Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We are moving to the Banner Elk area. Can anyone tell me how often the county/townships clear the roads during bad weather? Also, how safe is it to walk dogs in the daytime? (Just asking because of some of the information we have heard about bears.) We currently drive a Honda Element and a Kia Soul. Thank you, in advance, for your help.
The county will plow all the main roads (in Banner Elk this will probably just be NC Highways 194 and 184, as well as roads in the college) and salt most of the rest of them unless it's really rural. Honestly you may want to upgrade vehicles (Subarus are ubiquitous in the area) or invest in snow tires.
Basic survival knowledge is that bears are as afraid of you as you are of them. Stay generally in town/on the roads and I highly doubt this will be a problem. Now at night coyotes and other predators are common, so keep the pets inside once the sun goes down.
I have searched and analyzed all of the discussions about moving to the area that I can find. Some of them were VERY heated. We just want to fit in and not create any additional problems for such a beautiful area. (including being ignorant about the local wildlife. After all, the bears were there first.)
We are moving to the Banner Elk area. Can anyone tell me how often the county/townships clear the roads during bad weather? Also, how safe is it to walk dogs in the daytime? (Just asking because of some of the information we have heard about bears.) We currently drive a Honda Element and a Kia Soul. Thank you, in advance, for your help.
Did you decide to move there and, if so, where? My wife and I have been looking in the area too and were also wondering about how bad the roads get in the winter.
No. We did not end up moving to Banner Elk although it is beautiful. We settled in a mountain community between Wilkesboro and Boone. Banner Elk was a bit further off of the beaten path for our family to visit especially during the winter. It was really hard to decide and we looked throughout the mountainous areas of he state. We are extremely happy where we have moved and the people in Wilkesboro are the friendliest we have ever met. I'm sending you happy "home searching" vibrations. Good luck and safe travels.
My wife and I have been looking in the area too and were also wondering about how bad the roads get in the winter.
It's kind of hard to answer your question beyond the responce already provided by DSS94. "Bad" is relative to people's own experiences. Those of us who ski in the High Country, don't call winter weather "bad." Schools are almost always closed if the school buses can't operate on the secondary roads. As long as you have 4x4 or AWD you can usually get around pretty easily. Of course, that depends on the steepness of your own driveway, and how far off the state-maintained roads you may live. We live close to Hwy 105 in a develpoment with an HOA. Our HOA pays for snow plowing so residents can get out to the highway in snowy conditions.
No. We did not end up moving to Banner Elk although it is beautiful. We settled in a mountain community between Wilkesboro and Boone. Banner Elk was a bit further off of the beaten path for our family to visit especially during the winter. It was really hard to decide and we looked throughout the mountainous areas of he state. We are extremely happy where we have moved and the people in Wilkesboro are the friendliest we have ever met. I'm sending you happy "home searching" vibrations. Good luck and safe travels.
Thanks for the quick response...I know what you mean about hard to decide, and about BE being far for relatives to come...we have looked at the Vistas condos and like them, but the better view units have all been sold already.
It's kind of hard to answer your question beyond the responce already provided by DSS94. "Bad" is relative to people's own experiences. Those of us who ski in the High Country, don't call winter weather "bad." Schools are almost always closed if the school buses can't operate on the secondary roads. As long as you have 4x4 or AWD you can usually get around pretty easily. Of course, that depends on the steepness of your own driveway, and how far off the state-maintained roads you may live. We live close to Hwy 105 in a develpoment with an HOA. Our HOA pays for snow plowing so residents can get out to the highway in snowy conditions.
Thanks. Another question, if you don't mind. I have read a number of posts by people who live in tourist areas. They say that a big mistake many people make is to retire to places they have enjoyed vacationing, only to find that when they move there full time, they become disillusioned. Banner Elk appears to be a nice place to retire, but I am curious if you have any insights to how many retirees are in the area, and what their satisfaction level has been?
I really have no idea. Because of our interests, most of our friends are related to the ski industry in one way or another. I'm sure there are demographics somewhere online (Census data, etc.) with age breakouts. There's probably someone at Lees McRae and/or ASU who would have a feel for answers to your questions. My gut feeling is that most retirees are seasonal (summer season).
We (hubs, who is retired & me, who is still working) are probably not the typical retirees who move here in retirement. We previously lived here full-time for quite a few years, and have owned a part-time home in the Banner Elk area for the past 12 years. We are in process of moving to the Banner Elk area full-time in January. So we already have had significant experience in the area.
I really have no idea. Because of our interests, most of our friends are related to the ski industry in one way or another. I'm sure there are demographics somewhere online (Census data, etc.) with age breakouts. There's probably someone at Lees McRae and/or ASU who would have a feel for answers to your questions. My gut feeling is that most retirees are seasonal (summer season).
We (hubs, who is retired & me, who is still working) are probably not the typical retirees who move here in retirement. We previously lived here full-time for quite a few years, and have owned a part-time home in the Banner Elk area for the past 12 years. We are in process of moving to the Banner Elk area full-time in January. So we already have had significant experience in the area.
Thanks...maybe we'll cross paths in a year or so
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Schools are almost always closed if the school buses can't operate on the secondary roads. As long as you have 4x4 or AWD you can usually get around pretty easily. Of course, that depends on the steepness of your own driveway, and how far off the state-maintained roads you may live. We live close to Hwy 105 in a develpoment with an HOA. Our HOA pays for snow plowing so residents can get out to the highway in snowy conditions.
