Beech Mountain Between Seasons: A Fall Calendar Built by Fred Pfohl

A wood stove sits in the middle of Fred's General Mercantile because the man who opened the store wanted the mountain to have a real general store, built to look like one. The idea started with an overpriced can of tuna. Fred and Margie Pfohl opened the doors on Feb. 9, 1979, two years before Beech Mountain incorporated as a town.

William "Fred" Pfohl, founder of Fred's General Mercantile and the town's first elected mayor, helped shape this calendar. This is the stretch of the year when the ski resort is closed, and what's left on the calendar is the town's own: a hayride, a haunted trail, a wreath raffle, a Christmas parade. Look closely and almost all of it runs through something he built, chaired or helped start. Fall 2026's calendar still reflects his work.

The Resort Went Quiet on September 27

Beech Mountain Resort ran its 2026 summer season in two pieces. Daily operations ended Sept. 6, and then a weekends-only stretch from Sept. 11 through Sept. 27 kept the scenic chairlift, the brewery taproom, 5,506′, the bike shop and disc golf open Friday through Sunday. The chairlift and 5,506′ ran 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on those weekends, and the taproom ran 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The next date on the resort's calendar is Nov. 21, 2026, its projected ski opening, conditions permitting. Early-season hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Dec. 3. When this was written in early October, the resort's events page listed nothing for the fall.

That leaves about eight weeks with nothing scheduled at the mountain's biggest attraction. The town fills them, and much of that town was shaped by one storekeeper.

A Storekeeper Who Kept Taking On Jobs

Pfohl first came to Beech Mountain in 1970, as a student at Appalachian State and a Navy veteran who had served in Vietnam. His early jobs read like a history of the mountain. He worked for the original developer, Carolina Caribbean Corporation, then served as director of ski operations at Beech Mountain Resort. He spent summers at the Land of Oz theme park and later became recreation director for the Property Owners Association.

Then came the store, and its motto:

"If we don't have it, you don't need it."

For more than four decades, Fred's has worked as a grocery, deli, ski shop and gathering place. His family says he kept the doors open through heavy snows and through the isolation that followed Hurricane Helene in 2024.

When Beech Mountain incorporated in 1981, he sat on the first governing council and became the town's first elected mayor. He was a founding member of the Beech Mountain Volunteer Fire Department, a founder and past president of the Chamber of Commerce, and chair of the Tourism Development Authority. He helped start the Roasting of the Hog and the summer concerts. For more than 30 years he was also the mountain's official weather observer. In a town where everyone watches the forecast every November, the person keeping the official record was the same person selling milk and bread down the road.

In 2019, Fred and Margie received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, North Carolina's highest civilian honor. The town later named its Buckeye Recreation Center for them.

Most of the Fall Calendar Happens at the Building With Their Name on It

The Fred and Margie Pfohl Buckeye Recreation Center at 1330 Pine Ridge Road is open year-round. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Three of the five town events between now and the holidays happen there, and the Christmas parade route goes right past the store.

The Holiday Market lands one week after the resort's projected opening. So the first big town gathering of ski season happens at the Pfohl rec center, with raffle money going to the town's summer camp. When Frights and Pints walks through "local lore" on Halloween night, it covers stories about a town whose first mayor ran the general store.

The Trails Are Still Recovering From the Storm He Kept the Store Open Through

Beech Mountain has 27 miles of hiking trails, and the town is an Outdoor NC Trail Town. October is when those trails get the leaf color without the summer crowds. The town's 2026 Helene recovery update lists the exceptions:

• Upper Pond Creek and Lower Pond Creek: closed for 2026.
• Smoketree Trail: permanently closed.
• Falls Trail: open only as an out-and-back to the waterfall, since there is no bridge below Buckeye Creek Falls.

The Emerald Outback is a seven-mile network open year-round. The 1.6-mile Buckeye Lake Loop offers hiking, biking, fishing and lake access, and it starts near the same rec center that hosts the fall events. Updated 2026 maps of the town and trails are posted online and free at the Visitor Center.

Helene left a lot of work behind on the roads, too. At its May 12 meeting, the town council heard that repairs to Charter Hills Road and part of Buckeye Creek Road would take at least a year and cost more than $3 million, with FEMA expected to cover the cost.

Dates to Know Before the Lifts Turn

The quiet weeks come with a few deadlines:

• Season pass pricing: Beech Mountain Resort lists adult and junior unlimited passes at $525 from Oct. 1 to 31, with prices going up Nov. 1. A local student and faculty weekday pass is listed at $285 and excludes holidays. The resort site still shows some old 2025–26 popups, so go by the current pass page.
• NC-184 delays: Starting Thursday, Oct. 8, drivers near Dobbins Road should expect a traffic shift, flagging and occasional delays while crews replace the Hanging Rock Creek culvert damaged by Helene. Work started in late June and is expected to finish later in 2026, according to WataugaOnline.
• Winter parking: When it's in use, resort overflow parking is at 400 Beech Mountain Parkway, with a free shuttle to the slopes. A separate paid public lot on Bark Park Way has EV charging.

The store's own website still says Fred's is open 365 days a year. It lists Backside Deli breakfast from 7:30 to 11 a.m. and lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Call ahead to confirm hours this month.

The building at 1330 Pine Ridge Road is open seven days a week.

The Leslie Eason Team works with second-home owners on Beech Mountain who aren't up here every weekend. If you'd like a hand keeping track of road work, trail reopenings or the town calendar between visits, contact us.