Enjoy a full night of skiing or snowboarding at Cataloochee Ski Area with Jackson County Parks and Recreation on Thursdays and Fridays.

Open to ages 5 and up, skiing will be from 5-10 p.m., with everyone meeting upstairs in the main lodge at 5 p.m. to check in and receive tickets, which are purchased at a discount. 

Western North Carolina entered 2025 with a familiar sense of dread, confusion and misplaced confidence as local governments, public agencies and assorted boards once again demonstrated an unwavering commitment to solving problems that do not exist while inventing several new ones along the way. 

From Jackson County’s continued Quixotic campaign against its own public library to the Department of Transportation’s discovery that some Haywood County roads remain dangerously intact, the year has already produced a wealth of developments that demanded immediate, serious attention — or at least, a healthy dose of mockery. 

The annual elk breeding season, known as the rut, is underway in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The rut can be exciting to witness, but it can also be dangerous, as elk are especially unpredictable during this time.  

As Hurricane Helene fomented in the Caribbean, it seemed likely that Great Smoky Mountains National Park would take a direct hit. The storm reached Category 4 before slamming Florida’s Gulf Coast, then headed north toward the Smokies. 

Shadows and seasons are the main markers of time in Cataloochee Valley, a remote corner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park located more than 20 miles from the closest town and reachable only by a windy, narrow gravel road. 

Meandering up Fie Top Road in Maggie Valley, just as your vehicle’s engine is pushed to the limit and it seems you may eventually drive off the edge of the earth, you emerge atop a mountain ridge, a large rustic lodge appearing in the distance — the Cataloochee Ranch. 

TU-Cataloochee’s next trout stocking event is coming up Monday, May 6, along the delayed harvest section of the West Fork of the Pigeon River. 

Officials plan to burn approximately 96 acres in Cataloochee Valley at Great Smoky Mountains National Park this week. Weather permitting, burn operations may begin as early as Tuesday, March 12. 

Families can visit Cataloochee Ski Area for a reduced cost on Wednesdays through the end of the season. 

Winter hikes, winter lights, frosty runs and outdoor ice skating will offer ample opportunity for chilly fun in celebration of the N.C. Smokies Ice Fest Weekend Jan. 26-28.