Cut Your Own at Snickers Gap Tree Farm

Tidy rows of evergreens rise up a hillside as far as the eye can see. Downy clouds sail west against a baby blue sky. Turning off the gravel road families pour out of SUV’s, pickup trucks and classic cars pulling small trailers.

It’s Thanksgiving Day plus 1. And, for 39 consecutive holiday seasons, the Wolff family has opened the gate to Snickers Gap Tree Farm, Bluemont, Virginia on this same day. My family has only been coming here for a decade.

This is a “choose and cut your own” Christmas tree farm. There are over 40,000 Douglas Fir and Colorado Blue Spruce trees growing here all the time. But there are no pre-cut trees. The selecting and felling is all DIY.

I park our classic 4WD clunker on the grassy lot so my 2 daughters, their Mom and our 14 year old grandson can begin the annual quest. We receive tools for harvesting and hauling and strike through acres and acres of well-groomed Christmas trees.

My family holds strong opinions and knowing the grounds we all set out on different paths. I head for the highlands to get the overview. The ladies discuss many options and laugh their way downhill. My thoughtful grandson scouts the crowd then charts his own course.

We regroup to consider a short list of nominees to reside for the season in the traditional place of honor. It’s tricky because each candidate may currently reside in a different quadrant of the farm. And there must be agreement among us all. Each advocate makes the case for his or her candidate. This takes time.

The sun begins to fade. There is negotiation. We must decide. And so we do. Shortly, the men, grandfather & grandson cut the proper tree. We use tolls (handsaw and rope harness) provided by our hosts and, once again in perfect harmony, drag it back to our starting point. Here, an eager crew waits to shake our new family member clean and bale it tight for easy transport.

We sip a cup of complimentary hot apple cider while a rustic wagon delivers our tree to the parking lot. We greet neighbors, speak broadly to strangers and agree this is the best Christmas tree we have ever found.

Other products for sale in the open air shed include fresh wreaths, local seasonal products and accessories for setting up trees. Purchases are made with cash, checks, major credit cards and Apple Pay.

As sun sets, I hoist the tree to the car roof and strap it there using strong, sisal cord I keep all year long just for this purpose. Slowly, happily the family returns to our sleigh. I take one last look at the farm, the crimson streaked sky and make sure the tree is bound securely.

As I return to the driver’s seat, I notice a little girl with dark braids and a Santa cap spinning and spinning like a top, holding 2 tiny cedar branches. “I’m a Christmas tree. I’m a Christmas tree,” she says. I reach down, pick up a similar clipping, put it in my pocket and realize I feel the same way.

Merry Christmas, a little early.