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Nov 27 
Winter Preview
Winter Preview 
This morning's trail crew heading out in howling snowstorm, a few inches at 11 am and the snowfarm is blowing full as we speak....WE GOT SKIING AGAIN FANS!
4"-9" snow forecasted here * Our shop IS open fri/sat/sun...yee haw and here we go!!! * Furnace Mtn a chippie do-not-miss show @ Fiddle tomorrow nite * Resorts wait for Mother Nature
Wreath Making Get Together Here This Sunday Nov. 29 at 1 pm * Join in to create your wonderful holiday keepsake, check out ol' WG, visit with pals, and get the SPIRIT
I'd like this email to introduce Freddie to one of my most favorite people and a great guy, Chip Chase of White Grass Cross Country in the Caanan Valley. Chip's cross country center & cafe is an icon in the industry and if it's cross country skiing in West Virginia, Chip knows all about it. Chris Frado, Director/Cross Country Ski Areas Association 11/25/09
"Hope to see you later this week! sounds like we're in for an awesome winter! Thanks," Sid * Chip returns to the Aspen backcountry after the Jack Frost
White Grass U Tube Remix catching mostly air thru Todd * the new look and function of the MountainMade online store * Fall Refuge birwalks * Mon Forest Expanding
T'Day Ski Fest at Yellowstone * Local little Canaan map * looks like about a 30% chance of a colder and drier winter. Dennis Mennerich * The latest from-Accu-Weather
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Where We Are by Stephen Dobyns, from Velocities. 1994 last Local history Behold the Land of Canaan * CVI MT Bike trails * MtnMAde.com/Local artists * Chip's in a mushroom blog * Local CVI Trail News* Winter is bringing us all together Folks that want to lead a winter refuge educational snowshoe walk, pick a subject that would fit, 1-2 hours long with a free lunch and $50 travel fee if needed. Expand the Gateway To The Refuge
Trail Clearing Days will be the entire month of November here, every sat/sun 9 am...rsvp (will go out this friday as well) * Ecosystem Spruce Planting Restoration by D. Saville Another very productive weekend with the building of seven bridges and the trimming of several glades. Thanks to all that helped and it will make a huge difference with 525 hours so far. Wow!!!
WG recorded 96 skiable days with about 188" snow last winter. Hats off to all for helping us keep the doors open and trails used. Brew Pub Live Music * xc snowboarding parody...martin * First Frost Pool Oct 6 winners Kurt Litzau & Jim Baczuk / First Snow 10/17 Pete Kepner / Total Snowfall Guesstimations from 135" to near 300" Endless WV DNR wetland info* Planting For Deer Resistance * Friends Of Cheat Access * Matt's Halloween pics * Canaan/WG Wikipedia * WVLliving Magazine * TMI @ Spruce Knob Laurie is baking cakes, cookies, and other yummies for Trail Mix * 37,000 new acres of protected W.V land * Davis River Front * Davis River Front's blog * wvhighlandsartists * What to Bring XC Ski Curtis LugeZip (3/5).mpg * ChipNattyTurns * CurtisQuickies.mpg *ChipRedOak(3/4)* GeohopsCanMon.mpg * Opensezame*ChipCanMon3/2* LugeRunGisela. (3/2) * FlowBYxc. (3/2) * Skihiking and Foolery * PackPowWill* Chip and JoJo Dance WG/Facebook * Trailblazer 'CV has its own mystique'* Upper SpringerGeo.mpg * SeeAMouse.* Morgan360canoe*TwistySkiing* Goodstuffjumpin * WG testimonial.mpg * Local boy gone BIG City - http://nick-waite.blogspot.com/ * Vermont’s Mad River Rocket Sleds*WG Web Cam History mode * Snowfarming * Ski Jouring in WV * Granny Gear schedules 3 big 24 Hour bike races next year * Freeland Road Bubbling springs Video * Denali Nato.wma Davis Consignment Shop * MaryAnn the mapmaker has a new site * WG skiers meet VA fiddlers by Todd * Snurfer Poaches Mad River SKi Area * skibuilders.com * 10 great places to peacefully glide cross-country USA TODAY * Lost Ski Areas * Season passers recieve 10% discount at Highland Prospects * Hyno Coffee * Tucker County Trails* Chipper Chase in Off Piste * The ChipperCHase Article.pdf The ultimate ski Showdown Utube by xcskizone * if you like check this one * xc ski zone.com Freaky STyle WG "If you've ever skied WhiteGrass this video makes complete sense! The kind of place you might want to plan your entire winter around."
At 140" +/-average snowfall in Canaan we almost double Erie! ERIE, PA. 88 * BUFFALO, NY 93 * TALKEETNA, AK 115 * MARQUETTE, MI 141 * MT. WASHINGTON, NH 260 |
evening 
Send
"A mind that is stretched by a new experience
can never go back to its old dimensions." Oliver Wendell Holmes
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Here is my money for my season pass. Thank you for making winter a season to forward to. Snow! Kathy Bine, Fairfax, Va
"She just doesn't want to admit that she hangs out with beginners... metal edges... phooey. Now I am ready! Let it snow let it snow let it snow" -paula
i love that regina spektor got mentioned in the daily report. she's crazy good. Amazing weekend fueled by the collective energy and majesty of canaan valley and your little mecca of good vibes. i will be out next weekend, with another friend in tow. are you guys doing any work on friday? Spencer Lee (yes, Robert and friends are coming as well) SEVEN SPRINGS SIGNS LEASE TO OPERATE LAUREL MT.Seven Springs Mountain Resort, PA, has signed a 10-year lease to operate the dormant state-owned Laurel Mountain ski area, although it won't reopen this year and possibly not next year either, according to published reports. Seven Springs officials first want to build snowmaking ponds and change some ski runs and trails before it reopens the ski area in Laurel Mountain State Park, about 50 miles east of Pittsburgh. The two areas are about 25 miles apart. Last year, Seven Springs bought Laurel Mountain's ski area assets including a lodge, chairlifts, snowmaking and other equipment. The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources owns Laurel Mountain and has ommitted $6.5 million to improvements Seven Springs plans there. 13.It's how many cups o' Joe you would need to drink in order to even come close to matching the energy level of one Canaan Valley hermit snow gnome many call Chipper. Hypno
I'm proud and happy to be a part of the wonderful community you have created around a special place and a winter sport loved by so many. Let the good times begin once again! Dave Saville
But I know that I am always there in spirit and that I will occassionally be in your thoughts as you are gliding through the Breakfast Bowl, thanking me for being the sacrificial lamb so that you can have record breaking powder days. I will certainly be thinking of all of you as I connect through the whitegrass web-site and daydream while looking at my jar of "white grass" sitting on my desk. (Thanks Todd!) For those of you who collaborated on the unbelievably generous going away gifts, I am extremely touched by your support. Your gift will make it so much easier to get home for a couple of visits. Not that I would need incentive for that, but having the gas to do so certainly helps those visits to happen. Looking forward to being home for the holidays!Ski you on the slopes!! Peace,natalie Marietta, GA nice website. am wondering whether you would mind locating www.northlakecabin.com within your available lodging section? We are wv owned and family managed and are trying to increase our rentals. Thanks for any help! tom barton 3045464953 it's at the very top of Northpoint, at the end of the road. It's a great location for skiing right out the door into the National Forest, and we're marketing it to cross country skiers. Here's the link to our house: * www.northlakecabin.com * NP 114 Fazenda (703) 318-7998 Top OF NOrthpoint Rental
Was recently over WG for an aerial shoot up at Mt. Storm and grabbed a few pix of WG for you while heading home over Canaan. I have attached a preliminary sample jpeg here, but can shoot you a few more once I have gone thru all the files to cull the wheat from the chaff. It was early in the AM and I was shooting into the low light so the results are kinda ho-hum. Sure wish I could be there at sunset someday and get some really cool pix with the light at my back as it illuminates Cabin Mtn. Also attached here is a screen-res jpeg of the portrait image that BlueRidge Outdoors just licensed to run in the next issue. Thought you might like it. I have high hopes of getting up there several times this winter to increase my winter stock image collection. See ya then! Enjoy - Hson Shullphoto & Appalachian Aerial Images Fayetteville, WV & Asheville, NC 304-640-4974 / photos@shullphoto.com
"I just use ol' natural gravity..." a downhill skier explaining the difference with xc
We witnessed an amazing sunset over Back Hollow Rd. Best, Mark and Clare * check out the colorado crankworx video footage!! Greg Berry Thank you for your great hospitality and everyone else's on the ride! It was one of many special West Virginia high points from our trip. I am so psyched to know about WV and your ski place and The Purple Fiddle!! We usually visit my parents in Maryland between xmas and New Years. We are fantasizing going from there to your place to ski afterwards! We will be sending a package with the Huffy Toss video and other assorted bicycling vintage goodies to share.Hope to ski with you all when the snow flies! Leni and Mike/titaniumarts.com "have seen nothing but black worms this fall…..good sign I hope!" Paul S. Magness * Sods Trail Map fr MoTown's Adventure's Edge * Hansi's blog WG visit ...and watch this video. Short and beautifully done. Elizabeth Gilespie (Clue...snowboarding in leaves) * This is from my friend Justin, a HS English teacher and poet in rural VT. Junkboarding ... Mine is waxed and ready. Denis
hippie stix: I was wondering if you still had some skii's I demo-ed last spring... I think they were K2's and the grapixs looked like the Hendrix "Experienced" album.. Called "Tele-Experience"? 165-175 length with big sidecuts. I am looking in that direction as they were way FUN and I need some area skis... Any suggestions/alternatives? Hey to Laurie and the crew.. Hope to get up for Jack Frost. Morgan Jones chipper- thanks so much for the love! i'm at home working on writing music for a new album. hopefully i'll be back at the purple fiddle in the spring or summer of next year with a pile of new songs until next time, be well, and enjoy the mountains! abby washburn
Hope you're having a great summer. Elizabeth and I were on a PCT backpacking trip and my thoughts were wandering all over the place and I started thinking about this band that I thought you might really like them. They just played a Floyd Fest and they play pretty often in our area. They would be awesome to see at the Purple Fiddle. http:toubabkrewe * http://www.youtube.com * Hope to see you soon for some trail work and deep snow! Kelly
To Whitegrass with lots of Love, the cover photo reminds me of Springer skiing. Thanks you for all that you do!! Hosting the ultimate winter playground of WV, keeping everybody warm and full of good food. Offering limitless inspiration to all who visit. I LOVE WHITEGRASS!! Corey Bonasso
WG is the heart and soul of all things freeheel and your support of the Karhu brand is invaluable to the snowsports industry! Thanks for spreading the Karhu love. Hope to see you and Laurie soon. Cheers! -Doug .
After hearing people rave about the place for years, I finally enjoyed a meal at Canaan's White Grass Cafe earlier this month - and, wow, was it worth the wait. On the grounds of White Grass, a cross-country skiing center with a decidedly international vibe, the cafe offers one of the most unique dining experiences I've enjoyed in some time. Ted/WV Food Guy Chip Chase founded White Grass in 1979. No one in the ski world before or since has had a better time on skis or doing anything related to snow (Ive been buzzin since I was born!). That zest is totally communicable. White Grass is a blast, in a lot of ways a throwback to the 1960s, with much more wool than lycra. You'll find easy trails and gnarly trails amidst a lot of snow, gentle streamsides, hardwoods, conifers, and a big meadow by the lodge. You'll see everyone from kids being pulled in pulks to folks in their 70s, all wearing huge smiles. Jonathan "Chip, you are my hero!! You don't take life too seriously, you throw an excellent party, and we are facing youtube fame together! I really love that video, Becky and I agreed that was a most organic jam in a beautiful place on a perfect day. See you soon...yay! Rachel Eddy " * Chip UTube clogging Here's the link to the White Grass article in Get Out! michelle * Best food ever. Thanks for the recipes Laurie and Chip! Margaret and Hansi, Minnesota / Hansi's Blog Take a walk down memory lane with ski writer Randy Johnson’s look at the history of cross country skiing in the Boone, NC area. Also check out his Web site for a video cross country ski lesson in Blowing Rock and a video look at Roan Mountain Nordic in the 1980s.
We are staying open until the fat lady sings and we have never ever closed if there is natural snow to ski. Tomorrow is our 114th straight day and we project another month easy! That will equal 144, great if it hit 150! 42" lay frozen in the high country this afternoon in powder conditions. Full moon skiing this March 15th. Our nordic trails have been graced with the best snows and cold we have ever wildly imagined. Region by region we are the surely the seasonal winners. Too dry out west, too cold in New England and just right in the Alleghenies. Sometimes the elevator-sometimes the shaft. chip chase 3/12/2003 Most important muscle in skiing is the one in your cheek that makes your lips shape into a smile. Dickie Hall |
Winter must not be too far away, as the geese are welcoming Ullr's arrival. See you at the Jack Frost Festival. Andy Ballash 
Today’s trip to the top of the ridge Bill Love in Montana 
Nick Fiorini and many volunteers built a bridge between WG and T'Line Ski Area 
so sorry to hear about Jack. He was a great neighbor. Can't wait to get back out for a new season - SKIP
Heartachin' for WG. Dying to get back this year, maybe a couple of times.
Will bring the boys (Joe, 13 is the speedy skater in the photo). I'm as much
of a nord maniac as I've ever been: 50 outings last year, and I'm hungry to
improve my Mountain State 25K time after shedding a dozen pounds a few years
ago. Big hug, Chip. Sorry about Jack :-(, but I hope to see you all real
soon.
John Clarke in Northern Cali
I had a grand ole time hangin' out and fixin' bridges and trails. I'm headed to Tucson this week for some hiking and photography, .last gasp of hot air before the winter season really sets in. Make sure not to order the snow until I get back on Tuesday. It's always a privilege and a joy to share company and conversations with the diverse bunch of open minds that Whitegrass attracts. later, marc
Sam Lozier enjoying mid-October fall colors Mad River , VT / Jonathan Shefftz
Long time pal and wg staffer has dropped the prices to a sweet place...
Got in some turns yesterday, SnOctober, yeah baby! Little thin but a couple sweet turns. Been a long time since I’ve turned in October. I’ll pick anybody up in Denver except Gil if he’s on a splitboard. Dan in Colorado (chip and pals will ski Aspen huts in early December 09)
Sundays adventure on Cabin Mountain - didn't quite make it to the top of Weiss Knob
Absolutely beautiful in the National Nordic
Got out on our Karhu short sticks (carvers)
First time out in the snow with our new dog Tucker, who is now officially a ski dog - he likes the white grass
Still smiling - Mike, Christi and Tucker Dog (Cole couldn't make this trip) 
I still get those homesick pangs for Wild Wonderful West Virginia with you hillbillies and all the great memories. Jill Shoemaker Owens
by Bert * How is everybody? I have both of Laurie's cookbooks now. She was part of my inspiration to study holistic nutrition. Crystal 
Not too early to start appeasing Ullr, right? :-) Sarah...White Grass is in the middle of Accu Weather's snowiest winter 
Us on g. earth sent by
I am at Palmer Station (Anvers
Island off the Antarctic Peninsula). I wanted to let you know
that even though the skiing was pretty good on the glacier yesterday
(May 31)
Rare 
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Kid's
Free Trade In XC Gear $175 
Kid's Free Tele Trade In Gear $575 |
Our Community Living Room The Purple Fiddle * Doerfels Live mpeg |
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lightningboards.com |
Our
senior Senator, Robert C. Byrd, is fond of noting that: “West
Virginia is one of the most beautiful and unique places. It is the
most southern of the northern and the most northern of the southern;
the most eastern of the western and the most western of the eastern.
It is where the East says good morning to the West, and where Yankee
Doodle and Dixie kiss each other good night!” Indeed, West
Virginia is a most beautiful and unique place. And with the introduction
of our legislation, “Wild Monongahela: A National Legacy for
West Virginia’s Special Places, we are striving to keep it
that way” Hon. Nick Joe Rahall introducing the new WV Wilderness
Bill |
Canaan Valley Nat'l Wildlife Refuge HC 70, Bx 200 Davis, WV 26260 304-866-3858 |
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Ullr is the Norse god of skiers, and Skade is his wife. According to mythology, Skade was a mortal granted the right to marry a god, and being partial to the mountains, she chose Ullr. |
When winter is a no-show in the mid-Atlantic region, count on West Virginia's Dolly Sods Wilderness, four hours west of Washington, D.C., for a healthy dose of the real thing. Perched on a 4,000-foot tableland in the Allegheny Mountains, the Sods averages more than 12 feet of snow each year. Wind permitting, follow the Breathed Mountain and Big Stonecoal trails into the high plains, with their decidedly Western feel. White Grass is known for some of the best and most extensive cross-country skiing on the East Coast, with a natural foods cafe that attracts nearly as many fans. All 31 miles of the center's varied trails, half of which are groomed, are open following the weekend storm. A one-day trail fee is $12 for adults; rentals are $12 on weekdays and $15 for weekends and holidays.(Wash Post)Total # of Trails: 44 with 50KM, 30 KM machine groomed Beginner 30% Intermediate 55% Advanced 15% Top Elev.: 4436 Base Elev.3250 Vertical Drop:1200' Terrain Features pretty challenging constantly varying open hardwood glades, pastures, mountaintops, old ski area runs, railroad grades. |
Local
Wild Weather Facts ****Our
Best Local Weather Site Local snowfall table enclosed : Early Canaan Ski story Life is good...and especially good in CV. Dave Lesher |
HomeSpun Video:
"skiing is not a matter of life and death, it’s more important than that"
| The pure spirit of skiing and the good life is alive and well and living at Whitegrass. I know of no other place where skiers gather and get closer to that wonderful spiritual aspect of skiing and fellowship. That special place in all nords that makes us want to go outside put on our skis and have fun. Whitegrass is quite simply my favorite ski area in North America. Ski Hard, Play Fair, Have Fun, Dickie Hall (NATO) Nothing finer than standing on this great planet / chip |