Highland Outdoors | Winter 2019 by highland-outdoors

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Highland WINTER 2019

OUTDOORS

West Virginia Land Trust Turns 25 SNOWSHOE'S WESTERN TERRITORY backpacking tips Cranberry picking Winter Tree Id

Adventure begins here

Welcome to Natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mountain Playground! Where a winter wonderland of adventures can be found in the serenity of the great outdoors! The drive here is only part of the fun! Plan your next adventure at the link below.

Dec 13-15

Christmas at Cass Cass Scenic Railroad State Park

Dec 14

Winter Brewfest Snowshoe Mountain Resort

Dec 31

New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eve Celebration Snowshoe Mountain Resort

Feb 22

Mountain State Maple Days Weekend Pocahontas County

Feb 22

Opry Night Pocahontas County Opera House

March 7

Bing Brothers Pocahontas County Opera House

March 21

Mountain State Maple Days Weekend Pocahontas County

March 21

Ceara Conway Pocahontas County Opera House

call 800.336.7009 or visit naturesmountainplayground.com/adventure21

West Virginia’s Outdoor Magazine

STAFF Publisher, Editor-in Chief Dylan Jones Associate Editor, Creative Design Nikki Forrester Pretty Much Everything Else Dylan Jones, Nikki Forrester

Holy blazes, it’s been a year since we took over Highland Outdoors, and what a spectacular journey it’s been. We’ve never been so stoked to work so hard to produce something in our lives, and we thank each and every one of you for joining us on the ride. We’ve accomplished more in one year than we dreamed possible when we put the pen to the paper last winter. Our Gorge Guide and Canyon Guide magazines were consolidated into a single quarterly magazine. We swapped out the newsprint for full gloss, added four pages, and doubled the number of magazines we print per issue. The trajectory is looking good for 2020, and we’re thrilled to continue growing Highland Outdoors with and for the people. First, we’d like to thank you, our readers, for picking up a copy and supporting the mag. We are genuinely honored and humbled by each and every person who approached us to chat about an article or pitch an idea, messaged us to ask where we distribute, or picked up a copy the moment we dropped off a fresh batch at one of our distribution points. These experiences give us the motivation, psych, and inspiration to continue producing a magazine that reflects the phenomenal people who live and recreate in West Virginia.

Second, we’d like to give a big shout out to our contributors. Without you, the magazine would just be a bunch of blank, glossy pages. You provide the stimulating stories and colorful photos that captivate readers around the state. It truly is a privilege to be a platform for your work and we can’t wait to share what’s in store for next year.

ADVERTISING Request a media kit or send inquiries to: info@highland-outdoors.com SUBMISSIONS Please send pitches and photos to: dylan@highland-outdoors.com

Last, but certainly not least, we are extremely grateful for our advertisers. Producing a free, ad-funded magazine is only possible because of your genuine and sustained support. We’re also pretty darn proud that all our advertisers are beloved businesses and outstanding organizations that make the Mountain State what it is—home grown, quirky, and fiercely independent.

EDITORIAL POLICY Our editorial content is not influenced by advertisers.

We invite you to stoke the fireplace, grab a blanket and a mug of something warm, and take a dive into West Virginia’s winter wonderland. Hopefully this issue will stoke the fire within while you wait for the snow to pile up on your favorite run. And you can bet that you’ll see us out there when the flakes are flying, cause when it’s good, it’s good everywhere! w

COVER Elakala Falls in Blackwater Falls State Park. Photo by Dylan Jones.

Dylan Jones & Nikki Forrester

HIGHLAND OUTDOORS WINTER 2019

DISCLAIMER Outdoor activities are inherently risky. Highland Outdoors will not be held responsible for your decision to play outdoors.

Dani Martin

FROM THE EDITORS

CONTRIBUTORS Nikki Forrester, Ed Galford, Justin Harris, Birdie Hawkins, Dylan Jones, Paul Kinder, Dani Martin, Cam Moore, Mike Paugh, Keith Poore, Todd Romero, Snowshoe Mountain Resort, Adam Webster, Stan White, Katie Wolpert, Jay Young

Contents 12 14 YES YOU CRAN! Searching for Cranberries in WVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Highland Bogs By Birdie Hawkins

GRIT AND BEAR IT Winter Bouldering at Coopers Rock

Snowshoe Mountain Resort

By Mike Paugh

A skier competes in the annual Cupp Run Challenge at Snowshoe, pg. 26.

SNOW GLOBES AND BEAR PRINTS

PURPOSE & PERPETUITY

The Rewards of Winter Backpacking

West Virginia Land Trust Celebrates 25 Years of Conservation

By Cam Moore

By Dylan Jones

EVERY ISSUE

WEST SIDE STORY

LEAF NO TWIG BEHIND

Snowshoe's Legendary Western Territory

The Keys to Winter Trees

FOSSIL HUNTING ON SUMMERSVILLE LAKE

By Dylan Jones

By Nikki Forrester

By Jay Young

8 Briefs 40 Profile 42 Events 43 Gallery

HIGHLAND-OUTDOORS.COM

B oxer s

TRILOGY TAKES OVER SPRUCE KNOB By Katie Wolpert The 10th edition of the West Virginia Trilogy took place in the Seneca Creek Backcountry in October. This epic event takes runners on a three-day tour of the area’s steepest and most technical trails with back-to-back-to-back foot races. The Trilogy is a trail running festival hosted by West Virginia Mountain Trail Runners (WVMTR) that takes place each fall at Experience Learning’s Spruce Knob campus. To complete the Trilogy runners must finish a 50K on Friday, a 50-miler on Saturday, and a half marathon on Sunday. That adds up to 94.1 miles of running in 72 hours. Times are tallied from all three days and the runner with the fastest cumulative time wins. “Day two is really the crux of the race,” says Dan Lehmann, WVMTR founder and Trilogy co-director. It’s when the leaders pull away by either overcoming a deficit from the 50K or creating a gap that is effectively insurmountable during the half marathon on day three. It’s also when runners toward the back of the pack are racing against the 14-hour cut-off time.

Finish in 14:01? Better luck next year. Nursing stiff joints, blisters, and exhaustion from the 50K completed just 12 hours earlier, runners stand on the starting line at 6 a.m., staring down a 50-mile day that begins with a steep climb up to Spruce Knob, the highest point in West Virginia. Michelle Benshoff followed up her near-record setting performance in the 50K with a 10:54 in the 50-miler. All told, Benshoff’s cumulative winning performance of 18:26:39 makes her the second-fastest woman in the Trilogy’s 10-year history. On the men’s side, defending champ Jordan Chang crushed the 50K to earn a six-minute lead over Trilogy rookiebut-veteran-ultra-racer Frank Gonzalez. On day two they crested the summit of Spruce Knob together, but 25 miles into the race Gonzalez fell off pace while Chang remained steady, finishing in first place. Chang extended his lead over the field, and went on to win with a cumulative time of 15:09:34. Unlike other trail races where one

runs quietly through the woods and heads back home, the Trilogy is a race where runners linger. Conversations started mid-race are continued middinner. Weather conditions are suffered together. Community develops as runners share dorms, camping areas, dining space, and trail time. “Sharing a couple of quiet meals with everyone you’re going to race against and then pushing each other to go hard just feels so human,” reflected half-marathoner Ian Voysey. Trilogy hurts. The trails are hard, races long, and accommodations rustic, but the race remains wonderfully and quintessentially human. Registration for the 2020 WV Trilogy opens February 2, 2020. Learn more at: www.wvmtr.org/ races/wv-trilogy. w Katie Wolpert works at Experience Learning and runs in and around the Seneca Creek Backcountry whenever she can.

CANAAN VALLEY SKI PATROLLER PHIL FIRL REMEMBERED By Stan White Canaan Valley Ski Patrol (CVSP) lost one of its finest members in October. Phil Firl was the first professional, paid patroller at Canaan Valley Resort. In Phil’s 42 years of dedicated service to Canaan, he assisted many injured skiers and touched countless lives. Phil is best remembered by his fellow patrollers as both a strong leader and kind teacher. He possessed an invaluable knack for including his special operations military training when teaching greenhorn patrollers how to think out of the box in difficult situations. Many of us learned how to package an injured skier using only the supplies we had in our pack and what we had

around us. I can still remember applying a very functional traction splint using ski poles, duct tape, and cloth bandages. As a patroller I found that by using Phil’s methods, I could provide great care to an injured skier with limited resources. First sergeant Firl was a veteran of the Vietnam War where he earned a Purple Heart among other honorable military awards. After serving 26 years in the U.S. Army Special Forces and the National Guard, he retired from the military and spent his time with his family and horses while patrolling at Canaan throughout the winters. Phil encouraged his three daughters

HIGHLAND OUTDOORS WINTER 2019

to become members of CVSP; Amy Fry remains on patrol to this day. Two of his grandsons and one granddaughter still help our patrol throughout the season and I envision they will follow in their grandfather’s footsteps when the time comes. Through them, Phil’s legacy will live on. Rest in Peace, my friend. w Stan White is Ski Patrol director at Canaan Valley Resort State Park.

B r ie fs

GREEN BANK TELESCOPE MAKES MASSIVE DISCOVERY By Nikki Forrester It doesn’t get more outdoors than outer space, and scientists at West Virginia University (WVU) just went on one mind-bending adventure. Like wilderness expeditions into unchartered terrain on Earth, researchers wander through the cosmic abyss on a challenging mission to detect gravitational waves. This mission relies on the Green Bank Telescope, the world’s largest fully steerable radio telescope, to pick up signals from invisible waves that travel through space at the speed of light. “We can access things in a way that we can’t with light,” says Maura McLaughlin, a professor of physics and astronomy at WVU, “that’s why it’s so powerful.”

Left top: Katie Wolpert. Left bottom: Justin Harris. Right: Dylan Jones

On a recent quest for gravitational waves, McLaughlin and a team of researchers stumbled upon the most massive neutron star ever recorded. This discovery, which was published this September in Nature Astronomy, was largely due to the Green Bank Telescope. “It would not be possible with a smaller, less sensitive telescope,” says McLaughlin.

By measuring these waves, scientists strive to understand how galaxies— including our own—form and change over time. Although Einstein predicted the existence of gravitational waves over 100 years ago, the first detection didn’t occur until 2015 when ripples from two black holes that collided 1.3 billion years ago finally reached Earth. Because detecting gravitational waves is so difficult, scientists study superfast-spinning objects, including neutron stars, which are thought to produce powerful waves. “A neutron star is formed when a massive star reaches the end of its life and it can no longer support itself against gravity,” says McLaughlin. The star explodes into a supernova and the core becomes a super dense neutron star. According to the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, a sugar-cube sized chunk of neutron-star material would weigh about 100 million tons on Earth, or the weight of the entire human population. The recently discovered neutron star is 2.1 times the mass of our sun— so massive many theories predicted

it couldn’t exist. “Most theories predict the maximum mass should be something like two solar masses,” says McLaughlin. Now that they know a more massive star is out there, scientists can rule out certain theories and refine others to better understand what extremely dense matter is made of and how it behaves. This discovery is an exciting and unexpected outcome from the researchers’ continued quest for gravitational waves, all made possible by the Green Bank Telescope. Go check out the Green Bank Observatory for yourself—admission to the Science Center is free and site tours are available at various costs throughout the year: greenbankobservatory.org. w Nikki Forrester was assigned this story and said, “Hey, at least it ain’t rocket science!”

CANAAN VALLEY RESORT ANNOUNCES SKI UPGRADES HO Staff Canaan Valley Resort (CVR) announced a slew of improvements to its ski resort just in time for the 2019 – 2020 ski season. With the continued closure of Timberline, CVR is now the only liftserved game in town, and the resort is hoping to enjoy a record season. The resort added 18 snow guns and purchased additional water pumps to expand its snowmaking capacity, allowing the Mountain Ops team to keep more terrain open longer throughout the season. “All of these upgrades will provide guests with an expanded

number of trails to ski and ride much earlier in the season,” said CVR general manager Steve Drumheller in a press release. The resort plans to alleviate ticket window lines via the addition of a ticketing window at the opposite end of the parking lot to serve customers who have their own gear. The resort will also feature a new ticketing and rental kiosk for guests staying at the hotel. Speaking of parking, the state provided funding to fully pave the parking lot and add an additional 100 parking spaces by

the new ticketing window. “All of these upgrades will significantly reduce the ticket window lines we experienced on busy weekends last season,” stated Drumheller. With the snowmaking, ticketing, and parking upgrades, CVR is poised for a great season. CVR says the lifts will start spinning December 13, so wax those bases, sharpen those edges, and prepare to hit the slopes. If Mother Nature cooperates, we’ll see you in the glades! w

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10 HIGHLAND OUTDOORS WINTER 2019

Fashion first: fancy duds draw the cranberries out of their hiding spots.

Yes You Cran!

Searching for Cranberries in West Virginia’s Highland Bogs

est Virginia’s Allegheny Highlands woo visitors to explore the abundant flora and fauna found within these unique mountain ecosystems. The rugged peaks and valleys are a year-round haven for hikers, backpackers, anglers, and photographers. These wildlands also call out to foragers who hunt for a dizzying array of edible goods. Summers are ideal for blueberry picking and mushroom hunting on multiday outings. Autumn

comes early, bringing in a shoulder season for more mushrooms and world-class trout fishing. After the leaves are shed and the first frosts freeze the highlands, wild cranberries begin to ripen, offering yet another culinary opportunity for hardy souls willing to forage in the cold. Cranberry season is in full swing from early October through November. Picking these vibrant morsels, however, tends to be a tad unpleasant compared to other berry-picking experiences. Unlike the

12 HIGHLAND OUTDOORS WINTER 2019

sunny summer days that result in ripe blueberries, which are easy to identify and ready to be plucked in bulk from upright bushes, cranberry picking requires a keen eye, waterproof boots, and a strong back. It also requires some patience— spotting and collecting cranberries is a tedious task where one must squat to sift through damp moss and cold pools in search of these tart treats. Cranberries grow in wetland bogs comprised of sphagnum moss, shrubs, and

peat—dead plant materials that accumulate over eons. Prime examples of these rare and fragile ecosystems can be found in bogs throughout the Dolly Sods Wilderness Area. One such bog, ideal for cranberry picking, can be easily approached on the Dolly Sods North Loop. The mossy and muddy landscape is easily navigable with waterproof boots or waders. Like foraging for wild mushrooms, cranberry picking requires visitors to venture off the beaten path. These wetlands are fragile

Dylan Jones

By Birdie Hawkins

to human impact, and it’s essential to practice Leave No Trace ethics as you step off-trail and into the bogs. Stepping off the boardwalk along the North Loop, your boots immediately sink into the soggy moss, which impacts plants and soil. If you are foraging in a group, be sure to spread out and avoid stepping in the same place to reduce your collective impact. Dispersing to different bogs or sections of a large bog also protects against overharvesting. It’s important to leave a few cranberries in each patch so the plants continue to grow and reproduce the following year. This foraging principle applies to any wild edible plant or mushroom—practice good foraging ethics for next year’s crop.

Dylan Jones

The submerged berries are each attached to a single shallow root that absorbs surface water. With a rich burgundy color similar to the hummocks of crimson sphagnum moss, cranberries can be difficult to spot at first. One must also learn to distinguish cranberries from tea berries, another red berry that thrives in bogs. While tea berries are edible, they have a distinctly different taste and mixing these two berries is not considered choice. Tea berries grow in clusters of two or three and have a five-pointed star shape on the berry. Although cranberries grow in abundance in the bog, foraging can be quite time consuming—filling a 16-ounce jar can require over an hour of picking. Make sure to layer up and stay dry with waterproof boots and thick wool socks. You’ll likely be scooping berries

out of standing water, so gloves aren’t ideal—pack some hand warmers in your pockets when your tingling digits need a break. And don’t forget to enjoy the environment in which you’re foraging! Cranberries grow in some of West Virginia’s most cherished mountain landscapes. Cranberry season weather in Dolly Sods and the surrounding Allegheny Highlands is much colder than West Virginia’s lower elevations but venturing out with a group of hardy friends helps pass the time and multiplies the take. Although cranberry picking can be a tedious endeavor, the fruits of your labor are well worth the effort. Just 16 ounces of cranberries makes about four ounces of sauce for a great gift or tasty addition to any holiday meal. w Birdie Hawkins is an Americorps VISTA at WVU’s Adventure WV Program. She does a berry good job of getting flocks of folks outside.

Birdie’s Berry Cran-Birdie Sauce » 1 ½ cup wild cranberries » ¼ cup granulated sugar » Zest of one orange » Sprinkle of cinnamon » Dash of nutmeg » Grated ginger » Just less than ¼ cup of water

1. Wash cranberries and remove boggy debris 2. Add cranberries and other ingredients in a medium saucepan 3. Cook on medium heat and gradually stir until cranberries have become oh-sosaucey 4. Stir & serve!

HIGHLAND-OUTDOORS.COM 13

Grit and Bear It Winter Bouldering at Coopers Rock

By Mike Paugh

Sitting atop Chestnut Ridge and tucked between Monongalia and Preston counties just five miles from Morgantown is the Gritstone mecca of Coopers Rock. Gritstone, you say? This far from the UK? Why, yes, indeed! Coops, as the locals call it, has a plethora of classic Gritstone climbing conundrums. Coopers Rock State Forest is easily accessible from I-68 and sits plum on the rim of the Cheat River Canyon, Morgantown’s recreation epicenter that also boasts top-notch paddling, mountain biking, hiking, and cross-country skiing.

The author on Twist Da Hick (V5).

Grotesque boulders in an eyecatching variety of abstract shapes dot the forest landscape as if tossed around by a jolly giant. Ranging from five to 30 feet in height, these sandstone bones of the earth have weathered to produce a plethora of features seemingly made for the placement of hands and feet. An aesthetically pleasing abundance of hemlock, rhododendron, and other wild shrubberies provides unrivaled peace and solitude in the forest. “Whether there’s snow on the ground or not, our region allows fellow pebblewrestling enthusiasts the chance to practice our art outdoors,” said Evan Moser, a Morgantown-based geologist and longtime Coopers Rock climber. Coopers climbing history dates back to the 1960s, long before the age of downturned shoes and hi-tech chalk. The 1980s saw the likes of Don Wood and the late, great Pittsburgh hardman Cal Swoager, who cut his teeth here and put up bold routes that stand the test of time. The late 90s saw a spurt of development by climbers exploring the forest with crash pads, creating a safer climbing environment and opening up creative new lines.

The author on Roof of Death (V3).

Coopers Rock saw a massive surge in visiting climbers when a bouldering guidebook was released in 2007, showing the area’s true potential as a climbing destination. With its worldclass gritstone problems now clearly defined in location and difficulty, climbers from all over continue to hone their skills and mental fortitude in this small corner of West Virginia. Grab a hardcopy of the Falcon guidebook at Pathfinder, located on High Street in downtown Morgantown.

Tilted Tree Tilted Tree is described in the Falcon guidebook as the “Bread and butter of bouldering at Coops,” and I couldn’t agree more. This area is quite vast with multiple zones and a wide variety of climbs. Everything from short, powerful overhangs to tall, technical routes reside here. The hike in from the main road is straightforward and no more than 10 minutes to the furthest zones. Black Scar V1 Roof of Death V3 Twist Da Hick V5 Crash and Burn V5 The Illusionist V7

Dylan Jones on Crash And Burn (V5).

Left and left center: Mike Paugh

he days are short, the air is crisp, and the snowflakes have begun to fall. In response, we’ve dawned our beanies and puffy jackets and have set forth to solve problems— boulder problems. Don’t let the early darkness and modern commercialism of the holidays get you down, for ‘tis bouldering season! It remains common knowledge amongst climbers that low temps mean high friction, allowing our fingers to grip and our rubbery shoes to stick but for a moment longer. As such, please join me for fine winter climbing beta on the jewel of West Virginia bouldering: Coopers Rock State Forest.

Roadside Rocks Easy access is the name of the game here. A quick downhill approach from the climber’s kiosk in the main gravel parking area will bring you to the first group of boulders. Roadside is home to the most popular top-roping area in the Sunset Wall, which can mean large crowds, but don’t let that deter you from hitting the primo problems in this area. Mad Butchers Traverse V2/3 Woodys Arete V3 Sandbaggo Grande V4 Mountaineers Route V5 Bitch Slap Arete V5+

Right center and right : Nikki Forrester

Upper Rock City From the main gate, drive to the end of the main road to the parking area near the Trading Post gift shop. Follow the main trail system behind the building and veer left down some stone-cut stairs into a corridor. Rock City is home to some of Coops’s most sought-after boulder problems. Knife Fink V1 Dextrose V3 Colorful Corner V4 Ships Prow V5 Raiders of the Lost Tomb V5+

The main gate to the park closes mid-December after deer season and reopens late March, but dedicated winter boulderers can hike out the roadside trail to get their fix. Keep in mind you’re looking at a 2.5-mile hike to reach the first climbing area in Tilted Tree, so make sure to stuff some extra water and snacks in your crash pad. There is absolutely, positively NO climbing on the rocks below the main overlook area due to protected habitat for the flatspired three-toothed snail, a threatened species endemic to the Cheat Canyon. And as always, practice Leave No Trace (LNT) ethics while in the forest. Coops has a reputation for the boulder problems to be harder than the grade suggests, or ‘sandbagged’ as we climbers so graciously put it, so don’t get frustrated. Turn that frown upside down, pull down a bit harder, and lose yourself amongst the Gritstone. w

Let it Snow! OUTDOOR EDUCATION

Davis, West Virginia

appalachianexpeds.org

Mike Paugh is a GIS specialist for Monongalia County, a father of two little crushers, and a longtime lover of Gritstone pebble wrestling.

HIGHLAND-OUTDOORS.COM 15

Amy Margolies, the author's wife, crossing Red Creek, looks like she forgot her shoes!

Snow Globes and Bear Prints The rewards of winter bacpacking

By Cam Moore

West Virginia’s rugged highlands are superb settings for winter exploration. A well-prepared backpacker is rewarded with bear prints in the snow and sunlight glinting off rime iceencrusted spruce forests: an invigorating jaunt through a magical snowglobe. A poorly prepared backpacker is rewarded with following their own footprints and sleepless nights: a frozen foray into

a dangerous and dumb situation. I should know, I’ve learned from many of the following mistakes.

Know the Snow Iconic places in the highlands like Dolly Sods and Spruce Knob receive 15 feet of snow in an average year and share a climate similar to southern Canada. The kicker is our climate is more variable. Roaring Plains can go from balmy +50°F to a wind chill of -50°F over the span of just two days in January. But with some preparation, you too can enjoy this icy wonderland without the 12-hour drive to the land of poutine. Entering the wilderness unprepared can quickly result in serious trouble. To avoid dangerous situations,

16 HIGHLAND OUTDOORS WINTER 2019

one must know the snow. Ditch your weather app and find your mountain destination on www.weather.gov to get a detailed, accurate forecast. Staying dry is critical during a successful outing, meaning wind and water matter just as much as temperature. Pay attention to the precipitation and windchill. Pick times when the weather will definitely be dry or when any snow that falls will be dry and powdery: 27°F or below. Hiking when it’s 15°F and snowing is way better than 33°F and raining!

Double Up, Double Down Before you begin to pack your bag, you need to unpack your ego. Winter backpacking is not the time

for long days with lots of miles, seeing how light you can get your pack, or being a trail badass. It’s badass enough that you’re out there in the cold. Instead, seek peace, solitude, and beauty. You want to be comfortable, so double down and snuggle up. Double check your gear before heading out—even if it’s brand new. Although it was amusing to see the shape of my body melted into the snow under my tent, it would’ve been nice to know that my new inflatable sleeping pad had a hole in it before an overnight ski touring trip last year. Double down by doubling up (or more) on all the essentials: gloves, hats, wool socks, base layers. Also bring doubles of your preferred fire

Cam Moore

t’s winter. You’re sitting in your office, working in the lowland indoors but thinking about summer in the highland outdoors. Remember that epic swimming hole? Sipping a beverage of choice with good friends during sunset on an incredible backpacking trip? But alas, it’s winter and backpacking is not an option… or is it?

West Virginia's backcountry offers wintery rewards to those who seek them.

Dylan Jones

making and route-finding materials. Imagine it’s 10°F outside, snow blankets the ground, and you just fell in a creek. Your trail map, lighter, and fire starter are in your pocket. You need to immediately swap out those wet gloves, base layers, and socks, then make a roaring fire and set up camp. If you didn’t double up, you’d be double screwed. Snuggle up for warmth, safety, and fun. Some of my greatest joys in life have

been eating pancakes, drinking whiskey, and lounging with my wife in giant, puffy sleeping bags like beached elephant seals while a blizzard raged around our camp.

Cozy Camp Twelve hours of darkness means you want a cozy place to hole up for the night. While that overlook provides an idyllic summer campsite, epic viewpoints mean epic winds. Search for a protected

spot with good cover. Spruce and hemlock groves make great campsites by providing natural wind breaks and keeping heavy snow off your tent. Staying dry is crucial. As soon as you get to camp, change out your base layers: socks, gloves, underwear, everything touching your skin (remember, you doubled up). If you’re reading this, that means you’re a mammal and you sweat the entire time you’re hiking—even

when it’s below freezing. Ten minutes after you stop hiking, that damp layer of moisture starts to make you very cold. Bring a good insulated thermos. Before you go to bed, make a batch of hot cocoa or coffee to sip in the morning while you’re still cuddled up in your sleeping bag. You can also fill a water bottle with heated water and stuff it at your feet to produce some extra heat in your bag when you go

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Route-finding In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy unleashed four feet of heavy snow across the Potomac Highlands. It was awesome. A few days later, some buddies and I went snowshoeing in Dolly Sods. The snow had erased any semblance of the trail system. As evening settled in, the wind picked up, more snow started to fall, and visibility dropped to a few feet. We wandered aimlessly trying to find our way and eventually found another set of snowshoe tracks. Eureka! Surely these people knew their way off the plateau. But, wait… didn’t we already walk by that crazy rock formation? Doh! We were following our own footprints around in circles. Shortly before deciding to make a last-resort snow cave, my buddy’s superhuman sense of direction led us on a tiresome-but-ultimatelysuccessful bushwhack out of the Sods and into Canaan Valley. Tired and hungry, we graciously entered the land of burritos and beer. Huzzah! Although our story ended well, we were dumb. Don’t be like us. The weather is no joke when you’re out in the elements, which can make it especially difficult to navigate. Carry one paper map in your bag, one in your pocket, a compass, and download an offline map on your smartphone. It’s equally important to understand the landscape. If you lose the trail, know

which direction you need to trend to follow a drainage, reach a road, or identify another way out. Ask yourself whether that icecrusted mud in front of you is just mud on the trail or a waist-deep bog that you’re about to sink into. Unless you are very experienced, avoid all but the smallest stream and creek crossings, and assume those streams are at least twice as deep as they are during the summer or fall. If you choose to make stream crossings during very cold weather, work out an actionable plan with your partner on how you will immediately get warm and dry if either of you falls in the drink. While it may seem like a tall order to plan a winter backpacking trip, it’s well worth the effort. Get a practice run by heading out for an overnighter in late autumn to test your skills and gear. The rewards verge on the magical: hundreds of thousands of acres of wilderness to yourself, forests transformed into ephemeral ice sculptures, and stars blazing out of an inky black sky. We’re fortunate to live in a region where wintery conditions can occur nearly six months out of the year. Instead of sitting inside waiting for the mercury to rise, double down and open up your adventure possibilities in West Virginia’s winter hinterlands. w Cam Moore is Central Appalachians Director at The Nature Conservancy. He’s a weather nerd, praiser of Ullr, and glutton for punishment.

Top: Cam Moore. Center and bottom: Dylan Jones

to sleep. And as always, practice Leave No Trace (LNT) ethics or use an established campsite.

HIGHLAND-OUTDOORS.COM 19

Purpose

Perpetuity

West Virginia Land Trust Celebrates 25 Years of Conservation WORDS BY DYLAN JONES & PHOTOS BY ADAM WEBSTER

t’s 1972 and Allen Jones nervously looks at his mother on the courthouse steps in West Union as he places successive bids against a timber company. The item up for grabs, however, is not in sight. Jones and the loggers are facing off to purchase a remote 190-acre parcel of untrammeled land in Doddridge County. Both parties want the property for its valuable oldgrowth timber: the loggers to strip it bare; Jones to preserve it in perpetuity. Fast forward 47 years, and that virgin forest is still standing as the Marie Hall Jones Ancient Forest Preserve. Jones was the top bidder, cementing the courthouse tableau as a rare environmental triumph. Looking to make the win permanent, Jones eventually transferred the property to be preserved under the auspices of the West Virginia Land Trust (WVLT), a statewide organization dedicated to protecting special places and natural resources across the Mountain State. While the Marie Hall Jones Ancient Forest Preserve is one of many properties owned and managed by the WVLT, its history, the fight to save it, and the ongoing mission to preserve it capture the essence of the WVLT’s astounding 25-year history. From its origins as a pipedream to an effective organization with nearly 40 properties and over 10,000 acres of protected land, the WVLT’s legacy is nothing short of impressive.

Appalachia’s Original Trustees 22 years after Jones’s courthouse nailbiter, Elizabeth Zimmermann asked Steve Hollenhorst to help her preserve the rural farmland on which she had spent most of her adult life. “She had great memories of the place and wanted it protected,” Hollenhorst says. “I started looking into the web of the land trust movement and decided that West Virginia needed a land trust.” Hollenhorst, then a forestry professor

at West Virginia University (WVU), met with conservationist Dave Saville and laid out the framework for what they originally called the Appalachian Land Trust. “We had big dreams to do something region-wide,” Hollenhorst recalls. “The real challenge was conservation on private land. It inspired me to look [beyond] public lands for conservation opportunities.”

Hollenhorst spent his sabbatical learning the legal mechanisms that allow a land trust to acquire easements. “None of us knew anything about private land conservation so we had to create the whole thing from scratch.” They soon found out that a land transaction is a complex web of funding, resource rights, and contractual legalese.

Hollenhorst and Saville decided Zimmermann’s 84-acre property, located just south of Morgantown, would be the seed to sprout the movement. On November 1, 1994, the Appalachian Land Trust formed its first board of directors and was soon renamed the WVLT. In 1995, the

A Watershed Moment

Elizabeth’s Woods Nature Preserve was deeded to the WVLT and has been managed under the preserve's guidelines ever since. The board, which Hollenhorst describes as a “ragtag group of volunteers with a range of experience from across a broad political spectrum,” secured a grant from the National Park Service and rolled up its sleeves. The board quickly blew through the startup funding before it had a reliable donor base. “We had a lot of ups and downs,” Hollenhorst says. “Every day we were like, ‘Is this gonna work?’”

22 HIGHLAND OUTDOORS WINTER 2019

Things moved slowly over the next 17 years. The WVLT hired its first executive director in Judy Rodd, who established the organization’s first office in downtown Morgantown. Lacking paid staffers beyond Rodd, the WVLT was kept alive by the hard work of its volunteer board members. From 1995 to 2012, the WVLT successfully protected a total of about 2,000 acres, mostly through conservation easements and a few projects with partner organizations. Then the watershed moment came: a flood of funding from settlements related to Clean Water Act violations was steered to the WVLT, allowing it to hire Brent Bailey as executive director. Bailey, who had served on the WVLT board for a few years in the late 90s, adapted to his new role and hired seven additional full-time staff members over the next three years. “We built a really capable and committed team of people who really love this work, and the results started piling up,” Bailey says. By 2014, the WVLT had over 6,500 acres in its portfolio through a nearly even split of public projects and private easements. That number has steadily climbed to the press-time total of 10,109 acres with an anticipated 5,700 additional acres to be announced by the end of the year. Hollenhorst highlights Bailey’s ability to bridge the gaps in our divided era. “No matter where you are on the political spectrum, you can find a place in your heart for a land trust,” he says. “It’s this great meeting ground for

I SEE THE WVLT CONTINUING TO BUILD A ROBUST LAND CONSERVATION MOVEMENT AND BEING AN INTEGRAL PART OF WEST VIRGINIAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEXT CHAPTER

WVLT lands program manager Ashton Berdine admires an old-growth tree in the Marie Hall Jones Ancient Forest Preserve.

Tom's Run Preserve in Monongalia County.

people of different political persuasions and Brent has been brilliant at putting that type of coalition together.”

Easements Aren’t Easy Nathan Fetty, a lawyer at WVU’s Land Use and Sustainable Development Law Clinic (LUSD), assists the WVLT with the legal aspects of a land transaction. “It’s imperative to have good legal representation because transactions are designed to protect a piece of property in perpetuity,” he says. Perpetuity—simply meaning forever— can be a difficult concept to grasp. Can land and its resources really be protected forever? The short answer: yes. By placing a conservation easement on a property, an individual or organization may retain private property rights so long as they follow the specific rules spelled out in the easement. That easement remains legally binding when the property is sold, transferred, or passed on to heirs. Even if the WVLT were to dissolve in a century, any easements on properties it has handled cannot be terminated. The 283-acre Needleseye Park in Oak Hill is a prime example of a recent easement transaction. The WVLT partnered with the City of Oak Hill

to purchase the property, placed an easement to restrict development and permanently protect it for recreation, then transferred ownership to the city. “That property is set aside for public use through the easement, even if [it gets transferred] out of the city's ownership,” Bailey says. "But I think its transfer is very unlikely. Oak Hill sees this property as a foundation for the city's future." Ultimately, Bailey says these successes rely on public support, and the WVLT is working to encourage citizens to realize they have the abilities and economic power to make conservation happen. “Public lands need to be supported by the public,” Bailey says. “The more you get people enthused, the more likely you are to ensure those places are protected, and we need that support to sustain the protections we bring to the table.”

an extraction state can be challenging, requiring creativity and the ability to reach across the aisle. “Unfortunately, there’s not as robust a conservation community here as in other states,” Fetty says. “But because of [the WVLT’s] independence and ability to be nimble, it’s able to leverage resources and collaborate with other entities.”

Conservation Value While the WVLT takes pride in helping landowners preserve their beloved properties, it also seeks to acquire unique ecosystems of high conservation value like the recently purchased 900acre Yellow Creek Preserve in Tucker County.

Bailey says the WVLT receives one to two calls each week from folks who want to protect or donate their land. While the volume of calls is encouraging, the WVLT doesn’t have the resources to address every request. According to Bailey, the WVLT has a set of criteria it uses to filter potential projects.

Logged in the early 1900s and strip-mined in the 80s, the wetland ecosystem of the Yellow Creek Preserve has marvelously recovered to feature a stunning variety of native flora and fauna. “What makes the property special is the biological diversity,” says WVLT lands program manager Ashton Berdine. “Despite the past impacts, it still has an amazingly rich system of plant communities. The wetlands still hold all the species you would expect and have proven to be very resilient.”

Historically, land conservation in West Virginia has been an uphill battle. Fetty recognizes that protecting land in

Berdine, a trained biologist, highlights the strategic value of protecting plots that contribute to ecological

24 HIGHLAND OUTDOORS WINTER 2019

cohesiveness. The Yellow Creek Preserve represents a tiny portion of a much larger wetland complex that spans the Potomac Highlands. “These peripheral wetlands are equally important for the species they hold and the buffer they provide to the core of the Canaan Valley matrix of wetlands,” Berdine says. “The icing on the cake is the trail system that’s loved and well-used by the community, so we’ve layered quite a few conservation benefits into one amazing project.” But the protected landscapes we see are just the tip of the iceberg. The WVLT also owns mineral rights like coal and gas for most properties in its portfolio, resulting in what Hollenhorst describes as subsurface conservation value. “This preserves climate protections and resilience in essence by locking up and sequestering [those resources],” Hollenhorst says. “It’s not anything you can see, but it’s just as valuable of a preservation as anything we’ve done on the surface.”

Passing the Torch The first 25 years of the WVLT have been a resounding success, and the organization is strategically planning out the next 25. To do so, Fetty asks a simple question with a complex answer: What lies ahead for West Virginia? “We’ve got to encourage the type of work the WVLT does to become the kind of state people want to be in,” Fetty says. “I see the WVLT continuing to build a robust land conservation movement and being an integral part of West Virginia’s next chapter.” Bailey recognizes that future involves guiding the state’s transition to the post-coal economy, which means developing recreation opportunities to entice young people to move to and stay in West Virginia. “There are counties that don’t have many outdoor recreation opportunities, they don’t have a park or preserve,” he says. “Over the next 25 years, I think that we will be looking to see that land conservation is spread all around the state.” The WVLT will also do its part to

address climate change via improving water quality, riparian plantings along streams to mitigate rising water temperatures, encouraging landowners to plant pollinator gardens, and targeted conservation of migratory bird habitat. “It isn’t just about the recreation economy; communities that have these kinds of amenities become competitive to diversify their local economies,” Bailey says. “We’re poised to insert land protection into that context so people see there’s a way to secure something really positive for the future.”

A Lasting Legacy In 2017, the WVLT acquired two properties to further cement its legacy and bring its story full circle. The first was the acquisition of two properties that abut Elizabeth’s Woods: the 174-acre Little Falls Preserve and the 60-acre Morris Property. Together, these three tracts create the 318-acre Tom’s Run Preserve and significantly expand the region’s science education and recreation opportunities. “It’s got great birding, a wonderful stream, and connects to the [Mon River Rail Trail],” Bailey says. “It ties into the greater recreation network and is going to be a real anchor for Morgantown in the future.” The second was nearly 50 years in the making: the addition of the Marie Hall Jones Ancient Forest Preserve to the WVLT's portfolio of lands open for public use. Although Jones had initiated the conservation of the property years ago, he sat patiently as the owner until the donation process was completed at the end of 2017. “I never really considered it my land, I considered it my mother’s land,” Jones said. “It’s a compelling story that a woman, 50 years ago, had saved the land from the timber companies. It seemed logical that the WVLT should continue to make sure it was preserved.” w Dylan Jones is publisher of Highland Outdoors and sends out a sincere thankyou to all who have donated time, money, or land to help preserve what remains of West Virginia’s special places.

A black cohosh flowering in Elizabeth's Woods.

WEST SIDE STORY

SNOWSHOE'S LEGENDARY WESTERN TERRITORY

BY DYLAN JONES

“I am a mighty mountain. I rise above the others and look down upon their crowns. When you see me from below I seem to shoulder out the sky. For more than half a hundred miles I stretch my length. Five miles across my top spreads, holding between its double row of peaks its own private valley. There, cradled in eternal green, my own river flows. I am rough. I am cold. Men call me Cheat.” W.E. Blackhurst Of Men and a Mighty Mountain

Paul Kinder

Just over a mile north of Thorny Flat, the western flank of Cheat Mountain drops precipitously down Cupp Run to the valley of Big Spring Fork. Cupp Run’s drainage cradles the Western Territory, home to some of West Virginia’s most storied expert-level ski terrain.

TUMULT & TIMBER Blackhurst’s stoically elegant personification of Cheat Mountain in his 1965 logging memoir specifically describes the southern end of the mountain where Shavers Fork of the Cheat River is born—the present-day site of Snowshoe and Shavers Lake. Detailing the hardships of the logging

lifestyle, Blackhurst’s book was published just after the decimation of the largest spruce-hardwood forest south of Maine. By 1960, Cheat Mountain—and most peaks in Appalachia—were stripped completely barren by timber companies who set out to leave no sapling standing. But Cheat Mountain began to recover. Spruce saplings steadily stretched toward the sky, covering up the slash piles, skidder scars, and log camp ruins. As the recovery took place, construction of a ski resort began. In December of 1974, just 14 years after the final tree was cut, Snowshoe Mountain Resort opened to the public. In a nod to Cheat Mountain’s legacy, the names of Snowshoe’s ski trails and lifts double as a glossary of logging terms. Whistlepunk, Ballhooter, Skidder, and others are now household names among local skiers.

CUPP RUN When Snowshoe set out to design its slopes, it knew the resort needed a dynamic trail that traversed the rugged

terrain and took advantage of several distinct fall lines along Cupp Run. The resort brought Jean-Claude Killy, a world-famous French alpine ski racer, overseas for the job. Killy’s magnum opus of Cupp Run is a heart-thumping, leg-burning romp down the mountain that he considered one of his favorite ten lift-served runs in the world. Snowshoe’s most famous trail gets its name from the stream that creates the steep drainage bowl of the Western Territory. The stream was named for Daniel Cupp, the first settler of the rugged drainage. Historic accounts show his cabin sat just below where Arbuckle’s Cabin now sits by the lower lift terminal. When Snowshoe first opened, Cupp Run was served by a triple-chair lift that was the longest triple in the country at the time. Nowadays, the Western Territory is served by the Western Express, a high-speed quad lift that can handle 2,400 skiers per hour and cruises along at 13 miles per hour. The Western Express slashed the lift ride from 20 minutes to six.

A skidder, used for dragging felled trees up and down the rugged slopes of Cheat Mountain.

Left: WV & Regional History Center. Center: Courtesy of Ed Galford

heat Mountain rears its mighty girth from the belly of Appalachia, its ancient spine spanning 50 miles of rugged and remote terrain. At its southern end, Thorny Flat rises to 4,848 feet, marking West Virginia’s second-highest summit. Here, Snowshoe Mountain Resort sits atop the summit, standing proudly in the clouds above the mountain mists.

An old postcard shows before construct

Killy’s alpine racing legacy continues via the annual Cupp Run Challenge, a giant slalom race in which Killy put down the first winning time some 45 years ago. He frequently returned in the race’s early history to set the time to beat. At the age of 76, Killy no longer sets the pace, but the Cupp Run Challenge lives on each February.

SHAY’S REVENGE

Right: Snowshoe Mountain Resort

Cupp Run remained in a class of its own until 1997 when Intrawest, the corporate owners of Snowshoe at the time, met with then-vice president Ed Galford to figure out how to further leverage the world-class terrain of the Western Territory. After discussing the route, budget, and timeline, Galford and his team got to work creating Shay’s Revenge. Snowshoe’s steepest trail is an homage to the Shay locomotive, a geared steam engine designed by Ephraim Shay that was used extensively in Appalachian logging operations. “We knew we always wanted another black-diamond slope [on the Western

s the Western Territory tion of Shay's Revenge.

Territory],” Galford says. But looking at a rugged mountainside and having the vision to create that slope proved to be a monumental effort. Galford’s team hand-cleared the trail with chainsaws and had to extract large rocks with a dozer. “Walking was quite difficult because the second-growth spruce trees were inches apart,” he says. “You’d cut several small trees and they wouldn’t fall because the branches were hemmed together.” Galford says the biggest challenges were placing the trail to catch shade from the tallest spruce trees and tackling the flat area to reach the steep face of Lower Shay’s. Just five months and some $5 million later, the project was complete. Shay’s Revenge opened for the 1998-1999 ski season to the joy of expert skiers and snowboarders. “It was a great relief to get it open,” Galford says.

WEST BOUND AND DOWN With 1,500 feet of vertical drop, 6,500 feet of length, and one of the steepest

pitches of any in-bounds slope in the eastern U.S., the Western Territory is the gem of Mountain State skiing. Mention any of those stats in the same sentence, and even the most jaded Colorado skier’s ears will perk up. Joe Stevens, West Virginia Ski Areas Association chairman and former Snowshoe communications director, has been skiing and snowboarding for over thirty years in the Mountain State and says the Western Territory holds the best expert terrain in the region. His favorite run links the wide, upper section of Shay’s Revenge to the steep chute and high-speed runout of lower Cupp Run. “For expert snowboarders, it’s the upper echelon of technical riding in the southeast,” Stevens says. “You’ve got a bit of everything. It’s where you learn and move up in the progression.” For Becky Sharp, a veteran member of the Snowshoe Mountain Patrol, it doesn’t get any better than the 29-degree face of Lower Shay’s. “It’s the excitement of having a nice steep; it’s the steepest thing we have at Snowshoe,” Sharp says. This will be her

The million-dollar view looking west from the top of Cheat Mountain.

39th season on ski patrol at Snowshoe, and Sharp still carves turns with the fervor of her early days. As soon as she gets the assignment to head west, she skis both trails to check trail conditions and make sure all equipment and signage is placed. While this usually happens early in the morning, Sharp’s favorite time to ski the Western Territory is at sunset. “You start off with the view, which is absolutely incredible, so many people stop at the top and just take it in and enjoy it,” she says.

A skier gets low in the annual Cupp Run Challenge, one of Snowshoe's oldest tradiitons.

It takes a village to craft a mountain, and the operations team that functions out of Snowshoe Village work around the clock to pull it off. Ken Gaitor, vice president of mountain operations, has been the architect of a massive overhaul at Snowshoe, including a $4 million state-of-the-art snowmaking system that allows the Western Territory to open earlier and stay open deep into the spring skiing season. “Anyone can build a great park, but not a lot of mountains have a Cupp

Keith Poore

POWDER DAZE

and a Shay’s,” Gaitor says. “I want to showcase it as part of who we are.” Over the past four years, the snow guns on the Western Territory have been replaced with high-efficiency guns that automatically turn on and adjust water content with input from air temperature sensors. They’ve also added nearly 50 new guns to create slopewide riding throughout the season. “You never quite know what Mother Nature is going to hand you, but we’ve tried to flatten the curve a little bit,” Gaitor says.

Keith Poore

While Gaitor and the mountain ops team arguably run the best snowmaking operation east of the Mississippi, they still rely on the occasional handout from Mother Nature. Not many are aware that Cheat Mountain has more landmass above 4,000feet elevation than New York, Vermont, and Maine combined. Snowshoe’s strategic position on the high point of Cheat Mountain results in 180 annual average inches of the white stuff. Gaitor, who got his start in the ski industry in Utah, compares the Snowshoe

region’s low-density snow to Utah’s legendary powder. “Our natural snow, when it comes, is a nice, dry power,” he says. “You can almost breathe it in sometimes.”

LAST CHAIR From the decimation of its forests at the hands of relentless loggers to the construction of its slopes at the hands of restless skiers, Cheat Mountain’s legend continues with Snowshoe. The development and evolution of Snowshoe’s Western Territory have been carried out with an industrious labor of love, and those involved in its ongoing story have devoted serious sweat equity to keep the dream alive. “It’s what makes us stand apart from other mountains, not just in West Virginia, but in the Mid-Atlantic region,” Gaitor says. “I really believe it’s the gem that nobody else has.” w Dylan Jones is publisher of Highland Outdoors and has joyously been snowboarding in WV for nearly two decades. You can bet he won’t be working when the flakes are flying at Snowshoe.

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Hannah Snyder admires Norway spruce trees on Canaan Mountain.

Leaf No Twig Behind

By Nikki Forrester

twig, displaying the intricate and highly varied patterns in which plants grow. Powdery snow blends these features, giving a cozy feel to the frozen forest. As humans, our inherent admiration of nature inspires us to understand our wild surroundings. The dormancy of winter grants clarity to a once jungled environment. The lack of leaves shifts attention to other forest features, present year-round but accentuated in the cold. “I see the trees and twigs differently,” says Andrea Dalton,

32 HIGHLAND OUTDOORS WINTER 2019

coordinator of the Canaan Valley Master Naturalist chapter of West Virginia. “Nothing is as simple as it looks.” In West Virginia, there are over 100 species of native trees, presenting a formidable challenge for those seeking to tell them apart. But with close observation and time, trees become more readily recognized. “Every tree is a face to me,” says Kevin Moore, a forest ranger with the Maryland Forest Service, “like knowing a friend.”

Dylan Jones

here’s something special about West Virginia’s mountain landscapes in the winter. As autumn fades, denuded trees provide a glimpse beneath the canopy, revealing the intimate contours of the hills and hollows. The mountains take on a distinct appearance with far more dimension, depth, and detail than that of summer. The vivid gradient of winter sunsets produces scraggly silhouettes of barren crowns stretching to greet glinting stars. Rime ice encases every

Leaf

Leaves are the primary feature used to identify trees, but they aren’t always reliable attributes. Deciduous trees drop their leaves in the winter. Leaves can also be difficult to observe when the closest branches are high in the canopy, or when various trees appear intertwined on a distant slope. Along with temporal and spatial challenges, a single tree can produce drastically different leaf forms, like the classic egg, mitten, and ghost-shaped leaves of the sassafras (Sassafras albidum). In contrast, trees of different species can produce very similar looking leaves, such as black birch (Betula lenta) and American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana).

Leaves from sassafrass (left), black birch (center), and American hornbeam (right) trees. Photos: Virens (left), Katja Schulz (center, right).

Bark

Bark is another critical feature from which naturalists distinguish species. Bark can take many forms and textures from smooth to scaly and flaky to furrowed. Some species have such distinct bark that this feature alone can be used for identification. Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) has warty bark, created from stacked puzzle-piece flakes. Long, shaggy strips of bark are unique to shagbark hickory (Carya ovata). Like any feature, bark can vary in appearance depending on the age of a tree as well as the location and conditions in which it grows.

Bark from hackberry (left) and shagbark hickory (right) trees. Photos: Roger Kramer (left), Kevin Faccenda (right).

Form

The overall shape of a tree provides additional ID clues. These features are more easily seen during the winter when leaves are absent. “You can see the bark and crown of the tree more clearly, and you can see if it has alternate or opposite branching,” says Moore. Branching pattern is one of the easiest ways to narrow down the pool of potential species because opposite branching is far less common than alternate branching. Trees with opposite branches can be remembered using the mnemonic device “MADCapHorse”: Maples, Ashes, Dogwoods, Cap for shrubs and vines in the Caprifoliaceae family (honeysuckle and Viburnum), and Horse for horse chestnut and buckeye trees. The overall shape of the tree can also be used to tell species apart, especially from a distance. Elm trees have a distinct vase-shaped form, whereas sugar maples have a distinctive, broad crown.

Opposite

Shape of an elm (left) and sugar maple (right) tree. Alternate

Twig

An inch-long twig often has enough characteristics to identify a species. Traits such as terminal buds (buds on the tip of every twig where growth occurs) and leaf scars (where a leaf was previously attached to a twig) can be excellent indicators. Stipule scars occur just above leaf scars and indicate points where leaf-like structures were attached. Black walnut (Juglans nigra) twigs have a distinct “monkey-face” leaf scar pattern. Tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) twigs have duck-bill-shaped terminal buds and stipule scars that encircle the twig.

"Monkey-face" leaf scar of a black walnut twig (left), duckbill-shaped terminal bud of a tulip poplar twig (center), stipule scars of a tulip poplar twig (right). Photos: Bruce Kirchoff.

HIGHLAND-OUTDOORS.COM 33

In addition to physical characteristics, it’s helpful to know in which environment a particular tree species grows. “You’re not going to find a lodgepole pine growing in the east or a sugar maple growing on a dry, south-sloping mountain,” says Moore. Environmental determinants can range from water and soil content to light availability and elevation. The native red spruce (Picea rubens) typically occurs at elevations above 3,500 feet in the Allegheny Mountains.

Key the Trees

There are two main approaches for using the above characteristics to identify tree species. One method is to go for a stroll in the woods with a knowledgeable individual that can distinguish among tree species and teach you defining features. The other method is to use a key, a common approach among botanists. Here is a simple key I created to give you a taste for how this approach works. While the traits used in this key can be used to distinguish among the tree species pictured here, these traits are not exclusive to each species. After all, there are over 100 tree species in the Mountain State and many of them have similar characteristics. To use the key, pick one tree picture from the left. Then go to Step 1 and determine whether the picture you’re looking at fits the first or second option in the pair of traits. Depending on which trait you choose, the key will lead you to the next step. Work your way through the key, identifying traits as you go, until you end with a species name. There’s an answer key on the events calendar page to help you determine whether you were correct. Happy keying!

Winter Tree Key

Step 1

A. Leaves needle-like… go to step 2 B. Leaves not needle-like or not pictured… go to step 3

Step 2

A. Needles in groups of 5, and 3 to 5-inches long… Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus) B. Needles ½ inch long, 4-sided, and have wooden pegs attaching them to the twig… Red Spruce (Picea rubens)

Step 3

A. Bark shiny bronze or gray, peels in horizontal, papery strips… Yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis) B. Bark does not peel in horizontal strips… go to step 4

Step 4

A. Smooth, light gray bark… American beech (Fagus grandifolia) B. Dark brown to black bark with small, scaly plates that resemble burnt potato chips… Black cherry (Prunus serotina)

Interested in learning more about winter tree identification? Take a winter tree ID class through the Master Naturalists program in West Virginia, check out Trees of West Virginia by Ray R. Hicks and Bark: A Field Guide to Trees of the Northeast by Michael Wojtech, or search for some winter tree keys online that use twig characteristics. w Nikki Forrester is associate editor of Highland Outdoors and, if you couldn't tell, really loves trees.

American beech (Fagus grandifolia) is a deciduous tree that retains its leaves during winter.

1: Kerry Woods, 2: mwms1916, 3: Ryan Hodnett, 4: Nikki Forrester, 5: Chesapeake Bay Progam, Bottom: Dylan Jones

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Fossil Hunting on Summersville Lake Words and Photos by Jay Young

start off our adventure with a simple request: “Honey, let’s take the kids to the lake to go fossil hunting.”

shoes and boulder a little?”

It’s the end of winter, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has just begun the annual filling of Summersville Lake. Because the process is long, most of the lakebed will be dry and walkable for days. The stony slopes and ancient boulders, long since scoured of topsoil, will be exposed and perfect for fossil hunting.

My inflection rises. My statement comes out as a question, which was not my intent. Wendy pauses a moment and glances at me. After almost 18 years of marriage, I’m still not quite sure how to decipher her looks. I think she’s about to say something like, “You won’t get a chance to put them on.” But instead I hear, “Yeah, go for it. Maybe Lincoln wants to boulder some, too.”

Next comes the tricky part: “And, I was thinking maybe I’d bring my climbing

Lincoln is seven years old and pretty much up for anything. Sometimes

36 HIGHLAND OUTDOORS WINTER 2019

he’d rather just explore and scramble around in the talus than climb rocks with ol’ paw. He’s growing his hair out and looks like a miniskater punk from the 90s. It’s rad. I bounce to the closet to find climbing shoes then bounce to the kitchen to pack snacks. A few hours later, we’re on the lakebed via the Whippoorwill access point. We’ve been here for 20 minutes and have moved at most 20 meters. The kids stop every few steps to throw a stone or examine octopus-like stumps of trees. Hewn and submerged half a

century ago, they still cling to the slopes like ghosts of a long-gone forest. We find fossil after fossil, almost as if they’ve emerged from the lake to greet us. Most resemble wooden planks with linear ridges and perfectly spaced spots: lepidodendron, AKA the “scale tree,” a 400-millionyear-old vascular megaflora from the Carboniferous period. We ‘Oooh’ and ‘Aaah’ in admiration, leaving them where they are so others can find them, too. Lincoln scrambles up increasingly larger boulders,

An otherwordly landscape awaits adventurers when the waters recede in Summersville Lake. One of many lepidodendron fossils scattered along the lakebed.

gaining confidence in his vertical movement. I follow and occasionally spot him. Rocket, my four-year-old daughter, warms to her surroundings and tackles a few climbs of her own. There are climbers everywhere. I reminisce about my climbing days of yore and let out a deafening sigh that echoes off the cliffs. Some fishermen on the far side of the water hear it and shake their heads in pity. That’s how I imagine it, anyway. Even though I’m not bouldering, I’m psyched

because we’re on a family adventure. Everyone is exploring. Occasionally, somebody plucks a fossil from the Mars-like earth and yells, “Here’s one!” Then Rocket hurls a stone. Impressed, I say, “Dang, good throw, Rocket!” We round a proud sandstone buttress and leave the climbers behind. Suddenly it feels like we have the whole lake to ourselves. I decide to fly a drone and take some photos of this otherworldly place. Lincoln is scrambling around on the talus like an iguana. Wendy and Rocket are down on

HIGHLAND-OUTDOORS.COM 37

The mother of Rocket with the mother of all fossils.

the old roadbed tossing stones in the water and digging through the mud. We all gather on a ledge overlooking the lake for a family picture. Lincoln makes an obscene hand gesture; I ask him not to. Wendy explains what the gesture means while we scarf down snacks. We wander down the road to where it disappears into the murky depths. I lead everybody over to the mother of all Summerville Lake fossils—a towering, fragmented beast of something majestic that no longer exists. I won’t tell you where it is, but I’ll give you a hint: it’s on the downhill side of a boulder. On a whim, I drop my pack and scrape my way up and over the mother of all fossils. It’s an easy boulder problem, but I climb it like it’s my own little Dawn Wall.

Summersville Lake is an iconic year-round destination.

On the hike out, I spy several boulder problems I climbed back in the day and probably can’t do anymore. I also notice a few others that, so help me, I will climb next time. Our kids love days out on the lake, and so do I. The climbing is fun, the bouldering is surreal, and it’s an entry-level way to get my spawn outdoors with a common mission: finding fossils. Next time you’re sitting around the house wondering how to get the kiddos outside before the winter comes to an end, round up the gang and go find the mother of all fossils for yourself. w Jay Young is a family man, media maker, and aging climber. He’s a board member of the New River Alliance of Climbers and vows to send a boulder problem worthy of his seat.

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You were part of the OG snowboarding scene in Canaan Valley. What was that like? I was on courtesy patrol at Timberline, and I also taught snowboarding there. There was a great group of youngsters shredding. Everyone was just so excited about the winter. It was all about paltry paychecks, big snows, and good parties. Do you remember your first cross-country ski?

Sue Haywood By Nikki Forrester Sue Haywood is one helluva mountain biker, but did you know she also makes great salsa? Oh, you knew that, too. Well, did you know she’s a staple of West Virginia’s snowsports scene? Sue moved to Davis in 1994 after graduating from West Virginia University. Although her mountain biking career began in Morgantown, she didn’t start her love affair with snow until moving to Canaan Valley. Upon her arrival, she launched into the snowboarding scene, teaching lessons and competing in boardercross races at Timberline Resort. At the same, she picked up a gig at White Grass Ski Touring Center and learned how to telemark ski. Tele-skiing, which

originated in Telemark, Norway in the 1860s, refers to a specific technique skiers use descend a slope. The result is a graceful dance of sorts that looks as if the skier is running downhill. Boots are bound to skis only at the toes, freeing the heel—and the soul. Although many claim the ancient sport of telemark skiing is dead, it’s alive and well in Canaan Valley. Sue is an integral part of a thriving community of tele-ladies in West Virginia, including a few women who established tele-skiing in the region and still shred the mountains today. Pop into White Grass this winter to take a lesson with Sue, get the scoop on the best gear, and ask about her passion for powder days.

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The friends I came down here with knew Chip Chase, so we would go over to White Grass. I remember that first ski because it was definitely like, “Wow, this is really far.” We went all the way up Three Mile into Dolly Sods. It was torture, it was trudging, and I kept thinking ‘When is this going to be over?’ But since I was a mountain biker, I had the mindset that it was supposed to hurt a little bit. Snowboarding or skiing? Snowboarding feels very free because you don’t have poles. I love snowboarding in deep powder where you’re surfing on top. That is such a good feeling—really free but cool as shit. If you want to go somewhere, though, you’ve gotta have skis that can go uphill. They’re way more versatile and you don’t need a lift. The downhill is so exciting when you’re skiing ungroomed trails and trees, especially on skinny skies. It’s not a deal breaker at all to have to go uphill, I like earning my turns. When did you start working at White Grass? I started soon after I moved down here. I rented out skis,

gave lessons, and worked in the café a bit. Chip was one of the first people I met down here. And to this day, I haven’t met anyone like Chip. He was definitely a huge draw to working at White Grass. Now, I can do my mountain biking thing most of the year and work at White Grass for the winter. It’s like my winter identity. How did you learn to telemark ski? Trying to figure out the telemark turn was an early obsession. I can’t remember a lightbulb moment, but I watched Adam Chase and Athey Lutz and would get little bits of instruction from them. They each have a definite style, which you can really see in their feet. Starting to think about my feet as weights and springs was probably the biggest thing for me. But in most conditions, I’m still wondering whether my turn is going to work. You were the first person to ski every White Grass trail in a day. How was that? I did that two years ago and couldn’t believe nobody had ever done it before. There are 50 km of marked trails on the map, which took about 12 to 13 hours to ski. I moved left to right across the mountain and came up with a route where I wouldn’t have to double back. I did miss some small sections between trails though, so I’d like to see more people do it with their own sequence. You also competed in the American Birkebeiner, the largest cross-country ski race in North America. What was that like?

Dylan Jones

P ro file

Top left, top right, bottom left: Todd Romero. Bottom right: Dylan Jones

Cross-country skiing is really thriving in the Midwest. It’s very much a part of their culture and I felt a real kinship with everyone there. There were 10,000 people at the race last year, which was pretty mind-blowing because I’ve never seen that many Nordic skiers. I started in the last wave, so I was back with the masses. Once we got going though, you’re just cruising. It took me four hours and seven minutes to ski 32 miles. I had never skated for that long. I don’t think I’ve ever skied for that long without stopping either. How has skiing influenced your biking?

The kind of skiing we do is very skillbased, which is the kind of mountain biking that I do. Skiing requires core strength and balance. You also get speed when going downhill that’s not controlled. The balance, line choice, and commitment elements of skiing definitely transfer over to biking.

powder day. I’ve just come to accept that sometimes we ski on very low snow. And this is my home. I can see sunrises at my house and in the winter they’re just awesome. Like that bluebird day in winter when you just feel like, ‘Wow, this place is so pretty.’ w

What keeps you in West Virginia for the winter?

Ski uphill every day

I’ve often wondered, ‘If I’m this into skiing, why don’t I move to Colorado?’ I really do love skiing, but I like the skiing we do here. It’s very fun and rugged. White Grass is our playground. People rejoice and celebrate when we have a

Any last thoughts?

Sue Haywood is a professional mountain bike instructor, professional White Grasser, and professional maker of Hay Sue’s Spicy Salsa. Do a flip, dip a chip, and go hang with Sue & Chip at White Grass this winter.

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FEB

Opening Day at Canaan Valley Resort

New River Polar Plunge at Fayette Station

Mountain State Fat Bike Champs at White Grass

The east coast’s longest sled is slated to open for the 2019–2020 season. Come find out why this epic sled hill is such a big deal!

Enjoy free area use, lessons, and clinics for all first-time skiers or snowshoers. XC skiing lessons happen every hour until dusk.

Join your fellow denizens for an epic day of comradery on the slopes. Present your proof of WV residency and get a free lift ticket.

WV Ski Free Day

There are simply too many events to list for NYE. Head to your favorite venue or hunker down in a cozy cabin and let the good times roll!

TREE KEY ANSWERS 1. American beech 2. Yellow birch 3. Black cherry 4. Red spruce 5. White pine

42 HIGHLAND OUTDOORS WINTER 2019

This giant slalom race is one of Snowshoe’s oldest traditions. Competitors bomb down Cupp Run, featuring 1,500 feet of vertical drop.

Groundhog Day Ski at White Grass

A truly special event. Celebrate local winter athletes and cheer them on during ski and snowshoe events held throughout the day.

Join the White Grass crew on its annual trek into the mystic. Brace yourself for a full-day backcountry journey. Starts at 9:00-ish a.m.

25K Mountain State Marathon at White Grass Put your XC skiing skills to the test in a rolling 25K course, then head to the lodge for an epic after-party and prizes. Starts at 1:00 p.m.

Special Olympics Winter Games at White Grass

Winter Botany at WV Botanic Garden

New Year’s Partay at Everywhere

Cupp Run Challenge at Snowshoe

8–9

Ski & sip at this annual celebration of snow & suds. Head to the Connection Nightclub from 5:30 p.m.–Midnight for a real hootenanny.

This XC-style fat bike race cruises along the groomed, snowy trails of the White Grass realm. Check https://wvfat.com/ race/ for the official race date.

Join a local naturalist for a winter walk to observe nature during peak winter. Free for WVBG members, $15 for nonmembers. Starts at 2:00 p.m.

Suburu Winterfest at Snowshoe Celebrate your passion for Old Man Wintrer with ski specials, live music, food, drinks, product demos, and more.

Berming Man at Snowshoe Feel the G-forces at the Berming Man banked slalom snowboard derby. The twosection slalom and mogul course tests riders’ speed and grit.

ADD YOUR EVENT Send us an email with details about your event, where it is, and when to: info@highland-outdoors.com

Icons by Good Ware and Freepik

Winter Trail Days at White Grass

Sled Run Opening Day at Blackwater Falls State Park

Winter Brewfest at Snowshoe

Kick off the new year with a refreshing winter dip into the New River! Head down to Fayette Station at 12:45 p.m. to sign up.

Head to the promised land of Canaan Valley to kick off the 2019–2020 ski season with $13 lift tickets! Slopes are open from 9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

TBD

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DEC

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Winter in Canaan Valley is a magical time for photography. The light, landscapes, and action are extraordinary. As the staff photographer for Canaan Valley Resort, I’m fortunate to spend the majority of my day in this high mountain paradise. There is something special about capturing the frozen landscapes of one of West Virginia’s most alluring areas. Whether we’re carving wide turns in the Meadows or splitting hairs between trees in our glades, the Valley showcases the true beauty of West Virginia snowsports, and I cherish the opportunity to capture the smiling faces of those who relax and play in our winter wonderland. Photos and caption by Justin Harris.

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