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

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

Vol. 1 No. 7
August 5, 2002

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

On the Mountain: August
8/8 to 8/11 - Harley Owner's Group, Snowshoe Mountain The HOGS return to Snowshoe Mountain for three days of touring, vendors, bike shows, games and live entertainment exclusive to WV Harley Owner's Group members. For more information, visit www.wvstatehogrally.com.
8/14 to 8/18 - International Bowhunters World Championships, Snowshoe Mountain. 1800 archers from around the world compete.
8/23 to 8/25 - Snowshoe Symphony Festival, Snowshoe. The WV Symphony performs classical music. Theme brunches and dinners, arts and crafts, concert performances.
8/31 to 9/1 - Snowshoe's Labor Day Celebration, Snowshoe. A family weekend of great fun, entertainment and events.
September
9/7 to 9/7 - Village of Snowshoe 15 K Run, Snowshoe.
9/13 to 9/14 - September Fest, Snowshoe Mountain
9/14 to 9/14 - The Snowshoe Downhill, Snowshoe Mountain.
Off Peak
Happenings August
Thru 8/31 - Solar Viewing, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Green Bank. Monday - Friday at 11:45 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. at the tour center. Get a peek at the sun through an optical telescope. Free, no reservations needed.
8/9 - Bike Night, Marlinton. 22-mile motorcycle parade, bike show, live entertainment, food. The Town of Marlinton blocks off the street for a huge bike evening.
8/9 to 8/11 - Pocahontas Peaks Tour, Elk River Touring Center
8/10 - Cass Dinner Train, Cass Scenic Railroad State Park. Enjoy an evening train ride to Whittaker Station and enjoy a Barbecue dinner and live music.
8/10 - Live entertainment at The Brazen Head Inn, Mingo. "The 1937 Flood."
8/11 to 8/14 - Greenbrier Inn to Inn, Elk River Touring Center
8/14 - High Tech Tours, NRAO, Green Bank. Be guided through parts of NRAO normally off limits to visitors, like lab areas where sensitive receivers are designed and built. Tours at 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. Admission is $3.00 Limited space for 15 people. For reservations, call (304) 456-2150.
8/15 to 8/17 - Visiting Naturalist Program, Seneca State Forest.A visiting naturalist from WV State Parks will present a variety of fun, nature-oriented activities. For info call 1-800-CALLWVA, or locally 799-6213.
8/17 - Live entertainment at The Brazenhead Inn, featuring Will Fanning and friend.
8/17 - Wild 100 Backcountry Race, Elk River Touring Center. Followed by the Wild 100 survivor's party and barbecue around the campfire. The hardest fun you'll ever have!
8/17 - Singing by the River, 6-10 p.m., Hermitage Motel Grounds, Bartow. Third Annual outdoor gospel concert, performance by gospel artist Michael Combs.
8/17 - Cass Dinner Train Cass Scenic Railroad State Park. An evening train ride to Whittaker Station, barbecue dinner and live music.
8/17 - Baby Quilt Workshop, McClintic Library, Marlinton 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.For complete details, call Cathy Williams at (304) 497-2205.
8/23 to 8/25 - Greenbrier River Outdoor Adventure Weekend Elk River Touring Center
8/17 - Live entertainment at The Brazenhead Inn, featuring Will Fanning and friend.
8/24 - Cass Dinner Train, Cass Scenic Railroad State Park. An evening train ride to Whittaker Station, barbecue dinner and live music.
8/24 - Live entertainment at the Brazen Head Inn, featuring Allen Freeman & Tim Pence.
8/25 to 8/28 - Greenbrier Inn to Inn, Elk River Touring Center.
8/30 to 9/2 - Singletrack Clinic with Dirt Camp Tour, Elk River Touring Center. By the end of Dirt Camp, you will be the envy of all your riding buddies!
8/31 - Live entertainment at The Brazen Head Inn, featuring Doug Harper.
8/31 - Cass Dinner Train, Cass Scenic Railroad State Park. An evening train ride to Whittaker Station, barbecue dinner and live music.
SEPTEMBER
9/5 to 9/8 - Gauley Mountain 50K Ultra Run, Elk River Touring Center.
9/7 - Cass Dinner Train, Cass Scenic Railroad State Park.
9/7 to 9/7 - Gauley Mountain 50K Ultra Trail Run, Elk River Touring Center.
9/8 to 9/11 - Greenbrier Inn to Inn Elk River Touring Center.
9/13 to 9/15 - Slaty fork Women's Weekend, Elk River Touring Center.

It was a dark and stormy night...
All Aboard for a Camping Trip to Remember
by Barbara Elliott
Contributing Writer
Photos by Steven J. Shaluta

Passengers exit the self-propelled
Salamander at the top of Cheat
Mountain. The car is a replica of
a 1922 Edwards Railway Motor Car.

     It started out as a quest for the perfect kid-friendly camping experience.
     It wound up a soggy adventure involving torrents of rain, defective automobiles, table-top folk dancing, a zesty dinner involving pesto and s'mores, and-thank goodness-a lovely, mist-shrouded ride on the Cheat Mountain Salamander.
     Like all previous camping trips-complete with their own set of foibles-with my young friend Zoe, almost 14, this one would be a joy to remember-in hindsight.
     Zoe and her 11-year-old sister, Diana, daughters of David's old college friend, traveled from Amherst, Massachusetts, to spend a couple of weeks with us in July.
     David and I have been doing this for almost a decade now with a varying roster of children-nieces, nephews, children of friends. We don't have kids of our own, so we borrow other people's, attempt to spoil them rotten, then return them to their parents to suffer the consequences.

The High Falls of the Cheat
is one of two destinations
you can choose. The falls
drop 12 feet and feature
great fishing and swimming

     Our biggest innovation for '02 was to avoid the whole hiking/hauling gear thing by arriving at our campsite in great style aboard the Cheat Mountain Salamander.
     Don't let the lizard name fool you. The Salamander is actually a cheery bright yellow self-propelled replica of a 1922 Edwards Railway Motor Car operated by the Durbin & Greenbrier Railroad. It departs from a tiny platform the top of Cheat Mountain, about 6 miles north of Durbin just off Highway 250. You can opt for an excursion to the High Falls of Cheat or to the historic ghost town of Spruce. Each excursion is about a three-hour round-trip, or you can combine the two for an all-day adventure.
     The Durbin & Greenbrier staff are helpful and amenable to people like us who need help hoisting aboard a tractor trailer load of camping gear. They'll even drop you off along the way if you want to camp or fish along the river rather than going all the way to the end destination. If you call ahead, they can help arrange for box lunches or even outfit you for a camping or fishing trip if you don't want to lug the entire contents of the L.L. Bean catalog with you when you come to West Virginia on vacation.
     We opted to take High Falls train and camp at one of the two handy camp sites between the tracks and the falls. Friends had been telling us for years what a gorgeous spot it was, and there was reportedly a great swimming hole at the base of the falls. Frank Ghigo of Green Bank, another old college pal of David's and also an avid camper, was one of those friends, and he offered to come along as our guide and sous chef. To further stack the deck, David and Frank decided to go ahead of us womenfolk, hiking in and stringing up a massive plastic tarp to protect all our belongings in case there was even a hint of dampness in the air as we established camp. Not to worry, I assured them. The weekend forecast on www.weather.com-and I quote-was "partly cloudy."

Muddy, but unbowed, our intrepid
campers made the best of a rainy
weekend. From left: Frank Ghigo,
Diana Scott, Barb Elliot, Zoe Scott and
David Elliot.

     I guess my first hint that things were not going to go as planned was that it was raining as we departed the Ghigos and headed towards Durbin. My windshield wipers had been out of commission for about a month (another story-we won't go there), so our drive involved much squinting and occasionally hopping out to wipe off the windshield.
     With the help of a well-placed large sign, we found the turnoff to the "station" despite the pea-soup fog on Cheat Mountain, and were greeted warmly by the crew of the Salamander who helped us load three enormous packs and a pile of other gear onto the train and stowed it for us in the back -or front, depending on which way you're going, I guess.
     We settled in for a truly breathtaking, tranquil ride along the Cheat River.
     The rhododendrons were in full bloom, the mountainsides were lushly green, and the misty river snaked lazily beside us as we moved at a pace meant for sight-seeing.
     The Durbin & Greenbrier Railroad folks tout that they take you into "The Wild Heart of West Virginia," and riding along I found myself thinking that they were exactly right.
     It was easy to imagine that this pristine wilderness, with the exception of the tracks, "The Little Salamander that Could," and a few camps, probably looked as it has for hundreds if not thousands of years.
     As we rounded the last awesome curve to the High Falls of Cheat platform, we were relieved to see Frank, David and the giant tarp awaiting us. We scrambled to get three tents set up under the large tarp and another smaller tarp hung over the fire ring before the "partly cloudy" skies really let loose.
     Our fellow passengers on the Salamander disembarked for a quick look around and in some cases a brief picnic before climbing back aboard. As the train disappeared down the tracks, I saw our former traveling companions looking back at us with expressions that basically said, "Are you nuts??".
     If we were, we weren't the only ones. Three other brave souls stayed behind to camp too. However, the three men in that party opted to forget about tent camping as the skies grew darker and wetter. They set up operations in the shelter that serves as the train waiting area, fired up their camp stove and proceeded for most of the next 24 hours to cook a lot of what smelled like onions and potatoes. Yum. Did I mention we had gorp for lunch? Mind you, it was excellent, home-made, state-of-the-art gorp-but gorp, nonetheless.
     The girls and Frank were able to fit in an exhilarating dip in the famous High Falls swimming hole before the skies really opened up. The High Falls of Cheat, because of the remote location, must be one of the most beautiful and least-known natural wonders in the state. The waters of the Shaver's Fork take an 18 foot plunge in this section of the Cheat River, which was designated by Southern Living as one of the four most unspoiled waterways in the U.S.
     I must say that David had outdone himself in preparing for the worst-case weather scenario. Between the tarps and the dry kindling and charcoal he had packed in, various ground clothes and pads, multiple rain slickers-we dubbed our little tent city "Poncho Villa"- a back-up camp stove, well-planned menus involving minimal in-camp preparation and exceptionally positive attitudes on the part of all involved, we really did have quite a nice evening.
     We huddled around the fire/stove cooking pasta for our defrosted home-made pesto, ate wonderful crusty bread smuggled in from a European bakery and topped it all off with gooey s'mores.
     Let's face it, we're not exactly hunters and trappers here. By 8:30 we were all pretty much comatose.
     Throughout the night I was aware of the constant drumming of water on plastic, then somewhere along the way I became aware of a load roar.
     The next morning I discovered the sound was coming from the falls, which now looked like they had had a major dose of steroids overnight.
     Sheets of water poured over rocks that had stood many feet above water level on the previous day. Even if it hadn't still been raining, no one would have been tempted to take a dip in a pool that now looked like some kind of cosmic washing machine stuck on turbo-wash.
     We spent as much time as humanly possible making coffee and pancakes for breakfast, hoping against hope that the rain would stop before we were forced to de-tarp. By late morning, it did let up, and before I knew it Zoe and Diana were cheerfully practicing barefoot folk dancing on one of the rain-slicked picnic tables. It's at times such as this that I realize I have officially reached geezerdom.
     Right on cue, as we were fitting tents and tarps back into the packs, the rain stopped. Zoe, now very much the great outdoorswoman, decided to hike out with David and Frank. Diana and I, being mere mortals, happily boarded the Salamander for the return trip. I suppressed the urge to kiss the little train when it came to a stop beside our leaning tower of wet backpacks.
     Diana and I returned to the Ghigo residence, where all my fantasies of hot showers, clean laundry and a hot meal began to materialize thanks to the efforts of Frank's wife Janet, who due to some evil force of fate had missed the opportunity of sharing all this fun with us.
     I was just beginning to salivate at the thought of the beef stroganoff on the stove when the phone rang off in the distance. Soon Janet appeared and announced that David had called to report that his car would not start. After Zoe's effort to scratch the word "HELP" into the surface of the Forest Service Road had yielded no rescuers, the three intrepid ones had hiked to the summer camp of some kind people who let them use the phone.
     Janet made the two-hour round trip to pick them up, and finally we were all reunited for a great feast made all the more enjoyable by the fact that we were indoors, warm, dry and did not smell like charcoal, kerosene or slightly singed marshmallows.
     Then before I knew it, I was headed home with the girls, tooling along in a light rain with no windshield wipers, while David stayed behind in Green Bank to deal with the towing and car repairs that would follow the next day.
Cheat Mountain Salamander
Iron chariot to a highland paradise.

     All in all, not a bad weekend. No really, we had a great time. I think we've finally broken the camping jinx. Just a few tiny little bugs to work out. Next year will be perfect. Just ask Zoe.
     Want to plan your own adventure on the Salamander? You will find complete information about Durbin & Greenbrier Railroad excursions and fares on their web site, www.mountainrail.com, or give them locally at 456-4935. You can also call toll-free 877-MTN-RAIL (686-7245). Brochures containing fare and schedule information are available at The Durbin Depot and all other Pocahontas County Visitors Centers.
     Barbara Elliot is the Assistant Director of the Pocahontas Convention & Visitor's Bureau, and prefers to sleep in warm, dry surroundings while spoiling her friends' children.

If you have to ask, you wouldn't understand
A patriotic theme;

these colors don't run but they ride well.

Freedom Fest Rally
draws bikers from all over US
Sunny Given
Staff Writer
Photos by Sunny Given
      Some call it "thunder in the hills," but as I approached Snowshoe Mountain Resort from the foot of the mountain, the sounds of motorcycles - hundreds of them - reminded me more of an angry hive of hornets.
      Bikes were everywhere.
      On my trip to Snowshoe from Marlinton, I passed at least 50 riders singly and in groups headed south. At the intersection of Rts. 219 and 66 perhaps 100 � some parked at the vendor site between Elk Mountain Outfitters and The Market at Big Spring, more coming and going from Snowshoe.
      A steady stream of riders came down the mountain as I drove to the top.
      Snowshoe was abuzz with activity during the 3rd annual Freedom Fest, held July 17 - 21. The rally was open to bikes of all makes and models. Plenty of cruisers, lots of crotch rockets and even a few enduros were on hand. The rally drew men and women riders from all over, including one who hauled his bike 17 hours from Springfield, MO.

Spectators admire show entries
as one owner polishes chrome.

      The parking lot across from Rimfire Lodge was set up for vendors of all kinds, and looked like a tent city. Riding apparel, bike parts, after-market accessories - you name it, there was a vendor for it.
      The resort hosted games and seminars for the riders, a bike show in the Village, and an ox roast, just to name a few activities. Touring maps were provided, so riders could venture forth on their own from the mountain to all compass points. Guided tours were also available.
      Joe Stevens, director of Communications at Snowshoe Mountain Resort, said weather reports were provided several times a day for the 2500 riders that were registered on the mountain.
      "We'd look at the weather radar and say, hey, it's raining south of Marlinton, but if you ride towards Elkins, you'll be okay," he said, adding it was a good way to ensure that, for the most part, everybody would have good riding. Some hit-or miss showers did occur during the first half of the five-day event.
      The bike show was held on a partly-cloudy Friday afternoon. Even so, sunlight danced on the chrome of nearly 50 bikes on display. Bikes were classed according to motor size, stock or custom, and vintage bikes. Harley-Davidsons seemed to dominate the contenders. On-lookers strolled through the display or enjoyed the outdoor seating at several of the restaurants.

The writer with Robert D. Raiford.

      Signing autographs at the Village after the show was Robert D. Raiford, commentator and curmudgeon at large of the John Boy and Billy Big Show, a syndicated morning radio show based in Charlotte, NC. This was Raiford's third visit to the mountain, this time riding a H-D Road King provided by Dennis Harley Davidson of South Charleston, WV. "The thing I like most about this is that it's not over-organized like many rides and events." he said. He just recently concluded the cross-country Kyle Petty Ride for Charity.
      Capping the event was the concert on Saturday night, featuring The Dickie Betts Band. Betts, former lead guitarist of The Allman Brothers Band, is also a pretty good golfer, according to Joe Stevens. Stevens played a round at the Raven with Betts and several band members during their stay.

Just a few of the many bikes in the show

      It's a great thing when an event like this accomplishes what it's supposed to.
      The Big Mountain Country of Pocahontas County offers hundreds of miles of winding two-lane roads - perfect for cruising. The scenic beauty of the hills and valleys are unsurpassed, and there are plenty of interesting places to stop and visit.
      Snowshoe Resort makes an ideal rallying point for it all.
      When I left the mountain Friday afternoon, I was headed north. On my way, I passed more motorcyclists coming over the mountain from Cass. At least 4 dozen bikes were parked at Cass Scenic Railroad State Park, and I passed at least 20 more riders on my way to Durbin.
      Next year, I'll be back on my bike.

Ronald McDonald was on hand to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House.

Muralist does it plain and fancy
      Everybody wants their bike to be unique, and custom murals and paint job are just one way to achieve that goal. Mike Lanborne of Mountain Man Art of Circleville had his tent set up at the bottom of the mountain, painting everything from cartoon characters to realistic scenes on fuel tanks and fenders. He'd done 15 bikes by 3 p.m. Friday, at $75 and up per bike.

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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

Douglass S. Keith, 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@neumedia.net
David Curtis, Broker ~ Christine Butler, Associate Broker
Sales Associates: Debbie Goodwin, Cathy McGee, Bet Curtis P.O. Box 7
Slaty Fork, WV 26291
Rt. 66, � mile from
Snowshoe Entrance

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

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Muralist does it plain and fancy
	Everybody wants their bike to be unique, and custom murals and paint job are just one way to achieve that goal. Mike Lanborne of Mountain Man Art of Circleville had his tent set up at the bottom of the mountain, painting everything from cartoon characters to realistic scenes on fuel tanks and fenders. He'd done 15 bikes by 3 p.m. Friday, at $75 and up per bike.

	Douglass S. Keith, 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

Freedom Fest Rally draws bikers from all over US

Freedom Fest Rally
draws bikers from all over US