slope. For many, it occurred when they were a child. It’s not unusual to see more than one young newbie tentatively testing their balance out on the white stuff, wondering just how exactly anyone can move with big sticks on their feet.

But give ‘em some time taking lessons, then testing what they learned out of the way of the slopes, and they’re ready for action! Before parents can say “Lindsey Vonn” they have a budding Olympian staying upright all the way down the mountain. Just like this recent first-time skier at Sugar Mountain.

Some schools in the area schedule field trips for classes as young as First Grade to take in a day of skiing. Another great reason families want to Live the Dream in the High Country of North Carolina.