Deep Creek Lake Maryland – Page 6

Deep Creek Lake Springtime

Betsy Spiker Holcomb Deep Creek Lakes Favorite Realtor

Deep Creek Lake Springtime

There is something thing to be said for the changing of the seasons and the anticipation and excitement of things to come. After a fulfilling winter of activities there is an eagerness for spring to arrive so we can hear the birds chirping on a warm sunny morning, or to once again witness the familiar smells of the flowers and grass after months of snow on the ground. Then as we transition toward summer and the lake comes alive with activities and my mind becomes fixated on simple pleasures like summer tomatoes, Maryland blue crabs, or fresh silver queen corn. Each season has some familiar thing that pleasures one of your senses and the anticipation makes it all the more satisfying.

The last five days here in Deep Creek Lake we have seen crisp sunny blue skies and a slight rise in temperatures signaling the approach of brilliant springtime. As the snow levels subside and the streets and back wood paths begin to thaw, you can feel the energy level pulsing throughout the community. How exhilarating after a cold snowy winter it is to go for a jog, or take you dog for a walk or in warm sunshine. I have always believed that if you love and appreciate something in life you must let it go sometimes to see if it returns to you another day. My love for wintertime has always returned year-after-year. And I spend the rest of the time enjoying all the other seasons and the thrill of what they have to offer.

Mali Mae Holcomb Deep Creek Lake

Well, if you haven’t noticed from past blogs, it’s obvious that I’m a dog lover! When we brought our first ever French Mastiff home in May 2008, we thought our lifestyle of living between Deep Creek Lake and the beach would suit her to a tee. What we discovered, after several trips to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, was that Mali didn’t care for the heat, the sand or the ocean water! In fact, it was all we could do to coax her onto the beach, which made it a long day for both her and us. As evidenced by the photo above, Mali would simply plop herself down by the sand fence in hopes we would take her back to the house.

However, when her first winter came around it was quite evident that she was a snow dog. The 2009/2010 winter at Deep Creek Lake, Maryland has given us a whopping 19′ of snow thus far. Our last big storm left Mali’s head barely above the snow when she went out to play. There was a time early this winter that she used to go off the back deck to do her business; now the steps leading off the deck are blocked by a 5′ barrier of white splendor. The photo below was taken just this weekend following her bath. Rather than dry off by the fireplace, like our terrier, she preferred to roll around in the snowdrift soaking wet!

A friend of mine sent me this poem today. Thought I would share…

If you want someone who will eat whatever you put in front of him
and never say it’s not quite as good as his mother’s
..then adopt a dog.

If you want someone always willing to go out, at any hour,
for as long and wherever you want …
..then adopt a dog.

If you want someone who will never touch the remote, doesn’t care
about football, and can sit next to you as you watch romantic movies
..then adopt a dog.

If you want someone who is content to get on your bed just to
warm your feet and whom you can push off if he snores
..then adopt a dog !

If you want someone who never criticizes what you do, doesn’t care
if you are pretty or ugly, fat or thin, young or old, who acts as if
every word you say is especially worthy of listening to, and loves
you unconditionally, perpetually ..
..then adopt a dog.

BUT, on the other hand, if you want someone who will never come
when you call, ignores you totally when you come home, leaves hair
all over the place, walks all over you, runs around all night and only
comes home to eat and sleep, and acts as if your entire existence
is solely to ensure his happiness …
..then adopt a cat!

Now be honest, you thought I was gonna say… marry a man, didn’t you?

Deep Creek Lake Winter Revisited

Deep Creek Lake Winter Revisited

I have heard a lot of chatter from people on the East Coast and a lot of the country who are voicing their desires for springtime to blossom tomorrow (if possible!) with the wave of a magic wand. Here in Deep Creek Lake we had 36 to 40 inches this past weekend with another 20 inches coming in the next couple of days. My love for winter activities segregates me to a different perception of cold snowy winters, and I could tell by the sea of smiles I encountered this weekend that I am not alone. The amount of snow we are receiving here in Deep Creek Lake and the quality of powder that we have seen makes it all too difficult to throw in the towel for the winter season. I know there are some “powder junkies” like myself that look at a big winter snow storm in the same light as a surfer sees a hurricane and its potential for bringing a large clean swell or in our case, some fresh powder.

You won’t be disappointed if you make it to Garrett County from your hometowns this weekend (some of who are still digging out from the last storm last weekend). Rest assured that the roads here are masterfully manicured and most of all safe to bring your family for a visit. I see the snow starting to fall this morning and I’m already getting excited about getting a couple of quick powder runs in tomorrow morning before work. Be one of the many who get out of the gates early and come chase the fresh snow during our self proclaimed “powder hour” and make sure you get your fill of fun before spring does officially take over.

Deep Creek Lake Winter Revisited — Deep Creek Lake powder run

Deep Creek Lake The Eastern Continental Divide

Some people that travel to Deep Creek Lake and Garrett County, Maryland say that it’s almost like someone flipped the weather switch once you cross over the Eastern Continental Divide line in the Eastern most part of Garrett County, near Grantsville, MD. And, living in Deep Creek Lake my entire life, I can attest to that!

Whether you’re commuting to the area from Baltimore, DC or Northern VA you might get the impression on the ride here that there won’t be any fresh snow when you arrive. But, hold on, just as soon as you top the hill at Finzel and again at Keysers Ridge you will come to find that this is not the case at all. The Eastern Continental Divide falls just between these 2 mountain ranges, that’s why many say it’s a landmark for the weather to come ahead. In fact, Garrett County has the highest elevations in Maryland, ranging from 1800-3000 feet in most areas and 3000-4500 feet in a few small spots. See Maryland elevation map courtesy of geology.com: http://geology.com/state-map/maryland.shtml.

The Eastern Continental Divide, in conjunction with other continental divides of North America, demarcates two watersheds of the Atlantic Ocean: the Gulf of Mexico watershed and the Atlantic Seaboard watershed. Prior to 1760, the Divide represented the boundary between the British and French colonial possessions in North America. The ECD runs south-southwest from the Eastern Triple Divide through several Atlantic Seaboard states (and West Virginia) to the watershed of the Florida Bay, which is adjacent to both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Continental_Divide)

Find out for yourself. Pack up the family and head as far West as you can go in MD to Maryland’s only ski resort for the weekend, Wisp Resort. You’ll experience Deep Creek Lake in it’s winter wonderland. www.DeepCreekLakeProperty.com

Deep Creek Lake The Eastern Continental Divide — Eastern Continental Divide (in yellow)

Deep Creek Lake Maryland Living-2010

Don’t get too cozy next to the fireplace with your usual favorite beverage on your next visit to Deep Creek Lake. The winter has consistently produced an abundant amount of snow and it shows no sign of giving up anytime soon. We all love Deep Creek Lake in the wintertime for the excellent skiing and snowboarding but don’t be afraid to step out of your normal routine on occasion and get out there and explore Garrett County and all it has to offer. Take a trip down to Swallow Falls State Park and go for a long walk around a magical winter wonderland where the waterfalls are frozen like arctic stalactites. I didn’t realize you could actually smell clean air and how invigorating it is. Get over your fear of the cold and get outside and discover a county that has an enormous amount of acreage set aside (never to be developed) for you and your family to enjoy. Load up the kids and the dogs and head down to Fork Run Recreational Area to walk the trails around the rock climbing areas. This is a great place to snowshoe in the wintertime after a huge snowstorm. Challenge yourself this New Year to excel in life and to live every day as if it was your last; let Garrett County be the catalyst for your change. I can’t think of too many areas in the world that offer you such picturesque scenery that pulls you back into nature and the feeling of being alive. Bob Dylan wrote in song once; “He not busy being born, is busy dying.” Make 2010 your year for living..

Deep Creek Lake Maryland Living-2010 — Mali deep creek lake

Deep Creek Lake Facts

1. How large is the lake?

Deep Creek Lake is Maryland’s largest freshwater lake encompassing 3,900 acres with 65 miles of shoreline. Its average depth is 26.5 feet and 72 feet at it’s deepest.

2. What type of activities go on around the lake?

A few…Boating, Swimming, Kayaking, Water-skiing, Alpine-skiing, Rock-climbing, Wake-boarding, Dog-sledding, Whitewater-rafting, Golf, Mountain Coaster, Hiking, Biking, X-country skiing, Snowmobiling, Fishing, Ice-skating, etc. Nearly every outdoor activity you can think of.

3. Does Garrett County have any state parks or forests?

Do we ever! We have 7 state forests and parks. Savage River State Forest is the largest in Maryland. This county has over 90,000 acres of publicly owned lands.

4. What is Wisp Resort?

You haven’t heard about it yet? Wisp Resort is the Mid-Atlantic’s premier four-season resort. It is becoming known as “The Little Tahoe of the East.” There are too many things happening at Wisp to list here: from a world-class whitewater course to the best snow-making capabilities in the world. Call for a complete update on Wisp Resort.

5. How far away is Deep Creek Lake?

Here are some distances from nearby metropolitan areas: Baltimore-177 miles; Washington, DC.-161 miles; Pittsburgh-96 miles; Cleveland-255 miles; Philadelphia-282 miles; Richmond-224 miles; New York-355 miles.

Deep Creek Lake Sunset

The next time you are vacationing here at Deep Creek Lake, Maryland take a little time at dusk to drive around to the North side of Wisp Ski Mountain and experience some spectacular sunsets. Even during the day, the incredible views of the surrounding mountain ranges span for 30-50 miles. At nighttime, the skies transform into a kaleidoscope of colors that will leave you in a spiritual calm.

Just a short distance from our home, we enjoy these sunsets atop Wisp Mountain on a regular basis along with our dog, Mali, who pounces us anytime the word “walk” is mentioned! This is a spectacle worth penciling on your next trip to Deep Creek Lake!!! Visit www.DeepCreekLakeProperty.com for an up-to-date calendar of Garrett County happenings.

Nor-Easter-Deep Creek Lake to OBX

Nor-Easter

This Thanksgiving I packed up the family and hit the highway for the seven hour drive from Deep Creek Lake, MD to Kill Devil Hills, NC. The news was out that a devastating Nor-Easter had pounded the mid-eastern coastline for a week prior to me leaving, and some areas along the ocean would never be the same. A Nor-Easter is a powerful low pressure system that rotates counter clock wise off the coastline and whose leading north east winds cut in the beaches with the fury of a huge saw. The water level along beach communities rises 3-5 feet above normal which causes damaging flooding and massive erosion to oceanfront properties. The system stalls for days and sometimes weeks and wipes out fragile sandbars that serve as a protection barrier for the beaches.

After arriving at the beach it was hard not to notice the amount of debris left behind by the storm. There were wooden decks and walkways shredded and splintered into thousands of pieces and left floating up and down the seaboard in the violent waves crashing on the beach. Some homes crumbled into the water from the brute force of Mother Nature never to be built again. The cleanup work is immense and septic trucks work around the clock to pump out property in flood zones. This creates a secondary problem because most of these areas are over septic fields plagued with bacteria’s. This water is then pumped into the ocean making it a more dangerous place to be for fall surfers who are chasing the storms dying energy.

I talked to my mother who lives inland in Virginia Beach and who has weathered storms there for 30 + years. She said she cannot remember any storm, hurricanes included, that has caused this much damage. It does give us all a reason to be thankful for having family and friends to lean on during such a draining event.

Category: Deep Creek Lake Maryland