We're off to the press (and Guatemala)! Our Winter 2023 issue is on its way 🍂👉❄
Nov 09, 2023 8:34 pm
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This newsletter is brought to you by Snowshoe Mountain Resort
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Our Winter 2023 issue is on its way!
This is by the far the earliest we've ever submitted the winter mag to our printer, but it's for a good reason. Our Winter 2023 issue will start hitting shelves on 12/4. We had to wrap this one up a month early because. as of press time, we're headed out for a three-week adventure to bike, hike, and beach our way through Guatemala!
With features on the nation's Christmas tree, the Governor's Cup Ski Race, a Paralympic contendor, ice fishing, and the winning images from our annual photo contest, the Winter 2023 issue is one for the ages. Or, as I often say, it's our best issue yet. Big ups to Kurt Schachner for this epic shot of Snowshoe's own Paralympic athlete Kinzie Dickman sending it on a sit-ski. We're honored to help share her inspiring story.
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Old Man Winter pops in for quick visit
November roared in like a frozen lion, dropping just over two inches of glorious snow across the West Virginia highlands .Naturally, we got the skis and fat bikes out of the shed to check the box for first winter multisport outing. Although the yard ski was sub-marginal, that first glide of the season is always a blissful feeling.
Kick and glide? More like stick and glide! Photo by Dyan Jones
Slidin' through the last of the fall leaves through Davis. Photo by Nikki Forrester
Next, we swapped the skis for bikes and went up to the trails of Canaan Mountain for our inaugural fat bike ride. On the ride up the mountain, the monochromatic color palette and stunning sight of snow covering every surface felt comfortably familiar, as if spring, summer, and fall never even happened. We met up with our pals Dave and Bill to go knock out a few miles on the fresh snow.
Our motley crue. Photo by Dylan Jones
Our buddy and neighbor Bill floating through the enchanted forest. Photo by Dylan Jones
Nikki, snow, and sunshine—three of my favorite things. Photo by Dylan Jones
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WV ski resorts get fired up for ski season
Taking full advantage of Old Man Winter's pop-in, our beloved ski resorts fired up their snow guns for a moment to test out their systems and make sure they're ready to roll for the next cold spell. Timberline Mountain and Canaan Valley Ski Resort both coated the slopes of Cabin Mountain in our favorite solid state of water, and Snowshoe Mountain Resort took advantage of its position on Cheat Mountain to start making some significant piles. My guess is that all three resorts will be full-steam ahead in the coming weeks as nighttime temps regularly drop below freezing. Viva la ski season!
Morning sun greets some fresh snow and the Timberline Lodge. Photo courtesy Timberline Mountain
Look at that pile of snow! Or, as I like to call it, future fun. Photo courtesy Timberline Mountain
Meanwhile on Cheat Mountain, Snowshoe's automated guns get to work. Photo courtesy Snowshoe Mountain Resort
Bestill my frozen heart! What an early season sight. Photo courtesy Snowshoe Mountain Resort
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Happy birthday, pops!
The man, the myth, the legend known as Randy Jones—guitar player extraordinaire, retired postman, and father of yours truly—turned the big 7-0 on October 25. To celebrate, I dragged him out of retirement (literally) to head out for his first-ever bikepacking trip. We chose the mild, grassy grade of the West Fork Rail Trail that runs from the rural town of Durbin to the even more rural town of Glady. Along the way, it cuts through a spectacularly remote section of the Monongahela National Forest. We set forth in Glady and rode south about 14 miles to an idyllic campsite right along the shallow and shaded shoals of the West Fork of the Greenbrier River. One of the best aspects of this section of trail comes at the halfway point, where one crosses the Lynn Divide—an otherwise unremarkable hump in the trail that is actually the divide between the headwaters of Glady Fork (and the Cheat River Watershed) to the north, and the West Fork of the Greenbrier (and the Kanawha River Watershed) to the south. That means half the ride is ever-so-slightly downhill (and uphill) both ways!
My dad, who says he hadn't slept on the ground in upwards of 30 years, crushed the ride even though, he claims, the ride also crushed him. Or, as my old man put it, "If I told my cardiologist I did this, first he'd say, 'Wow, great job.' Then he'd say, 'What the hell were you thinking?'"
Not only did we survive, we thrived, motivated by the stunning fall colors and the prospect of a camp fire and a dinner of brats stuffed into pepperoni rolls. We stayed up too late drinking whiskey and sharing in the sorts of things that make the father-son bond the special thing that it is.
Thanks for coming out, dad, I love ya. I hope you're around for 70 more years, and I can't wait to do this ride again on your 140th birthday!
My pops pedaling through a particularly manky section of trail. Photo by Dylan Jones
Like father like son. Photo by Dylan Jones
A proper libation for our pristine campsite. Photo by Dylan Jones
Dad and his loaded bike. Way to pump those legs, pops! Photo by Dylan Jones
Randy Jones, loyal USPS retiree, admiring the Glady Post Office. Photo by Dylan Jones
Finally, I know this is a section dedicated to celebrating my dad's 70 rotations around the sun, but I wouldn't be here to ride with my dad without his other half. After our father-sun outing, my mom Daria Jones came up for a most glorious hike among the peak foliage of Blackwater Falls State Park.
Momma and son against the spectacular backdrop of Lindy Point. Photo by a kind hiker :D
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Have you seen these yet?
We've all been there—you're on an outing and set down your backpack, and your hydration bladder bite valve instantly flings into contact with some nasty surface. Well there's good news, scientists have idenfitied the mysterious force causing this inconvenient phenomenon.
Nate Arndt's lifelong journey to become a master craftsman has not always been easy. From building a business from the riverbank-up to rebuilding his family home after a fire consumed everything, Nate has kept his eye on the positives in every situation.
West Virginia is ripe with gold in the hills. For professional mountain biker and photographer Brice Shirbach, that comes in the form of the quality of light during golden hour as well as the economic benefits that come with trail towns.
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Stay tuned for our next installment in early December, featuring a trip report from our upcoming travels in Guatemala. Adios, amigos!
Enjoy, and thanks for reading #westvirginiasoutdoormagazine!
Dylan Jones
Editor-in-Chief
Highland-Outdoors.com