Some of the Trail Club members decided to beat the heat while also giving their hiking legs a break. They began their trip in Boone County at the Water Park launch and paddled ten miles down stream. Rob was the photographer for this group of photos. Thanks to Cathy for organizing this outing.
This is the third time BG Boster has offered his farm and his great story telling to hikers from the trail club. This six hundred acre farm provides great views of the surrounding valleys and hillsides. It is not often we have a chance to hike on such beautiful farmland. We look forward to doing another hike with him in the fall.
Little Beaver is a day use park near Beckley that features many hikes. Many of the trails have been added recently. Betsy led the group on some new trails that offered great scenery. There were so many mushrooms along the way we said we would rename this hike The Mushroom Hike.
Attached are photos taken by Ron and Kathy while hiking in the mountains of Utah and Wyoming. Each represent an easy hike and all destinations can be reached in less than half a day. The first four were taken in Big Cottonwood Canyon in the Wasach Mountains of Utah. The second group were taken in and around Teton National Park Wyoming.
If looking for some contrast to hiking in the misty green hills of West Virginia consider a trip out West to Badlands National Park in South Dakota. Ron and Kathy hiked Castle and Medicine Root trails. As seen from the photos the azure sky provided a stunning backdrop to the hoodoos, prairie grasses, coneflower and cactus. Beware! You are as likely to see prairie rattlers as other hikers.
As temperatures soared into the high nineties in Charleston, a group of hikers enjoyed a cooler new hike on Fork Mountain and North Trail near Summit Lake. Roger and Gary provided the photos.
This park is a summertime favorite for the club. The park is small but the views of the Gauley River are great. Thanks to Gary Mullins for some of the great pictures.
This hike began with a walk to the Chestnut Lodge at Camp Washington Carver where Carl provided a brief history of the area. Then it was on to Babcock State Park via Manns Creek Trail and the Narrow Gauge Railroad Trail. We timed the hike perfectly. Streams were full, Rhododendron, Mountain Laurel and Flame Azalea all were in bloom. We also saw a large patch of pink Lady Slipper.
After a long cold winter, a weekend filled with Redbud, Trillium, thickets of Bluebell and Celandine poppy was a welcome treat. Cathy and Lois lead us down some beautiful paths and Roger’s storytelling brought an enjoyable end to our first day.
We thought winter had ended and that we had hiked our last snow covered trail but that was not the case as we entered Cranberry Glades. The day brought blue skies and sunshine along with about two feet of snow. We all could have used a pair of snowshoes.
