Hike 2 in the Dolly Sods

Today we headed up to the highlands. Seth wanted to show me a part of the race course that he ran last year in the Highlands Sky 40 miler. Our buddy, Eric, came out last night to join us for a long weekend. We set out this morning for 5 hours and a bit more than 11 miles of hiking.

The rhododendron were blooming

Eric & Seth crossing the highlands

Large weathered rock slabs: great for rock hopping

One of the remarkable features of this hike was the way that the terrain changed continuously. High alpine meadows, although we were neither "high" nor "alpine," were followed by a plunge into dark, wooded trails with pine needle beds, only to pop back out into a boulder field for some rock hopping. Eventually, our path looped back around and took us down into a valley. The effect of the rains we had on our first day here could still be felt in the muck and mud that was to be our route.

An active beaver dam

One always spends great care in keeping the feet dry, in the beginning, but even the most lightfooted among us would be taken down by this trail. Seth seemed to have radar that would lock in on the soft, deep, shoe sucking mud, while Eric told stories of the "Bog People" that were discovered preserved after falling in to the peat bogs of Ireland.

This is a baby puddle compared to the bogs we had to cross.

Eric was the master of stepping lightly and staying dry.

Seth, on the other hand, made tracks like this as he skidded through the mud.

Eventually, even Eric was conquered by Mud Foot.

On our way back home we made a pit stop at the Blackwater Brewing Company for some local micro brews. We picked up a growler to bring home, and while I made dinner the guys put together some sangria and read their books on the porch. The sangria, or "adult fruit cup" was dessert.

"Oh man, I love this fruit cup."

We are all hoping to stay awake at least until 9:00 pm tonight.

Hike 1 in the Dolly Sods

We had an early morning start today so that we could hit the trails while it was still cool. Clearly, we're new here. It was never not cool today. How glorious to have cold fingers in June. We were both doing a bit of a function check on ailing knees and ankles, so we set out for a 7 mile hike on a mild trail. It was never terribly steep or technical. The most significant terrain feature we had to navigate was mud and general swampiness due to the recent rains.

Seth on Rohrbaugh Trail

One of my favorite features on hikes like this one are the beds of mossy ground cover. After the first mile Seth gently reminded me that, if I keep stopping to touch it, this 7 mile hike would take us longer than we had food or water to sustain us. Onward!

Grow little guys! Grow!

Another thing I am a sucker for are the tiny little evergreen trees that are just taking root on the side of the trail. We saw loads of these during our honeymoon in Glacier National Park. I always feel the urge to pat them on their tops, like a little pup.

After miles of gorgeous wooded trails in the cold, damp morning air we popped out of this scenic viewpoint overlooking the valley and river below. I wish the camera could have captured the view I had during this hike. As Seth walked along in front of me, the densely wooded trail was occasionally punctuated with patches of bright morning sun that would illuminate his breath before he stepped into the next shadow. That was one of my favorite sights today. I kept taking big gulps of the cold, moist air and letting out long sighs. Taking it all in.

How to spend a rainy day in West Virginia

After a slow morning, we set out for Blackwater Falls State Park. The scent of evergreen trees and wet earth was strong as we hiked down to the falls.

On the way to our next stop in Thomas, WV we passed by the billboard below. This should give you an indication of just how small of a town Davis, WV is:

You can see why Brittiny felt the need to stand out by spelling her name in a unique way in a town this size.

Thomas, WV has a small, yet sweet commercial street. We took the recommendation of our friend Stephen and ate lunch at the Purple Fiddle. The food was tasty and we were offered a free brownie when the waitress/cook realized that she made a mistake on Seth's order.

The Purple Fiddle

West Virginia: Wet, wild & wonderful

There is a mountain behind the cloud

We arrived in West Virginia yesterday for a week of hiking and a general goal of soaking up the green. Having learned our lesson last year during the Corbin Cabin Escapade, we opted for more comfortable furnishings to serve as our base of operations this year.

After cooking a dinner of pasta, salad and garlic bread in the spacious kitchen last night, we set out for a walk. We needed jackets. Yes! The gray clouds hung so low in the sky that we could almost reach up and run our hands through them. Double Yes! After a year in Cairo, rain and gray skies are a welcomed sight. We walked out to the road you see in the above photo, only to discover that it is actually a runway. We continued to wind our way among the cluster of houses and noticed many of them for sale. Flagstone chimneys, wrap around porches and beautiful views, all for about the same price our 600 sq. ft. condo in Arlington would sell for.

Behind the cloud in the above photo are two ski areas. We won't be venturing up there today, but have picked out several trails to explore in the coming days. For now, coffee and a book on the back porch sounds pretty good.