Snowshoe WV Tuesday

Tuesday morning when I took the dogs out, while the sun had not yet come up over the mountain behind us to the east, and even though it was cold and windy, I could already tell that the clouds and humidity from the day before were gone and that it was going to be a lovely, if cool, day, a great day for our planned walkabout and subsequent picnic.

Eggs with Broccoli, Cream Cheese, and Dill

After a delightful breakfast of scrambled eggs with cream cheese and broccoli, we headed out to go see the sights at Snowshoe. Once we passed the golf course on the right on the way up the hill, I could see acres and acres of hillside covered in ramps. Mark said that a couple weeks prior when the ramps first started coming out that cars were parked all over the shoulder of the road and the hillside was covered with foragers.

Top of Snowshoe Mountain Looking Due West

At the top, we toured the resort, bringing back memories from years gone by, and we stopped at this clearing on the steeper west side of the mountain. You cannot see it in the picture but way down as far as you can see grass is a big whitetail doe happily munching away. This ski run has not been used for whatever reason, probably because it is super steep.

It Was Cold on Top

The wind was very stiff, coupled with temperatures in the 40s up on the ridge, and it proved to be chilly when we were exposed, severely limiting the time we spent gazing about like the tourists we were. We moved along to the top of the hill and a grove of spruce trees under which the ground was covered in moss or "green snow" as the locals have dubbed it. We walked along the mountain bike trail under the trees with the dogs and eventually came to the USGS marker at 4848 feet, marking the highest point on the mountain and the second highest point in West Virginia. What surprised me is that it looked like slightly to the west, parts of the hill were actually a foot or 18 inches higher than where the marker was located. The spruce grove was a great break from the wind and a great diversion for the dogs.

Green Snow

After circling back through the main village, we took West Ridge Road back along the west side of the hill and looked at some of the crazy condos with impossibly steep driveways, ultimately circling back to the east side of the hill and making our way down to the valley and Shavers Lake. While it was warmer in the valley by the lake, the wind was screaming right up the valley and so after watching the deer wander around within feet of us, we sought shelter at the picnic tables on the deck in the lee of the Boathouse restaurant just opposite the Ballhooter ski lift.

Shavers Lake

Picnicking in the Sun

We had a long, leisurely lunch of cheese, crackers, and salame while basking in the sun. Mark, Kelley, and I set out on a trek around the lake on the mile and a half loop trail. While we walked for about 45 minutes, Ann and the dogs soaked up the sun on the Boathouse deck. Grace was a very happy dog: outside doing her favorite thing, being passed out in the sun.

Still Snow on the Ski Runs

About two thirds of the way through the hike, we crossed the earthen dam that creates Shavers Lake. I took this photo near the water intake for the pump house that runs the snowblowing equipment and you can see that even at the first of May, there is still a bit of snow on the ski runs.

Killer Pasta

Back at the house, Kelley and Ann went in the kitchen and created this pasta while Mark and I sat and yacked. It has spicy sausage, mushrooms, and zucchini in it and Kelley says she modeled it on a pasta I once made. Whatever the origin, it was a great bowl of pasta. I just love this cavatappi/cellantani/spirali shape. This was a great dinner for our final meal in West Virginia before heading back to Funchester in the morning. Great job ladies!