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. 9
Oct. 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

Off Peak Happenings October
to 10/27 - Cass Scenic Railroad State Park
10/11 to 10/13 - Dirt Camp Weekend, Elk River Touring Center
10/12 to 10/13 - Droop Mountain Battlefield Reenactment, Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park
10/13 to 10/16 - Fall Foliage Twin Peaks Tour, Elk River Touring Center
10/19 to 10/21 - Single Track Weekend with Captain Dondo and Sue Haywood, Elk River Touring Center
10/26 - Halloween Train Cass Scenic Railroad State Park
10/26 - Star Party, NRAO, Green Bank

November
11/2 - The black mountain Bluegrass Boys in Concert at the Opera House, Marlinton, 7:30 p.m. For more information call 799-4009

On the Mountain: November
11/22 - Ski Season Opens (tentative), Snowshoe Mountain, For ski information call Snowshoe at 877-441-4FUN, or visit the web site: www.snowshoemtn.com
11/27 to 11/30 - Thanksgiving at Snowshoe Mountain. Featuring great skiing and snowboarding, fun festive activities like turkey bowling and turkey scavenger hunts and even Thanksgiving Dinner. For details call 877-441-4FUN, or visit the web site: www.snowshoemtn.com

Look for December events in the December Mountain Times, published Nov 28.

Scheduled to open in late fall
Road to Snowshoe will get you there a little quicker
Pamela Pritt
Managing Editor
Photos by Pamela Pritt

Power line right-of-way offers a view of the road's genesis near Rt. 66 and a nearly parallel switchback. Views will be a major attraction of the drive.

     It might only cut off a few miles of travel, but around here, that could mean you get where you're going up to 30 minutes faster.
     And that's important when you're on vacation, because there's nothing like getting there. Snowshoe Drive has been extended from the top of the mountain to Rt. 66 on its southeast side, cutting off about three miles of travel and saving visitors a trip down the mountain and back up again.
     The extension has been under construction for three years, but now, Department of Highways workers have the end in their sights as they reach the crest with grading work and gravel. Paving is complete for two miles of the highway. Snowshoe and the DOH expect a late fall opening for the road.
     Snowshoe Drive's extension will cost around $2.4 million, several million dollars down from the original $9.2 million estimate, according to DOH Superintendent Jim McCoy.
     According to Joe Stevens, Communications Director for Snowshoe Mountain Resort, the project is being done in its entirety by the State of West Virginia. The DOH will also be in charge of snow removal.
     The 12% grade makes the climb a steep one, even for Pocahontas County, and consequently the road will be closed during inclement weather. The grade would have been only eight percent, McCoy said, but a finding of Cheat Mountain Salamanders and Virginia Flying Squirrels moved the road from its original site to the new one.
     It may be steep, but the payoff of the climb, in addition to saving time, is the incredible view.
     Snowshoe plans two scenic overlooks for the route and with good reason.
     From one of those sites, the view encompasses a section of Virginia south to Sharp's Knob, a stretch of several miles. From the other, its vista claims the Big Spring Fork Valley and waves of mountainland, looking relatively untouched.

One of the steeper portions of the road gets the final touches before paving crews take their turn. All road cuts have been seeded and benched to prevent erosion.
     The 2.9 mile road's grade could make winter travel a little more treacherous, thus, the resort will develop a system for closure when Old Man Winter hits us with his worst.
     How that will work is still up in the air this season, but resort personnel believe that manual closure is inevitable, at least temporarily.
     "Ultimately the game plan will be a gate system," said Ed Galford, Vice President of Operations. "I'd like to think it will be electronically operated."
     The road follows closely the path of the Red Gate Road, and further up, some lanes used by the Wooddell Family in their farm days, Galford said. Also, a Mower Lumber Company railroad grade is visible from one point along the way, a relic from logging days long gone by.
     Actual construction for the new road began in 1982 and it turned into a road for employees, he continued. The road closed in 1984.
     In truth, the project is as much about safety as it is about access.
     In 1996, after a blizzard that produced much of the stuff skiers have to have, a warm rain produced a flood that washed out the base of Snowshoe Drive. An injured skier had to be transported via groomer to an ambulance on Rt. 66.

Snowshoe Drive's extension is almost complete. Department of Highways workers are on the home stretch with Top of the World Condominiums just in sight. It's almost the end of nearly three years of work.
     "We were without a road for nine hours," said Jim Haas, Vice President of Resort Services at Snowshoe Mountain.
    The expansion gives Snowshoe a second exit point in case of emergencies.
     But it works both ways.
     Staying on the mountain?
     You can be in Cass quicker for a ride back in time on one of the Shay locomotives then on to the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank for a trip into the future and a look at the Robert C. Byrd Telescope, the largest movable object on land.
     The Snowshoe Drive extension meets its original road near Top of the World Condominiums. It passes by Snowcrest Condos and the new Timbers at Snowshoe.

Regarding the War of Northern Aggression

You can live Pocahontas County's history first hand at Droop Mountain Battlefield
Pamela Pritt
Managing Editor
Photos by Pamela Pritt

Union soldiers muster before the Battle of Droop Mountain.

      The peaceful crest of Droop Mountain will relive its embattled past this Saturday when nearly 300 Civil War re-enactors fight that long ago engagement which helped shape the fate of the nation and the State of West Virginia.
      Confederate soldiers held the 3000 foot crest overlooking the Little Levels, and Union attempts to oust their enemies from that lofty fortress were not successful. Not until a flanking maneuver left the sorely outnumbered Southerners exposed and sealed their fate. The Confederates retreated toward Lewisburg and the Union managed to secure Droop Mountain on its way to ultimate victory over the South
      You can witness the war for yourself as the skirmish at Mill Point and the Battle of Droop Mountain are reenacted this Saturday and Sunday.

These two belles attend the Ladies Social on Saturday.

      Registration opens at 7 a.m. Saturday, with reveille at 8 a.m. Officers will meet half an hour later and the safety inspection begins at 9:30 a.m. The tactical begins at 10 a.m.
      A Ladies Social at 11 a.m.will help cheer the battlefield, as will the Open Air Cotillion at 8 p.m.
      The Living History lasts from 1 - 2:30 p.m.
      Bullets will fly at 3 p.m. as the skirmish at Mill Point begins.
      Vendors will sell Civil War items and Terry Lowry, author of "Last Sleep: The Battle of Droop Mountain" will be on hand with his books. Other authors will also have a wide variety of books about the Civil War, as well.
      Civil War videos will be played in the workshop, near the park residence, all day.
      Re-enactors come from West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio, Maryland and Pennsylvania, typically. But some have come to Droop from as far away as California, Florida and Texas.
      "We never know until they get here," said Mike Smith, Superintendent of Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park.
      On Sunday at 10 a.m., attend a period church service in the Confederate Camp before the Battle of Droop Mountain breaks out right on schedule at 1 p.m. The battle ends at 2 p.m. and the park returns to its peaceful humor at 6 p.m.
      As many as 1000 spectators are expected to attend the 13th reenactment of the battle.

The littlest Confederate takes his position seriously.

      No accurate accounting of dead and wounded from the Battle of Droop Mountain exists. The battle actually took place on November 6, 1863.

She may ride like a girl, but she'll kick your butt

WV native goes international
by Heidi Zemach
Contributing Writer
Photo courtsey of iplayoutside.com
      For most of the year, pizza and beer are off limits. But it's a sacrifice that West Virginia's top mountain biker Susan Haywood, is willing to forego. At 31, she's having fun following her dream, and getting paid for it.
      Haywood, who lives in Davis, is well known on the Pocahontas County bike scene, as she frequently conducts clinics at local mountain bike outfitterss, and participates in races at Snowshoe Mountain. She also is among the top four women mountain bikers in the nation, and is on the fast track to realizing her goal of participating in the 2004 World Olympics. As a new member of the international Trek Volkswagen professional mountain bike team, Haywood still is awed to be working alongside such famous bikers as two-time World Champion, Roland Green and three-time World Champion, Alison Sydor.
      Haywood's biggest personal victory was when she became the short-track National Champion last year. Short-track racing is an approximately 25-minute circular track race similar to NASCAR racing,, only on mountain bikes. She also enjoys the grueling, ultra-endurance races, and has mastered the techniques to accomplish them.
      Riding the roads and trails in West Virginia's mountains, national forests and state parks has given her the kind of training that enables her to compete on almost any type of race course. She regularly gets to ride on steep hills, wet or muddy dirt mountain roads, and must constantly deal with natural obstacles such as rocks and roots. Many other professional mountain bikers, the majority of whom come from California or Colorado, don't have such opportunities readily available.

Haywood said she is the only professional mountain biker she knows to be sponsored by their state.

      "When you learn to ride on terrain and in conditions that we have in West Virginia, you can take those skills and go anywhere in the world and be able to handle the terrain. West Virginia has given me a good, all around skills base," Haywood said. Even the racecourse at Snowshoe isn't as challenging for her as many of her teammates find it, she said, despite some 1200 feet of uphill climbing in the second half of the race. The main challenge for her at Snowshoe is maintaining her momentum so someone won't catch up and pass from behind, she said.
      Ironically, Haywood grew up in Delaware, a very flat state without mountains. She grew up playing school sports and worked hard as a competitive swimmer until she grew tired of it by the end of high school. It wasn't until she followed her sister to college in West Virginia that she took up mountain biking, exploring the countryside with friends, and recreational racing on weekends. After graduating with an International Studies degree from WVU, Haywood decided she didn't really want a 9 to 5 office job abroad after all. She much preferred working outdoors at adventure camps for kids, or teaching snowboarding, white water rafting and rock climbing.
      By 1998, after years of biking mostly for fun, she found a coach and really started to get serious.
      Now a member of the pros who travel the country and Europe for racing trials and contests, she proudly carries the West Virginia banner, giving Wild and Wonderful buttons or water bottles to fans, and appearing in state tourism advertisements. Haywood said she is the only professional mountain biker she knows to be sponsored by their state, and she takes her ambassador role seriously.
      Haywood is encouraging the state to do more to promote tourism by becoming bike friendly, such as building new, broader roads with shoulders. Developing more bike trails and connecting paths along old train routes would also help improve tourism, according to Haywood. She is particularly concerned that federal land in her hometown of Davis, purchased by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is under considereation to be put off-limits to mountain bikes. Mountain bikes do little damage to the environment, she said. The tracks bikes create also aren't nearly as damaging as those created by four-wheelers or trucks, she added, and they don't emit fossil fuels into the atmosphere. Mountain bikers tend to care about the pristine environment, Haywood said.
      When you're out in the woods, you really have this deep appreciation of nature," she said. Haywood also would like to promote mountain biking among West Virginia school students, many of whom could develop a less sedentary, generally healthier lifestyle. Getting bicycles into the schools is in keeping with West Virginia's goal of building a healthier population, she said.
      "The thing about mountain bikes is they have so many gears now, just about anybody can get into a good gear and spin up a hill," she added.
      In her spare time, Haywood teaches and mentors children taking part in mountain bike clubs in Tucker and Clay counties. She said mountain bike racing would be a good high school team sport. Slowly schools are realizing this, and creating more biking programs, she said.
      She particularly urged girls who are interested in mountain biking to get a little group together and try it out. Not enough American women compete in professional mountain biking- although many European women do-and there's always room for more women at the top, she said.
      "If they like to travel around and enjoy hard work, it's a great sport," Haywood said.

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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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	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