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. 2
February 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

February
AROUND THE COUNTY
Ghost Town Swing € Feb 14 Pocahontas County Opera House, (304) 799-4009 Bring your valentine for a night of blues and jazz by this sultry group. The Opera House is located on Third Avenue in Marlinton, just around the corner from French's Diner.
Rust Kings € Feb 14 Enjoy traditional, eclectic and folk music every Saturday evening in the warmth of an Irish-style pub and restaurant. Six miles north of Rt. 66 on US 219.
Banjer Dan € Feb 19 Enjoy traditional, eclectic and folk music every Saturday evening in the warmth of an Irish-style pub and restaurant. Six miles north of Rt. 66 on US 219.
Wiley Dew € Feb 28 Enjoy traditional, eclectic and folk music every Saturday evening in the warmth of an Irish-style pub and restaurant. Six miles north of Rt. 66 on US 219.

On The Mountain
For more info about any events at Snowshoe, call 877-441-4FUN.
Armed Services Week € Feb 9 - 12 During this special week, Snowshoe honors the many brave men and women who defend our country. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard will be offered special lift and lodging packages as well as great activities and events off the slopes.
Salomon Oasis € Feb 13 - 15 The Salomon Oasis returns to the mountain for the three day weekend. Demo the latest Salomon equipment, hang out with some top Salomon pros, enjoy happy hour parties all weekend and much more.
Freestyle Event 3 -Halfpipe Invasion € Feb 21 Visit the web site for complete details of this event and all the other great events in Snowshoe's Freestyle Event Series.
Freestyle Event 4 - Boardercross Brawl and Skier X € Feb 22 Visit the web site for complete details on this event and all the other great events in Snowhoe's Freestyle Event Series.
Active Seniors Week € Feb 26 - 28 Seniors, enjoy a fun week packed full of fun activities. Ski clinics, fitness/nutrition seminars, welcome receptions and themed dinners highlight this special week.

Logger's Run luxury townhomes are taking shape on the mountain between Wabasso Condominiums and Top of the World.

Photo by Pamela Pritt

Riding the wave of development

Logger's Run is 'oceanfront' on the mountain

Pamela Pritt
Managing Editor
      For James Ham, a return to Snowshoe Mountain to build three properties is a bit of deja vu. He's already built three condominium units there‹Summit, Top of the World and Snowcrest, not to mention the Widowmaker lift.
      He had some 30 acres between Wabasso Condominiums and Top of the World that sat dormant for about 20 years, and with the development at the resort flourishing recently, Ham and his partner, Fred Rossignol, believed the time was right to make a comeback. And property in that location has all the value of oceanfront at the beach. It's close to the action.
      With his slight southern drawl, Ham explains that developing the property wasn't very appealing until Intrawest took over the resort and began the enormous chore of changing the face of Snowshoe. He and Rossignol had gone on to other things, one on the coast of North and South Carolina and one in Vermont.
      "We knew the property would eventually have some value," Ham said. "And thanks to Intrawest and their vision, it does." Indeed, Intrawest has given Snowshoe Mountain Resort a makeover worth millions, developing the Village at Snowshoe in fine style with Rimfire, Highland House and Allegheny Springs, all with their own retail and restaurant space. And the company continues with the Seneca, under construction now and just beginning to take shape.
      On his return to Snowshoe Mountain, Ham began the Timbers, 10 unit fee simple log homes with four bedrooms, as his first undertaking. Now Logger's Run is underway.That development will have 11 townhouses with four bedrooms and a single car garage‹1,792 square feet of heated space and truly "ski-in-ski-out" with the Widowmaker Lift close by.
      Although some might characterize possession of property wedged between Snowshoe's Wabasso and top of the World condos as a bit of luck, Ham knows it's true. But he also credits patience and planning.
      "We've been very fortunate," he said. "We didn't have a magic wand. You'd call it 'due diligence.' We try to figure out what the public wants and [then] try to give it to them."
      Whether the public knows it wants a second village on Snowshoe Mountain or not, that's exactly what Ham and Rossignol are about to give them.
      The Timbers and Logger's Run are but foretastes of Ham and Rossignol's piece de la resistance: Sawmill Village.
      On an 18-acre tract between Snowcrest and Top of the World, the pair plans site work for a commercial tract with condos, restaurants, swimming pool and health club and retail spaces to begin this summer.
      Ham said he'd worked closely with Snowshoe Vice President and General Manager, Bruce Pittet and Jason Brown, Director of Engineering and Planning, to ensure his development will fit into Intrawest's image of Snowshoe Mountain.
      "It will be equal or nicer than anything in the Village now," he says with an air of obvious pride.
      Although some preliminary sketchwork has been done, Ham said he couldn't release the drawings for publication yet.
      Local realtors offer the listings for The Timbers and Logger's Run. Ham is proud of the fact that "local" carries a lot of weight around Logger's Run. Tygarts Valley Construction is building the townhouses, with log packages from Southeast Log Homes. Lewisburg decorator Meg Hewitt will do all the interiors, which she also has done for the Timbers and Ham's well-appointed office.
      As he sits in the cozy office on a day when windchill factors register below 0°F, Ham confesses his wife doesn't care for the cold. She does travel to the mountains in the summer for mountain biking.
      Ham himself encourages summer visitation to the four-season resort, complimenting Snowshoe on the programs and events lined up each summer to attract visitors. "Snowshoe has gone to great lengths to develop ...exceptional things to do in summer," he said. "And the leaves here are the most beautiful I've ever seen in the fall."
      His wife is willing to admit she may have lost a portion of his affection to a beautiful rival.

James Ham makes a return to Snowshoe Mountain to develop properties near Top of the World. Heand partner, Fred Rossignol, will do site work for a third project this summer.
Photo by Pamela Pritt

      "My wife says I've fallen in love with West Virginia," he laughs. "And I have."
      While West Virginia has its charms, the Mountain State threw Ham a curve or two in the way of endangered species, namely the Cheat Mountain Salamander and the Virginia Flying Squirrel. He's been able to work out issues with the Department of Fish and Wildlife by trading a tract of land farther down the mountain for four acres that have become a lighted walkway from Wabasso to Top of the World.
      "We've done it by the numbers," he said. "We hope to be good citizens and good stewards of the land."
      Although Ham plans to retire to Charleston, South Carolina, he also plans to keep a residence at Snowshoe Mountain.
      "We plan to keep a presence," Ham said, "now in particular. It will be a couple of years before its built out."

Courtesy Patrol keeps things flowing smoothly on the slopes
Uncommon Courtesy
Sunny Given
Staff Writer
      Call them traffic cops. Or lifeguards. Or, as Betty Wilson's husband once termed them, "foot soldiers." The Snowshoe Courtesy and Safety Patrols are there to make sure everyone has a good, safe time on the 57 trails which cover the mountain.
     Courtesy and Safety Patrollers can be found on every slope, all day long. You'll see them at the lifts, and "hot spot" intersections. They're often first on the scene of the accidents that are bound to happen. They stand out in their red and black or red and gray parkas with COURTESY PATROL embroidered on the back, and the Safety Patrollers are nearly blinding in yellow neon vests that proclaim SAFETY PATROL.

Stylin' and profilin' are Courtesy and Safety Patrol members, from left Sandy Waitkus, Amelia Vincent and Don Flegel. Don sports the new high-visibility vest safety patrollers wear.
Photo by Sunny Given

     New this year, the Safety Patrol has started out with six vests, and Wilson was ordering 10 more the day I visited.
     "These really get their attention," she said, and another patroller agreed. "I can stand at a hazard in the red parka, and folks will just speed right by. When they see this vest, they put on the brakes."
     Patrollers range in age from under-21 to well-into-retirement. They come from as far as Florida and Michigan. They come from all walks of life - attorneys, business owners, teachers, nurses, college professors, veterinarian, orthopedic surgeon, forester, crisis therapist, even a Pocahontas County magistrate. Many are property owners on the mountain and have been skiing here for years. Others come and go. Their one commonality: They care about people and want their experience at Snowshoe to be a safe one.
     Courtesy Patrol Manager Wilson has been supervising since 1998. She came to the mountain in 1994. Currently, she heads up a team of 72 volunteers. "My husband calls them foot soldiers for the ski patrol," she said, explaining that it's often the courtesy patroller who arrives first at a mishap, secures the scene and radios for medical help if necessary. They also help with evacuation. And as more patrollers arrive, they position themselves strategically above the accident to slow or divert the traffic flow.
     "Whatever needs to be done, we do," Wilson said.
     Traffic control is one of the most important jobs of the patrol. It may sound a little boring, but just think about it - on a major holiday weekend at Snowshoe, 10,000 people or more will be on the mountain - most of them trying to go downhill on skis or snowboards. To keep the flow smooth and safe, Wilson has as many as 29 patrollers out on a weekend, and if congestion arises, a single radio call can move her soldiers to where they're most needed. Less than half that number are needed on a weekday. Traffic control also includes lift lines. "Lift lines are always a complaint," she said. "We hand out lift line time cards [to skiers] and use the results to determine where and when traffic control is needed at the lifts.
     Lift lines are also a great way to help skiers remember the responsibility code. One of the patrollers, Chris D'Addario, uses the line time to entertain folks, Wilson relates.
     "He'll say, 'Who can recite one of the items on the responsibility code,' and correct answers get to move to the head of the class." Or in this case, the head of the line.
     On the top side of the lift, getting people off safely and headed back down the hill is also a priority. Some people tend to stop once they're off the lift, instead of moving away. Number seven on the responsibility code states, "Prior to using any lift, you must have the knowledge and ability to load, ride and unload safely."
     Patrollers routinely give out business card-size copies of the code to errant skiers - sometimes even highlighting the offense. Wilson says that's often all it takes to make them be more responsible. "We're not police," she said.
     But they do carry whistles. Kind of like lifeguards singling out the trouble maker, stopping the too-fast or out-of-control skier, or those stopping at a bad spot on the trail, or failure to yield. And it's all to keep the folks on the trails safe and safety conscious.
     Any time a patroller sees a skier stopped, they stop, too - to make sure there's not a problem. They position themselves at hot spots - intersections to slow traffic down, or potential areas where trouble might crop up. "We make frequent stops for anything, and anyone." Wilson said. The Courtesy and Safety patrollers are part of a vital communications link to what's going on everywhere on the trails.
     They can find a lost child who's been separated from sometimes frantic parents, usually in less than 20 minutes.
     "When we get a report of a lost child, a patroller will radio in to Ski Patrol," Wilson said. Within minutes, they radio the call out, with the name and description of the child. With patrollers on the slopes and at the lift lines, it's usually only a short time before kids are reunited with their parents. Wilson said sometimes you have to stop ask several little girls in light blue parkas if their name is "..." before you find the right one.
     "One 13-year old boy, a first-time skier, had gotten on the wrong slope. He was in tears. I spent half an hour getting him down Skidway to the Powdermonkey lift." Wilson told me. "He skied where he could, and if it was too steep, he took off his skis and walked down. When I got him back to the top, I gave him a ticket for a group lesson discount at Shavers Center. I would've even given him the money for the lesson, if he didn't have it.
     I've done that for other kids."
     Kids aren't the only ones that wind up in the wrong place.
     "We got a call two years ago about a dog on the slopes," Wilson said. "He was so cute, and just having a great time. He belonged to one of the property owners, and had gotten loose."
     Fortunately, he was small enough and friendly enough for Wilson to carry down the slope and back up on the lift, where a Ski Patroller was waiting with a leash, food and water. "I got a lot of comments on that," she laughed.
     The Courtesy Patrol offers free safety presentations for group tours that come to Snowshoe. When information packets are sent out, that offer is included. About 50% attend. Most people, especially the first-timers really appreciate the service. Trail maps are handed out and skiers are oriented to the mountain, and the responsibility code. They strongly recommend the new skiers take a lesson or two. The goal: to make your on-snow experience safer and more enjoyable.
     Her staff of volunteers are on the hill more than anyone else, volume-wise. Wilson has the squad separated into Tier I and Tier II patrols. Tier I patrollers work from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and get comp tickets for working holidays. Tier II patrollers arrive at 7:30 a.m. and help Ski Patrol before opening the slopes at 8:30 a.m. - setting up hay bales and bamboo sticks at hazards and hydrants, and they help close the slopes at 4:30 p.m. They earn comp tickets for the time they work.
     Even when they're not actually scheduled to be on a specific slope, the Courtesy Patrollers are out there. "I stress that they patrol on skis, not ski on patrol," Wilson said. "If they're out, they know they have a job to do, even if it's not their shift, or their trail. "
     Not all patrollers have radios, but all lift operators have them. If a patroller is stopped at a scene, they may stop traffic and single out an experienced skier to ski to the lift operator to relay back to base.
     Wilson said it's vitally important for the patrollers to be aware of their location. As well as patrollers becoming familiar with every inch of the mountain, hydrants are numbered, and intersections marked so specific directions can be given.
     Special training is not mandatory, but most volunteers know basic first aid and CPR. With several doctors and nurses on the patrol, plus Ski Patrol - who are extensively trained for medical emergencies - Wilson feels her volunteers are capable. Additional training is by choice, she added.
     Volunteers are required to work 12 shifts over the course of the ski season - 10 days and two nights. Wilson said everyone works more than that. What could be more fun than skiing for free all day and helping people along the way?
     If you are interested in becoming a Courtesy Patroller, or learning more about them, contact Betty Wilson at the Courtesy Patrol office, 572-5693 or email bwilson@snowshoemtn.com.
     Sunny Given is the "adventure writer," among other things, at the Pocahontas Times. A thrill seeker from childhood, she worried her parents constantly, and causes her husband some concern even now. She likes experiencing the wild and crazy things you can enjoy in the county. Unfortunately she doesn't have as much time as she'd like.

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
(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

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	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