Rain Dashes Hopes of Good Ski Weekend

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banner elk flooding, banner elk nc, flooding, floods, nature, outdoors, skiing, storms, waether

Torrential rains bring road closures, flooded basements, washed out ski slopes and more.

Highway 321, from Blowing Rock to Boone was almost impassible at 6pm and was closed to traffic about 30 minutes after driving up.  Rocks, limbs, and other debris has been washed onto the road surface making section to bad to drive without a 4X4.  Small cars war having trouble dodging or driving over some of the larger rocks.

More than a foot of water at the intersection of Hight 105 and 321 made it dangerous for all but the largest vehicles.

At a local campground, the road was completely covered with water, making it impossible for any cabin residence to come or go.  Water was also flooding their store, as the owners fought back the water with cinder block, railroad ties, and push brooms.  At the time of this photo, it seemed to be a loosing battle.

The Mill Pond in Banner Elk was several feet above normal.  The top of the sign, seen in this photo, is normally well above water level, warning visitors about the nearby dam.

More than a foot of water in the basement of the Azalea Inn seems to still be rising as the rain continues to fall.

Banner Haven B&B and Cabin Rentals
Greg and Amy Gardner
www.BannerHavenBedAndBreakfast.com
509 Beech Mountain Parkway
Banner Elk, NC 28604
980-329-8101

Serving Banner Elk, Beech Mountain, Sugar Mountain, Boone, Blowing Rock,Grandfather Mountain, Newland, Linville, Spruce Pine and more.

Rooms starting at $65; including breakfast

Early Ski Season

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nature, oarding, outdoors, ski, skiing, winter

The snow season has started early.  Skiing and snowboarding has hit the Highcountry at Sugar Mountain, with the earliest ski season in the mountain’s 43 year history.  Beech and Appalachian are close behind and will open soon.  With this great start, the area has its collective fingers crossed for a snowy winter season, bringing lots of tourists into the area.

Ski rental shops have already opened with 50% off deals to start the season right.  Just driving from Tynecastle to Banner Elk, you pass many ski and snowboard rentals with great specials.

Plan your trip now, before prices start to rise.  Call today and book a room and one of Banner Elk’s fine B&Bs; like Azalea Inn Bed and Breakfast or Banner Haven B&B.

The Banner Elk Bed and Breakfast Family – Banner Haven and Azalea Inn.

Banner Haven B&B and Cabin Rentals
http://www.BannerHavenBedAndBreakfast.com
Innkeepers – Greg and Amy Gardner
509 Beech Mountain Parkway
Banner Elk, NC 28604
980-329-8101

Serving Banner Elk for 15 years with rates starting at $65; including breakfast

What to do on a rainy day in Banner Elk

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avery county, Elk River, nature, outdoors, travel, vacation, waterfalls

Small town life can be great.  Small towns can be tough, but the North Carolina High Country is packed with things to do; goof weather, fair weather, or bad weather.  It’s been raining all day but there’s always something to do.  Today it was another trip to Elk River Falls in Pisgah National Forest. Elk River Falls is a popular summer spot for locals, especially young people that like to jump off the rocks, as you can see from the photo above.  Unfortunately, people have died here but that doesn’t seem to stop other’s from taking the plunge from both sides of the falls.  The internet is full of videos of Elk River Falls Jumpers and information about people being hurt or killed, but every summer more people are on top of the falls, looking for that exhilarating plunge.  The Avery County dive team has recovered several bodies from beneath the falls, after jumps haven’t gone as planned. Aside from the tragedies, the falls are beautiful any time of year and a great place for a short walk through the woods, whether you’re day hiking, picnicking, bird watching or just looking for some solitude. Greg and Amy took a quick trip to the falls with Trudy Pope and Jamie Gardner, mother-in-law and son.  The rain came down steady all day but didn’t dampen the spirits of this great spot.  The falls are about 15 minutes from Banner Haven B&B and a great place for guests, friends, and family to visit when in the High Country. Hundreds of waterfalls for the mountains of North Carolina and are popular amount hikers photographers and others.  Elk River is one of the easiest to reach.  The trail rises about 50 feet from the parking lot, before dropping about 100 feet to the bottom of the falls. If you choose Elk River Falls or any other waterfall, be careful.  Waterfalls are beautiful but many waterfalls claim lives and hurt unsuspecting people every year.  Elk River is so easy to get to, it happens more here than some other places.

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Check out these great pics from the falls. If you’re staying at Banner Haven or anywhere in the High Country, there are lots of beautiful waterfalls to checkout.  If you’re looking, checkout NCWaterfalls.com for a list and directions to North Carolina’s best waterfalls.  And … as always, if you’re looking for a place to stay, checkout Banner Haven for a relaxing B&B or cabin rental.

Banner Haven B&B and Cabin Rentals
A Banner Elk North Carolina Bed and Breakfast

www.BannerHavenBedAndBreakfast.com
Innkeepers – Greg and Amy Gardner
509 Beech Mountain Parkway
Banner Elk, NC 28604
980-329-8101

Rates starting at $55 per night (including breakfast)