Alabama residents hit the slopes after winter storm dumps snow, ice

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+ Alabama residents hit the slopes after winter storm dumps snow, ice Listen &middot; 3:15 3:15 Transcript Toggle more options Download Embed Embed "> <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5696411/nx-s1-9634359" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript

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+ MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: Good news - you can now ski in Alabama. After last month's massive winter storm, Melanie Peeples checked out the Cloudmont Ski Resort in Mentone. MELANIE PEEPLES, BYLINE: There's a sound you just don't get to hear much in Alabama. (SOUNDBITE OF SNOW CRUNCHING) PEEPLES: A snowboarder shooshing (ph) down the mountain. It only happens a couple times a year in the foothills of the Appalachians. COLLEEN SAMPSON: I think it's just great. The fact that it's Alabama and there's a ski - like, there's a place to ski in Alabama. It makes me happy. PEEPLES: Colleen Sampson (ph) lives about an hour and a half away in Madison, Alabama. But she moved here from Seattle, so she knows mountains. SAMPSON: Yeah, maybe it's a little hill and a tow rope, but there's still snow, and you can still get some good runs in. I love skiing, so I'm like, I don't care if it's ice, I don't care if it's powder. I get my skis on, I get to enjoy a day on the slopes. PEEPLES: Her surprise at finding it is a common thread among folks on the slope. Like Emily Kelly (ph) from Atlanta. EMILY KELLY: You know, it isn't Colorado, and I didn't think it would be. The quality of the snow is pretty good. Icy. It's really surprisingly good. PEEPLES: Her son Ben (ph) agrees. BEN KELLY: It's my first time skiing, so it's the best ski resort I've been to. PEEPLES: It's not quite Aspen in Alabama, but it's one run around 1,000 feet long, with a tow rope instead of a chair lift and a food truck instead of a lodge restaurant. There's even night skiing. The resort opens when it gets cold enough to make snow. So you have to keep your eyes on their social media to know when to come. The recent cold spell here was good for business. Ben Hancock (ph), originally from Vermont, is here trying to teach his friend Anne Wyndham (ph) from Chattanooga how to ski. BEN HANCOCK: Pizza shape. Pizza shape. Hey, there you go. Woo. That was awesome. Now come back up. PEEPLES: And that is how it goes all day. Occasionally, you see a first-timer furiously coming downhill, skis spread wide like a pizza slice, and it's unclear if they're going to stop or plow right into you. (SOUNDBITE OF SNOW CRUNCHING) LAURA FLORES: Sorry. I'm sorry (laughter). PEEPLES: That's OK. What's your name? FLORES: Laura. PEEPLES: Laura Flores (ph) lives in Georgia. FLORES: It's easy (laughter). No, it's hard, but it's fun. I love it. PEEPLES: Some people use it as a warm up for a spring trip to Colorado, but others make a point to come here as a bucket list item to be able to say they've skied in every state possible. Cloudmont Ski Resort opened in 1971. The family-run business has been open nearly every year since, except for an eight-year stretch when it just didn't get cold enough. It relies on volunteers like Jeff Mixon (ph) from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, who says the resort has had a good run for almost two weeks this year. And he thinks the snow will last another weekend. JEFF MIXON: It'll hold. I'll get a little soft and a little slushy, but, you know, for beginners, that's probably better. It's a little easier on you when you fall, and it's good to learn on. If you can ski here, you can ski anywhere. PEEPLES: As long as you also learn how to stop. (SOUNDBITE OF SNOW CRUNCHING) PEEPLES: For NPR News, I'm Melanie Peeples's in Mentone, Alabama. (SOUNDBITE OF DAVY GRAHAM'S "ANGI") Copyright &copy; 2026 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. Transcript text may be revised to correct errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org may be edited after its original broadcast or publication. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Facebook Flipboard Email Read & Listen Home News Culture Music Podcasts & Shows Connect Newsletters Facebook Instagram Press Public Editor Corrections Transcripts Contact & Help About NPR Overview Diversity NPR Network Accessibility Ethics Finances Get Involved Support Public Radio Sponsor NPR NPR Careers NPR Shop NPR Extra Terms of Use Privacy Your Privacy Choices Text Only Sponsor Message Sponsor MessageBecome

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