Trail Snapshot
Trail(s) Hiked: (loop) In: Big Beechy Trail, Out: Middle Fork of the Williams River Trail
Distance Covered: 13 Miles
Outdoor Travels Rating: 3 out of 5 Backpacks
Thumbs Up
- Scenic waterfall at campsite provides water, scenery and soothing sounds to sleep by
- Thick hardwood forest canopy is beautiful
- Terrain changes during day 1 kept things interesting.
- Area is relatively remote
Thumbs Horizontal:
- Campsite at the Williams River is popular, if you want total solitude, this probably won't work for you.
- Slow climb of the Middle Fork of the Williams River Trail (if heading East) can be tiring.
Thumbs Down
- rain and mud on this hike
Lessons Learned
- Always consult a topographical map before planning your route. A slight grade may not sound like much, but a constant grade over six miles will drain you.
- Bring enough firestarters to make two more fires than you planned. Especially if it has been raining.
- Although fires were allowed, we should have thought about purchasing a cooking stove.
- Make sure you've "tested out" new hiking boots before you take them into the backcountry.
- Always leave a change of clothes in the car. There is nothing better than getting back to the car and having dry clothes, especially shoes and socks to change into.
Nuts & Bolts
Location: Cranberry Wilderness is located on the Gauley Ranger District of the Monongahela National Forest in Pocahontas and Webster Counties, West Virginia.
Trails: Cranberry Wilderness has 9 trails of approximately 60 miles total, many of which follow old railroad grades, logging roads, or Forest Service roads. These trails also connect to trails in the Cranberry Backcountry, providing many opportunities for loop and long distance hikes. Wilderness trails are maintained with a narrower tread and pathway than other forest trails, and are neither signed nor blazed, although rock cairns are occasionally provided in areas that may appear confusing. Trails are marked only at trailheads and junctions and there are no bridges at stream crossings. Hikers should carry a map and compass, and be more attentive when traveling on wilderness trails.
Directions: Two state highways that combine to form the Highland Scenic Parkway provide the major vehicle access to the area. WV-150 runs N-S along the eastern edge of the Cranberry Wilderness and WV-39/55 runs E-W along the area's southern boundary. The Cranberry Visitors Center is located at the junction of WV-55/39 and WV-150. From the Washington area, take I-66 west to I-81 south to I-64 west. At Lewisburg, West Virginia take WV Route 219 north. Around Seebert, West Virginia, take 39/55 west to the Cranberry Visitor Center.
Activities: Hiking, Cross-Country Skiing, Fishing
Contact: Gauley Ranger District, HC 80, Box 117, Richwood, WV 26261
Maps & Stuff
Trail Photos
Lots of great photos to give you a good idea of what hiking here is like!
Hiking
Cranberry Glades Wilderness
Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia
Our first hike: Better known as "The Death March"
05/1998 - by Christopher Burk, Outdoor Travels
Day l
I have to admit, having Jeff located in Lewisburg makes any trips to southeastern West Virginia much easier. It eliminates having to get up at 4:00am to be on the trails by 8:30. It also allows us to repack our gear properly since we unpacked it in order to get everything in the car. (You'd be amazed what you can fit in a Miata if you're creative.) Anyway, we drove down to Lewisburg, WV Friday night. (It was great convertible weather.) We grilled steaks out on the porch, consumed a few beers and talked about which trails we wanted to hike. Once our gear was repacked, our water bottles filled and one last check of the weather, we called it a night.
Day 2
The next morning we were greeted by rain. (So much for our weather check.) A cold, steady rain with no end in sight. So, after a leisurely breakfast, a 2-hour movie (Face-off) and one final check of the Weather Channel, we made an administrative decision. We came to hike and, rain or no rain, we're going to hike. We tossed our gear in the car and set off for the Cranberry Wilderness.
We decided to do a big loop right through the heart of the Wilderness. We would hike in on the Big Beechy Trail and camp where it intersected the Middle Fork of the Williams River Trail. The next day we would hike back to the car following the Middle Fork of the Williams River Trail. Sounded pretty good, a seven mile hike in and a six mile hike out. No problem. By the time we arrived at the trail head the rain had stopped. (So far, so good.) With packs on our backs, map in hand and silent prayers for clear skies, we stepped into the woods.
The trail was fairly easy-going and plainly visible in the beginning. Once we reached the junction for Big Beechy, things changed. First, we weren't exactly sure if it were the Big Beechy Trail we found or just a side spur. Second, the terrain changed dramatically. The Middle Fork of the Williams River Trail is part of an old railroad grade so it's relatively flat or features a minor slope. The Big Beechy Trail is not. It winds up a steep, rock-strewn hill, cuts through dense undergrowth before finally traversing along the side of a ravine down to the Middle Fork of the Williams River below.
Since we were reasonably certain of our location and the map, we decided it was the Big Beechy Trail and we were headed in the right direction. The going was tough and several times almost impossible to find the trail but we pressed on and were pleasantly surprised once we reached the top.
After about 30 minutes of "mountaineering", we found ourselves in middle of a forest that seemed almost primeval. We truly felt like we had stepped into a wilderness totally isolated from civilization. There were huge rocks covered with lichens, dense stands of pine trees, vast areas of ferns and rhododendrons over ten feet tall. In fact, several sections of the trail wound through these immense bushes. It certainly made the steep climb up there worth it. For this reason, and the fact we were rather tired, we decided to have lunch.
After a nice rest, we set off again. Our primeval forest changed back into the mix of hardwoods, pines and small bushes we encountered earlier on hike. We were also starting the slow descent towards the Middle Fork of the Williams River. The hike down certainly was not as steep as the climb up but it presented its own little problems. It ran along the side of very precipitous ravine. In fact it was discussed that if one of us fell here, they would be in a world of hurt.
This was also a section where a good walking stick was a definite plus. One, for balance and two for pole-vaulting. OK, we didn't have to pole-vault per se, but there were several small streams running down the ravine we had to cross and the walking stick made it much easier.
At the bottom of the ravine was the end of the Big Beechy Trail. We walked about 200 yards up the Middle Fork trail, crossed Beechy Run and found a nice place to pitch our tents. There were a few others around but the area was big enough to put some space between us and the other tents.
This is a fairly popular spot to camp for several reasons. It is where two trails intersect. It roughly the half-way point along the Middle Fork trail. But the most popular reason is because of the picturesque waterfall where Beechy Run flows into the Middle Fork.
As we set up camp we marveled at the fact that we made it all this way and it hadn't rained one drop. We definitely made the right decision by making the trip. Of course, we hadn't gotten rained on, but the entire forest had been soaked by the earlier rains. Needless to say, attempting to start a fire was not easy. Fortunately, one of us had the foresight to bring a couple firestarter sticks.
After a nice warm dinner (I never knew Ramen could taste so good.) and shot of whiskey we got ready for bed. It was about this time when I learned my first valuable lesson about hiking. Don't borrow your son's Elmo blanket. Hey, it was small, lightweight and warm but none of that kept me from being harassed. Looney Tunes blankets are fine but NEVER EVER use the Elmo blanket. Consider yourself forewarned. Anyway, regardless of the harassment, we did sleep fairly well that evening.
Day 3 (The Death March)
The rain was back. Around 6:00am a light rain started falling. We quickly dashed outside and grabbed any gear we left out and retreated back into the tents. Five minutes later the heavy stuff started. Since we knew we weren't going anywhere for awhile, we climbed back in our beds and went back to sleep.
Around 9:00 we finally emerged from the tents. The rain had stopped and once again we were faced with the problem of trying to start a fire with wet wood. We were wet, cold, hungry and the wilderness "fun factor" was quickly dropping. We did manage to get a small one going. It was big enough to boil water but didn't offer much in the way of heat.
After coffee and oatmeal, (and a quick search for a new walking stick since Jeff and Dana had burnt my first one in the fire.) we started to pack up. Packing up a tent is not a lot of fun to begin with. Packing up a wet tent ranks right up there with a trip to the dentist. You never want to go but what other choice do you have? When we picked out our hiking route, we had saved what we thought would be the easier trail for the second day. At least we thought it would be easier. It basically followed along the banks of the Middle Fork of the Williams River. Of course looking back now, we should have known better. First of all, the trail ran uphill. It wasn't a relatively steep hill, but six miles of constantly walking up a slope really drains a person. Second, we hadn't done the math. When it rains, which way does all the water run? Towards the lowest point. And what is usually the lowest point? A river or stream. Needless to say, the majority of the trail was extremely wet and sloppy.
The hike out wasn't a total drag though. There were some memorable moments along the way. About ten minutes into the hike, Dana decided the pain his shoes were causing him was enough. So he whipped out his trusty knife and proceeded to perform surgery. (On his shoes, not his feet.) When all was said and done, two rather large pieces of plastic were removed from the ankle area of his shoes. The surgery was a success. All was right with the world. That was until Dana stepped in a puddle. Oh well, I guess wet feet were better than mangled feet. Some other memorable moments included a dead animal carcass on the side of the trail. We believe it was a deer but it had been there long enough that we couldn't really be sure. We were rather curious as to how it ended up dead right there by the side of the trail. OK, I was curious to how it ended up there but Jeff and Dana didn't care. All they wanted to do was put as much distance between themselves and the smell as quickly as possible.
The trail itself added some extra adventure as well. As I mentioned earlier, the trail ran along the banks of the Williams River. It also crossed the river several times. Normally, not a big deal. But when they say Cranberry Wilderness they mean "wilderness." There were no bridges and no trail markers. The trail would literally run right up to the edge and appear to stop. If you couldn't see the trail on the other side, you weren't sure which way to go. But somehow we always managed to find the trail again. During the hike in, we talked up a storm. We talked about how cool things looked. How nice it was to get away. And of course we talked about the basic guy stuff: Cars, Women and well you know.
The hike out was totally different. I don't think we said more than twenty words the whole way out. The lengthiest conversation occurred when Dana and Jeff decided I was not allowed to be on point anymore. Due to my lighter pack (and the fact that I wanted to get back to the car as quick as possible) I was setting a pace that was faster than they wanted to go. We hiked six miles, uphill the whole way, through water, mud and muck with our heads down picturing how nice a warm shower would feel. I would bet that sometime during the hike, each one of us had the theme from The Bridge on the River Kwai running through our heads as we marched on.
By the time we reached the trail head I think we would have run to the car if we could. This was when I learned my second valuable hiking lesson, always leave a dry pair of shoes and socks in the car. Peeling off the cold, wet nasty ones was nice, but it would have been much nicer to have something warm and dry to change into. But even without dry shoes to change into, we survived the Death March. We tossed our gear in the car, turned on the heat and headed for home. (And we were right. A warm shower felt great.)
