Valley Falls is really beautiful. As has happened previously, there was a wedding taking place when we arrived, and there were lots of people walking around on the rocks by the river.

If you want to get good pictures of the river, get there early, before the hordes arrive.

Michael did NOT, in fact, scream when he saw this snake.

We both, however, were highly amused when we got a little closer.

NOTE: This is a Black Snake, and completely harmless.

Michelle:
Geo-cache SU-prize!

Michael:
Geo-cache prize: snake bite kit!

My cousin Ben would have been 34 today.

Just as we did last year, this year we hiked up Seneca Rocks in his memory.

Today’s excursion was biking along the Decker’s Creek Rail Trail.

When I was little, Decker’s Creek was dead. Due to acid mine drainage and other pollutants, nothing lived in the creek, it was an unappealing shade of orange, and it stank.

Today, I still wouldn’t drink from Decker’s Creek on a bet, but it’s a whole lot better, and the community is working to continue to improve it.

Ride details
Location: Mon River & Decker’s Creek Rail Trail
Distance: 22.3 miles
Elevation change: 693 feet

There were, of course, lots of flowers blooming at Dolly Sods. It’s much cooler there, so flowers that bloomed here last month are blooming now at Dolly Sods.

Fringed Polygala / Gaywings Polygala paucifolia

Wild Bleeding Heart Dicentra eximia

Mountain Laurel Kalmia latifolia

Enkianthus serrulatus

Sweet Cicely (Myrrhis odorata)

Wild blackberry Rubus

At Seneca Rocks is the Jacob Sites Homestead house, which includes a working garden such as would have existed at the time. There were vegetables and herbs, but there were also flowers.

Strawberry Shrub / Sweet Shrub Calycanthus floridus
Grandmom had a Strawberry shrub growing in her yard, and although I tried several times to root a cutting, I was never able to do so.

Bleeding Heart lamprocapnos spectabilis

And to close, some Black Raspberry Hawt Bee-on-Flower action.

Friday we hiked up Seneca Rocks, in memory of my cousin Ben.

We hiked to the top without stopping, because that’s what Ben would have done. One the way down, however, I stopped many times for pictures.

Location: Seneca Rocks
Distance:4.4 miles
Elevation: 1092 feet

Most of the above pictures were taken from the viewing platform (noted with red arrow below), or several feet above. Because of COURSE I went past the STOP HERE DO NOT GO FURTHER sign.

The hike started approximately from where the next two pictures were taken, and then went up to the viewing platform (and just past).

Seneca Rocks at sunset:

Seneca Rocks mid-day:

Seneca Rocks Hike (gps map)

As I said, pretty much as soon as we get back to the car, the sun came out, and the day was beautiful from there on out.

And from these pictures, you can see why we wanted to hike Dolly Sods in the first place.

We took Thursday and Friday off, and traveled south. Thursday, we hiked Dolly Sods, which ended up being far less pleasant that it sounds, because 1) it rained for about 3/4 of the hike 2) it’s been raining for most of May and 3) about 2/3 of the way through our hike, the trail went through a swamp. And it’s been raining a lot.

Location: Dolly Sods National Wilderness Area
Trails: Blackbird Knob Trail, Upper Red Creek Trail, Dobbin Grade Trail (swamp), Beaver Dam Trail, and then Forest Road 75 back to the Blackbird Knob Trailhead)
Distance: 6.7 miles
Elevation: 838 feet

Here is what part of the non-swamp portion of the trail–the Upper Red Creek Trail–looked like:

Here’s another view of the Upper Red Creek Trail area. Yes, it was raining. And raining. And raining.

This is part of the Blackbird Trail, and approximately where we made the mistake of turning onto the Upper Red Creek Trail. Which would eventually lead us into the swamp.

I admit that even in the rain the Blackbird Trail was beautiful.

Here are the remains of the swamp I took out with me.

Dolly Sods Trails Hike (gps map)

After we finished our hike? The rain stopped, the skies cleared, and it was beautiful.

Location: Blackwater Falls
Trail: Pendleton Trace Trail, Dobbins House Trail, Pase Point Trail and into Monongahela National Forest
Distance: 3.9 miles
Elevation: 513 feet

This hike was actually three trails, that lead one to the other: Pendleton Trace Trail, Dobbins House Trail, and Pase Point Trail. We actually continued past the end of the Pase Point Trail into the Monongahela National Forest, where the trail is not maintained by the WV State Park system, but is in good shape, and not much more difficult than the Pase Point Trail. (At some point, I’d like to follow the path out and back.)

We started at the parking lot by the Pendleton Point Overlook. From there, to where we turned around (in the Monongahela National Forest) the hike was 3.9 miles. The elevation ascent was only 513 feet and 0.8% grade.

Here is the trail end:

Pase Point Trail (starting from Pendleton Point)

It rained for the better part of two weeks, so I was expecting a fair amount of water at Blackwater Falls. What we saw was more water going over the falls than I have ever seen. I didn’t even go down to the bottom of the falls overlook, because we’d have gotten soaked by the spray.

You can see Ekelata Falls in 2012 and in 2013.

Here’s what Elakala Falls looked like Saturday:

Here are some previous pictures of Blackwater Falls in 2013, 2010, and 2011. Seriously, go look at those pictures and compare them to what we saw Saturday.

Here’s a look at Blackwater Canyon, going away from the falls.

This is Pendleton Creek beneath the Pendleton Lake accessed from Dobbin House Trail. This was a difficult hike down to the creek, but well worth the view.

There is a bridge just below Pendleton Lake, and you can pretty easily get down to Pendleton Creek . It’s all shale, and it’s absolutely gorgeous. I took (approximately) a zillion pictures.

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We went to the Arboretum today, to hike with some friends (both grown and kids). Got a couple pictures of the flowers.

White Fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus)

Star of Bethlehem Ornithogalum umbellatum

Rhododendron (Rhododendron )

Sweet Cicely (Myrrhis odorata)

Dame’s Rocket/Dame’s Violet (Hesperis matronalis)

Saturday we went to Blackwater Falls. It has rained for the better part of two weeks, which is why there was more water than I have ever seen coming over the falls. But those pictures will come later. Here are some of the flowers we saw.

Bluets (Quaker Ladies) Houstonia caerulea

False Solomon’s-seal Smilacina racemosa (I think)

Painted Trillium Trillium undulatum

Moccasin Flower Cypripedium acaule

Golden Ragwort (Senecio aureus) (I think)

It’s Primary Election Day, so after doing our Civic Duty, we headed out to Coopers Rock for a hike.

We hiked the Ridge Trail down to the Mont Chateau trail, hikeed the Mont Chateau trail, and then came back to Rock City via the Rhododendron Trail.

Location: Coopers Rock State Forest
Trails: Ridge & Rhododendron
Distance: 4.3 miles
Elevation: 959 feet

At the bottom of the Mont Chateau trail, I went off the path, and clambered along the creek. It was simply gorgeous–the pictures do not do it justice. (All GPS location stats are available if you click through to Flickr.)

It was a gorgeous hike.

Hike Map

Hike Stats:
4.3 miles
2 1/2 hours
959 feet elevation rise

Sunday we (again) hiked the Scott’s Run Trail at Coopers Rock. It was a gorgeous day, and the ground wasn’t nearly as muddy as we were expecting.

Location: Coopers Rock State Forest
Trails: Scott’s Run Trail
Distance: 4.5 miles
Elevation: 758 feet

You’ll notice that I take a lot of pictures of water. There are two reasons for this: first, I love running water, but second, because I continue to appreciate these clean clear streams, something we didn’t always have (and some areas of WV still don’t have). It like noting these positives.

All pictures are tagged with the Geo-coordinates if you click through to Flickr.

Out hike was 4 1/2 miles, and we ascended 758 feet, most of it rocky terrain.

Scott’s Run Trail