Stormy Weather at Mount Storm, West Virginia

Seems I’ve been twisting around two hundred switchbacks . . . .

winding, descending, ascending . . . .

Sure glad they're maintaining these beautiful mountain roads.

     I've been driving all over West Virginia’s Appalachian mountain range for the past three or so days.  Karl, I didn't make it to the Swiss village of Helvetia (population 58) but I was on the same mountain in Monterville. Will keep Helvetia on my list.  South of Elkins was this unique brick barn and barnyard.

     The weather has been fickle for a few days now. Can’t decide if it wants to rain or shine, so it does both within minutes of each other.

     Got caught in rain on a short walk to see the Blackwater Falls. The Blackwater River goes west of the Appalachian mountain range, it then goes south to join the Dry Fork River, then oddly goes north to join the Ohio River. This West Virginia mountain water ends up in the Gulf of Mexico.

 I’m not sure why we’re all inclined to take photos of waterfalls.

 

     I’m always fascinated by trees that co-exist with boulders. These tree roots look like octopuses, hanging on for dear life literally.

     I was amused by the town name of Mount Storm in West Virginia, because situated near the top of a mountain, this town probably gets the brunt of the mountain’s fickle weather.

     I stopped at Mount Storm’s public library, very friendly staff and patrons. Had someone said, “Fire up the grill, I’ll get the hamburgers and buns,” I think half the town would have shown up at the library.

     Mr. Bradley (man in photo above) grilled me with a hundred questions about La Lair and my travels. Why was I in West Virginia, and even more to the point, “Why are you in Mount Storm of all places??!” He couldn’t fathom that someone aimlessly wandered into a tiny town that’s not on the tourist circuit. He called me over to his computer terminal, showing me his research on Dodge Ram ProMasters. I think Dodge Ram should finance my travels to help advertise their ProMasters.

   I waited out the blustery cold fickle weather at another clean, well-run US Army Corps of Engineers’ campground a little north of Mount Storm, the Robert Craig Memorial Campground. Their brochure claims there’s a “trail” here but mostly it’s a doggy walk pathway in a mowed weedy patch. Good place to walk a dog and get exercise though.

     Today, I ventured into Maryland to check out the Chesapeake and Ohio National Historical Park which features a bicycle trail hundreds of miles long. Their tourist center is in Cumberland, Maryland. When I got out of La Lair to walk to the tourist center for a trail map, a woman with a bicycle began asking me a bunch of questions about La Lair! This van is very popular! She's a local, and she told me that the YMCA here in town has a place for campers. How lucky can a camper get!? For $12 daily, I get WIFI, showers, pool and sauna, plus a safe place to park all night and all day while I bike on the bike trail! It's been another lucky sequence of events. I'll be here for four days . . . .