Canaan Valley, West Virginia (Oct 19, 2014)
Oct 21, 2014 22:49:43 GMT -5
Post by GaliWalker on Oct 21, 2014 22:49:43 GMT -5
So, how many photography locations can you pack into a day? Basically, that was the theme of my trip to West Virginia's Canaan Valley region. By this time of the year, my hiking season is winding down, and I'm looking more for easy view-packed hikes. The pendulum swings from hiking, with a bit of photography, to photography, with a bit of hiking.
Bear Rocks, Dolly Sods
I began my day at 3:00am, with the long drive south from western Pennsylvania, to the Bear Rocks overlook. This is one of my favorite viewpoints in West Virginia. The 360° views are fantastic. Plus, you can actually drive to a quarter mile of the viewpoint, which makes it feel like cheating, but I wasn't complaining on this photography-centric day.
As I parked the car, about 40min before dawn, the temperature read 30°F. I had feared snow on the roads, based on the forecast, but thankfully faced clear conditions. (Surprisingly, the equally high plateau of Roaring Plains, just a stone's throw away, sported snow on its upper reaches.) However, as I put on my warm layers, I knew that it wasn't going to be easy; the car was swaying from side to side from the force of the wind. I stepped out into the teeth of the wind, and the door was wrenched from my hand and slammed shut. Bracing myself against the wind I fought my way along the rocks, staying well away from the cliffs. Taking pictures in the cold and the wind took some effort, but I stayed with it until well after sunrise, when the light became less good.
Blackwater Falls, Canaan Valley
My next objective was not part of my original plans, but was instead a spur of the moment decision. On the short drive down from Dolly Sods into Canaan Valley some fast approaching clouds had made the conditions overcast. I knew that while the clouds had rolled in quickly, they would depart just as hurriedly. So, I most likely had an extremely short window to work my way into Blackwater Canyon to photograph impressive Blackwater Falls, in the even light that I crave for waterfall photography.
I made short work of the steep drop into the canyon, despite the slippery terrain. Working my way upstream, to the waterfall, was harder work, but since I'd done it on two earlier occasions, less nerve wracking than I remembered. The waterfall was flowing really well, and I got my shots.
Table Rock attempt, Canaan Valley
My main hike of the day was to be a fast trip to Table Rock from Lindy Point, along FR13. The round trip would have been a little over 12mi. Since I was determined to catch sunset at Lindy Point - an overlook near the hike's starting point - I knew I'd have to walk fast. About 2.6mi into the hike, even though I was maintaining a reasonable pace, I turned around. Walking a gravel road just wasn't any fun. (There are trail approaches, which parallel the forest road, but these would have been slower, so I had decided to leave those routes for another day, even before my Blackwater Falls detour.)
So, I went back to the car, drove into the town of Davis and had a late lunch.
Table Rock, Canaan Valley
As I ate lunch I perused my hiking guidebook and maps and noticed that there was another way to get to Table Rock. The part of FR13 (aka the Canaan Loop Road) which I had hiked was definitely not suitable for a normal car. However, the other end was, and would put me about 1.2mi shy of the Table Rock overlook. Best of all, I had just enough time to tuck this in, before my date with Lindy Point. Perfect!
The drive went well, as did the short hike to the overlook. This was superb; much better than I'd expected. The best views of fall foliage on the day were also from here. Unfortunately, on the hike back I slipped and fell in a mud hole, but the views had been more than worth a bit of watery mud.
Lindy Point, Canaan Valley
To finish off the day, I drove back to Lindy Point. The sunset was spectacular!
Total trip stats:
- Hiking miles: 9.5
- Trip time: 19hrs
Bear Rocks, Dolly Sods
I began my day at 3:00am, with the long drive south from western Pennsylvania, to the Bear Rocks overlook. This is one of my favorite viewpoints in West Virginia. The 360° views are fantastic. Plus, you can actually drive to a quarter mile of the viewpoint, which makes it feel like cheating, but I wasn't complaining on this photography-centric day.
As I parked the car, about 40min before dawn, the temperature read 30°F. I had feared snow on the roads, based on the forecast, but thankfully faced clear conditions. (Surprisingly, the equally high plateau of Roaring Plains, just a stone's throw away, sported snow on its upper reaches.) However, as I put on my warm layers, I knew that it wasn't going to be easy; the car was swaying from side to side from the force of the wind. I stepped out into the teeth of the wind, and the door was wrenched from my hand and slammed shut. Bracing myself against the wind I fought my way along the rocks, staying well away from the cliffs. Taking pictures in the cold and the wind took some effort, but I stayed with it until well after sunrise, when the light became less good.
Blackwater Falls, Canaan Valley
My next objective was not part of my original plans, but was instead a spur of the moment decision. On the short drive down from Dolly Sods into Canaan Valley some fast approaching clouds had made the conditions overcast. I knew that while the clouds had rolled in quickly, they would depart just as hurriedly. So, I most likely had an extremely short window to work my way into Blackwater Canyon to photograph impressive Blackwater Falls, in the even light that I crave for waterfall photography.
I made short work of the steep drop into the canyon, despite the slippery terrain. Working my way upstream, to the waterfall, was harder work, but since I'd done it on two earlier occasions, less nerve wracking than I remembered. The waterfall was flowing really well, and I got my shots.
Table Rock attempt, Canaan Valley
My main hike of the day was to be a fast trip to Table Rock from Lindy Point, along FR13. The round trip would have been a little over 12mi. Since I was determined to catch sunset at Lindy Point - an overlook near the hike's starting point - I knew I'd have to walk fast. About 2.6mi into the hike, even though I was maintaining a reasonable pace, I turned around. Walking a gravel road just wasn't any fun. (There are trail approaches, which parallel the forest road, but these would have been slower, so I had decided to leave those routes for another day, even before my Blackwater Falls detour.)
So, I went back to the car, drove into the town of Davis and had a late lunch.
Table Rock, Canaan Valley
As I ate lunch I perused my hiking guidebook and maps and noticed that there was another way to get to Table Rock. The part of FR13 (aka the Canaan Loop Road) which I had hiked was definitely not suitable for a normal car. However, the other end was, and would put me about 1.2mi shy of the Table Rock overlook. Best of all, I had just enough time to tuck this in, before my date with Lindy Point. Perfect!
The drive went well, as did the short hike to the overlook. This was superb; much better than I'd expected. The best views of fall foliage on the day were also from here. Unfortunately, on the hike back I slipped and fell in a mud hole, but the views had been more than worth a bit of watery mud.
Lindy Point, Canaan Valley
To finish off the day, I drove back to Lindy Point. The sunset was spectacular!
Total trip stats:
- Hiking miles: 9.5
- Trip time: 19hrs