HITTING THE SLOPES
IN DEKALB COUNTY

by Kathie Farnell

Dekalb County, home to Alabama’s only ski resort, Cloudmont Ski and Golf, uses the latest snowmaking machines to help Mother Nature produce enough of the white stuff for skiing. As soon as overnight temperatures drop to 28 degrees, snowmaking equipment roars across the hills, permitting the resort to maintain two one thousand foot beginner/intermediate slopes with a vertical rise of 150 feet. Skiers schuss down the slopes daily from nine in the morning until four in the afternoon. Floodlights allow the action to continue from six to ten in the evening. Ski instructors are available to tutor novices, and full skiing regalia can be rented.

What if the weather turns too warm for skiing? High Point Trail Rides, located in nearby Henager, offers trail rides, buggy and wagon excursions and pony carousels. Dedicated fishermen can head for Sylvania Lake, a 120-acre man-made lake stocked with bass, bream and catfish. The surrounding 215-acre park offers boating, camping, fishing and picnicking and has a children’s playground. Sylvania Lake is located off highway 75 near the town of the same name.

A short drive takes you to High Falls Park, off Highway 227 near Geraldine. The High Falls Walking Bridge is a well-designed footbridge that gives adventurers a close look at the spectacular waterfall. Hiking trails, picnic pavilions and a playground make the park a popular spot in any weather. DeSoto State Park near Mentone has cabins with fireplaces, a resort lodge, nature center, hiking trails, and camping and boating facilities. Take the 20-mile scenic drive around Little River Canyon for a spectacular view of the deepest gorges east of the Mississippi.

If you crave a luxury cottage, check in at Valhalla, County Road 626 near DeSoto State Park. All amenities await the visitor in each of the resort’s four cottages circling Serenity Pond. You can even make appointments for a massage or a facial, and the main building’s Jacuzzi is available to guests. The cottages accommodate from two to six guests, with rates starting at $95 per night. Ask about seasonal discounts and weekly/monthly rates. Owner Karen Ormstedt can be reached at (256) 634-4006.

When hiking, skiing or fresh mountain air get your appetite going, head over to Katy’s Katfish in Rainsville, the Little River Café on Highway 89 north of DeSoto State Park, or The Dish, located in the heart of Mentone. Want more information on winter holidays in the Mentone area? The Dekalb County Tourism Association is on the line at (256) 845-3957.