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I am in the midst of researching our next adventure and came upon another good hiking website that I had forgotten about: http://hikingupward.com/ Just like http://www.midatlantichikes.com/ and http://www.trailpixie.net/, this website gives good descriptions of trails, as well as pictures.
As for the next adventure, we're hopefully going out this weekend. But you'll have to wait for the blog post to know where we've gone!
Maybe Soon?
Today was Election Day. For a few weeks I had been harboring this notion of going to vote and then traipsing off into the hills. It felt very patriotic to me! But today, it's really rainy. Yucky weather--not the kind of weather that we like to hike in. See for all our talk, all our gear, we still are not the hardcore hikers that many of you out there view us as. Trust me, there are some hikers out there who are just nuts. They think nothing of hiking 10+ miles a day with a 30-pound pack of gear. They'll even be crazy enough to sleep in the wilderness and do another 10+ miles the next day. If it rains, they just deal. Last year, at our peak, Scott and I could hike 6 miles in a day. We would then promptly return home to sleep in our comfortable bed. We got caught in the rain only twice last year, and both times were miserable! If you've never hiked 2 miles in a downpour, it's an experience to say the least. To give you more perspective on all of this, I was talking to a hiker friend a few weeks ago who said he didn't mind hiking in the rain. He said setting up/tearing down camp in the rain was the worst. This is also a hiker friend who camps out in the wilderness during the dead of winter. See what I'm saying; there are some crazies out there!
That all being said, maybe soon Scott and I will be those crazies. I think that this summer we will be able to hike 10+ miles in a day. Not sure we'll be able to repeat the performance the next day after sleeping in a tent out in the middle of nowhere, but who knows. The fact is last summer was the beginning of our life as hikers. We both had hiked some as kids, but nothing close to what we're into now. I guess what I'm saying is that for all of you out there who think you couldn't do this, you can. It's probably more of a question of do you want to? If you don't, I completely understand. But for me there is this intense desire to get out into nature. I feel so peaceful and close to God out in the wilderness. I can even be hiking up some hill that is stealing every breath in my body, but I will still feel so grateful and happy! So that gives me hope that someday we will be deemed nutso hikers too. Maybe soon?
That all being said, maybe soon Scott and I will be those crazies. I think that this summer we will be able to hike 10+ miles in a day. Not sure we'll be able to repeat the performance the next day after sleeping in a tent out in the middle of nowhere, but who knows. The fact is last summer was the beginning of our life as hikers. We both had hiked some as kids, but nothing close to what we're into now. I guess what I'm saying is that for all of you out there who think you couldn't do this, you can. It's probably more of a question of do you want to? If you don't, I completely understand. But for me there is this intense desire to get out into nature. I feel so peaceful and close to God out in the wilderness. I can even be hiking up some hill that is stealing every breath in my body, but I will still feel so grateful and happy! So that gives me hope that someday we will be deemed nutso hikers too. Maybe soon?
Lindy Point Overlook
Our excursion to Cranesville Swamp was not as long and exhausting as our normal hikes, so we were done relatively early in the day and with energy to spare. We weren't ready to pack it in, so we decided on a hiking pitstop on the way back to Elkins. I have read about Lindy Point Overlook for years but had never been out to it. It's a crazy easy spot to get to, which gives me no excuse for taking so long to see this gorgeous vista.
Most people visit Blackwater Falls State Park for the Blackwater Falls and miss out on the other cool stuff this place has to offer. Lindy Point Overlook can be one of those overlooked gems. It's very easy to get to. Instead of going straight at the intersection and heading towards the steps to the falls, take a left. Follow this road past the lodge and all the way to the Nordic Ski Warming Hut. If it's not winter, the gate will be open, and you will find yourself on a paved road to Lindy Point. After about a mile, there is a parking lot on the right before the road turns to a potholed-gravel mess. The trailhead for Lindy Point Overlook is right there. The trail is a little over a mile out and back to the overlook. There is a minor hill or two, but the trail is so short you barely notice them. The trail dead-ends at a wooden platform with a really awesome view. What you see is Blackwater Canyon with the Blackwater River snaking its way through. This vista is now on our top 3 list of "Crazy Amazing Awesome Views." (Just in case you're curious, #1 Bear Rocks at Dolly Sods, #2 Olson Tower, #3 Lindy Point.) Here are the pics to prove it:
Most people visit Blackwater Falls State Park for the Blackwater Falls and miss out on the other cool stuff this place has to offer. Lindy Point Overlook can be one of those overlooked gems. It's very easy to get to. Instead of going straight at the intersection and heading towards the steps to the falls, take a left. Follow this road past the lodge and all the way to the Nordic Ski Warming Hut. If it's not winter, the gate will be open, and you will find yourself on a paved road to Lindy Point. After about a mile, there is a parking lot on the right before the road turns to a potholed-gravel mess. The trailhead for Lindy Point Overlook is right there. The trail is a little over a mile out and back to the overlook. There is a minor hill or two, but the trail is so short you barely notice them. The trail dead-ends at a wooden platform with a really awesome view. What you see is Blackwater Canyon with the Blackwater River snaking its way through. This vista is now on our top 3 list of "Crazy Amazing Awesome Views." (Just in case you're curious, #1 Bear Rocks at Dolly Sods, #2 Olson Tower, #3 Lindy Point.) Here are the pics to prove it:
Cranesville Swamp
Last month's edition of Wonderful West Virginia magazine featured an article on Cranesville Swamp. It sounded like a pretty cool place. Another one of those "bowls" in the natural landscape that lends itself to being a bog. It also is the home of many rare species of plants not normally seen outside Canada. For instance, this is the southernmost known location for a Tamarack tree to exist. Scott and I decided to make our first hike of the season this one. We hike A LOT in Monongahela National Forest, especially the Dolly Sods area. For a change of scenery, we decided to make the hour and a half drive up to Cranesville. It's not too far from Oakland, Maryland; in fact, it's just about 10 miles off Route 219. The cool thing is that the state boundary for Maryland-West Virginia goes directly through the swamp. Most of the swamp is actually in Preston County, West Virginia. (For specific directions to and information on Cranesville Swamp, click here.)
We loaded up our gear into L.T.T. (Little Toyota Truck) and headed north on Route 219. Since we were going right through Thomas on our way out to Cranesville, we made it a point to stop and eat breakfast at our favorite breakfast spot: The Flying Pig. It's on Front Street (the main drag) in Thomas and specializes in breakfast. Seriously, if you haven't had their amazing food, go check it out. Just make sure you go Wednesday through Sunday before 2pm. It's good food, but to keep themselves in business, I think they are only open when they are expecting customers.
Okay, back to the story at hand. (Sorry, food often distracts me!) There are five trails that traverse Cranesville Swamp. All of the trails are less than 2 miles each. We decided on the Orange Trail to the Loop Trail to the Blue Trail. This created a circuit hike of around 3 miles. (I'm estimating the distance, just FYI) This is a wonderfully easy hike. The trails were all fairly level--flat, no altitude gains to worry about nor big rocks in the trail (a BIG change from a Mon Forest trail).
The Orange Trail goes through some woods. Its main purpose is to connect you to the Loop Trail. The Loop Trail is the main attraction because it is the trail that actually goes THROUGH the swamp. The website warned that the trail might be muddy in places, but we didn't have to contend with mud significant enough to even mention (again, being regular Dolly Sods hikers, we have experienced mud). There are boards down in the soggiest of places and about 1500 feet of boardwalk through the swampiest parts of the bog. I recommend going in a clockwise direction on the Loop Trail--this saves the best for last. The spot of the boardwalk also happens to be the prettiest part of this entire trip! A vast openess with cranberries, moss and water. We took the Blue Trail back. This was a nice little journey through a pine plantation on our way back to the parking area.
All in all, I give Cranesville Swamp a 3.5 out 5 hiking sticks. It's a beautiful place, but I still find Cranberry Glades much more scenic. The best part of Cranesville Swamp has to be the plantlife. If you are just learning how to identify trees, wildflowers, plants, edible plants...this is the place to come! We saw hawthorne trees, wood sorrels, skunk cabbage, cranberries and an amazing amount of huckleberries (small blueberries). I have to say, if you are wanting to do some huckleberry picking, this is the place to go. THEY WERE EVERYWHERE!
Here are a couple of pics from this adventure. I've posted most of the photos on Facebook.
Okay, back to the story at hand. (Sorry, food often distracts me!) There are five trails that traverse Cranesville Swamp. All of the trails are less than 2 miles each. We decided on the Orange Trail to the Loop Trail to the Blue Trail. This created a circuit hike of around 3 miles. (I'm estimating the distance, just FYI) This is a wonderfully easy hike. The trails were all fairly level--flat, no altitude gains to worry about nor big rocks in the trail (a BIG change from a Mon Forest trail).
The Orange Trail goes through some woods. Its main purpose is to connect you to the Loop Trail. The Loop Trail is the main attraction because it is the trail that actually goes THROUGH the swamp. The website warned that the trail might be muddy in places, but we didn't have to contend with mud significant enough to even mention (again, being regular Dolly Sods hikers, we have experienced mud). There are boards down in the soggiest of places and about 1500 feet of boardwalk through the swampiest parts of the bog. I recommend going in a clockwise direction on the Loop Trail--this saves the best for last. The spot of the boardwalk also happens to be the prettiest part of this entire trip! A vast openess with cranberries, moss and water. We took the Blue Trail back. This was a nice little journey through a pine plantation on our way back to the parking area.
All in all, I give Cranesville Swamp a 3.5 out 5 hiking sticks. It's a beautiful place, but I still find Cranberry Glades much more scenic. The best part of Cranesville Swamp has to be the plantlife. If you are just learning how to identify trees, wildflowers, plants, edible plants...this is the place to come! We saw hawthorne trees, wood sorrels, skunk cabbage, cranberries and an amazing amount of huckleberries (small blueberries). I have to say, if you are wanting to do some huckleberry picking, this is the place to go. THEY WERE EVERYWHERE!
Here are a couple of pics from this adventure. I've posted most of the photos on Facebook.
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