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Cortland, West Virginia

Potomac Highlands geography stubsUnincorporated communities in Tucker County, West VirginiaUnincorporated communities in West VirginiaUse mdy dates from July 2023

Cortland is an unincorporated community in Tucker County, West Virginia, United States. The community lies at the intersection of West Virginia Secondary Routes 35 and 35/18. Cortland was originally known as Cortlands until its post office changed its name to Cortland on March 26, 1888. Cortland once had its own school, Cortland Grade School, in operation there until it was closed in 1933.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Cortland, West Virginia (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors).

Cortland, West Virginia
Cortland Road,

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Wikipedia: Cortland, West VirginiaContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 39.066944444444 ° E -79.4275 °
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Cortland Road 1798
26260
West Virginia, United States
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White Grass Ski Touring Center

White Grass Ski Touring Center is a cross-country skiing facility located in Canaan Valley in Tucker County, West Virginia. It originally opened in 1979 on White Grass Knob near Harrisonburg, Virginia. Two years later, the operation was moved to the site of the second Weiss Knob Ski Area. The resort uses Weiss Knob's former lodge as its day lodge; it is one of the oldest dedicated cross country ski areas in the United States. Because of its status as a former downhill slope, White Grass is an unusually steep cross country area, with nearly 1,200 feet (370 m) of vertical rise—more than at neighboring downhill slope Canaan Valley Resort State Park. Its 45 trails are rated approximately 30% easy, 55% intermediate, 15% most difficult; climbs are available to the summit of 4,436-foot (1,352 m) Weiss Knob by intermediate skiing, and to 4,308-foot (1,313 m) Bald Knob via easier or intermediate trails. White Grass staff also conduct free natural history snowshoe tours each Sunday into the Canaan Valley Fish and Wildlife Refuge. The resort's trails stretch along the northern slope of Cabin Mountain from Canaan Valley Resort northeast to Timberline Four Seasons Resort. It also provides access to Dolly Sods wilderness area on the east, and to trails in Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge on the west. There are more than 50 kilometres (31 mi) of cross-country trails on White Grass property, and more than 100 kilometres (62 mi) of trails are locally accessible. Half of the established trails at White Grass are machine groomed. The resort harvests its 150 inches (3.8 m) of natural snowfall with 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) of snow fences. The resort supports snowshoeing and telemark skiing as well as moonlight tours once a month. White Grass has been described as catering to a "fleece-and-flannel scene". During the summer, it is the site of a 500-acre (2.0 km2) cattle farm. The resort's natural foods cafe has become a popular attraction, publishing two novelty cookbooks. White Grass was voted the most popular ski center in North America winter of 2017 by a USA Today survey. As of 2004 the resort lodge consumed less than $2 worth of electricity per day, and was heated by a wood-burning stove. In 2003 the resort was recognized by the West Virginia Environmental Council for the environmental sustainability of its operations, such as its snow farming. In 1994 The Washington Post cited White Grass Touring Center as one of the ten best Nordic ski areas in the nation.

Canaan Valley
Canaan Valley

Canaan Valley (locally ) is a large bathtub-shaped upland valley in northeastern Tucker County, West Virginia, USA. Within it are extensive wetlands and the headwaters of the Blackwater River which spills out of the valley at Blackwater Falls. It is a well-known and partially undeveloped scenic attraction and tourist draw. Since 1994, almost 70% of the Valley has become the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge, the nation's 500th National Wildlife Refuge, with Canaan Valley Resort State Park and Blackwater Falls State Park nearby. Canaan Valley was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1974. The National Park Service citation indicates that the Valley is "a splendid 'museum' of Pleistocene habitats ... contain[ing] ... an aggregation of these habitats seldom found in the eastern United States. It is unique as a northern boreal relict community at this latitude by virtue of its size, elevation and diversity." The local pronunciation of "Canaan" is , rather than the conventional for the Biblical region from which the area questionably takes its name. According to legend, this is the result of improper pronunciation by the German settler who named the valley. As the legend goes, he described the valley as being as gorgeous as the Canaan described in the Bible. His mispronunciation of the word stuck. However, it has also been speculated for decades now that Canaan Valley early on was called the "Canadian Valley", little resembling the biblical Canaan's land of "milk and honey". That speculation is based on arguments that the valley looks very similar to Canada and was first described by early expeditions into its wild, nearly impenetrable wilderness as a place suffix to strike terror into the hearts of men, not being fit for man or beast, and as harboring the dark River of Styx (River of the Dead), now called less frighteningly, the Blackwater River. Furthermore, the name "Canaan" is strikingly similar to "Canadian", with Canaan only missing only two letters (d & i) to spell "Canadian".

Elakala Falls
Elakala Falls

The Elakala Falls are a series of four waterfalls of Shays Run as it descends into the Blackwater Canyon in West Virginia. They are within Blackwater Falls State Park and are quite popular among photographers, with the ease of access for the first waterfall, and the relatively low traffic of the other waterfalls in the series. The first of the series of waterfalls is 35 feet (11 m) in height and is easily accessible from park trails. It is the second most popular waterfall in the park. From the official Elakala trail there is a bridge over the top of the first waterfall offering easy access and views. The remaining three waterfalls of the series are progressively more difficult to access, and have no official marked trails to them. The gorge is nearly 200 feet deep at this section accounting for the difficulty of the descent to the lower waterfalls of the series. The second waterfall is only 15 feet (4.6 m) tall and is the smallest in the series, yet remains popular by the well-worn path from the first falls. The third waterfall of the series is the highest at 40 feet (12 m) tall but is particularly difficult to reach. It has a path worn to it but is very steep and rocky terrain. Traveling beyond the second waterfall should be considered for experienced hikers only due to the danger of descending the canyon without trails. The fourth and final waterfall of the series is considered quite dangerous to access, with no trails, and should not be attempted by inexperienced hikers. The name of the waterfalls comes from a Native American legend, although several significantly different versions exist. According to one account it involves a princess named Elakala who threw herself over the edge of the first waterfall when her lover scorned her. Another account of the legend involves a Massawomee warrior named Elakala who was girl-shy and fell to his death from the falls while being pursued by two women of his tribe. Similar legends exist for many waterfalls in the eastern United States, and there is, of course, no way to confirm these stories.