Mountain Times ~ Supplement to the Pocahontas Times ~ SnowShoe, Slatyfork, Green Bank, Cass, WV

Focusing on the resort and tourist
community of Slaty Fork, Snowshoe Mountain, Cass and
Green Bank

Vol. 3 No. 4
April 2004

Serving SnowShoe Mountain, Slaty Fork, Green Bank and Cass
"News you can resort to"

Second Section of
The Pocahontas Times
Post Office No. 436-640
ISSN No. 07388373

Upcoming Events Around the Mountain Resort

April
AROUND THE COUNTY
Star Lab € Every Thursday at 2:00 p.m., NRAO, Green Bank 456-2150 $3 per person, reservations suggested. Gather under a planetarium balloon for a fascinating "look" at the sky above. Limited to 15 participants per program.
Film Fest Friday € April 2, 6:30 p.m. € NRAO, Green Bank 456-2150 FREE! Enjoy a movie and discussion. Movies will be science-related and vary in length. Movies TBA. Call for information.
The Bing Brothers in Concert € April 3 € Pocahontas County Opera House € 800-336-7009 Old-time and bluegrass music performed by some of the area's best pickers and singers. The Opera House is located on Third Avenue in Marlinton, just around the corner from French's Diner.
Easter Egg Hunt € April 3, 2 p.m. € NRAO, Green Bank 456-2150 Join the fun and find the hidden eggs at the Starlight Cafe, plus kids lunch special.
High Tech Wednesday € April 14 3:30 p.m. € NRAO, Green Bank 456-2150 $3 per person, reservations suggested. Take a guided tour through parts of NRAO normally off-limits to visitors, like lab areas where sensitive receivers are designed and built. Limited to 15 participants per tour.
Star Party € April 17 € NRAO, Green Bank 456-2150 FREE! Begins 30 minutes before dark. NRAO staff will orient guests to the star-filled sky. Viewing the night sky will follow on the Star Party Patio Bring your binoculars and optical telescopes. Cloudy skies will cancel this program.
Adam and Lisa DeGraff in Concert € April 18 € Pocahontas County Opera House 800-336-7009 Husband and wife classical duo perform on violin and flute. The Opera House is located on Third Avenue in Marlinton, just around the corner from French's Diner.
Theater at Lime Kiln Touring Productions April 23 € Opera House in Marlinton Come out and enjoy "Like Meat Loves Salt" presented by Lexington Virginia's renowned professional theater company.
High Ballin' for History € April 24 - 25 € Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad €1-877-MTN-RAIL Rail Fan Weekend in Durbin. First time photo run-by, unique first generation diesel views. Spend the weekend riding and celebrating trains and train history.
April 24 € Great Greenbrier River Race € Pocahontas Co. € 800-336-7009 Canoe, mountain bike and run relay race for solo and team participants. Great prizes. Event takes place along the Greenbrier River Trail.

On The Mountain
For more info about any events at Snowshoe, call 877-441-4FUN.

Ski Free Weeks € March 29 - April 4 A great way to finish off the season. . . outdoor parties, sunny skies and free lift tickets when lodging at Snowshoe.
(This may not be happening!) Last Hurrah/Easter Weekend € April 9 - 10 The grand finale to the winter 20 03/2004 season. Enjoy fun family Easter activities, a sunrise Easter service, an Easter Egg Hunt, an Easter Brunch and much more. Plus, during Last Hurrah Weekend, Snowshoe will host the second annual Pond Skimming Championships.

Cache it if you can:

The geocache located by Mary Sue and Jesse Burns in Seneca State Forest.

Photo by Mary Sue Burns

"X" marks the spot in treasure hunt with a new twist

Drew Tanner
Staff Writer
      If, like me, a part of you still enjoys going on treasure hunts, then you might be interested in a rapidly growing game called geocaching.
      Geocaching (pronounced "geo-cashing") is a type of treasure hunt using a global positioning system unit to pinpoint the location of a hidden "cache."
      Caches come in a variety of forms, but most, at a minimum, contain a logbook. Some caches are simply logbooks and nothing else. The logbooks contain information from the founder of the cache, entries from past visitors and possibly coordinates to other unpublished caches in the area.
      Larger caches may consist of a waterproof container hidden within the local terrain. In addition to a logbook, these caches contain any number of more or less valuable items‹turning the cache into a potential treasure trove. These larger caches might contain maps, books, software, CDs, videos, pictures, money, tickets or antiques. So long as an item is child- and family-friendly, it is considered fair game.
      The rules, according to the website, are pretty simple:
Take something from the cache
Leave something in the cache
Write about it in the logbook.
      It is also considered good geocaching etiquette to leave minimal environmental impact when finding or placing a cache and to pack out any trash found along the way.
      So where are the caches?
      A statewide search of West Virginia on the geocaching website reveals coordinates for more than 240 active caches throughout the state. Narrowing the search, more than 60 are within 50 miles of Marlinton. Six of these are located in Pocahontas County. Three are in Watoga State Park and Seneca State Forest.
      In fact, the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources has gotten in on the action. West Virginia state parks and forests are home to 46 geocaches that are in place on a permit basis.
      After the research, I was interested in giving it a try. However, I wanted to talk to someone around here who had done it. Also, considering I don't own a GPS unit, I wanted to see if it might be possible to locate a cache with a simple map and compass.
      Enter Mary Sue Burns.
      Burns and her son, Jesse, had successfully looked for and found a geocache in Seneca State Forest a while back. Perfect‹someone who could tell me what was really involved aside from the glossy "take something, leave something, write about it" website description.
      Burns was more than happy to tell me about her experience. A couple of summers ago, she was interning for the West Virginia Geological Survey doing fieldwork using topographic maps and compiling data for geologic maps.

Jesse displays the cache's contents.
Photo by Mary Sue Burns

      One day, a WVGS geologist told her that she had read a magazine article about geocaching. When this geologist said to Burns, "I'll bet someone could do that with just a map and compass," Burns took it as a challenge.
      Burns visited the website and found that there was a geocache located in Seneca State Forest. At that time, it was one of only four geocaches in the whole state. From the website, Burns followed a link that allowed her to mark the geocache's coordinates on a printable topographic map.
      Map in hand, Burns and her son hiked just under a mile to the geocache's approximate location. Within 15 minutes, they had pinpointed the location of a shoebox-sized plastic container.
      Inside the geocache they found a logbook and a variety of small toys and other odds and ends. Her son took a pack of gum from the cache and Burns took a polished stone bracelet‹a reminder that geology got her into the act in the first place. Into the cache went several small items that they had brought along. Then, of course, they wrote some words about their experience in the logbook.
      Burns' enthusiasm in recounting her experience gave me the encouragement I needed to try it for myself. It sounded easy enough.. Better yet, she was able to find the geocache without the aid of a GPS unit.
      I set out on a sunny but brisk morning in the middle of March. I had my eyes on the geocache hidden in Watoga State Park. Like Burns, I had in my possession a topographic map that I found online with the cache's coordinate marked with a little "x," and a description of the cache's location.
      The spot I was looking for was just off of the Ann Bailey Trail, about halfway to the lookout tower if I started from the east.
      From the trail, it would be one hundred yards to the downed tree where the cache was hidden.
      The hike started off well enough, and there was a flock of Canadian geese that kept ahead of me along the way. Every five minutes or so I would check my compass and the map for the ridge that I was looking for and the trail's change of direction. I was beginning to notice something that had me feeling a little anxious‹a lot of downed trees along the Ann Bailey Trail. I began to feel like I might end up searching for a needle in a hay stack. However, I tried my best to keep my cool and to maintain confidence in my so-so orienteering skills. When I arrived at a spot on the trail that seemed to resemble what was on the map near the little "x", I took a deep breath and started to head south off the trail.
      I was looking around and beginning to feel doubtful. Then, I caught something out of the corner of my eye. To my left I saw something shiny in the base of a downed tree about 50 yards away. Was this it?
      I went for a closer look and was pleasantly surprised to find a plastic container with a screw-on lid, just as the description had said. Inside, I found a variety of goodies‹including a bottle of insect repellent, a candle, a small clock, a New Testament, some maps and pens and pencils‹and the logbook.

Found! The cache and contents the author located in Watoga State Park. Among the cache's contents were a small clock, a candle, a New Testament, several area maps, pens and pencils.
Photo by Drew Tanner

      As I wrote in the logbook about the sunny sky and the hushed quiet of the woods that day, I couldn't help but feel like a little boy stumbling upon hidden treasure. After careful consideration of the cache's contents, I took a pen‹a reminder that writing is what got me there in the first place. In exchange, I left a Pez dispenser.
      Caches are set up all over the world by individuals and organizations. In fact, more than 86,000 caches are currently in 199 countries. The coordinatesfor these caches, as well as messages and updates related to individual caches, can be found at the game's official website: www.geocaching.com.
      Those interested in setting up a geocache in a West Virginia state park or forest can obtain a permit application through the DNR web page, www.wvdnr.gov.
      Drew Tanner is a native of Vermilion, Ohio, located on Lake Erie. Before coming to the Times, Drew studied International Relations, Spanish and Music and spent time in Belize and South Africa. He then spent a year in AmeriCorps coordinating a literacy program for preschool through 5th grade in Oberlin, Ohio. He now lives with the love of his life, Maribeth Saleem, in Hillsboro and enjoys backpacking, photography, and playing piano, guitar, and mandolin.

The race start is frantic and hectic, complete with upsets and boat-bumping.. This was the scene several years ago.
Photo by Carol Moore

Confessions of a river-rat wannabe
River Race fun, no matter what
Sunny Given
Staff Writer
      Having watched the start of the Great Greenbrier River Race several years in a row since I've relocated to Marlinton, I had this hare-brained idea last year: Why not get a team together and compete?
      I talked to my good friend, Paula Zorn, while I was still in the planning stages - early January, 2003. Paula's not only a massage and physical therapist in town, she's also got a degree in exercise science and sports medicine. She works out a lot, and likes to run.
      Next I talked to Jane Poundstone Sharp. Paramedic and former high school coach of just about anything physical, Jane's also extremely fit. She swims, skis, bikes - you name it, she can do it; and probably better than many women half her age. She's extremely competitive. I had Jane pegged for the bike leg of the race.
      My contribution was in the four-mile water leg. I've done some rafting and open-face kayaking. As an aerobics instructor, part-time jogger and horse by-product shoveler, I had good stamina upper body strength, plus a shorty wetsuit.
      Once Team Ppphhhttt! was assembled and race forms completed in early March, we all began training. Paula ran daily on the Greenbrier River Trail, steadily improving her time on the three-mile distance she'd have to complete. Jane actually went to the portion of her race on the trail to practice, a four-mile stretch down and back, in addition to putting in time on other trails.
      I was going to use Paula's Torrent, an open-face kayak. I made it up to the pond beside her house twice, and did the actual route the weekend before the race to be familiar with the course and the current. In between my outdoor training, I worked out on a rowing machine - not quite the same movement, but close enough.
      I had hoped to be able to get all of us together for a dry run beforehand, but Jane was unable to work it out. The Saturday before the race, Paula and I decided to go ourselves. We took my vehicle to Buckeye, where the take-out point for the river leg was, came back to town and unloaded the Torrent at the bridge. I would paddle downstream as Paula ran from Stillwell to Buckeye on the trail, meet up at the Jeep and drive back to Marlinton.
      Good plan. The river was up by maybe a foot, the current a little faster than usual. I thought I was making fairly good time - I had a stop watch running. I thought I'd catch a glimpse of Paula along the trail, but all I saw as I paddled were kingfishers and a lonely osprey.
      I made it to the blue bridge in just over an hour, only to find Paula waiting for me. We got the kayak up the bank and over to the Jeep. That's when I discovered I didn't have my car keys with me. Luckily my back door was unlocked and I was able to change my shoes before we walked back up the trail to Stillwell Park. Did you know that wetsuits aren't really made for distance walking?
      My keys were in Paula's car, luckily, and we managed to get all the cars and equipment back home with no problems.
      Race day dawned wet and miserable. It had rained off and on through the night, and began drizzling when the race meeting began at the mini-park by the bridge in Marlinton. The basic rules were simple: 1. Have fun! 2. The baton (in this case, an elastic wrist key holder) must be transported the entire race course. Other regulations covering equipment and waivers were discussed. Then it was time for the race to start. Since I was in a kayak, we automatically were in the "Advantage Category," along with racing canoes and tandem kayaks and bicycles.
      All those participating in the river leg lined up behind an imaginary line between the trees along the river bank. When the whistle sounded, we'd make a mad dash for our water craft, already in place near the water.
      The whistle blew and off I flew. What a cluster of confusion! The smarter racers had moored upstream a little and by the time I'd reached my boat, got in the water and began paddling, many of them were already below the bridge..
      To make a long story a little shorter, I paddled my fanny off and took more than 10 minutes off my practice run. I even passed two canoes. I was in the zone, even though scores of people were ahead of me.
      There were race personnel at the take out point to help pull your craft out and direct you to the spot where you transferred your baton to the biker. My legs were on pins and needles as I tried to dash across a wet field to the trail.
      Jane was ready and waiting, and took off like the devil was on her tail. Paula was there, too, since she'd take the baton for the final sprint up the trail. It seems like I barely had time to catch my breath and get my legs back before Jane came roaring in to the transfer point.
      "I passed eight people!" she yelled to us as she passed the neon pink keychain to Paula.
      "Go, Paula, go!" we yelled as Paula took off.
      After a quick water break and a change of clothes, Jane and I drove back to Stillwell Park with the bike and kayak loaded in her truck. We weren't waiting long before Paula crossed the finish line.
      Winded, but exuberant, Paula said she'd done well. "But one guy blew past me like I was standing still!" she exclaimed
      A sumptuous buffet was set up at the park, and everyone ate like starving dogs. As we sat, enjoying our repast, I noticed my knee was hurting - I'd come to find out later on that I had twisted it - probably from running from the river to the trail. Since my legs were numb, I hadn't noticed it until then.
      The awards ceremony was held at the gazebo in the park, and we were pleasantly surprised that Team Pppphhhttt! came in third place in our division - not bad at all for a first-time effort. We picked our prizes from items donated by race sponsors and local businesses.
      I have a lot of respect for those racers who did the whole course solo, and those folks in the Masters (over 50) category. I'll be there soon enough! It was loads of fun and it sure seemed like all the folks who competed - even the super-competitive ones - were good sports who were there for a good time.
      To learn more about the race, visit the website: www.greenbrierrivertrial.com. It's not too late to sign up for this year.
      Do it as an office group, as a family, with your friends or by yourself. It's a good time and your registration fees go to support upkeep on The Greenbrier River Trail.
      Team Pppphhhttt! will not be competing in the 2004 Great Greenbrier River Race due to scheduling conflicts and a broken thumb sustained by the author, who is still recuperating.

The Green Bank Country Store as seen along Route 92/28.
Photo by Drew Tanner

Take a walk through time, rent a cabin, or bulk shop
The Green Bank Country Store: new faces, same familiar place
Drew Tanner
Staff Writer
      The next time you are looking for a unique lodging experience, in search of rare and unusual antiques, or simply looking for good bulk foods, jams or preserves, you may want to pay a visit to the recently reopened Green Bank Country Store.

Visitors could spend the better part of a morning pouring over all that the Country Store has to offer.
Photo by Drew Tanner

      New owners Keith and Shana Beverage reopened the store last November. They have maintained the store's cozy atmosphere and still carry a wide selection of antiques, curiosities, jams, jellies, preserves, syrup, honey and bulk foods.

The bulk foods section, popular among locals, is well stocked.
Photo by Drew Tanner

      Browsing the antiques you can find Griswold skillets, a complete set of Daisy butter churns, relics from the Civil War, an old phonograph, railroad memorabilia, glass, tools and more. In the bulk food section, you will discover a variety of pastas, flours, whole grains, snacks, dried fruits, nuts, and a number of mixes.
      In the future Keith also hopes to offer some of his own hand-made furniture pieces. The current sales counter and shelves in the bulk foods section are examples of his handiwork.

A wide variety of treasures await the curious and the collector--from dolls to glass to miners lamps and war memorabilia.
Photo by Drew Tanner

      The Green Bank Country Store also features three six-person cabins with a full range of amenities. The cabins have been a favorite among skiers this winter. The Beverages are looking forward to the coming anglers this spring and are gearing up for a busy summer season.
      The cabins offer a unique feel of yesteryear. Originally built in 1810 in Union, the cabins were moved to Green Bank in 1998. They have been fully restored, featuring old hand hewn logs, and the Beverages have updated them with full kitchens and baths. Each cabin features at least one loft as well. The cabins are also fully equipped with linens, utensils, pots and pans, coffee pots and microwaves.
      The Green Bank Country Store and cabins are conveniently located only one mile from the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, about five miles from the Cass Scenic Railroad, and 18 miles from Snowshoe Mountain Resort.

In celebration of Mountain Times 3rd year online,
we thought you'd like to review the earlier postings.
Feb. 2002 | March 2002 | Apr. 2002 | May 2002 | June 2002
July 2002 | Aug. 2002 | Sept. 2002 | Oct. 2002 | Nov. 2002
Jan. 2003 | Feb. 2003 | March 2003 | Apr. 2003 | May 2003 | June 2003
July 2003 | Aug. 2003 | Sept. 2003 | Oct. 2003 | Nov. 2003 | Dec. 2003
Jan. 2004 | Feb. 2004 | March 2004
(return to top)
Building Supplies
Gas 'n Groceries
Gifts is sponsored by the advertisers
you see on our pages. Please take time
to patronize their businesses!

Outfitters
Restaurants
Realestate

Burton ~ Salomon ~ Nitro ~ New and Used Demos Come talk to the resort's most
experienced snowboard outfitters.
Store Sale 20 - 50% OFF
Ski and Snowboard Rentals and Sales
1 mike south of WV 66 ~ 304 572-4173

Open Daily 7:30 am - 11 pm, Later on Friday

Largest Ski and Snowboard Rental Co. in the Southeast 304 572-1234
Located at the corner of Rt. 219 and Rt. 66
LOWER RATES ~ FRIENDLY SERVICE
All Ski & Snowboard Clothing and Equipment
ON SALE!!!
Entire 2nd Floor DISCOUNTED

SNOWBOARD & SKI RENTALS
Great Quality, Great Prices
Daily 7:30 am - 11 pm
Friday 7:30 am - 2 am    304 572-1200
route66@neumedia.net

Restaurant
at the Inn at SnowShoe ~ EVERY WEEKEND ~
SHOW COOKERY & BUFFET STATION
Room service available 6:30 am- 1 am
Lounge hours
Mon. - Fri. 4:30 pm - 1 am
Sat. amd Sun. 1 pm to 1 am
Menu Items available daily 'til 1 am
~ 304 572-1000 ~

Open 7 AM until 9 PM
Home of the $4 breakfast!
Located on the corner of
Rt. 219 and Rt. 66

An intimate off-mountain dining experience
Featuring an International Buffet with
live local music each Thursday nite.
5 miles south of WV 66 on US 219
Open Thursday thru Monday evenings
For reservations call:     304 572-3771
Privately owned and operated Since 1982

Douglas S. Keith, Broker
Christine Butler, Assoc. Broker
Beverly Figg, GRI ~ Matt Matthews
Raymond Godwin     304 572-5687
P.O. Box 364 Snowshoe, WV 26209
Visit our Office in Shaver's Centre, Snowshoe Mountain

Presenting the Height of Luxury
Allegheny Springs at Snowshoe Mountain
Yours to own 1-800-489-1943

Mountain Country Properties
304 572-4663      mcpinfo@sunlitsurf.com
David Curtis, Broker
Sales Associates: Jeanette Canada, Bet Curtis P.O. Box 7
Slaty Fork, WV 26291
on Rt. 219, about 1 mile south
of Rt. 66 intersection.

Glades Hardware

Marlinton WV
304 799-4912

Calhoun & Kipp
Unique Items from around the world.
Mon. thru Sat. 10 am 'til 9 pm
Sunday 9 am 'til 8 pm
304 572-5250

advertising@pocahontastimes.com

Eight Rivers Web Designs Last update April 5 , 2004
by Michael Condon omb00875@mail.wvnet.edu

	Douglas S. Keith, Broker Christine Butler, Assoc. Broker Beverly Figg, GRI ~ Matt Matthews Raymond Godwin 304 572-5687 P.O. Box 364 Snowshoe, WV 26209
Visit our Office in Shaver's Centre, Snowshoe Mountain