Our wheels are once more winding their way through the meandering two lane roads of our host state. The scenery is of forest, small coal towns and operations, then more forest, as we are now passing through Monongahela National Forest. There are more twists in the road here than at a Chubby Checker concert. I’ve lost my way once more. The only thing I know for sure, is that I’m glad Joe seems to know the way…the rest of us haven’t consulted a map once to see where we were, or where we might be heading…other than in some kind of direction toward Snowshoe Mountain and Resort.
I’ve done some figuring though. I believe this is the route we took. I encourage you to try these roads. If what you’re looking for in a ride through the country is the true rural settings, the roots of a state and the people who inhabit her…then you should be taking this route or roads of similar nature.
We followed our guide through small industry towns, towns with names like Buckeye, Huntersville, Dillysmill and Dunmore. Each of these towns are in the foot hills and mountains of the Monongahela National Forest area. As we passed through each of these small towns this day, I noticed they all were getting ready for their town celebrations. The parade routes were the very streets we were passing though. The residents had their lawn chairs and huge sun umbrellas set up near the roads; at the edges of their property lines…their coolers at the ready while the local charity groups such as the Rotary Club had their tents set and ready to sell food and soft drinks. It was a true carnival atmosphere….without the weird carnival attractions.
Here, their attractions are the Fire Department with their huge lumbering trucks…their nimble rescue squad vehicles with the people who man them walking beside and waving at their friends and family. I felt like I was back in the 1960’s, before everything had to be bigger and better, more exciting, and more ludicrous than the year before. A few miles down the road from these fine little towns, we came across Cass. Cass is a town whose future lies within its past. Cass is an old lumber town, whose railroad featured a special sort of locomotive, built to traverse these mountains with loads that would break the back of a typical locomotive engine. It is in Cass where you will find the Cass Scenic Railroad State Park.
The big draw of this town is the Shay Locomotive. This is an engine designed to climb the steepest grades and swing through hair pin curves. It’s said that in the early part of the 20th century, West Virginia led the nation with over 3000 miles of logging rail line. That’s all gone now, leaving only the 11 miles of track that Cass has restored. Thanks to this restoration, the town of Cass is enjoying revitalization. Cass’s lumber company homes built in the latter half of the 19th century to house its workers have been upgraded, and rebuilt in order to rent out for tourists and visitors to the area.
The lumber mill is gone now…but the people of Cass have a fine history, a fantastic State Park that capitalizes on the ability of trains to mesmerize and captivate even the most sophisticated of traveler. With rentals of cabooses for the night or the week, or the Mystery Murder Train package…and even a dinner train package that includes Fiddles and Vittles…. How can this little town lose? It’s a fantastic little town in the mountains of West Virginia…and I’m coming back to play here when I have more time!
For anyone whose interest lies within the natural, botanical and unusual spots of nature, you will find this next stop to be especially appealing. In this natural bowl (depression) is a group of 5 bog wet lands grouped together in 750 acres. This type of bog is NOT usually found this far south. In fact, it’s a bog whose makeup is similar to those found in Canada. Because of the acidic nature of the bog, plants such as Cranberry, Sphagnum Moss, Skunk Cabbage, and several meat eating plants such as the Sundew and the Purple Pitcher Plant…will find themselves growing here. We did see the Purple Pitcher Plant on our walk through the bog.
There is a boardwalk built to take you into the bog, allowing you to see portions you would not normally have access to unless you wore high water boots and endured swampy conditions in the process of getting there. It’s a short circular path of about a half mile. It’s an amazing natural resource…an astonishing collection of plant life rarely seen this far south. A true gem of Natural Resource found this far south only here in West Virginia!
After leaving The Glade, and on our way to Snowshoe Mountain Resort; somewhere in the mountains we came to this little pass…this little pull off with a viewing area…with vistas like these, why would we want to go home? These roads were made for motorcycles. No matter if you’re a knee dragging sport bike enthusiast, a bagger dragger, or something in between…these roads have your name on em…and you’re being called.
Pulling ourselves away, we continue our quest for Snowshoe Mountain Resort. Contraire to popular notion, this is not simply a ski resort. It is a primer summer destination for hikers, mountain bikers and other outdoorsy, woodsy, mountain type sports people…and even the not so outdoorsy people like me…they do have a fantastic top rated golf course I am dying to be on….
Aside from the sporting activities, once at the resort, you will find behind the façade of the condos…there is an entire village back there. Shops of every type and for every need can be found here. Street entertainment…movie theaters…you name it…it’s here…I am put in the mind of Disney World for grownups…Its beyond my simple comprehension. I always thought something like this would be beyond my grasp and pay scale, but I’ve found I’m wrong…there is something there that will fit most budgets.
After our arrival, we were taken to a little cabin in the woods for dinner. The Resort people had us sign releases…you see, we had to climb into a few 4 wheel drive vans, make a 2 mile trek into the wilderness (the trail was similar to the trails we took with the ATV’s at Little Coal Creek). The cabin is a place on the pinnacle of an outcropping of the mountain. From the cabin, you will have vistas of the surrounding valley that are almost incomprehensible in their grace. It is after all…West Virginia.
This cabin is available for rental, with the rental; you will get a chef and wait staff that will see to your every need in the gastronomic end of delights! They haul you out to this place in heaven; feed you foods that you will describe as food of the gods… allow you to enjoy the conversation between friends and family…they will quietly clean up…and wait for your signal you are ready to return to your room and civilization.
I’m going to leave you here…to digest all we have seen today…It was a great meal folks…and I’m going to relive it once more by closing my eyes and dreaming I’m in West Virginia once more!
