Ilam House - Canaan Valley - Outdoor Vacation Retreat

Here’s a nice blog post by Hansi Johnson, a Minnesota ski/outdoor adventure pro, on his eye opening experiences at Whitegrass and Canaan Valley recently - nicely describing the wonderful vibe of the place. And this is from a guy who skis around the world, who recently completed a *double* Birkie (that’s 90km):

One three day trip to Whitegrass for me, a lifelong and prolific skier, has changed how I look at many things in my life, so take it from me, change your life and book a ticket to West Virginia. Read more

Picture by Andy Altman

I had to play hookie Friday to come to Ilam House to take care of some business, but had a little time in the afternoon to ski at Whitegrass. The conditions were pretty nice - great coverage everywhere, cold temps so the trail was fast but not icy, and higher up on the mountain - loose fluff and even some unskied trails. I headed quickly up to Bald Knob via Roundtop and some other steep trails (gasp), emerging on top in “Baldie Grove”. The Grove is a beautiful stand of spruce with views of the Valley to the north, the trees cloaked in snow, still and silent. In the many times I’ve skied up to Bald Knob I don’t think I’d ever been through there.

On the way down via Powderline, I made some side trips up Cabin Mountain and Stonecoal Flats Trails - and was soon breaking trail - surprised that nobody had been that far. I wished I’d had another hour or two to explore further.

On the final run down 3 mile it was dusk, cold and fast (!), dark blue sky to the east and orange sunset to the west, still and silent, a bright moon overhead…. like the above picture.

Great shots of skiing at nearby Whitegrass (whitegrass.com) - makes you want to pack the car and head out!

Our favorite, Whitegrass Ski Touring Center, listing in a recent USA Today article about best XC ski places in the US. Congrats Whitegrass!

“White Grass is down-home, relaxed and nurturing — all about having fun on skis,” Frado says. Tucked into a snowy corner of the Cabin Mountains in West Virginia, White Grass draws cross-country skiing enthusiasts from all over the East. “They have more than 15 miles of groomed trails suitable for family skiing, and offer guided cross-country treks into the higher and more challenging terrain,” Frado says. “They also have a wonderful natural-foods cafe.” 304-866-4114; whitegrass.com

USA Today - 10 great places to peacefully glide cross-country