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Posted Friday, November 30, 2007
Riding through Davis, WV

Story by Dennis Strawn with photos by J.R. Petsko

DAVIS, WEST VIRGINIA---- For the past 10 years Randy Brotherton and I have taken a 3 day bike camping trip after Thanksgiving. Over the years we have experienced it all. We have biked in wind, rain, snow, warm and cold. Met nice folks and unfortunately, rude motorists. But hey, that one bad person makes us appreciate all the multitudes of nice people. And we have met plenty.

This year we planned on riding out of Elkins to Canaan Valley State Park Campground on Friday. Then to Stuart Recreation Area via the Shavers Fork on Saturday. On Sunday, a short jaunt over Cheat Mountain to reach Elkins again.

We had an unexpected treat with Randy's brother-in-law, Mark Jordan, graciously volunteering to be our camp host. This meant we didn't have to carry everything we needed, just some extra clothes and some food for our lunch stops. In past years I would pack 4 panniers on my bike and Randy would attach his Burley trailer to his, converted to a carry-all after his kids out grew being pulled around.

In these would go: tent, sleeping bag, mattress pad, clothes, food, water, stove, etc. You get the picture, everything for a self contained get away. This year the majority of our gear was shuttled by Mark as he drove to our camp site. Both days he had a warm fire waiting for us.

Ride
In front of Blackwater Bikes, Davis, WV
We rolled out of Elkins following the Allegheny Highlands Trail north to Parsons. What a fantastic trail. I wish Charleston, WV, which is were we live and work, had a trail like this. We stopped for lunch at the Five Rivers Campground owned by John and Joyce Bowers. They have a wonderful place on the edge of Parsons and its open year round for adventurous souls like Randy and I. We had this place on our itinerary in case we needed to make overnight adjustments.

From Parsons we rode to Hendricks and then followed the old rail grade up Blackwater Canyon to Thomas. Our ride up the canyon was accompanied by snow flurries. We warmed ourselves in the Mountain Made Craft Store in Thomas, another wonderful gem in West Virginia. On the way into Davis Randy noticed that his back wheel was starting to give out. Of all things, the weld on the sidewall was failing. Keep in mind, we pack for most small mechanicals, extra nuts and bolts, tubes and tires. But a wheel, come on. Funny thing is we had a wheel problem a few years ago on Mount Rogers involving 8 broken spokes. But hey, that's another story.

Lucky for us Blackwater Bikes was open and JR had us fixed up and on our way again. We did lose some time and due to the quickly approaching dusk called Mark to pick us up. Safety won out over our goal of riding into camp. After a hardy meal of chili, cornbread, rice and chicken we warmed our bones by the fire. Around 9:00 pm the clouds and flurries gave way to a full moon that was the brightest I have seen in some time.

Morning came too soon, the temperature was 12 degrees, not a record for us, but cold none the same. We drove to Blackwater State Park to check out the falls. The mist from the falls had coated the boardwalk and trees with a heavy white frost that was sparkling brilliantly in the morning sun. Mark dropped us off in Thomas and we hit the trail down the canyon. We made Parsons for lunch, this time enjoying the train depot beside the trail in town.

At Porterwood we left the AHT and headed up the Shavers Fork River. The county roads in the area offered outstanding vistas of the local countryside and river. Numerous times we saw deer running through the green pasture fields. What a beautiful place.

Cold in Davis, WV
Yup, we are cold.
The old homesteads and newer lodges made us want to buy land here in this pristine landscape to have in our retirement. Randy would say "With a cabin over there in the trees you would wake every morning to this stunning view across the valley". I would counter with "I would put my house at the edge of that field so you could sit on the porch and watch the awesome sunsets fall over the mountain". If Randy and I had actually bought land over the years after these "what if" discussions we would have many outstanding getaways to enjoy. But alas our budgets only let us dream about these things.

One thing we have found traveling off the beaten path through West Virginia is the lack of road signs at intersections. After climbing up a hill for about a half hour we stop at a 5 way intersection. We had four choices. They all looked the same, single lane dirt road with lots of broken rocks with some mud holes thrown in.

We start guessing. One went to a house and we surmised it ended. One went up the mountain further and was discounted on the spot because it went up the mountain further. Another went down the mountain to the river and was discounted because if it ended we would have to climb back up it. The remaining one was eventually chosen given the fact it was not up or down and had what looked like recent tire tracks in the mud. It turned out to be a good guess.

We came to the river crossing and knew we were getting close. After a few more miles we heard the sound of the chain saw. We knew that not only had we made it to camp, but Mark was busy cutting up wood for the fire he had collected from fallen limbs and trees.

For dinner Mark treated Randy and I to pan fried clams and shrimp in a garlic and diced tomato sauce served over fettuccini pasta with a glass of red wine. Not bad for roughing it in the woods. We decided, as we sat in the Stuart Recreation Group Campground around the fire, that this was a sweet spot that we had arrived at. We reminisced about our past excursions. As we get older our exploits are happening less often so our memories have become cherished.

It wasn't as cold Sunday morning as the previous day, but still a freeze to start the day. Breakfast of bacon, eggs, hash browns, oatmeal and coffee got us started along. We backtracked on the river road looking for a river crossing we spotted on the map. We didn't know if it was a ford or a bridge, public or private. Part of the fun of our trips is the unknown and this discovery process is what makes these trips so much fun. Of course when we make a wrong turn or get lost and lose hours we are mad as heck with each other. But by the next year's trip we have forgotten the bad and only remembered the adventure involved.

This excursion had a historical and well as happy ending. We did indeed find a bridge. It was an impressive concrete arch bridge going over the Shavers Fork, which looked to be around 100 years old. Which meant it withstood all the 1985 flood could throw at it. Impressive indeed.

An interesting aspect was this bridge is in a very isolated location but 100 years ago may have been the only crossing of the Shavers in this area. It's about 2 miles over the mountain from the head waters of Craven Run which runs gently to Elkins. Who knows maybe this was the main thorough fair running east to west in this part of the state long ago. Now it sits at the edge of a vast field with only the gravel road extending into the distance. Traveled by few now that the modern 4 lane Route 33 traverses Cheat Mountain about 3 miles away.

We made our way into Elkins picking up the AHT just below Gilman. After a short lunch break we headed into town and met Mark at the Old Train Depot where we talked to the friendly volunteers about plans to rebuild the roundhouse and create a railroad museum. Very lofty goals for a resurgent country town.

We covered 96 miles in 3 days. We witnessed gentle farm lands along the AHT, the ruggedness of the Blackwater Canyon, the remoteness along the Shavers Fork and as always the friendly residents you encounter when your mode of transportation is a bike. Until next year.