TR: Red Creek and Dolly Sods North
Jan 23, 2015 10:58:39 GMT -5
Post by rpcv on Jan 23, 2015 10:58:39 GMT -5
We made our annual trip out to West Virginia this past weekend with a bunch of friends. We get a cabin out there and the intent is to do a lot of snowshoeing. This year, there wasn't enough snow for that, but we were able to get some great hikes in. On Saturday, we hiked up Red Creek from the Laneville trailhead. It was cold, but sunny and clear. Since the canyon doesn't get a lot of sun, the trail was pretty icy and the ground was covered in a couple of inches of snow. Red Creek was completely frozen over in places and most of the side streams were covered in ice as well. After lunch, we bushwhacked up one of the side streams to a frozen waterfall, which was just spectacular.
The mouth of Big Stonecoal Run at Red Creek.
Cool icicles over Red Creek.
This is the waterfall we bushwhacked to. It was about 50 feet high. It is pretty in the photograph, but it was stunning in person.
We hiked out the way we came in. This is looking up Red Creek about 45 minutes before sunset.
On Sunday, I led a smaller group up the ski run at Timberline into Dolly Sods north. This is the third year that I've hiked in Dolly Sods that way and I actually like hiking up the ski run. It is steep, but there are nice views of Canaan Valley below and it is always funny to see the looks on skiers faces when they realize what you are doing. The weather wasn't quite as nice on Sunday. It was really windy up on the plateau and snow squalls blew through periodically. From the ski area, we hiked north on the Rocky Ridge Trail to the rocks near the northwest corner of the wilderness area and then returned the way we came.
Looking west over Canaan Valley from the edge of the Dolly Sods plateau. In between snow squalls the sun came out several times. Last year, when we were up here, three feet of snow covered the ground.
An approaching snow squall from the rocks on the Rocky Ridge Trail.
I love going up to Dolly Sods in the winter (with adequate preparation and an eye to the weather, of course). It is quiet, uncrowded and beautiful.
More pictures here.
The mouth of Big Stonecoal Run at Red Creek.
Cool icicles over Red Creek.
This is the waterfall we bushwhacked to. It was about 50 feet high. It is pretty in the photograph, but it was stunning in person.
We hiked out the way we came in. This is looking up Red Creek about 45 minutes before sunset.
On Sunday, I led a smaller group up the ski run at Timberline into Dolly Sods north. This is the third year that I've hiked in Dolly Sods that way and I actually like hiking up the ski run. It is steep, but there are nice views of Canaan Valley below and it is always funny to see the looks on skiers faces when they realize what you are doing. The weather wasn't quite as nice on Sunday. It was really windy up on the plateau and snow squalls blew through periodically. From the ski area, we hiked north on the Rocky Ridge Trail to the rocks near the northwest corner of the wilderness area and then returned the way we came.
Looking west over Canaan Valley from the edge of the Dolly Sods plateau. In between snow squalls the sun came out several times. Last year, when we were up here, three feet of snow covered the ground.
An approaching snow squall from the rocks on the Rocky Ridge Trail.
I love going up to Dolly Sods in the winter (with adequate preparation and an eye to the weather, of course). It is quiet, uncrowded and beautiful.
More pictures here.
