Delegate seeks commission to study new ski resort ... - News - The Charleston Gazette - West Virginia News and Sports
January 31, 2010
Delegate seeks commission to study new ski resort possibilities
By Rick Steelhammer
Staff writer
Advertiser
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Delegate John Doyle, D-Jefferson, is looking for the best places in West Virginia to go downhill fast.
As the lead sponsor of HB4192, Doyle seeks to create a West Virginia Ski Resort Industry Commission charged with, among other things, identifying promising locations for new ski resort developments and developing policies to encourage ski industry growth.
"There are dozens of places in West Virginia with elevations of more than 4,000 feet that would provide at least 1,500 feet of vertical drop," said Doyle, a ski instructor in his non-legislative life. "Even if just a few of them are eventually developed as ski areas, I'm convinced we could double the number of skiers that are coming here now."
Vertical drop is the distance between the summit and base of a mountain, measured straight down. If a ski run's top elevation is 4,000 feet and the elevation at its base is 1,000 feet, its vertical drop is 3,000 feet. The higher the vertical drop is, the longer and steeper a resort's ski and snowboard trails can be.
Snowshoe Mountain Resort's Western Territory runs, Cupp Run and Shay's Revenge, have vertical drops of about 1,500 feet, the biggest in the state. Timberline's top-to-bottom runs have a vertical drop of about 1,000 feet.
"We have something in West Virginia that the rest of the Mid-Atlantic lacks -- big vertical terrain in a snow belt," Doyle said. "We have several counties in our Eastern mountains with the potential to offer a product equaling what's available in New England. But we need more than two runs with more than 1,500 feet of vertical to compete with ski areas there and to the west."
By offering an abundance of longer and more challenging runs, "we could get the people who travel west or north to ski to come here for their big mountain skiing," Doyle said. "A lot of people in the Washington, D.C., area go to Pennsylvania to ski because they presume they'll find colder weather by traveling north. They don't realize we have colder mountain climates in our higher elevations. And there is nowhere in Pennsylvania with more than 1,000 feet of vertical."
Doyle's bill calls for creating a nine-member ski industry commission consisting of three delegates, three senators, two citizens with ski industry expertise, and the secretary of commerce or a designee.
The commission would issue a report on its findings and recommendations during the October 2011 interim meetings.
West Virginia's ski resorts currently draw more than 800,000 skier visits annually, pumping an estimated $250 million into the economy.
Reach Rick Steelhammer at rsteelham...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5169.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Delegate John Doyle, D-Jefferson, is looking for the best places in West Virginia to go downhill fast.
As the lead sponsor of HB4192, Doyle seeks to create a West Virginia Ski Resort Industry Commission charged with, among other things, identifying promising locations for new ski resort developments and developing policies to encourage ski industry growth.
"There are dozens of places in West Virginia with elevations of more than 4,000 feet that would provide at least 1,500 feet of vertical drop," said Doyle, a ski instructor in his non-legislative life. "Even if just a few of them are eventually developed as ski areas, I'm convinced we could double the number of skiers that are coming here now."
Vertical drop is the distance between the summit and base of a mountain, measured straight down. If a ski run's top elevation is 4,000 feet and the elevation at its base is 1,000 feet, its vertical drop is 3,000 feet. The higher the vertical drop is, the longer and steeper a resort's ski and snowboard trails can be.
Snowshoe Mountain Resort's Western Territory runs, Cupp Run and Shay's Revenge, have vertical drops of about 1,500 feet, the biggest in the state. Timberline's top-to-bottom runs have a vertical drop of about 1,000 feet.
"We have something in West Virginia that the rest of the Mid-Atlantic lacks -- big vertical terrain in a snow belt," Doyle said. "We have several counties in our Eastern mountains with the potential to offer a product equaling what's available in New England. But we need more than two runs with more than 1,500 feet of vertical to compete with ski areas there and to the west."
By offering an abundance of longer and more challenging runs, "we could get the people who travel west or north to ski to come here for their big mountain skiing," Doyle said. "A lot of people in the Washington, D.C., area go to Pennsylvania to ski because they presume they'll find colder weather by traveling north. They don't realize we have colder mountain climates in our higher elevations. And there is nowhere in Pennsylvania with more than 1,000 feet of vertical."
Doyle's bill calls for creating a nine-member ski industry commission consisting of three delegates, three senators, two citizens with ski industry expertise, and the secretary of commerce or a designee.
The commission would issue a report on its findings and recommendations during the October 2011 interim meetings.
West Virginia's ski resorts currently draw more than 800,000 skier visits annually, pumping an estimated $250 million into the economy.
Reach Rick Steelhammer at rsteelham...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5169.
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http://www.mountainsnowshoe.com is the place for your Snowshoe Mountain Resort Real Estate info on rental and for sale homes and condos!
Take the video tour!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Fortress debt goes to aution
At least I'm not working for Intrawest anymore.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34966859/ns/business-world_business/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34966859/ns/business-world_business/
Friday, January 8, 2010
Snowshoe property owners must oppose quarry expansion
I pulled this from the From SPOC listserv email from---DALeatherman@cs.com --you can read more below or go to www.spocnews.com to make comments
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
What quarry?
Though many homeowners are unaware of it, the Slatyfork Quarry owned by Waco Oil & Gas Co. (Ike Morris) lies on Route 219 one mile south of the resort entrance.
Nearly ten years ago Morris’ application for a permit to expand the quarry was opposed by a united effort in which Snowshoe Mountain Resort, 24 local businesses and countless individuals took part.
Why was expansion a concern?
1) Constant blasting would cause noise and air pollution and could disrupt water in wells, caves and local trout streams. 2) Trucks hauling limestone gravel from the quarry would create additional air and noise pollution, traffic and damage to roads.
The quarry issue was presumed dead until mid-December 2009, when a local businessman learned that expansion efforts have resurfaced, couched in an application for federal stimulus funding. Though the application states that the project has the approval of state and local agencies, this does not seem to be the case. Officials contacted so far have no knowledge of it.
What grant?
The application for a U.S. Department of Transportation TIGER Discretionary Grant for $31,587,900 is titled “West Virginia State Rail Authority Upgrade of WV Central Railroad/Upgrade of South Branch Valley Railroad/Various Counties West Virginia.” TIGER = Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery.
The purpose stated in the application: to transport a possible MILLION TONS of gravel yearly from the Slatyfork Quarry. Ten years ago we were up in arms about an increase from 30,000 to 300,000 tons. Here's what we looking at now: To transport a million tons a year, 104 trucks would make a daily round trip from the quarry to a proposed loading dock behind Beckwith Lumber on the Upper Elk River.
This dock, which is presented as an "upgrade," does not exist, and is in an area under consideration for a protective national Wild & Scenic designation. At present, fishermen park here to access the river. We must also consider the 10,000 railcars that would rumble along the tracks every year within hearing distance of many local homes.
What does this means to you as a property owner?
The application does not mention the presence of Snowshoe, the state’s premier ski resort. It does not address the impact this project would have on the resort or the quality of life for second-home owners, retirees and owners of rental property at the resort.
Can you imagine skiing the Western Territory when it overlooks a vast crater of bare earth and the mountain view is obscured by a haze of limestone dust? Can you imagine the effect on tourism and your real estate values?
The grant application also fails to address the project’s impact on Pocahontas County’s reputation as an eco-tourism destination with pristine air and water quality and natural attractions such as the Upper Elk River, one of the last places in the East where you can fish for naturally reproducing Brook, Brown and Rainbow trout.
Nearly one-quarter of the people living in the county work in tourism, and many more are in jobs bolstered by tourism. Many of these jobs would be sacrificed for the sake of a few additional jobs in mining and trucking.
The WV Central Railroad that would be “upgraded” to transport limestone has been unused since the early 1990s (when CSX filed a petition to abandon and sold it to the state) and has been heavily damaged by flooding and neglect. A better use of federal funds would be to turn it into a rail trail for hikers and bikers, in keeping with the county’s recreational focus.
The upgrade of the South Branch Valley Railroad, an entirely different project in other WV counties, was apparently included in the application so that it would meet the minimum requirements for TIGER Grant funding.
What action can you take?
Go to SPOCNews.com for a link to the TIGER application.
The time for action is NOW. Grants will be approved in late January or early February. Snowshoe Mountain Resort is still fact-finding and has not taken a position.
To protect yourself as a taxpayer and property owner, please don’t delay. E-mail the following people, asking them to help stop the funding of this project. Here’s a suggested message:
>>>
Please do everything in your power to stop the funding of the TIGER Grant application to upgrade the Slatyfork section of The West Virginia Central Railroad in Pocahontas County. The request for millions of dollars of federal money for the sole use of one customer, WACO, is based on a deficient application. It is a thinly veiled attempt to impose a million-ton per year quarry on our resort community—even though (as stated in the application) no customers exist for this limestone gravel.
The quarry, which lies a mile from the entrance to Snowshoe Mountain Resort, would create an eyesore visible from the resort and devalue the second-home properties that provide more than half of the tax base for Pocahontas County. It has the potential to do irreparable damage to the county’s air and water quality, and destroy the native trout population in the Upper Elk River. The proposed loading station would be built in an area of the river now under consideration for Wild & Scenic status.
The application seeks funding to “upgrade” a section of railroad that CSX petitioned to abandon 20 years ago and has been repeatedly damaged by flooding. In 2004 the West Virginia Rail Authority determined that it was not cost effective to restore the tracks for freight or tourist trains.
West Virginia surely has projects more worthy of stimulus money, projects that bolster local economies rather than destroy them, as this one has the potential to do.
>>>>
Contacts:
Tigerteam@dot.gov
Attn: Joel Szabat/Lana Hurdle
Subject: Request to deny TIGER grant
(Cindy Butler, Acting Executive Director)
Cindy.k.butler@wv.gov
State Rail Authority Secretary Paul Maddox
Dot.secretary@wv.gov
Senator Robert Byrd’s office
Caryn_Compton@byrd.senate.gov
Representative Nick Rahall’s office
Jim.zoia@mail.house.gov
Pocahontas County Commissioners
Martin Saffer -- martinsaffer@martinsaffer.com
David Fleming -- fleming42@gmail.com
Reta Griffith – retagriffith@frontiernet.net
WVDNR: stevebrown@wvdnr.gov
mikeshingleton@wvdnr.gov
WVDEP: Scott.G.Mandirola@wv.gov
USFS: mdowen@fs.fed.us
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
What quarry?
Though many homeowners are unaware of it, the Slatyfork Quarry owned by Waco Oil & Gas Co. (Ike Morris) lies on Route 219 one mile south of the resort entrance.
Nearly ten years ago Morris’ application for a permit to expand the quarry was opposed by a united effort in which Snowshoe Mountain Resort, 24 local businesses and countless individuals took part.
Why was expansion a concern?
1) Constant blasting would cause noise and air pollution and could disrupt water in wells, caves and local trout streams. 2) Trucks hauling limestone gravel from the quarry would create additional air and noise pollution, traffic and damage to roads.
The quarry issue was presumed dead until mid-December 2009, when a local businessman learned that expansion efforts have resurfaced, couched in an application for federal stimulus funding. Though the application states that the project has the approval of state and local agencies, this does not seem to be the case. Officials contacted so far have no knowledge of it.
What grant?
The application for a U.S. Department of Transportation TIGER Discretionary Grant for $31,587,900 is titled “West Virginia State Rail Authority Upgrade of WV Central Railroad/Upgrade of South Branch Valley Railroad/Various Counties West Virginia.” TIGER = Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery.
The purpose stated in the application: to transport a possible MILLION TONS of gravel yearly from the Slatyfork Quarry. Ten years ago we were up in arms about an increase from 30,000 to 300,000 tons. Here's what we looking at now: To transport a million tons a year, 104 trucks would make a daily round trip from the quarry to a proposed loading dock behind Beckwith Lumber on the Upper Elk River.
This dock, which is presented as an "upgrade," does not exist, and is in an area under consideration for a protective national Wild & Scenic designation. At present, fishermen park here to access the river. We must also consider the 10,000 railcars that would rumble along the tracks every year within hearing distance of many local homes.
What does this means to you as a property owner?
The application does not mention the presence of Snowshoe, the state’s premier ski resort. It does not address the impact this project would have on the resort or the quality of life for second-home owners, retirees and owners of rental property at the resort.
Can you imagine skiing the Western Territory when it overlooks a vast crater of bare earth and the mountain view is obscured by a haze of limestone dust? Can you imagine the effect on tourism and your real estate values?
The grant application also fails to address the project’s impact on Pocahontas County’s reputation as an eco-tourism destination with pristine air and water quality and natural attractions such as the Upper Elk River, one of the last places in the East where you can fish for naturally reproducing Brook, Brown and Rainbow trout.
Nearly one-quarter of the people living in the county work in tourism, and many more are in jobs bolstered by tourism. Many of these jobs would be sacrificed for the sake of a few additional jobs in mining and trucking.
The WV Central Railroad that would be “upgraded” to transport limestone has been unused since the early 1990s (when CSX filed a petition to abandon and sold it to the state) and has been heavily damaged by flooding and neglect. A better use of federal funds would be to turn it into a rail trail for hikers and bikers, in keeping with the county’s recreational focus.
The upgrade of the South Branch Valley Railroad, an entirely different project in other WV counties, was apparently included in the application so that it would meet the minimum requirements for TIGER Grant funding.
What action can you take?
Go to SPOCNews.com for a link to the TIGER application.
The time for action is NOW. Grants will be approved in late January or early February. Snowshoe Mountain Resort is still fact-finding and has not taken a position.
To protect yourself as a taxpayer and property owner, please don’t delay. E-mail the following people, asking them to help stop the funding of this project. Here’s a suggested message:
>>>
Please do everything in your power to stop the funding of the TIGER Grant application to upgrade the Slatyfork section of The West Virginia Central Railroad in Pocahontas County. The request for millions of dollars of federal money for the sole use of one customer, WACO, is based on a deficient application. It is a thinly veiled attempt to impose a million-ton per year quarry on our resort community—even though (as stated in the application) no customers exist for this limestone gravel.
The quarry, which lies a mile from the entrance to Snowshoe Mountain Resort, would create an eyesore visible from the resort and devalue the second-home properties that provide more than half of the tax base for Pocahontas County. It has the potential to do irreparable damage to the county’s air and water quality, and destroy the native trout population in the Upper Elk River. The proposed loading station would be built in an area of the river now under consideration for Wild & Scenic status.
The application seeks funding to “upgrade” a section of railroad that CSX petitioned to abandon 20 years ago and has been repeatedly damaged by flooding. In 2004 the West Virginia Rail Authority determined that it was not cost effective to restore the tracks for freight or tourist trains.
West Virginia surely has projects more worthy of stimulus money, projects that bolster local economies rather than destroy them, as this one has the potential to do.
>>>>
Contacts:
Tigerteam@dot.gov
Attn: Joel Szabat/Lana Hurdle
Subject: Request to deny TIGER grant
(Cindy Butler, Acting Executive Director)
Cindy.k.butler@wv.gov
State Rail Authority Secretary Paul Maddox
Dot.secretary@wv.gov
Senator Robert Byrd’s office
Caryn_Compton@byrd.senate.gov
Representative Nick Rahall’s office
Jim.zoia@mail.house.gov
Pocahontas County Commissioners
Martin Saffer -- martinsaffer@martinsaffer.com
David Fleming -- fleming42@gmail.com
Reta Griffith – retagriffith@frontiernet.net
WVDNR: stevebrown@wvdnr.gov
mikeshingleton@wvdnr.gov
WVDEP: Scott.G.Mandirola@wv.gov
USFS: mdowen@fs.fed.us
Thursday, January 15, 2009
AMA/ATVA members get discount at Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort for GNCC Weekend
http://www.amadirectlink.com/news/story.asp?id=561
AMA/ATVA members get discount at Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort for GNCC Weekend Posted January 14, 2009 Email Print
Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort, in partnership with GNCC Racing, an AMA-sanctioned National Championship Series, is offering a 10 percent discount for AMA and ATVA members during GNCC Weekend, set for Jan. 30 through Feb. 1 at the resort in Snowshoe, W. Va.
All racers, friends and family with an AMA or ATVA membership card will receive 10 percent off room rates, lift and lodging packages by simply showing their card at check-in on Friday. Snowshoe will also offer special rates on activities at the Big Top Welcome Reception later that night. The discount is valid for all AMA and ATVA members, regardless of whether they are competitors in the GNCC series.
"I think it's a great opportunity to introduce the people who have been here in the summer to our winter operations and it's a great venue to do that," said Brad Larsen, director of marketing for Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort. "At the same time, GNCC is going to be making some of their announcements and there's no better place to hear what's new for GNCC this year than at Snowshoe where one of the marquee events is going to happen in June."
On Saturday night, Snowshoe will offer snowmobile tours of the mountain. Two tours will run, and the first nine GNCC members in line for each tour will ride for free.
The largest ski resort in West Virginia, Snowshoe Mountain Resort sits at 4,848 feet elevation with 60 slopes and trails, and 12 which are open for night skiing. With 180 inches of average annual snow fall and 100 percent snowmaking capabilities, Snowshoe offers winter activities for any age with snowmobiling, snow tubing, snowshoeing, cross country skiing and terrain parks. And after a long day on the slopes, folks can warm up with a hearty meal at one of the village's many restaurants and coffee shops.
"Racer Productions is excited to have this opportunity for our racing families to get together for a non-racing function," said Tim Cotter, Snowshoe GNCC event director for Racer Productions. "We appreciate Snowshoe Mountain Resorts extending this invitation to AMA Members."
The 2009 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series begins with the Parts Unlimited River Ranch GNCC in River Ranch, Fla., which runs Feb. 18 through March 3. The Moose Snowshoe GNCC takes place June 27-28. For more information, go to www.gnccracing.com.
http://www.mountainsnowshoe.com is the place for your Snowshoe Mountain Resort Real Estate info on rental and for sale homes and condos!
AMA/ATVA members get discount at Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort for GNCC Weekend Posted January 14, 2009 Email Print
Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort, in partnership with GNCC Racing, an AMA-sanctioned National Championship Series, is offering a 10 percent discount for AMA and ATVA members during GNCC Weekend, set for Jan. 30 through Feb. 1 at the resort in Snowshoe, W. Va.
All racers, friends and family with an AMA or ATVA membership card will receive 10 percent off room rates, lift and lodging packages by simply showing their card at check-in on Friday. Snowshoe will also offer special rates on activities at the Big Top Welcome Reception later that night. The discount is valid for all AMA and ATVA members, regardless of whether they are competitors in the GNCC series.
"I think it's a great opportunity to introduce the people who have been here in the summer to our winter operations and it's a great venue to do that," said Brad Larsen, director of marketing for Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort. "At the same time, GNCC is going to be making some of their announcements and there's no better place to hear what's new for GNCC this year than at Snowshoe where one of the marquee events is going to happen in June."
On Saturday night, Snowshoe will offer snowmobile tours of the mountain. Two tours will run, and the first nine GNCC members in line for each tour will ride for free.
The largest ski resort in West Virginia, Snowshoe Mountain Resort sits at 4,848 feet elevation with 60 slopes and trails, and 12 which are open for night skiing. With 180 inches of average annual snow fall and 100 percent snowmaking capabilities, Snowshoe offers winter activities for any age with snowmobiling, snow tubing, snowshoeing, cross country skiing and terrain parks. And after a long day on the slopes, folks can warm up with a hearty meal at one of the village's many restaurants and coffee shops.
"Racer Productions is excited to have this opportunity for our racing families to get together for a non-racing function," said Tim Cotter, Snowshoe GNCC event director for Racer Productions. "We appreciate Snowshoe Mountain Resorts extending this invitation to AMA Members."
The 2009 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series begins with the Parts Unlimited River Ranch GNCC in River Ranch, Fla., which runs Feb. 18 through March 3. The Moose Snowshoe GNCC takes place June 27-28. For more information, go to www.gnccracing.com.
http://www.mountainsnowshoe.com is the place for your Snowshoe Mountain Resort Real Estate info on rental and for sale homes and condos!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Snowshoe celebrating its 35th anniversary in true wintry fashion
Snowshoe celebrating its 35th anniversary in true wintry fashion
Saturday, January 10, 2009
By Larry Walsh
The first overnight guests at Snowshoe Mountain were a hardy bunch.
If they didn't want to -- or couldn't for a variety of reasons -- drive more than 30 miles to find lodging, they just pulled up a piece of floor in the Shavers Centre and sacked out for the night.
That was in 1974 when I rented an unheated back bedroom in a one-story frame house in Slatyfork, W.Va., put a wrapped heated brick under the covers at the bottom of the bed and wore long underwear, ski socks and a ski hat to stay warm until I fell asleep. In the morning, I hurried my chilled body and frigid nose to the center of the house where heat radiated from a big potbelly stove and humidity bubbled from an oversized kettle of hot water that sat on top.
Cost: $8 a night, including breakfast and dinner prepared by the in-house owner, Dorothy Reynolds, one of the finest cooks and bakers anywhere. I gave her $15 -- she said it was too much -- and I should have paid more.
Snowshoe is celebrating its 35th anniversary this weekend with a one-of-its-kind experience for 35 guests -- free lodging in the Shavers Centre. The centre was the original day lodge and the only remaining building from the resort's opening in 1974.
Spokeswoman Laura Parquette said the 35 guests were selected on a first-come, first-served reservation process, and that many are active members of the regional ski site: www.skisoutheast.com.
So how will they bunk down?
"I have experience in outdoor winter camping, being that I'm a Scout Leader, and shall be taking a sleeping bag and a sleeping pad. This should suffice for the weekend and will be comfortable," wrote TAH of Acworth, Ga.
"I'm going to bring one or two sleeping bags, a pillow, perhaps a foam mat or egg shell and the air mattress will be in the truck if none of the above are enough," added DK of Raleigh, N.C.
"I am taking an air mattress, sleeping bag, pillow, laptop, MP3 player, Wi-Fi enabled smartphone, two DSLR cameras plus lenses, two pair of skis, and one snowboard. You know, just the essentials," quipped BC of Rainbow City, AL.
In addition to flooring down for the weekend, the group will have dinner tonight at the Backcountry Hut, a rustic cabin that offers a five-course menu and panoramic views.
The "campers" will enjoy some of the best snow conditions of the season. The resort, which has an extensive snowmaking system, has received 105 inches of natural snow, including more than a foot this week.
Snowshoe was founded by the late Tom Brigham, a dentist by profession but ski-area developer by preference who also founded Beech Mountain and Sugar Mountain in North Carolina. It now has 14 lifts serving 60 slopes and trails on more than 220 acres. After a series of owners and a history of financial problems, Snowshoe now is owned by Intrawest, which bought it in 1995 and has invested millions to make the four-season resort the pre-eminent winter playground of the Southeast.
The village, perched at an elevation of 4,848 feet, has 1,800 lodging units -- from hotel-style rooms to chalets that sleep more than 20. It also has 20 restaurants and bars.
The six-mile access road to the village from Route 219, once a combination of dirt, gravel and ruts that unnerved guests more than the black diamond trails and sometimes kept them on the mountain overnight, was paved years ago. And flatlanders have learned that snow tires -- or four-wheel drive vehicles -- are a necessity in the winter.
For more information, go to www.snowshoemtn.com or call 1-304-572-1000.
http://www.mountainsnowshoe.com is the place for your Snowshoe Mountain Resort Real Estate info on rental and for sale homes and condos!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
By Larry Walsh
The first overnight guests at Snowshoe Mountain were a hardy bunch.
If they didn't want to -- or couldn't for a variety of reasons -- drive more than 30 miles to find lodging, they just pulled up a piece of floor in the Shavers Centre and sacked out for the night.
That was in 1974 when I rented an unheated back bedroom in a one-story frame house in Slatyfork, W.Va., put a wrapped heated brick under the covers at the bottom of the bed and wore long underwear, ski socks and a ski hat to stay warm until I fell asleep. In the morning, I hurried my chilled body and frigid nose to the center of the house where heat radiated from a big potbelly stove and humidity bubbled from an oversized kettle of hot water that sat on top.
Cost: $8 a night, including breakfast and dinner prepared by the in-house owner, Dorothy Reynolds, one of the finest cooks and bakers anywhere. I gave her $15 -- she said it was too much -- and I should have paid more.
Snowshoe is celebrating its 35th anniversary this weekend with a one-of-its-kind experience for 35 guests -- free lodging in the Shavers Centre. The centre was the original day lodge and the only remaining building from the resort's opening in 1974.
Spokeswoman Laura Parquette said the 35 guests were selected on a first-come, first-served reservation process, and that many are active members of the regional ski site: www.skisoutheast.com.
So how will they bunk down?
"I have experience in outdoor winter camping, being that I'm a Scout Leader, and shall be taking a sleeping bag and a sleeping pad. This should suffice for the weekend and will be comfortable," wrote TAH of Acworth, Ga.
"I'm going to bring one or two sleeping bags, a pillow, perhaps a foam mat or egg shell and the air mattress will be in the truck if none of the above are enough," added DK of Raleigh, N.C.
"I am taking an air mattress, sleeping bag, pillow, laptop, MP3 player, Wi-Fi enabled smartphone, two DSLR cameras plus lenses, two pair of skis, and one snowboard. You know, just the essentials," quipped BC of Rainbow City, AL.
In addition to flooring down for the weekend, the group will have dinner tonight at the Backcountry Hut, a rustic cabin that offers a five-course menu and panoramic views.
The "campers" will enjoy some of the best snow conditions of the season. The resort, which has an extensive snowmaking system, has received 105 inches of natural snow, including more than a foot this week.
Snowshoe was founded by the late Tom Brigham, a dentist by profession but ski-area developer by preference who also founded Beech Mountain and Sugar Mountain in North Carolina. It now has 14 lifts serving 60 slopes and trails on more than 220 acres. After a series of owners and a history of financial problems, Snowshoe now is owned by Intrawest, which bought it in 1995 and has invested millions to make the four-season resort the pre-eminent winter playground of the Southeast.
The village, perched at an elevation of 4,848 feet, has 1,800 lodging units -- from hotel-style rooms to chalets that sleep more than 20. It also has 20 restaurants and bars.
The six-mile access road to the village from Route 219, once a combination of dirt, gravel and ruts that unnerved guests more than the black diamond trails and sometimes kept them on the mountain overnight, was paved years ago. And flatlanders have learned that snow tires -- or four-wheel drive vehicles -- are a necessity in the winter.
For more information, go to www.snowshoemtn.com or call 1-304-572-1000.
http://www.mountainsnowshoe.com is the place for your Snowshoe Mountain Resort Real Estate info on rental and for sale homes and condos!
Snowshoe Mountain offers escape from Obama inauguration
Now this one made me laugh!!!
Snowshoe Mountain offers escape from Obama inauguration
When Dean Martin belted out Volare, he sang " . . . way up in the clouds. Away from the maddening crowds." Well Snoeshoe Mountain in Snowshoe, W. Va., may not exactly be up in the clouds, but it will certainly give you a chance to evade the crowds exepcted to swarm D.C. around inauguration time.
According to the ski resort, "Snowshoe has seen more than 100” of snow already this season, and skiers and riders can access the region’s most open terrain for starting at just $129 per person for two night lodging and two days of lift tickets, January 19-21. Why deal with the traffic, the crowds and the craziness of D.C. when you can experience a real “change” from your every day routine at Snowshoe?"
"Snowshoe is already offering 52 trails, and with more snow and cold in the forecast, they may be able to increase terrain in time for the inauguration. Either way, you can be sure Snowshoe will be offering the MOST open terrain in the region. Even if you’re not a skier or snowboarder, or you have family members who aren’t, Snowshoe is a great escape. You can enjoy your family-friendly 5-lane tubing hill, tour the slopes on a guided snowmobile ride, soak in a mountaintop hot tub, play video and arcade games inside the Big Top entertainment facility, or just relax with a glass of wine and one of our Rimfire sunsets…that’s the kind of change everyone benefit from! At this can’t beat price, Snowshoe truly is the best escape in the region."
For more info: Call 877-441-4386 to book your trip, or visit www.snowshoemtn.com.
http://www.mountainsnowshoe.com is the place for your Snowshoe Mountain Resort Real Estate info on rental and for sale homes and condos!
Snowshoe Mountain offers escape from Obama inauguration
When Dean Martin belted out Volare, he sang " . . . way up in the clouds. Away from the maddening crowds." Well Snoeshoe Mountain in Snowshoe, W. Va., may not exactly be up in the clouds, but it will certainly give you a chance to evade the crowds exepcted to swarm D.C. around inauguration time.
According to the ski resort, "Snowshoe has seen more than 100” of snow already this season, and skiers and riders can access the region’s most open terrain for starting at just $129 per person for two night lodging and two days of lift tickets, January 19-21. Why deal with the traffic, the crowds and the craziness of D.C. when you can experience a real “change” from your every day routine at Snowshoe?"
"Snowshoe is already offering 52 trails, and with more snow and cold in the forecast, they may be able to increase terrain in time for the inauguration. Either way, you can be sure Snowshoe will be offering the MOST open terrain in the region. Even if you’re not a skier or snowboarder, or you have family members who aren’t, Snowshoe is a great escape. You can enjoy your family-friendly 5-lane tubing hill, tour the slopes on a guided snowmobile ride, soak in a mountaintop hot tub, play video and arcade games inside the Big Top entertainment facility, or just relax with a glass of wine and one of our Rimfire sunsets…that’s the kind of change everyone benefit from! At this can’t beat price, Snowshoe truly is the best escape in the region."
For more info: Call 877-441-4386 to book your trip, or visit www.snowshoemtn.com.
http://www.mountainsnowshoe.com is the place for your Snowshoe Mountain Resort Real Estate info on rental and for sale homes and condos!
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Land deal will preserve forest near Snowshoe
Land deal will preserve forest near Snowshoe
By Paul J. Nyden
Staff writer
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The Nature Conservancy and Snowshoe Mountain Resort announced an agreement Monday to protect and restore 233 acres of high-quality red spruce forestland near the popular resort and ski area.
Nature Conservancy spokesman Randall Edwards said the agreement is the first conservation easement implemented in West Virginia to meet requirements of a Habitat Conservation Plan.
"Under conservation easements, a private landowner relinquishes some of his development rights on the property," said Thomas Minney, the Nature Conservancy's central Appalachian program director.
"In this case, the land will be undeveloped. It will be left as a forest. There will be some use of trails for light recreation, such as hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding and educational programs," Minney said. "It will preserve a very nice example of a red spruce forest, near where the Cass Railroad goes up to the town of Spruce."
The Snowshoe property is adjacent to 60,000 acres of land owned by the U.S. Forest Service.
Red spruce forests have become top priorities for preservationists in recent years, in part because their inhabitants include threatened and endangered species.
The newly protected forestland, near the headwaters of Shavers Fork and the Cheat River, is home to the rare West Virginian northern flying squirrel and the federally endangered Cheat Mountain salamander.
Ed Galford, Snowshoe's vice president of mountain operations, said, "Snowshoe is very proud to be a part of one of West Virginia's first Habitat Conservation plans.
"By designating this portion of the resort for permanent conservation, we ensure our next generation of guests will continue to enjoy this amazing natural setting, as a site of both conservation and recreation like skiing and hiking."
The Nature Conservancy has already protected nearly 110,000 acres in West Virginia, including 60,000 acres of red spruce forests.
The Conservancy often works with the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the West Virginia Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Reach Paul J. Nyden at pjny...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5164.
http://www.mountainsnowshoe.com is the place for your Snowshoe Mountain Resort Real Estate info on rental and for sale homes and condos!
By Paul J. Nyden
Staff writer
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The Nature Conservancy and Snowshoe Mountain Resort announced an agreement Monday to protect and restore 233 acres of high-quality red spruce forestland near the popular resort and ski area.
Nature Conservancy spokesman Randall Edwards said the agreement is the first conservation easement implemented in West Virginia to meet requirements of a Habitat Conservation Plan.
"Under conservation easements, a private landowner relinquishes some of his development rights on the property," said Thomas Minney, the Nature Conservancy's central Appalachian program director.
"In this case, the land will be undeveloped. It will be left as a forest. There will be some use of trails for light recreation, such as hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding and educational programs," Minney said. "It will preserve a very nice example of a red spruce forest, near where the Cass Railroad goes up to the town of Spruce."
The Snowshoe property is adjacent to 60,000 acres of land owned by the U.S. Forest Service.
Red spruce forests have become top priorities for preservationists in recent years, in part because their inhabitants include threatened and endangered species.
The newly protected forestland, near the headwaters of Shavers Fork and the Cheat River, is home to the rare West Virginian northern flying squirrel and the federally endangered Cheat Mountain salamander.
Ed Galford, Snowshoe's vice president of mountain operations, said, "Snowshoe is very proud to be a part of one of West Virginia's first Habitat Conservation plans.
"By designating this portion of the resort for permanent conservation, we ensure our next generation of guests will continue to enjoy this amazing natural setting, as a site of both conservation and recreation like skiing and hiking."
The Nature Conservancy has already protected nearly 110,000 acres in West Virginia, including 60,000 acres of red spruce forests.
The Conservancy often works with the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the West Virginia Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Reach Paul J. Nyden at pjny...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5164.
http://www.mountainsnowshoe.com is the place for your Snowshoe Mountain Resort Real Estate info on rental and for sale homes and condos!
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