/out/ - Outdoors » Thread #1487185

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Anonymous Wed 03 Apr 2019 02:49:43 No.1487185 View View Reply Original Report

Quoted By: >>1487289 >>1487457 >>1488015 >>1488057 >>1488345 >>1490927

I'm going to West Virginia next week. I'm rafting the Cheat River (said it might be class 5) and staying in Davis. Any tips or things to see?

I'm planning to maybe do part of the Allegheny trail near Spruce Knob but ...

My question to y'all is will there be any way to pick morels or ramps or nettles or anything wild and edible next week at that high an elevation. I would love to find a local to look for edible harvests with. Anyone know where online to book that?

I will be there next Monday (night)-Thursday.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 03 Apr 2019 03:48:20 No.1487216 Report

Quoted By:

bump

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 03 Apr 2019 05:45:52 No.1487278 Report

Quoted By: >>1487285

Most of us dont know where that is or care. Take a compact fishing rod and some small lures. Fuck outta here.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 03 Apr 2019 05:53:21 No.1487285 Report

Quoted By:

>>1487278
I'm not talking about fishing. I'm talking about foraging wild crops.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 03 Apr 2019 05:59:15 No.1487289 Report

Quoted By: >>1487292

>>1487185
Tried to find more info for you but all I found out is that there is a National Wild Foods Association that meets each September at North Bend State Park near Cairo WV. And that Wild Foods of Appalachia by William H. Gillespie covers locations and details on foraging in that region but is a difficult to find book.

Also found this basic pdf
https://agriculture.wv.gov/divisions/comm/Documents/Publications%20Print/Edible%20Wild%20Plants%20FINAL%20BOOK.pdf

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 03 Apr 2019 06:03:24 No.1487292 Report

Quoted By: >>1487296 >>1488950

>>1487289
I am trying to find a local to give us a foraging tour next week.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 03 Apr 2019 06:05:42 No.1487296 Report

Quoted By: >>1487299

>>1487292
Welp sorry can't help much there. If you were going in September you could probably just check out that wild foods association meet up.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 03 Apr 2019 06:08:05 No.1487299 Report

Quoted By:

>>1487296
The season for wild ramps is April and May.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 03 Apr 2019 13:18:43 No.1487406 Report

Quoted By:

bump

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 03 Apr 2019 15:56:05 No.1487455 Report

Quoted By:

Only know that area in summer, sorry bro.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 03 Apr 2019 16:02:41 No.1487457 Report

Quoted By: >>1488397

>>1487185
Ramps are pretty much everywhere here. I don't know a whole lot about morels but I've heard lots of people have success with *other mushrooms*. In the summers, strawberries, black berries, and mulberries are abundant. Paw paws in the late summer and early fall. If you wanna buy food, I definitely suggest locally owned grocery stores. You could find some bangin food from Amish country there, and also locally sourced honey. Spruce Knob is a beautiful place. It's pretty well known for its stargazing too. If you're up that way, maybe swing by Seneca too. Depending on where you're driving in from (I assume you're not local), Lostworld Caverns is a favorite of mine. Home of Batboy. And try the pepperoni rolls.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 03 Apr 2019 22:51:02 No.1487679 Report

Quoted By:

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Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 04 Apr 2019 11:49:18 No.1487968 Report

Quoted By:

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Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 04 Apr 2019 12:28:24 No.1487981 Report

Quoted By: >>1487987

Spring rafting on the Cheat is great! I've never seen rapids like it; you'll have an amazing time.
Spruce knob is an alright hike. The view from the tower is decent.
I don't know anything about foraging there, though.

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 04 Apr 2019 12:40:01 No.1487987 Report

Quoted By: >>1488402

>>1487981
I was thinking of doing the Allegheny trail (the one near seneca creek/spruce knob) or maybe a trail near Blackwater Falls.

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/west-virginia/pase-point-trail

https://www.traillink.com/trail/blackwater-canyon-trail/

Any suggestions in the area? I'm of moderate fitness, so nothing crazy or involving bushwhacking, did the 5 mi out and back Seneca Creek Trail looking for some half day and maybe full day options.

Hoping to see maybe some early wildflowers or other signs of spring on the trails.

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 04 Apr 2019 13:28:06 No.1488013 Report

Quoted By:

This isn't /out/ persay but look up the Trans-Allegheny Insane Asylum. It's one of the largest complexes in the US, was abandoned in the 90's, and now they're restoring it and giving tours. It's sweet.

I used to live in Elkins, I'll post some more stuff after work today.

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 04 Apr 2019 13:33:42 No.1488015 Report

Quoted By: >>1488016 >>1488052

>>1487185
If you're going to Spruce Knob I recommend doing the Seneca Falls hike, it's really pretty and the change in scenery with altitude is really dramatic. Whole loop is maybe 15 miles. Down by the falls there's a little fire ring maybe 15 foot from the water. There's a few nice pools to swim in and there's a plane crash you can heck out on the hike back.
As far as wild edibles go it's too early for ramps and morels but fiddleheads should just be popping up there a week from now. Right as you get out of the spruce forest at the peak there are huge understory fern patches so I'd imagine you wouldn't have trouble finding boatloads.

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 04 Apr 2019 13:35:00 No.1488016 Report

Quoted By:

>>1488015
https://www.hikingupward.com/mnf/spruceknobsenecacreek/

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 04 Apr 2019 14:21:26 No.1488052 Report

Quoted By: >>1488346

>>1488015
I did Seneca Creek hike last fall. It is about 10 miles out and back actually.

I was looking at Canyon Rim Trail since that's a loop (prefer loops).

Otter Creek loop looks cool but the trail is probably overgrown and washed out and lacks blazes/marking. I will get appropriate topo maps at the ranger station but I have no compass or GPS so I'd like to not get totally lost.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO F334C583-AC42-4A76-9A06-7259AFFF (...).jpg, 12KiB, 425x195

Anonymous Thu 04 Apr 2019 14:31:37 No.1488057 Report

Quoted By:

>>1487185

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 04 Apr 2019 22:03:54 No.1488317 Report

Quoted By:

bump

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 04 Apr 2019 23:38:10 No.1488345 Report

Quoted By: >>1488394

>>1487185
Ramps will be abundant. Bring a wetsuit, anon. The Cheat will still be really fucking cold.

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 04 Apr 2019 23:42:31 No.1488346 Report

Quoted By: >>1488394

>>1488052
The Canyon Rim is spectacular. Can be pretty intense if you're not prepared for it. There are several loops through Otter Creek, all of which are pretty good. My favorite way in and out is through the Mylius Gap, especially this time of year. You can collect bushels of ramps on the way in for cooking once you make camp.

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 05 Apr 2019 01:21:31 No.1488394 Report

Quoted By: >>1488992

>>1488345
I'm too fat for a wetsuit sadly.

>>1488346
>Can be pretty intense if you're not prepared for it.

Explain what you mean. I won't have a compass, but I will probably try to get topo maps from the local ranger station.

>here are several loops through Otter Creek, all of which are pretty good. My favorite way in and out is through the Mylius Gap, especially this time of year.

I looked up this route at length and it appears that the return route is unmaintained and is just blazing/bushwhacking to some extent and VERY easy to get lost.

It said only Mylius Gap trail is actually maintained, rest is unmarked wilderness. I guess I am ok with no plastic blaze markers (like Seneca Creek thank goodness has) since Canyon Rim has none but I am worried Otter Creek is too crazy and maybe Canyon Rim is too hard.

I am also looking at shorter overlook-type hikes near Canaan Valley.

Anyone here ever done the Allegheny Trail above (west) of Seneca Creek? That was my original plan but I think it might be boring and it isn't a loop.

>once you make camp

So we are staying at a rental in Davis and I am worried some of these longer hikes might not get back before dark. I exercise now almost every day but I am still very fat and don't really want to die in the wilderness.

Don't I need a knife of some sort to collect ramps?

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 05 Apr 2019 01:24:47 No.1488397 Report

Quoted By: >>1488400

>>1487457
>Ramps are pretty much everywhere here
I've lived in wv my entire life but haven't once seen a wild ramp on any property I've owned or lived on.

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 05 Apr 2019 01:29:30 No.1488400 Report

Quoted By: >>1488409

>>1488397
Hmm, which part?

I will be staying in Davis and hiking around Canaan Valley and Spruce Knob area.

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 05 Apr 2019 01:32:53 No.1488401 Report

Quoted By: >>1488406

Maybe you are a worry wart, but at the high elevations of the laurel highlands you can expect winter conditions anytime well into May, particularly at night. You sound a bit inexperienced/ unprepared, so consider that.

Anonymous

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Anonymous Fri 05 Apr 2019 01:33:00 No.1488402 Report

Quoted By: >>1488405 >>1488406

>>1487987
Blackwater Falls is really pretty and the trails around there are really nice.
Hiking to the top of Seneca Rocks then climbing out on the knife edge was one of my favorite things to do when I lived in Elkins.
Spruce Knob is a cool spot. Out of there is the Huckleberry trail that's pretty good.
Out of Parsons there's a place called "Fernow Experimental Forest" that has all sorts of pretty wildflowers and mushrooms.
Dolly Sods is a great hike and seeing all the windswept trees on top is pretty cool, every once in awhile you get these inversions up there and the entire valley below is covered in mist. On the eastern side of the sods down below off the road is one of my favorite camping spots.
Also check out the Otter Creek Wilderness. Lots of waterfalls back in there.
There's a bunch of smaller trails that aren't usually on many maps and there's a maze of roads in Monongahela National Forest. Cell phone service is extremely spotty, so it helps if you have a map or download something on your phone before hand, but definitely go explore the forest, I worked there and hardly ever saw anybody anywhere. It's a beautiful place.

As far as food and entertainment go, there's an awesome Venezuelan restaurant in Elkins out of this couple's house called "El Gran Sabor." Get some yucca fries, they're amazing. Hellbender's Burritos in Davis is great after a long day /out/. Purple Fiddle, down the road from Davis, has I nightly live music, pretty good beer and sandwiches. Davis and Thomas are old hippie towns, so they're artsy in a way you wouldn't expect in rural West Virginia.

Here's a photo of the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, WV. Definitely go check it out if you've got time.

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 05 Apr 2019 01:34:38 No.1488405 Report

Quoted By:

>>1488402
Also, keep an eye out for springs coming out of the sides of the mountain (there's quite a few right next to roads too). Some of the best water you'll ever drink.

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 05 Apr 2019 01:36:16 No.1488406 Report

Quoted By:

>>1488401
I'm not claiming to be an expert. I've been to this area a few times, but I don't do this often or something.

>>1488402
I read that Otter Creek the loop trail is really washed out (Hurricane Sandy?) and hard to follow and lots of bushwhacking which I think above my level. I am mostly looking for easy to moderate hikes maybe 5-15mi max.

I don't want to get lost and my orienteering skills are fairly rusty.

I will certainly buy local topo maps at the ranger station when I'm there but I did that last time and still managed to get kinda lost on the Seneca Creek Trail.

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 05 Apr 2019 01:40:05 No.1488409 Report

Quoted By: >>1488410

>>1488400
>Davis
Complete opposite side of the state from me, so who knows?

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 05 Apr 2019 01:42:38 No.1488410 Report

Quoted By:

>>1488409
I'm pretty sure there are ramps in the eastern mountain highlands near Monongahela National Forest I just think this is on the early end of their season.

So, I've been to WV four times now I think. Once with a school trip in 5th grade. Once by myself in 2007, once last fall, and now next week.

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 05 Apr 2019 06:11:31 No.1488530 Report

Quoted By:

bump

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 05 Apr 2019 17:31:38 No.1488769 Report

Quoted By:

bump

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 05 Apr 2019 20:34:49 No.1488893 Report

Quoted By:

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Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 05 Apr 2019 22:41:08 No.1488946 Report

Quoted By:

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Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 05 Apr 2019 22:46:51 No.1488950 Report

Quoted By: >>1488951

>>1487292
Nobody wants you poaching their shit, dude. No local is going to show you where the good stuff is.

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 05 Apr 2019 22:49:21 No.1488951 Report

Quoted By: >>1488953

>>1488950
I'd assume there's a lot of room in the vast, sparsely populated wilderness. Ramps are not exactly scarce.

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 05 Apr 2019 22:57:04 No.1488953 Report

Quoted By: >>1488955

>>1488951
Try buying some at a roadside farmers market or something.

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 05 Apr 2019 23:01:00 No.1488955 Report

Quoted By: >>1488956

>>1488953
I will certainly be looking out for that, I was just hoping I could find someone local to help me find some stuff.

I'm not expecting people to do this for free. I just sort of assumed maybe a local would like a bit of extra cash for helping us forage.

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 05 Apr 2019 23:06:00 No.1488956 Report

Quoted By: >>1488957

>>1488955
>I could find someone local to help me find some stuff.
That's not going to happen. No one will want to share the good foraging spots with a stranger.

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 05 Apr 2019 23:08:46 No.1488957 Report

Quoted By: >>1488959

>>1488956
For money they might. I'm only going to be there a few days. It isn't like I'm going to go there all the time and take all their shit. It is a huge vast thinly populated area. It isn't like there's just one spot to do it in.

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 05 Apr 2019 23:10:51 No.1488959 Report

Quoted By: >>1488962

>>1488957
How much you offering?

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 05 Apr 2019 23:15:18 No.1488962 Report

Quoted By:

>>1488959
What is the going rate? Would depend on how long it was I guess and how much we foraged I suppose.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 06 Apr 2019 00:07:17 No.1488992 Report

Quoted By: >>1489005

>>1488394
In that case, don't go to the Canyon Rim. A strong outdoorsman with good navigational aids should do it in two days. Lots of boulder scrambles with unmarked trails and high winds that can literally see you off a cliff... Otter Creek actually has a pretty well-blazed trail network, but i wouldn't bother going there for a day hike. It sounds like the biggest thing for you to do would be to go up to Dolly Sods, park at Bear Rocks, and do some hiking from there, maybe out to Red Creek or Raven Ridge and back.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 06 Apr 2019 00:13:59 No.1488998 Report

Quoted By: >>1489005

Another nice hike for you would be to drive over to Blackwater Falls, park at the lodge, and hike out to Table Rock. It's a great view and there's very little chance of getting lost, since you'll follow a (very rough) forest road most of the way. Lots of mushrooms and ramps sound the way, too...

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 06 Apr 2019 00:20:27 No.1489005 Report

Quoted By: >>1489007 >>1489008 >>1489011 >>1489013 >>1489881

>>1488998
Yeah I've looked at Table Rock, Lindy Point and a few other short overlooks. I guess Canyon Rim Trail is a maybe and Otter Creek is a probably not without a GPS and knowing what I'm doing a bit better I think.

I think at this point Cheat High Falls is my best bet.

>>1488992
>two days

Yeah the whole point is I am not going to be camping innawoods but rather driving back to comfy AirBnB every night.

Dolly Sods is kinda exposed and it is still early April.

I was also gonna do Cathedral State Park if there's time and maybe rafting and mountain biking.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 06 Apr 2019 00:25:31 No.1489007 Report

Quoted By: >>1489016

>>1489005
The Canyon Rim is far more difficult and dangerous than (most of) Otter Creek.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 06 Apr 2019 00:27:20 No.1489008 Report

Quoted By: >>1489016

>>1489005
Cathedral is nice, but small. More of a roadside attraction, stop for a picnic and let the kids out to play kinda place.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 06 Apr 2019 00:37:22 No.1489011 Report

Quoted By: >>1489016

>>1489005
Sorry, I didn't realize people are maintaining a "Canyon Rim Trail" loop now. Just joogled to see what you are getting your ideas, and I see what you're thinking of. That might not be so bad.

For me, the "Canyon Rim" is the Canyon Rim/Roaring Plains circuit. It's amazing, but no joke. I nearly lost an eye out there.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 06 Apr 2019 00:38:43 No.1489013 Report

Quoted By: >>1489016

>>1489005
This is what i thought you were talking about:
http://www.midatlantichikes.com/id121.html

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 06 Apr 2019 00:47:40 No.1489016 Report

Quoted By: >>1489023

>>1489007
My concern with Otter Creek is I read something about how a lot of the area was badly damaged in Hurricane Sandy and that the trail to loop back to Mylius Gap might be almost non-existent and my elderly father is not into bushwhacking.

>>1489008
There's some easy trails nearby and old growth forest.

>>1489011
Yeah so apparently it is a trail started by the public. It is hard not being from the area to know which trails are more used for mountain biking and I think Canyon Rim Trail is one of them.

I don't think Dolly Sods is going to be so pleasant this time of year.

>>1489013
No.

So one possibility is doing a shuttle with a local bike company and riding (downhill I think) from Parsons to Thomas I believe and then they drive you back to your car at Parsons at the end I think.

I think High Cheat Falls is more approachable and Otter Creek is more suited to backpacking/experienced backcountry people/people with a GPS, although it sounds lovely.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 06 Apr 2019 00:57:36 No.1489023 Report

Quoted By: >>1489026

>>1489016
I think any damage from Sandy to Otter Creek is probably exaggerated, but it's a big area with many trails. I've hiked a lot of it. Another factor if you're not in great shape is that unless you park at the headwaters and just go down the creek and back up, most of the ways into the area require some pretty strenuous climbs. Mylius Gap is one of those, but for ramps this time of year it's hard to beat.

The old growth hemlock at Cathedral is cool, but not really a backcountry wilderness type experience.

I can't help you much with biking. I go up there for multi-night backpacking. I live in the Kanawha Valley now, but used to live up in Preston County.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 06 Apr 2019 01:04:52 No.1489026 Report

Quoted By:

>>1489023
Yeah so I am not backpacking so all trails need to not be things where I'm fucked if it gets dark.

I'm very fat, but I do exercise regularly. I was able to even do the Seneca Creek Trail, so that's something for me, but I don't want to go crazy.

I doubt it is that exaggerated, the trails probably are pretty washed out and poorly maintained.

I don't have a GPS and very limited backcountry experience so I'm not looking for danger. I'm looking for a nice sweet spot between easy family hikes and hard backcountry multi-day adventures.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 06 Apr 2019 03:07:28 No.1489071 Report

Quoted By:

final bump leaving in the early morning

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 07 Apr 2019 14:17:07 No.1489881 Report

Quoted By: >>1490511

>>1489005
High Falls is really nice and there's a ton of ramps on the hike up. It'll probably be too early for morels, though. It's still pretty chilly up at elevation.

Anonymous

Anonymous Mon 08 Apr 2019 02:04:14 No.1490511 Report

Quoted By: >>1490867

>>1489881
Is there somewhere nearby lower they might be obtained?

Anonymous

Anonymous Mon 08 Apr 2019 13:30:45 No.1490867 Report

Quoted By:

>>1490511
I haven't found any yet in the foothills so it's hard to say. Temperatures in the valleys might be getting close but we still need a good rain. If you can look on south-facing slopes where it'll be a little warmer, and just focus on finding tulip and elm trees. They're the only tall trees with any green on them right now so they're pretty easy to spot.

Anonymous

Anonymous Mon 08 Apr 2019 15:01:37 No.1490927 Report

Quoted By:

>>1487185
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