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. 4 No. 6
June 2005

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

June
AROUND THE COUNTY
Every Thursday € Wake up and See Stars € National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Green Bank, 304-456-2150. Gather at the planetarium balloon every Thursday for a unique look at the sky. $3 per person, reservations are suggested. Program begins at 2 p.m.
June 3, 10, 17 € Science Film Fest Friday Marathon € NRAO, Green Bank, 304-456-2150. Come on out for "Lost In Space" - the complete first season! A round of episodes each week. Enjoy one of the original sci-fi series. Begins at 7 p.m. FREE!
June 3 - 5 € 4th Annual Zendik Music Festival € Huntersville, 304-799-7281. Enjoy great music, breathtaking surroundings, and good company, featuring the best of West Virginia music (and a few outsiders too!!!) from down-home southern rock to traditional bluegrass, heavy metal to Appalachian mountain music. For more information contact the Pocahontas County Convention and Visitor's Bureau. For festival lineup, directions and more information go to the official Zendik Music Festival Website: www.zendik.org
June 3 - 5 € Greenbrier Trail Bike Trek € Greenbrier River Trail, 800-LUNG-USA. An exciting three-day, 100-mile mountain bike excursion that combines unforgettable mountain scenery with the unique sights and experiences of the Greenbrier River Trail in Pocahontas and Greenbrier Counties. The Trek is a fundraising event for the American Lung Association of West Virginia. For further information, call 1-800-LUNG-USA (in WV) or (304) 342-6600 (outside WV), or visit www.alawv.org.
June 3 - 5 € Birding and Wildflower Train € Cass Scenic Railroad State Park, 456-4300 or 800-CALL-WVA. Ride the train up the mountain where naturalist guides will take you on a special birding or wildflower hike. Bring your cameras and your hiking boots and be at the train by 6:30 a.m. Call for reservations.
June 8 and 22 € NRAO, 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 participants per program, cost is $3.00 per person and takes about one hour.
June 11 € Civilian Conservation Corps Reunion € Watoga State Park, 304-799-4087. Reunion time is fast approaching. This is the time for all former CCC'ers, family and friends of Watoga State Park to come together and reminisce, renew old friendships, and make some new ones.
June 11 € Party Under the Stars € NRAO, Green Bank, 304-456-2150. 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 the view! Program begins 30 minutes before dark.
June 12 - 15 € Greenbrier Inn to Inn Bike Tour € Elk River Touring Center, 572-3771 or 800-572-3771. Experience the off-road countryside of our county at your leisure. Stay at the Elk River Inn your first night, then shuttle to Cass and cycle the Greenbrier River Trail. Stay at another B&B along the trail in Marlinton. On your third day, cycle north to a B&B right on the trail. Beginner to intermediate riding, a great trip for families and couples. Travel 50-63 miles. All gear shuttled - you just pedal at your own pace!
June 17 - 19 € Fly Fishing Weekend € Elk River Touring Center, 572-3771 or 800-572-3771. Weekend and four-day midweek fly fishing schools including lodging, meals, equipment, flies, and instruction. Geared toward beginner to intermediate anglers who want to hone their techniques. Experienced guides
June 18 and 25 € Fiddles & Vittles Special Train € Cass Scenic Railroad State Park, 456-4300 or 800-CALL-WVA. Back for a second year! Take a train ride to Whittaker Station and enjoy dinner and live bluegrass music along the way.
June 24 € Murder Mystery Train € Cass Scenic Railroad State Park, 456-4300 or 800-CALL-WVA. Come enjoy this who-done-it train ride to Whittaker; includes dinner and entertainment. Train departs at 5 p.m. Make your reservations early; you won't want to miss this one!
June 24 - 26 € Cass Homecoming € Cass, 800-336-7009. Former residents of Cass come "home" for a reunion in the hills.
June 24 - 26 € Little Levels Heritage Fair / Pearl S. Buck Birthday Party, Hillsboro 800-336-7009. This year's theme is "The Civil War Era in the Little Levels." Enjoy a three-day event with a variety of old time music and events, For more information, call 800-336-7009.
June 25 € Moonlight Fire on the Greenbrier Rail Excursion € Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad, Durbin1-877-686-7245. Offered on full moon nights during the season, this late evening excursion begins with a buffet dinner at the Durbin Depot followed by a trip along the beautiful, moonlit Greenbrier River. See the stars in this remote wilderness, far from ambient light, and follow the reflection of the moon shining on the river. Train departs the depot at 8 p.m.

On The Mountain

For more info about any events at Snowshoe, call 877-441-4FUN or visit online at www.snowshoemtn.com
June 19 - 25 € The Allegheny Echoes Summer Workshops on Snowshoe Mountain, 304-799-7121. Allegheny Echoes

Gerald Futej, right present Cree Lahti and Allen Johnson with a copy 100 Years Against the Mountain, for the logging and railroading collection at the Green Bank branch library.

photo courtesy
Pocahontas Co. Library.

The little engine that did..... Shay 5 and
100 Years of Service on Cheat Mountain

William P. McNeel
Editor, The Pocahontas Times
      In 1905, the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company's new operation in Pocahontas County was well underway.
      Train loads of logs destined either for pulpwood or lumber were coming off of Cheat Mountain, by rail down Leatherbark Creek, to Cass, the company town on the Greenbrier River. At Cass the logs suitable for pulpwood were sent by way of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway to the WVP&P Company's paper mill at Covington, Virginia. The other logs remained at Cass and were turned into lumber at the big sawmill there.
      The logs were coming off a tract of more than 66,000 acres on Cheat Mountain purchased by WVP&P in 1899. This purchase was part of the decision by the company in the late 1890s to establish a new paper mill, in addition to the one it had at Luke, Maryland.

No. 5, circa 1915, at the Spruce coal dock.
photo courtesy
Po.Co. Historical Society.

      A site in Greenbrier County, now referred to as North Caldwell, was briefly considered as the location of the new paper mill, but it changed to Covington. Threats of legal action over potential pollution of the Greenbrier River by downstream towns probably led the company to change the paper mill site.
      The need to transport the pulpwood from Cheat Mountain to Covington resulted in the construction of a railroad up the Greenbrier River. A number of proposals had been made over the years to build a railroad into the upper Greenbrier Valley but none had gone much beyond the paper stage. However, with the guarantee of the pulpwood traffic, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway found justification to build the rail line up the river.
      Construction began in 1899 and Cass was reached in late 1900. The first shipment of pulpwood to Covington was made on January 28, 1901.
      As the company's land included a great quantity of timber more suitable for lumber production than pulp, a sawmill was installed at Cass and put into operation in January 1902.
      As did the majority of companies operating logging railroads in the early 1900s, WVP&P selected the Shay locomotive, built by the Lima Locomotive Corporation, of Lima, Ohio, for use on its railroad.
      Although many miles of the WVP&P trackage were well constructed, a large portion was steep and sharp curves were un-avoidable. The Shay was designed to be operated on the crooked, steep, and roughly built railroads typical in the logging woods, with power, not speed, as a primary characteristic.

Artie Barkley, Cass Scenic Railroad Shop Foreman and engineer for the day, mans the throttle of No. 5.
Photo courtesy Joanna Coleman.

      The first engine on the railroad up Cheat Mountain was a small two-truck Shay, of 40 tons. With its second engine in 1902 the company began using three-truck models. No. 2 weighed 50 tons, No. 3 and a replacement No. 2 for the unsatisfactory first No. 2 both came in at 70 tons. Engine weight increased to 80 tons when Shay No. 4 was purchased in 1904.
      Certainly people purchasing steam locomotives, like those buying any type of equipment, hope for a long life for their investment. However, it is very doubtful anyone responsible for ordering a second 80-ton Shay for use at Cass in 1905 would have ever considered their acquisition would have outlived them, their company, and Cheat Mountain logging and still be in operation 100 years later and on the same railroad.
      With the arrival of Shay 5 at Cass in November, 1905, the motive power fleet at Cass remained unchanged for the next seven years.
      As the newest and one of the heaviest locomotives, No. 5 was generally used on the "Cass Hill," the steep section of track well known to riders on the Cass Scenic Railroad, from Cass, up Leatherbark Creek, to the gap in the mountain between the creek and the Shavers Fork of Cheat.
      Empty log cars were taken from the Cass mill to Spruce, where they were left to be taken to the woods for loading, and a train of loaded cars brought down the mountain. This trip was made three, and perhaps four, times a day.
      WVP&P again purchased new locomotives for use at Cass in 1912 and in 1914. Two of these, Nos. 8 and 11, were 100 tons in weight and they took over the Cass Hill operation.

WV Parks and Recreation Chief John Pope, Jr., left, accepts a framed photograph of Shay 5, by photographer Paul Rujak.
Photo by Bill McNeel

      Shay 5 was moved to Spruce and for the next eight years operated along the Shavers Fork, taking empty cars out for the "woods" engines to take to the cutting sites, and bringing loaded cars back to Spruce. Once the track was completed over the company's Elk River timber land, No. 5 began to make runs in that direction also.
      The acquisition of 150 ton Shays 12, 13, and 14 in 1921 and 1924 reduced Shay 5 to woods engine status. By the early 1920s, No. 5 was moved to Slaty Fork as the major timbering shifted to the Elk River watershed.
      With the onset of the Depression and reduced business, the need for a large fleet of locomotives at Cass was diminished and only four Shays, including No. 5, were kept in operation.
      The engine remained at Slaty Fork until the WVP&P operation on Elk was completed in 1940 and logging activity returned to the Shavers Fork.
      In 1942 the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company sold its Cass operation to the Mower Lumber Company. Five locomotives were in the sale, including No. 5.
      Mower had the misfortune to have two locomotives involved in accidents within the first few months of its ownership. The first might have taken No. 5 out of service, but the second put her back on the job. Both accidents occurred at Spruce and involved collisions with Western Maryland Railway locomotives.

There was birthday cake in abundance at the 100th birthday celebration.
Photo by Bill McNeel

      The WM had purchased the main line of lumber railroad on Shavers Fork and Elk River in 1928 to provide access to the coal in Webster County.
      The first accident was on October 2, 1942, and occurred as Shay 5 was bringing a load of logs into Spruce. The logging engine was not badly damaged but might have been taken out of service had not a similar accident take place December 2 with Shay 12. The result was No. 5 being repaired and No. 12, the largest Shay ever to run on a logging railroad, put on a sidetrack, never to operate again.
      As track maintenance decreased in the 1950s, No. 5, the heaviest engine remaining in service, was the hardest on the track. She was also the oldest, so was used less and less. In the winter of 1958-59, No. 5 was moved behind the mill for use as a stationary boiler. When an attempt was made to again operate her the engine's cylinders were found to have been damaged by freezing and No. 5 was taken out of service.
      During the years of Mower operation the locomotive fleet was reduced by the sale of one engine and the scrapping of two others. One engine had been purchased, so when Mower announced the closing of the Cass mill in June, 1960, only three locomotives were on the property. These were operational Nos. 1 and 4, both second engines with these numbers, and damaged No. 5.
      The mill and railroad were sold for scrap, but public interest in the railroad up Cheat Mountain resulted in the purchase of the railroad, the engines, and some cars by the state. In 1963 the Cass Scenic Railroad began operation.
      Repair of the damaged No. 5 was a priority of the engine shop and she went back into service on the Cass Hill in 1965, now hauling people instead of logs. Since that year Shay 5 has been a regular on the trains of the Cass Scenic Railroad, except for periods of needed repairs.

Celebrating 100 years this year is Cass Scenic Railroad's #5 Shay locomotive engine, pictured here during Railfan Weekend.
Photo by Catherine Futej

      Also in 1965, Artie Barkley graduated from high school and went to work for the Cass Scenic Railroad. He grew up around Cass listening to tales of Cheat Mountain logging told by the men who worked for WVP&P and Mower.
      Artie learned to operate the Shays from the veteran engineers of the logging days, including Clyde Galford. He became the engineer on No. 5 in 1977, and was its regular engineer for the next 17 years.
      After 40 years on the Cass Railroad, Artie is now the veteran. He presently works as shop foreman.
      In 2004, the West Virginia Legislature named Shay 5 the state's Official Steam Locomotive in recognition of her upcoming 100th birthday. This year will be the year of Shay 5 on the Cass Scenic Railroad.
      The first recognition event occurred on Friday, May 20, during the annual Rail Fan Weekend, sponsored by the Mountain State Railroad and Logging Historical Association. The Shay 5 birthday activities included a program on the history of the engine, comments by various state park officials, a birthday cake, an official photograph of the engine with its fans, and a short train ride.
      Another event featuring Shay 5 will be held on August 27.
      Information on the history of Shay No. 5 can be found in On Beyond Leatherbark, by Roy Clarkson, Shay Logging Locomotives at Cass, West Virginia, 1900-60, by Philip Badgon, and 100 Years Against the Mountain, Shay No. 5 at Cass, WV, edited by Gerald Futej and Max Robin.
      William P. McNeel is the editor of The Pocahontas Times and and avid historian and railroad fan. His books include The Durbin Route and The Greenbrier River Trail.

Brother greets brother at
Little Levels Heritage Fair

      Enjoy a look back at the area's tumultuous past with "The Civil War in the Little Levels," this year's theme of the eighth annual Little Levels Heritage Fair.
      With crafts, living history, old fashioned food, parade, old-time and bluegrass music, writers and reminiscences, the fair this year will be sure to entertain everyone.
      It all begins Friday, June 24, with the Arts and Crafts Show and Sale in the McNeel Gymnasium at 5 p.m.
      The barbecue pig roast is at 5 p.m., as well, and at 8 p.m., you can attend the Civil War Era fashion show.
      On Saturday, the Arts and Crafts Show and Sale continues, the Muzzle Loader Shooting Match takes place at 10 a.m., and the Heritage Parade is at 11 a.m.
      At noon enjoy live music by local bands and entertainers and heritage youth games. And at 2 p.m. the Fourth Annual Pearl S. Buck & West Virginia Writers Fair and Buck's Birthday Celebration take place. The Greenbrier River Mini Log Race at Seebert Bridge and the Old Timers' Soccer Game are at 4 p.m. and you can eat chicken barbecue from 5 - 7 p.m. while enjoying Civil War Music by the Bill Hefner Family.
      Hillsboro Fire Department is sponsoring Bingo at 7 p.m. and a Civil War Ball will be held in the McNeel Gymnasium.
      Sunday's horse show and mule race at the Crazy Horse Corral begins at 11 a.m.
      Candlelight Vespers commence at 8:15 p.m. at the McNeel Cemetery.

The Allegheny Echoes Summer Workshops
on Snowshoe Mountain
June 19 - 25, 2005
      Allegheny Echoes is the concept of a group of West Virginia musicians and writers who wish to promote, support, preserve, and teach their own art without distracting influences. Their goal is to provide an accurate representation of West Virginia art that is not packaged and altered to appeal to a specific market.
      There is a strong emphasis placed on West Virginia tradition with an overall look toward the embracing Appalachian culture. The Summer Workshops offer a chance for students of all ages and abilities to come together to learn, appreciate, and enjoy our West Virginia ways.
For more information call: 304-799-7121

A dazzling array of wildflowers linger into late spring in parts of the Cranberry Backcountry...... Violets,
Star Chickweed,
Trillium,

something we believe to be
in the Phlox family,

and Wake Robin
are just a handful of the varieties that can be found on the lower slopes of Kennison Mountain
Photos by Drew Tanner

Remote beauty abounds in
The Cranberry Backcountry

Drew Tanner
Staff Writer
      "Land of many uses," read the signs marking entrances to the Monongahela National Forest. The 26,000-acre Cranberry Backcountry is one place where forest visitors enjoy a wide range of recreational uses.
      On a given weekend, you might find a family sharing a bike ride down one of the gravel-topped gated forest roads, people riding on horseback, campers occupying the highly coveted lean-to shelters along the Cranberry River, or anglers trying their luck in the Catch and Release Area.
      Seeking a weekend of solitude and physical exertion, Maribeth and I cobbled together a 17-mile backpacking loop that would take us over some of the forests roads less traveled roads that have either been gated or incorporated into the backcountry's 75-mile network of trails.
      We started our trip relatively early on a Saturday morning. Arriving at the parking area at the FR 102 gate, we were surprised to see more than a dozen vehicles; clearly this is a popular access point to the backcountry.

One of several lean-to shelters, beckon the weary traveler for a nights rest along the gated forest roads of the backcountry. Most are located near prime fishing spots.
Photo by Drew Tanner

      We started on our way over FR 102, and despite the number of cars at the parking area, foot traffic along the way was minimal. In our first couple miles, we were passed by a family on bicycles. At mile two, we came across the first of the seven lean-to shelters found every couple miles on FR 102 and FR 76.
      As we walked, the road paralleled the Cranberry River, making me wish I had brought my fishing rod. Between the shelters, we saw the occasional angler casting into the clear water.
      Opposite the river, every so often, were trailheads to the various trails that venture into the 35,000-acre Cranberry Wilderness Area. The forest road is actually part of the western boundary of the wilderness area. Given the number or trails that make their way east from the road, it would be easy to devise loops for wilderness outings.
      About halfway down the eight-mile stretch of FR 102 that made up the first leg of our hike, we were met by a couple of folks packing out their camp by horse-drawn cart.
      After that encounter, we saw cyclists in one shelter, anglers in the next. At the junction of FR 102, FR 76 and the North Fork Trail, we broke for lunch near the liming station on the North Fork of the Cranberry.

FR 102 crosses the river just below the South Fork shelter. The South Fork of the Cranberry River offers beautiful scenery and great trout fishing
Photo by Drew Tanner

      Just a couple miles more, and we reached the sign we were looking for: Kennison Mountain Trail. The tricky part was that we would have to cross the Cranberry River to get to the trail itself.
      And it had just started to rain.
      We donned our rain jackets, undid the hip-belts on our packs, rolled up our pant legs, changed our boots for sandals, and braced ourselves for what was going to be a very cold encounter with the river.
      Trekking poles in hand, we found what appeared to be one of the river's more shallow stretches. There was no easing into the frigid water; once the water got up to my ankles, I gritted my teeth and focused on the flat boulder on the other side.
      Even though there hadn't been any significant rain in the area in the previous days, the river was up to our thighs in spots and current was still swift; that particular crossing should be avoided after periods of heavy rain.
      After we caught our breath and dried our feet in a dry spot provided by an old hemlock, we began the hardest stretch of our hike the ascent up Kennison.
      Having made great time passing over the forest roads, we took it easy on the next mile and a half of steep trail. Once at the top, we were rewarded with one of the mountain's lesser known features, an area of large sandstone boulders resembling those found in Beartown State Park in the southern end of the county.
      Passages snake between the monoliths, which appear to range from eight-to-15-feet tall. The rain gave the lichen-covered boulders a bluish-green hue, and with moss and ferns and even trees growing atop many of them, that particular portion of the forest appeared to be tiered.
      As we left that area, we entered stands of red spruce where the forest floor was carpeted in dark, green moss. Such forests were once typical of the mountaintops of the area, and now that the land is recovering from the massive-scale timbering of 100 years ago, they have begun to reclaim their territory in the higher elevations.
      We continued a couple more miles that afternoon, walking through alternate stands of red spruce, then mixed hardwoods oak, maple and birch before emerging onto FR 738, according to our map.
      With dark clouds approaching the mountain and more than half of our hike behind us, we set up our tent just off the road, which looked more like a grown-over grassy path.
      The clouds were overhead by dinnertime, and after our meal, we made a quick retreat to the tent where we found ourselves in the midst of a spectacular, and sometimes frightening, thunderstorm atop the mountain.
      Eventually, the rain relented and we enjoyed a well-earned night's sleep.
      By morning, the clouds had passed. We took our time with breakfast and breaking camp and were back on the Kennison Mountain Trail by 10:30.

Below, FR 102 meanders alongside the river. While these pictures were taken on a weekday, weekends find this stretch abuzz with activity. Anglers, cyclists, hikers, campers and equestrians enjoy the backcountry and find plenty to satisfy their individual interests. The forest road also provides access to many trails branching off into other parts of the backcountry or the neighboring Cranberry WIlderness Area.
Photo by Drew Tanner

      We continued through more stands of red spruce this time bathed in morning light rather than rain, and catching glimpses of the breathtaking view over the Cranberry River valley as we walked along the spine of Kennison Mountain. As the trail began to descend the mountain a few miles later, we found ourselves again in mixed hardwoods. A couple miles more, and we were at the trail's junction with the South Fork Trail, which would lead us for another two miles on our descent from the top of Kennison Mountain, at 3.982 feet, and return us to FR 102, 1,100 feet below.
      The South Fork Trail rivaled the Cranberry River and Kennison Mountain's red spruce forests for beauty. The trail is wide, incorporating yet another former logging road for most of its length. Along our way, we found ourselves stopping every few steps to take in the wonderful variety of spring wildflowers found on this trail wake robin, Dutchmen's breeches, squirrel corn, Indian cucumber root, chickweed, trillium, violets (purple, white and yellow varieties) and several others we couldn't name. Their blossoms provided a colorful ending to our weekend in the backcountry. While we chose to see the area by foot, the forest roads and relatively level trails, like the one on Kennison Mountain, are also suitable for mountain biking. In fact, we saw at least a couple sets of tracks along our way atop the mountain and during our descent on the South Fork Trail. FR 102 and FR 76 are also ideal for venturing into the backcountry by bike or even by horse.
      The forest map available for a small fee at the Cranberry Mountain Visitor Center or any of the USFS ranger stations shows the myriad trails and gated roads that provide access to the heart of the backcountry.

Rail fans line up, above, cameras in hand for one of several photo run-bys of the Durbin Rocket as the season opened.
Photo by Drew Tanner
I hear that train a-comin'
Highballin' for History in Durbin

Drew Tanner
Staff Writer
      During the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad's second annual Highballin' for History weekend, rail fans were treated to a full weekend of vintage rail excitement.
      If you missed the run-bys of Old No. 3 one of only three operating Climax-geared logging locomotives in the world you can still catch a ride with The Durbin Rocket throughout the summer and all the way into October. The ride covers 10.5 miles in about two hours, giving visitors a rare vantage point from which to enjoy the scenery along the upper Greenbrier River and beautiful mountain views.

One of several photo run-bys of the Durbin Rocket as the season opened.
Photo by Drew Tanner
      Rail fans from New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland, along for the ride on the special train in April, could be heard remarking about the remoteness of the landscape.
      In addition to the great scenery, riding in one of two authentic 1920s Baltimore & Ohio cabooses behind the 55-ton antique locomotive is an experience in itself. If you prefer the wind blowing through your hair while traveling at the delirious speed of eight miles per hour, you may also opt to ride in the train's open gondola car.
      After a 45-minute trip southward covering approximately five miles, the train stops at the remote Hevener Picnic Area near Piney Island for half an hour before returning to the recently renovated Chesapeake & Ohio depot back in downtown Durbin.

Old No. 3 is one of only three operational Climax geared locomotives in the world. Here, No. 3 takes on water at a creek crossing.
Photo by Drew Tanner
      Old No. 3 was originally built in 1910 for the Moore-Keppel Lumber company, based in Randolph County, where it worked through the 1950s hauling timber and coal. At the end of its career, No. 3 found itself in a transportation museum in Connecticut.
      Fast forward to 2001.
      The locomotive was trucked - the rail line in Durbin is no longer connected to the outside world - on a flatbed trailer to Durbin, where it returned to service in its home state in 2002.

One of several photo run-bys of the Durbin Rocket as the season opened.
Photo by Drew Tanner
      Since the arrival of Old No. 3, the collection of vintage rail artifacts continues to grow in Durbin. Last year saw the arrival of the yellow "reefer" car, a Fruit Growers Express refrigerator car under lease from the West Virginia Railroad Museum. In addition, two hopper cars and two flatbeds recently arrived this year and were featured as part of the Highballin' vintage freight train in April.
      This is also the second season visitors can reserve the Castaway Caboose. If the half-hour layover at the Hevener Station picnic area isn't enough, you can stay for the night in a fully-outfitted Wabash Railroad caboose.
      Up to four adults can stay the night in the posh caboose, which is equipped with a refrigerator, range, heat, linens, towels, utensils, modern shower and restroom. At night, it will be just you, your cottage on wheels, and the sounds of the Greenbrier River.
      Interested in taking in the scenery after dark, but not necessarily staying the night? Each Saturday nearest the full moon, the Durbin Rocket pulls away from the depot for a romantic evening ride as the moon rises over the river. Before departure, passengers enjoy a home-cooked dinner at the depot and, at the end of the line, you can roast some marshmallows with your sweetheart.
      For schedules, fares and reservations visit online at mountainrail.com or call 1-877-MTN-RAIL.

4th annual Snowshoe Institute

      Experience cultural enrichment and family fun at the Snowshoe Institute The fourth annual Snowshoe Institute will be held July 28-31, at Snowshoe Resort in the heart of the Allegheny Mountains.
      The Institute will again feature exciting national and regional presenters in the performing arts, the humanities, and the sciences with programs that appeal to all ages. In addition to presentations about birds of prey and mountain climbing, there are talks about the strange death of Abraham Lincoln and historical reenactments of Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt in costume, views on the political scene by Eleanor Clift, the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra in concert, a writing workshop and much more.
      Information about registration and detailed program information can be found on the Snowshoe Institute website: www.snowshoeinstitute.org or by writing Snowshoe Institute, 920 Newton Rd., Charleston, WV 25314.

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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 | April 2004 | May 2004 | June 2004
July 2004 | August 2004 | Sept. 2004 | Oct. 2004 | Nov. 2004 | Dec. 2004

Jan. 2005 | Feb. 2005 | Mar. 2005 | Apr. 2005 | May 2005
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Burton ~ Salomon ~ Nitro ~ New and Used Demos Come talk to the resort's most
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1 mile south of WV 66 ~ 304 572-4173

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Located at the corner of Rt. 219 and Rt. 66
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Restaurant
at the Inn at SnowShoe ~ EVERY WEEKEND ~
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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

shgiven@pocahontastimes.com

Eight Rivers Web Designs Last update June 3, 2005
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

The little engine that did..... Shay 5 and 100 Years of Service on Cheat Mountain

Brother greets brother at Little Levels Heritage Fair

The Allegheny Echoes Summer Workshops on Snowshoe Mountain

Remote beauty abounds in The Cranberry Backcountry

Highballin' for History in Durbin

4th annual Snowshoe Institute

The little engine that did..... Shay 5 and
100 Years of Service on Cheat Mountain

Brother greets brother at
Little Levels Heritage Fair

The Allegheny Echoes Summer Workshops
on Snowshoe Mountain

Remote beauty abounds in
The Cranberry Backcountry