News & Events

One of the many nice things about living in the foothills is that you don’t need to be at Blowing Rock elevation year-round to enjoy the excitement our nearby ski slopes have to offer.  The mountain homes for sale in NC at The Coves Mountain River Club offer us easy access to natural wonders such as Sugar Mountain and the annual weekend of winter fun called “Sugarfest”.

Sugar Mountain rises at the eastern side of Avery County, in the middle of High Country.  Surrounded by the Appalachians, it has picturesque streams, plenty of native foliage, and spectacular views.  No matter the time of year, it’s a peaceful, serene getaway for locals and visitors alike.  Families love mountain biking on the trails, taking scenic rides on the chair lifts, playing golfing and tennis and enjoying the local spas, shopping opportunities, performing arts venues and wonderful restaurants.

In the winter, Sugar Mountain is our destination for incredible downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding, tubing and ice skating.  There are 125 acres of skiable terrain on 21 slopes, with 15 of those lit for night skiing and snowboarding.  Sugar Mountain has great accommodations, with a range of amenities and views.  After a day of skiing or snowboarding, taking in that wonderfully brisk, fresh air, you can rest and rejuvenate in front of a crackling fire, sipping hot chocolate and re-living the day’s adventures.  Sugar Mountain is one of the more popular NC ski resorts, and we highly recommend “SugarFest” as a symbolic way to start the winter season.

This year’s dates are December 7, 8 and 9.  And you can save up to 30 per cent on lodging if you book now through participating agencies, so don’t hesitate.  Activities planned for Friday night include a session with 1992 Olympic figure skating medalist Paul Wylie.  He’ll perform a show on ice, followed by an ice-skating clinic, a meet-and-greet session and your chance to hold a real Olympic silver medal.

Also, two-time Olympic Super G medalist Andrew Weibrecht will head up a three-day preseason ski clinic for adults.

Saturday, enjoy food, drinks and dancing to live music by Glen Harlow and North Fork band. You won’t want to miss the fireworks, presented by the Village of Sugar Mountain, starting at 5:45 P. M.  And “Sugarfest” is your chance to try out the latest ski and snowboard equipment from top names like Salomon, Volkl, Nordica, Burton, Head, Never Summer, K2, Atomic, Rossignol, Ride and Line. For a detailed schedule of activities, visit Sugar Mountain’s website.

Sugar Mountain is less than an hour’s drive up State Road 1557 from The Coves Mountain River Club.  When you reach Blowing Rock elevation, you’re about halfway.  Residents say their grandkids really look forward to going there when they visit.  And there’s something about watching the youngsters have so much fun snow skiing, tubing and ice skating that brings out the kid in the older folks, too.

Our mountain homes for sale in NC are ideally located for you to take advantage of a wealth of outdoor activities.  NC ski resorts are some of the finest in the country, and the mild weather we enjoy in the warmer months is perfect for fishing, boating, swimming, hiking, biking, golf and anything else you want to do.  The Coves Mountain River Club is right on the Johns River at Wilson’s Creek, close to the city of Lenoir.  When you tour the property, it’s easy to imagine yourself living here.  And we can make that happen.  The members of our design team are experts at bringing dreams to life.

We’d love to show you around when you’re in the area.  Come and see all we have to offer, and then just kick back in a chair on our Pisgah Mountain Lodge deck, enjoy a glass of wine and watch the sun set over the mountains. 

If you’re exploring the area for the first time, ask for our 70 page complimentary Western North Carolina Visitor’s Guide which provides more information about living in the foothills.