I really couldn’t stop smiling during the day on Saturday. Everything fell perfectly into place for our annual trip to Whitegrass and Blackwater Falls. Colder weather earlier in the week and a day of snow on Friday contributed to a decent base at Whitegrass for cross-country skiing—although it did make for a slightly harrowing drive on Friday as we made our way from the D.C. area to Davis, W. Va.
We started this trip as a way to introduce DC UL members to cross-country skiing since we were looking at doing trips in Maine and locally. It quickly became an annual tradition for the group and is now one of our core events. It’s grown each year, going from three cabins our first year to six (!) this year. We added a welcome happy hour and revised the potluck so we’d move between cabins. We’ve also been lucky as Michael’s research pinpointed this first weekend in February as having the best chance for good snow. With five out of six trips being skiable, I’d say that research paid off.
It’s also a weekend that is successful thanks to the contributions of all who attend–from composing tasty dishes for the potluck, helping organize courses, offering to carpool, and cleaning up the cabins–everyone plays a part in making it a great weekend. So here’s to another successful Whitegrass weekend, and here’s looking ahead to future fun times. See you all on the slopes–I’ll be the one with the ear-to-ear grin.
DC UL Backpacking 
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