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. 2 No. 10
October 2003

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

October
Around the County: Oct 2 - 5 € Dirt Camp Resort Weekend - Elk River Touring Center, 866-572-3771 Dirt Camp will improve your riding ability. Seasoned hammer-dogs will learn to hone more challenging moves and techniques, while those newer to the sport will jump-start the learning process and advance more quickly than they ever dreamed possible. EVERYBODY is a good enough rider for Dirt Camp
Oct 4 € Huntersville Traditions Day - Huntersville, (304) 799-6706 Arts and old-time craft demonstrations, vintage style baked goods, old-fashioned church supper, wagon rides from parking area, classic WV music and much more on several sites along Rt. 39 in Huntersville, which was the county seat from 1821-1891.
Oct 6 - 9 € Greenbrier Inn to Inn - Elk River Touring Center, 866-572-3771 Experience the off road countryside of Pocahontas County at your leisure. Stay at the Elk River Inn your first night and then shuttle to Cass and cycle the incredibly scenic Greenbrier River Trail. Stay at another B&B along the trail in Marlinton, and your third day cycle north to a B&B right on the trail. Beginner to intermediate riding, a great trip for families and couples. 50-63 miles.
Oct 8 € High Tech Tours - National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Green Bank (304) 456-2150 Take a guided tour through parts of NRAO normally off limits to visitors, like lab areas where sensitive receivers are designed and built. 3:30 p.m. Space is limited to 15 participants per program. Time: approximately 1 hour. Cost is $3 per person, reservations suggested.
Oct 10 - 12 € Slaty Fork Singletrack Weekend - Elk River Touring Center, 866-572-3771 Sample the terrain that makes Pocahontas County famous for its mountain biking. This weekend will have you learning the techniques that make single track riding safe and exciting with a local guide.
Oct 10 € Science Film Fest - NRAO, Green Bank (304) 456-2150 Visitors and staff will gather for a movie and discussion at 6:30 p.m. Movies will be science-related and vary in length.
Oct 11 € Moonlight Fire on the Greenbrier Rail Excursion, Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad, 877-MTN-RAIL 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 lights, and follow the reflection of the moon as it shines on the river. Train departs the depot at 8 p.m.
Oct 11 € Margaret Baker and Glenn Singer: A Night of Comedy - Pocahontas County Opera House, Marlinton, 800-336-7009 Margaret Baker's unique character-based comedy combined with Glenn Singer's zany antics will add up to a night of great fun for everyone. Performance begins at 7:30. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door.
Oct 12 - 16 € Twin Peaks - Elk River Touring Center, 866-572-3771 Ride over some of the most challenging trails this country has to offer. 3 1/2 days, 75-90 miles. Advanced intermediate to expert.
Oct 14 € Star Lab - NRAO, Green Bank, (304) 456-2150 Guests will gather under a planetarium balloon for a fascinating "look" at the sky above. Space is limited to 15 participants per program. Time: approximately one hour. 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Cost is $3 per person. Reservations suggested.
Oct 17 - 18 € The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged) - Opera House, Marlinton 800-336-7009 The Pocahontas County Drama Workshop presents Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jesse Winfield's irreverent comedy in a production directed by Scott Small. A mix of pratfalls, puns, willful misreadings of names and dialogue, clunky female impersonations, clean-cut ribaldry and broad burlesque. The performances begin at 8 p.m. Tickets $7 at the door.
Oct 17 -19 € Couple's Flyfishing Weekend - Elk River Touring Center, 866-572-3771 Weekend and four day midweek fly fishing schools including lodging, meals, equipment, flies, and instruction. Our fly fishing schools are geared toward beginner to intermediate anglers who want to hone their fly fishing techniques.
Oct 18 € Star Party - NRAO, Green Bank. (304) 456-2150 Begins at 6:30 p.m. NRAO staff will orient guests to the star-filled sky. Viewing of the night sky will follow on the Star Patio adjacent to the science center. Bring your binoculars and optical telescopes. If cloudy skies prevail, Star Lab will begin at the orientation time.
Oct 25 € Halloween Train - Cass Scenic Railroad State Park, 800-225-5982 Ride to Whittaker Station on a decorated Halloween train. Live entertainment, costume contest. Reservations required.
Oct 26 € Always. . . Patsy Cline - Opera House, Marlinton, 800-336-7009 Greenbrier Valley Theatre's memorable production of the charming musical by Ted Swindley. "AlwaysŠPatsy Cline" focuses on the night Seger hears of Patsy's death in a plane crash. Starring as Ms. Cline is Morgan Sturges, who has spent the better part of three years singing Patsy's songs. Starring as Louise is GVT's own Artistic Director, Cathey Sawyer. The unforgettable music of Patsy Cline is performed by The Bodacious Bobcats, a back-up band with the authentic look and sound to perform some of country music's greatest tunes. Performance at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are $7 and can only be purchased at the door. On The Mountain
For more info about any events at Snowshoe, call 877-441-4FUN, or visit: www.snowshoemtn.com
Oct 3 - 5 € Snowshoe Oktoberfest Celebrate the arrival of Fall. Polka dancing in the Village. Oompah bands and plenty of beer along with fantastic German fare will make this event a fall spectacular.
Oct 3 - 5 € Motorcycle Fall Rendezvous A new event this year, the Fall Rendezvous will be a fantastic weekend of touring and activities during the height of the fall colors.

The mind's what matters at
Mountain Quest Institute

Pamela Pritt
Managing Editor

Mountain Quest Institute's 12 room inn is connected to the original 1905 farmhouse by covered porches, above. The inn is built at an angle to preserve the ancient trees in front.
Photo by Carol Moore

      It's not just mind over matter. It's the mind that matters at the Mountain Quest Institute.
     After years of studying the way people think around here and just about everywhere else, for that matter, David and Susan Bennet have settled in Frost to build a center where they can share their knowledge with businesses or organizations.
     The mind's what matters at Mountain Quest Institute. The purpose of MQI is two-fold: to provide expertise in organizational achievement and systems thinking and do it in an environment conducive to relaxation and introspection.
     According to the MQI website, "...by exploring answers to the most basic questions about ourselves, our organizations, and our word, we can develop the insight, judgment and knowledge needed to grow personally, meet our professional challenges, and help our organizations achieve superior performance."

The library is filled with non-fiction books to provide answers on nearly any research topic dealing with the mind. Religion, philosophy and psychology are just a few of the topics covered. The grand piano is available for guests to play, but will also play a tune itself.
Photo by Carol Moore

     MQI accomplishes that by providing 12,000 books in its extensive library, a haven for research, reading and personal time. It also provides the Bennets themselves an extensive resource when it comes to knowledge management.
     Between them they have worked for the Department of the Navy and in private industry. She was the Chief Knowledge Officer for the Navy and he has experience in change management and leadership, facilitation and complexity thinking.
     "We want to share the things we learned over the last few years," Susan Bennet explained.
     "We wanted to do something we felt worthwhile," David added. "We wanted to continue to work and learn."
     Although they searched all over the eastern United States for a place with year-round streams, no traffic lights in the nearest town, woods and fields, plentiful wildlife, clear night skies, lots of fresh air and beautiful mountains, they settled on Frost after first giving up the idea.
MQI's vision statement on display out front.

"A joyous place filled with warmth and good friends. A place where everyone feels welcome. A safe place to grow and learn. A peaceful place filled with trust and love... A place that has been blessed."
Photo by Carol Moore

     Their son saw the property on the internet, but they thought the price was a little steep, so they kept looking. Shortly after that, the property was withdrawn from the market, Susan said. They kept looking in North Carolina and Virginia and on a trip back from North Carolina decided to make their way to Pocahontas County. The property had been back on the market for two days.
     And so fate played a role, as well, in the Bennets coming to Frost. They have been building and remodeling ever since.
     The nearly century-old farmhouse kitchen has been turned into a state-of-the-art facility with a dishwasher that will clean up in two-and-a-half minutes. The over-sized stoves and ovens can accommodate several dishes at a time, so meals for large groups are not a problem. Guests stay in rooms with individual style and flair. While you may choose from the Scholar's Quarters, the Flower Garden, the Nautical Room, Japanese or African Room, you may also take a personality test the Bennets are developing to discover which room suits you best.

"The Africa Room is just one of the many themes played out in the inn.
Photo by Carol Moore

     Design was a daunting task, but one which Susan took over with pizzazz. Each room has its own bathroom, designed to fit the bedroom, and a television and DVD/VCR, but no cable or satellite hookup.
     "If you must watch the news while you're here, you can do that in the community room," Susan said. That room has a Foucault pendulum, a twin of the one at the Smithsonian Institute, to unite the upper and lower levels. Rooms are interesting enough to spend all your time in; however, that is discouraged by the people at MQI who have available miles of trails, horses, creeks, a pond and a labyrinth. That's right, a labyrinth, for those solitary moments of meditation or walking in circles if you're thinking in them.

The labyrinth in its early stages will provide a place for solitude.
Photo by Carol Moore

     The tower makes for an interesting center piece to bridge the gap between the farm house and the inn. The bottom level is done in browns and oranges to represent the center of the Earth. The next level is in shades of blue to depict the waters. Level three is green for plant life and at its apex, the tower is self-cleaning glass providing a view of the valley and mountains in daytime and of the star-filled skies at night.
     Covered porches surround the buildings making travel comfortable in any weather. The inn was built at an angle to the farmhouse to preserve the ancient trees in the front yard. Other landscaping, including the labyrinth, has been done by local contractors, as has all the building and painting.
>

The conference room at Mountain Quest Insitute, above, is light and airy and leads into the library. A Foucault pendulum will soon grace the room, as well.
Photo by Carol Moore

     Local artists Chip Adkins, Cindy Taylor and Serena Shaw are responsible for the murals throughout the inn.
     Creative Builders has done all the work.
     "If we couldn't find someone to do it locally, we didn't do it," Susan Bennet said.
     The Bennets have 10 children between them. Each has a standing offer to move to Frost to build a home on 10 acres. So far, two of them have done that. Daughter Jenny and her husband, Jerry, will manage the inn and son Andrew is the resident chef.
     Mountain Quest Institute will host an open house Saturday, October 11, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. MQI is open to the public except during scheduled conferences and dinners. It is located at Frost on Rt. 92 north of Minnehaha Springs.

It's all downhill from here!
Top-ranked mountain biker finds best practice is in 'own back yard'

Mike Valach in action at the recent Snowshoe Downhill.
Photo courtesy
Snowshoe Mtn. Resort

Barbara Elliot
Assistant Director,
Pocahontas County Convention & Visitors Bureau
      When Michael Valach, Jr., was eight years old, he entered his first mountain bike race at the West Virginia Fat Tire Festival sponsored by Elk River Touring Center in Slaty Fork. His parents, never suspecting that they had a budding champion on their hands, dropped him off and came back to get him after the race. To their surprise, they took home a winner.
      That day marked the beginning of a competitive career that finds Valach, now a college freshman, returning from the national finals of the National Off-Road Biking Association (NORBA) Championship Series in Durango, Colorado, in August ranked 17 nationally in Mountain Cross and 12 in Downhill in the Expert Category for ages 19-24. His results have been good enough this year that he anticipates moving up to the Semi-Pro category for the next racing season.
      Valach says that he has had a definite training advantage by having a NORBA Nationals course literally in his back yard at Snowshoe Mountain. "It's got some of the roughest terrain in the nation," Valach commented. "My pro friends say that you can train all you want, but the best training is just to get out on your bike and ride."
      He lives on Snowshoe Mountain and part of his training ritual is to road bike up the entire mountain twice a week and halfway up twice a week. He also has competed on Snowshoe's ski team and was recruited by Davis and Elkins College to be on the ski team there this year.
      "Training for the ski team will help with cycling, and it's been a while since I've been part of a team," he said.
      Asked if he's ever been tempted by road racing, he responded that although he trains on the road, he prefers the rocks and risks involved in mountain biking. Despite that attitude, he has only experienced "a few concussions" in his biking career, and he hastens to add that he is OK now.
      Although mountain biking is an individual sport, a comradeship among bikers develops even in the fiercely competitive atmosphere, Valach noted.
      "Everybody I've met in the sport of mountain biking is nice, but we're all very serious about it. Everyone who comes to a NORBA race cares. They' didn't just come up for the weekend to have a good time. They're there to win!"
      Because most of the racing season is in the summer, his mountain biking career has not been too much of a disruption to his school schedule. In fact, he also works at Snowshoe and The Homestead to cover his racing expenses, which can be substantial with trips to places like California, Colorado and Vermont for NORBA races, in addition to regional races in Maryland (where he currently leads the state's NORBA Championship Series) and other regional venues.
One of his sponsors, Santa Cruz Bicycles is one of the few companies producing American-made bikes. .
Photo by Barb Elliott

      Valach plans to major in business, with an eye towards a career in sales or some other job that will not tie him to an office. He has certainly gotten a taste of how the business world works as he applied for corporate sponsorships for his racing expenses. He is now riding for Santa Cruz Bicycles, Sun Ringlë Wheels, Azonic Clothing and Maxxis Tires. He's particularly happy about the association with Santa Cruz, one of the few companies producing American-made bikes.
      Two of his sponsors are even closer to his home and heart. He has received funding from Snowshoe Mountain and the Pocahontas County Convention & Visitors Bureau. As part of his association with the CVB, for the past four years he has been a biking ambassador for the county, distributing the county's tourism publications at some of the 15-20 races in which he competes each year. Thanks largely to the region's terrain and the outstanding mountain biking programs at Elk River Touring Center and Snowshoe Mountain, Pocahontas County has been dubbed a "Mecca of Mountain Biking."
      Despite his success in finding sponsors, Valach warns that there is not a lot of money to be made in the sport.
      "Even top pros still have jobs. You can make some money with endorsements, but nothing compared to major leagues sports," he commented. "But I just like to do it. I'm not doing it for the money."

Adventures in Good Eating!

Nothing run of the mill at Mill Run Restaurant
Pamela Pritt
Managing Editor
Mill Run Restaurant is on Rt. 92 north of Minnehaha Springs on the Grimes Christmas Tree/Trout Farm. .
Photo by Pamela Pritt

      Mill Run Restaurant is an out of the way dining adventure where everything on the menu is as good as it sounds. The fare is homey and plentiful with choices from chicken to steak and salmon to trout.
      Well, of course there's trout when your restaurant is on a trout farm. Having tried that local delicacy at the restaurant before, our party opted for salmon, country ham and a steamed shrimp salad. The salmon and ham dinners came with two sides and rolls.
      The salmon portion was large and tasty, marinated and grilled with just the right amount of flavor. The roasted corn with peppers and onions was delicious, as was the asparagus and steamed broccoli.
      Country ham is by nature a salty supper, and this was no exception; however, it didn't cross the line into "too salty," by any means and the portion was as large as the dinner plate.
      The steamed shrimp salad had a surprising amount of shrimp on top of the greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and broccoli. The ranch dressing, served on the side, was thick and coated the salad mixture appropriately.
      The dining experience was enhanced, as well, by the nicely pressed white table cloths and linen napkins. As hard as it might be to imagine, even the liver and onions got acclaim from another diner, as did the broccoli soup, brown beans and pepper chicken. In fact regular patrons said they'd never had anything they didn't like at Mill Run.
      For an appetizer, the typical options are there, but we tried the fried green tomatoes, available in season.
      They were hot and crispy and would have made the Whistlestop Café ask for the recipe.
      Mill Run offers a hot bar with two or three meats/main dishes and several sides, plus salads and desserts.
      Speaking of desserts, the pies are homemade and rich, the butterscotch pie meringue topped with butterscotch chips and the chocolate silk heavily covered in real whipped cream.
      Unlike other restaurants whose smoking and non-smoking sections are separated only by an aisle or a planter, Mill Run has separate rooms for each, divided by the hot bar.
      Mill Run Restaurant is on Rt. 92 north of Minnehaha Springs on the Grimes Christmas Tree/Trout Farm. It's open Thursday through Sunday and is available for holiday parties.

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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, ¼ mile from
Snowshoe Entrance

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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	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