Wild & Wonderful Newsletter

Hello Walkers!

There will be two walks this month.    We have scheduled these two challenging walks back-to-back so that you may make a weekend adventure of them. 

Saturday, August 16:Otter Creek Wilderness

Sunday, August 17:Dolly Sods, ‘Over the Top’

There are some lovely inns, bed and breakfasts, and, of course, the State Parks in the vicinity of the walks.  Check out theWeekend Adventure page for more information and links.

Remember…go outside and play today,

Beth 

It was another really, really hot one.   This time we had bugs, too!  A walk that will be remembered for a long time for many reasons.  Not the least of which were the good conversation and fun attitude everyone maintained despite the temperature soaring to the mid-90’s.  Did I mention that we had some bugs?At one point it felt like we were racing with Dorothy and the Tin Man, but instead going through a field of poppies we had a field of bugs to navigate.  North Bend State Park has some beautiful scenery including the huge new lake and interesting rock outcroppings including Castle Rock, which we explored.

Very simple, VERY refreshing

2 quarts of water

4 Tazo Chai teabags (decaf is good)

1/2 cup of sugar

Bring the water and sugar to a boil, add the teabags and allow them to steep for 15 minutes.  Chill.  Enjoy.

It was a hot one today with the temperature pushing up to 85.  Fortunately for us, the North Bend Rail Trail from Smithburg to West Union is mostly shaded.  The trail follows the Middle Island Creek through the heart of Doddridge County along the old B&O railroad, an area that was once an active industrial center for glass, timber and carbon blacking and is still active in oil and natural gas.  The trail is very well maintained and provides a comfortable walking surface.  We spent a short time touring the fascinating little town of West Union.

Lunch included all the cool summer foods the chef could think of: tzadziki and lettuce wraps, watermelon, lemon bars and yummy chai ice tea (recipe to follow).

We have two walks scheduled for July. 

July 16, Wednesday.  An E A S Y walk along the North Bend Rail Trail near Smithburg.  Meet at 9:30 in Glen Elk to car pool.  $17.50

July 19, Saturday.  A M O D E R A T E walk at North Bend State Park.  Meet at 9:00 in Glen Elk to car pool.  $25.00

We provide lunch, mmmmm.  Call for details and to make a reservation.

Remember…go outside and play today,

Beth 

 We served this on our Saturday walk.  It is a wonderfully cool and refreshing dip or sandwich spread, especially tasty on a hot summer day.  I first tasted it in Greece where it seemed to accompany almost every meal made from cucumbers straight from the garden.

Tzadziki

(Cucumber Yogurt Dip)

from It’s Greek to Me, ‘Kali Orexi’,

St. Spyridon Philoptochos Society, Clarksburg, WV, 2002.

16 oz. plain yogurt

1 cucumber

2-3 garlic cloves

2T. olive oil

1T. white vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Line a strainer with coffee filters. Spoon in yogurt and allow to drain overnight. Peel, seed and grate the cuke. Drain on paper towels. The longer you drain the yogurt and cuke the thicker the dip will become. Combine all ingredients and chill for a couple of hours. Use as a dip or sandwich spread. Perfect on a hot day.

June 21, 2008

The Mountain Laurel was blooming in all of its glory on the Dolly Sods, the sun was peeking through big, exotic looking clouds, huckleberries and blueberries were almost ready to eat and no bears were seen, though we looked. Our excursion ‘over the top’ took us past the Forks of the Red Creek, which is on the top five list of most beautiful places in wild and wonderful West Virginia. We had the ‘Forks’ to ourselves for our lunch break. We feasted on whole wheat rolls with tzezeki and fresh lettuce and spinach from the garden, fruit salad, assorted other goodies topped off by brick brownies;-). There were a few boggy areas and rocky trails but they were far out weighed by the vast beauty all around us. This is definitely a five star walk.

Lee in the Rock-a-Lounger

June 21, Saturday and June 22, Sunday 

This month we are trying something a little different. We are offering two back-to-back daywalks. You can come walking for just one day or join us for both days for a weekend adventure. Both walks will be in the Canaan Valley area near Davis, WV. Saturday’s walk will be in the spectacular Dolly Sods with it’s unique flora and fauna typical of more northern terrain and on Sunday we will walk along the Allegheny Trail from Blackwater Falls State Park to Canaan Valley State Park. The cost for each walk is $25 and we provide a complimentary lunch. These walks are rated as challenging because they are on un-even terrain and last between 4-6 hours. Check the W&W Weekends page for places to stay in the area.
If you have any questions about the weekend, please contact us at wildwonderfulwalks@gmail or at 304-623-0112.

May 21, 2008

The day started with sunshine and fluffy clouds, but the weather reporters predicted rain at noon and they weren’t too far off. All of the rain that we have been having had the Tygart River roaring. Believe it or not, the picture above was taken today (thank you, Lee) and the picture below was taken at the same place one year ago. That’s how big the water is now!!!!

 

The walking along the river is very gentle. It is a county road now but was once the B&O railroad grade connecting Philippi and Grafton. We found a wonderful, isolated spot for our lunch. Except for the occasional car along the road, a duck with her ducklings and the kind gentleman who took our photo we had the entire area to ourselves. There were lots of wildflowers on display

Coopers Rocks State Forest.

Despite the dire predictions of the weather reports, we had a marvelously sunny day for our season opener at Coopers Rocks. The May wildflowers did not disappoint. May Apples, Lady Slippers, Jack-in-the Pulpits, ferns, including the Rattlesnake Fern, to name just a few were visible.

We visited Haystack Rock, the behemoth sandstone boulder that has moved an incredible 10 feet, in the last 4 years, down the Cheat River Gorge. A picnic lunch was eaten at the Henry Clay Iron Furnace which included strawberry shortcake and asparagus fresh from the garden.

The five hour walk was primarily along forest trails through the heart of the 10,000 acre Coopers Rocks State Forest.