JANUARY 28, 2010 ISSUE
Local Attendance Up at Hawksnest Resort this Season
Photos by AlleyCatPhotos.net Hawksnest Resort in Seven Devils, now famous for having the East Coast’s largest snow tubing park and the East Coast’s longest ziplining course, attracts locals in large numbers, and this season, the numbers have noticeably increased.
“We’re not sure if it’s the addition of our new zipline tour or the big snows we’ve had, but traffic to our resort this season from the surrounding area has been significant, better than year’s past,” said Lenny Cottom, owner of Hawksnest Resort. “I think the attention that our new popular zipline park has received generated a renewed interest, a kind of reminder to locals that we are here.
“What’s the old adage: a painter’s house is never painted—often we forget about the resources in our own backyard. Anyway, we couldn’t be more pleased that locals are enjoying our snow tubing and ziplining. We are appreciative of the feedback we are getting from area restaurants, motels and businesses. People are recommending us to visitors. Also, area residents bring up their friends and families who are visiting them. The zipline tour is new and the folks in our community really help us out when they bring their visitors to enjoy our amenities. Again, we are grateful for our community’s support.”
Cottom added that area residents mostly attend snow tubing sessions during the weekdays when rates are low. A special two-session rate is $30 offered Monday through Friday, a savings of $32 compared to Saturday prices.
Area church groups, schools and Girl and Boy Scout troops also enjoy Hawksnest’s special group rates.
“There was about 20 of us and when we arrived we saw 24 lanes of wonderful, packed snow. It was beautiful, really fun—the kids are still talking about it,” said Michael Gragg, associate and youth pastor at Perkinsville Baptist Church, who enjoyed a snow tubing session with his church group at Hawksnest on January 15.
“We all just loved it,” continued Gragg. “We didn’t have to walk everywhere, didn’t have to know how to ski or snowboard, didn’t have to worry about falling or getting hurt—we just needed to know how to sit in a tube and have fun.”
During the church’s snow tubing session, participants ranged in age from 3 to 65. “It’s something that all ages can enjoy,” Gragg added.
According to Cottom, on January 25 more than 450 schoolchildren from the surrounding area enjoyed snow tubing.
“Our 20 lane snow tubing park has four different areas to snow tube and lanes are 400 to 1,000 feet long. Our two conveyor lifts take our snow tubers back to the top for more rides. We have 100 percent snowmaking and lighting on all lanes to provide the best possible conditions and fun for the whole family,” Cottom said.
Snow tubing at Hawksnest is offered every day of the week, including holidays. Sessions last 1.75 hours and cost between $22 and $31—in March and April, prices drop to between $15 and $25 per person per session. Military discounts and group rates are available for snow tubing sessions. From Monday through Thursday, sessions are offered at 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.; on Friday, Saturday and holidays, sessions are offered at 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.; and on Sunday, sessions are offered at 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.
“When we opened the zipline course in June of last year, we didn’t expect how popular it would be,” Cottom said. “We were selling out right from the get-go and that trend has continued. Now, in winter, we continue to sell out on many days—weekends and holidays, mostly.”
Hawksnest’s zipline course provides participants with more than 1.5 miles of cable riding on 10 separate cables. Participants must be 5 years old to ride and zipline harnesses will accommodate riders with a maximum 40-inch waist and a maximum weight of 250 pounds. During the winter, 10-cable zipline tours—which take between 1.5 to two hours to complete—are offered Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, at 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Four-cable tours are offered on weekends and holidays at similar times. Prices range from $40 to $65 per tour, reservations are required and discounts are available for members of the military.
Cottom also stressed the importance that the High Country’s snowsports resorts have upon the local economy.
“We fill the motels, cabins, restaurants and retail establishments, and collectively we are one of the largest employers in Watauga and Avery counties,” Cottom added.
For more information about Hawksnest, click to www.hawksnesttubing.com or call 828-963-6561.
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