Focusing on the resort and tourist community of Slaty Fork, Snowshoe Mountain, Cass and Green Bank
Vol. 5 No. 2
February 2006		 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
Star Lab Thursdays € National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Green Bank, 304-456-2150. Gather at the planetarium balloon every Thursday for a unique look at the sky. There is a $3 charge per person and reservations are suggested.
Feb. 3 € Film Fest at NRAO € National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Green Bank, 304-456-2150. Come out and enjoy this free movie event at 7 p.m. NRAO staff will be on hand for questions and discussion.
Feb. 8 € High-Tech Wednesday € National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Green Bank, 304-456-2150. Join us for a guided tour through parts of NRAO normally off-limits to visitors, like lab areas where sensitive receivers are designed and built. Space is limited to 15 per tour, cost is $3 per person and takes about an hour.
Feb 18 € Theater West Virginia presents Miss Nelson is Missing € Pocahontas County Opera House, 818 Third Avenue, Marlinton € 304-799-6645. Miss Nelson is Missing is a lively musical comedy performed by the touring company of Theatre West Virginia. Based on the books, Miss Nelson is Missing and Miss Nelson is Back by Harry Allard, this musical adaptation by Joan Cushing won the National Children's Theatre Festival Award for Best Musical. Show begins at 7:30 p.m. and is $5.00.
Feb. 25 € Star Party € NRAO, Green Bank, 304-456-2150. Free. NRAO staff will orient you to the star-filled sky and then view the night sky on the Star Party Patio. Bring optical telescopes and binoculars - you won't believe your eyes. Dress appropriately! Begins at dusk.

On The Mountain
For more info about any events at Snowshoe, call 877-441-4FUN or visit online at www.snowshoemtn.com
Weekends in February € Pro Ski and Snowboard Series € Every weekend in February, the regions top skiers and riders head to Snowshoe to compete in the Ski and Snowboard Series. With events ranging from Slopestyle to Boardercross to Halfpipe, skiers and boarders will battle it out for cash and great prizes.
Feb. 3-5 € Jose Cuervo Games of Winter € Two of the best events on the mountain combine forces over the first weekend in February. Start off the weekend with the legendary Cuervo Games of Winter and then roll the fun into Sunday at our Super Bowl Bash in the Connection Night Club.
Feb. 6 € Cupp Run Challenge € Ski racers from across the East are invited to participate in the 32nd annual Cupp Run Challenge - one of the East's most demanding ski races. On a course which covers 1,000 vertical feet in 1 1/4 miles, pros and amateurs will race this giant slalom course competing for cash and prizes totaling over $2,000.
Feb. 20-23 € President's Week Sale € Extend the President's Weekend a few extra days with our President's Week Sale. During the dates above, when you book any three or more night lift and lodging package kids 12 and under ski for FREE. Plus, you'll receive lodging savings of up to 50% when you package during this special week.
Feb. 26 € WV Youth Ski Free Day WV resident kids 18 and younger can ski for free and receive 50% off rentals and lessons!

Upscale grilled tuna with tomato caper sauce
Grilled tuna with tomato caper sauce with lemon basmati rice, and a pear, spinach, and toasted pecan salad with vanilla-balsamic vinaigrette.
Photo courtesy Alan Dutchess
Local chef gets personal

Cooking something up

Pamela Pritt
Editor
      Have you ever wanted a gourmet meal, but just didn't want to go out of the house or cook yourself?
      Alan Dutchess can solve that problem with the chef service he offers. He'll come right to your kitchen, cook and serve the meal.
      A native of the Clarksburg area, Dutchess got his start at C. J. Maggie's' original restaurant.
      Although he was originally hired to wash dishes, the restaurant was "desperate" one night and the chef on duty showed him how to do a couple of things. And he was hooked.
      Now, at 33, with country clubs and resorts in South Carolina, New Hampshire and Oregon, not to mention a three-year stint at the locally popular Elk River Restaurant, under his belt, he's entered a whole new phase of his craft.
      "I like to work off the cuff," Dutchess said. "I like to see what comes up."
      For instance, Dutchess said he likes to walk into someone's kitchen and cook with what they have in stock. On the one hand, that makes it easy. Most people don't keep around stuff they don't like. But on the other hand, some folks don't have a well-stocked kitchen or, for that matter, up-to-par appliances.
      No problem.
      Dutchess' first job was for about eight people, all cooked on a four-burner camp stove. It's a good thing he likes to "see what comes up."
      "I like walking in and creating something," he continued. "It's a fun job. I go to someone's kitchen and see what they have."
      His goal is to promote preparing a week's worth of meals for people coming to Snowshoe Mountain Resort and having them ready when the visitors arrive.
      Dutchess also does dinner parties and wedding receptions and gives private cooking classes, as well.
      Although Dutchess said he has no favorite dishes, he is interested in international cuisines and the ingredients different cultures use. Really, it's chemistry.
      But that science turns into art with Dutchess' food. After all, presentation is one of the key elements to a good dining experience.
      With dishes in his repertoire like seared sea scallop salad over mixed greens with julienne carrots, scallions and bell pepper with ginger-sesame vinaigrette, grilled portabellas and basil pesto over sun-dried tomato and arugula with balsamic reduction, venison pate with cumberland sauce, oven roasted duckling with black cherry reduction, chive mashed boniatos and wilted spinach or filet of beef tenderloin with marchand de vin compound butter, parisian potatoes, topped off with chocolate cheesecake with hazelnut and mint or key lime pie with mango coulis, it's a pretty sure bet that he can come up with something from just about any kitchen. If not, he'll do the shopping.
      If good food isn't enough, at your request, Dutchess can play some old-time music while you dine.
      He grew up playing rock, blues and country, but he's really gotten into old-time music lately. He performed at the Marlinton Opera House just last month with the Cranberry Rock String Band. Dutchess plays banjo and has picked up the guitar and fiddle, too.
      It's a dinner combo sure to be pleasing to the palette and the ear.
      To contact Alan Dutchess, email him at mountainhome chef@yahoo.com.

   

Cabins nestled along Stamping Creek at Mill Point.
Barnett Cabins nestle along Stamping Creek at Mill Point. A year-round trout stream, you can almost cast a line from your front porch, even in winter.
Photos by Gail Hyer

To everything there is a season...

For every season there are cabins

Gail Hyer
Contributing Writer
      You don't always need a tent and a long day on the trail to get away from the bright lights of the big city. Barnett Cabins of Mill Point offer a remote getaway nestled in the woods, with a warm and friendly atmosphere.
      If you enjoy dozing off at night to the sounds of a babbling brook, then this is the place you want to rest your weary head. Sitting adjacent to Stamping Creek are four rustic log cabins that will ensure you a restful night, pleasurable vacation and everlasting memories.
      Proprietors Bill and Duana Barnett are proud of the unique lodging opportunity they offer. "We have people come here year after year." said Duana. "Some come for two or three days and end up staying for the whole week."
The front porches are welcoming.
The front porches are welcoming in warmer months, inviting you to kick off your shoes and sit a spell.
Photos by Gail Hyer
      Each cabin has a special theme.
      One is meticulously decorated in fishing photographs and paraphernalia, while another features the black bear as the focus. The other two cabins pay tribute to the owners' ancestry and genealogy, with old family photographs. Each abode is open, spacious and welcoming. Duana does all of the decorating, and her taste for the classical, refined decor is apparent.
      Choice antiques and comfy quilts embellish the interior of each cabin. All the necessities are provided, including bed linens and towels. The kitchen is furnished with stove, refrigerator, coffee pot, microwave, toaster, dishes, pots and pans.
All the comforts of home...
Guests find all the comforts of home in the well-appointed cabins, including satellite TV and telephones - allowing them to get away from it all, but still stay in touch.
Photos by Gail Hyer
      "Vacationers want a rustic feel to their surroundings but they want the electronic gadgets of home so we offer satellite television, VCRs and telephones," said Bill.
      Cabins have large gas fireplaces and queen size sofa sleepers for extra people. Each one sleeps four to six people. The stone for the huge chimney maze is native in origin. One can only imagine the arduous job of setting it to such a state of perfection. Large modern bathrooms, with stone vanities in each cabin, with plenty of hot water, is a nice feature, as is the common laundry room.
      The cabinets are made from the black cherry and black walnut trees that Bill took from the original property. Black cherry is well known for its luster and reddish-brown color when properly finished. It is often used for fine furniture, professional and scientific instruments, piano actions, and interior trim in boats.
Enjoy your morning from this back porch swing.
Its not hard to enjoy your morning coffee from this back porch swing. Native rock is used for all the chimneys and fireplaces.
Photos by Gail Hyer
      Guests can relax in the evening on the large deck equipped with a cooking grill and lawn furniture, or watch a West Virginia sunset from the fire pit area along the creek.
      Stamping Creek runs underground along Route 39 from Kennison Mountain until it nears Mill Point, where it surfaces and races to the great Greenbrier River. Temperatures of about 60º, along with the purity of the water, make this stretch of Stamping Creek a popular place with fishermen year round. The creek is a "catch and release stream," which means what you catch has to be put back into the stream. The pristine waters in the creek make it a perfect place for trout all seasons of the year, so bring your fishing pole and your best bait.
Common area firepit.
Guests are welcome to build campfires in the common area firepit.
Photos by Gail Hyer
      Not only fisherman but winter skiers, day hikers and festival goers find the views and the ambiance relaxing and welcoming. If you are cloaked in a clump of trees and don't make a sound, you might see a Great Blue Heron poised to collect its dinner. Careful observation may also result in the discovery of a pair of river otters playing in the rapids. Otters can be seen playing from early morning to early evening as they frolic, chase and wrestle with one another.
      According to Bill, "We built these cabins in order to share the scenic beauty and vast recreational opportunities in this area with our families, friends, and any one else looking for a great place to vacation."
      The mountains of Pocahontas County and the Monongahela National Forest provide endless opportunities for hiking, camping, mountain biking, cycling, fishing, and orienteering. The area's villages offer an abundance of shopping, home-cooked eats and Civil War history.
Cabins nestled along Stamping Creek at Mill Point.
The cabins are just off Route 219, north of Hillsboro, centrally located allowing guests to take advantage of all that Pocahontas County offers.
Photos by Gail Hyer
      The summer is filled with fun festivals, music celebrations and other great family happenings. The area is also known for its network of old mountain roads left over from the logging days. These roads give easy access to hundreds of miles in the Monongahela Forest and unforgettable country scenery.
      In the winter these cabins offer a warm dry place to sip hot chocolate or drink wine by a cozy fireplace after a full day of snowboarding at Snowshoe Mountain Resort, or cross country skiing on the Greenbrier River Trail. The cabins have convenient access to Route 219 so there is an easy, direct route to winter fun, splendid dining and spectacular wilderness.
      Bill and Duana Barnett want each of their guests to find the warmth and comfort they strive for where guests can experience the beauty of nature and refresh their spirit.

      Find out more on the Barnett Cabins by visiting them on the Internet at www.barnettcabins.com or call them toll free at 800-262-4615.

   

The Outpost can help you out.
Forget something for your trip? Chances are, the Outpost can help you out.
Photos by Drew Tanner

Eat up and gear up at

The Outpost

Drew Tanner
Staff Writer
A unique assortment of gifts and collectibles.
In addition to skis and provisions, they also offers a unique assortment of gifts and collectibles.
Drew Tanner
      Approaching Snowshoe Mountain Resort from the west affords ample opportunities to stop, pick up skis, food and other essentials, but if you're coming from the east, the Route 66 Outpost is the last stop.
Fox waxes each board and ski.
Kevin Fox waxes each board and ski that comes back from the slopes before renting them out to the next customer.
Photos by Drew Tanner
      Situated just across the Greenbrier River from the state park that encompasses the historic logging town of Cass, the Outpost carries just about anything you may have forgotten on your trip up to the mountain.
      Food? Check.
      Toothbrush? Yep.
      Gloves and goggles? Got 'em.
      The Outpost is also the only place in the county on the eastern end of Route 66 where you can rent a full line of downhill and cross-country skis, snowboards by names like Dakine, Burton, Red Corp, Anon, Atomic, not to mention all the accessories.
      And if you didn't decide until you were on the road that you wanted to ski with your buddies, you can also rent ski bibs and a jacket for the slopes.
The Outpost offers a full range of sizes and models.
The Outpost offers a full range of sizes and models of downhill and cross-country skis and snowboards and personal fittings by certified staff.
Photos by Drew Tanner
      All equipment at the Outpost is fitted by Kevin Fox, who comes to the area each winter from Knoxville, Tennessee. Fox is the shop's certified technician, and when he's not helping customers select the right gear, he keeps busy by waxing the skis and boards that have been returned.
      Fox, who has been snowboarding at Snowshoe Mountain Resort since he was a sixth-grader, said he appreciates the quieter pace at the bottom of the mountain.
      "It's peaceful here," Fox said.
      The peaceful atmosphere at the Outpost means it is also a place where out-of-town skiers and locals can mingle over a cup of coffee or a hot meal. The grill keeps the same long hours as the store: 7 a.m until 11 p.m. Manager and cook Wendy Long proudly serves breakfast any time of the day.
      Particularly filling is the thick sliced, smokey bacon, a couple of eggs over easy, hash browns and toast served with strawberry jam. The most popular item on the menu, however, according to Long, is the Route 66 ­ the shop's signature cheese- steak sandwich.
One of many souvenirs the Outpost stocks.
This friendly stuffed pup is just one of many souvenirs the Outpost stocks.
Photos by Drew Tanner
      Coming soon, the Outpost will also offer off-mountain accommodations for skiers and other guests. Eight rooms will be completed later this month in the upper story of the shop. Several of the rooms will feature balconies overlooking the Greenbrier River as it meanders through town.
      The Outpost's proximity to the Greenbrier River Trail also makes it an ideal place to grab a pair of cross-country skis and enjoy the northernmost end of West Virginia's longest state park.
      When the weather warms up this spring, you can trade your skis and poles for a canoe, kayak or bike and use the Outpost, which offers a shuttle in both directions along the river and rail trail, as the home base for your outdoor pursuits.
      To get to the Outpost, take State Route 28 to State Route 66 and head straight for Cass. The shop is located next to the bridge that leads into the town's historic district.
      The Outpost does take walk-ins for equipment rentals, but it's still best to call ahead, (304) 456-4288, and let them know what you will need and when you are coming.

 

 

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Jan. 2006

(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!
Area Outfitter for all your Skiing and SnowBoard Needs
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 mile south of WV 66 ~ 304 572-4173
 
Open Daily 7:30 am - 11 pm, Later on Friday
Equipment Rental and Outdoor Apparel
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
 
As much as 40% off some SnowBoards in Stock
SNOWBOARD & SKI RENTALS
Great Quality, Great Prices
Daily 7:30 am - 11 pm
Friday 7:30 am - 2 am		   304 572-1200
 
A great place to eat
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 ~
 
A great place to eat at the crossroads
Open 7 AM until 9 PM
Home of the $4 breakfast!
Located on the corner of
Rt. 219 and Rt. 66
 
A great place to eat in Slaty Fork
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
 
We can help you find the place of your dreams 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
 
Breathtaking vistas combined with the very highest level of personal service Presenting the Height of Luxury
Allegheny Springs at Snowshoe Mountain
Yours to own 1-800-489-1943
 
Incredible Properties ~ Luxury Homes and spacious lots near the resort 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.
 
Stop in for food and more
 
Glades Hardware
Glades carries all your building needs
Marlinton WV
304 799-4912
 
The Village at Snowshoe
 
Major Ski Resort developer
 
A Unique Shopping Experience awaits both Children amd AdultsCalhoun & 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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