social services jobs, skiing and VA hospitals (Huntington, Wheeling: ski resorts, home)
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OK; a wierd title. I'll try to explain. We are avid skiers. We had to leave ski country in Colorado due to an illness related to high elevation. Anything below 6000 feet is OK. I know that covers pretty much everything east of the Mississippi. We moved to Western North Carolina (WNC), first Asheville then Mills River, near Hendersonville. That move was for a job for a Licensed Professional Counselor which seem to be plentiful in North Carolina. We needed to be near Veterans Administration (VA) medical services. The VA in Asheville provided that in both WNC locations. We thought we were going to get nearby skiing but that is really not the case. WNC is a great area. Asheville is very interesting and Hendersonville is ok. So, we got the job, the mountains and a great area but not the skiing. After looking at every area in the U.S. to see if we could improve our situation. It looks like New England, Boone, NC or West Virginia. Upstate NY and PA have an outside chance. We've researched Boone and have reservations about it. New England is a little distant from parts of our scattered families. West Virginia seems to have skiing that is a notch above NC but we know next to nothing otherwise. Given the above information we would like to know more about the job and VA elements in West Virginia. Having a home in the mountains is essential. Thanks in advance for your input.
Beckley has the VA hospital for Southern WV, which is undergoing a rather significant expansion project. It is also 15-20 minutes from Winterplace ski resort (which is good as a local place, but not too special) and 2 hrs from Snowshoe, which is the top ski area in the state. Despite being 2 hrs away, the Beckley VA is the closest one to Snowshoe, unless I'm forgetting one.
OK; a wierd title. I'll try to explain. We are avid skiers. We had to leave ski country in Colorado due to an illness related to high elevation. Anything below 6000 feet is OK. I know that covers pretty much everything east of the Mississippi. We moved to Western North Carolina (WNC), first Asheville then Mills River, near Hendersonville. That move was for a job for a Licensed Professional Counselor which seem to be plentiful in North Carolina. We needed to be near Veterans Administration (VA) medical services. The VA in Asheville provided that in both WNC locations. We thought we were going to get nearby skiing but that is really not the case. WNC is a great area. Asheville is very interesting and Hendersonville is ok. So, we got the job, the mountains and a great area but not the skiing. After looking at every area in the U.S. to see if we could improve our situation. It looks like New England, Boone, NC or West Virginia. Upstate NY and PA have an outside chance. We've researched Boone and have reservations about it. New England is a little distant from parts of our scattered families. West Virginia seems to have skiing that is a notch above NC but we know next to nothing otherwise. Given the above information we would like to know more about the job and VA elements in West Virginia. Having a home in the mountains is essential. Thanks in advance for your input.
WV is the best on the East Coast, outside of Vermont. Vermont is better.
In WV Snowshoe is the best, cant comment on VA hospitals around snowshoe. Canaan is good and the most beautiful area of WV again not sure of the hospital situation.
There is a beautiful VA hospital in Huntington, WV. Although we're roughly 4hrs away from Snowshoe per Google maps it's a frequent trip for ski enthusiasts here. I've read and heard lots of kudos for the staff at our VA hospital. (My former neighbor was a veteran.)
There is a beautiful VA hospital in Huntington, WV. Although we're roughly 4hrs away from Snowshoe per Google maps it's a frequent trip for ski enthusiasts here. I've read and heard lots of kudos for the staff at our VA hospital.
The issue is they want a VA hospital near skiing. At 4 hours away that isnt really helping them. THey could live in Morgantown, Pittsburgh, hell even DC and be within 4 hours of skiing. In fact they could just stay in Colorado and live in the lower parts and reach a skiing place in LESS than 4 hours.
People stop being city homers and give them useful advice.
The issue is they want a VA hospital near skiing. At 4 hours away that isnt really helping them. THey could live in Morgantown, Pittsburgh, hell even DC and be within 4 hours of skiing. In fact they could just stay in Colorado and live in the lower parts and reach a skiing place in LESS than 4 hours.
People stop being city homers and give them useful advice.
Not trying to be city homer. Thanks for the warm welcome.
Just know Huntington VA has good rep. Original poster didn't mention specific distance. There Are only 4 VA hospitals in WV. I was thinking along the importance of nearby medical care. Yes there are cbocs, but I'd think proximity to good medical care might trump distance to recreation especially if someone is employed full time. Driving hours to hospital for medical attention not able to be done in outpatient center is not an optimal situation.
*Sorry OP, I hope you find a good spot. The Asheville area is beautiful, sorry the skiing didn't meet your needs. Just tossing a suggestion out there.
Clarksburg has a good VA Hospital and it is reasonably close to good ski opportunities.
It's about an hour and a half from Canaan Valley. Or you could live in Fairmont and be about an hour 45 minutes from Canaan Vallen, or (my personal preference) Morgantown and be within 1 hour 20 minutes of Timberline, 2 hours of Canaan Valley, an hour and a half from Seven Springs, one hour 20 minutes from Oglebay, and only 45 minutes from the beautiful WISP ski resort in nearby Garrett County, Maryland.
So, by living in Morgantown you could be within 45 minutes of great skiing and 35 minutes from the VA Hospital near Clarksburg.
Clarksburg has a good VA Hospital and it is reasonably close to good ski opportunities.
It's about an hour and a half from Canaan Valley. Or you could live in Fairmont and be about an hour 45 minutes from Canaan Vallen, or (my personal preference) Morgantown and be within 1 hour 20 minutes of Timberline, 2 hours of Canaan Valley, an hour and a half from Seven Springs, one hour 20 minutes from Oglebay, and only 45 minutes from the beautiful WISP ski resort in nearby Garrett County, Maryland.
So, by living in Morgantown you could be within 45 minutes of great skiing and 35 minutes from the VA Hospital near Clarksburg.
In addition, Morgantown has a VA Outpatient Clinic (staffed by my favorite VA physician) for routine care. Morgantown would be an excellent choice as a place to live for you. It is near outstanding outdoor amenities, has world class healthcare, and ample VA medical services in the immediate and nearby area.
Oh, and since healthcare is expanding here on a major basis, so are social service employment opportunities. You can check out the Employment section of the local paper... The Dominion Post, Sunday Edition, for some listings. We have among the lowest unemployment rates in the whole country in Morgantown.
So it looks like your WV options are Beckley, which is the closest to any ski area and maybe the closest (still two hours though) to the best area; Morgantown, which is kindof close to a few decent ones; and Clarksburg, which a bit closer to the decent ones and only a few minutes farther from Snowshoe than Beckley.
Of those three, it looks like Beckley & Clarksburg are the two best options. Beckley offers the opportunity for an afternoon or evening ski outing after work, while Clarksburg offers decent options at Timberline & Canaan Valley, but they're farther out, both pushing 2 hr trips one way. Both are more or less the same from Snowshoe.
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