Hiking
Dolly Sods Wilderness
Davis, West Virginia
The birth of POTA (Part of the Adventure)
04/2000 - by Christopher Burk, Outdoor Travels
Day 1
This was our first hiking trip where we didn't meet at Jeff's house the night before and set out together. Instead, we coordinated a time when we would meet at the Red Creek Campgrounds. It was a great plan on paper, however things didn't exactly turn out as we planned. First of all, Dana and I didn't leave Parkersburg when we said we would. And adding to our tardiness, it took us longer to get to Dolly Sods than we thought. Although we felt bad for making Jeff wait for us at camp, at least he could be setting things up. Wrong. Now here's a tip from the "Been there, learned that" files. If you plan on camping at the Red Creek Campgrounds before May 1st, make sure it is open. Apparently the forest service closes FR 75 during the winter. When we finally met up with Jeff, he had been waiting at the closed gate for over 2-1/2 hours. Needless to say, he wasn't very happy with us and now we were left trying to find a place to camp for the evening in the dark. After a failed attempt to access the campground from the north, we finally ended up camping in the Dolly Sods Picnic Grounds. It was dark so we didn't see the "No Overnight Camping" sign. But it was also about 35 degrees, so the chances of someone having a picnic there were pretty slim.
Day 2
After surviving 20 degree temperatures in a 3 season tent, we woke up to a beautiful clear day. Since we couldn't reach our original campground, we had to plan a new route. After consulting the map, we decided to hike in from the south-west end of the Red Creek Trail, follow the Little Stonecoal, Dunkenbarger Run and the Big Stonecoal trails and camp at the junction between the Big Stonecoal and Breathed Mountain trails. We loaded up the gear and headed off.
As we set forth into the wilderness, we commented on how beautiful everything was. Even though there were no leaves on the trees and the flowers hadn't started blooming yet, it still was very impressive.
About a mile into our hike, we came to our first stream crossing. OK, it was really more like a creek crossing but little did we know that this small crossing would have a large affect on our hike. Dolly Sods is truly a wilderness. There are no signs or blazes that mark the trails. The only markers are cairns, large piles of rocks. When we crossed the creek we automatically followed the worn-down path on the other side. We didn't notice the cairn a little further down directing us another way. The path we followed took us down to the banks of Red Creek. Since we were going to have to cross Red Creek to get to Little Stonecoal Trail we didn't think anything about it. We thought we were still headed in the right direction and, in essence, we were.
What we didn't know was that even though we looked right at the trail, we ended up missing the junction. We still hadn't learned about the cairns and honestly, the one marking the Little Stonecoal Trail was not very visible from where we were.
After about twenty minutes of hiking "across the moon," we figured out that we definitely were no longer on the right track. There was no way you were suppose to hike across a river bed of rocks. Besides it would be under water during the spring thaw. That's when the topo map came in very handy.
We had already surmised that we missed the Little Stonecoal Trail but the Big Stonecoal Trail had still be ahead of us. We could just reverse our planned hike and follow Big Stonecoal to the campsite and hike out the other way. By comparing the ridge lines to the topo map, we surmised that Big Stonecoal Trail should be just around the river bend. Now if we could just find the Red Creek trail again, we would be all set. We made several attempts to bush-whack our way through the rhododendron thickets in hopes that the trail would be just on the other side. Unfortunately, we had no such luck. We finally ended up in a clearing with no place to go. We were wedged between a 20 foot drop to the river and a steep embankment. We all agreed it was time for lunch. As we sat there eating and trying to figure out our next move, we noticed something we hadn't before. The clearing had several faint trails but one had a small pile of rocks next to it. Since it was obvious the rocks couldn't have ended up that way naturally, we surmised that someone had to have put them there for a purpose. And since we had exhausted all other ideas, we figured we might as well follow the trail and see where it lead us. It lead us up the steep embankment and back down the other side. But as we carefully climbed down the other side we noticed something else it lead us to, another pile of rocks! We had done it. We found our way back the Red Creek Trail. And we learned about cairns.
Once we had discovered the trail markers, our hike became much more enjoyable. We stopped worrying about where we were and started appreciating the natural surroundings more. Of course that was also after we crossed the Red Creek.
The junction of the Red Creek Trail and the Big Stonecoal Trail is well marked and fairly easy to find. The only tricky part is trying to find a spot to cross the river that is nearby. During times of high water, the crossing could be impossible, but fortunately for us, the water was pretty low. We basically had two choices, well, actually three. We could try and find a spot to rock hop across, we could take off our boots and wade across, or we could throw caution to the wind and just walk across in our boots. Considering the temperature of the water, the fact that none of us had water-proof boots on and since hiking three miles in wet socks and boots did not sound appealing, we opted to rock hop.
Once across, we started the long climb up Big Stonecoal Trail. Along the way we stopped to enjoy several waterfalls. Not having leaves on the trees was a big advantage. We could actually see the waterfalls from the trail and know whether it was worthwhile to hike down to it or not. Otherwise, we probably would have just kept on going missing some neat spots. Although the waterfalls were noteworthy, the true beauty of Dolly Sods lies on the upper plains region. Words can't begin to describe the terrain. It varied so much that Dana made the comment, "If you don't like what you see, give it a minute. It will change." One minute you might be hiking through an alpine forest then before you know it, you find yourself in the middle of huge tundra grassland. There are bogs you have to rock-hop through, large "rivers" of boulders about the size of small cars and even sandy beaches along the streams.
As we hiked on, marveling at the amazing sights, we realized it was about time to find a campsite. We passed a few along the way, but none of them really appealed to us. We did do one smart thing though. As we passed a small stream, we decided to fill up a couple of empty canteens so we would have water to cook with. It was a good thing too, because there was no nearby water where we finally made camp. The junction of Big Stonecoal and Breathed Mountain trails actually lies just outside of the wilderness boundary. It is just off FR-80, right next to one of the runs for Timberline Ski Resort. Although I have to admit that saying there was a road there is being very generous. I would love to see the vehicle that could make it up there.
We set up camp, cooked, hung our food and enjoyed the crystal clear view of the night-time sky before calling it a day. The only notable event that evening was the coyotes that came by after dark. Although they never came near the camp, we could hear them nearby. It was rather disconcerting and exciting at the same time.
Day 3
The crystal-clear night-time skies had been replaced by grey, overcast skies by the next morning. Although it hadn't started raining, we figured we better get things packed up before it started. As luck would have it, we did get everything done before a light rain started to fall. The route we picked to head back was an adventurous one. The trails didn't show up on the standard Dolly Sods map but did exist on mine. The real question was did they still exist or are they unused and overgrown. And considering the initial trouble we had trying to follow the heavily used Red Creek Trail, how well would we do trying to follow unused trails?
Needless to say, we did manage. Looking back now I'm glad we took the chance. It increased our orienteering skills and boasted our confidence in being able to find our way through the wilderness. The first part was easy, we just followed the road. It was the next couple of parts that got more difficult. We found what appeared to be a trail heading off in the right direction. There were no cairns marking it, but since we were officially still outside of the wilderness boundary, we didn't expect to find any. After a group vote, we followed the trail.
Now according to the map, we would only be hiking along one road, the rest of our travels would be on trails. That wasn't exactly correct. When we reached the next junction, we were back to another access road/jeep trail. Were we on the right trail? Did we miss something between here and there? As indicated by the compass, the road was heading in the right direction so we pressed on.
After several turns and two more junctions, we finally came across a cairn. We were headed the right direction. We found the Little Stonecoal Trail. The only problem now was trying to stay on the trail. It was obvious that few hikers use this part of the trail. We dead-ended into rhododendron thickets many times trying to find our way down the trail. It wasn't until we reached the intersection of Dunkenbarger Trail that the trail became easy to follow.
The trail may have been easy to follow but it certainly wasn't easy to hike. Several sections resembled rock beds more than trails. Strong ankles or boots with good ankle support are definitely a must along Little Stonecoal trail.
Fortunately we made it down without incident. We also noticed the small cairn that marks the beginning of the Little Stonecoal Trail. No wonder how we missed it. It was off to the side and not very visible. We fixed that. There is now a rather large one there and it is much more visible from the other side.
It was time once again to cross Red Creek. We decided that since we had less than a mile back to the car and dry shoes and socks were waiting, we were just going to walk across instead of trying to find a place to rock-hop. Although we planned on getting our feet wet in the end, we still rock-hopped as far as we could. Although we ran the risk of falling in, it turned out to worth it because it left us with about four feet of knee-deep water to wade through in the end.
On our way back to the car we also stopped and added to the other cairn we missed yesterday. The one that shows which way to go once you cross that little creek. We got back to the car, took our customary post-hike pictures and changed into dry clothes. As we stood there eating lunch, Dana had a realization. Even though the cars were right there, we were standing out in the rain eating our lunch. If we were at home we would never make a sandwich and go outside to eat it in the rain. But after spending a couple of days hiking, we didn't even think about. Wasn't that odd? (We still stood in the rain and ate our lunch.)
Trail SnapShot
Trail(s) Hiked: (loop) In: Red Creek Trail to Big Stone Coal Trail; Out: Bushwacking to
Little Stone Coal Trail to Red Creek Trail
Distance Covered: 11.2 Miles
Outdoor Travels Rating: 4 out of 5 Backpacks
Thumbs Up
- Scenic waterfalls along Big Stone Coal Trail.
- Terrain changes quickly from pine forest, bogs, tea colored ponds, small white sand dunes to grassy plateau plains.
- Area is remote and wild. Trail signs are nonexistant and a good map and compass are a must.
- An early Spring hike delivered decent solitude for us.
Thumbs Down
- This is a negative for some: Area is remote and wild. Trail signs are nonexistant .
- FR 75 used to access Red Creek Campground is closed well into early Spring.
Lessons Learned:
- Always make sure roads and campgrounds are open before you set out.
- If you need to cut fire wood and you don't have an axe, place it across a rock or large log and smash it with another rock. Don't try to swing it against something like a baseball bat. You just might dislocate your thumb. (Fortunately, I didn't break anything.) - Christopher
- A good trail and topographical map are a must. We lost the trail a few times and without both maps we could have very easily been lost. (Of course we could have followed the river back out, but we would have missed out on a lot.)
- Large piles of rocks, also known as cairns, are not signs of people being bored or the Blair Witch. They are actually trail markers.
Nuts & Bolts
Location: West Virginia's Tucker and Randolph counties
Size: 10,215 acres
Directions:
From the East: Take WV 28/55 south out of Petersburg, WV. One mile past Smoke Hole Caverns, look for the brown Forest Service sign on the left side of the road pointing to the turn-off to the Wilderness area onto State Road 4 (also known as Jordan Run Road.) Follow the paved road steeply up a fold in the hills. At the first "S" turn in the road, look for the turn off for FS 19 on your left. It is signed and easily located. This will give you access to the southern part of the Wilderness area at it's intersection with FS 75. Or you can bypass the FS 19 turn off and continue on State Road 4, you'll arrive at the second access into the Wilderness at FS 75 after roughly 7 miles. The turn off is to your left with a church on the corner. This will give you access to the northern part of the Wilderness.
From the West: Take US Route 33 out of Elkins, WV for approximately 25 miles. At Harmon, take a left onto State Route 32. Follow Route 32 north to State Road 45 (Laneville Road.) Turn right and follow SR 45 ten miles to the Dolly Sods Scenic Area. At Laneville and the boundary of the National Forest, SR 45 becomes FR 19. Major parking areas are located at Laneville and Red Creek Campground.
- Forest Roads 75 and 19 are not plowed. Winter travel is not recommended. The Laneville Road (State Route 45) is plowed from State Route 32 to Red Creek.
Activities: hiking, berry picking, hunting and sightseeing
Admission: currently none
Contact: United States Forest Service, Box 1548, Elkins, WV, 26241 (304) 636-1800
Maps & Stuff
Trail Photos
Lots of great photos to give you a good idea of what hiking here is like!
