Wild Wonderful WV (Martinsburg, Elkins, Petersburg: vacation, resort, service)

[Janipoo]

Wow, there are some beautiful pictures here. Here is one where my parents grew up. My sister was born in this house before it was restored.

[David Kennedy]

Dent's Run was the old Indian Trail into Doddridge County from Buffalo Creek...about 12 miles over the ridge.
The highway system ignored a lot of those short cut's.
The style of that house is about 1880 with the improvements...would have been a 2 story log home with a reverse gable addition added when the farmers were selling their mineral rights...It could also be a mill cut house of the 1880's. Nailed with square nails of various lengths. Prior to that...Civil War and before to about 1830 houses were pinned together with wooden pegs...nails being very expensive...but several nail factories in Morgantown... nice photo...a traditional hiding place was the stairway newel...and under the stone cooking hearth...

[Janipoo]

Originally Posted by David Kennedy

Dent's Run was the old Indian Trail into Doddridge County from Buffalo Creek...about 12 miles over the ridge.
The highway system ignored a lot of those short cut's.
The style of that house is about 1880 with the improvements...would have been a 2 story log home with a reverse gable addition added when the farmers were selling their mineral rights...It could also be a mill cut house of the 1880's. Nailed with square nails of various lengths. Prior to that...Civil War and before to about 1830 houses were pinned together with wooden pegs...nails being very expensive...but several nail factories in Morgantown... nice photo...a traditional hiding place was the stairway newel...and under the stone cooking hearth...

Oh my goodness, you have all the info. Actually, my grandparents had the mineral rights and when my grandfather died my Aunt was suppose to keep paying it. She stated she didn't want to pay for it, neither did my 1 Uncle but my mom sent the check to pay it but it was returned stating that it was sold at auction. Well, whole and behold, they are there now paying people off to drill.

[millersangel]

Taken last weekend.

First some info about the Southern Highlands since the forum tends to concentrate on Northern WV.

From Bluestone Country: Hinton, Bluefield and Princeton, West Virginia (WV)

Bluestone Country
Rolling farm land, dense forests, sparkling lakes and streams, and towering mountains dominate the countryside in Bluestone Country, a photo-scenic region apparently custom made for explorers, tourists and students of history. Princeton, WV and Bluefield, WV are the largest cities in the region.

Physiography
Bluestone Country lies between two great Appalachian physiographic provinces -- the Allegheny Plateau and the Ridge and Valley Province. The rugged peaks of Flat Top Mountain, to the north, represent the high southern edge of the Allegheny Plateau, also known as the Allegheny Front. From 3,500 feet along its summits, Flat Top descends in steps and benches into the valleys of the Bluestone River and its tributaries. This central region is characterized by broad flats and tablelands broken by steep-walled gorges. Cliffs, waterfalls, and rock formations hide within every crevasse, generated as water erodes over tough sandstones and weaker red and green shales.

Toward the south, Bluestone Country begins to buckle and fold before rising sharply as East River Mountain, the smooth 3,000-foot wall that separates Virginia and West Virginia and marks the northernmost range of the Valley and Ridge Province. The latter province extends southward across Virginia in waves to the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachia's easternmost range.

There are many scenic outlooks where you can see three counties, VA and several moutains.

In this photo, the mountain in the background is Flat Top/Ghent.



The Clarke Farm outside Athens. The wind turbine provides power for the farm and the extra is sold back to the power grid. It was featured in an article in the Bluefield Daily Telegraph.

[millersangel]

Went hiking at Pipestem yesterday. Decided to go to Indian Branch Falls. I forgot how hard that particular hike is. It was hot, sunny and buggy.

From the Pipestem Wiki - Pipestem Resort State Park - West Virginia (WV) Cyclopedia

County Line Trail

Among the longer park trails, this woodland track ventures steep climbs in its course along Indian Branch to meet the Bluestone River Trail. The route is also a favorite bike and horseback trail, and explorers are rewarded with a visit to Indian Branch Falls, a 45-foot "jump" or "ledge" waterfall that drops freely into a sandstone cirque.

This photo is taken from the only vantage point I could get to - a viewing platform. I did go down to the top of the falls but the water level was too high to get out onto them.



And the tram started running yesterday.

The scenic aerial tramway at Pipestem Resort State Park is one of two passenger trams, or cable-car systems, that operate in West Virginia. Both are located in state parks among the gorges of southern West Virginia.

The Pipestem aerial tram carries park visitors from the rim of the Bluestone National Scenic River to a park lodge and a restaurant located on the Bluestone River. The tram affords the only regular means of motorized transportation into the area. It descends more than 3,600 feet down the steep southern wall of the gorge. Round-trip passes are standard, though many hikers use the tram to reach trails that return from distance parts of the park.

The Pipestem tramway operates mid-May to October 31, but may be closed during high winds and inclement weather.

[SaltyDawg]

and let me just request that you folks post more pictures of your beautiful state!

Much the same way that areas of the Pacific Northwest are mysteries to folks who've never been, West Virginia is a mystery to me, and it looks absolutely beautiful from what I've seen.

By all means - post your senics!

[Threerun]

Sorry the image is not crystal clear. Hazy day and old digital camera. This is the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers. The town of Harpers Ferry is seen below:

[Threerun]

and another.. You can make out the folks tubing and rafting on the Potomac river..

[Threerun]

The lake at Blackwater Falls:


Some geese tipping the water on the Opequon creek in my old backyard:

[snorpus]

Civil War reenactment at Canaan Valley SP...



Blackwater Falls, view from the south side of the river...



A visitor to the Blackwater campground...



Inside a Watoga cabin...