The Charleston Gazette - Recreation

New trail in works for Hatfield-McCoy system

webmaster@ap.org ( The Associated Press) — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:32:28 -0400

WAR, W.Va. -- Another addition to the Hatfield-McCoy Trail system in Southern West Virginia is in the works. Hatfield-McCoy Trail Authority Executive Director Jeff Lusk said trail officials are collaborating with the town of War and the McDowell County ...

Mountaineer Montessori offers camp sessions

(Staff reports) — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:27:54 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Registration is now open for the "Best. Summer. Ever.," six-week series of unique experiential learning and camp sessions for children ages 3-12, offered by the Mountaineer Montessori School, 308 20th Street. A wid...

Kids outside event set for Saturday

( ) — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:00:00 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Charleston Parks and Recreation will celebrate National Kids to Parks Day with a free "Lets Move Outside and Play" event on Saturday at Magic Island. This event will be held in conjunction with KEYS for Healthy Kids, encourag...

West Union festival set for June 7-9

( ) — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:00:00 -0400

WEST UNION, W.Va. -- West Union will celebrate West Union Fest this year on June 7-9. The festivities will begin with a parade at 6 p.m. on June 7, with lineup at 5 p.m. at the Senior Citizen Center. The theme for this years parade is celebrating 150 years...

DNR cracks down on illegal swimming at Tygart Lake

webmaster@ap.org ( The Associated Press) — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:59:42 -0400

GRAFTON, W.Va. -- State authorities are cracking down on illegal swimming at Tygart Lake. Swimming from the lakes shoreline at the Pleasant Creek Wildlife Management Area is prohibited. Swimming from watercraft is allowed. Division of Natural Resources w...

Bringing the joy of sailing to West Virginians

rsteelhammer@wvgazette.com (Rick Steelhammer) — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:00:00 -0400

SUMMERSVILLE, W.Va. -- Surrounded by an armada of bass boat trailers in the parking area of the Battle Run boat launch area at Summersville Lake last Saturday morning, the owners of a small wind-powered fleet were busy raising masts and securing jibs a...

Distance running classes offered at Marshall University

webmaster@ap.org ( The Associated Press) — Mon, 06 May 2013 16:47:31 -0400

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- Marshall Universitys Recreation Center is offering classes for people who want to train for distance running. The five-week class is aimed at getting people ready for their first five-kilometer run or for experienced runners who want t...

Whispers of Mill Point Prison

rsteelhammer@wvgazette.com (Rick Steelhammer) — Sat, 04 May 2013 20:27:32 -0400

MILL POINT, W.Va. -- "In all likelihood, there is no prison like Mill Point in the whole world," best-selling novelist Howard Fast wrote in a letter pitching a prospective magazine piece to his agent, Paul Reynolds, sometime in the late 1950s. ...

Clarksburg renames park to avoid infringement

webmaster@ap.org ( The Associated Press) — Thu, 02 May 2013 17:54:22 -0400

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. -- Clarksburgs new outdoor water park has been renamed to avoid infringing on a Pennsylvania attractions trademark. The Splash Lagoon is now the City Parks of Clarksburg Splash Zone. Superintendent John Cooper tells The Exponent Teleg...

Ultra runner motivated

johnmccoy@wvgazette.com (John McCoy) — Thu, 02 May 2013 13:00:00 -0400

MADISON, W.Va. -- To finish his first 100-mile footrace, John Baldwin played mind games with himself. "Instead of thinking of it as having to complete 100 miles, I thought of it as completing several shorter runs in a row," he said. "If...

Walking tour planned for Mason County

( ) — Thu, 02 May 2013 13:00:00 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Woods lovers and woodland owners are invited to an educational walking tour on May 18 in Mason County. Guests who attend the tour, at the property of Bob Alexander, will hear about some key strategies he and his family use to mainta...

WVU builds zip line course near Coopers Rock

webmaster@ap.org ( The Associated Press) — Thu, 02 May 2013 19:14:47 -0400

See a video here. MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Organizers of the nations first university-run zip line say their first focus will be training the volunteers who will run the much larger zip line network at...

1907 forestry experiment still growing strong in Pocahontas

rsteelhammer@wvgazette.com (Rick Steelhammer) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 19:17:40 -0400

BARTOW, W.Va. -- With sweeping views of mountains on one side of W.Va. 28 and the East Fork of the Greenbrier River winding its way through pastures and fields on the other, its easy to miss a roadside U.S. Forest Service sign marking the site of one o...

Want to get away from it all. Rent a fire tower

rsteelhammer@wvgazette.com (Rick Steelhammer) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 23:45:00 -0400

DUNMORE, W.Va. -- To call it a room with a view is an understatement as vast as the forested landscape that can be seen from it. The state park systems newest overnight accommodation was built to take in the most complete panorama possible of...

Storm-damaged Audra State Park reopens campground

webmaster@ap.org ( The Associated Press) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 13:00:00 -0400

BUCKHANNON, W.Va. -- Audra State Park is still recovering from damage caused by superstorm Sandy. Superintendent Jon Teets says the storm hit the park in Barbour County hard on Oct. 29, 2012. Work to remove downed trees and brush is expected to continu...

Scout Reserve director gives site update

(Megan Workman) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:32:54 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Imagine gliding down a 3,500-foot zip line over a lake and reaching speeds up to 60 miles per hour at a site that has the worlds longest total combined zip lines. Visitors to the Boy Scout of Americas new Summit Bechtel Family N...

National Park Service seeks Jamboree volunteers

webmaster@ap.org ( The Associated Press) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 08:22:00 -0400

MOUNT HOPE, W.Va. -- The National Park Service is looking for volunteers to help with activities related to the Boy Scouts of Americas 2013 National Jamboree. The agency said it will be conducting several activities during the event, scheduled for J...

Snowmobile race caps a long winter run

rsteelhammer@wvgazette.com (Rick Steelhammer) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 13:00:00 -0400

CANAAN VALLEY, W.Va. -- The seemingly endless winter that lingered in the highlands of West Virginia through last weekend left plenty of late-season snow on the ground for those who like to play in it. Skiers and snowboarders had an abundance of t...

Volunteers sought for East Lynn Lake cleanup

webmaster@ap.org ( The Associated Press) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 08:46:33 -0400

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- Volunteers are being sought for the annual cleanup at East Lynn Lake. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says this years cleanup will take place April 21. Volunteers can help corps employees pick up trash on the lakeshore and do other...

Ready for their closeup

johnmccoy@wvgazette.com (John McCoy) — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 16:21:02 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Taking pictures of animals and birds has never been easier.So says Steve Shaluta, a St. Albans photographer who believes the advent of digital photography has transformed what used to be a prohibitively expensive, difficult-to-learn pa...

New lodge at Beech Fork State Park coming together

johnmccoy@wvgazette.com (John McCoy) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 13:00:00 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginias top parks official believes "all the pieces are falling into place" for a 75-room lodge to be built at Wayne Countys Beech Fork State Park. Ken Caplinger, parks chief for the state Division of N...

Road serving New River to be closed longer for repairs

webmaster@ap.org ( The Associated Press) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 08:47:33 -0400

FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. -- The National Park Service says it has expanded the closure of a road that provides access to the New River for boaters, hikers and fishermen. Officials previously said Cunard Road, in the New River Gorge National River, would be c...

Storm leaves mark on national forest

rsteelhammer@wvgazette.com (Rick Steelhammer) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 13:00:00 -0400

ELKINS, W.Va. -- Lingering late-season snow is keeping work crews from making repairs to a number of Superstorm Sandy-damaged Monongahela National Forest campgrounds, trails and recreation areas popular with spring trout anglers. "This is the tim...

First Great Eastern Trail hikers halfway

rsteelhammer@wvgazette.com (Rick Steelhammer) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 13:00:00 -0400

MATEWAN, W.Va. -- Snow clung to the hilltops lining the Tug Fork Valley surrounding them, but at river level, it was a rare snow-free day on the trail for Joanna Swanson and Bart Houck as they walked across the bridge separating McCarr, Ky., from t...

Snowshoe extends ski season

webmaster@ap.org ( The Associated Press) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:00:00 -0400

SNOWSHOE, W.Va. -- Thanks to 5 feet of snow in March, including 2 feet during the past week, Snowshoe Mountain Resort, which had been scheduled to close on Sunday, is extending its season through April 7. Forty trails are available to skiers and snowboard...

On the up and up: Seneca Rocks has a rich climbing history

(Akron Beacon Journal) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 23:00:00 -0400

SENECA ROCKS, W.Va. -- It is hard to miss Seneca Rocks. It is a giant slab of bare white sandstone with sheer cliffs, towering 900 feet above the surrounding valley in the Allegheny Mountains in eastern West Virginia. With its razorback ridges and fins...

Wilderness helped man to know his limits

johnmccoy@wvgazette.com (John McCoy) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 13:00:00 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Some high-school graduates go to the beach before they head off to college. Wells Rugeley went to the wilderness. Rugeley, 19, of Charleston, spent 90 days in the wilds of Wyoming and Utah, learning to survive in conditions ma...

National Park Service: State parks draw 1.2M visitors who spend $53M

webmaster@ap.org ( The Associated Press) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 18:24:34 -0500

GLEN JEAN, W.Va. -- A new report says National Park Service attractions in West Virginia draw more than 1 million visitors who add millions of dollars to loc...

Former Fayette whitewater complex to be sold

(Staff reports) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 20:27:39 -0500

HICO, W.Va. -- Songer Whitewaters former 100-acre headquarters complex along U.S. 19 near Hico is scheduled to be sold during a March 15 real estate auction.Two years ago, after operating independently for 31 years, Songer became a partner in Adventures on...

Rainelle to celebrate centennial in April

( The Associated Press) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 20:47:35 -0500

RAINELLE, W.Va. -- Rainelle Mayor Andrea Pendleton is asking the public for help as the town plans for its 100th anniversary celebration. The celebration is scheduled for April 25 through April 29. Pendleton tells WVVA-TV that the Celebration Committee...

Several youth groups are alternatives to Boy Scouts

webmaster@ap.org ( The Associated Press) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 17:53:49 -0500

NEW YORK -- With the Boy Scouts of America entangled in a furor over its ban on gays, lesser-known youth organizations across the ideological spectrum see an opportunity. They wonder if the turmoil might prompt some families to give them a closer loo...

Charleston bike lane designer awaits council vote

balow@wvgazette.com (Jim Balow) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 18:01:38 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Charleston could finally get its first official bike lanes by the end of the year, City Manager David Molgaard said, if City Council members OK a design contract next week. "Were going to recommend a contract with TRC Engin...

Innerviews: Veteran ski bum loves life on the slopes

sandyw@wvgazette.com (Sandy Wells) — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 23:45:00 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Hes a rugged Renaissance man -- skier extraordinaire, carpenter, cane-maker, artist, photographer and actor, for starters.A Pennsylvania native, son of a professional hockey executive, 61-year-old David Faunce grew up ...

Wheelers share rides, routes and rapport

rsteelhammer@wvgazette.com (Rick Steelhammer) — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 23:00:00 -0500
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Since 1975, the Mountain State Wheelers have been helping bicyclists of all skill levels connect with each other and the scenic, sometimes challenging roads in and a...

Wildwater Association brings new paddlers into the fold

rsteelhammer@wvgazette.com (Rick Steelhammer) — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 23:00:00 -0500
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Since 1965, the West Virginia Wildwater Association has been connecting outdoor-loving residents of the Mountain State with the joys of paddling its wide variety of streams and river...

Blackwater Falls to hold cardboard sled race

webmaster@ap.org ( The Associated Press) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 08:46:15 -0500
DAVIS, W.Va. -- They wont be dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh later this month at Blackwater Falls State Park. Instead, theyll use cardboard sleds. A Feb. 23 race is open to children and adults on the Tucker County parks 1,500-foot-lo...

Holly River State Park still recovering

johnmccoy@wvgazette.com (John McCoy) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 22:00:00 -0500
HACKER VALLEY, W.Va. -- For the staff of West Virginias Holly River State Park, its been a long, dark, cold, tough winter -- and a really expensive one, too.The 8,101-acre Webster County park has been without power since Oct. 29, when trees snapped by ...

Vote 50 years ago helped set stage for creation of New River Gorge National River

rsteelhammer@wvgazette.com (Rick Steelhammer) — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 15:59:00 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Fifty years ago this week, the West Virginia Legislature passed a concurrent resolution calling for "the speedy development of the New River Gorge Area into a national playground.&quo...

Coal River Groups birth, growth recounted

rsteelhammer@wvgazette.com (Rick Steelhammer) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 13:00:00 -0500
ST. ALBANS, W.Va. -- Bill Currey is a former corporate director of public affairs for FMC Corp. and American Electric Power, who later formed his own public relations firm with a client list heavy on chemical companies and coal operators. How d...

Wetting the Dries

rsteelhammer@wvgazette.com (Rick Steelhammer) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 19:00:00 -0500
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Field work is planned to begin in May on a study that will investigate whether "family friendly" whitewater rafting and boating is viable on the 5.5-mile long section of New River below Hawks Nest Dam known as "the...

Helvetias Fasnacht bash set for Feb. 9

webmaster@ap.org ( The Associated Press) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 08:54:33 -0500
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Mark your calendars: West Virginias smaller, colder version of Mardi Gras is set for Feb. 9. The traditional Swiss celebration of Fasnacht occurs every year in Helvetia to scare ...

2012-13 W.Va. ski season sees better start than last winter

rsteelhammer@wvgazette.com (Rick Steelhammer) — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 17:11:57 -0500
CHARLESTON, W.Va.-- A late October snowfall helped get the 2012-13 ski season off to an early start and, so far, West Virginias snow resorts are handling 10 percent to 15 percent more skiers and snowboarders than they did by this time last year. "We ...

N.J. native named head of state Appalachian Trail office

webmaster@ap.org ( The Associated Press) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 08:40:11 -0500
HARPERS FERRY, W.Va. -- A 24-year-veteran of the National Park Service has been named superintendent of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail office in Harpers Ferry.Wendy Janssen has worked management, ranger and planner positions in 11 facilities nat...

$9 million coming for W.Va. trail, streetscape projects

rsteelhammer@wvgazette.com (Rick Steelhammer) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 18:51:26 -0500
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Grants totaling more than $9 million for a variety of recreational trail, streetscape and sidewalk projects across the state were announced Monday by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin. The 22 projects receiving a total of $1.2 million in Re...

Two groups partner to protect New, Greenbrier rivers

(Beckley Register-Herald) — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 17:56:59 -0500
BECKLEY -- The waters of the New and Greenbrier rivers converge at the town of Hinton before rushing through the New River Gorge. Likewise, two water quality organizations dedicated to the health of these rivers are joining together to move their goals for...

Snow gives ski resorts an early boost

rsteelhammer@wvgazette.com (Rick Steelhammer) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 21:30:00 -0500
GHENT, W.Va.-- After a marginal holiday season opening last year due to a lack of snow and freezing temperatures, dreams of a white Christmas came to fruition ahead of schedule this year for most West Virginia ski areas. ...

State ski resorts open for business in 2013

( The Associated Press) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 18:26:38 -0500
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A fifth West Virginia ski resort is open for business this new year. The ski industry reports that Oglebay resort in Ohio County opened for skiers and snowboarders on New Years Eve. Winterplace, Snowshoe, Canaan Valley and Timberline ...

Oglebay is latest W.Va. ski area to open

webmaster@ap.org ( The Associated Press) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 19:12:37 -0500
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Another West Virginia ski resort is open for business this new year. The ski industry reports that Oglebay Resort & Conference Center, in Ohio County, opened for skiers and snowboarders on New Years Eve. Winterplace, Snowshoe, C...

W.Va. state parks still feeling storms effects

webmaster@ap.org ( The Associated Press) — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 08:28:18 -0500
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. -- West Virginias state parks are still feeling the effects from the June derecho and superstorm Sandy. Parks Chief Ken Caplinger told The Exponent Telegram that the two storms did at least $2 million worth of damage to the parks syst...

Start the year with a hike in a state park

johnmccoy@wvgazette.com (John McCoy) — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 23:00:00 -0500
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- State parks officials want West Virginians to get 2013 off to a running start -- well, actually a walking start. Theyve scheduled "First Day Hikes" for New Years Day at Blackwater Falls, Cacapon and Twin Falls st...