>>> BEECH MOUNTAIN IS WIDELY KNOWN AS A WINTER PLAYGROUND FOR
SKIERS AND SNOWBOARDERS, BUT NOW THE AREA'S BECOMING KNOWN AS A
YEAR-ROUND OUTDOOR PLAYGROUND DESTINATION, ESPECIALLY FOR
MOUNTAIN BIKERS.
PRODUCER DEREK LONG WENT TO BEECH MOUNTAIN TO FIND OUT MORE.
>> JUST BECAUSE THERE'S NO SNOW ON THE SLOPES AT BEECH MOUNTAIN
DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN'T GET IN SOME GREAT DOWNHILL ACTION.
>> WE HAVE 10 TRAILS RANGING IN DEGREE DIFFICULTY FROM BEGINNER
TO ADVANCED.
AND WE HAVE A MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAY SYSTEM ON OUR LIFTS, SO YOU
COME, YOU LOAD YOUR MOUNTAIN BIKE ON THIS LIFT, YOU RIDE THE
LIFT UP, AND THEN YOU HAVE YOUR OPTION OF WHAT TRAIL TO COME
DOWN.
WE'RE TRYING TO GET A VARIANCE OF TERRAIN THAT, YOU KNOW, HAS
DIFFERENT LEVELS FOR ALL SORTS OF DOWNHILL MOUNTAIN BIKERS.
YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO HAVE A FAMILY-FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT
THAT'S ABLE TO BE APPROACHED BY A BEGINNER RIDER WHO'S NEVER
BEEN HERE BEFORE OR EVEN, YOU KNOW, HAVING THE MOST DIFFICULT
TERRAIN, SOME OF THE MOST DIFFICULT TERRAIN, IN THE
SOUTHEAST.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO HAVE A BROAD-REACHING SPECTRUM OF
DIFFERENT DIFFICULTY LEVELS.
>> IF DOWNHILL ISN'T YOUR THING, THEY ALSO OFFER SCENIC LIFT
RIDES FOR FOLKS WHO JUST WANT TO ENJOY THE VIEWS.
THERE'S ALSO AN 18-HOLE DISC GOLF COURSE TRAVERSING THE
SLOPES AS WELL.
>> YOU CAN PLAY NINE HOLES IN ONE RIDE OR YOU CAN PLAY 18
HOLES IN THREE DIFFERENT LIFT RIDES.
YOU KNOW, EVERY WEEKEND WE'RE TRYING TO BE ABLE TO OFFER
THINGS THAT CREATE ACTIVITY FOR THE MOUNTAIN AND FOR THE RESORT.
YOU CAN COME HERE AND BE AN EXPERIENCED MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDER
OR YOU CAN COME HERE NEVER RIDING A BIKE BEFORE, YOU KNOW,
RENT A DOWNHILL BIKE, RENT ALL THE GEAR, COME OUT HERE, GET ON
THE BEGINNER TRAILS, AND JUST GET A FEEL FOR IT.
SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY JUST APPEALING TO PEOPLE WHO, YOU
KNOW, PARTICIPATE IN MOUNTAIN BIKING EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS OPEN TO PEOPLE WHO JUST WANT TO COME TRY IT OUT
FOR THE FIRST TIME.
>> MAGIC CYCLES, BASED IN BOONE, MAINTAINS A FULL-SERVICE SHOP IN
THE VILLAGE.
>> PRIMARILY WHAT WE DO IS RENTALS.
WE OFFER A FULL SIZE RANGE OF GIANT RAIN BIKES, WHICH IS A
6-INCH TRAVEL, 26-INCH WHEEL MOUNTAIN BIKE, VERY CAPABLE FOR
RIDING THE TRAILS OUT HERE.
>> IN ADDITION TO THE RESORT'S DOWNHILL TRAILS, THERE'S OVER 8
MILES OF THE EMERALD OUTBACK TRAILS.
>> A FEW YEARS AGO, WITH THE COLLABORATION WITH THE TOWN REC
DEPARTMENT AND THE BEECH MOUNTAIN CLUB AND A LOT OF
VOLUNTEERS HERE, WE JUST STARTED TO GO INTO THE EMERALD MOUNTAIN
TRAIL SYSTEM, WHICH IS EMERALD MOUNTAIN PROPERTIES ON TOP OF
THE MOUNTAIN, AND STARTED DEVELOPING SOME CROSS-COUNTRY
TRAILS FOR CYCLING, HIKING, WALKING, RUNNING.
>> THESE TRAILS OFFER A VARIETY IN DIFFICULTY AND TERRAIN.
>> WE HAVE SOME GRAVEL ROADS THAT ARE KIND OF BEGINNER
FRIENDLY IF YOU'RE NOT INTO TOO MUCH TECHNICAL STUFF.
YOU ALSO HAVE SOME ROOTY, ROCKY, STEEP SECTIONS.
YOU HAVE SOME REALLY TECHNICAL SECTIONS THAT ARE PROBABLY 2
FEET WIDE AND HAVE A COUPLE CREEK CROSSINGS.
SO YOU HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING THAT YOU WANT.
>> THE VARIETY OF TRAILS AND ELEVATION CHALLENGES AND COOLER
SUMMER TEMPERATURES HELP MAKE BEECH MOUNTAIN A FAVORITE BIKING
DESTINATION.
>> THERE ARE A LOT OF TRAILS THAT CAN SEEM, YOU KNOW, VERY
DIFFICULT, BUT THERE ARE ALWAYS EASIER TRAILS TO FIND.
THERE'S ALWAYS SOMEONE TO RIDE WITH, SOMEBODY WHO'S WILLING TO
GO OUT WITH YOU, SHOW YOU AROUND A LITTLE BIT, OFFER UP SOME
TIPS, SOME RIDING TIPS.
AND IF YOU EVER HAVE ANY KIND OF QUESTIONS ABOUT WHERE TO GO OR,
YOU KNOW, GROUP RIDES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, YOU CAN
ALWAYS FIND YOUR LOCAL BIKE SHOP, AND THEY ARE ABLE TO SEND
YOU OUT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, AT LEAST GET YOU IN CONTACT WITH
PEOPLE WHO CAN HELP OUT.
>> YOU HAVE A LOT OF TRAINING CAMPS COME UP HERE.
YOU HAVE A LOT OF PRO ROAD AND MOUNTAIN CYCLISTS AND DOWNHILL.
LEES-McRAE CYCLING RIGHT DOWN THE MOUNTAIN HERE HAS WON
NUMEROUS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS.
APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY IN BOONE, A TOP CYCLING TEAM.
SO THIS AREA IS REALLY VERY POPULAR FOR CYCLING.
>> THIS IS DEREK LONG FOR "NORTH CAROLINA WEEKEND."