Highland Outdoors | Fall 2019

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RIVER SURFING

FALL 2019

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GAULEY SEASON |

SEPTEMBER 6 - OCTOBER 20

The Gauley River is among the most renowned stretches of whitewater in the country and consistently ranks within the top five whitewater rivers in the world.

Take on five major Class V rapids as you tackle the world-famous Upper Gauley. Conquer the incredible Gauley River Marathon with all 26 miles of the river. If you want the full experience, spend two days on the river and camp out under the stars on a Gauley River Overnight.

FROM THE EDITOR On August 10, I was at a barbecue in Canaan Valley where the evening temperature steadily dropped to 38 degrees. By the wee hours, folks were wrapped in various hefts of wool as they plucked strings under the brisk, starlight sky. The summer heat did return, but by August 24, many trees up on Canaan Mountain had lost their lush green hue from a dry spell; some had even resorted to dropping red and yellow leaves on the local trails. Meteorological conversations at the local watering hole transitioned from water levels and heat waves to humidity levels and leaf peepin’ prospects. Now that we’re full steam into September, many of us are facing the reality that summer is, in fact, coming to a rapid close.

Lovers of the dog days take heed—fall is upon us. As someone who sweats incessantly on the mildest of summer days, I couldn’t be happier to usher in the crisp, cool mountain air that will soon settle over the West Virginia highlands.

I also welcome the changes of scenery, light, and mood as the days grow shorter and the squash grows longer.

Unlike most of the ecological regions around the country, residents of the Central Appalachians are fortunate to experience all four seasons in their full and equal glory every year.

Winters are harsh and snowy; spring features an unrivaled and verdant explosion of perennial flora; summer engulfs us in the canopy of a temperate rainforest, and autumn’s vivid colors are on par with those of a psychedelic experience.

This quarterly cycle of seasons just so happens to be perfect for a quarterly outdoor adventure magazine, and I’m beyond stoked to bring you our transitional tribute to fall in the Mountain State. In honor of change, we’re excited to cover new topics like river surfing, birding, disc golf, and urban trail running.

And we’ve ushered in these fresh topics while trying our very best to stay true to the colorful, playful, notso-serious vibe that makes Highland Outdoors what it is—all without breaking a sweat.

So swap your shorts for sweats and grab your favorite sweater, for fall ‘tis the season of not sweating nearly as much. w -Dylan Jones

West Virginia’s Outdoor Magazine

Associate Editor, Design Nikki Forrester Pretty Much Everything Else Dylan Jones, Nikki Forrester

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CONTRIBUTORS Mollee Brown Tom Cecil Derek Clark Justin Harris Birdie Hawkins Jonny Hudson Kent Mason Owen Mulkeen Kurtis Schachner Molly Wolff Josh Woods Jesse Wright

HIGHLAND OUTDOORS FALL 2019

ADVERTISING Request a media kit or send inquiries to: info@ highland-outdoors.com

SUBMISSIONS Please send pitches and photos to: dylan@ highland-outdoors.com

DISCLAIMER Outdoor activities are inherently risky.

Highland Outdoors will not be held responsible for your decision to play outdoors.

COVER David Wolff carving freshwater waves on the Gauley River.

Photo by Molly Wolff.

Copyright © 2019 by Highland Outdoors. All rights reserved. Highland Outdoors is published

by DJones Media, LLC and printed at Freeport Press in Freeport, OH.

Justin Harris

STAFF Publisher, Editor-in-Chief Dylan Jones

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LAND-LOCKED

River Surfing is Making Waves in WV

By Dylan Jones

Contents 10

14

WHAT’S IT LIKE BACKCOUNTRY TO SWIM THE ANGLIN’ UPPER GAULEY? By Owen Mulkeen

Molly Wolff

By Birdie Hawkins

18 ON THE WING Birding in West Virginia

By Mollee Brown

28

32

36

LET THE LEAF DROP

URBAN TRAIL RUNNING

By Nikki Forrester

By Derek Clark

DISC GOLF IN THE MOUNTAIN STATE

EVERY ISSUE 8 Briefs 40 Profile 42 Events 43 Gallery

By Josh Woods

FALL 2019 HIGHLAND-OUTDOORS.COM

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B oxer s

SNOWSHOE HIGHLANDS BECOMES WV’S FIRST IMBA RIDE CENTER

By Dylan Jones

Comprised of the trail systems at Snowshoe Mountain Resort, Tea Creek Mountain, and Slatyfork, the Snowshoe Highlands Ride Center kicks off its status as a Bronze-level Ride Center.

The IMBA Ride Center designation recognizes top-notch mountain biking regions that offer extensive trail networks of varying difficulty, towns or resorts that offer exceptional amenities for visiting riders, and a local community that embraces the mountain biking culture through trail building, advocacy, and economic efforts.

So, what’s the big deal? Well, for starters, there are only 40 IMBA Ride Centers in the world, five of which are in the Mid-Atlantic region—now including the Snowshoe Highlands.

The designation brings the region’s world-class terrain and trail systems to the national forefront and should help encourage further economic development.

Cara Rose, executive director for the Pocahontas County Convention and Visitors Bureau, coordinated efforts between a slew of organizations, including the U.S. Forest Service, Snowshoe Mountain Resort, Pocahontas Trails, and West Virginia University Extension Service. “Our economy is driven by tourism, and recreation is a vital part of that,” Rose said. “We have an opportunity to increase visitation through mountain biking and other recreational opportunities.”

Local IMBA chapter Pocahontas Trails, which was West Virginia’s first IMBA chapter, was heavily involved in

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the painstaking work and details that went into achieving the coveted Ride Center designation. “We look to the IMBA designation as the next boost for the area on new trails, trail maintenance, advertising, and notoriety,” said Eric Lindberg, president of Pocahontas Trails.

According to Lindberg, the application process was over two years in the making, and included things like taking inventory of regional trails, signage, business, and amenities— including quintessential services like a local brew pub. “The IMBA criteria is particularly detailed; it’s more than just trails,” Lindberg said. “With any piece missing, you don’t get there.”

Pocahontas Trails partnered up with regional entities to add green-level trails, trailhead kiosks, and trail signage to significantly improve access and the local riding experience. As Lindberg and many others will proudly mention, part of that local riding experience comes from appreciating the rugged terrain and conditions that West Virginia is known for.

Part of IMBA’s Ride Center criteria is to not diminish or alter the character of the trails. “IMBA is appreciating what we have here with our rugged riding and recognizes the need for that,” Lindberg said. “We’ve got remote, old school roots and rocks, absolutely spectacular forest, the creek bottoms and wetlands, and all the flora and fauna. It’s pretty hard to beat.”

The Ride Center designation serves to shine the well-deserved IMBA spotlight on the Monongahela National Forest, which contains over 300 miles of mountain bike trails in the Snowshoe Highlands region. According to IMBA, the wealth of trails available to riders on public lands was a big driver in becoming a bronze Ride Center.

HIGHLAND OUTDOORS FALL 2019

Offering the bulk of the area’s available amenities, Snowshoe Mountain Resort serves as the central hub of the Ride Center. With a significant portion of the resort’s trails making up the ride center—including the lift-served Snowshoe Bike Park and 11,000 acres of resort backcountry— Snowshoe welcomes the designation with open arms.

Snowshoe’s legendary trails have long been a part of West Virginia mountain biking lore, and the IMBA designation comes just in time for Snowshoe to host the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Finals from September 6 - 8. “The timing couldn’t be better, and things are in as good as shape as they’ve ever been,” said Snowshoe PR Manager Shawn Cassell. “It’s a big deal, it basically just elevates us above your average mountain biking destination. I think the main thing is people know that by having the designation, people feel confident in taking a trip here.”

Although the designation is official, there’s more work to be done. “I’ve worked on a lot of projects in my lifetime, and no other project has been this rewarding,” Rose said. “It was a group of individuals who were committed to being successful with this from the very first day.”

“One of biggest things that came out of the process was better cooperation and understanding between the whole community, to recognize the need for trails and to recognize the connectivity between all these places,” Lindberg said. “People are recognizing that and making changes to improve everyone’s experience.” w

Kurtis Schachner

On August 12 at a ceremony in Pocahontas County, the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) officially recognized the Snowshoe Highlands as West Virginia’s first designated IMBA Ride Center.

B r ie fs

WV LAND TRUST CLOSES ON YELLOW CREEK PRESERVE HO Staff You may have seen some coverage in previous issues of the WV Land Trust’s “Buy the Moon” campaign to purchase 860 acres in Tucker County. Those appeals for donations worked, and the WVLT officially closed on the Yellow Creek Preserve property on August 29.

This property includes the legendary Moon Rocks

formation, a classic route for hikers and mountain bikers.

“We see this as a legacy project. It’s an iconic property where we want to not only restore and preserve the unique natural features, but also ensure recreational opportunities, which are a major draw for people coming to the Davis, Thomas, and the Canaan

Valley area,” said WVLT executive director Brent Bailey in a press release.

The WVLT reached its fundraising goal of $800,000 to purchase the environmentally sensitive and unique wetland parcel. The preserve will adjoin the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge and Little Canaan Wildlife

Management Area, increasing connectivity of public lands in Tucker County. The Yellow Creek Preserve is and has been open to the public, so go see for yourself why so many people came together to save Moon Rocks. For more information, visit www. buythemoonwv.org. w

BRIDGE DAY TO CELEBRATE RUBY ANNIVERSARY HO Staff On October 19, everyone’s favorite bridge will relish in the celebration of the 40th Official Bridge Day festival by welcoming attendees to walk across its halfmile-long deck and watch adventurous BASE jumpers fling themselves into the nearly-thousand-foot void of the New River Gorge.

Dylan Jones

Proudly boasting the superlative of the western hemisphere’s longest singlearch bridge, the New River Gorge Bridge is one of the most famous structures that spans one of the most famous landscapes in the Mountain State.

Also boasting some titular goodness is the “Coolest Small Town” of Fayetteville, which proudly hosts a variety of Bridge Day-related festivals throughout the weekend.

With nearly 100,000 onlookers and hundreds of jumpers, Bridge Day

is West Virginia’s largest single-day festival and one of the biggest BASE jumping events on the planet. Pepper in over 200 vendors and a slew of other activities in the region, and you can see why West Virginians absolutely love Bridge Day (plus, it’s free).

northern side of the bridge, and from Route 16 on the southern end. Even more fortunate, the go-around route is stunningly beautiful, so happy detouring!

If you’ve never been to Bridge Day (hint, this means you, lucky travelers!), it’s

worth checking out at least once in your life. After all, when else will you get the opportunity to hang your head off an 876-foot sheer drop into the thrashing rapids of the New River? Not until October 17, 2020, so you best make hay while the sun’s a shining. w

Area residents and travelers are reminded that the bridge is closed to thru-traffic starting at 7 a.m. on October 19. If you picked up this mag at a rest stop (thanks for becoming a reader!) and just so happen to be heading toward the bridge on the day of the festival, then your reading of this brief prior to your arrival at said bridge is quite serendipitous, ain’t it?!

Fortunately for you, there are detour routes on the I-79 and I-64 corridors. If you’re already past the point of no return, Route 19 will be open to local traffic from Ames Heights road on the FALL 2019 HIGHLAND-OUTDOORS.COM

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What’s it like to swim the upper gauley?

Hanging on for dear life at Pillow Rock.

Words and photos by Birdie Hawkins

T

he first time I ever unintentionally swam whitewater was back in 2012 when I paddled a ducky (inflatable kayak for you land sharks) on the Cheat River Narrows. The boat laid over my submerged head and, after a few restless moments underwater, I felt a peaceful calm and accepted that I may indeed be drowning. Ever since that incident, I’ve maintained a healthy respect for the river and had avoided another bad swim.

As a seasonal photographer for Adventures on the Gorge, I spent the summer of 2018 riding princess (in the front of the boat and not paddling) on rafting trips down the Lower New River to soak up all the splashies and take photos of priceless rafting faces.

I broke my no-swim streak while raft surfing, but since surfing a raft in a standing wave is a somewhatcontrolled environment with an eddy

close downstream to catch inevitable swimmers, in my mind it didn’t count.

As I bobbed safely downstream, I wondered how I’d fair during my next unexpected whitewater swim.

Fast forward to Gauley Fest 2018.

I’m about to embark on my first unpaid commercial raft trip in five years. I hop in a boat with five strangers (soon-to-be best friends), paddle in hand, customer PFD on torso, ready to see what the Upper Gauley River looks like at a rowdy flow of 3,000 cubic feet-per-second.

Right away, the roar of the mighty Gauley is an experience unlike any river I’ve paddled before. Our boat seems heavy, loaded with five burly men capable of ferocious paddle strokes. As we crash through waves, our boat fills with water. Nearly every time we eddy out, the swift turn of the boat cradles the upstream-facing side tube with relentless, lapping whitewater. Our boat is heavy, and it shows right away.

10 HIGHLAND OUTDOORS FALL 2019

The water is big, but our boat is strong. We successfully navigate the first two class V rapids, Insignificant and Pillow Rock, that appear before the Gauley’s confluence with the Meadow River, where the conjoined watercourses mean even more water crashing through the three remaining class V rapids.

After the confluence comes the infamous Lost Paddle rapid, which the highly reputable source of Wikipedia describes as “a long, treacherous rapid consisting of four sub-rapids: First Drop, Second Drop, Third Drop, and Tumble Home.” [Editor’s note: Wikipedia? Eh, what the hell. I’ll allow it.]

Lost Paddle is a long, exciting romp with waves so large they’ve been named. Our boat makes it through the famous Hawaii 5.0 wave but rattles off-balance in the tail of the reactionary wave downstream. We’re off course, and what follows happens in slow-motion.

As we paddle into the Second Drop, I watch as the left tube laps with foamy water and become all too aware of what’s coming next.

The boat is slightly angled, and as the front right side of the boat catches the wave, the left tube dips further into the frothing whitewater. I reach for the outside strap and attempt to jump to the high side of the raft to redistribute the weight. In that eternally dry second, I envision my attempted heroics somehow resulting in my being the only remaining paddler in the boat. In the next somehow-even-longer second, I feel my body slide forward, toward the water.

Alas, resistance is futile.

We’re flipping.

I hit the water and, in a flashback to my first swim on the Narrows, quickly realize I’m under the boat. I push and pull, trying to navigate myself out from under the crushing weight of the raft.

I remember the advice of our raft guide: “If you find yourself under the boat, commit to moving in one direction to escape.” I feel my hand surface, touching the outer tubing of the raft, only to be pushed backward as the river propels the boat forward again, and again, readjusting any progress I make. Suddenly, finally, I no longer feel the boat over me, and I’m now underwater, free-swimming the rushing current.

I have clear, conscious thoughts of holding my breath as the sweep of a hydraulic current pulls me deeper underwater. I feel my body twirl and toss in the current. I kick and hope I’ve got enough air in my lungs to continue holding my

breath. A moment later, my head resurfaces, and I gasp a mouthful of sweet West Virginia air.

With my head above water, I look around to get my bearings. I turn and find myself looking downstream, heading head-first into the green curl of a perfect standing wave. I put my feet up and take a second to time my breath just right—I know I’m about to go into the deep again. I gulp down a large breath and succumb to riding the wave. When I resurface, I’m happy to see that I’m just upstream of the raft again, with two other swimmers beside me. I see our guide holding onto the rear of the boat, looking as if she was about to be sandwiched between the raft and the huge rock downstream. “Swim right!” she yells with a tone of exasperation in her voice.

The rafting mantra of “ROCKS ARE BAD!” echoes in my water-logged skull.

I quickly and aggressively swim left to avoid 12-Pack Rock and abruptly turn again to swim right and catch the eddy of calm water behind it.

I don’t even catch a glimpse of the boat that plucks me out of the water. In one swift motion, I straddle my arms over the side of the boat and yell for others to help pull me in. By this point, I have no remaining strength to pull myself up. As I get hauled into this foreign raft, I realize I’ve lost my shoe. Damnit.

It’s pure chaos: bodies are tumbled over one another as swimmers continue to be pulled into other rafts.

Guides yell the number of swimmers they’ve picked up to make sure everyone

Head over heels in love with whitewater rafting

is accounted for. “I need help! We’re too heavy,” yells the guide from the rescue boat. Alas, the rapid is not over. There are still two more drops to go. Two of us jump into another boat to lighten the load. I’m out of breath and a little thankful that I don’t have a paddle with which to participate. I hold on to the cross-tube strap as we make our way down the Third Drop and Tumble Home.

Everyone is accounted for. We reclaim our raft, search for paddles, and the guy sitting in front hands me my shoe. I scream out an elated, “Hell yeah!” Turns out it was wedged under the cross tube, upside down, for the entirety of the carnage that was our descent of the Lost Paddle rapid.

Since my first swim on the Cheat Narrows five years ago, I’ve always boated with the nervous apprehension of what

would happen if I were to find myself unexpectedly swimming downstream again. But those few-yet-eternal minutes swimming the most gnarly rapid on one of the world’s top-10 commercial whitewater rivers were surprisingly liberating. I faced my fear and handled myself far better than I could have anticipated. I’m grateful to be alive, as that is not always the result of swimming a class V rapid. My swim through Lost Paddle felt like a baptism of adrenaline that has infatuated my mind, body, and soul with the art of river running.

I can guarantee I’ll be back for more. w Birdie Hawkins is a dues-paying member of the Upper Gauley Swimmers Club. She currently resides in North Cackalacky, but misses Westby-God with every string of her banjo-pluckin’ heart.

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Backcountry Anglin’

W

e’re all guilty of this move.

You’re standing at the trailhead staring at a gear explosion next to your vehicle, contemplating what else you can possibly jam into your overpacked backpack. Your thru-hiking

friends are patiently waiting with their svelte packs stripped to the essentials, staring at the sun as it moves slowly toward the horizon. You ask the classic questions: Did I forget my headlamp? Do I need more snacks? Need more snacks.

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You guys want to carry this cast iron skillet? Oh, that’s right, you chopped your toothbrush in half. How about this bear spray? What, you’re just gonna run faster than me? With this heavyass pack, probably…

But wait, you must add the final luxury recreational piece to the pack. When seeking deep connections during your wilderness experience, it’s helpful to bring along items that help your commune with nature. Whatever it is you

Rewards await the angler who is willing to hike for a day to reach stretches of streams that resemble those of yesteryear. guide to mushrooms and medicinal plants. For me, when backpacking through the spectacular drainages of the Monongahela National Forest (MNF), carrying a lightweight fly rod with reel and an assortment of flies is a must. Backcountry angling in the Mountain State is a unique experience.

The author casting on Otter Creek.

Words by Owen Mulkeen Photos by Dylan Jones

choose to schlepp in your overstuffed backpack into the backcountry to chase the harmonic resonance of wild spaces, make sure you choose what works for you. For some, it might be a pair of binoculars, perhaps a digital camera, or a field

West Virginia has of the some of the most extensive and remote watersheds for brook trout in Appalachia.

With hundreds of miles of streams boasting six to 10-inch brook trout, and the occasional foot-long, there are great opportunities for aquatic exploration. Rewards await the angler who is willing to hike for a day or two to reach stretches of streams that resemble and fish like those of yesteryear.

These recovered fisheries attract both anglers and wildlife biologists. The professionals of the natural world are a passionate bunch; their enthusiasm for their work is often infectious and born of science. United States Forest Service (USFS) Fisheries Biologist Chad Landress is no exception and is quick to point out that these native brook trout fisheries were not always so productive. Chad harks back to a different time, somewhere between 18901910, when the brook trout population in Appalachia was being decimated by the industrial practices of widespread clear cutting. In West Virginia alone, eight

million acres were cut in that time period. On the MNF, almost all the nearly one million acres were cut— only 200 acres were left untouched.

Small tracts of virgin forest on Gaudineer Knob in the MNF and nearby Cathedral State Park represent fragmented chunks of these original forests. Fast forward a century in forestry science, and implementation of smarter management practices such as riparian buffers has forests in a rebound state. Landress attributes the improved quality of streams in West Virginia to some key factors.

“We have an extensive number of high-mountain A rock bass in Shaver’s Fork.

A trip to the federally designated wilderness areas of Otter Creek, Laurel Fork, and Cranberry are the gems of backcountry angling.

Each has their own level of commitment, from easier rail-trail style hiking in the main stem of the Cranberry, complete with shelters for extra comfort and larger groups, to the rugged interior of Otter Creek, which since Hurricane Sandy in 2012 still has sections of trail that require log climbing acrobatics. These areas are large, protected drainages with feeder tributaries that play host to reproductive havens for brook trout.

FALL 2019 HIGHLAND-OUTDOORS.COM

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streams in the MNF and the majority of West Virginia’s brook trout streams,” he said. “This forested land has public ownership and public management, allowing for interconnected fish populations. Wilderness areas are in the process of healing naturally and National Forest lands outside of [designated] wilderness are being aided with restoration techniques mimicking natural processes.”

Landress explained some of the restoration tools the USFS has at its disposal. By mimicking wood fall rates of old growth forests, biologists can increase organic material and food supply in streams. By selectively adding wood to scoured stream channels,

flow speed is reduced and habitat is increased, meaning cover against predators and safer spawning areas.

The fruits of the labor put forth by the USFS, bolstered by efforts of fishery advocacy nonprofit Trout Unlimited, are experienced immediately by backcountry anglers via more and bigger fish.

Chasing the blue halos and extensive vermiculation of the native brook trout is best experienced in these wild places, as far away from society as possible, in an area where “the earth and community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain”. I, for one, am drawn deeper into these drainages by

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some force that pushes me to keep clambering to the next hole or bend in the creek. What lies ahead? The excitement of landing that big one in a hole I have yet to find. My tired legs and casting arm keep going till my thruhiking friends give their we-need-moremiles side-eye. Just one more cast; it’s late in the day; the fish must be getting hungry. I know I am. But wait, I packed those snacks just for this moment. w Owen Mulkeen is an avid backcountry angler and associate director of Friends of the Cheat. You can often find him riding his mountain bike or tossin’ casts in a honey hole deep in the wilderness.

Owen Mulkeen fishing in Flat Rock Run.

Working to Restore, Preserve, and Promote the Outstanding Natural Qualities of the Cheat River Watershed.

Photo by Mitchell Stickler

Scan this QR Code to join FOC’s mailing list - and receive a free sticker postcard from Friends of the Cheat!

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ON THE WING W

est Virginians take pride in our state’s rich natural resources and many of us enjoy them by hiking, paddling, climbing, and mountain biking our way through untamed pathways in the hills and hollers. But one of the country’s fastest-growing hobbies takes a calmer approach to outdoor enjoyment. Bird watching, also known as birding, is a gateway to connect with nature that requires little gear and less adrenaline than typical adventure sports.

As a child, I used my grandma’s point-and-shoot camera to take photos of birds that came to the suet feeder that hung outside my bedroom window.

I did a 4-H project based on a tiny picture book filled with a few dozen bird species. I even counted hawks in the fields on my family’s farm. In short, I thought birds were cool, but I had yet to develop an avian obsession.

It wasn’t until I connected with a group of birders in college that I became hooked. I remember thinking, Wait, there are more types of birds than in my childhood picture book? And are they really that colorful? You can see those birds here in West Virginia?

All of a sudden, a tree along the trail

By Mollee Brown

wasn’t just a tree. Each tree appeared as a home or stopover for hundreds of birds. Some species spent the entire summer nesting and raising their young among the security of the branches, others stopped by to take a break on their thousand-mile migratory journeys.

Waterways were no longer just a place to kayak. They became a place to discover wintering ducks and elusive migrating shorebirds who had come south from as far as the Arctic. No matter where I was, the skies were open to anything and everything, especially the spectacle of majestic birds of prey.

in Bluestone Lake? Bald Eagles are numerous there and in many of the state’s major waterways thanks in part to the Endangered Species Act, which spurred a remarkable comeback from near-extinction a few decades ago.

Hiking in Dolly Sods? Like the flora, the species seen here in the summer are akin to species in Canada’s boreal region. Crossing the Ohio River after a trip, smiling as you see the “Welcome to West Virginia” sign? If you’re lucky, you just might catch a pair of Peregrine Falcons resting on top of the bridge after a nice meal of fresh pigeon.

Birding in West Virginia

Identifying Bird Species

There are more than 100 bird species that breed in West Virginia, and in total, more than 300 species have been seen throughout the state. That’s a decent percentage of the roughly 800 species that regularly occur in the continental United States. The total list in West Virginia includes birds that migrate through the state between their summer and winter grounds, birds who spend only the winter here, and rare sightings of birds that aren’t usually seen here.

With birding, the more you learn, the more you’ll want to know. It begins with the thrill of successfully identifying a bird—especially a species that you haven’t seen before. Common birds with a unique appearance, such as the Great Blue Heron, can be easy to ID. Some are a little harder, like the Rose-breasted Grosbeak—the bird featured on some of our license plates. The male’s black, white, and red plumage is simple enough to notice, but females are a bold contrast of brown and white markings that are similar to several other species.

Going birding is easy. It could happen anywhere, anytime. Fishing

18 HIGHLAND OUTDOORS FALL 2019

Flickr/Psyberartist

Birding in West Virginia

Top row (left to right): Broad-winged Hawk (Shutterstock), Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Yellow Warbler.

Middle row (left to right): Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Shutterstock), Eastern Screech Owl, Indigo Bunting.

Bottom row (left to right): Black-throated Green Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, American Goldfinch.

Photos by Mollee Brown unless noted otherwise.

FALL 2019 HIGHLAND-OUTDOORS.COM

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Birders birding with binoculars by a bridge.

After noticing and identifying a grosbeak outside your door for the first time, you’ll likely start to wonder more. Where did it come from? Has it been here all along? Where is it going?

What is it eating? Is that it calling? Oh look, there’s another one! Did it make that noise to call to the second grosbeak? If I put bird seed out, will they eat it?

If you’re anything like me, you’ll have that string of questions every time you see a bird. And that’s just the

start. You may have looked the grosbeak up online to see what species it was, but now, you want a field guide near your window for the next time an unknown bird appears. When you purchase a field guide, you suddenly realize that birds of every color and size could be right outside your door. You may start keeping a list of birds you have seen. You may begin noting bird species you want to see. When you start learning about the habitats of different bird species, you’ll discover that you can see even more bird species if you visit different environments, even within West Virginia.

20 HIGHLAND OUTDOORS FALL 2019

That’s what I love most about birding—it has taken me to what feels like every corner of our beautiful state. I keep track of every bird species I see and try to see as many species in West Virginia as I can. Many species can be spotted virtually everywhere in our state, whereas others only occur in specific places.

When I hike, I listen for bird songs and watch for movement in the trees—a level of awareness that has given me the gift of seeing nature in a much more intimate way. With constant discovery, my understanding of the balance of nature and the impact of humankind

deepens, and that is a powerful thing to experience.

But birding doesn’t have to be an intense, allencompassing activity. It can be whatever you want it to be. If you’re already outside doing what you love to do, then birding can be as simple as keeping an eye out for a bird or two while you’re out in your kayak or on the rocks. Identifying birds isn’t even necessary to enjoy them. The US Fish and Wildlife Service did a survey and found that 45 million people in the United States watch birds. One potential reason that birding is soaring in popularity—pun intended—for people of all

Mollee Brown

Knowing to look for white markings on the wings, streaking on the breast, and a very large bill is enough to confirm the species ID.

ages is because you can personalize it to your liking.

Getting Started If you want to get into birding, getting a pair of binoculars and a field guide is a good start. There is a growing community of bird watchers in West Virginia, and a quick search on Google or Facebook can help you find them. There are several clubs around the state that lead regular bird walks and events, and there are birding festivals throughout West Virginia.

The Mountaineer Audubon Society has resources on its website to learn more about getting started in birding.

There are many free public birding events in West Virginia throughout the year. Two seasonal events are fantastic fall birding experiences. One is a hawk watch at Hanging Rock Raptor Observatory in Monroe County. Hawk watches are monitoring stations for hawk, eagle, falcon, and osprey migration along the birds’ eastern routes to their wintering grounds, which can be as far away as South America.

The observatory’s unique position on the mountainside allows you to watch hundreds or thousands of raptors at eye level as they pass by. September is the best time to see large numbers of these birds, specifically hundreds of Broad-winged Hawks.

October and November have decreasing total numbers of birds, but better chances of seeing rarer species, such as Golden Eagles. Last year, the site tallied more than 6,000 raptors seen throughout the fall. To enjoy the hawk watch,

which occurs daily through November, all you have to do is show up. It’s a mile hike from the parking lot. Bring warm clothes and a snack, and enjoy the experience.

Another top fall birding activity is bird banding at the Allegheny Front Migration Observatory located within Dolly Sods in Grant County.

Bird banding is the process of catching birds in nets, placing a tiny identification band on their leg, and releasing them. Scientists can then track these banded birds to study a myriad of things, including migration routes, population changes, and behavior. Visiting a bird banding station will allow you to view many species of birds up close as they go through the banding process.​ The observatory is the oldest continuous bird banding station in North America.

Since it was founded in 1958, nearly 275,000 birds have been banded. Banding takes place daily at the station until the beginning of October.

Like the hawk watch, all you have to do is show up to experience it.

Whether you start keeping a list of bird species that you’ve seen, participate in a birding activity, or just keep an eye out for interesting birds as you explore, I hope you notice the remarkable birds in West Virginia.

Before you know it, you may become hooked on birding just like me. w Mollee Brown is an avid birder, explorer, and West Virginia native. She owns Nighthawk A dver tising S olutions , a marketing company serving b i rd i n g an d e c oto u ri s m businesses.

Alix Lilly D.C. Call/ Text/ Email (304) 668-1198 nurturechiropracticwv@gmail.com

417 William Ave Davis, W.V.

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David Wolff shows his style on the impeccable wave at Diagonal Ledges.

LAND-LOCKED

RIVER SURFING IS MAKING WAVES ON WEST VIRGINIA’S LEGENDARY WATERWAYS Words by Dylan Jones Photos by Molly Wolff

ENDEARINGLY REFERRED TO

BY RIPARIAN ROMANTICISTS AS THE BIRTHPLACE OF RIVERS, THE THRASHING WATERWAYS BORN IN THE WEST VIRGINIA HIGHLANDS ARE NOW BECOMING KNOWN AS THE BIRTHPLACE OF RIVER SURFERS. River surfing is taking the freshwater nation by storm, and landlocked surfers in West Virginia are discovering a torrent of world-class surf waves right here in the Mountain State.

The niche adventure sport of river surfing is the act of catching a ride in a standing wave—a hydraulic feature formed when a high volume of water flowing over a submerged object creates a stationary wave in its wake.

With the sport in its infancy and more surfable waves being discovered by aquatic explorers, it’s never been a better time to grab a board, learn the ropes, and hang ten.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF SURF No one really knows who invented surfing, but the first documented incident of ocean surfing was described in 1796 by Joseph Banks while the HMS Endeavor was moored in Tahiti.

Claims of the first river surf date back to 1955 from a two-kilometer ride on the tidal bore of the River Severn in Great Britain. Hangin’ ten on a standing wave started in the early 70s in Munich, where fledgling surfers lined up to ride the famous wave of the Eisbach, a manmade river flowing through the heart of the ancient city.

The same obscure origin story goes for river surfing in West Virginia. No one really knows who surfed the first standing wave within her borders, but local legend has it that a mysterious guy named Chuck was the first to surf a wave on the mighty Gauley River circa 2010.

The current tight-knit group of WV river surfers gelled in that same year during boogie boarding sessions at the

Canyon Doors rapid on the Gauley. That OG group was comprised of then-raft guide Meghan Fisher, her husband Randy Fisher, and local rock climbing guide David Wolff.

Soon after, ex-raft racer Sherry McDaniel and her husband and exmountain bike racer Scott McDaniel showed up, eager to learn how to surf.

The McDaniels had started riding boogie boards at Canyon Doors and had their interest piqued when surfers started showing up. “We didn’t think about taking it a step further until David Wolff, the Fishers, and another local, Travis Hames, showed us the ropes,” Sherry says. “It’s a really good community of people here.”

TRIAL AND ERROR Fisher, owner of Mountain Surf Paddle Sports in Fayetteville, quickly realized the wave at Canyon Doors could be surfed. This was easier said than done, however, and the crew embarked on a journey of trial and error. “I borrowed a friend’s surfboard and brought it out and epic failed,” Fisher says. “I could catch the wave, but I’d instantly wash off. I thought it wasn’t possible until I was at the beach with Randy and saw a surfboard that looked like an oversized boogie board. We brought it to Canyon Doors and we were able to pop up on it.”

Progression, however, was initially slow. “It takes a lot of failures before you’ll get it,” Fisher says. “Momentum isn’t working in your favor as it is in ocean surfing. You can fail 50 times and stand up for one second, that makes it worth it and makes you wanna try another 50 times.”

Wolff, owner of New River Climbing School in Fayetteville, struggled alongside the Fishers. With an easy entry and safe exit, Wolff says that Canyon Doors is a great place to learn, but due to small size of the hydraulic, is also one of the hardest waves to catch.

With ten years of raft guiding and a few seasons of competitive raft racing under her belt, Sherry’s whitewater resume is extensive. Her experience

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surfing rafts in various hydraulics taught her to how enter a wave, and hold a boat in it, which transferred directly to learning how to surf. “By the third season, we were carving and feeling confident enough to call ourselves river surfers.”

SAME SAME, BUT DIFFERENT Just like ocean surfing, river surfing uses a board on which a surfer paddles out into a wave and pops up to catch a ride, but that’s where the similarities end. According to Fisher, who learned to ocean surf while living in Hong Kong, an ocean surfer catches a wave near the crest and pops up while dropping down and, propelled forward by the moving water, rides across the width of the wave as it travels over the surface of the ocean.

But in a standing wave, a surfer must be held in place by the foam pile of the hydraulic before attempting to pop up.

Once up, the surfer is continually being pulled downstream toward the apex of the wave and must repeatedly drop back into the hole. This requires an athletic effort of shifting one’s weight around the board in order to remain in the pocket while the river current travels under the board. “It’s like you’re catching the wave over and over again,” Fisher says. “If you’re not carving and making turns, you have to move your feet back and forth on the board to drop back in.”

Although Wolff had notched some experience surfing in the Pacific over the course of four winter rock guiding seasons at Joshua Tree National Park, he claims he didn’t see much progress until he was able to get on the river.

Several-minute-long ocean rides are rare and typically occur on some of the most dangerous swells on earth, whereas a novice can surf a beginner river wave until their legs collapse. Wolff claims he and the Fishers have had rides approaching 30 minutes. “It would take months or years to get the amount of wave time you can get in one season on the river,” he says. “I felt like every time I went out, I got my new best ride ever.”

Meghan Fisher tearing it up at Diagonal Ledges on the Gauley River.

SURF WEST VIRGINIA During the early 2010s, it was all about unchartered-yetfamiliar territory. The crew spent the better part of three years going to waves on the Gauley and trying them at different levels to dial in optimal surfing conditions.

Wave options opened as their skills progressed. “It hadn’t been done yet, there was no Googling what waves were in at what levels,” Fisher says. “We kind of pioneered it.”

Nowadays, the surf scene has expanded around the state with adventurous river surfers catching waves at several spots on the Gauley, high-water waves that form on the New River Dries, and other reported waves on the Cheat, Dry Fork, Elk, and Greenbrier rivers.

The McDaniels have taken their skills out west, surfing waves in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, and Washington over the past two years, but the pair remains partial to West Virginia’s mountain rivers. “West Virginia is a hidden gem, and what makes it special is the length of the surf season,” Scott says. “Where the Colorado surf season is just several months, we can surf year-round because of the temperate climate.”

Sherry loves the variety offered by West Virginia’s rivers. “Canyon Doors has a beautiful but challenging wave to learn on, The Perfect Wave is more beginner friendly, and the New River Dries is massive but awesome once you get over the fear of paddling into the wave,” she says. “Compared to where Scott and I have

surfed out west, no place has this amount of waves in such a small radius.”

POP-UP CULTURE By now, you may be wondering how you can give river surfing a shot. While all you really need is a wet suit, board, PFD, and helmet, river surfing can be more dangerous than its oceanic counterpart. For local beta on waves, conditions, access, and gear, give Fisher a ring at Mountain Surf Paddle Sports.

Fisher suggests greenhorn surfers take a swiftwater rescue course to learn how to read, run, and swim whitewater. “If people keep coming who don’t know about river surfing, it’s only a matter of time until we have a serious incident,” she says. “Going rafting a few times doesn’t serve as experience. You don’t see people just getting a kayak and running the Gauley; it’s mind boggling to me that people throw themselves into a class IV rapid on a surfboard.”

As with many outdoor adventure sports, there’s an overwhelming amount of gear from which to choose.

Some surfers have a quiver of boards available for different waves, others go with a single do-it-all board.

Most river waves are slower than ocean waves, requiring a higher volume board.

Although companies are now making river-specific surfboards, Fisher uses a shorter, high-volume ocean board. “It’s not necessary to have a river surfboard,” she says. “You need volume, and having a wide tail helps keep you on the back of the wave.”

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Scott encourages folks to avoid leashes, but if you must use a leash, it absolutely must be a quickrelease leash. Most river surfing-related deaths happen when an ankle leash snags an underwater object and the surfer is unable to reach the leash due to the strength of the current.

“Safety is the biggest thing for us, you’ve gotta have that quick-release leash,” he says. “Water is powerful and unpredictable, you must be ready for anything, and so the beginning generation is pioneering the sport and seeing what gear works on the river.”

INTO THE SUNSET One thing is for certain—the world-class waves of the Gauley keep the stoke high for these local surfers. For Fisher, the dichotomous feeling she gets from river surfing is the draw. “It’s this rush of adrenaline with this super calming, beautiful feeling,” she says.

“It’s different than plowing through big waves in a raft or kayak.”

Canyon Doors.

For Wolff, it comes down to the essence of the experience. “The ability to focus on the flow of it all, on having the power of an entire river flowing underneath, is what keeps bringing you back,” he says. “You get to surf the same feature over and over. Once you start to learn a wave, you continue to progress and have more fun every time you go out.”

So, what’s next for river surfing? Locals and visitors alike are seeking out new waves on which to test their developing skills. “West Virginia is a whitewater

mecca and has two of the best rivers in the world that have proved to be worthy for river surfing,” Wolff says.

“More waves are inevitable.

It comes down to whoever can put in the time to do reconnaissance and find new waves at the right levels.” w Dylan Jones is publisher and editor of Highland Outdoors. He got humbled at Canyon Doors last year when he didn’t stand up once during a several-hour surf session. Sucks to suck!

RIVER SURFING 101 Enter The Wave

Jump right in from the shore, paddle into it from an eddy, or drop into it from above.

Feel It Out

Once you’re in, find the sweet spot where you’re able to pop up.

Heads Up

Once you’re standing, find your balance and look forward (upstream).

Exit Strategy

If you miss the wave, swim toward an eddy. Whenever you first get to a wave, find the eddies and assess swimming hazards. If you fall off the board, try to land flat to avoid contact with submerged rocks.

Buddy System

Never surf alone. Always have a spotter in the water or on the shore.

Safety First

If using a leash, it must be a quick-release. A low-profile PFD is essential. Helmets are encouraged for shallow areas. Wet suits can prolong your surf session and prevent hypothermia.

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Let the Leaf Drop Words by Nikki Forrester Photos by Dylan Jones

Peak colors in Coopers Rock State Forest.

T

his summer, I left the verdant landscape of Canaan Valley to embark on an urban escapade in St. Louis. I spent ten weeks working at a newspaper and becoming thoroughly entrenched in city life: biking in the park, barhopping, and eating tons of barbecue. On Sunday nights, I would hear about all the amazing outdoor adventures back home. From paddling to climbing to creek stomping, summer was in full force in West Virginia and I was missing out.

Winter is Coming

Trees regulate the process of leaf color change in response to daylength and weather conditions that signal the onset of winter. Because cold weather traps water in an icy form, many trees would be stressed if they retained their leaves. “Color change is evidence of the tree beating winter to the punch,” says Fowler.

pigment called chlorophyll that helps plants absorb light and convert energy from the sun into food through the process of photosynthesis.

In the fall, trees slow down photosynthesis and break apart chlorophyll because it contains large amounts of nitrogen and other nutrients.

These nutrients are then transferred into the roots and trunk for winter storage. As chlorophyll is degraded, the green disappears, revealing

Anxious to take advantage of the last dregs of summer, I started counting down the days until I could return home. But with a late August homecoming, autumn had already arrived. The air was crisp and cool, the humidity was far less palpable, and the trees glimmered with tints of yellow, orange, and red.

This time last year, the days were warm and the trees were green. It seemed like fall would never begin.

And when the leaves finally changed, they quickly transitioned from green to rusty yellow and burnt orange. Although it may seem like trees are passive entities, they actively change the color of their leaves in response to external cues. For instance, when a branch of a tree is cut off, the leaves don’t turn yellow or red before turning brown, they just die and fall off.

“That’s a good sign that the tree is doing something to make those leaves change color,” says Zach Fowler, West Virginia University Arboretum Director.

to take center stage during autumn.

Red

Red pigments, called anthocyanins, are not present in leaves year-round but are instead produced during the color change process. In many plants, red coloration functions as a sunscreen to protect leaves and flowers from sun damage. Anthocyanins give some tree species, such as sourwood and black gum, their characteristic vibrant red color. Other tree species, like beech and yellow birch, produce very few if any of these pigments, resulting in their yellow and orange fall foliage.

From Red to Shed

To prevent this stress, trees break down their leaves to reabsorb nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous.

This process involves several groups of pigments—colorful substances produced in plants that absorb light.

Understanding how and why leaves change colors requires a deeper dive into three color groups present in leaves: green, yellow / orange, and red.

Green

Leaves look green in the spring and summer due to a

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other autumnal hues.

Yellow and Orange

Yellow and orange pigments called carotenoids are also present in leaves throughout the year. These pigments give carrots, pumpkins, and daffodils their colorful appearance. Carotenoids also protect plants from light damage and function as antioxidants. In the fall, trees don’t break down carotenoids because they are less abundant and nutrientrich than chlorophyll. As a result, these pigments are left behind, allowing them

After trees absorb nutrients from their leaves, they go through another active process—shedding them.

Some pigments are trapped in the leaves as they drop, keeping them yellow, orange, and red on the ground. Soil microbes then degrade and recycle nutrients from the leaves, replenishing the soil and providing resources back to the trees. Some trees, including oaks and beeches, don’t go through this process and will keep their dead leaves attached throughout winter.

Cues and Hues

Trees initiate leaf color changes in response to several cues, including daylength and weather.

“They don’t have a calendar,” says Fowler, but plants do have fairly well-understood mechanisms for sensing changes in daylength.

The iconic overlook at Coopers Rock State Forest in full fall glory.

Once the days get shorter, trees start breaking down chlorophyll. Because changes in daylength are consistent over time and carotenoids are always present, leaves consistently turn yellow and orange every fall.

In contrast, red pigments may or may not appear in the fall because they depend more on weather patterns. The production of red pigments requires sunlight and is enhanced by cold weather. As a result, the most vibrant fall foliage tends to occur when there are bright, sunny days followed by cool, dry nights. Last fall featured rainy days followed by warm, soggy nights. “We didn’t have a very good color change Golden hues on Red Creek in Dolly Sods Wilderness.

because of that,” says Fowler.

Along with fall weather, summer growing conditions can also affect the intensity of leaf color. Some argue that a good growing season with plenty of water and sunlight produces more vivid fall colors.

Although scientists understand several factors that influence fall foliage, it’s not entirely clear how these cues interact and there might be additional cues that researchers haven’t discovered yet. This complexity may explain why fall foliage varies across years even when changes in daylength remain the same.

With the recent string of warm, sunny days and cool, crisp nights, signs are pointing to stunning colors this fall. For those committed to catching vibrant leaves, check out high-elevation locations first since the winter cues occur earlier in the highlands. There are also several websites dedicated to fall foliage reports. The effort that goes into monitoring leaf color changes emphasizes that fall, as Fowler says, “means something to people too, not just to the trees.” w Nikki Forrester is associate editor of Highland Outdoors and reached out to several trees for comment, but none of them responded.

They’re so chlorofull of themselves!

URBAN TRAIL RUNNING Scenic Opportunities Abound in Morgantown

S

ure, it’s great to make a weekend trip to run the seemingly endless and spectacular trails of the Monongahela National Forest, but what do you do when you have kids, a time-consuming job, or limited funds?

Where do you go mid-week to trail run, to obtain those therapeutic doses of nature? For residents of the greater Morgantown area, there are plenty of superb trail running options in and around the city.

Before diving into the list, I’d like to introduce you to one of the best resources available to any trail runner, hiker, mountain biker, and general outdoor enthusiast in the state: the WV Trail Inventory available at www.mapwv. gov/trails/. Hundreds of miles of trails are found in the database with options to vary the basemap from satellite images, LIDAR hillshade, and topos.

You’ll find trail data such as distance, surface, difficulty, and other tidbits that are worth considering when planning your next midweek (or weekend) adventure. It works well on a mobile device, and if you have cell signal, it can help keep you on the right trails.

If you want to discuss any of these local trails in more detail, please check

out the Morgantown Area Trail and Ultra Runners group on Facebook. Once you’ve hit every one of these trails, let me know and I’ll give you a secret password to a special club, a badge for your trail running sash, and a top-secret handshake. Even if you’ve lived in the Morgantown area for years or are a frequent visitor for work or play, there’s a good chance you haven’t experienced every one of these worthy routes.

WHITE PARK Originally an oil tank field in the early 1900s, White Park is now the epitome of urban greenspace. The dirt piles that surrounded the oil tanks remain in several places, creating alien dirt circles and making it popular with mountain bikers and BMX riders. The trails surround Morgantown’s water reservoir and are not technical by way of rocks and roots but are made more difficult by the constant twisting, turning, and meandering that you must endure to stay within the confines of the 170-acre forest. The most popular Blue Diamond loop, which makes great use of the available space and connects the best trails in a logical way, is about four miles in length with minimal elevation fluctuation.

By Derek Clark

Great for: Beginner to intermediate trail runners who want to work on true trail skills but don’t love to climb just yet. The Blue Diamond loop should take most newer runners about an hour.

Remoteness: 1 out of 5 Trail difficulty: 2 out of 5 Driving time from downtown: 6 minutes

WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY CORE ARBORETUM It’s impossible to talk about trails around Morgantown without giving recognition to the long-standing network of ‘The Arb.’ The surfaces of most trails here are about as forgiving as you can find while still being on real trails.

Even trail-phobic road runners can occasionally be seen running the trails on the Monongahela River flood plain.

The climb out of the ravine isn’t exactly forgiving no matter what trail you take, but there’s always the option to keep it entirely flat by hopping onto the Mon River Rail-Trail (though it’s paved on this portion) to start and end the run in Star City or downtown. The trails are always well-maintained and at 91 acres, it’s hard to get lost. Try to run the entire 3.5 miles of unique trail in a single bout or do them all in both directions for a lengthier mid-week effort. You’ll

probably see some very tame white-tailed deer milling about and maybe even an occasional turtle.

Great for: Beginner runners who like wider, less technical trails or intermediate to advanced runners who want quicker workouts off-road. It’s perfect for a 30 to 60-minute effort.

Remoteness: 1 out of 5 Trail difficulty: 2 out of 5 Driving time from downtown: 7 minutes

Courtesy Derek Clark

WEST RUN, BAKER’S RIDGE, WVU FARM TRAILS As a college student at WVU in the late 90s with no vehicle, I’d frequent two places to run and mountain bike: Baker’s Ridge and White Park. Baker’s continues to evolve as the years pass, and because of its location and university ownership, there’s no doubt it will continue to morph.

Think of Baker’s as a hillier, larger, and wilder-west version of White Park with nearly six miles of winding singletrack trails. The trails aren’t marked and don’t boast perfectly maintained features, so it helps to have some basic navigational skills (or running partners that do). Fortunately for the directionally challenged, most trails tend to loop back onto themselves, hit the old bisecting timber road, or exit onto one of the adjacent paved roads. Park along West Run Road in the corn field across from the blue gate for the easiest access.

Although it will take a few minutes of climbing, my favorite section is accessible immediately to the right past the gate where you enter the woods.

Great for: Beginner to advanced runners looking for a 30 to 90-minute run with moderate elevation changes and true singletrack with roots and rocks.

Remoteness: 2 out of 5 Trail difficulty: 3 out of 5 Driving time from downtown: 10 minutes

WV BOTANIC GARDENS AT TIBBS RUN PRESERVE One of the newest additions to the local trail infrastructure is the WV Botanic Gardens. With just over three miles of trail, it’s perfect for a short excursion across forest trails, wetlands, and curated garden areas that provide many beautiful vistas. The trails are excellently maintained, and range from wide, crushed gravel to narrow, woodland singletrack with minor elevation change. There have been black bear sightings over the years, but you’re more likely to see songbirds and deer. If it’s warm enough, finish the run with a soak in the cold waters of Tibbs Run.

The author in his element.

Great for: Beginner to intermediate runners looking for a 30 to 60-minute session with slight terrain variation or the ability to do faster workouts while still on trails.

Remoteness: 2 out of 5 Trail difficulty: 2 out of 5 Driving time from downtown: 16 minutes

FALLING RUN GREENSPACE A new project supported

by WVU, there are currently about 2.5 miles of meandering singletrack trails with plans for doubling that figure in the near future.

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with several access points from a variety of streets. The most useful loop utilizes the Outlook Trail and Vandalia Trail, but the expansion toward the WVU Dairy Farm should make the network more substantial.

Trail difficulty: 2 out of 5 Driving time from downtown: 6 minutes to Marilla Park or 4 minutes to the bottom access of Whitmore Park.

Great for: Beginner to intermediate runners looking for something new to break up the routine or add in small doses of trail in the middle of a road run through the downtown WVU campus.

Remoteness: 1 out of 5 Difficulty: 2 out of 5 Driving time from downtown: 5 minutes

Though the WMA designation of this property prevents the construction of new trails, Snake Hill is quickly accessible from town and a worthwhile trip for remote exploration.

Some sections are gravel road, some are mown grass path, while others are true singletrack. Four overlooks offer a nice goal, but keep in mind they do not have fencing at their edges if you bring pets or kiddos. There are no trail markings and there are a few unofficial trails, so it helps to be able to read a map and have a decent sense of direction. Be aware that in the fall and spring hunting seasons you’re more likely to encounter hunters, so be sure to dress in blaze orange to remain visible. w

MARILLA PARK, WHITMORE PARK, DECKER’S CREEK RAIL TRAIL COMBO Whitmore and Marilla Park are too small to stand alone as trail running epicenters, but combine both of them together with a threequarter-mile section of Decker’s Creek Rail Trail and you’ll have a three to four-mile run with plenty of distractions. Whitmore Park has three wooded trails consisting of wide gravel ascents with a loop on top.

Marilla Park is more of a typical city park of fields, courts, and a pool, but the hill behind it has about three-quarters of a mile of singletrack.

Great for: Beginner to intermediate trail runners looking for quick 30 to 45-minute lunchtime escapes while working nearby as well as WVU students. Hill repeat intervals are nice up into Whitmore Park from the rail trail for any level of runner and the gravel surface is tame enough for road runners.

Remoteness: 1 out of 5

SNAKE HILL WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA

Great for: Intermediate to advanced runners with ability to navigate confidently in the woods. It’s easy to explore these trails for 60 to 90 minutes.

Remoteness: 4 out of 5 Trail difficulty: 4 out of 5 Driving time from downtown: 20 minutes Derek Clark is the owner of Mountain Ridge Physical Therapy in Morgantown. When he’s not fixing WV’s busted athletes, you can find him running on these trails and hand-crafting those badges for your trail running sash.

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Adventure camps in the WV Highlands for ages 8-18

a different kind of summer camp! experience-learning.org/camps

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A disc in arc at Dorsey’s Knob Disc Golf Course in Morgantown.

Disc Golf in the Mountain State A

t some point in the past decade, you may have come across a strange metal basket draped with chains while hiking through one of West Virginia’s wild and wonderful state parks. You probably wondered what this strange contraption was for. While it looks like something meant to capture some sort of bizarre creature, what you’ve discovered is a disc golf target.

The easiest way to describe disc golf is to compare it to traditional golf. But instead of a ball and clubs, players use streamlined plastic discs similar to a Frisbee. Like ball golf, the object is to

throw the disc into a metal target in the fewest throws.

Disc golf is soaring in popularity around the country. Between 1999 and 2018, the number of U.S. disc golf courses increased from 851 to 6,316.

Over the same period, the course count in West Virginia expanded from three to 62.

There are probably several reasons for the sport’s growth in West Virginia.

Disc golf is relatively easy to learn and provides an exercise opportunity for folks of all ages. Playing disc golf in

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Words by Josh Woods Photos by Jesse Wright

the Mountain State exposes players to scenic hilltop vistas, beautiful streams, diverse flora and fauna, and rugged terrain.

The best courses in the state tap a player’s spirit of adventure and discovery. Playing a course for the first time is like reading a great book— players are not confused about where it is going but remain curious about what will happen next. Unlike most outdoor pursuits, disc golf season never ends.

Spring, summer, and fall entice most players, and many disc golfers even love to throw in snow.

the People, the Fayetteville Disc Golf Collective, and the New River Gorge Disc Golf Association.

Given the low cost of discs and the availability of courses in public parks, the sport has a lower economic barrier to entry than most adventure sports. Almost all the state courses—from the mountaintop Black Course at Grand Vue Park in the northern panhandle to the rolling hills of Rotary Park in Huntington—are free to play or charge a nominal fee.

The greater CharlestonHuntington metro area is home to the state’s largest disc golf communities: the Putnam County Founding Flyers and the Kanawha Valley Disc Golf Club. This region is also home to some of the oldest disc golf courses in the state as well as the four-time Professional Disc Golf Association World Champion Johnny Sias. Up north, the disc golf scene is managed by the Northern Panhandle Disc Golf Association, and to the east, there is Lucky Shots Disc Golf in Martinsburg. In between are thriving clubs in Parkersburg, Fairmont, and Morgantown.

But the real secret to disc golf’s success in West Virginia lies in the diverse groups and individuals who comprise the local scene.

Like so many adventure sports cultures, disc golf is represented as the sum of its many parts. It involves a variety of groups and institutions from public schools and Boy Scout troops to religious organizations and vacation resorts.

The disc golf infrastructure is a fifty-year-old community development project spearheaded by philanthropists and hardworking volunteers. Most of the existing courses were funded, constructed, and are currently maintained, in part, by these grassroots groups. Disc golf clubs are also the main organizers of tournaments, leagues, and other competitive events.

The number of tournaments is increasing, the player pools are expanding, and the stakes are rising.

The well-manicured Redeemer Park course is located at the Redeemer Lutheran Church in Charleston. ACE Adventure resort features a fun, rustic disc golf course in Minden.

Jackson’s Mill, the West Virginia University heritagebased lodging facility in Weston, has a course that winds through historic buildings. There are also courses on the campuses of Davis & Elkins College, Glenville State College, Ohio Valley University, and Lincoln County High School. These courses are free and open to the public.

Grassroots disc golf clubs are the biggest engine of growth in the state. Multiple clubs have sprouted up in the south, such as the Southern WV Disc Golf Club, Disc Golf for the People by

Dorsey’s Knob DGC.

The 5th Annual Kanawha Valley Regional, an allamateur event, attracted 172 players and awarded more than $5,000 in prizes.

The 9th Annual Seth Burton Memorial, a pro-am event in September, will be attended by one of the top players in the world, Chris Dickerson, and West Virginia’s highest FALL 2019 HIGHLAND-OUTDOORS.COM

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rated player, Corey Ellis.

Although disc golf may seem like a passive activity to outsiders, the experience of throwing Frisbees in the woods takes on an intense dimension. For the competitive player with tournament winnings on the line, the skillful execution of crushing a drive on the 18th hole and watching the disc sail at highway speeds through trees before fading toward the basket is an adrenaline rush—in some ways as thrilling as executing an adroit maneuver while snowboarding or whitewater kayaking.

Disc golf surely means different things to different people. It is a competitive sport to some and a form of meditation to others. It is both a social club and a solitary act, a weekend

adventure and a mundane habit, an escape from family life and entrance into a family, a retreat from workplace pressures and a job, a momentary lapse in an otherwise sedentary lifestyle and a hiatus from more rigorous exercise.

Just as the rushing waters of the New River offer a rafting adventure for all ages, interests, and skill levels, the rolling hills of disc golf courses throughout the Mountain State offer something for everyone. w Josh Woods is an associate professor of sociology at West Virginia University and editor at Parked, an academic blog devoted to the study of disc golf. He is working on a book called Disc Golf Land: Rise of an Unknown Sport.

TOP 10

DISC GOLF COURSES IN WV As rated by the Disc Golf Course Review

1. WHIPPIN’ POST Paw Paw

2. THE WOODSHED Paw Paw 3. ORANGE CRUSH Fairmont 4. LUCKY 8 Lavalette

5. GRAND VUE PARK Moundsville 6. VALLEY PARK DGC Hurricane 7. THE TIMBERDOODLE THICKET Middlebourne

8. ROTARY PARK Huntington

9. SETH BURTON MEMORIAL DGC Fairmont 10. GLENWOOD PARK Princeton

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Proof Quality.

Not suitable for printing.

Vote Most d One of the 1 Uniq 0 u Eat I e Places 1 n WV To !

304-636-9669 36 96 36-966 669

www.smokewaterbbq.com

• Ribs • Pulled Pork • Beef Brisket • Seafood • Chicken • Pasta • Pizza • Wings • Craft Beers • Daily Specials

• Also Available for Catering

1455 Allegheny Hwy., Elkins, WV (at Rt. 33 East and Isner Creek Rd.)

FALL 2019 HIGHLAND-OUTDOORS.COM

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coast according to Jonny and my brief internet search.

Through his new gig, Jonny builds connections between climbers, hikers, and visitors. From evaluating permits to providing selfrescue tips, he helps keep climbers safe on the rocks and helps everyone else understand what the heck those crazy climbers are actually doing up there.

I caught up with Jonny to chat about the new job, his climbing obsession, and the spectacular nature of West Virginia’s mountains. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How did you get into climbing?

JONNY HUDSON

By Nikki Forrester Jonny Hudson didn’t see a hill until his twenties. He was born in Oklahoma, then lived in Tennessee before moving all around Arkansas.

At 24, he joined the army as a combat photographer and was stationed in eastern Maryland. During his training, Jonny stumbled into climbing while searching for a way to train that didn’t involve stuffy gyms.

His first climbing trip was to Coopers Rock State Forest. Soon after, he was deployed to Afghanistan, where he dreamt of returning to the

states to climb. Since then, he’s climbed all over West Virginia, throughout the U.S., and in several foreign countries. While finishing a degree at the Adventuresports Institute at Garrett College, he became a climbing guide at Seneca Rocks Mountain Guides.

Last year, Jonny became Seneca’s first climbing ranger. The U.S. Forest Service position is one of just a few in the country, and maybe the only one on the east

It was my daughter’s birthday. I wanted to do something other than dinner and a movie, so I just started googling around. I found out about Earth Treks in Columbia, Maryland, which was right near where we lived. I went out there and did the little day pass. They belay you up three climbs and they don’t even give you climbing shoes—you’re just in your tennies.

Were you hooked on climbing since day one?

It wasn’t like some crazy light bulb went off. I probably went four or five times, learned how to toprope

belay, and was enjoying it. At the same time, we were doing a lot of field training exercises with the army, which means we spent a lot of nights outside bushwhacking through the woods. Through that, I was exposed to nature and that was really starting to creep into my being again. As soon as I put two and two together that you could rock climb outside, that was all I wanted to do. That’s when the light bulb did go off. After that, everything was about climbing.

Why climbing?

I think what draws me to climbing is how multifaceted it is because it can be a lot of different things at different times.

Left: Courtesty Jonny Hudson

P ro file

Center: Humphrey’s Head at Seneca Rocks. Photo Tom Cecil

If you’re working a sport project, it’s all about efficiency and drive and pushing yourself physically.

You start with a climb where you can’t even make it past the first couple moves. After putting in a bunch of hard work, it almost feels easy and you float it. That progress is super rewarding. Big, scary traditional routes offer a fullon sense of adventure where the outcome is uncertain.

You’re battling back and forth with fear, so you’re kind of

constantly overcoming your fear, which is a super stressful but rewarding endeavor. With bouldering and top roping, it’s much more social. You can get a bunch of people out there and everybody’s hanging around working on a problem. You can also throw yourself at something that’s ultrahard. You always learn something about your body movement or your actual limits when you do that.

What drew you to West Virginia?

I absolutely love West Virginia. It’s one of the first places that really feels like home. The mountains we have out here are super intimate. Out west, people go to the mountains and they recreate on them and they look at them. But we live in our mountains, so they feel very cozy, almost like we’re a part of them.

When did you first climb at Seneca?

I did my first multi-pitch climb at Seneca Rocks. As soon as we got off the deck, I was grinning ear-to-ear.

I was already super into climbing, but that first trip to Seneca absolutely cauterized it. It was definitely

one of those days when you get down from a climb and you have the thought, ‘I’m going to climb for the rest of my life.’

What does a climbing ranger at Seneca do?

One of my purposes is to engage the climbing community. I’ll have a presentation at the visitor center where I’ll talk to non-climbers about what’s going on up there. On weekends, I’ll do a climber’s coffee. I talk with people and give them beta on what routes are good for them and different rappel stations. I offer up basic self-rescue tips: a couple of ways to climb a line and a couple ways to get down it without a rappel device.

The whole purpose of that is community engagement and preventative search and rescue. As a climber, it’s probably one of the better jobs out there because I get to actually go out and rock climb. Another big part of the job is doing guide and outfitter permit evaluations and instructions. I do permit evaluations for climbing, fly fishing, horsepacking, backpacking guides, anybody with a guide and outfitter permit.

What makes climbing in West Virginia unique?

Just on the approach hike to wherever you’re trying to climb, you never know what you’re going to see,

especially if you’re interested in natural history, wildflowers, plants, animals, and mushrooms. The approach can be almost as enjoyable as the climb sometimes just because of all the flora and fauna. And I think the fact that it’s not really on the map in the climbing world. Especially in the North Fork Valley and Seneca, there’s still tons and tons of unclimbed rock. You can go out and find stuff that nobody’s ever been on. A lot of times finding that stuff is a huge adventure in and of itself.

Any advice for new climbers?

Learn basic self-rescue before you even get out on the rocks, and wear a dang helmet. w Johnny Hudson loves to climb, paddle, bike, and hike. He’s basically an all-around gnar shredder. You can find him sippin’ coffee in the parking lot or danglin’ on a rope at Seneca, shouting beta to gumby climbers whilst swaying majestically in the breeze.

E ve nt s C ale nd a r

ADD YOUR EVENT Send us an email with details about your event to: info@highland-outdoors.com

Head up to the sleepy mountain town of Davis in Tucker County for this annual celebration of all things autumn.

Events include local arts and crafts, live music, and a car show.

Mountain State Forest Festival

Axe no questions before deciding to head to WV’s largest autumnal celebration in Elkins.

Events include a fair, live music, arts and crafts, and the famous lumberjack competition.

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The Mad Butcher returns to ACE Adventure Resort for a night of terrors.

Escape the clutches of the Rehmeyer family’s 6,000-sq-ft Warehouse of Terror.

Bridge Day Chili Cook-Off & Craft Beer Festival

Come hungry to this annual craft food and bevy celebration at Adventures on the Gorge during Fayetteville’s legendary Bridge Day weekend.

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BBRAP: Big Bear Rider Appreciation Party

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Come end the 2019 mountain bike season with a blowout at Big Bear Lake Trail Center featuring a potluck feast and epic group rides.

Oktoberfest

Head to High Ground Brewing in Terra Alta to celebrate fall with German-style craft beers, German food treats, and an Oompah Band.

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Nightmare in the Gorge

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Leep Peepers Festival

Head to Rowlesburg to honor the American chestnut and its once dominant position in Appalachia’s eastern hardwood forests.

Join Katie Fallon and others from the WV Young Birders Club for a bird-centric walk through the WV Botanic Garden at Tibbs Run Preserve.

Final Food Truck Sunday at Coopers Rock

Head to the iconic overlooks of Coopers Rock State Forest for food trucks, views, and more at the final event of the food truck season.

40th Bridge Day: New River Gorge

Hang your head off the deck of the New River Gorge Bridge, gaze down at the rapids below, and watch hundreds of BASE jumpers fling themselves into the void.

NOV Mud Season Head to anywheresville for a statewide slop fest. Don’t forget yer muck boots.

Icon from Freepik

Come hang at the American Alpine Club and celebrate the New River Gorge’s vibrant rock climbing with climbing clinics, trail work, live music, and a pig roast.

Tour the seven wards of the University City on foot in the fifthannual iteration of the race. Official times can be used as a qualifying event for the Boston Marathon.

West Virginia Chestnut Festival

Young Birders Walk

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NRG Craggin’ Classic

Morgantown Marathon

Test your endurance from Cass to Marlinton at this flat, fast, and scenic marathon along the spectacular Greenbrier River Trail in Pocahontas County.

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20 - 22

If you know what Gauley Fest is, you’ll be there. If you don’t, head to Summersville to celebrate everything rafting at the world’s biggest annual whitewater festival.

Greenbrier River Trail Marathon

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Gauley Fest

This aptly named enduro race closes out the WV Enduro Series. Come watch WV’s finest riders rip it up on Snowshoe’s world-class terrain.

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Head to Franklin to celebrate Pendleton County’s wealth of mountain culture and scenic beauty.

Featuring heritage arts and crafts, live music, and a car show.

Snowshoe Epic Enduro

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51st Treasure Mountain Festival

Head to the new Swilled Dog Hard Cider taproom in Upper Tract in Pendleton County to sip a variety of ciders at this first-time craft cider festival.

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Take a long jaunt through the scenic Blackwater Canyon from Thomas down to Parsons.

Inaugural WV Cider Fest

28 - 6

Blackwater Canyon Half Marathon

OCTOBER

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SEPTEMBER

G aller y

Red blueberry leaves glow in the first light of an early October morning. This photo was chosen for the cover of my new book, West Virginia’s Allegheny Mountains: A Photographic Journey, available online from Friends of Blackwater. Photo and caption by Kent Mason.

“I have long admired Kent Mason’s landscape and nature photography, which blends a delicate eye for light and composition with his remarkable commitment to conservation. Kent’s long-term dedication to photographing the West Virginia landscape has resulted in an unequaled set of beautiful photographs. His generosity in sharing those images with conservation organizations, and in particular The Nature Conservancy, has made a truly invaluable contribution to the preservation of West Virginia’s forests and lands.” Mark Godfrey, former director of photography for The Nature Conservancy

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