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December 2017 SNOWLESS ADVENTURES PAGE 39
TACKLE NEW CHALLENGES AND EXPLORE WINTER WONDERLANDS, WITH OR WITHOUT SNOW. PHOTO BY JESS DADDIO
FEATURES 17 RESORT ROUNDUP
DEPARTMENTS 9 QUICK HITS
Tiny home, van, or RV? • Virginia couple wins wife-carrying competition • Longest cycling class ever • Used gear options grow • North Carolina’s forests rank among most important in the country • Your rain jacket may be killing you
12 FLASHPOINT
Cumberland in crisis: Will the South’s wildest island be destroyed by development?
46 LAST WORD
Is outdoor writing dead?
50 TRAIL MIX
8 Essential records of 2017 from Blue Ridge musicians COVER PHOTO BY
Looking for resort fun this winter? Check out these top downhill destinations in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, along with the latest news and developments for the upcoming season. Plus—meet five Southern ski personalities, including a ski bum paramedic, resort brewmaster, and iconic ski patrol director.
33 SECRETS OF SNOWMAKING Snowmaking has come a long way since the days of diesel-fed air compressors, but how is the industry coping with the pressure of warmer winters?
39 NO SNOW, NO PROBLEM
Here are 12 snowless adventures that will keep your winter wanderlust satisfied until snowing or springtime.
47 SOLO
Joe ‘Stringbean’ McConaughy sets the overall A.T. speed record—without any crew, sponsors, or support along the way.
Natural Tunnel State Park - two bedroom cabin
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Buy the ticket, Take the ride. —TJ KEARNS With everything considered, is my impact on the world net positive? —CHRIS GRAGTMANS Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most. —ANNA LEVESQUE
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Distance runner Mirna Valerio found a great mantra for running and life in the folktale Tikki Tikki Tembo: "Step over step, step over step." —MASON ADAMS Focus on the now. —BETTINA FREESE Love many, trust few, always paddle your own canoe. —HANNAH COOPER When I'm nervous, thinking about the "what-ifs" above a rapid, I've learned to say, "Just shut up and paddle." —CHARLI KERNS I'll try anything twice. —LEAH WOODY Promote what you love instead of bashing what you hate. —KATIE HARTWELL Just keep climbing. —ASHLEY KAIRIS
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The best kayaker is the one who's having the most fun. —CHRIS GALLAWAY May your gratitude exceed your expectations. —JOHN JETER Go big or go home. —JULIA GREEN Go big, THEN go home. —TIM KOERBER Use it up. Wear it out. Make it do, or do without. —JOHN BRYANT BAKER I’m still outside. No matter how hard it’s raining or how much the light may suck, I'm still in a place I love, usually with people I love. —STEVE YOCOM We are not put here to see through each other, but to see each other through. Everyone is going through something; it's important to provide real, tangible support, not just FB likes or Instagram comments. —ANNA KATHERINE CLEMMONS GoOutAndPlay
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TINY HOME, VAN, OR RV? WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE—AND WHAT'S BEST FOR YOU? BY CHRIS OLSON
WANDERLUST IS SHARED BY YOUNG DREAMERS AND WISE SOULS ALIKE LONGING FOR SIMPLICITY AND FREEDOM. WHETHER YOU BLAME SOCIAL MEDIA, MILLENNIALS, HGTV, OR THE GROWING FINANCIAL BURDENS OF OWNING A HOME, MOBILE LIVING IS A GROWING MOVEMENT. HERE ARE THE DETAILS TO DECIDE WHETHER A TINY HOME, RV, OR VAN IS THE RIGHT FIT FOR YOU.
Aesthetics A tiny house offers more traditional features like roof shingles, kitchen counters, sink, and a bathroom—and perhaps most important, wall insulation. “Campers and vans just aren’t designed to handle cold temperatures well,” says tiny home dweller and kayaking guide Fletcher Reed. Vans typically give more of a dirtbag vibe. Regardless of the custom interior work (which can be really nice), it’s still hard to escape that ‘living in a van down by the river’ mentality.
Travel Readiness This is where van life truly shines. Kate Tierney, who has been living in her van for over a year in classic climbing destinations like the New River Gorge, describes van life as “the freedom to go where I want, when I want.” With a van, you will have the most options when deciding where to park your home for the night, whether it be a campground, parking lot, or stealth camping on a neighborhood street. They are also the most capable when it comes to handling gravel, accessing trailheads, or maneuvering tight, curvy mountain roads. With a camper, or tiny home, there are tanks that need to be emptied, leveling stabilizers that need to be raised, and hitch connections established.
Cost Generally speaking, a van will be the most affordable option, with many
people converting cheap, high-mileage classics for less than $10,000. Tierney was able to purchase her van for only $5,500, adding less than $1,000 in additional upgrades (with the help of a carpenter friend) to create a home she would live in for more than a year. Campers and RVs will be next in affordability, with tiny homes requiring the largest investment.
Comfort While van life gets you easily from place to place, it also forces you to sacrifice the most in regards to comfort. That sacrifice might be worth it, though, especially if your passion is your main focus. Corey Lilly, who lived in a van for over two years while chasing clean lines down snow and whitewater, felt that van life is "totally worth it if you have a passion for something. Otherwise it’s just kind of sad.”
Regulations Tiny home regulations and ordinances are often a gray area. Many localities still have strict zoning and construction laws in place, like minimum square footage requirements, and accessory dwelling unit classifications, that may prohibit you from simply parking your tiny home on a nice piece of land. Whether typical building code standards affecting loft heights, stairs, and electrical outlets should also apply to tiny homes is a frequently contested topic. As tiny living becomes more popular, it is likely that many of these codes will be adjusted. Until then, however, it would be smart to research the codes in the area you plan to put your home. • Cost
Tiny Home
$$$ $25,000— 85,000 $
Van Life
$8,000— 45,000 $$
Camper
$12,000— 55,000
Aesthetics
Comfort
Travel Readiness
Regulations
BEST Looks most like a traditional home
HIGH Nicest interior features
LOW Not designed to move regularly
HIGH Codes and covenants often unclear
WORST Accept it, you're a dirtbag now!
LOW Minimal space and features
HIGH Road trip ready!
MINIMAL Same standards as any vehicle
MODERATE Somewhere in between.
MID-HIGH Interior features can be similar to tiny homes
INTERMEDIATE Balance of convenience and comfort
MINIMAL Standards clearly defined
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QUICK HITS
WIFE CARRY
WAR ON HEALTH
BY JEDD FERRIS
BY TOM FLYNN
ADMINISTRATION STOPS STUDY OF COMMUNITIES AFFECTED BY COAL
VIRGINIA COUPLE WINS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
IN OCTOBER, 60 COUPLES TOOK THE STARTING LINE at the 18th annual North American Wife Carrying Championships at Sunday River Ski Resort in Newry, Maine. The challenge, based on a 19th century Finnish legend, features men carrying their wives (couples don’t have to be married to compete) across a 278-yard course filled with obstacles, including mud pits, sand traps, and log hurdles. Winning couple Jake and Kirsten Barney, who live in Lexington, Va., finished the race in 58.26 seconds and therefore took home $630 and 12 cases of Goose Island beer. That seemingly random prize was awarded based on Kirsten’s weight in beer and five times her weight in cash. The couple, who finished second in last year’s North American comp, earned a spot to compete in next year’s World Wife Carrying Championships in Finland. •
ON AUGUST 18, THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HALTED the work of the National Academy of Sciences to study the increased health risks faced by Appalachian residents who live near mountaintop removal coal-mining sites. Mountaintop removal mining is a method of mining that removes coal from the surface rather than by excavating from beneath it. Massive amounts of rubble, often laced with toxic heavy metals such as arsenic and mercury, are dumped into nearby valley creeks and waterways, polluting the land and water downstream. Another byproduct is the particle-laden dust projected into the air by the heavy explosions required. The National Academy of Sciences study was examining health risks associated with mountaintop removal mining. Previous research on mountaintop mining’s health impacts found higher risks of cancer, serious illness, and early death among residents living near mountaintop
WADE MICKLEY
1,000
THE APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF BOTTLE CAPS STUDENTS from Susquenita Middle School used to create a recycled-material mosaic at an Appalachian Trail trailhead sign along Route 850 in Perry County, Pennsylvania. The colorful artwork, now being enjoyed by hikers, features an A.T. symbol, along with mountains, trees, and the sun. The effort was spearheaded by a few of the school’s teachers who wanted to increase student awareness of the nearby trail.
CLIMATE CHANGE BITES
Copperhead snake bites have been on the rise in North Carolina this year. In April, the state saw nearly four times the number of bites as in the same month of the previous year. Warmer temperatures are one of the likely causes of increased snake activity.
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removal sites. Another recent study showed higher birth defect rates near mountaintop mining sites, while still another found higher mortality rates and incidences of kidney and lung cancer in those areas. “The science is so overwhelming that the only conclusion that one can reach is that mountaintop mining needs to be stopped,” said Dr. Margaret Palmer in summarizing a 2010 analysis that she and other professors at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Studies completed. The order to halt the study came just hours before the National Academy of Sciences’ panel conducting the research was slated to hear from coalfield residents. Mountaintop removal has leveled at least 500 Appalachian mountains, many in southern West Virginia and eastern Kentucky. A recent appointee of the Trump Administration suggests that this study may not be resumed anytime soon. On October 5, the White House announced that Andrew Wheeler, a former coal lobbyist, will become the newest deputy administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Wheeler was a coal lobbyist until August 11. •
IN THE LAST 40 YEARS, THE SPERM COUNT AND QUALITY IN MEN FROM NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE, AND AUSTRALIA HAS DECLINED BY HALF. —Braun School of Public Health
USED GEAR GOES BIG
Major retailers and manufacturers are now offering vetted used gear at discounted prices. In September, Patagonia unveiled Worn Wear, which allows customers to trade in used, fully functional Patagonia gear for credit towards new purchases. The gear is then cleaned by Patagonia and sold at the Worn Wear website (wornwear.patagonia. com) for a price considerably lower than retail. Also this fall, large-scale outdoor retailer REI launched a Used Gear page on its website, offering gently used items that have been returned at reduced prices. On the site REI stated, “We’re trying this out as a way to help more people get outdoors while keeping useful stuff out of the landfills.”
B L U E R I D G E O U T D O O R S / D E C E M B E R 2 017
U.S. HOME-BUILDERS ARE CONSTRUCTING MORE THREE-CAR GARAGES THAN ONEBEDROOM APARTMENTS. —Bloomberg
YOUR WATERPROOF JACKET MAY BE KILLING YOU
Your tent, sleeping bag, and rain jacket all use perfluorocarbons (PFCs) to repel moisture. PFCs are the same chemicals that poisoned the town of Parkersburg, W.Va., and led to rampant birth deformities. Studies of long-chain PFCs have found their presence to be associated with the disruption of immune and endocrine systems, neonatal toxicity and death, and testicular and kidney cancers.
FORESTS WORTH FIGHTING FOR
National forests in Western North Carolina rank among the most significant lands in the U.S. for their conservation value, according to a recent study in the journal Land. These areas rank higher for their conservation value than 95 percent of all roadless areas nationwide. Some of the most important areas in Western North Carolina include Bald Mountain, Siler Bald, Panthertown, Nolichucky Gorge, Santeetlah Bluffs, Wesser Bald, the Unicoi Mountains, Lower Snowbird Creek and Big Ivy. None of these areas have permanent protection, and many are open to logging under the latest preliminary draft of the Pisgah-Nantahala Forest Plan. The Southern Appalachians have been identified as a critical region for climate change-driven species migrations. A number of species found within these areas are found nowhere else on Earth but remain without formal conservation protection.
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REBEL YELL IS THE SAGEBRUSH REBELLION HEADED EAST? BY MASON ADAMS
THE RIGHT-WING STREET RALLIES THAT HAVE ERUPTED across the South have largely focused on white supremacy and symbols of the Confederacy, but scratch the surface and you’ll also find opposition to environmental laws and public lands such as national forests and parks. The Sagebrush Rebellion, a loosely confederated political coalition that’s been around since the 1970s, opposes any public lands owned by the federal government. The Sagebrush movement saw a new push into the mainstream with the 2014 standoff at Cliven Bundy’s Nevada ranch, and again in 2016 when Bundy’s sons led the 40-day occupation of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. The Malheur incident set off a revival, with militias joining in to take part and show support there. Groups from the South participated in the standoffs out West, and now some of them have brought that ideology back to Eastern public lands. Those groups include the Oath Keepers, a group of current and former military and law enforcement members that claims membership of about 30,000, and the Three Percent United Patriots, who have attended rallies in Pikeville, Ky., and Charlottesville, Va. as individuals or groups throughout 2017. “There’s no reason the federal government should own any land,” said John Pruitt, Virginia leader of the Three Percent. “When you let the federal government own something in a state, now they have leverage over you. When they pass our laws and say, ‘Believe what we believe or we’re not going to give you money for roads or lands,’ you become a slave to the federal government. The federal government has a role to play in our nation, but it’s growing into a monster, and if we’re not getting involved, it’s going to devour us.” Sagebrush ideology and Confederate iconography both are touchpoints in militia culture, linked by their common ties to anti-federal sentiment. In western Virginia, members of the Three Percent hold an annual Confederate flag ride. The 2016 edition of the ride, known as “Rebel-lution,” was attended by Jeanette Finicum, the widow of LaVoy Finicum, a militia
“THERE’S NO REASON THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD OWN ANY LAND.”
—JOHN PRUITT, VIRGINIA LEADER OF THE THREE PERCENT UNITED PATRIOTS
member who was killed at Malheur. Ryan Lenz, senior writer for the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Project, says the antigovernment Sagebrush Rebellion has a “long history of turning environmental and land-use issues into a rallying point for recruiting.” One of the forerunners of the Sagebrush Rebellion was a militia known as the Posse Comitatus, which formed in the late ’60s, refusing to recognize any authority above the county level. From the beginning, its core members also were involved with Christian Identity, a racist and anti-Semitic sect based around white supremacy. James Corcoran, an associate professor at Simmons College who has written two books about the militia movement, says there typically are three elements to a militia or patriot group: an ideological focus such as opposing the federal government or public lands or upholding white supremacy; the militaristic aspect of drilling and openly carrying arms; and a religious element based around protecting Christianity. “There’s the idea that big government is taking out land from us,” explains Corcoran. “You also have the cultural component, that the intellectuals are ruling us from Washington. There’s the perception that
people are trying to take away guns and land and get rid of white Christian America.” The Sagebrush Rebellion’s antigovernment, anti-public lands sentiment is especially prevalent in areas with a lot of national parks and forests. Eighty percent of North Carolina’s Swain County, for example, is owned by the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the Tennessee Valley Authority, and a Cherokee Indian reservation. A 1981 New York Times story looking at whether the early Sagebrush movement might go East included this: “County residents reportedly have set fire to land in the Great Smokies as a way of harassing the Park Service. Like their angry counterparts in the West, Swain County residents talk about wanting to turn Park and Forest Service land over to state or private ownership.” The same story also reported opposition to public lands protection from residents of West Virginia's Randolph County, about a quarter of which is national forest. Recently, twelve counties in Western North Carolina have passed anti-wilderness resolutions as part of the ongoing Pisgah-Nantahala National Forest management planning process. Ironically, many militia and Sagebrush groups use public lands for gatherings. White supremacist and militia meetings have taken place at
Tennessee’s Norris Dam State Park, Fall Creek Falls State Park, Davey Crockett State Park, and Cumberland Mountain State Park. One group, American Renaissance, which according to the SPLC “promotes pseudo-scientific studies and research that purport to show the inferiority of blacks to whites,” has booked facilities at Tennessee’s Montgomery Bell State Park for six years in a row. Mike Robertson, director of operations for Tennessee State Parks, said the agency is obligated to provide for public access to parkland regardless of ideology, while also providing opportunities for protesters to voice their opposition. Public lands are already under assault by the Trump Administration, which has rolled back protections and designations for national monuments. Sagebrush groups in the South—often allied with hunting organizations and state agencies—are aiming to increase privatization of public lands, especially national forests like the PisgahNantahala, whose management plan is being re-written this year. So far, Sagebrush Rebellion groups are doing what many comfortable conservationists and outdoor enthusiasts have not: getting actively and personally involved in the public lands fight. •
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FLASHPOINT
CUMBERLAND IN CRISIS WILL DEVELOPMENT DESTROY THE SOUTH’S WILDEST ISLAND? BY GREG PARLIER
“WHEN YOU STEP OFF THE FERRY AT SEA CAMP, THE first thing that strikes you is the silence,” says Alex Kearns, a frequent visitor to Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia’ largest and southernmost barrier island. “Then you hear the wind, and the distant thrum of the ocean, and you hear your breath for the first time.” Less than a mile from the dock, you climb towering dunes and spill out onto a wide, windswept beach, where gulls and terns dance with the tides. Cumberland Island has no beachfront houses or developments, so you often have the entire seashore to yourself. However, the island’s scenery and silence may soon change dramatically. A handful of wealthy island families are planning a beachfront development next to Sea Camp that could forever mar the wild, pristine seashore. A few property owners are jockeying for permission to build on about 1,000 acres of private land still remaining on Cumberland Island National Seashore, including an 88-acre parcel right next to Sea Camp. Those property owners are in the midst of negotiations with conservationists, the local county zoning board, and the National Park Service, which owns a vast majority of the island and oversees management and visitation of the park. “To rezone those 1,000 acres for development is to create a blueprint for destruction of the island,” says Kearns. 12
PARADISE LOST?
The 88-acre property planned for development stretches across the width of the island just north of Sea Camp Campground, from the ferry dock to the beach. It is adjacent to the island’s most accessible and most visited campground. Lumar Limited Liability Corporation, a company formed in 1997 to buy and hold property and conceal the identity of its owners, purchased the tract in 1998 for $3.5 million from Georgia Rose Rockefeller, a descendent of the Carnegie family, which collectively owned 90 percent of the island at one time. Lumar, LLC, includes members of the Candler family, descendents of Coca-Cola founder Asa Candler, which have also owned land on the island for several generations. The Candler family currently live in several houses on nearly 1,000 acres on the north end of Cumberland Island. Reverend Sam Candler of St. Philip’s Cathedral in Atlanta has spoken publicly about his family’s intentions with the Lumar property, which according to him are only around ten homes for his current and future family. He says his family wants to build “unobtrusive” homes invisible to the eye of any hikers and campers recreating nearby. But most hikers and outdoor organizations worry that any new second-home developments in a
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CUMBERLAND ISLAND IS A BELOVED NATIONAL PARK AND GLOBAL BIOSPHERE RESERVE, BUT A FEW RESIDENTS ARE PLANNING A PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT. ALL PHOTOS BY SASHA GREENSPAN
national park would be bad for the island. “Development will lead to more people and vehicle traffic on the beach,” says Carol Ruckdeschel, an island naturalist. “The development will require roads, septic systems, well drilling, and infrastructure for garbage. Taken in total, the impact is going to be a lot larger than a few houses, and they will permanently change the character of Cumberland.”
THE EVOLUTION OF A PARK
Congress established Cumberland Island National Seashore in 1972 in order to “maintain the primitive, undeveloped character of one of the largest and most ecologically diverse barrier islands on the Atlantic Coast,” according to its founding legislation. The National Park Service purchased most of the parcels on the island from private landowners, offering many of them a sweetheart deal: the
Park Service would buy the land (in many cases, for millions of dollars), maintain roads, build docks and haul trash, and the families would be allowed to live on the island for the rest of their lives, or a set number of years, depending on the agreement. That founding legislation also gave the National Park Service the power of eminent domain over the island, meaning they could legally condemn properties to better conserve and manage the national seashore. It’s a tool that the Park Service used to acquire several tracts on Cumberland Island from non-Carnegie landowners. But two wealthy Carnegie families were allowed to keep their private land within the national park: the family who operates the only commercial entity on the island, Greyfield Inn, and another Carnegie heir who sold 88 acres to Lumar, LLC for development next to Sea Camp. “The intention of the island’s founding legislation was that the Park
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Service would eventually own all the land on Cumberland Island,” says Cumberland Island National Seashore Superintendent Gary Ingram. “And that’s a good goal to have, especially when you’re trying to manage a wild place like Cumberland Island,” he said. So far, the Park Service has been reluctant to use eminent domain to acquire the remaining 1,000 acres of Carnegie inholdings, but it’s a tool that the Park Service used to create the national seashore—and a tool they could use again to save it from development. “I sold under threat of condemnation,” explains Ruckdeschel, who sold her parcel to the National Park Service in the 1970s and has rights to live on the island until she dies. “How equitable is it to now allow the wealthiest landowners to keep their property and actually develop the island while many others were condemned?”
BUY IT BACK?
Superintendent Ingram said if property owners were willing to sell the remaining private land, including the 88 acres next to Sea Camp owned by Lumar, LLC, he’s certain the National Park Service could find money from partner conservation entities to purchase it. It would be a win-win: Lumar would be recognized and compensated for providing a critically important tract of land next to Sea Camp, and the park and the general public would have ensured the long-term protection of the seashore. But Sam Candler says he is not interested in selling. “That property… remains in the hands of families who have had a long-standing and sensitive history of caring for the island; I believe that is fortunate for the island,” Candler wrote in an email to Blue Ridge Outdoors.
“THE SAME WEALTHY FAMILIES WHO HAVE BEEN CLAIMING THAT THEY ‘SAVED’ CUMBERLAND ARE NOW SAYING THEY WANT TO RAPE IT SOME MORE.”
LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE NESTS COULD BE JEOPARDIZED BY THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT.
—CAROL RUCKDESCHEL, BIOLOGIST AND ISLAND RESIDENT
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FLASHPOINT Instead, Candler and Lumar LLC have been pressing the local Camden County zoning board to grant them a variance that will allow them to subdivide the property. Camden County approved the request, much to the dismay of conservation groups and island observers, including Southern Environmental Law Center Lead Attorney Bill Sapp. Sapp has led a multiorganization appeal of the granted variance, claiming that none of the standards required for approval were met. The appeal hearing was delayed several times until April, when Sapp, representatives of Lumar, LLC, Camden County officials, and the National Park Service began negotiations to consider a new zoning designation for the private properties on Cumberland Island.
PUBLIC LANDS, PRIVATE PLAYGROUND
So far, most of the negotiations are not aimed at stopping any current or future development but limiting the number of houses built per acre. Lumar, LLC
wants a zoning rule of one house per two acres, which would allow for over 400 additional houses on Cumberland Island. Superintendent Ingram hopes the negotiations can achieve a compromise that has the least amount of island impact. “When the development footprint grows, there will be consequences. What the level of impact will be, I don’t know. If they’re building one structure out there, like a cabin, it’s far less than if they were building multiple 4,000-square-foot structures,” he said. Kearns believes the negotiations are failing the taxpaying American public, who have already spent millions to purchase Cumberland Island. She says that even the strictest limit currently on the table—one house per 25 acres—would still permit 40 additional developments within Cumberland Island National Seashore— more than twice the number of current residences on the island. “No matter what density the county chooses, the island will be permanently scarred and degraded long-term if development is allowed to proceed.”
Candler said the private landowners on the island, including his family, have been instrumental in preserving the island’s natural majesty, and for that reason, people should trust that relationship will continue. He said the island is big enough to accommodate additional development, with the less developed wilderness section on the north end of the island providing ecological benefits that allow for more homes on the south end without disturbing a visitor’s island experience substantially. “I want to appeal to those elements of the public who have been on the island and who understand the historic and sensitive way that Cumberland has been sustained by a respectful partnership between the public and private sectors,” wrote Candler. “Most people who have been on Cumberland realize how large the island is. There are certainly areas which have houses on them, but the tremendous majority of the island will always remain without houses,” he said. Superintendent Ingram has a different perspective. “It’s a relatively small island. Any
development has impacts. What level those impacts will have we don’t know right now. But it’s not just the human impacts of the development. There is also an environmental one too,” he said.
RIPPLE EFFECT
Many businesses in St. Mary’s rely directly on Cumberland Island visitors to support their businesses. Former Mayor and longtime co-owner of the Riverview Hotel, which sits directly across the street from the island ferry dock, Jerry Brandon, said 90 percent of his business is Cumberland related. “If they start building houses on the middle of the island, that’s going to have a detrimental effect on tourism, and certainly to the purpose of the park, which means we’ll probably lose business,” he said. Brandon was especially concerned that once rules were changed regarding potential development on the island, future generations of Candlers could push for even more and largerscale developments. That could spell trouble for the island, he said. Negotiations between developers,
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conservation groups, and the Park Service are ongoing, and no official deadline has been set. With the power of eminent domain, the National Park Service could act on behalf of the public, the original Congressional intent for Cumberland, and the long-term future of the island. “Acquiring the remaining private land on Cumberland Island is probably the most important step that the Park Service can take to protect the future of
the national seashore,” says Kearns. However, Candler believes that private property rights should trump the concerns of the general public. “On Cumberland, I observe that some elements of the public want to let all the present houses on the island fall into ruin. Other elements of the public want to respect the rights of private property owners, wherever that property is,” he wrote. “Cumberland Island is…both public and private. Some
of us have no history at all there, and some of us have a long history there. None of us should be embarrassed about being there.” Another resident and former property owner, Ruckdeschel, acknowledges that Candler’s desire to build more houses on Cumberland is understandable, but protection of one the country’s last wild islands should take priority over private vacation homes.
LEFT: THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT IS IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO SEA CAMP, THE MAIN DOCK AND CAMPING SITE FOR VISITORS. RIGHT: OVER 1,000 ACRES OF PRIVATE LAND EXIST WITHIN THE NATIONAL PARK BOUNDARIES.
Says Ruckdeschel, “The same wealthy families who have been claiming that they ‘saved’ Cumberland are now saying they want to rape it some more.”
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ON THE
SLOPES LOOKING FOR RESORT FUN THIS WINTER? CHECK OUT THESE TOP DOWNHILL DESTINATIONS IN THE SOUTHEAST AND MID-ATLANTIC. BY JESS DADDIO
BEST PLACE TO SKI BACK IN TIME
LAUREL MOUNTAIN SKI RESORT Ligonier, Pennsylvania
Situated in Laurel Mountain State Park in southwestern Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands, this one-lift wonder was just opened last year for the first time since 2004. Everything about the resort pays homage to the ski area’s storied past. Enlarged vintage photos from the early 1940s hang in the oneroom lodge. The Midway Cabin, an original structure, still stands along the ski runs. Though Laurel Mountain was at one time an exclusive resort for wealthy Pennsylvania families, it has been available for public use since 1964. Come for the cozy feel, the grand mountain setting, and the steep skiing found on Upper and Lower Wildcat. This combined run drops nearly 1,000 feet of vertical pitch, making it the steepest run in the state. PHOTO BY SAM DEAN
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NEWS ON THE SLOPES
RESORT UPDATES AND DEVELOPMENTS FOR THE 2017-2018 SNOW SEASON. FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADERS SKI FOR FREE AT PENNSYLVANIA RESORTS
For the 14th year in a row, any and all fourth and fifth grade students can ski or ride for free through the Pennsylvania Ski Areas Association (PSAA) Snowpass program. The program costs $40 upfront but then allows students in these two grade levels to ski or snowboard for free throughout the season and at any one of PSAA’s 19 resorts when accompanied by a paying adult. Kids can visit each resort a maximum of three times and their pass include lifts, lessons, and rentals. For more information, visit www.skipa.com. SEVEN SPRINGS REVAMPS NORTH PARK
With the addition of a 900-foot string of nine snowmaking towers, Seven Springs’ North Park is bigger and better than ever. The area has been undergoing renovations all summer and is now a boardercross-style freestyle area complete with small to medium features and banked turns. MASSANUTTEN PUTS IN A PIPELINE
The 6,000-acre resort just expanded its water storage by 50 percent, thanks to the construction of a two-mile-long water pipeline. The project has taken nearly a year to complete, but with the additional updates to its snowmaking equipment, the resort is ready for winter. BRYCE RESORT GEARS UP FOR WINTERFEST
Held each year on the second Saturday of March, Winterfest is a slam packed weekend full of pancakes, costumes, pond skimming, a polar plunge, and even an ice bar. BEECH MOUNTAIN RESORT TO CELEBRATE 50TH ANNIVERSARY
Beech Mountain Resort is full of superlatives—it’s the highest resort, located in the highest town, with the highest ski bar in the Eastern United States. This winter, they’ll celebrate 50 years of all of that January 2028, 2018. Season-long promotions include $9 Ladies Night every Tuesday and $9 Men’s Night on Wednesdays. Couples ski for $24 total on Thursday nights. LEES-MCRAE COLLEGE TO OFFER SKI PATROL COURSE THROUGH BEECH MOUNTAIN
Lees-McRae College’s Outdoor Recreation Management program and Beech Mountain Marketing Director and Lees-McRae alumna, Talia Freeman, are partnering to offer a 3-credit-hour National Ski Patrol Certification Preparation course as well as a Ski and Snowboard PSIA-AASI Instructor Certification Preparation course this spring. 18
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MOST COMPREHENSIVE ADAPTIVE SPORTS PROGRAM
WINTERGREEN RESORT Wintergreen, Virginia
When Wintergreen ski instructor Michael Zuckerman agreed to give above-the-knee amputee Vince Fiore a lesson in 1984, little did he know that he would pave the way for more than four decades of on-site, specialized instruction tailored to guests with disabilities. Wintergreen Adaptive Sports (WAS) is currently in its 21st year of operation as an independent 501(c)3 non-profit and is housed in its very own facility at Wintergreen. The highly trained and dedicated staff work with students suffering from a wide variety of ailments, both physical and mental, such as multiple sclerosis, spina bifida, hearing/visual impairment, and traumatic brain injury. Each winter, WAS and Wintergreen Resort host a Wounded Warrior Weekend in honor of our country’s wounded veterans and their families. Outside of the snow season, WAS also offers warm-weather adaptive activities like whitewater kayaking and canoeing.
BEST PLACE TO SKI THE TREES
SNOWSHOE MOUNTAIN Snowshoe, West Virginia
Snowshoe Mountain receives an average of 180 inches of fresh pow a year, and at 4,848 feet, backcountry skiers will feel right at home in the spruce-cloaked forests that dominate the resort’s runs. Silver Creek is the most popular spot for skiing the trees with ample moderate terrain and natural features that rival those found in the area’s Mountaineer parks. While the groomed runs might be sparse in freshies, even after a good dump, the tree stashes are often kneedeep throughout, a rare treat in the Southeast. BEST PLACE TO DROP KNEES
TIMBERLINE FOUR SEASONS RESORT Canaan Valley, West Virginia
Timberline didn’t set out to be a Mid-Atlantic hotbed for telemark skiers when it opened back in 1982, but that’s just what it’s become. The vast majority of its ski school staff and patrollers have been skiing tele since the very beginning, which BlueRidgeOutdoors
made Timberline the obvious choice for hosting the annual West Virginia Telemark Festival. The resort even has its own telemark department, with a Facebook page run by the “Nords of Timberline.” The resort, much like its eclectic free-heelin’ patrons, is a destination unto its own. There are no faux Alps-styled houses here, no in-lodge Starbucks or overrun shopping villages. What the resort does have is affordable lift tickets (especially if you’re a local), 1,000 vertical feet, a detailed backcountry trail system that links Timberline with neighboring Canaan Valley Wildlife Refuge and Dolly Sods Wilderness Area, and a slopeside pub. It’s a tele skier’s paradise. MOST EPIC SNOW TUBE PARK
CANAAN VALLEY RESORT STATE PARK Canaan Valley, West Virginia
Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. Flying down a snow-covered hill in an inflatable tube will bring out the kid in anyone, especially if that hill comes in at a whopping 1,200 feet long. Canaan Valley’s snow GoOutAndPlay
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tube park is one of the resort’s newer additions and ranks as the longest snow tube in the MidAtlantic. There’s a magic carpet that effortlessly hauls you back to the top of the hill, and an outdoor fire ring outside the warming hut should the elements start to take their toll. It’s everything we love about skiing the mountain, but with minimum coordination required. MOST LIKE A EUROPEAN RESORT
OBER GATLINBURG SKI AREA Gatlinburg, Tennessee
You don’t need a vacation to the Alps to get the mountain tram experience. Ober Gatlinburg’s 2.1-mile cable car is one of just a couple dozen tramways in the country. The tram starts in the quaint yet vibrant downtown sector and rises above the treelines, allowing guests to witness first-hand the sheer scale of the Great Smoky Mountains. While some of the bigger resorts out west have long hauled their guests up the mountain via tramway, Ober’s cable car is the only one of its kind in the Southeast. BEST RESORT FOR BEER LOVERS
BEECH MOUNTAIN RESORT Beech Mountain, North Carolina
Western North Carolina’s craft beer scene has exploded in the past five years with Asheville in the limelight, but about 100 miles northeast of that southern metropolis, Beech Mountain Resort is quickly making a name for itself as one of only a few resorts brewing its own beer on-site. Beech Mountain Brewing Company started in 2014 with enough capacity to brew 100 gallons per day. This season, the brewery is doubling that capacity and revamping its slopeside taproom to include a viewing area where customers can watch the brewing action. The brewery’s flagship beers include the Beech Blonde Ale, 5506’ Pale Ale, Patroller Porter, and Wee Heavy Scotch Ale. Grab a beer after a long day on the mountain or make a midday pit stop at Skybar 5506’. For now, the resort is the only location where you can indulge in Beech Mountain’s beer, but the beverages should be making their way off the mountain in the years to come.
MOST STUDENT FRIENDLY RESORT
APPALACHIAN SKI MOUNTAIN Blowing Rock, North Carolina
Just five miles from downtown Boone, N.C., and Appalachian State University, Appalachian Ski Mountain can feel a little bit like a frat-boy party come spring break, but it’s that youthful atmosphere, social media savviness, and smokin’ good deals that make this resort such a success with the younger crowd. App Ski Mountain offers $10 Sunday night lift tickets the first Sunday of every month, starting in December, and $20 night sessions for students Sunday thru Thursday (tip: buy online for an extra hour of slope time). If there’s a snow day and you’re a student or teacher at any school system in North Carolina, Tennessee, or Virginia, head to the mountain and pay only $10 for an eight-hour ticket. All you need is a report card, school ID, or paystub to prove your school affiliation. BEST RESORT FOR POST-WORK LAPS
WOLF RIDGE SKI RESORT Mars Hill, North Carolina
When townies from Asheville or Johnson City are jonesin’ for a weekday winter escape, they need only drive 45 minutes to Wolf Ridge Ski Resort, the little ski area that could. Its central location off I-26 is a low-key haven for western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. When the snow falls, the runs here are some of the South’s steepest and finest. If you “dare to ski the Wolf,” lap The Bowl till your legs burn.
TOP: RIDE TO THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN IN STYLE ON OBER GATLINBURG'S AERIAL TRAMWAY COURTESY OF OBER GATLINBURG
BOTTOM: BOTTOM'S UP AT BEECH MOUNTAIN RESORT AND BREWERY
BEST RESORT FOR THE KIDDOS
CATALOOCHEE SKI AREA
Maggie Valley, North Carolina
Even though nearly a quarter of Cataloochee’s terrain is considered expert level, this resort knows how to get ski newbs schooled up and on the slopes in no time. Each January, Cataloochee offers a $59 beginner’s deal, Monday through Friday, which covers the cost of a lesson, lift ticket, and rental. For parents with young children, the resort sweetens the pot even more with kid-specific full-day ($125) and half-day ($95) programs as well as four-week afterschool sessions ($125 for four 180-minute lessons). Once the kids are older, they can take part in the resort’s active middle and high school racing program, which hosts races every week. D E C E M B E R 2 017 / B L U E R I D G E O U T D O O R S . C O M
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MOAB FST ICE+
BITES INTO ICE DURING WINTER HIKES.
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FACES ON THE SLOPES THE SKI PATROL DIRECTOR
GIL ADAMS
Beech Mountain Resort, N.C.
When you’re not brewin’ up a new batch of Beech beers, are you skiing or riding? I prefer to board. I tried skiing once as a kid. It was horrible. If you’ve ever seen bloopers on what not to do skiing, yeah that was me. I’m extremely uncoordinated and for whatever reason snowboarding was much easier for me.
What was your first memory of skiing at Beech? My parents came up to Hound Ears, which had a ski resort at the time, and they learned about a development planned nearby for Beech Mountain that would be centered around a ski resort. My parents purchased a lot on Beech Mountain and became charter members to the Carolina Caribbean Club (or CCC, the then-owners of Beech), which included complimentary skiing for the first season. That was the winter of 1967-68.
THE HONORARY LOCAL
GREG “EL REDMAN” REDELMAN
Canaan Valley Resort State Park, W.Va.
How would you describe Beech during the ‘70s? Beech Mountain at the time was a brand new resort. There was a monorail that circled through the parking lots and came up into the village. The lifts were originally a two-person gondola. It was magical, absolutely incredible, especially as I was just a young teenager at the time.
GIL ADAMS
Word on the street is your job responsibilities at Beech have even included delivering babies? That baby delivered itself! Back in the early ‘70s, the administration building now was a 7-Eleven. We were getting ready to close down for the night and someone called me from the market and said there was a woman in labor. Her family had run over a rock with their car and popped a hole in their radiator and they were stuck. I commandeered a sales vehicle and put the expecting woman in the car, slammed the car in reverse, and then heard the girl say, “It’s coming, it’s coming!” I jumped out and sure enough that baby delivered itself. There were no complications.
Beech Mountain Resort, N.C.
You’ve been at Beech for 47 years now, almost since the resort’s beginning. What’s kept you on the mountain for so long? When I first started ski patrol, I was young and people were always wanting to go to the Rockies to ski patrol. I’ve been there so many times, and it is great skiing, but where we are in North Carolina, it’s just such a beautiful place to be all year long
into a beer. I really enjoy that aroma, but I definitely made a perfume bomb. When people say ‘less is more,’ when it comes to using lavender, they definitely mean it. I thought it would transfer well but it was very reminiscent of old lady perfume and needless to say, I haven’t tried that again.
and to me, the ski conditions at Beech Mountain can be as good as anywhere. Every single day I have a view and every single day it’s different. It’s a beautiful place to live, period.
THE MOUNTAIN’S BREWMASTER
SEAN MCCOY
Brewing beer for a living seems pretty dreamy. How’d you land that sweet job? I went to Lees-McRae College and got a bachelor’s in communications arts. I didn’t even like beer until I graduated from college and someone gave me a craft beer. A friend of mine, Billy Smith, was the original head brewer at Beech. He piqued my interest as to how craft beer is made versus regular beer. I started with one-gallon stove top brews, then got a little bit better and started growing, doing three- and five-gallon batches. We’d bounce ideas and techniques off each other, and when he moved to Morehead City, N.C., to open up a brewery down there, I took over.
You’ve visited the Valley nearly every weekend of every winter since 1986—what was the experience that got you so hooked? I learned to surf in Hawaii when my family lived there. I was in seventh grade and I wanted to have a remote control car, that was my hobby, but as soon as I saw the ocean, I was hooked on surfing. But then we moved back here and settled in Fairfax. My PE class offered skiing, and that was kinda cool, but I yearned to be on a surfboard. It wasn’t until ’85 when I went to Canaan to go skiing that I saw a lone boarder at Timberline. I rented a board from Fairfax Surf Shop the next year and stayed at a rental at Timberline during a snowstorm. The deep snow kept me from getting hurt and by the end of the first day I was doing White Lightning top to bottom.
What’s your favorite type of beer? I personally like hoppy beers, so I tend to experiment with a lot of IPAs and pale ales. Have you ever had a brewing experiment go horribly wrong? When I was still home brewing, I had always wanted to incorporate lavender
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JOHN LUTZ What’s changed in the Valley since you first started riding here? Well, it used to be 169 miles from my house and it took 3.5 hours. Now it’s 154 miles door to door and the week before last, it took me 2.5 hours. The route now is straight and safe and there are no 10% hairpin turns. Your surfer style of riding has inspired many local Valley kids to pick up snowboarding. So what’s your signature move? Frontside 360 on the wall. There’s a specific spot at Canaan that’s perfect for it and I do it every single run.
What’s been your hairiest accident on the slopes? Early on, I was at the bottom of White Lightning (at Timberline) and I hit a patch that sent me sailing into the woods. The board I had was super old and stiff. I slid feet-first in between two trees and my left foot busted through the board but my right foot didn’t. My board didn’t snap and it pushed my femur back into its socket. I spent a month in the hospital in traction.
[Brian] Sarfino and I rode that line and screamed across the frozen pond. Next thing you know, it’s like the small town cop that has someone race by him— donut flies and coffee spills in his lap as he starts chasing down the speedracer. Management flew out of the office and dragged us into the lodge. They gave us the third degree and almost kicked us out. It was kinda funny.
Any memorable shenanigans? Canaan had a pond near where the beginner area is, and it’s a really steep nose section that comes off of there.
Canaan Valley Resort State Park and Timberline Four Seasons Resort, W.Va.
THE JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES
JOHN LUTZ
When did your love affair with winter
begin? I was born and raised in Parkersburg, W.Va., and it didn’t snow all that much in Parkersburg but I just loved snow and I loved winter. I skipped school in grade school whenever it snowed. I would go to great lengths to be outside in the winter. The snowier and colder, the better. And even though I loved winter that much, I didn’t ski until I went to Georgetown University for pre-med in 1964. Pre-med? So were you a doctor during the day, ski bum by night? Oh, no, I didn’t pursue pre-med at all. It was obvious I wasn’t going to be a
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doctor. All I wanted to do was be in the ski industry. I ended up with a degree in economics. You were with Canaan Valley Resort State Park and Timberline Four Seasons Resort from their first years until 2015—what were some of the roles you filled over all of those years? I’ve done everything: snowmaking, instructor, ski school director, race director, certified instructor, level 2 race coach, risk awareness and safety director, director of program events, ski area manager. There’s not a whole lot that I haven’t done in the ski business. I still work at both Canaan and Timberline on a consulting basis. What is special about West Virginia’s ski scene? There is quality skiing in this state and my main goal in life, other than my family, was to make skiing in West Virginia better. Because it’s West Virginia, it’s a unique state in and of itself, but mostly the people make the place. They’re friendly and ready to have a good time and work hard. In the ‘70s it was just a small core of us locals but the energy was tremendous. There wasn’t a whole lot else going on in the area compared to what is available today, but hell we just got by with what we had because we believed in West Virginia skiing and we worked hard to make it as good as it could be. What was skiing at Canaan like back in the early days? Canaan would get really packed. We were doing up to 3,000 skiers a day, which, for a little ski area, that was really busy. There were times it looked like a refugee camp there were so many people there. I remember seeing the overflow from the cafeteria, and there were three people sitting under the payphone having lunch. From then on we always called that a three-top. Some winters, particularly ‘76/’77 and ‘77/’78 , it snowed so much you could barely get around anywhere. People were skiing about any place you could get a pair of skis through. If you had one last day of snow to ski, where would you go? Either White Lightning at Timberline or a pipeline right-of-way with fresh snow on it.
THE SKI BUM PARAMEDIC
TOM KOTARSKY
Timberline Four Seasons Resort, W.Va. 26
Most people come to Tucker County for the skiing, but you didn’t. How did you end up as Timberline’s Ski Patrol Director? I started racing mountain bikes and working in the bicycle industry in the late ‘80s. I moved to Davis from Morgantown in 1992 and started working for Matt and Gary at Blackwater Bikes. They were ski patrolling at Canaan Valley in the winter, so in ‘92/’92 I got my ski patrol certification and worked there until I moved to Timberline in ’96. I’m a paramedic for Randolph County, and I think I’m Ski Patrol Director at Timberline basically because I’ve just been there too long. As patrol director, what’s your biggest pet peeve? People running off with our signage. It happens all the time. Stop taking our signs people! I swear when I bought my house there was one of our little plastic discs in there. I was at the Honda motorcycle shop not long ago and, I think it was the owner, but this guy had one of our signs on the front of his license plate that said “not groomed.” What is your on-mountain philosophy? Skiing is an expression of freedom and I don’t think patrol should be pigeonholing people into you can only do this or that. Why? As long as they’re not running into other people, go out and hurt yourself all you want. I’ll pick you up. Just don’t hurt anyone else. What’s the most memorable winter you’ve had? Winter of ’96, Fat Monday. We got 50 inches of snow on a Monday and Canaan shut down. Timberline opened late and everybody was there. I got on the first lift with Chip Chase and, well, you imagine what that was like. The snow was so deep you had to basically track your way to a steep part, then once you got to the steeps you could go down, but it was difficult to even move around in that stuff. I’ll never forget skiing down through the glades and passing deer. They could barely move too, and we would come down through the woods and ski right by them.
THE GUEST-TURNED-GM
CHRIS PLUMMER Laurel Mountain, Penn.
Do you remember your first time skiing at Laurel Mountain? It was the late ‘80s. I had just started
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skiing and snowboarding. My family would always go to Seven Springs and Hidden Valley, but one day we ventured over here [to Laurel Mountain] on a whim. I was overwhelmed at the terrain. I was young, maybe 15 or 16, and a decent skier, but it was unlike anything I’d seen in Pennsylvania before. How is Laurel Mountain different from Pennsylvania’s other resorts? The length of the runs and the continuous flow, especially on Upper and Lower Wildcat with almost 1,000 feet of vertical pitch, is something you find in the Adirondaks. In our mountains here in the Mid-Atlantic, we’ll usually have some good steep pitch but then some slower, flatter plateaus. I think that and the atmosphere and history that surrounds it is what makes it completely unique. You’re not getting off an exit on a four-lane highway and passing 1,400 condos on your way to this resort. It’s easy to get to but you’re going up a two-lane road into a state park and the first thing you see isn’t a Starbucks; it’s the big mountain view looking west toward Pittsburgh. It’s a place that really brings you back to the roots of New England skiing and that’s hard to find anywhere in this country I’d say. How did that 15-year-old starryeyed teenager end up as Laurel Mountain’s General Manager? I lived in Lake Tahoe for 10 years but came back to the area to work at another resort in the Laurel Highlands. I jumped into the industry day one out of college and had always wanted to come back to Seven Springs because it’s home. When this opportunity came up, I personally moved my family to Ligonier, Penn., and we live there now and fully embrace the entire atmosphere and everything that is Laurel Mountain. How is the Laurel Mountain today not unlike the Laurel Mountain of the 1940s? When we started plans for renovation last summer, we looked at the walls of the lodge and everything that went into the craftsmanship of that building and we decided we weren’t going to touch it. We were going to fix it, but not change the bones of that place. We paid 100% respect to the history. The buildings here tell the story. You can feel it. It hasn’t lost that nostalgia for the heart of skiing. There’s a very unbelievably strong community up here that has been a part of the Laurel Mountain culture from the beginning and that still keeps the story alive and
detailed and logged.
THE MOTHER OF TELE
TERRY PETERSON
Adventuresports Institute, Garrett College, Md.
What was your very first experience with a pair of telemark skis? I was in school at James Madison University, dating a guy that worked at White Grass Touring Center. For my kinesiology class, I had to study a particular move in a sport and take a quarter of the body and tell what every muscle was doing in that move. I decided to do a telemark turn, and I had never done a telemark turn in my life, so my boyfriend would jump up and down doing telemark turns on the living room floor. How did you learn to telemark ski? I come from a cross-country background, so it’s just what I do. There wasn’t anything called a telemark ski back then. They were just crosscountry skis in 1983, and you went to the downhill area and fell until the bruises were so big you couldn’t take it anymore. We were in bowling shoes, little leather shoes. You had to be really creative with the gear. We were all just taking the little skinny skis we had, strapping on some old bindings, and cutting plastic cups to give our boots a little bit of support. There were all kinds of homemade high boots back then. Everybody just said, “Follow me. You’ll be a good skier once you stop falling.” Is telemark skiing a dying sport and if so, why continue teaching it? Telemark may have seen its heyday, but I don’t think it’s disappearing anytime soon. It’s grown into an industry of its own with its own magazine, its own equipment, where before it was just a turn that you could do so long as your heel wasn’t locked down. Alpine touring (AT) equipment has become so light and so popular, I think a big portion of that market would have gone to telemark had AT technology not improved so much. But telemark is still one of those things that’s hip, that’s cool. My students at Garrett aren’t going to get a position teaching telemark skiing necessarily, but the class really allows them to build their confidence. I’ve never had to cancel a telemark class due to low enrollment. Hardest part about learning tele? Understanding and being able to effectively use the back foot.
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WINTER FUN WILD, WONDERFUL WEST VIRGINIA
YOU’LL FIND IT HERE. Take a snow day in the Mountain State! Share simple joys, like ice skating or first trips down the slopes on fresh powder. Then, cozy up around a crackling mountain fireplace to escape the chill - cocoa included. Discover winter wonder in West Virginia at GoToWV.com/winter.
Canaan Valley, WV 28
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CANAAN VALLEY Winter Vacation is Almost Heaven in West Virginia
With its high alpine passes, cozy towns, and distinctive cuisine, West Virginia’s Canaan Valley region is a winter wonderland escape for all ages. Experience the south’s longest ski trail at Timberline Four Seasons Resort; snowshoe at White Grass; sled through hardwood forests at Blackwater Falls State Park; and go tubing at Canaan Valley Resort. No matter your interests, there are winter favorites for everybody. In fact, you’ll need several days to experience the region in its entirety.
AS FOR FAMILY TIME, NO WINTER IS COMPLETE WITHOUT: Slopeside Lodging
Cozy B&Bs
Book a suite at Canaan Valley Resort or Timberline Four Seasons Resort, or a cabin at Blackwater Falls State Park. Luxurious or rustic, Canaan Valley has your winter escape.
From-scratch breakfasts make every morning a treat at Mountain Primrose. Or, stay at The Purple Fiddle, where you’ll also be able to enjoy dinner and live music.
Trips to Thomas
Dining in Davis
Taste craft beer at Mountain State Brewing Co., hot biscuits at the Flying Pig, and cocoa and lattes at TipTop.
Crave the unexpected? You’ll taste it here. Fuel those snow days with lunch at Hellbender Burritos, followed by a craft beer at Stumptown Ales.
Your winter escape awaits in Canaan Valley. Plan your getaway today at GoToWV.com/winter. D E C E M B E R 2 017 / B L U E R I D G E O U T D O O R S . C O M
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WINTER EVENT GUIDE 2017—2018 RESORT CALENDAR
ALL SEASON Pennsylvania Ski Area Association First Time Ski & Snowboard Program SkiPA makes it easy and affordable for beginners to learn to ski or snowboard this winter with its “FirstTime Ski & Snowboard” program. Available for $59, the program includes a beginner lift ticket, group lesson, and complete rental. For more information, visit our website. SKIPA.COM/DEALS/FIRST-TIMEPROGRAM-DEAL-OFFER
DECEMBER December 16 Hammer Time 90’s Rail Jam: Presented by Smith—Kick the rust off your gear and break out your best 90’s costume for the first freestyle competition of the season! We’ll be rockin’ out to all your 90’s favorites during this rail jam on Skidder Slope. Don’t miss your chance to win cool prizes for best trick and best 90’s costume! SNOWSHOEMTN.COM
December 16-30 Blue Ridge Mountain Christmas Celebrate the most magical time of year at Wintergreen Resort with holiday craft workshops, Santa on the slopes, and story time with Mrs. Claus. Don’t forget to work in time for skiing, riding, and tubing! WINTERGREENRESORT.COM
December 31 New Year’s Eve with Fireworks! Wintergreen Resort is the place to be to welcome in 2018. There’s a party for every style and taste, including the kids. And everyone will enjoy slopeside fireworks— come see the heavens light up! WINTERGREENRESORT.COM
December 31 New Year’s Eve Celebration There will be a DJ at the Copper Kettle, fireworks, a torchlight parade, and an amazing light show on the slopes. BRYCERESORT.COM
JANUARY Every Monday Monday Night Madness Each Monday night (4—9 p.m.) from January 1 through February 26, 2018, ski or ride at Massanutten and contribute to a local charity. It includes: Night Slope-Use Ticket ($20), Night Equipment Rentals ($20), a free beginner group lesson at 5 or 6 p.m. Must be 7 years old to participate in a group lesson. MASSRESORT.COM
Every Friday Stage Wisp Concert Series Kick back after shredding the slopes all day in Wispers Bar with free live entertainment every Friday in January and February at 6:30 p.m. WISPRESORT.COM
January 3 Armed Forces Appreciation Day Military and Veterans receive half off your lift ticket when you show your valid Military/Veteran’s ID. This discount is also extended to immediate family (spouse and children, up to 6 people of person presenting ID). Ticket must be bought on Wednesday at the Ticketing Window and must be attached at the time of purchase. WINTERPLACE.COM
January 9 Ladies Night Want to ski for free and help out a local charity at the same time? Ladies of all ages will receive a free 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Lift Ticket with 10 canned goods or non-perishable items. Come out for a night of fun and recreation to support the Sevier County Food Ministries. OBERGATLINBURG.COM
January 12-15 Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend Visit The Omni Homestead January 12-15 for a weekend filled with magic shows, fascinating culinary experiences, artisan craft classes and more. Enjoy skiing, snowboarding, tubing, ice skating and our new mini snowmobiles, then warm up in our heated pools or make s’mores around the fire. OMNIHOTELS.COM/HOTELS/ HOMESTEAD-VIRGINIA
January 13 BlackStrap Rail Jam Series This three event series (one each in Jan., Feb., Mar.) will crown the top freestyle skier and rider after an overall points series held in the expert Central Park Terrain Park. WISPRESORT.COM
January 20 SheJumps Get the Girls Out at the Nut In partnership with K2 and SheJumps, Massanutten Resort is hosting the 5th Annual “Get the Girls Out at the Nut” on January 20th for International Women’s Ski Day. Women of all ages and abilities are invited to celebrate the power of female camaraderie by having fun on and off the mountain! MASSRESORT.COM
January 26 Ober Rocks A night of music on the slopes! Live music & Slopes open from 10 p.m. - 2 a.m. for a special midnight ski! Hotel packages available. OBERGATLINBURG.COM
January 28, 2018 The Great Cardboard Box Derby For over 30 years, Beech Mountain Resort has hosted the annual Great Cardboard Box Derby, and this year in celebration of our 50th anniversary we are bringing it
back! The competition is sure to be fierce. Historically this event generates a day of creativity, laughter, thrills, and the prospect of winning prizes. BEECHMOUNTAINRESORT.COM
FEBRUARY Every Monday Monday Night Madness Each Monday night (4—9 p.m.) from January 1 through February 26, 2018, ski or ride at Massanutten and contribute to a local charity. It includes: Night Slope-Use Ticket ($20), Night Equipment Rentals ($20), a free beginner group lesson at 5 or 6 p.m. Must be 7 years old to participate in a group lesson. MASSRESORT.COM
Every Friday Stage Wisp Concert Series Kick back after shredding the slopes all day in Wispers Bar with free live entertainment every Friday in January and February at 6:30 p.m. WISPRESORT.COM
February 2-4 The Omni Homestead’s Winterfest Weekend Celebrate Winter with The Omni Homestead’s Winterfest Weekend, February 2-4, 2018. Enjoy some friendly competition with our Homestead Winter Games at the Mountain Lodge. Other activities include artisan craft classes, bingo, a magic show, night skiing and a spectacular fireworks display. OMNIHOTELS.COM/HOTELS/ HOMESTEAD-VIRGINIA
February 3 3rd Annual King of the Mountain Modeled on the Freeride World Tour, King of the Mountain will combine technical skiing and freestyle creativity to determine the best on the mountain. The course will be on Mogul Ridge and the upper half of Castle Run and competitors will be judged on five categories and given 2 runs on the course. The event is free but helmets and waivers are mandatory. Registration will start at 10 AM at the Slope Gate and the event will run from 11AM to 1 PM, with awards immediately following the conclusion in “The Loft.” We
will be crowning a King of Mountain skier and snowboarder as well as a Queen of the Mountain. OBERGATLINBURG.COM
February 9-11 & 23-25 Gold Medal Weekends Cheer on your favorite USA Teams and Athletes for the opening and closing weekends of the 2018 Winter Games. There will be games, competitions, torch light parades, giveaways, and lots of Gold Medals! USA! USA! WISPRESORT.COM
February 16–19 Presidents’ Day Weekend Spend Presidents’ Day Weekend in the mountains of Virginia at the iconic Omni Homestead Resort. Experience a fun-filled getaway with family-friendly activities such as magic shows, juggling performances and artisan craft classes. Plus, enjoy skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, tubing and mini snowmobiles at our scenic Mountain Lodge. OMNIHOTELS.COM/HOTELS/ HOMESTEAD-VIRGINIA
February 17 BlackStrap Rail Jam Series This three event series (one each in Jan, Feb, March) will crown the top freestyle skier and rider after an overall points series held in the expert Central Park Terrain Park. WISPRESORT.COM
February 27 Emergency Service Personnel Appreciation Day Police officers, fire fighters, EMT, Hospital Personnel. You will receive half off your lift ticket when you show your valid Employee ID. This discount is also extended to immediate family (spouse and children, up to 6 people of person presenting ID). Ticket must be bought on Tuesday at the Ticketing Window and must be attached at the time of purchase. WINTERPLACE.COM
MARCH March 1 Ladies Day & Collegiate Day College students, faculty, and staff, plus ladies will receive half off their lift ticket when they show a valid
College ID. Tickets must be bought on Thursday at the Ticketing Window and must be attached at the time of purchase. WINTERPLACE.COM
March 2-4 Homegrown Music Festival: A celebration of the region’s best musicians, artisans and local talent. Enjoy live music and unique games all across the mountain all weekend long. SNOWSHOEMTN.COM
March 3 BlackStrap Rail Jam Series This three event series (one each in Jan, Feb, March) will crown the top freestyle skier and rider after an overall points series held in the expert Central Park Terrain Park. WISPRESORT.COM
March 4 Spring Fling Ober Gatlinburg’s traditional spring celebration returns for another season! Pond skimming, giant slalom, jump competition, plenty of food and drinks, and cool vendors will all be on display. Registration will start in February and there will be loads of great prizes up for grabs. Compete against your friends or just come out for a fun day in the sun! Sponsors to be announced. OBERGATLINBURG.COM
March 10 Winterfest Our season end celebration features activities for the kids, plenty of crazy costumes, live music on the slopes, a bar made out of snow and concludes with our feature event, Pond Skimming in what is sure to be fun for the whole family. BRYCERESORT.COM
March 9-11 Ballhooter Spring Break Festival An unforgettable spring break (that you may not remember). We’ll have free Village concerts, on slope competitions, games, food and drink specials and more. SNOWSHOEMTN.COM
FOR MORE FUN EVENTS VISIT BLUERIDGEOUTDOORS.COM
E D I S T U O O G . . . Y A L P D AN
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IN THE WEST VIRGINIA SNOW! ENTER TO WIN AN AMAZING WINTER SKI PACKAGE FROM ONE OF 3 WEST VIRGINIA RESORTS* *SOME RESTRICTIONS APPLY
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RUNNERS UP - FOUR WINNERS WILL RECEIVE A $50 GIFT CARD TO THE SKI BARN
ENTER TO WIN: BLUERIDGEOUTDOORS.COM
SECRETS OF SNOWMAKING THE
HOW ARE RESORTS COPING WITH THE PRESSURE OF WARMER WINTERS? BY JESS DADDIO
I
t’s 10:30 pm when we arrive at Seven Springs Mountain Resort’s mountain operations headquarters. I’m one of a half-dozen group of visiting writers and bloggers, here to get a behind the scenes glimpse at what it takes to make snow. Together, we waddle into the shop like penguins, bracing against the violent wind. Kirk Russell, the Seven Springs Mountain Manager, is there to greet us. His broad build fills the doorframe. Dressed head to toe in Carhartt brown, his cheeks flushed from the constant freeze-thaw cycle of working outdoors, he gives our puffy-clad group a bemused smile. “What, is it cold outside?” he says in that endearing Pittsburghian way, where ‘out’ sounds more like ‘aht’ and the intonation suggests he already knows the answer. He
COURTESY OF SEVEN SPRINGS MOUNTAIN RESORT
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CATALOOCHEE DEPENDS ON SNOWMAKING TO PROVIDE 90% OF THE MOUNTAIN’S SNOW. OBER GATLINBURG RELIES ON SNOWMAKING TO PROVIDE OVER 95% OF ITS SNOW BASE.
IN THE SOUTH, EVERY MINUTE COUNTS WHEN IT COMES TO SNOWMAKING. COURTESY OF CATALOOCHEE SKI AREA
laughs and ushers us inside. The shop floor is open and sparse in a utilitarian kind of way with large garage doors and ceilings tall enough to accommodate a couple of snowcats. There’s one parked there now, its engine purring, and we shuffle into the office as it backs out into the darkness of night. “We used to have a wood stove in the shop, but we got rid of it because everyone would sit by it and thaw out and not want to go back outside,” says Russell. “Your coats get frozen to where you can hardly move your arms, like that kid in The Christmas Story. The smart guys take their frozen coats and stand them up outside while they take a break. A frozen coat is warmer than a wet coat.” After 37 years of making snow at Seven Springs, Russell is full of other such anecdotal wisdom, which he dispenses to his crew like a grandfather would his grandchildren. In snowmaking expertise, Russell comes second only
to the industry’s godfather, and his own mentor, Herman Dupré. The son of Adolph Dupré, a German immigrant who settled on Seven Springs Farm and opened his property to skiers in the late 1930s, Herman was a master tinkerer. In 1960, Seven Springs installed their own double chairlift and snowmaking system, both of which were Herman Dupré’s designs. Dupré later held 34 patents for his snowmaking systems, and that, in turn, evolved into HKD (for Herman Kress Dupré) Snowmakers, North America’s leading manufacturer of snowmaking technology. The company’s first product, the HKD Standard, was the first snowgun to be used ubiquitously in ski resorts. Now, the HKD SV10 is making its mark as one of the most energyefficient guns available. Russell knows this because he’s built many of HKD’s guns from the ground up. “They needed someone who
could weld, and that’s what got me in the shop,” Russell tells me later on the phone. “That was nice back then, because you weren’t outside freezing. Frostbite is no fun,” but, as Russell says, it comes with the territory. “If you get sprayed in the face with water at five degrees, it pretty much freezes instantly. It doesn’t take long walkin’ around with a frozen face for frostbite to get ya.” Our group trails behind Russell as he heads back outside. The thermometer reads a balmy 20 degrees, but with the wind, it feels well below that. He leads us to a snow gun and, with a few switch flips, brings it roaring to life. A wide jet of snow comes blasting out from the gun. He looks up at it, beaming. “Well don’t just stand there,” he says, turning abruptly back toward the group. “Get up in there and see for yourself.” Hesitantly, I step into the line of fire, er, snow. The force of the gun nearly
knocks me down. Russell comes up and tugs at the hood of my jacket. “Don’t want this stuff falling down your neck,” he says, “although it does pack a better punch than coffee. Just look at how it brushes right off your jacket. This is the good stuff.” It’s light and fluffy and beautiful and I tell him as much, but my cheeks are starting to lose feeling. I step back out of the blast, but Russell stays put. Over the snow gun’s grumble, unfazed by its arctic squall, he launches into an impressively thorough summary of Seven Springs’ snowmaking operations: how the resort stores water in 40 collection ponds on the property including the main “stomach” Lake Tahoe; how the water is pumped from Lake Tahoe to the snow guns at a rate of almost 20,000 gallons of water per minute; that the resort’s 1,200 snow guns use less than 20 cubic feet of air per minute (cfm); that it takes 200,000 gallons of water to cover an acre of ground in one foot of snow; how over
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WE NEED TO HAVE THE MOST FIREPOWER ON THE HILL TO PUT AS MUCH SNOW ON THE GROUND AS POSSIBLE IN THE LEAST AMOUNT OF TIME. —PHILLIP FUCHS,
CATALOOCHEE SKI AREA, N.C.
SEVEN SPRINGS' PORTABLE SNOW GUNS ALLOW KIRK RUSSELL AND HIS SNOWMAKING TEAM TO MOVE THE SNOW WHEN THEY NEED IT, WHERE THEY NEED IT. COURTESY OF SEVEN SPRINGS MOUNTAIN RESORT
the course of the winter, the resort will use 350 million gallons of water and drain Lake Tahoe at least three times. Shivering, trying desperately to absorb the facts, I can’t help but fixate on Russell’s total nonchalance of the elements. Small mounds of snow have accumulated on his shoulders, his beard a literal ice cube. I’m cold just looking at him. “Aren’t you freezing?” I finally ask. “Oh, once you build a layer of ice on ya, it insulates you to the point where you do stay warm.” Still, he admits, it’s not easy being out on the mountain all hours of the night in the middle of winter. “It’s hard to get people who are willing to do this type of work.” Philip Fuchs, Assistant Mountain Manager at Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley, N.C., knows the feeling. Fuchs has been at the resort for 18 years, and he says of all of the hurdles southern resorts face, finding reliable snowmaking employees is one of the biggest. “If I’m just pulling an application out of the file and doing interviews, I’ve brought plenty of people on like that, straight off the street, but they usually make it about two weeks,” says Fuchs. Between constant exposure to the cold and long 12-hour shifts, usually from 6pm to 6am when temperatures are coldest, making snow is hard, often thankless work. But as the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic continue to have 36
record warm winters, snowmaking is more important now than ever before. Cataloochee depends on snowmaking to provide 90% of the mountain’s snow. Farther west, Tennessee’s Ober Gatlinburg, which sits between 2,700 and 3,300 feet in elevation, relies on snowmaking to provide over 95% of its snow base. “There’s no snow, there’s no skiing,” says Fuchs. “We need to have the most firepower on the hill to put as much snow on the ground as possible in the least amount of time,” and that, he says, takes one thing: money.
The Economics of Snow
In 2015, RRC Associates, a research firm contracted by the National Ski Areas Association, released an economic impact study on North Carolina’s ski industry. Its report found that the 20142015 ski season brought $197.2 million to the state, a 35.1 percent increase compared to the 2009-2010 season ($145.9 million). The findings came as a welcome surprise. That same year, skiing nationwide was down by 5%. The Southeast ski scene, too, was down by 1.4%, but North Carolina’s was up a whopping 7.5%. There’s a two-fold answer as to why North Carolina’s skiing has seen such startling growth while other naturally snowier states are struggling. North Carolina resorts see a
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younger, more novice audience, largely due to the fact that the Southeast is the fastest growing region in the nation. But more importantly, North Carolina’s resorts have prioritized reinvesting profits back into the property, which means nicer facilities, better snow, and an increased likelihood that those beginner skiers will return again. Because North Carolina does not receive as much natural snowfall as other states, resorts have been forced out of necessity to upgrade their snowmaking equipment in order to stay competitive. Cataloochee’s President Chris Bates recognized this necessary evil early on in his tenure, and in 2005, the resort automated nearly all of the snow guns on the mountain. “When I first started here 18 years ago, our snowmaking system was probably about one-third of what it is today,” he says. “We only had two lifts at that time, where now we have three. We had about 10 trails and we ski on 18 now. We were only skiing 80 to 90 days a season, where now we’re averaging around 130 days of skiing every year.” That total overhaul, which involved purchasing 110 snowmaking machines and replacing many of the resort’s air and water lines, wasn’t cheap. Over the course of five years, Bates estimates that Cataloochee spent about $15 million in snowmaking upgrades alone. And it doesn’t stop there. Although most tower guns could last up to 30
years with minimum maintenance required, snowmaking technology is improving at such a rapid rate that those guns become antiquated well before then. Cataloochee’s snow guns are only 13 years old, and Bates says the resort is again in the process of updating that machinery. “In the last two years we’ve already replaced about one-third of that equipment and we’ll continue to do that because the new stuff is just a step better than what we had before,” he says. “Our investment in the equipment is 100% responsible for extending our season close to double what it was.”
The Future of Snowmaking
The equipment that Cataloochee has so wisely invested in is proof alone that the snowmaking industry is continuing to evolve in response to the pressures of climate change. While water is certainly a heavily used resource in the snowmaking process, over 80% of that water is returned to the resort’s holding ponds once it melts off of the slopes. The water is pumped, filtered, and recycled again for snowmaking use. Unlike resorts in arid, drier states out west, most Southeastern resorts can rely on rain to account for that 20% lost to evaporation. It’s air, not water, which presents the biggest problem. Compressed
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allow Ober to open up its tubing park before Thanksgiving, and as Godwin says, every minute counts. Back at Seven Springs, and in the warmth of the shop, I ask Kirk Russell what the next chapter holds for snowmaking. The industry has come a long way since the days of diesel air compressors chugging 15 gallons of fuel an hour. Still, as global warming continues to manifest itself in the form of droughts and above-average temperatures, can resorts keep up? The best snow guns on the market already have their own weather stations, which allow snowmakers to make the most out of optimal conditions, if only for a few hours. Though Ober, Cataloochee, and Seven Springs all depend on the grid, progressive-minded resorts like Mount Abram up in Maine are increasing sustainability measures by installing solar panels in parking lots to supplement energy usage. Ski resorts everywhere are looking to diversification (most notably in the form of downhill mountain biking) to relieve pressure on the ski season to provide. If resorts can achieve that optimum trifecta of maintaining reliable snowmaking staff, continuing to invest in energy saving equipment, and expanding off-season activities on the mountain, Russell thinks that, yes, resorts can keep up, “but it’s not going to happen overnight.”
The MounTain awaiTs You
AFTER 37 YEARS OF MAKING SNOW AT SEVEN SPRINGS, KIRK RUSSELL IS READY FOR ANYTHING. COURTESY OF SEVEN SPRINGS MOUNTAIN RESORT
massanutten
air requires a lot of energy, which is why resorts are switching to automated snow guns that use substantially less compressed air than older models. Early snow guns used anywhere from 450 to 1,000cfm, where newer guns use anywhere from 20 to 140cfm. That means resorts can run more guns and make more snow with less energy. “The guns with automation really let you get your product out there a lot quicker,” says Ober Gatlinburg’s Nighttime Snowmaking Supervisor Charlie Godwin. “You can turn on 100 guns within minutes, whereas if you have guys out there on the mountain turning [the guns] on manually, it could take them anywhere from three to five hours. Here in the South, every minute counts.” Ober recently purchased a SnowMagic unit that can crank out 150 tons of snow in 24 hours, even when it’s 65 degrees and sunny. When I spoke to Godwin in October, he had already been running the 150-ton unit, plus three smaller 50-ton SnowMagic units that the resort is leasing, for two weeks. It’s not the most affordable or efficient route to go: the 150-ton unit costs upwards of $400,000, compared to the average $45,000 fully automated snow gun, and covering an entire ski run in snow would require an inordinate amount of energy— that one machine uses 400 kilowatts per hour and 32 gallons of water per minute. At the very least, the combined units do
Only 2 hours from Richmond, VA & Washington, DC
Whether it’s your first time or you’re a seasoned pro, Massanutten is the place to be this winter. With more
weekly specials and lessons, and endless combinations of lodging and mountain fun, you’ll find water for snowmaking,
Massanutten Resort is the perfect fit for any adventure.
MassResort.com/Specials Winter is coming at Massanutten and you’re invited.
See you on the mountain!
540.289.4954 | MassResort.com
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WINTER IS HERE GET THE GEAR YOU NEED
WE HAVE ALL YOUR FAVORITE BRANDS
ON THE SLOPES? SHOP AT OUR WINTERGREEN LOCATIONS FREESTYLE | 434-325-1183
TRAIL BLAZERS | 434-325-2199
475 Westfield Rd. | Charlottesville, VA | 22901 | freestyleonline.com | 434.978.4091
No SNOW? NO PROBLEM. BY JESS DADDIO
HERE ARE 12 SNOWLESS ADVENTURES THAT WILL KEEP YOUR WINTER WANDERLUST SATISFIED TILL IT’S SNOWING OR SPRINGTIME.
lukewarm 50°F - 60°F SEND SANDSTONE. Now that the swarms of fall break tourists have retreated back to their respective climbing gyms, the crags are blissfully quiet. For the truly dedicated climber, winter is one of the best seasons for climbing in the Southeast. Active bodies stay cooler, feet sweat less, and rubber soles grip better. Walls that are normally too exposed and too hot to climb in the summer become the perfect spots to post up for an afternoon of winter cragging.
WHERE TO GO: Chattanooga, Tenn., has it all: classic cracks, plentiful boulderfields, climber-friendly hostels like the The Crash Pad, and a youthful downtown scene to boot. Tennessee Wall (trad), Sunset Park (trad), Foster Falls (sport), and Stone Fort (boulder) have the highest concentration of quality routes close to town. For a truly unique bouldering experience, take your chances with the weather and head north to Summersville Lake, a popular sport climbing destination outside of Fayetteville, W.Va. In the wintertime, the lake level drops and exposes huge swaths of shoreline littered with boulders. GRIND GRAVEL. Swap out the fat tires
this winter and get on board with one of the fastest growing sectors of the bike industry, gravel riding. Over the past five years, gravel grinding has matured from a quiet niche to a respected cycling discipline unto its own. Why? Because churning out long days in the saddle over mixed terrain taps into the very core of what it means to be human—adventure, adversity, accomplishment. It’s hard not to feel satisfied after covering some major ground through sheer will and pedal power. MAKE THE MOST OF MILD TEMPS THIS SEASON BY LOGGING LONG MILES ON GRAVEL ROADS. ALL PHOTOS BY JESS DADDIO
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WHERE TO GO: Whip out a map and connect as many Forest Service roads as you can for a DIY adventure. For those just starting out, Ride With GPS has a number of routes that trace some of the area’s best gravel grinding races like the Stokesville Strade (Virginia) and the Bootlegger 100 (North Carolina), both of which take place in the spring. LAP RIVERS. While paddlers out west have long hung up their dry suits for ski pants, boaters here are just starting to ramp things up. Though most people associate springtime with rain, the winter months of December and January can bring just as much rainfall. In Brevard, N.C., for example, home of the rowdy Horsepasture River (class V), December (6.38 inches) is the third wettest month after March (6.5 inches) and January (6.42 inches).
WHERE TO GO: Even though the recreational release season is over, dam-controlled rivers like the Russell Fork in Kentucky can still be expected to flow. Other regional rivers that regularly run in the wintertime include the Watauga River near Boone, N.C., 40
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the Top Yough outside of Friendsville, Md., and Wilson Creek near Morganton, N.C. These sections of river are all less than five miles in length, so lap them till the sun goes down for a full day of whitewater. CATCH THE GIANTS. For years,
seasoned “catmen” have trolled river channels and lakes during the winter months in search of mammoth catfish. Until recently, these dutiful few had the water all to themselves, but it’s now widely regarded in the angling community that late fall and winter can provide some prime conditions for landing blue, channel, and white cats. Follow schools of shad and look for deep holes in the main river channel during the day or shallow flats at night. WHERE TO GO: Virginia’s James River is home to some really big blue cats ranging anywhere from 30 to 50 pounds in size. But for the really really big cats, journey south to Tennessee’s Lake Barkley, where the state-record blue catfish (caught in 1998) weighed in at 112 pounds, just 4 pounds shy of the current world record. Kentucky Lake,
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A PADDLER NAVIGATES THE BOULDER-STREWN WATERS OF THE RUSSELL FORK GORGE IN KENTUCKY.
which is just west of Lake Barkley, is also a premier catfishing destination.
unifying. Just be sure to check with your doctor before taking the plunge, and no cannonballs.
cool 40°F - 50°F
WHERE TO GO: Next month, thousands of people will start the New Year off with a polar plunge. Lake Lure and Atlantic Beach, N.C., organize their cold dips on the first of the year, while other events DO A COLD DIP. Admittedly, taking a like WinterFest at Chetola Resort will plunge in freezing cold water in the dead of winter sounds counterintuitive host a polar plunge later in January. If you need a good reason to freeze, (if not downright ludicrous). And Special Olympics Virginia also puts on despite the numerous health benefits its Polar Plunge Festival series starting claimed by ardent dippers—a boost December 2, 2017, in Charlottesville, to the immune system, improvements Va., and continuing throughout 2018 to cardiovascular circulation, and an in Radford, Richmond, Dumfries, and increased metabolism, just to name a few—cold dips shouldn’t be considered Virginia Beach. a magical cure-all, especially for those with a family history of heart conditions. PLAN A BACKPACKING TRIP. Hardcore winter camping—the kind where you’re That’s not to say that cold dips are post-holing for miles in knee-deep unsafe. People have been “winter snow, wiping your butt with snowballs, bathing” since the famed publisher and putting on frozen boots in the Bernarr MacFadden founded Coney Island Polar Bear Club in 1903. If nothing morning—is not for everyone (or really else, cold-water submersion is certainly anyone). It’s what we call “type II fun” : miserable in the moment yet somehow refreshing and invigorating. When quixotic when the suffering is (way done with a crowd of half-naked or costumed strangers, the experience can far) behind you. Have some “type I be entirely too much fun and strangely fun” instead this winter by taking a D E C E M B E R 2 017 / B L U E R I D G E O U T D O O R S . C O M
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FREE WEEKEND? CHECK. CAMPING GEAR? CHECK. PUPPY SNUGGLES? CHECK.
backpacking trip in tolerably cool weather. You’ll be moving enough to stay warm during the day and it’s cold enough to justify building a campfire and sipping on whiskey at night. WHERE TO GO: If magical evergreen forests are what you’re after, head to the Cranberry Wilderness near Richwood, W.Va. Because it’s a wilderness area, you won’t find much in the way of trail signage and the trails themselves will likely be overgrown or barricaded in spider webs. Bring hard maps and extra socks. If big mountain views are more to your liking, head south to Panthertown Valley in North Carolina’s Nantahala National Forest. The 6,300-acre recreation area is pockmarked with massive granite walls and equally stunning waterfalls, some of which form the headwaters of the Tuckasegee River. HEAD TO THE COAST. Maybe it feels like
a copout to head to the coast when the weather turns sour, but hey, if birds can do it, so can we. With the beachgoing madness long in the rearview mirror, oceanfront lodging can actually be affordable and the atmosphere quite pleasant. Though much of the beachfront in the Southeast and MidAtlantic is covered up in boardwalks and development, there are many miles of protected coastline to remind us of how special and important our beaches are.
THE RIVER TOWN OF FAYETTEVILLE, W.VA., IS LEADING THE CHARGE IN THE SOUTHEAST RIVER SURFING SCENE.
WHERE TO GO: We like South Carolina for its diverse landscape: estuaries, sand dunes, freshwater wetlands, bottomland hardwood swamps, longleaf pine forests. Explore Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge by boat and watch for sightings of alligators bathing and wintering black skimmers feasting. Boneyard Beach on Bulls Island is best seen at sunrise, where sun bleached remnants of oak trees rise impossibly from the sand like a forest of skeletons.
cold 32°F - 40°F HIT THE TRAIL. As the mercury drops on the thermometer and daylight fades faster, a quick midday trail run can be a godsend, even if you don’t necessarily like running. Make time, at least a half hour, to get outside and burn some steam. Even if it’s cold and raining, it won’t take long to get the blood pumping.
WHERE TO GO: Anywhere! Hopefully you live in an active community like Asheville, N.C., or Roanoke, Va., where greenways and trail systems (like Bent Creek Experimental Forest outside of Asheville or Mill Mountain Park in Roanoke) are just minutes from downtown. If you can’t get motivated on your own, find a friend. Both of these cities have well established running
scenes that regularly host group runs nearly every night of the week. Fleet Feet Sports has locations in both Asheville and Roanoke, and their weekly pub runs are a fun way to keep moving. GIVE BACK. If you’re anything like us, we know you’ve put some wear and tear on your local trails and rivers in the past year. Why not spend your next Saturday giving back to those places you love so dearly? As national parks, state parks, and the Forest Service continue to struggle with funding, volunteer trail maintenance is needed now more than ever. Step up, give back, and appreciate the hard work that goes into creating and maintaining spaces to go outside and play.
WHERE TO GO: Start by contacting your local trail or paddling club. In Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, for example, the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition regularly organizes trail maintenance days in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. Down in Knoxville, Tenn., the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club logs countless hours of volunteer labor on the city’s urban trail system. SEARCH FOR SURF. You don’t have to
road trip to the beach to get pitted. Over the past few years, river surfing— that is, surfing on river features with a
surfboard or standup paddleboard— has spiked in popularity out west. The good news is that the Southeast has tons of river surfing potential. The bad news is that you usually have to wait till it’s freezing cold and/or raining for the levels to come in. Bring a 3/2mm wetsuit. You’ll need it. WHERE TO GO: Fayetteville, W.Va., has always been a hub for whitewater enthusiasts, mostly raft guides and kayakers. But now, standup paddleboarders rival playboaters in numbers when the surf is in. Those who are new to the sport should take a day and hike into the Lower Gauley River for some eddy service surf action at Diagonal Ledges. For the more experienced surfer, head to the New River Dries for high-volume, big (I’m talking terrifyingly big) waves.
freezing <32°F GO FOREST BATHING. This used to be called going for a hike, but apparently even those of use who consider ourselves “outdoorsy” were too tuned in to Instagram and too tuned out of nature to fully absorb our surroundings. Enter forest bathing, which does not involve any bathing or water whatsoever. Forest bathing is less of a hike and more of a mindful,
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Trying to reach active outdoor enthusiasts, adventure seekers, and gear junkies?
Did You Know: • 85% of our readers use • Blue Ridge Outdoors is BRO to plan adventures distributed in 9 states and to purchase and Metro DC, but you can also geo-target if outdoor gear! you would like to reach a specific We caremarket about preserving and celebrating our public
This Vest Gives Back. lands and through our 1% for the Planet membership
• Our readers take over 4 1% of our sales to groups like we have donated adventure trips each Lynnhaven Riveryear Now to create positive change for the
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Trying to reach active outdoor enthusiasts, adventure seekers, and gear junkies?
Did You Know: • Blue Ridge Outdoors is distributed in 9 states and Metro DC, but you can also geo-target if you would like to reach a specific market • Our readers take over 4 adventure trips each year
• Our readers spend over $300,000,000 on gear annually • 85% of our readers use BRO to plan adventures and to purchase outdoor gear!
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B L U E R I D G E O U T D O O R S / D E C E M B E R 2 017 / R I C H M O N D - V I R G I N I A B E A C H E D I T I O N
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FOREST BATHING HAS THE POWER TO HEAL OUR SOULS AND ALSO REDUCE BLOOD PRESSURE.
meditative wandering. The goal is not to walk far or to even have a destination in mind. By simply being present and paying attention to all of nature’s sounds, smells, sights, and textures, studies show that forest bathers can significantly reduce blood pressure and stress hormones. WHERE TO GO: The beauty of forest bathing is that it literally can be done anywhere there’s a cluster of trees. You don’t need a trail. You don’t need a map. You don’t need to plan a weekend getaway to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, either. Find a moderately forested city park close to where you live or work and just be. Be and breathe. TRY ICE-SKATING. This is such an easy
and affordable way to get the family out, even when it’s bitterly cold. Most skating rinks charge $15 or less for admission and skate rental, with “family of four” packages offering even more of a discount. If you’re an adult and you’ve never tried ice-skating before, this is the year to do it, if not for yourself than for the spirit of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics. You might not be landing seven triple jumps like Michelle Kwan, but at least you’ll have an appreciation for the sport’s graceful athletes.
WHERE TO GO: Outdoor skating rinks are relatively common up and down the eastern seaboard, so you shouldn’t have to travel far to find one. Wisp Resort’s ice rink at Mountain Park is plenty big at 50’ x 85’ with a bonfire area to keep the kids cozy. Even urban dwellers in most major cities can hit the ice. Holiday on Ice is located smack downtown (or should we say uptown?) in Charlotte, N.C. BONUS ADVENTURE: TAKE A DRINKING TOUR. When in doubt, rent a bus (or
bribe one of your friends to DD) and drink your winter blues away. With new breweries, cideries, distilleries, and wineries seemingly popping up overnight, you have plenty of destinations to choose from.
WHERE TO GO: Central Virginia and Western North Carolina are hands down leading the charge when it comes to quantity and quality of craft beverage facilities. Check out Cville Hop On Tours, which shuttles visitors up and down Nelson 151 and the Brew Ridge Trail, home to six Virginian breweries, five wineries, a cidery, and now a distillery. Similarly, Asheville Brewery Tours escorts out-of-towners by passenger van on either a threeor four-stop tour of the city’s many breweries and cideries.
All Shows Begin at 10pm I Individual Cover Charges May Apply I Ages 21 and Up with Valid ID I SNOWSHOEMTN.COM D E C E M B E R 2 017 / B L U E R I D G E O U T D O O R S . C O M
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LAST WORD
IS OUTDOOR WRITING DEAD? THERE HAS TO BE MORE THAN BEER, BACKPACKS, AND BIKES. WHO WILL TAKE THE REINS OF A LOST GENERATION OF GREAT OUTDOOR WRITERS? BY PETER KRAY
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KEVIN HOWDESHELL
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grew up on the writing of Jack London, Beryl Markham, Mark Twain, James Fenimore Cooper, J.R.R. Tolkien, Zora Neal Hurston and Louis L’Amour. As a kid growing up outdoors, the worlds of White Fang, Huck Finn, West with the Night, the Sacketts and even Middle Earth were easily imagined, and more easily accessed just by heading up a wooded trail. From a dog named Buck to the vagabond slave-saving son of the town drunk to a hobbit named Frodo, every hero of my bookish youth was forged by nature, and each set out into the unknown on a quest to complete some Herculean task, along the way discovering the deep reservoir of strength he or she possessed. Even more compelling to me is how when you put all these books together, you realize that nature itself is the main character, influencing almost every turn of the plot—our planet’s chief protagonist. One way to read the Lord of the Rings is as an allegory about a young tree hugger trying to stop a demonic developer in a dark tower from turning the world into a parking lot. John Muir’s essays about the timeless trance of being outdoors were part of my wilderness enlightenment, too, his Wilderness Essays sitting atop my father’s desk. As was Edward Abbey’s brazen honesty about the beauty of littering the highway with beer cans—“It’s not the beer cans that are ugly; it’s the highway that’s ugly”— in Desert Solitaire and The Monkey Wrench Gang, and this beautiful statement: “The earth, like the sun, like the air, belongs to everyone—and no one.” You can even throw in a little Thoreau, although, to a mountain man like me, he’s always seemed too citified and milquetoast. If there’s a problem here, and I think there is, it’s that all these books were written more than 40 years ago—some more than 100 years ago—and all
I’VE GOT NOTHING AGAINST GOOD BEER OR GOOD MUSIC. BUT AS OUTDOOR WRITERS, WE SEEM TO HAVE LOST SIGHT OF THE TRUE REASON FOR BEING OUTDOORS, AND THE PERSPECTIVE IT GIVES US ABOUT THE POTENTIAL MEANING OF LIFE. their authors have long since gone to dust. At a time when nature is under withering assault from “greedheads, land-rapers and other human jackals,” as Hunter S. Thompson so aptly put it, outdoor writing seems to be more focused on craft beer, jam band
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festivals, and camping hammocks. I’ve got nothing against good beer or good music. But we outdoor writers seem to have lost sight of the true reason for being outdoors—and the perspective it gives us about the potential meaning of life. Rather than penning paeans to the transcendent euphoria of standing on a peak, we focus instead on how quickly someone climbed it. We do features on how to train for your fastest ultra-whatever, and fill page after page after page with endless reviews of outdoor equipment.
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s the co-founder of a website called Gear Institute, I’m more than a little guilty here. The truth is, people like to read reviews—of beer, backpacks, and bikes. It also helps pay the bills, and for magazines like Blue Ridge Outdoors, creates space for more articles about public spaces, wildlands and columns like this. For writers like me, it creates more space to find, celebrate and even write some of the same kind of outdoor
literature that brought me down this path—which, I’m happy to report, actually does still exist. There are indeed more than a few shining voices in this journalistic wilderness: Jon Krakauer, author of Into Thin Air and Under the Banner of Heaven, comes to mind, as does Elizabeth Kolbert’s harrowing The Sixth Extinction and William Finnegan’s Barbarian Days, an excellent odyssey of a life spent surfing some of the world’s best breaks, although when it comes to great outdoor literature, surfing and climbing have always been ahead of the pack. When I posed the “what’s happened to outdoor writing?” question to my editorially inclined friends, many blamed the low pay and short shelf life of digital media. Of course, if you write just to get paid, then you follow the work. If you write to explain how it feels to be outside in the world, then just maybe, sometimes you can create an experience as clear and pure as nature itself.
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SOLO RUNNING NORTHBOUND INTO THE GREAT Smoky Mountains, Joe “Stringbean” McConaughy started to show signs of rhabdomyolysis, or “rabdo” as it’s known in the ultrarunning community. The condition is caused by excess muscle breakdown, and if left untreated, can permanently damage your kidneys. “They say it’s bad when your pee turns red, and that happened an hour later,” he went on. There in North Carolina, only a few hundred miles into his 2,190-mile journey, was the first moment Joe truly questioned if he could even complete his journey, much less break the speed record set by Karl “Speedgoat” Meltzer on September 18, 2016. “My heart was always in it,” he said, “but it became more a question of, ‘Can I keep this up?’” As a lot of luck and unfathomable grit would have it, McConaughy crested the northern terminus of the A.T., Maine’s Mount Katahdin, in 45 days, 12 hours, and 15 minutes, setting a new overall fastest known time. He did it all without a single sponsor and without a crew. He carried everything needed on his back, only picking up the next section’s food and supplies at pre-planned waypoints, just like countless traditional thru-hikers before him. McConaughy's record-breaking run required averaging 50 miles per day, and in accounting for inevitable setbacks along the way, he had to somehow pull off an unbroken 37-hour, 110.8-mile push to the finish. While such a feat may seem inhuman to most of us, it was the culmination of meticulous planning, years of conditioning, and an enormous, humble heart. McConaughy is no stranger to the nation’s top trails. The Seattle native took to the woods as a Boy Scout, and those early experiences sparked what became a lifelong passion. While attending college in Boston, he got to know what
JOE STRINGBEAN MCCONAGHEY SMASHES THE OVERALL A.T. SPEED RECORD—WITHOUT ANY CREW, SPONSORS, OR SUPPORT ALONG THE WAY. BY NATALIE STICKEL
STRINGBEAN'S SECRETS What’s the one piece of gear you couldn’t go without? My Mountain Laurel Design bivy was essential. A bivy was a little claustrophobic, but by the end I had embraced it as my hobo home that you can set up anywhere. Favorite trail fuel? Oreos or Pop-Tarts are way up there in my list, but it is hard to beat chocolate-covered almonds.
he notes are some of the most beautiful sections of the Appalachian Trail. By the time he got the idea to attempt the AT speed record, he had thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and gone on several runs in Maine’s White Mountains. He had varying expectations for the A.T., one of the oldest long trails in the United States. In sorting through opinion and fact, McConaughy says, “Everywhere you go, everyone thinks they have the toughest mountains.” While countless hikers compare the two, each trail is challenging in its own way. The PCT’s remoteness, terrain, and often unpredictable climate weeds out many would-be hikers. But in the northeast, the A.T. is rocky and heavily rooted, a far cry from the many carefully designed and graded sections of the PCT. After his PCT trip, McConaughy expected injury and was ready to embrace the dark moments, but while section hiking the White Mountains, he
JOE “STRINGBEAN” MCCONAUGHY TAKES A BREAK IN THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS.
realized there’s truth to how difficult many easterners claim their long trail is. Either way, no matter how hard or how easy it feels at any given time, he says, “you’re always pushing yourself as hard as you can go.” While most of the PCT traces California, he says, on the A.T., “each state is its own little microcosm.” Southern summer rainstorms and relentless humidity from Georgia to Virginia caught him off guard. Pennsylvania is dubbed “Rocksylvania” by A.T. regulars. New Hampshire is rugged; Maine, eerily remote. The mud seems endless in Vermont. Massachusetts, he recalls, was allencompassing, the route steeped in Revolutionary War history, fun trail towns, a few ice cream shops, and farms selling
Did you listen to music? Favorite artists/tracks? No music! I didn’t have any electricity to waste. “Ways to Go” by Grouplove was a song that’d I’d always get stuck in my head and hum. How many bear sightings? 16! How often, if ever, did you shower? I stayed in three Trailside hotels and showered at each one. That was it! I did try to bathe in rivers along the way. Favorite stretch of the trail? Tough question—I might have to go with Shenandoah National Park. But there were so many amazing places. Would you do it again? Yes, but to hike it.
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delicious food. “The trail itself is a part of the nation’s history,” he adds. “At the end of the day, it is such a historic and monumental thing to do no matter how you do it.” But what defines the A.T. for Stringbean is its community. Inevitably on a monumental quest like his, soaring highs accompany the lowest lows. It was these inspiring moments that assured Joe he could accomplish his goal. There’s the famous Omelette Guy in Vermont, one of many trail angels, who sets up his breakfast stand all season to make omelettes for hungry hikers with as many eggs as they can count (homemade cornbread muffins included). It’s this trail magic, the special brand of synchronicity only found there, that allowed McConaughy to “stumble upon things when I needed them most.” His only regret is his inability to repay the favors of the many people he met along the way, whether thanking them through his company or by paying it forward. To his critics who insist that aiming for a speed record causes one to miss the whole point of the trail, McConaughy says simply that no,
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he didn’t miss out. “I did it the way I wanted to.” On the trail, he muses, “you have so much time to yourself. You get grand ideas, and once you’re back in the ‘real’ world and wanting to execute those ideas, you don’t realize how you truly spend your time and how easily it gets away from you.” While his physical recovery stretches on, Stringbean is mentally decompressed from the monumental run, having started working just four days off the trail. Like many athletes, work helps him to quickly find a renewed purpose not linked to the finish. After any extended travel or completed goal, “It’s over," he says. "It ends, and it’s just so abrupt." It’s a familiar story that leads many down dark roads in the ensuing weeks, but thanks to his support system and getting back to the grind, McConaughy enjoyed his first run at the end of September, “high on life again.” During the first half of his journey, back in North Carolina, he was afraid that progressing rabdo might be the end of the line. Fortunately, two chance encounters on the trail gave him the strength to continue: fellow ultrarunners
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who gave him salt pills and two emergency room doctors whose expert knowledge and hydration tips quelled his fears. More trail magic. “I will be forever perplexed and appreciative of what the wilderness brings out in myself and others,” he reflects from an Instagram post announcing the finish. In New Hampshire, McConaughy crested Mount Moosilauke and finally found service, which he’d been battling with the entire trip. He managed to get through to his girl friend Katie to share his joy, as it really settled in how he just might do it. With the “unsupported” record within reach, he contemplated how this accomplishment is far from unsupported; it was possible because of the dedication, support, and random kindness of so many others directly and indirectly connected to his path, including those he’s never met. “There are so many people who paved the way before me. There are a lot of people who sacrificed to help me get here.” It’s no wonder Stringbean was quick when asked for a single take-away from the trek: “The people around you are the ones who are the most important.” •
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Y O UR P A R K NEED S Y O U NO W
mor e t ha n ev e r .
You are Sh en an doah’s mo st imp o r tant p ar tne r. Find o ut ho w yo u ca n he lp prote ct Sh en an doah Nat i onal Par k’s wild life and wild land s at SNP Tru st.org .
The Shenandoah National Park Trust is the philanthropic partner of Shenandoah National Park and an official partner of the National Park Service. photo by Ken Rowland
TRAIL MIX
ESSENTIAL RECORDS OF 2017 MUST-HEAR ALBUMS FROM ACTS WHO HAIL FROM THE BLUE RIDGE REGION. BY JEDD FERRIS
hope. From the hard-charging heartland rock opener, “Do You Still Love Me?” to the icy ballad “Shiver and Shake,” Adams keeps the arrangements lean and spacious, and by the time his voice fades in the closer, “We Disappear,” he’s delivered a timeless break-up album.
VALERIE JUNE
THE ORDER OF TIME
In the R&B-flavored “Got Soul,” the closer on The Order of Time, June is truthful when she says she “could sing you a country tune” and “play you the blues.” The record is indeed a fertile blend of roots music, covering the aforementioned genres and more. The Tennessee native ruminates on the rhythm of life as she moves between gritty juke-joint blues (“Shakedown”), gospel-hued slow jams, ("If And”), and banjo-led primal folk (“Man Done Wrong”). The one steady constant is June’s dreamy voice, an irresistible spirit guide in every tune.
JASON ISBELL AND THE 400 UNIT
THE NASHVILLE SOUND
Following up his Grammywinning Free Somehow, Isbell went back to recording with his long-time band, the 400 Unit, to make a hard-hitting album that blends amp-cranked guitar edge with Isbell’s deeply personal songwriting. With an earnest Southern drawl, the Americana tunesmith laments restless thoughts in “Anxiety” and ruminates on mortality in the poignant ballad “If We Were Vampires.” But optimism also shines through, especially in the gritty highway cruiser “Hope the High Road.”
RYAN ADAMS
PRISONER
Written following the dissolution of his marriage to actress Mandy Moore, Prisoner is Adams’ most focused and cohesive set of tunes to date. The record chronicles the stages and emotional fallout of a failed relationship, covering blame, anger, sadness, and 50
another curveball in the catalog of North Carolina folk-punk cult favorites the Mountain Goats. This bold concept album—from a guy who has also framed records around Bible verses and pro wrestling—offers observations about old-school goth culture. The music in no way matches the subject matter. From the dark and theatrical “Rain in Soho” to breezier pop songs (“We Do It Different on the West Coast” and “Unicorn Tolerance”) Darnielle uses dramatic piano chords and orchestral flourishes to tell detailed tales with obscure historical references and humanizing observations about navigating life as an outsider.
THE MOUNTAIN GOATS
GOTHS
From the expansive literary mind of John Darnielle comes
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with retro grace. Atkins made the album at Niles City Sound in Ft. Worth, Texas, with the crew that crafted Leon Bridges’ Coming Home, so the vintage vibe is well dialed, covering a range of sounds from classic soul to Brill Building pop. Key track: “Listen Up,” a personal wake-up call through vintage dance-ready R&B.
WAXHATACHEE
OUT IN THE STORM
Waxhatachee’s Out in the Storm offers another look at bad love. Katie Crutchfield, who named the band after a creek near her old home in Alabama, leads a cathartic power-pop romp that seems to shed frustration with each distorted riff. She shares a ton about self-doubt and being mistreated, but she never wallows in melancholy. In songs like “Silver” and “Never Been Wrong,” the open-hearted admissions are delivered with melodic guitar squalls that get inside your head and stick around.
THE WAR ON DRUGS
A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING Adam Granduciel, leader of Philadelphia-based indie outfit the War on Drugs, took his deepest dive in the studio yet, meticulously adding instrumental layers to create an emotionally colorful rock epic. With lyrics steeped in redemption, delivered with a weary folk drawl, Granduciel blends reverence for unchained arena-ready power with obsessive sonic detail. A best example: “Holding On,” a driving anthem that takes shape from the 80s heartland heyday but sounds freshened with shiny modern synths and perfectly placed ascending guitar notes.
NICOLE ATKINS
GOODNIGHT RHONDA LEE
Jersey-bred, Nashville-based singer Nicole Atkins has the voice of an angel but she’s saying goodbye to devilish behavior in Goodnight Rhonda Lee. The album, a meditation on growing up and putting away a good-time alter-ego, is an honest statement filled BlueRidgeOutdoors
IRON & WINE
BEAST EPIC
After beefing up with extra backing musicians and detouring with duo projects with Ben Bridwell and Jesca Hoop, it’s great to have Sam Beam back in the confines of his hushed acoustic roots. Beast Epic is an engaging return to form, with Beam, who’s been delivering poetic alt-folk as Iron and Wine for the past decade and a half, letting his lullaby melodies do all the heavy lifting. With mostly just his gentle voice and relaxed strumming, the songwriter— born in South Carolina and now living in North Carolina— offers allusions to the afterlife (“Thomas County Law”), romantic pleas (“Last Night”), and introspection on his native South (“About a Bruise”). •
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