This week past I hiked up the Northfork Mountain Trail to Chimney Rocks with my son and his two buddies from college.

We arrived at the trialhead just past noon on a brilliantly clear yet cold March day. After a quick high protein lunch, we drank lots of water. The best place to store water while hiking is in the stomach. Many hikers do not drink enough water. At the end of the day, that can mean the difference between pleasant fatigue or numb tiredness. A good rule to follow is to drink at least once per hour, even if not thirsty. Of course, drink more if you are thirsty. To travel light and fast, carry iodine tablets, with the taste and color neutralizer. It takes about twenty minutes to purify water. Doing it one litre at a time makes for light travel. Unfortunately, the route up Northfork Mountain has no water. For that matter, the entire twenty-three miles is dry. And yet it is one of the best hikes in West Virginia, and the entire Eastern US.

The trailhead is on Smoke Hole Road, just south of West Virginia Route 28. The trail starts up the side of a ridge via a series of switchbacks. I told the young men with whom I was hiking to think of it as a two hour stair climb. Find a sustainable pace, and settle in. Do not worry about keeping pace with someone faster. It is 1800 vertical feet from start to Chimney rocks, and about three and a half miles. The young ones went ahead, and I started at a slow pace, soon stopping to stretch my calves and soleus, and to shed some layers, as the climb was causing me to break a pretty good sweat. I have found the secret to cold weather hiking is to not soak all of my clothes by overheating. Just keep peeling off layers until the sweating stops, or there is only the undershirt layer left. Make sure the clothes are quick drying (not cotton). If cold when peeled, put on a hat and/or gloves.

As I hiked up mountain, I did a walking meditation that I like to do. It is the Thanksgiving Address from Jon Young's Wilderness Awareness School via Chief Jake Swamp, Sub Chief of the Wolf Clan of the Mohawk Nation. Then I silently worked on the story of Anwar and Faruk. We live our stories. And so, if we want to make a certain impact in the world, perhaps we should incorporate that impact into the story of our life, and share that story with those who are important to us. After about an hour, all uphill, we finally came to the edge of the continuous cliff that runs the length of Northfork Mountain. However, we were not yet to the mountain top. The wind was cold as it whipped through the gap where the Northfork of the South Branch of the Potomac River punches through the mountain. There were several outcrops that offered awesome, breathtaking views. Forty-five minutes more, and we reached the mountain top. However, just as the trail guide warned, we missed the path hard back to the right leading to the Chimney Tops. Fortunately, one of our hikers was tired and dizzy and had requested a snack break. Without too much trouble, we found the path and made our way to the columns that stand almost two-thousand feet over the valley. Vertigo for me and my son. However, the others made their way onto the Chimney Tops for some memorable exploration.

We did an auto adventure detour on the way back to home base. A forty-five minute side trip took us up to the top of Spruce Mountain, West Virginia's highest point at just under 5000 feet above sea level. The roads near the top were snow covered and a bit icy. However, we perserved long enough to park and make the short walk from the parking lot to the observation tower. A quick shivering photo, and we were back in the car for the return to home base and a delicious hot supper. We thank the Creator for our many gifts and humbly ask that we be worthy of the gift of Life.  ¶ 5:33 PM

  This past Saturday, I hiked at Babcock State Park. It is about twenty miles northeast of Beckley, West Virginia. The day started out very cool, but totally clear and breathtakingly beautiful. The drive up WV 41 goes into the New River Gorge at Prince, crosses the River, and then climbs up out to the Gorge. I stopped by Possum's General Store at Landisburg, just south of the south entrance to Babcock. A very tidy little place with some groceries, travel gifts, fishing supplies, and a breakfast and lunch counter.

Babcock originally was a park which permitted visits by Blacks back in the days of segregation. In the current era, it has a functioning grist mill. It is also apparently very popular with fishermen, as many were plying their avocation along the banks of Boley Lake and Davis Branch.

I hiked the Wilderness Trail. The trial head is along the road from the grist mill to the lake. The hike begins along a dry ridge top above the Manns Creek, Glade Creek gorge. There were some really neat ice crystals that had grown overnight in a mud puddle in the trail. After about two miles of hiking, I came to a sign announcing the end of the trail. It advises hikers to return via the same route from which they came. I, however, proceeded past the sign, down the switchbacks into the cove, and up the other side. The going was a bit difficult due to downed trees across the abandoned trail route. However, it was manageable. After a time, I came to an area where the trail was lined with rocks, neatly stacked to define the trail edge. However, it was apparent that it had been some several years since the trail was in service. Proceeding on along the south side to the Manns Creek Gorge, I was soon rewarded for my efforts. I had stumbed into an area of old growth trees. Some oaks were as large as any I have ever seen in the Eastern US.

I had lunch at a large slump block along the southern face of rock where there was a very favorable, warm microclimate. I decided to continue farther west to see how far the big trees continued. A mile later, and the big trees continued as far as the eye could see. What a find! I was truly excited. After a time, I turned around to backtrack to the trail and trail head. A bit tired, but pumped by my find, I decided to explore by auto a bit. An hour of back road driving found me proceeding down the east face of the New
River Gorge, just under the US 19 bridge. A couple of photo ops later, I was across the bridge, up the other side of the gorge, and out onto US 19. I did a little detour into Fayetteville, the hometown of a friend, and then it was on to Beckley. I thank the Creator for the beautiful day, and the opportunity to explore the beautiful country in West Virginia, and the discovery of the old growth trees in Babcock State Park.   ¶ 12:25 PM