McHENRY, MD. — Fingers of thick fog obscure the moon of western Maryland. Almost nightly, the fog wraps around the rolling mountain peaks and circles Wisp Resort, warning visitors this place is not for the weak of heart.
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Leaving the Midwest for the beauty of a mid-Atlantic mountain resort may seem to be a traveler's paradox, but the level of activity at Wisp eliminates any fear of boredom.
Situated two hours south of Pittsburgh in the Maryland Panhandle, Wisp Resort is near the state's largest lake and along a stream of small towns. State parks full of waterfalls and swamps surround a mountain steeped in local and regional history. But owners of the 55-year-old resort hope to start a tradition in adventure sports.
One of the few ski parks in Maryland, Wisp Resort is expanding its year-round offerings to try to become established as a nationally known adventure sports hot spot.
Known for its golf course, the resort also has a drop-off day care, lodging and rental homes, and enough to keep most Oklahoma-area adrenaline junkies busy.
They'll find off-road mountain buggy rides, a mountain coaster and paintball. The 2007 opening of an adventure sports complex on the mountain, offering classes in rock climbing, kayaking and whitewater rafting, further eliminate any reason to sit still at Wisp.
The crowning glory of Wisp's summer season is the Adventure Sports Center International, which sits at the summit of the mountain.
"I don't know about you, but the mountaintop is not the first place I'd put a white-water course if I sat down and said, ‘Let's build a white-water course,'” said Matt Taylor, executive director of the center.
The 1-year-old, 1,700-foot white-water course is marketed as the world's only adjustable course. Movable plates beneath the course can change the water difficulty from a Class II to Class IV in 20 minutes.
On a recent cool summer day, paddlers on inflatable kayaks or "duckies” rush to battle with six-person rafts to find who can ‘surf' a rapid the longest.
Instead of a concrete shoot, the basin was carved out of the mountaintop, and materials such as leftover boulders were used to create hazards. The expansive views of nearby state parks and popular Deep Creek Lake, along with the relocated materials along the course, make it easy to imagine paddling down a wild river as our guides scream, "Left forward, right back.”
Although an artificial course may make some paddlers cringe, the course is managed by Taylor, a two-time Olympiar. The course was used for the 2007 White Water Slalom National Championships and the 2007 freestyle championships.
On Oct. 3-4, it will be home to the 2008 Canoe and Kayak World Series American Open.
For $65 to $75 per person, including most equipment, guests spend two hours navigating the course. A conveyor belt lifts the raft, including its human cargo, from the lower to upper reservoir, saving precious time that can be used on the next run.
Despite the convenience of a conveyor belt and the soft ambiance of cooing birds and rustling trees, Taylor said that visitors should take the course seriously.
"We are not an amusement park, and this is not a ride,” Taylor said. "It starts out with a bang and is really tricky to navigate.”
Along with the white-water course, ASCI manages the nearby 550-acre wildlife area called Fork Run, which offers hiking guides and rock-climbing lessons.
The modern white-water course nearly wipes out the other activities that make Wisp Mountain a full-year resort, the most exciting of which is the mountain coaster, a hybrid of an alpine slide that is popular in Europe.
Wisp has one of four such slides in the U.S., and it should not be missed.
The pulley system lifts the self-controlled carts 1,300 feet up the side of the mountain, the steady clink-clink-thunk adding a slight edge of fear. But with the cart physically attached to the track like a roller coaster, it is impossible to fall out, operators say.
Still, as the cart crests the top of the hill, a droopy-eyed teenager slowly drags his eyes from the security monitors and bestows a maniacal grin on the next victim.
With a click, the cart comes free of the pulley and begins its 3,500-foot decent down 350 vertical feet. Rapidly blinking yellow lights beg for the brakes, but adrenaline-clenched muscles resist the instinct to pull back on the brake as you whip off the mountain, over the slope, glimpsing the lake and the lodge, and loop back again.
Whoever thought to put a coaster here is a genius.
Travel and accommodations provided by Wisp Resort.
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If you go
Wisp Resort is at 296 Marsh Hill Road, McHenry, MD 21541. Contact (800) 462-9477 or www.wisp resort.com.
To experience the mountain coaster, go online to www.NewsOK.com.
Away from the resort
There is plenty to explore in the immediate area.
•Fly fishing
Learn to cast or just have a guide show you the best fishing spots in the area at the only outfitter endorsed by Orvis. Prices include equipment rental and instruction. Priced at $99 to $349 depending on skill level. Call (301) 387-4911
•Glass tours
Garrett County is home to several locals who make glass. Take a free walk in tour of the Simon Pierce glass blowers. Call (800) 774-5277.
Also seemore than 2,000 pieces on display in Louis DiCarlo's three-story, wall-to-wall stained glass gallery. Call (301) 334-8222.
•Winery tour and tasting
Check out the small family-run winery Deep Creek Cellars. Focused on low-tech or no-tech production, the Roberts family produces 1,200 cases of wine a year by doing every step of the process by hand. During the free tasting, request the Blue Dolce Port made from blueberries. all (301) 746-4349.
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