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. 5
June 10, 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: JUNE
6/23 to 6/29 - Allegheny Echoes, Snowshoe Mountain. Some of the greats of traditional Appalachian storytelling, poetry, crafts and music come to the mountain for this week of instruction.
6/29 to 6/30 - 24 Hours of Snowshoe, Snowshoe Mountain. The granddaddy of 24-hour mountain bike races. Racers compete around the clock on one of the most challenging courses around. The weekend also features a celebration of cycling with performances spread throughout Snowshoe's Mountaintop.
Off Peak
Happenings June
6/1 to 8/31 - Solar Viewing. National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Green Bank. Monday - Friday at 11:45am and 3:45pm at the tour center. Get a peek at the sun through an optical telescope. Free. No reservations necessary.
6/25 to 6/30 - Cass Homecoming, Cass Scenic Railroad State Park. A reunion of Cass family and friends past and present. Enjoy bingo, karaoke, cake walk, live music and a parade.
6/26 - High Tech Tours, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Green Bank. Be guided through parts of NRAO normally off limits to visitors. Tours are at 2:30pm and 3:30pm. Admission is $3.00; limited space for 15 people
6/27 to 6/30 - Gauley Mountain by Night Riding Tour, Elk River Touring Center.
6/28 to 6/30 - Little Levels Heritage Fair, Hillsboro. http:/www.littlelevelsheritagefair.com. Enjoy a three day event with old time music, horse show and a parade.
6/29 - Pearl S. Buck Birthday Celebration, Hillsboro. Held at the Sydenstricker House at the home of Pearl S. Buck. There will be a speaker music, and refreshments
6/29 to 6/29 - Cass Dinner Train, Cass Scenic Railroad State Park. An exciting train ride to Whittaker Station, an outdoor old-fashioned barbecue, bluegrass entertainment, and lots of fun for the family.

Variety is the spice of mountain biking in Pocahontas County
by Mark Barnes
Contributing Writer
Photos by Laurie C. Barnes.

Riders often ecounter obstacles on trail rides.
If it's big and moveable, do it; riders behind you
will appreciate your trail maintenance.

     As a mountain bike destination, Pocahontas County offers the very best.
     Diversity in terrain ranging from highly technical single-track to spinning on the Greenbrier River Trail. Whatever your taste is, we have trails to challenge, thrill, entertain and exhaust even the toughest rider. Slaty Fork, Rimel and the Cranberry Backcountry are just a few choice areas to explore.
     Although biking is prohibited in the Cranberry Wilderness Area, the surrounding forest roads and trails are exceptional riding. Keep in mind the importance of being low-impact when riding these trails. When planning a trail ride, one should consider the amount of recent rainfall. Drier is better, to have a minimal effect on the pristine forest. One of the more difficult trails in the area is the Kennison Mountain Trail. Roots, rocks and many mud bogs make up the character of this ridge line trail. Several bridges and boardwalks over wetter areas of the trail provide relief for the rider, and protect the delicate plant life of the area.
     While riding the trail, observe the forest changing from stubby spruce trees beneath the taller hardwoods to thickets of rhododendron. A suggested ride on the Monongahela National Forest Mountain Bike Map, makes a seven-and-a-half-mile loop combining forest roads with four miles of the Kennison trail. Spinning onto a forest road after a long stretch of single-track is a great feeling. It's like entering the freeway after driving on narrow windy back roads.

A view of the Cranberry River from Forest Road 102.

     If you prefer smooth, scenic riding Forest Road 102 from the Cranberry Backcountry parking area is a beautiful place for a family ride. After a couple of miles the road meanders along the South Fork of the Cranberry River, and provides the opportunity to combine fishing or camping with a ride. Cruiser bikes with large trailers loaded pack-mule style are a common sight along the road. There are several shelters and camping areas along the way, and mile markers to help gauge your distance. A loop can be made by continuing downstream to the junction of FR 76. Follow it to FR 232 (Dogway Fork) which will take you back up to WV 39/55. Check with the staff at the Cranberry Nature Center for maps, and information on the area.
     If rugged single-track riding is your style, the network of trails near Slaty Fork is a great place to explore. When the trails were cut over 30 years ago they were intended for hiking. The forest service made use of old logging roads and historic railroad grades to build a network of trails, which are located between the Highland Scenic Highway and Gauley Mountain Road.
     Home of the West Virginia Fat Tire Festival, Elk River Touring Center is at the hub of the Slaty Fork trail system. It is a full-service center offering guided tours, shuttles, bike rentals and current trail information, as well as lodging and dining. They can point you to great rides like Tea Creek Mountain. Trail. It is one of the toughest in the area, featuring six miles of technical single-track with a boulder field that is only rideable by the most skilled. After the boulder field, the trail descends 1650 vertical feet to the Williams River and Highway 150.

Menadering on a single track
provides an opportunity to
get in touch with nature.

     A local favorite, Props Run drops 1900 vertical feet down Gauley Mountain. This trail is currently closed for maintenance by the forest service. Tim Henry of the U.S.Forest Service says they intend to reopen the trail this summer. A small parking area will be built at the top and new trail marker signs will be posted along the way.
     The Rimel Wildlife Management Area also contains a few great single-track loops. These trails are generally smoother, easier, and drier than the Slaty Fork trails. The Two-lick Trail is a 4.6 mile loop from the Pocahontas campground. Although the trail is fast, fun and obstacle free, be prepared to climb. The total elevation gain is more 900 feet in only a couple of miles. The highest point on the trail is near the Virginia border and offers great views towards the Northeast. Laurel Run is an 8 mile loop that starts at the Rimel picnic area. There are many sharp-angle switchback turns to test your skills, and some of the trail is along the steep hillside.The second half of the ride follows Laurel Run and includes some creek crossings and muddy sections.
     Finally, when preparing for a mountain bike ride in our area, use common sense. Check the weather report and tell someone your planned route. Choose a ride within your true ability level and be prepared. A map, compass, first-aid kit, food and plenty of water are essential. Some tools to carry are allen wrenches, tire levers, chain tool, spoke wrench and a pump. I also like to carry more than one spare tube and an extra derailleur in case of a breakdown. Whichever ride you choose, have fun. The very best ride is the ride you are going on right now.

Almost home in Almost Heaven

Golf Director Gary Williams
putts on hole 3 as Gary Quam
from Washington Golf Monthly
and Dustin Cutlip look on.

Cravin' the Raven
Pamela Pritt
Managing Editor
      If you really can't go home again, then perhaps you can almost get there.
      Gary Williams is close.
      He's the Director of Golf at the Raven and the Pineville native couldn't be happier.
      Perhaps it was fate; perhaps it was luck. For whatever reason, Williams is glad he's here.
      "I get to be here in West Virginia and at my favorite golf course," he explained. "When I saw the opportunity to come home and make the move from pro to director, the decision was made."
      After serving in a pro capacity at the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs and at courses in New Jersey and Florida, Williams might be hard to impress course-wise; that makes his unequivocal love of the Raven harder to understand and harder for him to express.
      Ask what makes this his favorite course above all others and Williams is hard-pressed to answer quickly, only because the course has so much to offer every golfer.
      "When Gary Player built the course he designed different tees to suit anyone at any level," he said.
      The biggest draw, though, according to Williams, is the quality and condition of the course—the fact that you get away from it all at the Raven. "Escape is the word," Williams commented.
      "I like the scenic views on every hole," he concluded. "You're in nature. You don't see other holes from the hole you're on. And the elevation changes."

The winners are Williams,
Cutlip, Bill Kamenjar and Quam,
Washington Golf Monthly.

      While Media Day—an event that attracted 20 media outlets in the region—showed off a course in outstanding shape, it wasn't just a show for the editors and reporters who were on the course that chilly May day.
      The Raven is in top championship quality condition every day, according to Williams.
      The winning team included writers for Washington Golf Monthly Magazine, Williams and Dustin Cutlip, who represented The Pocahontas Times. Cutlip, 14, eagled Hole Nine on his own. The Media Tourney was a scramble.
      According to Joe Stevens, Snowshoe's Director of Communications, media came from Charleston, Huntington, Clarksburg, Beckley and Parkersburg—most of the major metro areas in West Virginia—in addition to the DC magazine.
      "Sometimes we forget to preach to the choir," Stevens said. "It's important to let West Virginia know what kind of golf course is here."
      Stevens said he and Williams make a team effort to get the word out on the Raven.
      State Tourism Director Chris Canfield and Pocahontas County Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Gail Lowry also attended Media Day at the Raven.
      Williams' favorites are holes three and four and in his opinion, the hardest are holes 16, because it's "uphill all the way with a dogleg right and there's a tree in the middle," and 18, where there's a "forced carry and the landing area is narrow."
      Here's to Williams, a West Virginian who made good and then came home to make better.
      The Raven is open to the public.
Stone bridges cross the course's streams and are beautiful additions to the Raven's landscape.

(return to top)
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Outfitters
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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, ¼ 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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	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