Adventure: "Winter Sports Extravaganza! Skiing, Snowboarding, Snowshoeing, Snow Tubing & Multiple Themed Rental Houses"
DESCRIPTIVE OVERVIEW: Snowshoe arguably is the best mountain for skiing and snowboarding in the Southeast, with surprisingly great trails and variety. See www.snowshoemtn.com You can come without a partner and I'll help you to find other participants who are at your same skill level, from novice to advanced. Other activities include snow tubing, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, or enjoying the peace of the getaway by just relaxing to the TVs / DVD player or your own good book at our rental houses, most of which are located across the street from an historic train and peaceful river. The mornings and evenings together in the houses, including group breakfasts and dinner, will be loads of fun.
FEEDBACK QUOTES from Snowshoe January / February 2009:
> "SO MUCH FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!"
> "Wonderful - Fabulous! Impressively well planned. ... Can't wait to go again!"
> "Awesome weekend. It is an incredible value and a great way to meet new friends."
> "The weekend went really smoothly. The skiing was fun, and it was wonderful having the lesson already organized. They do a great job up there with beginners, and I had a blast. This is my favorite adventure so far! I look forward to going again next year."
> "My favorite OASC adventure so far (and I have about a year and 80+ adventures under my belt). Outdoor activities were a blast. Indoor social activities were fun and offered plenty of variety. Very well organized trip."
> "My second adventure with the clubanother grand success. You obviously have this one down to a science by now because everything was comfortable, flexible and fun. We were well taken care of (thanks for accommodating my food allergies) and everything was where it was supposed to be. All the advance help with rentals and picking a place to sleep made it very easy. Great fun, great people who were fun to be around, but also responsible adults, so nobody is having to pick up someone else's slack. The houses were very comfortable, the food great and the activities lots of fun."
> "Terrific weekend!"
> "I had a fantastic time on this trip. The skiing was awesome and it was fun hanging out with everyone back at the houses. I was very impressed by how organized it was and how smoothly everything ran. I can't wait for the next one!"
> "In a word outstanding. You did a great job as always."
> "Great weekend, very well organized, great group of people. Good times had by all."
> "I had an incredible time on this adventure. I must say this is one of the most meaningful adventures I have been on yet and can't wait to volunteer again next year."
> "Awesome trip! Probably the most fun since I've had since I moved to Charlottesville! It was great that there were multiple activity options to choose from (both outdoor activities and house activities) and always people to ski with. Everyone I met was so friendly, and I cannot wait to do more with the club!"
> "It was an awesome week-end, thank you so much."
> "I thought the trip was extremely well orchestrated and the food was great, especially considering how many people there were to feed!"
> "I loved every aspect of this adventure: the people, the organization, the food, the logistics, skiing, falling down and trying again, the sunshine..absolutely everything!"
> "I had an awesome time - everything was so well planned."
> "I had a great weekend all around. Lots of fun in the double secret probation house. great food, great accommodations."
HOUSES (7 planned in total!!!)
Each rental house will have a different theme and some rules to ensure the enjoyment of all trip participants. Some houses might have duplicates depending on interest. Everyone is free and encouraged to visit other houses so long as one returns by curfew – entering late will wake people up in these historic houses. Here are the house theme options; we will have some (but not all) themes represented depending on interest indicated when joining this adventure online.
> "Live Music House": curfew, quiet & TV off at 1am.
> "Tranquility House": curfew 1am, quiet time 24/7. No TV please.
> "Beverage Tasting House": curfew, quiet & TV off at 1am.
> "Board Games House": curfew, quiet & TV off at 1am.
> "Video Games House": curfew, quiet & TV off at 1am.
> "Movies House": curfew, quiet & TV off at 1am.
> "Ageless Adventurers House* (see note far above)": curfew, quiet & TV off at 1am.
> "The Younger Side House*": curfew, quiet & TV off at 1am.
> "Double Secret Probation Animal House": no curfew, noise is fair game 24/7 (did somebody say ... toga, toga, toga!!!???). We will make and leave this house a party mess until Sunday morning (People are requested to call it a night at 1am so as to reduce the risk of someone having a technicolor yawn the next morning on someone else’s head in someone else’s car. People are not allowed to stay here past 1am and then retire to a different house to sleep.
*Ageless Adventurers and The Younger Side houses may have their own variety of activities depending on what their dwellers bring (games, beverages to taste, etc.).
Note: the rental house community (actually a state park) does not allow alcohol. I am not and will not pretend to be a park officer. I will be playing lots of games, but with non-alcoholic beer so I’ll be the person to go to in case of emergency at any time throughout the trip. My bed will be in Double Secret Probation Animal House. For those who choose to imbibe, please stop drinking 8 hours before driving,
ITINERARY:
> Friday evening: Drive 2.5 hours (plus any stops) to West Virginia and check into our houses, located near a river and historic railroad in Cass, WV. Hop from themed house to themed house for night-time fun; party and/or rest up for the next day’s adventures.
> Friday night or Saturday morning, if desired: walk or very short drive over to Route 66 Outpost, to rent skis / snowboards / bibs / helmets, or to get a tune-up / sharpening.
> Saturday: Enjoy a full breakfast and head to the slopes! The night before in the food house there will be a list posted showing everyone’s downhill ski / snowboard skill levels, if applicable, to help you choose buddies for the day. In addition there will be car signup sheets. Drivers will write in when they’re leaving and what their activity for the day will be (skiing / snowboarding, tubing, or snowshoeing / cross-country skiing), and others sign up for spots in cars. Our rental houses in Cass, WV are about 20 minutes away from Snowshoe.
> Saturday night: Return to the houses where we’ll cook a tasty group dinner and celebrate the night away in the various themed houses.
> Sunday: Pack up, clean up, check the signup sheets for which drivers are doing what leaving when, and sign up for a spot in an available car. Some folks will head to SnowshoeMountain, some will head home. The return time thus varies; the 1pm time listed is if you choose to do no activities at Snowshoe on Sunday and find a car in which to drive straight home. I plan to lead a back-country showshoeing adventure (conditions-permitting), some of it on trails, some of it bushwhacking through snowy forests.
- Sunday early departure from rental houses option: The regular departure time from the rental houses on Sunday morning is 10am (after cleanup, etc.). You can leave earlier than 10am for a $5 donation to the Multiple Sclerosis Society (the $5 donation helps make the early departure fair to those who stick around until 10am). For those choosing this option, I will include the $5 in your total amount due and will forward the money on to the MS Society.
COSTS:
> The base participation fee of $92 by January 31st includes the two-night rental of several houses with cable TV, fully-equipped kitchens, porches, and more; carpool gas money; one or more first aid kits; Saturday breakfast and dinner; Sunday breakfast; and if you need: a sleeping bag and pad (for sleeping on the floor) until the club’s supply is exhausted, and a Wilderness EMT (Matt) at your service when in Cass. OASC does not make any money on any of its adventures. OASC membership is required to attend; to join, click "join" at www.outdoorsocial.com
> BEDS are first signed up and requested, first served; the likelihood of everyone who wants one getting one is high. People on sleeping pads (on the floor) will be sharing some bedrooms (if a room with a double bed is occupied by a couple, non-bed people please stay in a different room to afford the couple some privacy). Beds are an extra $20 for a single bed for the whole weekend, or $30 for a double bed for the whole weekend ($30 per double bed not per person). ***I will not know the bed situation until after the signup deadline,*** when I assign beds (too much of a pain to do it beforehand because when people withdraw, it changes everything). I will email you after the signup deadline to let you know if you got a bed, what size, and in what house.
*** Big Savings *** As always, you’re saving a ton by going with OASC. It would be a lot more expensive for you to rent your own big house at / near Snowshoe for two nights.
Alcohol Policy: Drink + Ski = Stupidity. Don’t do it. Stop drinking at least 8 hours before driving and/or participating in the snow activities.
RSVP / Sign-up / More Info / Cost: OASC does not make any money on any of the activities. Many activities are free; for those in which the club Leader incurs an expense to run the event, there is a fee to cover that expense (for example, a hike in the mountains typically costs $2 to $5 so the Leader has gas money to give to the carpool drivers). The participation fee for this particular adventure is (see above); it includes (see above). OASC Membership is required to attend, as we continue to build a community of outdoorsy people with similar interests and values. If you are not one of our ~250 Members (ages 18 to 70s) but would like to join in on this and other fun (we have ~2 to 3 adventures every day – weekday eves, and weekends), please click "Join" at www.outdoorsocial.com and/or call (434) 760-HIKE (4453) for more information. Thanks!
Additional helpful information about adventures (such as directions, what to bring, etc.) is available, it was omitted here for the sake of brevity.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFO:
Here’s what the Snowshoe website said in the past about the mountain:
"So Much Terrain, Such a Great Price
At 4,848' elevation, life in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia is a bit different. Forests of snow-laden fir and spruce trees provide a distinctly alpine feel. Snowfall is plentiful and consistent. For what Mother Nature doesn't supply, the resort's powerful snowmaking system, coupled with one of the colder climates in the East, ensures there's always plenty of the white stuff up here. And with 57 slopes and trails and 1,500' vertical drop - more than any other resort in the Southeast - the skiing and riding is as endless as the views.
Thankfully, you don't have to ski and ride like a pro to enjoy it; Snowshoe has terrain for all abilities and tastes. Just below the Village center, Snowshoe's basin offers cruiser green runs for learning your turns, challenging blues where you can explore new skills and bomber black diamonds to test your threshold for adventure. Adrenaline junkies love the WesternTerritory - long and steep and home to the mountain's biggest bumps, it's mile and a half long runs will leave your legs screaming for mercy. ...
For snowboarders and freeskiers, two awesome terrain parks offer everything from a 300-foot halfpipe to monster table tops, rails and other features. It's truly the Southeast's most prolific winter playground with one Freedom Lift Ticket that lets you explore it all both day and night."
I can’t wait to go!
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Some interesting history on Cass, WV and our rental houses (from rental house brochure):
"The Cass Company Houses, located in the Town of Cass, are two-story houses once used as residences by employees of West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company. These employees either worked at the Cass Mill or on the Cass Railroad. The houses were built around 1900 and have been renovated to include modern conveniences such as fully-equipped kitchens including coffee pots and microwave ovens. Television is provided."