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

Studies among the Snow Crystals by Wilson Bentley,The Snowflake Man. From Annual Summary of the Monthly Weather Review for 1902. Bentley was a bachelor farmer whose hobby was photographing snow flakes. Location Jericho, Vermont Photo Date 1902 Winter

One month down , only 6 to go!!!! See Ya L.David

Robb and I were up at Tuckerman’s last week and found out that we just missed ya. Here is a picture of the ants going up the Left Gully. The weather was so warm, we got in a day of climbing at Whitehorse. That’s Robb showing the old man how easy it is on the bottom end of the rope. See ya soon I hope, Jess

Hopeville Canyon and Smokehole Canyon are two magnificent Appalachian gorges in the upper reaches of the Potomac River drainage. Both canyons feature the unusual sandstone rock formations that make the Potomac Highlands of West Virginia an unusually scenic place in the Mid-Atlantic. We joined a merry band of Whitegrassers for their annual trip through Smokehole and a sidetrip to Hopeville. Happy people. Beautiful scenery. Spring flowers. Learning how to forage for savory morels. Simply enjoying what this great planet has to offer right in our own back yard. Best, Mark and Clare

photos from the annual SMOKEHOLE trip. You can see them at:http://www.pbase.com/sarahbee/smokehole2008 Sarah Anderson

We got some of the best soup and veggie chili this side of the mississippi at the cafe and then got some fitness laps in on the snow farm. I like Kyle because he likes the snow farm. A lot of people aren't happy skiing unless they are going straight up and straight down. But I like the kick and glides in between. It was great to see my favorite nordic gnome on the planet, chipper! Sue Haywood

I just gotta tell you, in the thin years, the upbeat spirit of your website keeps us (me) going.. We've been trying to eke out a living doing the mountain guiding thing in the Blue Ridge for 16 years now... work we love.. but makes life thin on the edges at times.. just wanted to let you know I appreciate the boost... that you didn't even know you gave..!! Andy Nichols Teamlink / Shenandoah Mountain Guides

A few pics from Merle Fest. so many different stages, 14 of them, constant and diverse acts. Competitions on some stages, winners presenting on others. lots of big names, jam sessions, dancing tents, etc. Very family oriented. On a College Campus, the place closes down at night and everyone leaves. Gates open back up at 9am. They park everyone down the road in some big fields and have a fleet of Boy Scout busses, believe it or not. Boy scouts must be big down there cause dozens of school busses painted up with the troops #s and everything. Very efficient. Even with the big crowds after the final evening show, they got everyone moved pretty quickly. Dave

Davis, Mt. Storm Lake, Blackwater Falls, and Blackbird Knob DEM’s showing the valley. Doug

Original Canaanite Blase Reardon was in Norway this spring

Hope the ski season is going good for you in Canaan Valley, we have an epic winter over here in Oregon. Volcano skiing is really my thing, glad I moved to Hood River. I met a bunch of interesting people from our town and some of them are familiar with your awesome place and of course with "Meister Chip" himself. Dave Waag, a buddy of mine just wrote an interesting article about your place, how small the world is.The only drawback here, I do not have any source for good *shine. My "imported" North Carolina supplies are running scaringly low. Have some good turns, Stefan Guemperlein Hood River, OR www.backcountryfriends.com

For Chip....enjoy and have a good summer...hate to see you go. cheers, gg

Under overcast skies, Ski Train passengers unload at Curry .Excursion: Ski Train: The annual Ski Train, hosted by the Nordic Skiing Association, is part outdoor adventure, part celebration. Hundreds aboard the sold out Alaska Railroad trip north to Curry had an 11-hour opportunity to let loose. Join the polka party in the latest in our Excursions series.

Hi Chip! I missed you in Vermont! I was just out there for about five days ( no Hansi ) and I heard you were on the prowl. Sorry I missed you as skiing was fun but I heard you had headed to the Whites. Anyhow, we just had a perfect Whitegrass Weekend. Saturday....morning of Whitegrass Waffles, fresh strawberries from last summers picking, Vermont Maple Syrup and homemade whipped cream. Skate skied in the AM, skied backcountry sort of White Grass Style in the State Park out our door, sauned in our newly finished sauna for about three hours, and the topping on the cake was the Whitegrass Chilli with Whitegrass Cornbread, dessert of homemade Strawberry Cake (last summers strawberries again). Sunday....complete dumpage ( hasn't snowed since December I think), slept til 11, haven't done that since college, same breakfast as yesterday. Backcountry skied again, sauned again, longer this time, dinner of Whitegrass Thai Fish Cakes with Whitegrass Oriental Dipping Sauce.Go Whitegrass Cafe! Best food ever. Thanks for the recipes Laurie and Chip! Margaret Harstad, Duluth,Mn/ Hansi's Blog

"Nordic skiing, long portrayed as serene and classical, is cast in a new light as exciting and dynamic through the lens of punk/blues rock and fast-action photography." XC Skiing with the Snakes trailer

The worst part of Winter ending is not just the end of skiing for 8 months but now Chipper doesn't update the Whitegrass web every day. Jess Tucker

Thanks for the inspiration! I'm a Bark Eater from Pennsylvania.The WG web site makes me a better skier. Your site's content and attitude about the pursuit of the free heeled ski life does a great job of capturing the intense effort to find something to slide on. My ski blog is called Jerry's Hollerin' (www.proofiwashere.spaces.live.com). We, too, have had an up and down season. As of March 25th, we still have a firm, connected 4-15" base for largely go anywhere skiing ('cept the fields). As things fade away, we'll retreat ever deeper into the local ravines, following the melt line until, finally, we realize that we are hiking and creek hopping and stump jumping, more than actual skiing. We'll rest when it melts. I visited WG early in my ski career - '79 or '80 or '81. I caught good conditions. I returned to the valley in '84 on a mountain bike honeymoon. Might have been one of the first to talk the liftie running the leaf peeper ride at Timberline into letting us hold our bikes in our laps for the ride up! We came down thru the WG pasture and literally got chased to the gate by a bull. Jerry McG Waterford, PA

Had a great time. Dave Watson www.wvbike.org * "Fun Places To Bike In WV"

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.

Dave et al (Off Piste)…Thanks for giving space in the latest to the interview of Chipper Chase. In my personal pantheon of ski greats, Chipper is right near the top, not only for his love for the sport, but also just for being who he is and for keeping the old “hippy nord” tradition alive. In these techno gear/extreme line days a lot of us aging hipsters miss the old time groove. My favorite Chipper story concerns the SIA show in Vegas many years back, when I told him I was dreading yet another day slogging through the convention center doing the gear troll. He piped up. “Hey Wood, how about a little of my shine? It’ll take the edge off the day.” I took a deep swig of the magic elixir and frankly cannot remember another thing that happened the rest of the day or night, Norrona boots, XCD Comps, baggy wool knickers and all. Chipper is the man. Best, Bob Woodward, Bend Oregon

My son Ben gave me a copy of the January issue of “Off-Piste” with your great article. Your reminiscence of The Breckenridge “Telemark Returns” is a carbon copy of my experiences in those early days of Tele Ski Pioneering. I attended the third RMSIA touring certification class along with Art, and Rick. Gene Dayton was our instructor. I went on to establish “The Breckenridge Ski Touring Experience” Ski School, located at an old mine site above Breckenridge. I ran the school for fifteen years in collaboration with Gene Dayton’s Cross Country Center. If my Fischer skis and Galibier boots had not finally disintegrated, I would still be skiing on them. I am still an old school Tele skier, but I did buy a pair of “Glitertind Madshus” skis and Salomon boots.I am celebrating my 60th year of skiing this year. If you ever hitchhike out this way again, it would be a pleasure to meet you, again…Best Regards, Barney Brewer

Top Twelve Reasons Why Racin' White Grass is More Fun sent by Rodger Carter
12. Your entry fee is your resort area use fee and anyone can race
11. Ski selection is "run what you brung"
10. Each time you pass the start/finish you get the cool sounding horse sleigh bells rung for you
9. Other entrants make friendly jokes about how your neon clothes, boots and bindings went out of style in 1989
8. Finishing first or last doesn't matter, and doing one lap or four doesn't matter
7. You get to learn whitegrass math: Doing 1 lap equals 7km, 2 laps equals 10km, and doing 4 laps equals 25km
6. Racers joke about how many ????? they did since last years race.
5. No ego's - the local mindset is "free your heal and your ego goes with it"
4. Hard racin' - grass spots, mud spots, horse riders entering the course mid race, snow so slushy that "downhill is like going uphill"
3. Plenty of Honey Stinger bars available during race and fun knickknack prizes
2. Post race beverage is Oatmeal Stout
1. You get to race with the Chipper

lightningboards.com woodenskis.com* Work in progress. Check it out Colleen* Early ski days in Davis Wendel Allen

My gallery is Dolly Sods Views. Mary Ann * Chase Kids Couloir Article.pdf * Zanny Nordic Website xczone.

Davis National Highlights USA Today * Amazing Snow From Mr. Dave * Pocahontas County has average mean elevation of 3219'

"...cross-country skiing through that utterly magical snow encrusted pine forest this past winter was enough to make a grown person weep with awe." Susan Moundsville, WV Wild and Wonderful Walks Company

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.

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Canaan Valley National Refuge

May 8 – 11: Wildflower Pilgrimage, The Refuge will host a Friday walk for this weekend event centered at Blackwater Falls State Park.

May 10: Spring Migration Bird Survey, a project of International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD). Contact Ken to register, choose a route and get the forms, 304-866-3858

May 10: Volunteers: Garlic Mustard pulling for Invasive Species Control 9:00 am, meet at the Refuge Visitor Center. We will carpool to A-frame Road for a couple of hours of hand-pulling garlic mustard. Garlic mustard is one of the most imminent threats to the native plant communities in Canaan Valley. Hand-pulling is one of the most effective ways to prevent its spread. Bring water and a lunch.

May 18: Exotics Patrol 2008 training, 2:00 pm, meet at the Refuge Visitor Center. See description for May 2. Contact refuge biologist Leah Ceperley by April 25th for info or to register.

May 15: Training for Volunteers - classroom part, 10:30 - 2:30, meet at the Refuge Visitor Center, bring a lunch. The morning session is for all volunteers, to learn about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Wildlife Refuge System and Canaan Valley NWR. In the afternoon, for Visitor Center volunteers only, we will learn about Visitor Center and Bookstore procedures. Call to register 866-3858. Check the web site http://www.fws.gov/canaanvalley/volunteer.html.

May 17: Spring Birds, 7 am, meet at the Refuge Visitor Center, bird walk led by Volunteer Casey Rucker.

May 17: Catch the Buzz ~ All About Honey Bees, 7 pm, at the Refuge Visitor Center. How do honey bees help farmers produce food for people? Find out from local beekeeper Ben McKean. Come out and touch, taste and smell all of the products of the hive, including honey, wax, pollen and propolis. Part of the “Valley Vibes” event series for families.

May 25: What’s Blooming on the Refuge?, 2 pm, meet at the Refuge Visitor Center, led by Master Naturalist Volunteers Sarah Fletcher and Gerri Wilson.

All events are free. Co-sponsored by the Friends of the 500th and the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge. For walks: Please wear comfortable walking shoes or boots and dress for the weather. Binoculars may be borrowed during Refuge sponsored events. Bring drinking water and enthusiasm! Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge HC 70, Box 200 Davis, WV 26260 304-866-3858

Local Wild Weather Facts ****our best local weather site
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Davis 3SE, West Virginia (Canaan Valley 3N) 39-05-52N 79-25-53W Elev 3698 ft. Dave Lesher ** Check daily obs for this and other WV co-op stations at http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/pit/PITRVAPIT

Allegheny Highlands New Weather Forecast Zone * Canaan Snow Data * Winter 06-07 by Dave Lesher Our WeatherMan

Updated CV snowfall table enclosed : Need you to do your famous snow dance in full regalia on the roof as soon as you find time.

don't miss the amazingly comfy and friendly local vibe @ Mtn State Brew

Our Community Living Room The Purple Fiddle

Davis River Front

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