SNOWSHOE, SNOWSHOE!Text & Photography by Matthew Graham
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| Snow gently fell as the fog threatened to engulf us. Yet it really wasn't fog. Technically, we were walking in a cloud. At 4800 feet, we pushed onwards atop snowshoes to the Sunrise Backcountry Hut at Snowshoe Mountain Resort. |
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Snowshoe Mountain, due to its elevation, receives a lot of snow (an average of 180 inches per year). Well before other mid-Atlantic ski resorts have opened and long after these resorts (which rely mostly on man-made powder) have closed down for the season, Snowshoe is blanketed by snowfall. The resort often commences winter operations before Thanksgiving and remains open until mid-April. The only drawback is that occasionally the top of the mountain lives in the clouds. A mile into our trek along the Cheat Mountain Trail, the cloud began to lift revealing the wooded expanse ahead. The path was relatively flat which made breaking the trail an easy task. My wife and I stopped to dust off some of the snow that had accumulated on our backpacks. We carried only a change of clothes and basic toiletries to spend the night in the forest. Food was not required. A full gourmet meal awaited us at the end of our journey. The backcountry hut and a variety of other adventure programs are the brainchild of Mike (Fluffy) Valach, the Outdoor Adventure Program Manager. The hut allows one to experience the wonders of wilderness in winter while at the same time eliminating the abysmal chore of winter camping. After another 30 minutes of snowshoeing, we arrived to discover not a hut, but rather a large log cabin. Preparation Chef, Meghan O'Connell, greeted us at the door with a hot mug of apple cider. Inside, the cabin included four bedrooms, a large dining area, kitchen and a bathroom on the first floor. A loft upstairs housed four double beds. A large, wood burning stove heated the entire space. We huddled by the stove to warm up as we sipped our cider.
For dinner, we were served an appetizer of Vidalia onion soup. The main course was a choice of grilled steak or salmon. To accommodate my vegetarian spouse, James prepared a pasta primavera with a hint of basil. Side dishes included garlic mashed potatoes and sugar snap peas. A checkerboard marble cake and coffee followed. By nine o'clock, the diners and Meghan were ready to depart and we were ready for bed. We optimistically chose a room with a sunrise view. The quiet of the evening returned now that we were alone in the cabin. We drifted off to sleep under the thick comforter long before James had returned from motoring everyone else back to the resort. At 6:20am, an hour before official sunrise, I awoke to see clear skies, stars and a crescent moon outside the window. The thin white line of dawn separated the horizon. It's been years since I've dragged myself up to watch a sunrise. I nudged my wife and we sat up to enjoy the spectacle of the light breaking through the night. Purple hues gave ways to pinks and then reds and orange as the stars and moon faded. The fresh snow reflected off the trees and sparkled like millions of tiny diamonds. With the sky turning a bright blue, we knew that it would be a fantastic day. Still somewhat stuffed from dinner, we opted for just cereal, juice and tea instead of a big country breakfast. After freshening up and donning our expedition weight long underwear, we set forth deeper into the woods on a trail to the Cheat Mountain Fire Tower. It's always best to start out a little cold so as not to overheat when cross country skiing, snow shoeing or winter hiking. The thermometer read a balmy eight degrees Fahrenheit. Brrrr. But with the sun shining and the trees sheltering us from the wind, we warmed up after only 20 minutes. One of the great things about snowshoeing is that it requires no skill. Your boot is secured to the snowshoe on a pivotal binding. Metal cleats protrude from the toe portion. Another cleat extends from the bottom at the rear of the main deck. When going uphill, you kick with your toes. When going downhill, just stomp down on your heels. Trekking poles help you balance. A variety of styles exist for different purposes and weights of users. The large surface area of the deck distributes weight so that you only sink in a few inches with each step. Breaking trail in deep snow, especially going uphill, can be quite the workout. But running down a hill of deep powder is a blast as you bounce into the air with each stride and the powder explodes upwards around your feet.
Back on the ground, I broke open the Thermos and we downed some hot chocolate to reheat our cores. The road to the resort backtracked one mile to a turnoff onto a trail named 6000 Steps. Fortunately, we were heading gradually downhill on this ominously named route. The 6000 Steps meandered along a small frozen stream, which we had to traverse several times. At one point it required us to step across cracking sections of ice. The cleats of the snowshoes dug in on the tricky balancing act of hopping from one plate of ice to the next. And though we saw the tracks of several different animals, the forest appeared empty and astoundingly quiet. The tall trees of the mid-mountain muffled all of the noise from the wind. The monochrome of the snow set off subtle shades of color you usually don't notice in the woods. And the sunshine bursting through clearings often created a prismatic effect. As before, we had to stop several times just to marvel at the stark beauty of the niveous landscape. The trail ended at the base of one of the chair lifts. It was a strange feeling to suddenly re-emerge into the world of men and machinery. But after trekking five miles, it sure was nice to be able to ride the lift back up to the top of the mountain!
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As the smell of freshly baked rolls filled the air, we succumbed to a pre-dinner snack. The sounds of engines alerted us to the arrival of the others. They spilled into the cabin, cold and in need of refreshment. I helped out in pouring the wine. Fine Cabernets, Merlots and Chardonnays are items you usually don't find in the backcountry. Ahhh, roughing it!
We followed the narrow footpath along the mountain ridge as strong winds whistled at the tops of the trees. Red and pink ribbons tied to the trunks marked the way. We had the entire mountain to ourselves. After stopping occasionally to enjoy the solitude and beauty of the deep forest carpeted in white, we arrived after two miles at a clearing for the fire tower. Unhindered by the trees, the full force of the cold breeze sent chills while we removed the snowshoes and climbed to the top of the 60-foot structure. Bracing against these frigid gusts, we were treated to a panoramic view of the West Virginia countryside, as well as the ski slopes at the resort.