My weekend trip

[cyborg]

Hopefully myself and some snowboarders and skiers from our outdoor club on campus will be heading up to the Canaan Valley area of West Virginia this weekend. I will try my hardest to get some footage to share.

Here are some videos of the two places, Mt. Porte Crayon and Whitegrass touring area, where we may go. Mount Porte Crayon gets over 180 inches of powder a year, thank to the dry lake effect, and has about 2000 feet of skiable vertical. The videos aren't the greatest, but it's all I could find to showcase the area. If all goes well, we will go back and hopefully do an overnight trip, either car camping or out in the backcountry the whole time.

Just wanted to share with everyone on here. If anyone lives close to the area and would want to meet up, that would be awesome! If you don't have your heart set on watching the super bowl this Sunday, I will be there around 10:30 AM!

Whitegrass
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIz8g1Rst0M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMCH0HhnsPA

Crayon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip9O16cwAwM

[Bluewing]

Those places look like they are a lot of fun. Great powder and glade riding.

[cyborg]

Those places look like they are a lot of fun. Great powder and glade riding.

Have you ridden around there? I'm not sure what part of Pa you are in, but it might not be too far.

Looks like I might be going solo :/ too many people want to watch the superbowl!

[sempai]

Looks like I might be going solo :/ too many people want to watch the superbowl!

Gotta love them armchair athletes.

[cyborg]

Gotta love them armchair athletes.

To be fair, I was going to plan this for next weekend, but then realized the snow and weather would be total crap. I posted the trip, and accidentally selected next Sunday instead of this, then quickly corrected it. Unfortunately the form wasn't saving my changes, so I didn't realize til last night

But yeah, I don't understand why, if your day is totally free, you would choose to watch a bunch of guys bash heads for what amounts to an average of less than 10 minutes a game. Yep, the rest is advertising and people talking. I'll take 3 hrs in the car and 6 on the mountain.


Last call, anyone in the area want to go on a skiboarding adventure?!

[pinkkid]

'The Snow Tunnel of Tree's" that was cool! Very pretty snow!

[cyborg]

So here's how the trip went, and what I learned:

1. I wish I had a sweet skinning set up. Sliding across the snow would be much nicer than plodding along.

2. A sweet skinning set up won't work over here. There is too much variance in the terrain. Going from frozen mud to creek crossings, hiking through ravines full of snow covered boulders, etc. I will be sticking to snow shoes for my east coast trips, at least right now

3. You NEED skins or snowshoes, not necessarily because you can't walk, but because rozen gunk and ice on soles makes even our simple non-release bindings impossible to get into.

4. GPS and google earth are the best tools for any backcountry explore.

5. WV is a total dead zone for cell service

6. Never leave for a backcountry expedition into a remote wilderness area without a jack, a full size spare and a lug bolt wrench.

7. Even several feet of snow does not make a steep creek bed/ravine area rideable. Logs and boulders will still grab you


I woke up to a flat brand new tire, and a window that had fallen out of the regulator and into the door (likely from trying to roll it down when it was frozen). Not to be defeated, I drove slowly to the auto parts store, got a big can of fixaflat and, with the help of an employee, managed to get the window up and roll the regulator up to jam it in a closed position. Nearly, 10am, I left for my trek through the highways of rural Southern VA.

Almost immediately after leaving Blacksburg, I found myself without cell service. As I kept driving, I never got it back, save for a few moments in and around Hot Springs, VA. It snowed the whole way, which was all on rural highways, some without lane dividers; definitely a fun drive.

I got to Circleville, WV, and noticed a lack of snow accumulation. However, after cresting the mountains on 28 and dropping into the Canaan Valley towards Seneca Rocks, I was met with more snow that I thought I would ever see in this area! It was like stepping onto the moon (a way I consistently describe my trips into WV, regardless of seasons.)

I Tried to drive up the roads on the North face Porte Crayon, but realized that all the land was residential/private, and the roads did not get cleared in the winter, making driving sketchy. I turned around and headed to the other side, eventually settling on heading up the only trail, the Flat rock run trail.

Unfortunately, due to my late start, I only made it about 2 3/4 miles down the trail, before deciding that, since it was after 4pm and I was alone, I should probably turn around. I tried to strap in and ride down the side of the mountain to where the trail became more gradual, but I was in the wrong terrain; The trail follows an area that looks like a "v" cut into the mountain. On Google Earth, it's quite evident that this is where water drains, rocks slide, and, due to all the water, has the thickest growth.

Frustrated after sliding, falling and stepping down the boulder and log strewn slope, realizing that the rocks only got worse towards the bottom and that I would soon be encountering more thinly frozen over streams, as well as being a little nervous about being alone as dusk approached, I quickly pulled off my boards, threw them onto my pack, and hiked out as fast as I could.

The trip home sucked. I managed to get a flat that completely destroyed my brand new winter tire. Luckily, I went with my gut feeling and took the interstate home. Although its almost 50 miles longer, it was only a short drive to Harrisonburg, Va, and then straight down I-81, all within the bounds of civilization and cell service. When I flatted, I stopped at a Sheetz station, and called AAA from the heated dining area. However, after dealing with one disaster, I immediately started another by dropping my wallet 75 miles from my destination. Not realizing until I got back, I had to get back in the car and drive back to look for it. At least I found it.

Despite all of my misadventure, I am ready to go back. True, I got no skiboarding in, and had what amounted to a miserable trip (and missed all my classes on Monday, since I fell exhausted into bed at 4am), but I gathered invaluable first hand information about the area, and learned a lot. There is no replacement for actually getting out there. No amount of internet research or pouring over topo maps, weather data and google earth can replace a short hike into the area. Being able to tell someone first hand what to expect is also a lot better way to get people excited about going (or to eliminate those who would have a miserable time if they went along).

I will be returning to Porte Crayon/Canaan Valley in the next few weeks. Hopefully then I will have a better experience to share, and some film/pictures of the so-called Mecca of big mountain backcountry in the South East.

Here's an article from Blue Ridge Outdoors: http://www.blueridgeoutdoors.com/out...ever-happened/

[cyborg]

'The Snow Tunnel of Tree's" that was cool! Very pretty snow!

Thanks! I can't wait to go find those spots. It's that Lake Effect Snow; the only blessing we have down here in terms of snowfall. I'm just praying that "Winter Storm Nemo" doesn't drop icy crud all over.