May 15 Hills Are Alive

White Grass Web Cams (asleep) * Our NWS Forecast * Snow Depths * USFS Canaan Web Cam * 24 Hour Local Hi/Low

the greening of the appalachians is a full screen blockbuster in real life, amazing to realize it happens every single year

Edible Blue Ridge * NY Lakes showing signs of warming * Olympians sign letter opposing development of B.C.'s Jumbo ski resort * Great to reconnect with the old vermont nordic clan ! Dickie

July 28-29 1st Annual Joint Appalachian Mushroom Foray * Sugarfoot Stompers May 28 at 7 Fiddle w/ no cover. Tack, Stephan * backstage at Floyd Fest again * WV School Gardens * Del Fest May 24-27

Black Bear Burritos, Mgntwn, WV * Jimi Snyder * Smokehole Geo sent by Abby * Gisela's Yoga and Massage * Banff Films this year * Stewed Mulligan foot stompin' sweet * if its gonna rain...

June 16 Highlands Sky * WV Farm 2U blog * Choose to be optimistic, it feels better. The Dalai Lama XIV * Seneca Rocks Climbing WV Living Mag * Made me smile. Skiin' Town sent by David Crossley

Oldest table mountain pine in Pendleton * Canaan Valley tract to become DNR Wildlife Area * Canaan Valley to remain wild & wonderful * Hike up scooter down * WV Senator Pulls Support For Nat'l Park

It was one of those once in every twelve year winters Tony Denucchi * Just remember next winter has to be better than this one Tom in French Creek * Tree planting Red Spruce Restoration Projects

Send "A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions." Oliver Wendell Holmes

Chip's the man! Such a good vibe at Whitegrass!!! If they could bottle it and sell it, they'd be set for life! found on UTube

photo captures the essence of Spring at Dolly Sods: rock field, interesting tree trunk, fresh green leaves and red to orange leaves yet to get their chlorophyll. Best, Joe Henry

Please join us if you can this Saturday, May 12th for our monthly trail work day. It should be a beautiful day if the forecast holds up! Meet at 10am at Blackwater Bikes in Davis, and we will head out to CVI to fix up the stretch of the white trail close to the powerline. We will try to coordinate bringing lunch out there for workers wanting to work past 1pm. See you out there! Todd p.s. As always, it doesn't take a 'trail day' to help with the trails. Any time when you are out hiking or biking on the trails and come across something that can be done to improve the overall trail experience, whether it be moving a branch, getting a puddle to drain, or even trimming back some overgrowth, please take the time if you can to make any little improvement and show some pride in our great trails, knowing you and thousands of people each year will enjoy the fruits of your labor!

Howdy...just wanted to say thanks, found your video randomly. I grew up in WV. Smiling! anon * my idea of a ski vacation is to go to the WG cafe for lunch Beau Lambert

Caution: Wearing These Can Sabotage Your Health * When walking on the earth barefoot free electrons from the earth transfer into your body via the soles of your feet. These free electrons are some of the most potent antioxidants known to man. • Lack of grounding, due to widespread use of rubber or plastic-soled shoes, may have contributed to the rise of modern diseases by allowing chronic inflammation to proliferate unchecked. • Experiments have shown that free electrons from the earth cause beneficial changes in heart rate, decreases inflammation, reduces pain, promotes healthy sleep, and thins your blood, making it less viscous, which has beneficial impact on cardiovascular disease. • Ideal locations for earthing are on the beach, close to or in the water, and on dewy grass. sent by kimmie (or all the time and everywhere like me when we can)

I will also enroll in an Adelle language camp this summer in Alaska so we can communicate that much better.. Happy Adelle's Birthday to you both.... I am sure all of Mexico will adapt quickly to the change from Cinco de Mayo to Señorita Adelle's birthday celebracion....Tim Sharp, Fairbanks,AK

chip in early 70's shroom checkin' out, cabin in Criders,VA Doug Eliott

SMALL PLATES Brookside Inn and Retreat Center [info@brooksideinnwv.com] Sunday, May 6, 2012 Dinner 6-9pm
• Sautéed tilapia with a green tea citrus rub over quinoa pilaf; served with a side salad $12.95
• Mixed greens with cannellini beans in a roasted garlic vegetable broth; served with crostini $7.95
• Sweet potato chipolte gratin; served with a side salad $7.50
• Roasted red beets, sliced avocado and pink grapefruit with citrus vinaigrette $6.50
• Lime cilantro ramp butter and stone ground wheat crackers $3.50

...imagine your trails done like this. Great marketing and teaching before folks go exploring your playland. Like Google street view but of trails.www.terrain360.com Bill Rice

6 months! Not bad for WV. Of course the 6 months in between had their, shall we say, ups and downs. I was expecting a heavenly powder day based on the NWS forecast of a foot or more in the high country. Seeing no more than 3" and lots of green grass I was prepared for a big disappointment. It was actually quite decent. The storm bulls eye shifted north leaving the foot or more, even 2 feet in places, less than 100 miles away in PA and MD. The high points of both MD and PA are lower than the floor of Canaan Valley. At the start of the day the temperature was just above freezing with a strong sharp wind. The snow was heavy but very skiable. The toughest part was skinning up with many pounds of heavy wet snow clinging stubbornly to the top skins of my wide "junk boards". Just one of those confoundedness of nature things that backcuntry skiers must deal with. It is not a game for sissies. After that first tough climb the skin track was set and it was much easier. The sun was brilliant and warm despite the chill wind, and although the fun meter was still pegged, each run got a little slower than the last. When the snow got as slow as the grass I called it quits, fully satisfied with a 6 month WV season. Denis Bogan

Thanks for being such a sweet host Chris Bolgiano

Paul Weiss Gaspe, Canada/ snow report

Geo Bell....."good times must always follow you around.  So much fun and nice stretch of river.... thanks for arranging the boats!" Chad

Joe Henry Davisson Bros. Chip and Owen Schmitt

Mike Hall shot some of the weekend floaters, 21 of us braved the clear waters and bright sunshine..nothing easier than an annual event to force you out there..."Another epic West-by-God VA overnight river expedition! Brook and I had a blast, the trough was a good choice. Thanks so much for organizing the event!" Steve Leathery

Ameri Corps are here helping Blackwater Falls...pics by Todd

The Heart of the Highlands Trail System has scheduled three volunteer trail work Saturdays. Help spread the word and consider coming out to help.First one is tomorrow, Saturday, April 28, meeting at 9:00 a.m. at Blackwater Bikes in Davis. Work will be on the Camp 70 end of the Splash Dam South Trail. Tools and instruction provided. Your boots, long pants, gloves, water and food will round out the supplies. RSVP if possible to help us plan, but walk-ins are welcome.We have started our Tucker County High School after school trail program and have begun repair work on their Outdoor Learning Trail this week. Tomorrow, several of the students (and the High School principal) will be joining us to work on the HoH trail. There is plenty of work to share - come work side by side with the students! Other trail work Saturdays are May 19 and May 26. Meet at 9:00 a.m. at Blackwater Bikes.If you are available to help out mid-week, April 30, May 1-3, May 7-9, May 15-18, May 22-27 are all planned trail work days. Contact me for meeting time and place. Julie Dzaack Project Administrator Heart of the Highlands Trail System 304-866-4757

One day's exposure to mountains is better than cartloads of books. John Muir.

Spring Skiing, WG and Gaspe, Canada

The weather scenarios……. A. Well… I don't know Steve and Jill Kaufman ….. however, I read on the WG webpage that they were headed to Canaan for the 3rd week in April and wanted to order up a spring snow storm. Perhaps you should stay in close touch with them…. Apparently they are in touch with some really powerful folks……. ? B. Mother Nature woke up and said "I am thinking there was something I forgot to do this winter ….. oh yeah….. make snow"….. or C. Remember that week of 70 degrees in March…… well… if you enjoyed it – paybacks are hell; if you hated it – you are now compensated……. I can't get the weather out of my head today…………. jdp ( janet preston)

I skied today around 2PM. It was amazing. About a foot of snow and it really wasn't sticky at all. Only issue was trying to get into the parking lot. I was surprised no one else was there. I posted a picture from this afternoon Jeff Rutter (Got over 2 feet Laurel Summit 4/23)

You would be proud that I learned to skike at whitegrass Willy Love (notice roof level winter vs. summer)

Hi Chip, Nice photo in the paper today! Here's an update on the July Mushroom foray: It's going to be July 28-29 at Canaan valley resort. They were able to offer us a nice big conference room, lodging, and the pavilion in the back of the lodge for our cooking demonstration and tasting. Gary Lincoff will once again be our lead mycologist and Bill Roody and Donna Mitchell will be there to help with identification. The Washington D.C. Club and the new river Virginia club will also be joining us. Saturday we will concentrate on mushrooms and on Sunday Gary will give a morning talk on wild food foraging. We will then go out and see what we can find. Gary has a new book coming out this summer called "the joy of foraging" so we will have his book on hand for sale. Nancy Ward

Canaan Valley tract to become DNR Wildlife Area

I thought of you on this early spring morning where "White Grass" was the name of the game here in the ADK's! Golf course skiing was the treat of the day and not many takers. I sure did enjoy one more slide on snow before this season should be over. Thinking of home and friends that make it so. Diane Miller, Saranac Lake, NY

We are still chasing the snow and skiing the fence – this pic from Cypress Mtn BC on Sunday! Emily and Jerry

The test of an adventure is that when you're in the middle of it, you say to yourself, 'Oh, now I've got myself into an awful mess; I wish I were sitting quietly at home.' And the sign that something's wrong with you is when you sit quietly at home wishing you were out having lots of adventure. Thornton Wilder

Adam Chase

The oldest trees found in eastern North America, are a 1,653-year-old northern white cedar, found in Ontario, and a 1,622-year-old North Carolina bald cypress. Oldest table mountain pine in Pendleton

Although some sectors are impracticable for skiing activities, there are still places like Mount Albert, Mount Lyall or Mines Madeleine where we can do some beautiful spring skiing. The melt-freeze crust on the surface makes travel conditions more difficult in the morning. Solar radiation and warm weather change rapidly the surface to wet snow. During the thaw period it is important to watch out for loose wet snow avalanches that may occur naturally or be triggered by skier. It will therefore be careful in traveling as a wet snow avalanche could make you up trip and bring you on terrain obstacles such as rocks and small trees present at the surface in many places. Enjoy the day of today and tomorrow as rain and warm temperatures forecasted for Sunday and Monday is likely to change drastically the conditions. Vallée (CDS) @ 230m 47 cm 0 cm 0 cm 0 cm * Mont-Albert - Serpentine @ 560m 83 cm 13 avril/April 13 * Mines Madeleine @ 700 m 80 cm 31 mars/March 31 * Mont Hog's Back @ 800 m 100 cm 4 avril/April 4 Most Recent Avalanche Bulletin for Chic Chocs, Quebec, Canada * Photo of Chip near Mt. Albert by Adam Chase

We're headed your way the third week of April and would love to order up a spring snow storm....yeah right! Bend, OR has been home for about a year now and we managed to stay sane in a lean snow winter by hiding out on and around Mt Bachelor (470" and counting!). I'm sorry to say we haven't freed the heels nearly enough, but we carry the Whitegrass spirit with us no matter the style of snow sport. Hope we cross paths if you're in the Valley. Cheers, Steve & Jill Kaufmann

Please join us if you can this Saturday, April 14th for our monthly trail work day. It should be a beautiful day if the forecast holds up! Meet at 10am at Blackwater Bikes in Davis, and we will drive over to the park and get to it! Lunch will be provided afterwards for those that show up to get their hands dirty! See you out there! Todd ...p.s. As always, it doesn't take a 'trail day' to help with the trails. Any time when you are out hiking or biking on the trails and come across something that can be done to improve the overall trail experience, whether it be moving a branch, getting a puddle to drain, or even trimming back some overgrowth, please take the time if you can to make any little improvement and show some pride in our great trails, knowing you and thousands of people each year will enjoy the fruits of your labor!

Hey chipper, been skiing Switzerland for the last five days great snow here. Altitude around 12,000 feet. Drinking Swiss beer on the deck with toasts to white grass Ed Erwin, Floyd, Va

"We have free passes to Timberline, we have backpacks and outdoor gear, hydration packs. We have gift cards, tickets to civil war train rides, WV Mountain Theater. There's a range of prizes and they are basically made available to you when you show up to participate in a Garlic Mustard Challenge Event." The events will take place in the following locations and times: April 14 at 9:00 am: Seneca Rocks Discovery Center * April 20 at 10:00 am: Sugar Grove Naval Base * April 21 at 10:00 am- Greenbrier State Forest * May 5-6 at 10:00am- Big Bend Campground * May 12-13 at 10:00 am- Blue Bend Campground * May 17 at 10:00 am- Fernow Experimental Forest * May 19 at 10:00 am- Pocahontas 4-H Camp

Eric Friedman, marketing director at Mad River Glen, VT, took home the 2012 Bob Gillen Memorial Award. The award honors an individual who exemplifies the highest standards of professionalism in public relations and media communications.

Tucker County had the best physical environment that combined access to recreational facilities and healthy foods, as well as [fewer] fast-food restaurants and air pollution. Recent Statewide News.

Hi Chip..seriously doubt if you remember us but thought I would send you this pic of our sons, Whit & Monty, taken at the Tennessee Pass Cookhouse Yurt LAST year mid March...they have lived in Leadville for the past 10 years (when not in school down in Boulder or Ft Collins) and they said this has been the WORST year for snow since they moved out there and that its warm & breezey at 10,200'...FYI, they honed their love for skiing at Whitegrass, Canaan & Timberline growing up..lots of happy memories from those days and so I am a frequent visitor of your website & enjoy it greatly..we are all hoping for a better season next year, East AND West! Cheers, Linda Willson

Another stop on the trail in Randolph County is Harman, where square dancing was first documented by David Strouther in 1852. Local residents recall dances taking place there as long as they can remember, including when the Harman School prom was a square dance. The first Harman square dance will be at 7 p.m. April 14 at the VFW Hall. Refreshments will be provided by the VFW Ladies Auxiliary. Jack Hedrick of nearby Dry Fork will be on fiddle and Alan Crossland of Canaan Valley will be on guitar. Other dances are scheduled for June 9 and Nov. 17....more

Todd Tip Top Coffee

Tibetan Healing Retreat w/ a focus on Maintaining Healthy Diet & Lifestyle  Who: Dr. Jampa Yonten will teach, and anyone with interest may attend. Where: Saranam in Montrose, WV. www.saranamwv.org  When: April 20-22 This is mainly a two day teaching, but there will be introductions and dinner on Friday night 6PM. Meditation on Sat and Sun is 7-8AM Teaching, discussion, and practice is 9:00AM-6PM Sat and 9:00AM-3:00PM Sun Donation: $150 is recommended for the weekend ($75 for one day), but there is also the option for trade in cooking, washing dishes, and cleaning.Free Public Talk: The Relationship Between Spiritual Health and Physical HealthWho: Dr. Jampa Yonten will talk to the Mountain Sangha, and all are welcome. Where: St. Thomas Social Hall on Brown St. Thomas, WVWhen: Wednesday April 25th 7:15-8:30PM (after yoga) Donation: this is a free talk, but donations are welcome.Consultations w/ Dr. Jampa Yonten Appointments are scheduled through me, and they will be held either at my office space on the farm, or one day (possibly Wednesday) at Nancy-Elizabeth and Madonna's "Honey Grace Farm" near Oakland, MD. Cost: there is a recommended donation of $50 and cost of herbal medicines are separate.Contact: Kyle Weaner 1334 South Haddix Rd. Montrose, WV 26283 kyle.weaner@gmail.com Home: 304 478 2123 Cell: 304 642 1772

Searching for snow on spring break, found 25" near Bachelor and Mt. Hood, wish I could of shared it with you all! Kate Preston

TMI

You can track our progress on the Grand Traverse website here - and if that doesn't work for some reason, try http://www.trackleaders.com/ - we are Team Whitegrass, but it might just be organized by last name. We don't expect to finish during the night as some racers do, so no need to pull an all nighter watching as we trudge toward Star Pass. This has been quite a process getting in shape (thanks Cali!), procuring all the proper gear (thanks Chip!) and getting in days on the snow during an anemic winter (thanks Johnny, Dan, Zack, Mark, Clare, Cawley, again Chip etc). Given the conditions on the course (somewhere between 3-5 miles of walking/bullet-proof to slush) and forecasted weather (15-60F) - we probably couldn't have found a better place to prepare for this than Whitegrass ;) Thanks all - much love! Lindsay & Richard

Chic Choc Mtns, Alps of the Appalachians, heading there Thursday!

The end of Ski Season 2011-2012 - see how the locals & visitors enjoyed their weekend: Snowy Luau Festival * https://vimeo.com/38706667 * Lots of terrain park action * Hear little ones having a blast running up & down the hill * The "great" descent – by ski school instructors – on White Lightning * A brief view of Timberline's * Update: Spring will soon arrive… We are revamping http://www.VisitCanaan.com to accommodate spring videos. Tell your fiends!!! Ludovic Moore Photographer

Glen Plake in Keene NY this March/ Backcountry Mag ...a dedicated backcountry ski tenure complete with a great day-use hut, gladed runs, an overnight cabin and lots of cool locals out skiing. Off Piste Mag

I don't know what it means. Maybe they are being absorbed by the heavy cloud. Or maybe this is Canaan and the are hopping off the lift at National Nordic and skiing off into the sunset. Cheers, Harley

Canaan Valley locals in Crested Butte, Co this last week Ryan G.

Whitegrass in a(n) (Austrian) box Justin Wimpey

Ever skated on skis? It's a blast. Yesterday was Saturday in SLC, home of hundreds of thousands of snow starved lift riding skiers. (there was all that powder little more than a week ago, but they are spoiled, like me.). Rather than contend with these hordes for chopped up sun baked crud, on lift served slopes, i went XC skiing at White Pine Touring in Park City. I decided to skate since it is great fun on sun baked trails. So fast, so fun, riding a knife edge between stability and crashing. The trails are on a golf course and I soon discovered that the ungroomed untracked fairways between the groomed tracks were much better. Frozen overnight and now with an inch of sun baked corn on top they were fast and perfect. I am not a good skater, technique OK but aerobic capacity terrible. I can go a few hundred yards before collapsing on my poles panting. I did it over and over with a big grin on my face. Oh, BTW the trail pass is free if you're over 70. Back in the lodge I learned that today was a skate clinic with top instructors and high end demo equipment, all for $15. So back I went for a repeat with instruction helping me to identify some limiting faults. I worked on them for a while after the lesson, then went back to the lodge to discover free lunch, burgers and dogs hot off the grill. It was locals day. I am a 6 week local. Denis Bogan

David Lindley, one of my favs in the east this spring playing 05/10/2012 The Kent Stage Kent, OH, 05/11 Thunderbird Cafe Pittsburgh, PA, 05/12 Jammin Java Vienna, VA , 05/13 Sellersville Theater, PA

Ah, one of the specialties of Whitegrass. "To share happiness. And to have done something good. Before leaving this life is sweet."~ sent by Colleen Davies

Advantages of skiing when it is warm and mushy and the snow is melting away like most of this winter...you never ice up, anti fog a waste, neck gaitors or balalclavas not, gloveless, warm feet, hands and body, easier to climb and carves like a dream, what you see is what you ski and hidden projectiles not an issue, avalanches are less likely, less squinting of the eyes, warmer winds bite less, no goggles, its comfy, shorts, ball caps, great animal tracking, ski across creeks, wet spots, days are longer, sun is higher, no frozen anything....its brighter, a sign of soon it will be over and you will be boating, biking, climbing, it is also likely to be powder again...and maybe for you it is new and different and maybe more fun. Besides it happens all the time around here and you'll miss a bunch of the ski season if you write it off. It's ethereal. It's beautiful. It's skiing. chip

The Hess's skiing blossoms for us! * "Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies." — Groucho Marx

Tomorrow evening yoga will start, as usual, at 6 pm and will last until 7:15 pm. It will be followed this week with a meditation on the chakras. I will read/talk a short explanation on the chakra system and how it fits into our yoga practice. This will be followed by a short audio talk of the chakra system by Dr. Fernand Poulin of White Winds - and then he will guide us through a chakra meditation. We will end the circle around 8:15 pm. You may want to bring a cushion to sit on for the meditation for your comfort. Of course you are welcome to just attend the yoga class, or come just for the meditation. There is no additional charge for the meditation circle. However if you are able and would like to make a small donation toward purchasing additional audio talks, guided meditation, and yoga nidra talks it would be much appreciated. These recordings could then be made available to all on a library style lend out system in the future. Looking forward to see you, Love and Light Gisela

Laurie has a recipe in this new one! Cookbook Celebrates Ramps / http://www.rampfarm.com/

Best kids!

The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has announced that this was fourth warmest meteorological winter on record across the contiguous United States and the warmest since 1999-2000. (Note: The meteorological winter is December, January and February combined) Only the winters of 1991-1992, 1998-1999, 1999-2000 were warmer. All of this is based on records dating back to 1890s. Deep Stuff TWC

EVERYONE has switched over to AT gear – the general consensus is it's lighter nowadays. There were some points where we were skiing avalanche bed surfaces where I kind of wished my heels were locked in too – but I managed. I think we encountered every snow structure – sugar, corn, isothermic mashed potatos, hard slab…oh, an POW. We leave for Colorado on Saturday – Team Whitegrass is ready for action! Got an email from the race organizers urging people to do their snow dances or else bring running shoes…I told them they need to learn how to snowfarm. Thanks for the binding and all the love this year! We'll be in touch in April for some river action. Richard

Nice to see you at mrg last weekend. Love your site and check it out often. FYI Stowe XC closed today and I boiled maple syrup once. Very strange. March 18th! The mtn here is still loaded with snow so they are in good shape. WG is on my list of places to visit, maybe next season. Hope you have a nice summer and maybe one more dump this year. All the best. John Tarrant

Crystal Lakes, PA & Craftsbury,VT &Trapp Family,VT & Jackson NH & Tug Hill, NY & Lapland Lake, NY

Kikkan Randall claimed a World Cup crystal globe by winning the overall sprint title, becoming the first American in 30 years to win a cross-country championship. In 2007, Randall was the first American woman to win a gold medal in a World Cup race and the first American, man or woman, to win any event in 24 years. …

Joe Henry / the other day, Canaan Valley/ Naturalist Nirvana

ghost of Tele Past Anne Farmer shares her knowledge Mtn Yoga/Thomas

Another years bites the dust or slowly turns to mud.We will be closing for skiing after this Sunday. We have some trails with 100% coverage. I just skied down the malloy trail and it has some icy patches but 100% of the trail is skiable.  We have had skiers everyday all week and they have found some good stretches of snow cover on the north side of the road up out of the valley. Current events talk about the 99% vs the 1%.  My take on skiing for this weekend is that 1% will really like the skiing with sun both days of the weekend. 65 degrees Saturday and 70 degrees Sunday. Half of the 99% will be ok with the skiing and the othjer half will wish they went biking.  Looks to be the last weekend of skiing in Osceola.  For those that do want to try skiing we are waiving the trail fee this weekend. Of the 40k of trails available we have approximately 30k with skiing. If you want to do the entire system be prepared to take off the skis and walk some sections. Needless to say do not bring your new skis and we are through renting skis for this season. I would like to thank all of the skiers that have skied with us this year.  On what can be described as a challenging year for snow at best, we ended up with more skiers than ever before.  Lots of plans for trail expansion this summer.  I have put together some maps that we have made for different bike rides we have run in the past. These are available at the cabin for rent across the road. In addition we are running a special rental rate on the cabin for anyone that arrives on a bicycle. Hope this helps.- Hugh Quinn - Osceola Tug Hill NY XC- www.uxcski.com 315-599-7377

Lack Of Skiers in WV Charleston Gazette 3/15/12

Urban P'burgh skiUTUBE Frontier finally got a new contractor to install fiber optics local Todd

never wasted or unskied

Mary McHugh Canaan Valley, WV

taking advantage of the third-biggest snowstorm in Pittsburgh's history, we took it to the streets (and hills) in search of rails, powder, jibs, and fun. This is the Urban skiing from Pittsburgh's February 2010 storm.

Andy

thanks chip, more sun than snow Thomas Hogan 3/7/12 (the last skier?)

3/11/12/Geo Bell / Paradise, Mad River Glen, Vt

Hey Chip, In spite of the lack of snow I did the Birkie this year (number 11!). We stayed at Spider Lake Lodge, where you are a sort of legend- people still talk about how you started in the 10th wave but finished in the 3rd! Why not join us for Birkie #40 next year-Team Whitegrass!!! Ray

Came for the snow, stayed for the chaga Gwendalyn / Teabazaar/C'ville,VA

Hi Chip - did you know there was a carpet ski slope in Lynchburg, VA - the only one in the whole US? I tried skiing there today You could telemark there, too! Andrey

Subject: Skate skiing: Ever skated on skis? It's a blast. Yesterday was Saturday in SLC, home of hundreds of thousands of snow starved lift riding skiers. (there was all that powder little more than a week ago, but they are spoiled, like me.). Rather than contend with these hordes for chopped up sun baked crud, on lift served slopes, i went XC skiing at White Pine Touring in Park City. I decided to skate since it is great fun on sun baked trails. So fast, so fun, riding a knife edge between stability and crashing. The trails are on a golf course and I soon discovered that the ungroomed untracked fairways between the groomed tracks were much better. Frozen overnight and now with an inch of sun baked corn on top they were fast and perfect. I am not a good skater, technique OK but aerobic capacity terrible. I can go a few hundred yards before collapsing on my poles panting. I did it over and over with a big grin on my face. Oh, BTW the trail pass is free if you're over 70. Back in the lodge I learned that today was a skate clinic with top instructors and high end demo equipment, all for $15. So back I went for a repeat with instruction helping me to identify some limiting faults. I worked on them for a while after the lesson, then went back to the lodge to discover free lunch, burgers and dogs hot off the grill. It was locals day. I am a 6 week local. Denis Bogan

The Grand Traverse will be a challenge, but we know it will go much smoother just feeling the good vibes from Whitegrass behind us.track our status online - - once we start at 11pm on Friday March 30. The season ain't over yet!! Also, attached a picture of the new Patagonia catalog featuring a shot of Chris Gopelrud climbing Madmen Only at Seneca Rocks - photo credit Nathan Smith.. Can't wait to get back on the stone! Richard Peterson-Cremer

New Tiptop Coffee in Thomas * Purple Fiddle was a sweet mountain party spot 3/5 we had a knee slapping good time. Just got offered homemade moonshine it's official WV is the best state to play this place is packed! Also, moonshine jug going around at our show last night...that was real.Twitter on Gangstagrass

85" TOTAL SO FAR THIS YEAR by John Robeson Meyer House in Davis, once a day measurement....4 x day Dave's with over 104" may be a 15-20% increase. What they measure and what you ski on are very different.
The National Weather Service posts their daily 24-hr totals around 9 am each morning. Check the column headers to see "new snowfall" and "snow depth" Go to THIS ... Bob Leffler, our dedicated Canaan Weatherman knows the local weather after 40 years of coming here better than the computers and guessers in downtown Pittsburgh do at times...He says the next 2 weeks look WARM and that if we end up with 85" total it will be one of the lowest ever recorded. Dave's weather observations from Canaan Heights are reputed to be some of the best in the country. Chip and Bob Leffler/The Fearless Canaan Weatherman

Looks like we'll need another Discovery Tour! We thought we found a bear paw print (and marked it with an apple to record the size). But expert Ron Ulle revealed that a running rabbit fooled us. I enjoyed watching the 25K Mountain State Marathon race on February 26th. Nothing seemed to slow these racers down. I also enjoyed seeing the Indy Pace Dog! Karen O

davey calls contra dances across USA

I wanted to say thanks so much for providing a great environment, and free refreshments for the showSunday.  I thought it went pretty well, and people seemed to enjoy the slides. I was so happy that people came out!  What a fun time, and a great group of people. Scott Pleban

Sun eve we were in AK..special thanks Jackie, Charlie, and Ben

MAGIC MOUNTAIN REACHES GOAL TO FORM SKIER OWNED CO-OP : Magic Mountain, VT announced today that it reached the threshold needed to form the skier-owned Magic Partnership LLC. It has sold 333 shares at a price of $3,000/share for a total capital raise of $999,000. Much of the money will go toward improving the snow-making capacity at the 50-year old ski area.

chip's natural history lite walks * Freeland Boardwalk bubbling sand spring has neutral pH water rushing out at 47 degrees

Todd Romero on his way to work commute snapshot in between the snowy times here this winter

Don't know how we missed you on the mountain Monday, as it appears from the website we were in all the same places. My buddy and I had a great day, and always good to introduce/reintroduce someone to WG. We stubbornly skied from and back to the lodge (with the occasional hike and ski portage) - up the liftline, then Barton's Bend, 3 Mile, Powderline, Wilderness, Snaggletooth, Stonecoal (but did a uturn partway down), Ashram Rocks (with a short hike over the rocks), Shenandoah, Beechlick, Bald Knob, hiked gasline, multiple Natty Nord loops, skied back down gasline, hike back to Baldie, Beechlick, Powderline, 3 mile (by then much melted) and hiked down to driftline and skied the last 200 feet to lodge, then a victory lap around the snowfarm. Fair to say, we squeezed the last turns out of this snow. Now just waiting for some more... hope to see you this weekend or the next. Bill Berlin

Maple tree tapping cold nights and warm days and the sweetest are the first runs. 30-40 gallons of sap to one gallon syrup, we boil lots down on the WG stove. Native Americans taught the mayflower folks how to do it...

Chip, could you please refrain from posting pictures of Kotarsky and his pseudo-tele turn on the website? Thanks, Matt Lambert, MD

Much love from the whole Wise clan up here in the green mountains of VT (a might bit greener than we'd like them to be...). Recent snow has been soothing the soul, with another 6-12" on tap through tomorrow. Thought you'd appreciate this Adirondack backcountry site (our favorite getaway this side of WV), and the fact that your pal Glen Plake will be carving in the East this weekend.... http://adkbcski.com/ Best from the little guys - Brooke (10), Hannah (9), Chase (5) - free heelers....Charlie Dorset, VT

I just got off the phone with Maggie, who told me that she and her dog found my knife!!! I couldn't be more happy with the news. Thank you so much for keeping the description in your lost and found. That knife was passed down to me from my grandfather, and has a lot of history. I would LOVE to come by and pick it up in person, both to thank you in person and to meet Maggie and her dog, but unfortunately, my schedule is as tight as a drum these days, and that will have to wait. Next time I'm in the Canaan Valley region, though, I'll make sure to come out your way. Thanks again. This has been another chapter in the history of that special knife.- Karl ( the WG camera flew outa my pocket at Timberline on one of many falls and returned by Trevor from Massanutten Tuesday and his friends were tappin' his shoulders on how much cooler it was to meet me and have some free beers)

We had a fun time at the Snowshoe Discovery Tour on Saturday. Mark offered lots of winter photo tips. Ron found chaga! See ya soon. Anne Smith & Ron Ulle ...the timberdoodle ( woodcock ) males were peeeeenting in the wetlands behind our house last evening before starting their courtship flights. 

I had a great time on the photo walk on Sunday.I hope everyone enjoyed it. We walked around and took pictures of snow and looked through polarizers and blurred water with a neutral density filter. It was really a beautiful morning. Here are some pics I took Saturday and Sunday. Yell if you want me to come back and do it again. Marc /Trail Pixie

Marc Shaffer

WV only rep...Anne just raced the Birkie

The consensus from several reps was that this year, hardgoods will do OK, but it's not a good year for softgoods. "The enthusiasm level is pretty blah," on rep said. Another noted, "the mid-Atlantic is a basket case." It illustrates that there is still pent-up demand and interest in skiing." recent ski area gossip

A couple of shots from Saturday on the way to Baldy, at the top, and a self-portrait at the shelter. Thanks for the Hi-Test! Cheers,Vito

I wanted to thank you for giving our Boy Scout troop such a good time and a good deal on our visit Saturday. In spite of the blizzard-like conditions, the boys and the leaders had fun. As always, lunch was superb. The entire gang is anxious to make it annual trip. In the process of rounding up and leaving Whitegrass (which was not unlike herding cats) we walked away with two of your scrapers. I am putting them in the mail today. Thanks again for taking such good care of us. Brad Tipler

Hello to All, Our family has spent many happy times at White Grass. Most recently, our family which gathered in Canaan Valley from Maryland, Indiana, Pennsylvania and D.C., all enjoyed the great snow and cold that came on our visit in early/mid February. The cafe never disappoints and I have enjoyed the 2 cookbooks for many years. On our last visit, I purchased a granola bar that was absolutely wonderful. I do not see the recipe in the cookbooks, therefore I was wondering if you would be willing to share it with me? Thanks for the consideration. Betty Smucker

Shelter antics. Katharine Feehan * How cute is the newest skier? Maggie

Anne and I were at Garnet Hill in the Adirondacks for some xc skiing a week ago. Found some snow up north. Jay DeJesus runs the ski shop there. When we told him where we live, he asked if we go to White Grass. He says he knows the Canaan area and the folks there primarily from his other season passion--mountain biking. He was a great help to us--told us about some neat off site places to ski. He said to say hi to you for him. Al Larsen

Canaan Valley Ski Area 2/27 pic by Maggie

Cross-country areas are having an even harder time. In Vermont, the Catamount Family Center has been open for only about 10 days, and even on those days it was running at 20% capacity. The ski center is down by about $25,000 on gross annual revenues of $250,000, and with each passing day that shortfall is growing, said Eric Bowker, who manages the area. Win Smith, owner of Sugarbush Resort, VT said that the perception in New York and Boston of snow conditions is critically important to the reality of the ski business in Vermont. Smith said his resort is down about 13% in skier visits from last year, despite having plenty of snow on the mountain...more.

Ski on keeping your weight over your whole foot by over flexing the ankles and knees and tucking the arms in and keeping hands down. Repeat over and over always falling less....Onward and Up and then...Down!

Can't waste snow....I know you make the best of whats available so thought you would appreciate my efforts. Hoping for a very snowy March for you guys at Whitegrass! Be well! Sincerely, Jeff Simcoe

Mount Porte Crayon, the Eastern Continental Divide, and the Roaring Plains : Mount Porte Crayon: The highest hump about 3.5 miles southeast of here is the summit of Mt. Porte Crayon. At 4,770 feet elevation, it is the highest point on the Eastern Continental Divide in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. The mountain is named for 19th century writer and illustrator David Hunter Strother (1816-88), also known by his pen-name as "Porte Crayon", who was the first to publish illustrations of his travels to this largely unknown, wild part of West Virginia in the mid and late 1800's.
The Eastern Continental Divide: The Eastern Continental Divide is the place that separates waters flowing into the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. Precipitation falling on the east side of the Eastern Continental Divide flows east into the Potomac River and then the Atlantic Ocean. Precipitation falling on this, the west side, flows into the Ohio and then Mississippi Rivers, and ultimately, into the Gulf of Mexico.
The gaping valleys of the Red Creek (to the left) and the Dry Fork (to the right) in front of you lie nearly 3,000 feet below the summit of Mt. Porte Crayon. Red Creek's headwaters are just a couple miles northeast of here in the high meadows of the Dolly Sods Wilderness. Red Creek and Dry Fork flow west into the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers and then into the Gulf of Mexico.
The Roaring Plains: The flat topped ridge to the left of Mt. Porte Crayon's summit hump is the Roaring Plains Wilderness, named for the fierce winds that frequent the evergreen cloaked summit. This rocky red spruce dominated high country contains the highest sphagnum bogs in West Virginia and 5.5 square miles above 4,500 feet. It is the highest flat-topped plateau of its size in eastern North America. It's abundant snowfall, averaging about 180 inches (15 feet) a winter, makes it home to the elusive snowshoe hare. Snow can fall as early as September and as late as June. ( Bob Leffler on task to get a sign and pull off south of Canaan Valley)

been skiing with chip when your bindings and ski boots have twigs and moss ground into 'um. Pic Mike Gorrie

I'm looking forward to the photo walk on Sunday morning at 10:00.  It looks like we may have some little bit of fresh snow.  That is certainly a welcome addition to the weekend. See you guys Sunday morning. Marc

We can't wait to see you at the "Mother of All Telemark Festivals". It's a free heel shindig of knee dropping Mad River Glen skiing, wild competitions, skill clinics, demo gear, and fun. This year's Tele-Dance Party is brought to you by our local award winning craft brewery Lawson's Finest Liquids with music by the legendary (smokin') Guy Burlage Band. All this fun is included in the price of a tele-fest lift ticket. Registration and Festival Lift Tickets: Top floor of the Base Lodge 8:00 am - 2:00 pm Saturday and Sunday. Tele - Dance Party Saturday 4:00 pm, top floor of Base Lodge. We are giving away a two-day festival lift ticket. The lucky winner will be randomly selected from our facebook fans on March 1, 2012. Like us today (we like you)! We will be representing WV once again...

Come and get out of the congested city, turn off those smart phones, media devices and computers and connect consciously with family, friends, your new squeeze and above all, nature, one of my most beloved places. Carolyn Guglielmo / Old Town Crier

atop Mt Hunger towards Sugarbush, MRG and Camels Hump. Best Regards, Jonathan Chesterfield,VA

Hey Chipper, great to see you this weekend and the skiing was far beyond my expectations. I'm doing my snow dances. Maybe we'll get back up there before the season's end. Nicole Hiegl

Dear Friends, Though the skiing was a bit thin during our week in Davis, your hospitality more than made up for it! Many thanks for a delightful day of skiing on the snowfarm and delicious dinner, the Pad Thai was amazing. Hope that the taste of SW Virginia will be enjoyable and serve as a thank you for another memorable stay in Canaan Valley. Betty and Martin Payne

We had a fabulous time at White Grass -- like we always do! And, we especially loved sitting down for a bite of delicious soup and conversation with you! And, then of course to top it off with Adele! We miss you all already, and the fresh clear air and snow where you can hear the earth breath! Deb, Rick and Essi (friends, DO NOT DOUBT the popularity of Adele, if you have time to watch a live song from her August 2011 Live at Albert Hall and see what a few thousand humans did together magically and who ever edited and did the sound is also to be commended, the most goose bumpy concert for me. Enough said....chip)

Found a window to catch some freshies up in the high Sierras. Dreamy pow turns. Folk out here sure hear a lot from me about Whitegrass. Hope to get some more out there still this year and looking forward to applying the new tele skills. Johnny

Skied into a lake just west of Glacier, weather turned nasty up high so no pretty pics, about 2400 ft of gain had some nice turns up high then sporty skiing down a steep narrow hiking trail. Willy Love, MT,USA

Thanks for sharing a fine snowstorm with us. We tried to do it justice touring, turning, sledding and fort building. Hope to be in your neck of the woods soon! Pembroke Posse

Last night I found a photo of my "WG church" from February 2007....Finding this photo was not just a coincidence...I believe the Lord of the Nords is sending us snow soon.. Keep on believing :-) Bob Milvet and the free-heeler family, Morgantown,WV

Snow or no the White Grass vibe never fails and the welcome mat is always out. Mark & Betty Gatewood Southern Shenandoah Valley Chapter PATC / Flying McLeods SNP South District Trail Crew

Wilderness Trail GW Day 2012...not bad!

Really enjoyed our visit and your wonderful establishment. Great and personal service from everyone. Jim Lyons, Buxton, NC

I will be back for ramp season Peace. Jeff

Thanks for Whitegrass and prayers for more snow, in Arabic, Romanian/Moldovan, and Spanish! Chris Wolz

Top of the WV world-entering breakfast bowl. Mark Anderson

It is better to be out skiing, thinking of God, than to be in church thinking of sport Barry Glotfelty

Your website is a gift of gladness...  and WINTER...  ain't over yet! Vermontsters Thanks Chip and all you good folks at Whitegrass Monday I tried the skinny gear for the first time, Chip, your ninja lesson is the best, I sucked but people should the first time they approach a real skill. I'll try again next time I'm up Here's some pictures from monday...late evening I skinned up -- maybe soon I can accomplish that on nordic gear. Thanks, you're the best--David

To all at WG...Just wanted to let you know that I visit your website everyday. Even though I don't cross country ski; just downhill' I thoroughly enjoy the pictures, Daves weather conditions, and the stories and comments. Keep up all the good work you do. Dave in Washington PA

Salutations from Rogers Pass BC. Couple of great days touring up here, the most insane terrain in North America. Looking forward to bringing the fam to WG. After 5 hours of up we skied the shadow line. Welcome to Nirvana Feliz curvas, Andrew Gault

Sunday was awesome! I would have stayed for Monday if I could have! Thanks for everything. Joe.

Thanks for the great food and camaraderie Saturday night. As always, the food, music and vibe were terrific. A huge thanks to Todd who pulled my buddy's truck from the ditch. I tried to tip him and he wouldn't take it. I really appreciate it. Look forward to going back. Kevin

Thanks to Rick Landenberger and all the folks that have been leading the Discovery Treks this winter

"Nothing hardens the muscles and makes the body so strong and elastic,
nothing gives better presence of mind and nimbleness;
nothing steels the will power and freshens the mind as cross country skiing.
This is something that develops not only the body but also the soul --
it has a far deeper meaning for people than many are aware of."
Fridtjof Nansen 1890 sent by Dave Crossley, VT

Robbie Powder

This album was created by the Tucker County Development Authority to celebrate the creative and talented individuals who are from this part of West Virginia or have chosen to make it their home. All TCDA profits (100%) will go towards supporting the arts and artists in Tucker County. For Sale at WG and in the area with Chip,Todd, and Kimmie dancin' on cover

Two October snows where tracks were laid down in all directions, very unusual to have so much so early. Chip skis 10/2 and slope tracks on 10/31 by Todd (some say this is why it never snowed later on...)

The Eastern Continental Divide, Mt. Porte Crayon, and the Roaring Plains: The highest hump about 4 miles south of here is the summit of Mt. Porte Crayon. At 4,770 feet elevation, it is the highest elevation on the Eastern Continental Divide in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. It's name honors one of the first white explorers who documented his visits to the area in the mid-and-late 1800's. The flat topped ridge to the left of the summit hump is the Roaring Plains, named for the fierce winds that frequent the high plateau. This wilderness area contains 5.5 square miles above 4,500 feet. The Valley of Red Creek below is nearly 3,000 feet below the top of Mt. Porte Crayon. Red creek's waters flow into the Ohio and then Mississippi Rivers. Precipitation falling on the east side of the Eastern Continental Divide flows into the Potomac River and the Atlantic Ocean. sent by Bob Leffler on task to get a sign and overlook area south of Canaan Valley

Facebook Remembering Old Canaan ...Chip Chase videotaping the mountainbike trials events - barefooted no matter the rocks underfoot or the weather. Roger Bird...where'd it go? WG Archive Tomb Page

Most important muscle in skiing is the one in your cheek that makes your lips shape into a smile. Dickie Hall

Some of the secrets to slowing down on xc skis is having the skills to create even shape, pressure, and a balanced 50/50 treatment to each ski, never favor or lean and be politically correct to yourself...you have two legs, feet, and two long skis....treat um equally and you will love skiing hills from then on...be flat center in the middle of that well shaped "V"...Tilt your skis on edge to cross a sidehill...i.e anywhere at WG...place your weight firmly over each step like monster-giant stomping and again travel forward and be the boss...Basic athletic flexed ankle and knee position throughout your skiing and when you stride your body needs to up out and forward and your knees should lead the way...Concentrate weight and steering to the back ski in the tele turn and stay flexed to the max with your ankles.

All my life, right and wrong tangled, playing with the moon, ridiculing the wind, listening to the birds…Many years wasted seeing the mountain covered with snow. This winter I realize snow makes the mountain - Dogen Zenji