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One year ago, I went on my first mountain bike ride. I tested one of Sue Haywood’s fancy full-suspension rigs on an easy, mucky trail in Blackwater Falls State Park. I was scared to ride over even the smallest twigs, but the squish of the supple suspension was undeniably addictive. A week later, I bought my first mountain bike. It was a big step down from Sue’s, but it opened up a world of possibilities. I kept hearing the local adages: “If you can bike well in Canaan Valley, you can bike anywhere,” and “You’ll progress quickly by cutting your teeth here.” I was blissfully unaware of what biking in Davis truly meant until I went flying off a rock drop, over my handlebars, and headfirst into a rhododendron. I grew up playing soccer and rock climbed for years before moving to Davis, but I’ve never been more beaten up and bruised than during my year learning to mountain bike. I’ve fallen more times than I can count. Most of my wrecks were (and still are) super awkward, with my limbs ending up splayed out between rocks with my bike on top of me. No ride was complete without blood streaming down my shins from my spike-studded pedals smashing into them. The most glorious bruises would appear a few days later—purple, blue, and yellow swirls in strange shapes stretching from my ribs to my ankles. The best part was that I was never even going fast, I was just going funky.
I wish I could say I loved every second, but the painful reality is that learning to mountain bike was tough. On group rides, I was always last. People twice my age would effortlessly cruise over rock gardens, while people half my age were lanching off jumps. I’ve spent more days than I’d like to admit frustrated and crying along the Blackwater River (I highly recommend learning how to bike on the infamous Splashdam trail). But even in those moments when you wonder what the hell it is you’re actually doing, it’s hard not to look around and appreciate that, even if you have to walk your bike down the whole trail, you’re still in the woods with no one else around but your closest friends. One year later, I’m still blown away by the mountain biking in Davis. The trails are phenomenal with their technical, gritty style— bike it if you can. Thursday rides at 5(:20) are sacred. But what truly sets this place apart is the community. Whether you’re a national champion or on your first ride, this humble crew will welcome you in, offer you a beer, and cheer you on while you pedal like crazy just to keep up. This summer issue is dedicated to them— the amazing people, places, events, and shops that make mountain biking in West Virginia like no where else on Earth. Because sure, if you can bike well in Canaan Valley, you can bike anywhere. But why bike anywhere when you can bike here? w Nikki Forrester
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HIGHLAND OUTDOORS SUMMER 2019
RADVERTISING Request a media kit or send inquiries to: info@highland-outdoors.com SUBMISSIONS Please send pitches and photos to: dylan@highland-outdoors.com DISCLAIMER Outdoor activities are inherently risky. Highland Outdoors will not be held responsible for your decision to play outdoors. COVER Illustration by Gus Trauth of MoreFrames Animation in Erie, PA. Copyright © 2019 by Highland Outdoors. All rights reserved. Highland Outdoors is published by DJones Media, LLC and printed at Freeport Press in Freeport, OH.
Dylan Jones
FROM THE SHREDITOR
CONTRIBUTORS Tony Barnes, Dave Burns, Tom Cecil, Mat Cloak, Jess Daddio, Gabe DeWitt, Nikki Forrester, John Herrod, Dylan Jones, Matt Kearns, Craig Miller, Jacob Ott, Kurt Schachner, Andrew Schwarzbard, Brice Shirbach, Annie Simcoe, Gus Trauth, Katie Wolpert
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FREEWHEELIN' HUBS WV's local bike shops By Dylan Jones
Contents 10
12
14
16
WORLD-CLASS
PACKRAFTING THE BLUESTONE RIVER
ROLLING DEEP
SHREDPHONES
WV Mountain Bike Association
How music affects exercise
By Matt Kearns
By Dylan Jones
By Nikki Forrester
20
24
34
Departments
CARE BEARS
DOG DAYS
Biking and love in the camplands
Seneca's best summer routes
PRETTY FLY FOR A BASS GUY
By Jess Daddio
By Tony Barnes
Snowshoe set to host mountain bike world cup finals
Dylan Jones
By Dylan Jones
Fly fishing for smallmouth bass By Craig Miller
8 BRIEFS 36 PROFILE 38 EVENTS 39 GALLERY
SUMMER 2019 HIGHLAND-OUTDOORS.COM
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BR I E F S
and Buckhannon resident Tom Wood when they came to a waist-high tree across the trail less than one mile in. Todd and Tom went around the obstacle. Lucas hurdled it and never saw the others again, setting the men’s FKT at 3:10:21. Warner has earned the nickname Honey Bear for his habit of using an eightounce honey container for a water bottle. “I find them ergonomic,” he said. The weather and mission on this day were so serious that he broke form and ran with two honey bears instead of only one—that’s a mere 16 ounces of water for almost 24 miles if you’re counting.
By Katie Wolpert It’s 11:15 a.m. when Lucas Warner feels his legs cramping. He’s been running for three hours, his two water bottles are empty, and he’s still 2.5 miles from the finish line. He licks his salty arms to stave off the cramping and focuses on his footing so he doesn’t take a devastating fall as he makes his way off the exposed ridge of North Fork Mountain. While this scene sounds like something out of an ultra-marathon, this selfserved salty snack occurred when a group of runners met up on May 18 to establish an official fastest known time (FKT) on the 23.7-mile North Fork Mountain Trail (NFMT). An FKT is the trail-running equivalent of a world
8
record—the official fastest time over an established trail, segment, or circuit. ‘Fastest knowns’ are set with respect to the unknown because we don’t really know who might have completed the trail quicker without timing it or telling anyone in the past. Most FKTs are set outside of race situations with an individual, pair, or group of folks testing themselves against a favorite route. Because of the informal nature of FKT attempts, they can exist for trails and circuits where a race could not be held because of permitting issues, land management rules, or sensitive environments. FKTs have become a worldwide phenomenon. There are FKTs on the entirety of the Appalachian
HIGHLAND OUTDOORS SUMMER 2019
Trail, circumnavigating Mont Blanc, tagging all the transit stations between Newark and Lower Manhattan, or climbing Half Dome and running back down to the bottom. The NFMT is a famous point-to-point traverse along the narrow ridge of North Fork Mountain with expansive views both east and west and barely a puddle to be found along the well-draining path. It showcases some of the best that West Virginia has to offer with world-class views, dreamy trails, and diverse forest ecosystems. Hendricks, WV native and resident Lucas Warner wasted no time getting rolling and was settling in running with Pittsburgh resident Todd McCormick
We hope these shiny new FKTs will entice other runners to head for the hills to push themselves on the NFMT or on their local route. We invite runners further afield to note the times, read the descriptions, and come discover West Virginia for themselves. w Katie Wolpert is a life-long runner and marketing manager for Experience Learning. For more info on FKTs and full reports from Martha and Lucas, check out www.fastestknowntime.com.
Andrew Schwarzbard
Trail Runners Set Fastest Known Time on North Fork Mountain
Martha Nelson was making a strong run with her husband Aaron Schwartzbard in tow until she went a mile off-course along the pipeline. She realized her error and turned around before she lost too much time. Quickly repassing the group, Martha managed to run 26 miles quicker than any of the other women ran 24 to establish the women’s FKT at 4:06:57.
Cheat River Rail Trail Becomes a Reality By Mat Cloak In December of 2018, Friends of the Cheat (FOC) was awarded a $3 million grant for development of the Cheat River Rail Trail. The funds will be used to expand recreational and economic opportunities along the popular Cheat Narrows section that runs from Rowlesburg to Albright. FOC's plans carry environmental, recreational, and economic implications. This multifaceted project comes with a clever title: Reclaiming the Cheat River as an Economic Asset through Trail Enhancement (RECREATE). “The title of the project is probably the best acronym I’ve ever come up with in my life,” FOC executive director Amanda Pitzer said.
Dylan Jones
Nearly $2 million of the grant funds will be used to construct the trail. The proposed route parallels the Cheat River Narrows, a popular class II-III whitewater paddling destination, for about 8.5 miles. Liz Moore, guide and general manager at Blackwater Outdoor Adventures, leads whitewater trips on the Narrows. “The wonderful part of it for all river users, whether you’re swimming, fishing, or boating, is that it’s really easy access,” Moore said. With boaters already making the trip to the Narrows, the rail trail will provide more opportunity for those who wish to remain dry. The Cheat River Rail Trail will be on an old railroad grade on river right, opposite of Route 72 on river left. To improve access, re-decking and improving a preexisting 430-foot trestle bridge over the Cheat River is also included in the project plans. This area, known as the Preston Site, will be a major trailhead and parking area. FOC purchased this property from CSX and is required to address
contaminants in the soil when it constructs the trail. “It’s really likely that the trail will be paved,” Pitzer said. Paved trail is more expensive than packed gravel but will make the trail more accessible and user-friendly. “It’s kind of a risk that became an opportunity, so we’re excited that the trail will likely be paved,” Pitzer said. FOC has since hired engineering firm AECOM to develop the rail trail design and is working with Morgantownbased environmental consulting firm Downstream Strategies to develop an environmental remediation plan along the route. In addition to the rail trail, a hiking trail spur will lead from the Preston Site to the Lick Run Portal, which is the source of contaminated outflow from an abandoned mine—half of which is reclaimed. “It makes it a really unique place for people to learn about acid mine drainage and mine reclamation,” Pitzer said. The dichotomy between the two halves is startling. On the left sits an attractive, reformed hillside with grass; on the right lie three open portals discharging hundreds of gallons of polluted water. “It’s an otherworldly scab of metals,” Pitzer said. Additional project plans include an outdoor learning park at the Lick Run Portals for tours and school groups to hear from mine reclamation experts. Because Lick Run is the largest source of acid mine drainage (AMD) flowing
into the Cheat, FOC wants to conduct bench testing experiments at Lick Run to implement AMD treatment. The Trail Town component of the project will serve as the primary economic driver. This aspect is modeled after the Great Allegheny Passage Trail Towns project. “We’re going to bring experts in to Rowlesburg, Kingwood, Albright, and Tunnelton to work with community groups, small businesses, and volunteers to help prepare for our new trail economy,” Pitzer said. These experts will work with towns like Rowlesburg to conduct assessments that will harness the economic opportunities provided by the trail. “There’s certainly not a lot of work around here, like factory work, so if it would bring tourism to Tucker, Preston, or anywhere along the Cheat, that would be a good thing,” Rowlesburg Mayor Eric Bautista said. To further economic growth, $50,000 will be returned to communities in the form of $5,000 kickstarter grants awarded to 10 local businesses over two years. “That is the homerun; that’s what we’re most excited about,” Pitzer said. “We’re not going to just build a trail through the woods and expect to change the economy in Preston County, but with this Trail Town component, we really can.” w Mat Cloak is Canaan Valley resident and a teacher at the Mountain Laurel Learning Cooperative.
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10 HIGHLAND OUTDOORS SUMMER 2019
WORLD-CLASS Snowshoe Set to Host Mountain Bike World Cup Finals
I
t’s not very often that West Virginia finds itself atop the world stage, but this September the world stage will find itself atop West Virginia. Situated at 4,848 feet atop Cheat Mountain, Snowshoe Mountain Resort and its world-class bike park will host the final stop of the 2019 Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Mountain Bike World Cup from September 6 – 8, and it’s bound to be a spectacle for the ages.
Snowshoe Mountain / Kurt Schachner
It’s been 12 years since the United States has hosted a race in the annual series, so for Snowshoe to host the Finals is a big deal. According to Snowshoe public relations manager Shawn Cassell, it’s likely the biggest development in West Virginia mountain biking history. “It’s big for Snowshoe and it’s big for the mountain biking community,” Cassell said. “It’s really the culmination of everything a lot of different people have done throughout the years to get us here.” Snowshoe has hosted the USA Cycling National Championship series for the past two years, showcasing the country’s finest riders. With the World Cup set to show up, the world’s finest will up the ante for the caliber of riding on display. According to Snowshoe Bike Park manager Evan Cole, the riders will be pushed to their limits on Snowshoe’s dynamic terrain. “We’ve got a
lot of roots and rocks, a lot of organic features people don’t normally see and have a hard time trying to find,” Cole said. Logistically, planning to host the event is a huge undertaking for Snowshoe. Cassell said the whole resort has been making plans since being awarded the race bid last September. “A significant portion of our capital projects money is going toward pulling off this event,” he said. This includes some earth moving projects, including more than 30 dump-truck loads of dirt currently sitting at the top of Upper Shays for course construction. Cole said despite the massive undertaking that is planning for the World Cup, Snowshoe’s race production team is firing on all cylinders. “With the way we organize ourselves and get work done, we work really well together during races,” he said. “We’ve had four years of hosting national competitions here at the resort, so we’ve really been able to dial in our team.” Cassell said there will be some new XC trails that will link together some revamped versions of old trails. “It goes back to the old MTB history of Snowshoe Mountain,” he said. “People have been riding mountain bikes here a long time. This whole place is a spiderweb of trails that vary widely in age and usage. As far as downhill, the
By Dylan Jones racecourse will utilize some classic Snowshoe favorites, with some beefed-up new sections as well. I think it’ll be the best of both worlds.” Nearly 150 course marshalls are needed to cover the grounds, and Snowshoe is actively searching for volunteers who are willing to hang out on the mountainside to keep things moving. Hint: For the dirtbags who don’t want to fork over the cash to watch the world’s best shred, this means you. “As soon as we found out we got the World Cup bid last fall, our team hit the ground running,” Cassell said. “Even during ski season, our busiest time, preparing for this event was still a top priority for us. We’re wanting to leave the crowd with a good taste in their mouths for West Virginia.” If you’d like to end up with a good taste—and maybe some dirt—in your mouth, head up to Snowshoe Mountain in September for some high quality spectatin’ in them there hills. If you’re interested in volunteering as a course marshall or in some other capacity, contact Snowshoe’s volunteer coordinator Delayna Lane: dlane@snowshoemountain.com. w Dylan Jones is publisher of Highland Outdoors and got laughed at hard when he asked if he’d ever be good enough to qualify for the World Cup.
PACKRAFTING THE BLUESTONE RIVER Words and photos by Matt Kearns
T
he Bluestone National Scenic River flows for 10 miles through an especially remote part of southern West Virginia. Here, you’re far from commercial rafting trips, shoulderto-shoulder fisherman, and hordes of hikers looking for an easy view. The river was also mercifully spared from the effects of mining during the coal boom, providing its few long-lost inhabitants with a pristine subsistence and homesteading lifestyle. The Bluestone rewards those willing to go the extra mile(s) with the opportunity for a firstrate adventure and plenty of solitude. The Bluestone National Scenic River is managed by the National Park Service (NPS) from its Glen Jean headquarters as part of the NewGauley-Bluestone trifecta of southern West Virginia rivers. Two West Virginia state parks cap either end of the federally managed river corridor: Pipestem State Park upstream, and Bluestone State Park downstream at its confluence with the New River. In order to reduce impact to this untrammeled area, the NPS doesn’t allow overnight stays along the Bluestone, so these parks are essential campsites for people interested in doing multi-day trips on the Bluestone.
The 10-mile Bluestone Turnpike, which originally served as a Native American travel and trade route and was later trodden by pioneers and homesteaders, still exists along the banks of the Bluestone and is now maintained by the NPS. Hikers and bikers can use the Bluestone Turnpike to connect Old Mill Campground in Bluestone State Park with the River Trail in Pipestem State Park. Since the Bluestone Turnpike is the only trail in the National Scenic River corridor, options for outings that don’t include an outand-back or the hassle of a car shuttle from end to end are limited. And without the chance to camp for 10 miles along the Bluestone, you must turn back early in the day or fully commit to pushing through. So, what’s an adventurer to do? Enter the packraft. Originally designed for remote backcountry travel in Alaska, packrafts have exploded in popularity in the Lower 48. They haven’t quite taken off on the East Coast, where road access is generally easier to come by, but they are ideal for do-it-yourself adventurers everywhere. Packrafts weigh about six pounds, roll up to the size of a tent, and are inflated with an ingenious bag pump. They are also shorter and stubbier than inflatable
12 HIGHLAND OUTDOORS SUMMER 2019
kayaks. Companies like Alpacka Raft are leading the way with innovations for their boats, including spray skirts and zippers that allow you to store gear safely inside the raft tubes. The boats are expensive, but they open up interesting and unique opportunities— opportunities right here in West Virginia like the Bluestone. To reach the river from the rim of the gorge, you can take the tram down from Pipestem’s Canyon Rim to the Mountain Creek Lodge on the banks of the Bluestone and start your trip there. Or, if you’re stubborn like me, you can save yourself $3.50 and get another mile of easy whitewater by hiking down to the river yourself via the River Trail. The National Scenic River portion of the Bluestone is class I and II whitewater, and was free of woody hazards when we ran it in June of 2018. The ‘read and run’ nature of the river made for a fun day just going with the flow. Although the rapids at the start of the run were generally faster and steeper, longer pools further downstream alternated with long, shallow, and splashy rock gardens. Every time I was getting bored of the long pools, or fearing that we had already entered the sluggish tailwaters of Bluestone Lake, there was another series of riffles to speed things up and
rocks to dodge to keep it interesting until the takeout. Most paddling guides recommend a passable river level of 4-7 feet on the Pipestem gauge, but another strength of the packraft is that it excels in shallow water. After watching forecasts nervously for a week, we had 3.8 feet on the gauge and decided to go for it anyway. We certainly scraped and bounced along a few times, but the inflatable crafts are incredibly forgiving and resilient. And in the two instances where I found myself grounded in some shallows, the lightweight of the packraft makes it easy to pick up and move to deeper water. The few fishermen and hikers we did see were clustered around the Mountain Creek Lodge at Pipestem or fishing near the campground at Bluestone State Park. For the 10 miles in between, it felt as if we had the entire Bluestone Gorge to ourselves. We only had to share the day with a bald eagle, two herons, a couple box turtles, a large flock of ducks, a small family of deer, over a dozen salamanders, and one yellow tagged black beef cow that was probably lost. Besides the state parks
at either end, the only other access to the Bluestone National Scenic River is at the old townsite of Lilly, a ghost town once the subject of a sad story. When Bluestone Lake was planned in the 1940s, the small farming community of Lilly, which resides at the confluence of the Bluestone and Little Bluestone rivers, was projected to flood. The Army Corps of Engineers condemned the site and all townspeople were forced to relocate. Homes and churches were moved or destroyed, and graves were dug up. I’m certainly no engineer and I don’t know how much water Bluestone Dam could hold back, but I can say that Lilly seemed plenty high and dry above the backwaters of Bluestone Lake the day we paddled past. A couple miles past Lilly, we finally floated into Bluestone State Park. We found a campsite along the water in the primitive Old Mill Campground, which is underwater a few times each year depending on the height of Bluestone Lake. During our search for someone to pay for our night’s stay, we found out that the campground registration office is four miles away at the park
WE SAW MORE BALD EAGLES THAN PEOPLE. AND WE ONLY SAW ONE BALD EAGLE. entrance. Apparently not many people find their way to Bluestone State Park via packraft. Thankfully, a helpful campground attendant on her rounds helped us get squared away. We unpacked the gear we had stored inside the waterproof tubes of the packrafts, set up camp, and cooked dinner. We tried our hands at fishing with the collapsible pole I brought along, but had no luck. The only other occupied site at the Old Mill Campground must have been full of better fisherman than us—our neighbors reeled in a catfish at least two-feet long. In the morning, we loaded up the large backpacks we had carried in the rafts, rolled and strapped the packrafts and paddles onto the packs, and set out on foot to hike the Bluestone Turnpike back upstream toward Pipestem. The trail is mostly flat, but was quite muddy—make sure you bring proper footwear. Vegetation encroaching on the narrow track suggests that the path is lightly travelled. We saw a couple fishermen after we
crossed the bridge over the Little Bluestone at Lilly, and crossed paths with a pair of mountain bikers making an out-and-back run from Bluestone to Pipestem. Otherwise, we were left to ourselves to plod along the Bluestone under heavy packs. After all, we had to repay the fun we enjoyed the day before on the water. What easily goes downriver must fight to go back up. After 10 hard miles, the Mountain Creek Lodge in Pipestem State Park suddenly emerged from the wilderness along the river. This time, I happily forked over my $3.50 for the oneway trip 1,100 feet up the tram to the canyon rim. It was a novel way to end an amazing and unique trip in the beautiful and remote heart of Southern West Virginia, made only sweeter by the ice cream available once we arrived back on top of the Bluestone Gorge. w Matt Kearns is a native West Virginian, Coast Guard veteran, and avid outdoorsman. He lives in South Charleston with his wife, Michelle.
points throughout the season as part of the WVMBA Points Series. To qualify, racers must finish at least five races for their points to count.
rolling
Given the number of things that can go wrong during a mountain bike race, this is more difficult than it sounds. Kelly mentioned the winner’s purse is a partial motivator, stating that WVMBA pays out between $8,000 and $10,000 to top racers throughout the year for their epic efforts.
deep
shredding together
By Dylan Jones
i
f you’ve spent any time around mountain bikes in the Mountain State, you’ve likely heard a strange sound muttered from the mouths of mud-covered riders deep in the forested hollows. It sounds like the mumblings of someone who just went head-overhandlebars into a rock garden, the mush-mouthed ramblings of someone who done had too many beers, or a cacophony of smothered syllables from an alien planet. The word: wuh-vim-bah. This strange-yet-satisfying sound is the acronym for the West Virginia Mountain Bike Association (WVMBA), the well-organized group of rough and rowdy mountain bikers who’ve been “Racing, building, and protecting trails since 1989.” From legendary 24-hour races to advocacy efforts in Charleston, WVMBA has had its grease and mud-covered hands in every aspect of the West Virginia mountain biking scene. With a new board of directors and a growing member base, the future of WVMBA seems to be uphill from here (even if some of its members prefer going downhill). positive spinsters
WVMBA was founded in 1989 by Jon Leyton, Tommy Smith, and a
handful of other colorful characters to help organize and provide liability insurance at mountain bike races. These hardscrabble races ranged from 40K cross-country affairs and adrenalinefueled ‘kamikaze downhill’ runs to trialsstyle skills courses and everything in between. In the ‘90s, Laird Knight brought the 24-hour race scene to Canaan Valley, spawning the legendary 24 Hours of Canaan endurance race. “The races were based on whatever the promoter wanted to put you through,” WVMBA president Thad Kelly said. Now, the mountain bike racing scene is comprised of enduros, a style where racers are timed on tough downhill stages but aren’t timed on climbs or resting periods in between stages, as well as classic cross-country (XC) races. This year, WVMBA will host six enduro and 13 XC races. Each race is split into Beginner, Sport, and Pro/Expert classes, with gender and age group categories in each class. This structure brings in everyone from kids in the single digits to folks in their sixties. pressure points
While anyone can show up and compete in a single race, serious competitors push themselves to the limit to earn
14 HIGHLAND OUTDOORS SUMMER 2019
WVMBA’s consistent advocacy has resulted in modern trail additions in Valley Falls, Cacapon, and Watters Smith state parks, with more trail openings planned in the coming months. Their advocacy efforts also serve as inspiration to their dedicated cohort of members. These members handle the bulk of the trail building and maintenance through local organizations. Some, like the Blackwater Bicycle Association (BBA) and New River Gorge Trail Alliance (NRGTA), were spurred by WVMBA. “These were folks who were young and got bit by the mountain bike racing bug,” Kelly said. “As a result, some opened shops in their local towns and created that little niche or built up their own clubs to maintain local trails to bring back into the Points Series.” While WVMBA’s strength has always been in its members, it now also lies within its organization. WVMBA treasurer Steve McBrayer said the current board of directors took over
Dylan Jones
west virginia mountain bike association
Along with organizing races, WVMBA has played a critical role in building and promoting mountain bike trails throughout the state. Shortly after its inception, WVMBA members sparked conversations with West Virginia State Park administrators and other land managers about building new mountain biking trails and opening access to existing ones. “Early on, people were trying to keep mountain bikes out of the state parks,” Kelly said. “That was one thing Jon Leyton was always down at the capital about, getting trails open for mountain bikers.”
in November of 2017 and achieved nonprofit status in April of 2018. “The next step is to utilize that status to give back to the mountain bike community,” McBrayer said. The board hopes to acquire funds to provide tools and rental equipment to various groups and International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) chapters hungry to build new trails. “We’re gonna help spur the development of trails to get more access,” McBrayer said. “One thing we need more of in this state is easier trails to get novices to give mountain biking a shot.” The board hopes the restructuring of WVMBA will improve its efficacy and attract new members. So far, these hopes seem to be coming to fruition as annual membership continues to grow. As of press time, there were 223 memberships for the 2019 season, up 17 percent from 2018. passing the torch
Dave Burns
The OGs of mountain bike racing are aging, and while they’re still out there going just as hard as they did in the early ‘90s, the next generation is up and coming—fast. WVMBA member and perennial
powerhouse racer Cassie Smith is leading the charge to bring fresh blood into the scene. Smith is the league director for the West Virginia chapter of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA), a nonprofit that promotes high school mountain biking programs and provides training and resources for race production. She was instrumental in getting the WV chapter chartered in 2017. “I feel like West Virginia was the grassroots of mountain biking and thought we needed it here,” Smith said. Now that NICA is firmly established in the state, Smith is working on developing a more robust partnership with WVMBA. “I couldn’t have done what I’m doing now with NICA if I didn’t have the contacts I made through WVMBA,” she said. Potential benefits to WVMBA include improvements in the production quality of Points Series races and boosts in memberships.
most parents get their kids into an outdoor sport, NICA has been the catalyst for kids to get their parents into mountain biking. The response from the WVMBA board suggests they’re all for it. “There’s nothing but good coming from NICA,” Kelly said. muddy days ahead
With the state tourism department pumping money into beginner trails in the state park system, the future looks bright. WVMBA hopes these developments will lead to more mud-covered, smiling faces for years to come. “We hope people come see what mountain biking is and that it draws them in,” Kelly said. “We want others to challenge themselves with the terrain and pound the guts out of themselves.”
Smith is stoked on the current rate of growth but hopes to see more kids enter the sport and the racing scene. “Even if we retain 10 or 20 percent of these [youth racers], it’ll be huge, and hopefully build the classes up,” she said. For Kelly, WVMBA is as much of a family as it is a mountain biking advocacy organization. “WVMBA created mountain biking excitement in West Virginia as a whole from one border to the other,” Kelly said. “It brought people in from out of state to spend money and improve local economies. Plus, we just have some really great terrain to ride.” Dylan Jones raced in a WVMBA XC race and was mistakenly told at the finish line that he placed second in his class. He told all his friends, then found out he placed fifth. What a dweeb!
Burns thinks the recent surge in WVMBA’s membership is due in part to NICA’s growth. Whereas
Above: A red eft, the WVMBA mascot, scopes out a muddy tire. Left: Jason Cyr competes in an enduro race.
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Shredphones By Nikki Forrester
I
don’t feel like a superhero every day. But when I do, it’s when I’m bombing downhill on my mountain bike with beats blasting in my brain. Listening to music while exercising makes me feel invincible, like I can break the sonic barrier and overcome any obstacles that stand in the way. Are these musically induced herculean abilities just in my head, or does music actually change the way my brain and body perform during physical activity? To gain a better perspective on the role music plays in sports and exercise, I reached out to our readers and a scientific expert for some help. Dr. Costas Karageorghis, a researcher based at Brunel University London, has spent the past 25 years studying how music affects the human body, nervous system, and behavior during exercise. His work has revealed a variety of benefits from listening to music while engaging in physical activity, such as increased motivation and delayed fatigue. But not all tunes are equally uplifting— the perks of combining music and exercise depend on the individual, exercise environment, and aspects of the music itself.
The Makings of Motivational Music
According to Karageorghis and his colleagues, motivational music—music that can enhance physical activity—is characterized by four qualities: rhythm response, musicality, cultural impact, and association. Rhythm response refers to the tempo or beats per minute (bpm) of a song and is the most important component for determining how a song will impact exercise. Musicality describes elements related to pitch, such as harmony and melody. Cultural impact captures how prevalent the song is within a society or culture. Association, the least important quality, encompasses any connections a song has to other aspects of life, like a movie or personal memory. Typically, songs with faster tempos and positive associations are more motivational when combined with physical activity.
The Benefits of Beats
Using these qualities, Karageorghis and other scientists have identified a suite of benefits from blending motivational music with exercise. These perks range from changing the way our bodies move to altering
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how signals are processed in our brains. Over time, these changes can encourage people to exercise for longer durations and more consistently throughout their lives. “Humans have a natural tendency to lock into the rhythmical qualities of music,” says Karageorghis, “and this makes human locomotion or movement patterns more regular and energy efficient.” When combined with synchronous music, “these biomechanical changes can result in lower energy expenditure,” he says, which is frequently measured by the amount of oxygen individuals consume while cycling indoors or running on a treadmill. Along with making the body more energy efficient, music can improve mood states and delay feelings of fatigue. Numerous studies have shown that music can influence the amygdala, which controls the perception of emotions and memories associated with them. In addition, “The use of music in an asynchronous or background capacity blocks signals from travelling through the afferent nervous system, which takes messages from the musculature and organs to the central processor in the brain,” Karageorghis says. “If we think of the afferent nervous system as
being analogous to internet bandwidth, the music takes up some of this bandwidth and prevents fatigue-related signals from entering conscious awareness. By blocking these negative symbols, the exercise experience is more pleasant.” More pleasurable exercise experiences can have longlasting positive effects. “We tend to gain the biggest cardiorespiratory benefits from engaging in high intensity exercises, but these are often associated with negative mood states,” says Karageorghis. “The memory of how painful an exercise was can be a powerful factor in preventing people from engaging in exercise habitually.” By using music to improve mood states, reduce feelings of fatigue, and create positive memories, music can motivate people to exercise for longer periods of time and more consistently throughout their lives. Incorporating music into your exercise routine isn’t just beneficial during a workout. “The use of music, particularly music that descends in tempo from around 90 bmp to around 60 bpm can expedite the recovery process,” says Karageorghis. In these studies, recovery was evaluated by measuring blood pressure, heart rate, and cortisol levels (a stress hormone), along with
Here’s what our readers have to say about music and exercise Not Sure
No
Do you listen to music while you exercise?
Sometimes
Yes
Percentage of Readers
Which activities do you do while listening to music?
Rock
Yes
Sometimes
80
Hip Hop
Indie Pop
60
Electronic
40
Classical Country
20
Jazz 0 Running
Skiing
Biking
Hiking
Climbing
If you don’t listen to music, why not? 100
Percentage of Readers
No
What do you listen to?
100
0
Icons from Freepik
Do you think listening to music enhances your performance?
80
10
20
40
50
60
70
Percentage of Readers “For me, running is meditation. I have my best thoughts of the day while running in the morning. I don’t want music drowing that out.”
“It helps me set my running tempo and keeps me distracted. I can definitely push myself farther if I have some good music on my playlist.”
“Inside I listen to music. Outside I listen to birds and wind.”
“Music helps me zone out and forget I’m working out.”
“Fast-paced music drives me to push harder and faster, but I prefer no music when doing outdoor activities.”
“Listening to music while working out can be so inspirational and energizing that’s why I do it!”
60 40
30
20 0 I like listening to what’s around me
I worry about safety issues
Headphones are awkward
I like to focus on my breath
It’s distracting
Number of respondents = 35
SUMMER 2019 HIGHLAND-OUTDOORS.COM
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psychological metrics, such as mood state. While there’s still plenty left to discover about how music affects our brains and bodies when combined with exercise, it appears that my superhero feelings weren’t just in my head. Listening to music while engaging in physical activities can profoundly shape the way we move, perceive emotions, and recover, but mixing music and exercise also has some downsides.
Proceed with Caution
Listening to loud music while engaging in physical activity can cause long-term hearing damage or tinnitus (ringing in the ears). “When we exercise, the blood runs from the cochlear, the shelllike part of the inner ear, towards the working muscles and the organs, and it leaves the follicles in the cochlear more susceptible to damage from the sound frequency,” Karageorghis warns. “Once these follicles are gone, they’re gone, there’s no getting them back.” Along with hearing damage, Karageorghis doesn’t recommend using music when trying to learn a new skill or sport because it can be distracting. Many of our readers shared stories about music being an unwanted distraction during exercise. “I love music and I listen to music almost constantly, but when I go on my run each day, that’s my chance to interact with the world, to pay attention to what’s going on around me, and to open my focus,” says Katie Wolpert, an elite trail runner who has run roughly 20,000 miles over the past 25 years. “I don’t think I’ve gone on a single run with music in my ears.” Lastly, using music in situations where full attention is required, like running or biking on busy roads, can be dangerous. According to our anonymous survey, 52% of our readers opt to leave the headphones at home because of safety issues. “Music definitely jazzes me up and helps me run faster, but when I’m running on my own, I prefer to go without music for safety reasons,” said one of our readers.
You, Your Music, and Everyone Else
The perfect song can sweep you off your feet and carry you off to a world that feels completely your own, but sometimes you unwittingly bring along those around you. Whether you’re at a race, climbing at the crag, or biking in the woods, your music has the potential to influence the exercise experiences of others. Some people enjoy eavesdropping on other people’s music. “I like going past bands when I’m running a race and hearing people bumping the bass in their cars, that’s really fun,” says Wolpert. Others prefer the peace and quiet: “When I am subjected to other people’s music, it is particularly annoying, especially while climbing because sometimes my belayer can’t hear me at the crag,” said another respondent. While it’s often tempting to share your perfectly curated playlist with the rest of the world (of course you know all the best tunes), it can also be helpful to consider how your music might positively or negatively impact others. Just like the myriad musical genres, there are seemingly infinite number of ways to blend music and exercise— including no blending at all. While research generally supports a positive role of combining music and physical activity, it’s important to note that most of these studies were conducted inside. Exercising outdoors can be a completely different experience that may benefit individuals in ways perhaps more challenging to capture in research studies. So whether you prefer to pop in the headphones or pace to your own rhythm, just do whatever helps you, as one reader put it, “shred ‘til you’re dead.” Want to learn more about how music affects exercise? Check out Karageorghis’s book, Applying Music in Exercise and Sport. w Nikki Forrester donned her shredphones one morning, and, unfortunately, ended up being the subject for the “From the Shreditor” photo.
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SUMMER 2019 HIGHLAND-OUTDOORS.COM
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Care Bears biking and love in the camplands
This is the story of two people who fell in love, first with each other, then with mountain bikes, and later with the trail center they would eventually oversee. By Jess Daddio
W
hen Jeff Simcoe moved to Morgantown in 1996, he was assuredly not a mountain biker. If it didn’t have to do with kayaks or whitewater, Jeff wasn’t interested, that is, until he met a girl named Annie Morris. At the time, Annie was a geology major at West Virginia University, the same school where Jeff studied environmental and natural resource economics. Annie was both studious and spontaneous, the perfect blend of serious pragmatism and unadulterated curiosity. When Annie wasn’t studying, she was working at High Mountain Sports down the road in Oakland, Maryland. In 1998, a year after meeting Jeff, Annie bought her first mountain bike, a 26-inch Trek hardtail with rim brakes and toe cages. While trail systems like that at Bakers Ridge and Coopers Rock State Forest were closer, it was the rustic trails at Big Bear Lake Trail Center in Bruceton Mills that, quite simply, made Annie feel like a kid again. “Every trail system has its own characteristics,” she says, “but Big Bear was the most fun. It’s magical there.”
New Chapters
Located in northern West Virginia within spitting distance of the Pennsylvania and Maryland state lines, Big Bear Lake Trail Center sits atop Big Bear Lake Camplands, a 5,000-acre RV park and campground that’s been family owned and operated since it opened in 1972. Around the time that Annie Simcoe shining in the golden hour. Photo: Jess Daddio
Annie and Jeff first started riding at Big Bear, the trails were largely known by riders of a different breed: motorcyclists. Throughout the 1980s, Big Bear was one of the venues for the infamous 100mile motorcycle races that later formed the Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) series. Like the Blackwater 100 in nearby Davis, WV, Big Bear’s technical, boggy terrain provided the optimal stage on which to test—and break—the country’s toughest riders. According to event coverage from the 1983 race, Big Bear’s “torturous conditions” the year prior had kept some of the best competitors from even returning to toe the line again. That reputation eventually caught the attention of Laird Knight, godfather of the 24-hour mountain bike race series. From 2005 until 2009, Big Bear served as the West Virginia venue for Knight’s 24-hour race. After the last 24-hour race in 2009, Big Bear continued to host a number of smaller cross-country mountain bike races, including its hallmark 2x12 relay.
commute an hour one-way to write grants, spearhead renewable energy projects, manage those initiatives, and support renewable energy policy efforts. Which is to say that Jeff spent a lot of time sitting in a car and in front of a screen. While he was passionate about the work he was doing, after two years, he was starting to feel worn down. “It’s a tough atmosphere in West Virginia if you’re working on greenspace renewable energy stuff,” says Jeff. “There’s a quick burnout cycle there. We were doing a lot of good work but it was like, are people really supportive of this? It felt like pushing water uphill a little bit.” Jeff clearly needed a break, so in the summer of 2014, the Simcoes took a “staycation.” They traveled to the highest points in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and West Virginia, hiking and biking along the way. One of their last stops was Big Bear where they ran into Mark Schooley, General Manager of Big Bear Lake Camplands.
Big Bear embraces the best of both worlds, a savory cocktail of fast flow trails on the After the 24-hour mountain rocks.
By then, Jeff and Annie had both received master’s degrees, tied the knot, and pursued jobs within their respective fields, but change was in the air. In 2009, after years of working as a research hydrologist for West Virginia University, Annie stepped away from academia to pursue art full-time. Little did she know that same year would see the height of the Great Recession and the subprime mortgage crisis, which essentially ended Jeff’s career with a forest technology company. In 2010, Jeff and Annie moved to Accident, MD, near Deep Creek Lake State Park in the western part of the state. At first, the two were scraping by solely on Annie’s income from art festivals. Jeff eventually landed a position as energy program manager with Downstream Strategies, an environmental consulting firm based in Morgantown. Every day, Jeff would
bike series ended, Big Bear had stumbled onto the radar of a new user group: trail runners. In 2013, Big Bear hosted its first Ragnar Trail Relay which brought in not only thousands of runners but their dollars, too. A mountain biker himself, Mark realized there was potential for the trails to bring in a lot more business to Big Bear, but he knew he couldn’t do it alone. He asked the Simcoes if they knew anyone looking for a job.
“Jeff was meant to be in the adventure sports industry,” says Annie. “That’s his calling. I pushed him to pursue that job and it’s been one of the best decisions that we’ve made.”
Big Bear’s Care Bears
As Big Bear Lake Trail Center Recreation Land Manager, Jeff maintains the property’s 50-mile trail system and curates community events
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Top: Jared Shockey in the backseat. Photo: John Herrod Bottom: Ben Klimas flying on Gene's Trail. Photo: Annie Simcoe
and races for the center’s 10-month season. He’s almost like a dirt librarian, caring for the old and schooling the new. The trails themselves are both an homage to Big Bear’s two-wheeled past and an ode to its future; Jeff can literally tell the age of each trail based on its soil content.
comfort zone, both on the trail and in that role leading group rides, were so scary to me and now I do them all of the time. We have a really special community made of, overall, really high-level riders who also encourage all levels of riders, whether they’re badasses or beginners.”
“All of the trails are kinda hand-built,” says Jeff. “There have been no machines used to build any of them. Most of them are your typical rake-and-ride, but we also have newer trails where we’ve gone out and found different features in the area and built the trail purposely to link those features together.”
Though no new trail miles are currently in the works, Jeff’s main goals are to improve the Big Bear experience and make mountain biking accessible and inclusive. Under Jeff’s care, Big Bear has added a pavilion and a stage as well as water infrastructure and equipment specifically for the trail system. In addition to Dirt Rag’s Dirt Fest WV, a three-day mountain biking festival that will take place for the third consecutive year over July 12-14, Big Bear hosts a series of no-drop group rides and skills clinics for riders of varying skill levels.
The result is a seamless network of singletrack bedazzled with stately rock gardens and moss-covered boulderfields, a unique pairing that the Simcoes call “friendly technical.” Neither buff nor chunky, Big Bear embraces the best of both worlds, a savory cocktail of fast flow trail on the rocks. “It looks intimidating but once you ride it, it’s a little easier than it looks,” says Jeff. “People have a good experience in the way that they feel like they’ve pushed their skills a little bit by riding harder trails than whatever they have where they live.” “It’s one of my favorite places to ride ever,” adds Annie. “The trees and the rhododendron tunnels and the streams and the moss and the ferns that are as tall as I am; the property itself is just magical.” In a way, the Simcoes have become the surrogate parents of Big Bear, though technically Jeff is the only Simcoe on Big Bear’s payroll. While Annie still works full-time as an artist, she’s always working registration at Big Bear events, designing logos and flyers, donating art for awards, and even making cookies for competitors. For Annie, being a part of the West Virginia mountain bike community is rewarding in more ways than one. “I’ve seen growth in my own riding skills and personal extrovertedness and that’s been pretty great,” she says. “Things that were so far outside my
Big Bear is easily accessed via I-68 and located within a two-hour radius of major metropolitan centers like Pittsburgh. But there’s no denying the fact that the trails are relatively removed from society—the closest cities are Deep Creek Lake, MD and Morgantown, both of which are roughly 45 minutes away and in various stages of developing their own local trails. Still, says Jeff, it’s that isolation coupled with Big Bear’s unique trail flavor that makes its trails an important slice of the state tourism pie. “People outside of West Virginia are now looking at West Virginia as a [mountain bike] destination and Big Bear is a part of that,” he says. “It seems like there is a lot more money available to hire a professional trail crew to come in and build trails that would have taken 10 or more years to get established in the way we’ve always done it. It brings in more diversity to the trail options in the area and I don’t see that as competing. I see that as a positive thing.” w Jess Daddio is a freelance multi-media journalist with a soft spot for West Virginia. When she’s not hunting down a story, she can usually be found slumming on her bike near her home base of Harrisonburg, VA.
Jeff and Annie Simcoe like bikes! Photos: Jess Daddio
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Dog Days
Seneca's Best Summer Routes
I
’ve been there: forty feet above the slow waters of the Potomac on a top rope that seems a little too slack, my belayer growing torpid, even the banter among social climbers on the riverbank dying in the tropical heat. Two mosquitos settle onto my sweaty back as my fingertips slowly grease off the polished quartzite in Carderock, Maryland. In slow motion, I pitch off the rock with outstretched arms,
simultaneously dreaming of cooler climbs in the higher mountains out west.
Fortunately for you and your forbearance in the summer swelter, there’s always a shady side at Seneca Rocks. These mountains aren’t very far out west—West Virginia, of course. For four generations, climbers on both sides of the eastern continental divide have fled the dog days by escaping to the Potomac Highlands for an alpine day
Early morning sun strikes the East Face of Seneca Rocks. Photo: Tom Cecil
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at Seneca. Higher elevations, windy mountain weather, and shaded cliffs beckon when humidity, bugs, and temperatures in the nineties afflict the lowland crags. Organizing a stint of breezy climbing at Seneca is not a difficult task. Highway access is better than ever—especially from the east. Once you arrive, local restaurants along with Forest Service and private campgrounds provide Maslow’s basic needs of
By Tony Barnes
food and shelter. If you need professional guidance, there are two long-standing climbing schools: Seneca Rocks Mountain Guides and the Seneca Rocks Climbing School. Even with the advent of the information superhighway, roadways along the Potomac’s German Valley are lined with little more than the family ranches and distantly spaced homesteads that have been there for over a
Climbers rappel down the West Face of the South Peak. Photo: Gabe DeWitt
hundred years. Aside from a few rooms at Yokum’s, motels are 30 to 45 minutes away in the surrounding towns of Petersburg, Franklin, and Canaan Valley. In the most beautiful sense, this is the land time forgot.
to all but those who explore on foot. Shady and cool into early afternoon in summer, the routes of the West Face are magnets for the wiser early-riser, while the shaded routes of the East Face attract the adventurous.
But this is not the land geology forgot—the striking formation of Seneca Rocks rises 950 feet to an altitude of about 2,400 feet above sea level at the confluence of Seneca Creek and the North Fork of the South Branch of the Potomac River. Looming above Seneca to the east is the 4,000-foot ridgeline of North Fork Mountain. To the west are the locales of the Allegheny Front, like the 4,100-foot plateau of Dolly Sods and the 4,863-foot Spruce Knob, West Virginia's highpoint. Hence the climate: it’s cooler with ample precipitation and the mountain weather can be quite volatile.
An East Coast alpine start of six a.m. will allow more than enough time for the steep 45-minute approach up the West Face Trail, a mid-morning break, and three or more pitches of climbing before the sun begins to crest over the summit ridge at around two in the afternoon.
Upon entering the quiet town of Seneca Rocks, you’ll be distracted by the huge West Face. The crag is a freestanding, blade-like structure of Tuscarora Sandstone aligned on a northeast-southwest axis. The East Face, while equally impressive, is hidden
During really hot weather, the discerning party must consider their energy-conserving options. By early afternoon many west side climbs and the popular Face of a Thousand Pitons and Triple-S corner become blazing reflector ovens. As the day progresses, climbers can escape the worst heat with a rappel down or hike around to the smooth, pale walls of the East Face. Its northern reaches begin to fall into shade the soonest. By 3:30 p.m., the sun has finally stopped blazing on the East Face, but solar energy can emanate from the stone for an hour.
If you’re near the summit, know the forecast and check the sky to the west and north while you still have a view— the prevailing winds come from that general direction and so, too, do the exciting summer thunderstorms. It’s all too easy to go from applying sunscreen one moment to huddling, borderline hypothermic, in a gale-swept dihedral the next. Seneca is similar to the alpine, so start early, plan well, and pace yourself. Include plenty of time to get back down safely whether you have a headlamp or not (which you should). Bring twice the water you think you’ll need and rest for a while when the sun is highest. On the very doggiest days, you can even bail to the swimming hole on the Potomac as part of your break. After all, it isn’t dark until after nine, the approach isn’t so bad, and the gear is much lighter nowadays. w Tony Barnes wrote the book—literally—on climbing at Seneca. The second edition of his original guidebook, “Seneca: The Climber’s Guide,” is still available for your dog-day, route-crushing pleasure.
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An early riser climbs into the sun on the East Face of the South Peak. Photo: Tom Cecil.
TONY’S DOG DAY PICKS WEST FACE
Old Man's Route 5.3
Ecstasy Junior 5.4
Three easy breezy pitches on the upper South Peak.
Starts low on the Southwest Corner and leads to upper South Peak routes in time to beat the sun.
Conn's West Direct 5.5
Critter Crack 5.6
A good variation off Old Man's.
Greenwall 5.7
High on the South Peak, a wild threepitch route to the summit.
Triple S 5.8
A classic single-pitch journey to squeeze in before the reflector oven heats up.
Crack of Dawn 5.10
Variation to complete Marshall’s Madness.
High on the West Face of the South Peak, a harder variation to finish Old Man's.
Ecstasy 5.7
Three pitches, short approach, links up with more shady routes on the West Face of the South Peak if you get an early start.
Marshall's Madness 5.9
Two or three pitches just left of Triple S.
Muscle Beach 5.11
To the right of Ecstasy, short approach, but get an early start because the South End gets sun by mid-morning.
EAST FACE
Skyline Traverse 5.4
Short approach and the cool, deep chimney leads to upper the climbs on the South Peak of the East Face.
Dirty Old Man 5.6
Conn's East 5.5
Rappel from the summit to start this long and interesting route on Upper Broadway Ledge to avoid an arduous approach in hot weather.
Soler 5.7
The first pitch is the best, gets a bit loose at the top of the second as the name suggests.
A wild two-pitch route straight to the summit, more technical and continuous than Conn’s East.
Lichen or Leave It 5.8
Streptococcus 5.9
A delicious finger crack high on the North Peak. Above the anchors is the easier but literally cooler corner of Bear’s Delight (5.5).
Castor and Pollux 5.10
Just off Upper Broadway Ledge, these twin routes take a while to cool off on hotter days.
Mister Jones 5.11c
A sport climb left of Soler.
More tasty finger locks high on the North Peak. Drop just downhill to find Lichen or Leave It.
Spock's Brain 5.11
Next to the twin giants of mythology on Upper Broadway, so take some time to cool down before trying to figure this voyage out.
The Changeling 5.11c
A traditional thriller to the right of Soler.
Freewheelin' Hubs
West Virginia's Local Bike Shops
B
Joey's Bike Shop in Elkins.
Words and photos by Dylan Jones y now you’ve figured out that this issue is dedicated to the mountain bike. To some, the mountain bike is an adult toy that helps them stay young. To others, it’s a symbol of freedom, a way to experience West Virginia’s spectacular landscapes on two wheels. For our state’s beloved local bike shop owners, the mountain bike is a way of life. As such, I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a proverbial drum roll to the fine folks who keep us rolling through thick mud and thin air. You may notice I’ve only included four bike shops in this piece, but there are numerous others more than worthy of mention. The reality is we have limited room in a 40-page magazine, and these just happen to be the shops where I’ve purchased a bike or had one fixed, sipped a beer, or made life-long friends over my two decades of MTB obsession. If your local shop isn’t in the following pages, swing by and let them know that West Virginia’s mountain bikers appreciate each and every freewheelin’ soul involved in the local bike shop
scene. Without all of you, we’d be stuck at home with broken bikes, or even worse, stuck riding somewhere else.
Wamsley Cycles, Morgantown
You can’t mention West Virginia’s bike scene without a nod to Wamsley Cycles. Opened in 1980 by Parkersburg native Chip Wamsley, Wamsley Cycles has been a bedrock business throughout the ebbs and flows of the trend-heavy bike industry. Wamsley discovered his love of bikes in high school after developing “wonky knees” from distance running. Tenspeed bikes had just hit the U.S., and most bike shops didn’t know how to service them. Wamsley realized that if he needed to fix his, he’d better learn how to do it himself. He became friends with the era’s top cyclists and soon began buying tools and learning how to repair these newfangled machines. Wamsley arrived at WVU in the ‘70s to study biology and worked at several of Morgantown’s early bike shops while finishing his degree. He spent summers in England learning to build
28 HIGHLAND OUTDOORS SUMMER 2019
bike frames. “To put it all in perspective, I built my first frame before Trek built theirs,” Wamsley says. He started Clark Wamsley Frames and ended up selling his hand-made goods in several countries and securing a 1987 contract to build 1,000 frames. Now situated on the Mon River Rail Trail, Wamsley’s location provides a convenient avenue for test rides and rentals. Wamsley was inspired by the boutique bike shops in Europe and emulates that culture in his shop today. “In my first shop, we developed a good bike culture,” he says. “People were totally new as to what they could do with bikes, from racing to century rides to touring. I educated lots of people over the years, I’ve seen all aspects of the industry.” One of those aspects came ripping onto the scene in the early ‘80s: mountain biking. Wamsley sold some of the first mountain bikes in the Morgantown area, but thought it was going to be yet another cycling industry trend. “I thought it was kind of cool, even after riding a mountain bike,” he
says. “I never considered it was going to be as big as it became, now it’s solidly established.” Given the wide range of biking venues in and around Morgantown— rail trails, country roads, gravel, and mountain biking—Wamsley has to maintain a diverse inventory. “The biking culture is all-encompassing throughout age groups and styles,” he says. “We’ve always had that sustainable concept. We still sell kid’s bikes and recreational bikes, but we also sell top-end racing and mountain bikes.”
Wamsley says. “I think being on two wheels and being able to propel yourself and go on adventures, that won’t ever change.”
moving in,” Stull says. “I always tell folks I drew the short straw. Now it’s my turn to keep Blackwater Bikes alive for a few more years.”
Blackwater Bikes, Davis
Hailing from Brunswick, MD, Stull got introduced to mountain bikes in 2000 with his first teaching job at a private high school in Virginia, which had a mountain biking program and needed a coach. Stull agreed, got schooled on coaching, and acquired a mountain bike. He moved to the Davis area in 2003 when he took a stream remediation job with the Canaan Valley Institute (CVI). “I made my way west to Davis and never looked back,” Stull says. “I have CVI to thank for getting me out here.”
Moon Rocks. Yellow Creek. Son of Plantation. Ride your bike long enough in the Mountain State, and you’ll eventually hear these names that are synonymous with some of the toughest terrain in Appalachia. If you hear about these trails, you’ll likely hear about Blackwater Bikes, too. And if you come
Wamsley Cycles has embraced and promotes one particularly controversial evolution: electronic bikes. His shop sells At 3,100 feet above pedal-assist e-bikes sea level, Davis that require the rider is West Virginia’s to be peddling for highest incorporated acceleration. “We get town, and the style old guys my age that of riding is conducive could be considered to broken bikes. curmudgeons Relentless rock complaining about gardens, axle-deep them,” Wamsley bogs, and sandy says. “But they’re fun muck take their toll on and they get people various components. to get out and ride When you look at how more often.” Wamsley Davis locals—some cites overlooked of whom are national segments like those champion riders— with heart issues work this terrain, or degenerative it’s astounding that disorders as prime mountain bikes even candidates for work at all. e-bikes. “People of Fortunately for all different calibers locals and visitors use them,” he says. alike, Blackwater “E-bikes aren’t Bikes keeps the Clockwise from top left: Chip Wamsley, Rob Stull, Andy Forron, Joey Riddle. interfering with wheels spinning. And anyone’s existing use fortunately for Blackwater Bikes, people ride them, odds are you’ll end up at the of trails.” Whether shop owners and keep breaking their bikes. “We’ve got shop in need of a repair. riders want to sell them is one thing, but a captive audience, people are here Now in a brand-spanking-new no one can deny the fact that e-bikes riding and they break stuff, and they building, Blackwater Bikes has been are here to stay. come support us because we’re here,” the biking hub for the sleepy mountain While the tech and trends of the Stull says. “But if the internet can start town of Davis for 29 years. Shop owner bike industry are constantly changing, bleeding brakes, we're gonna be in Rob Stull took over from the venerable one thing has remained constant: trouble.” Roger Lilly in 2015. “My wife Shannon humanity’s love for bikes. “It keeps Like many in Davis who scratch and I saw an opportunity to step in, we evolving and just keeps getting better,” and survive to live the mountain life, saw the energy with the younger folks SUMMER 2019 HIGHLAND-OUTDOORS.COM
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Hanging out at the new Blackwater Bikes.
Stull is invested in making it work. The new building was a way to inject some excitement into town, but also a way to lower his shop expenses. The bottom floor features two apartment units to subsidize the building cost. “We’re always finding ways to contribute and invest in the community, it just made sense,” Stull says. “Now folks can come here and bike, stay right below the shop on the river, and be near the breweries and restaurants.” With barstools by the workshop and a deck overlooking the shop’s namesake river, the new Blackwater Bikes was designed to be a hangout as much as a business. “It’s the local hub for us to meet,” Stull says. “We pour our energy into it; it’s a community center for trail users. We regularly have folks that aren’t cyclists who come in and want to explore the area, we can promote the area and give them that local intel on trails.” If the next 29 years are as good as the first, Blackwater Bikes will find its way. “What keeps this place alive is the community, it’s the young folks who are coming in and are energetic,” Stull says. Which begs the question: who’s next to draw the short straw?
Andy Forron in front of New River Bikes.
Joey’s Bike Shop, Elkins
Situated in a quaint row building in the heart of downtown Elkins, Joey’s Bike Shop (JBS) is a literal brick-and-mortar bike business. Founded by expert mechanic and Buckhannon native Joey Riddle in 2008, JBS has quickly built its reputation as the place to bring your busted bike. Like others who’ve made a life out of bikes, Riddle got his start riding and racing mountain bikes in his teenage years. He gave college the old college try, then dropped out to go back to his one true love: two true wheels. “I enjoy working on bikes and selling bikes, especially to kids,” Riddle says. “This affords me the opportunity to ride cool bikes and work on bikes and be around bikes all day. I don’t think many people can say that about their jobs.” Riddle has been in the mountain bike racing scene for quite some time and took it so seriously that he once stripped the paint off his rims and drilled holes in them to save weight. Nowadays, Joey still races, but he opts to spend his spare time doing what he does best: tinkering with bikes. “I’ll start at 8:30 in the morning repacking the hubs on a 30-year old hardtail, then go
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to changing the tire on a Wal-Mart bike, then work on a $10,000 mountain bike,” he says. “I just like working on anything that involves mechanics, except my house… that sucks.” A true lifer, Joey’s keen on passing bikes down to the next generation, which includes his children. “I don’t know any octogenarians that are playing basketball or soccer, but riding a bike is something you can do for a lifetime,” he says. “Now that I have kids, I get to see that in them. The cool thing about bikes is you can use them for recreation, for competition, but for many people in the world, it’s their only form of transportation. Depending on what part of the world you’re from, a bike can mean something totally different to you.” Bikes mean all these things— recreation, competition, transportation— for Riddle, but they also mean food on the table. Competition with the online marketplace can keep him up at night, but the reality is folks are constantly buying—and breaking—their bikes. “If I could, I would just have a shop where I did nothing but work on bikes,” he says. “But people want me to sell bikes, and we sell more and more every year.” So how does JBS stay alive in the digital age? Riddle says his focus on
service is his bread and butter. “A few years ago, we printed stickers that said, ‘The internet will not fix your bike,’” he says. “You can watch a YouTube video, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have the skills or the tools to do it right.” Riddle also sees a resurgence in the desire to physically visit the local brickand-mortar shop. “A lot of folks wanna come in to talk to somebody,” he says. “They wanna look at and touch and feel things instead of going off of someone’s review.” Like a race loop, a bike wheel, and life itself, the retail world comes full circle. “People have been burned enough,” Ridlde says. “I like to let everything happen organically and not try to push things too much. If people wanna come in, they’ll find me.”
New River Bikes, Fayetteville
If you find yourself in Fayetteville, cruise by the storefront of New River Bikes. You’ll see some of shop owner Andy Forron’s Frankenbike creations, like a banana-seat cruiser with chopper-style handlebars and a doll head protruding from the rear, or a wonky tall bike made from two stacked and welded frames with cogs floating freely in betwixt the chains. Reprising the role of the wildly creative machinist and proudly keeping the punk-rock counterculture of the mountain bike scene alive, Forron is a chainstay in the New River Gorge bike community. Serving as a board member of the New River Gorge Trail Alliance
(NRGTA), he’s at the cutting edge of trail building and an active voice for advocacy in the region. “Being at the bike shop has definitely helped, we just talk to so many people,” Forron says. “I think some really good things are about to happen on the trail building front.” Forron grew up in Summersville and frequented Fayetteville to get his outdoor fix. As a youngster, he got a mountain bike for his birthday and started asking for tools for Christmas. He paid for college by working at bike shops in summer. “As I got older, I got into paddling and climbing, but I always went back to bikes,” he says. Forron got his degree, secured a full-time office job, and immediately became disillusioned with Corporate America. He fled the office and returned to the bike stand as a mechanic. He was working as an employee of New River Bikes at a time when the previous owner had also become disillusioned with his career. “I made him some stupid lowball offer and he took it,” Forron says. “That’s how I ended up with the bike shop, whoops!” New River Bikes turns 30 this year, making it one of the longest-standing outdoor businesses in Fayetteville. Although Forron has only been at the helm for 11 of those 30 years, the shop has found its stride under his creative direction. From the bar-style countertop featuring work from local artists to the tastefully dressed taxidermy, New River Bikes is in a class of its own. “I’ve poured so much into it in the last
decade,” he says. “I hope when people walk in, they think, ‘This is not like the last bike shop I walked into.’” When Forron isn’t busy fixing or selling bikes, he crafts his own frames and parts in his workshop. That tall bike out front? He used to ride it to work— across the New River Gorge Bridge. “The crank is higher than the rail of the bridge, so riding it across the bridge was terrifying,” he said. “It’s never failed me despite it looking completely sketchy.” When it comes to riding normal bikes in the New River Gorge, Forron encourages you to explore the local goods beyond the well-traveled Arrowhead Trails. “Throw away MTB Project and Trail Forks and all that stuff,” Forron says. “It’s never gonna be on a map; it doesn’t need to be on a map. Some of the best experiences I’ve had mountain biking came from hanging at the local shop.” Which is to say if you want the goods, stop by the shop. If the weather’s nice and you’re persuasive enough, Forron just might close early and show you himself. At the very least, you can try to mount the tall bike. w You know who Dylan Jones is by now, but you might not know that he rides bikes… oh wait, you know that, too. But did you know that he once went on a bigfoot hunt in California funded by the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO) (look it up, it’s real). See? And that’s why you should always read the author bios.
New and old in front of Blackwater Bikes.
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Pretty Fly for a Bass Guy twitchy, rubber legs of this fly do their magic is by far the most effective way to fish this fly. They work really well when the bass are feeding on damsel flies, mayflies, or terrestrial insects.”
A
cross between a bronco bull and the world’s greatest acrobat, a smallmouth bass on a fly rod brings a unique level of chaos sprinkled with occasional glimpses of delightful spectacle. Fly fishing for these piscine performers is both a thing of beauty and sheer determination; a combination of skill, luck, and emotional maturity. Much to the angler’s delight, countless miles of rivers, streams, and lakes in West Virginia are home to these coveted predators. Within a short drive and a decent cast, the natural adrenaline high that occurs once a smallmouth chomps your fly can easily be yours to struggle to describe. Affectionately called bronzebacks due to their
The author holding a prized smallie on the New River.
often-vibrant color patterns, smallmouth bass are also commonly referred to as smallies. These smallies grow healthy and strong on a diet consisting of just about anything that moves— crayfish, baitfish, insects, worms, small mammals, snakes, and even birds. The fly fisher can capitalize on the smallie’s aggressive nature and need to feed by presenting them with a well-presented fly tied from fur, feather, or synthetic material. The key to a good smallmouth fly pattern is movement. You can place a highly realistic, rigid baitfish imitation next to a good oldfashioned fur zonker strip, and while the first fly may catch more fishermen, the latter will catch more fish. The action and movement of the zonker fly is much more likely to incite a strike, while
32 HIGHLAND OUTDOORS SUMMER 2019
the realistic, rigid fly patterns lack fluidity and appear lifeless in the water. Fly pattern selection is a matter of choice, but when it comes down to presenting the fly to the smallies, you’re basically floating a fly on the surface of the water or dredging the depths. Randal Burns, a guide at Harman’s Luxury Log Cabins in Cabins, WV, prefers the subsurface approach. “Olive clawdads, clouser minnows, and Murdich minnows seem to move the bigger fish from the bottom for an aggressive strike,” Burns says. Tony Wheeler, a retired engineer and lover of anything with fins, likes it on top. “The Sneaky Pete is probably the best surface or dry fly ever invented for smallmouth bass,” Wheeler claims. “Letting the dangly,
I prefer a 7-weight fly rod at a length of nine feet when fishing for smallmouth bass. Rod length typically varies between eight and nine feet, with nine being the most common. Rod weight preferences range from 5-weight on the light end to 8-weight on the higher end—a good choice for heavier-sinking lines and large-profile flies. A fly fishing reel is a thing of beauty, a wellcrafted mold intertwined with precision gears and pins. A quality reel with a functioning drag system makes a big difference
Jacob Ott
By Craig Miller
Once you’ve gathered a decent assortment of successful fly patterns, the next thing you’re going to need is a rod. Rule number one is to stay away from the really cheap stuff as the casting action ranges from heavy telephone pole to wet pasta noodle while lacking performance and leading you down the dark path toward golf. A fly rod around a hundred dollars is a good investment, with most offering unconditional guarantees on replacement and repair. You also don’t need to start out on the other side of the spectrum—an amateur buying a high-end fly rod is akin to buying a Ferrari and not knowing how to drive.
retrieval patterns can be based upon time of year, water temperature, and recorded behavior, but almost every trip requires some fine tuning while on the water to be most successful.
Catching bass on the Greenbrier.
between a fish you hook and a fish you land. A large arbor reel matching your rod’s weight with a low drag start-up inertia is a sound choice. Variations on arbor, finishes, drag types, weight, size, material, and design exist when considering a reel in addition to cost—let your budget guide you.
Craig Miller
Fly lines also come in all sizes, shapes, colors, and brand names. If you can only afford one line type starting out, purchase a moderately priced floating line matching your rod’s weight. Later, a good intermediate to fullsinking line should be added to your arsenal to probe all aspects of the water column. Leaders and tippets will connect your fly line to your fly, and once all the knots have been tied and neatly trimmed, it’s high time to hit the water. Fly presentation ranges a wide gamut from doing absolutely nothing, to long, fast strips of the line. Predetermining speed and
Epic day and overnight float trips hold the highest commitment when pursuing these river monsters but tend to bring the most reward. Kayaks, drift boats, rafts, canoes, pontoons, and other watercraft are a great way of covering long stretches of water from the ease of a stable platform. I prefer to fish with a partner from a raft or drift boat, alternating between who is paddling the craft and who is throwing flies on the long rod. If you’re down a boat, the most common way to fly fish is the simple walk-and-wade. Finding a good roadside hole isn’t far-fetched since almost every river or stream sporting smallies in West Virginia has a road running alongside it. Use caution when wading and choose to wear a life jacket— particularly in the higher and colder flows. Concentrate your casting efforts on the most productive water. My experiences support the adage that 90% of the fish live in 10% of the water. w Craig Miller is a fly fishing guide and owner of Serenity Now Outfitters in Lewisburg. Give him a ring at 304.674.9779 to book a guided trip, talk gear, or share your tall fish tales.
DISTILLERY
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info@blackwateroutdoors.com
34 HIGHLAND OUTDOORS SUMMER 2019
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P RO F I L E
“We have what a lot of other places don’t have, which is that beautiful, natural, special place. You can’t fake that.” How did you end up in West Virginia?
When did you transition to trail building?
I came out in 2012 for the Canaan MTB Festival, and spent about a year visiting and spending time around here, then I moved down the next year to pursue a trail job with Heart of the Highlands and I never left. Now it’s home.
When I moved to Canaan, it was for a trail job with Heart of the Highlands. If that job had never come up, I may have never gotten into it, but it turned out that everything I had done before was perfect prep for it. It quickly turned into a business beyond the position I had done with them. It was kind of like how racing came on, it exploded from the start and it just felt right.
ZACH ADAMS By Dylan Jones Boaters say there ain’t no river without the rain. But for those who fly through the woods at breakneck speeds on two wheels, a different adage comes to mind: there ain’t no ride without the trails. While rain is largely a self-sustaining act of the water cycle, trails don’t build themselves. Fortunately, the world has folks like trail builder and Canaan Valley resident Zach Adams to masterfully craft modern creations for the mountain biking masses. A local racing legend from the mid 2000’s, Zach went
on to become an MTB event organizer and now owns and operates his trail building company Appalachian Dirt. There are two things that guide Zach’s life: wheels. From his middle school years to recent years, the mountain bike has been his raison d’etre, and Zach’s acute sense of bike/life balance shows no sign of changing direction. I caught up with Zach to chat about racing, his transition to trail building, and to find out what’s really better: building trails or riding them. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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It was back in 2003 that I got interested. I grew up in Carlisle, PA. I was in middle school at the time, and we had a little bike club. I joined the local racing club, and boy it’s been a whirlwind ever since. That first race was in the spring of 2004. It was a shitshow, I loved it. I raced a lot right from the start, I dove into the race seasons and kept it up throughout. I went a lot of places and raced a lot of races, and it’s not necessarily the wins that you remember the most.
What drew you to racing? That was the local culture of the area and the team I started on. We had good trails, but for the most part, there wasn’t a huge trail riding group. A lot of it revolved around racing, so that’s naturally what I got into. My early influences were race promoters as well, so racing was what I knew, and it was natural and a lot of fun. You look at how communities are based and driven, and the racing scene is just a large, extended community.
What’s the most rewarding part of trail building? Creation. You get to build something every day, something that wasn’t there before. It’s something that makes people smile. It’s a lot like doing events, and that’s what drew me to events as well. I think it's why I still do events.
What’s better – designing a new trail or riding it for the first time? I think it’s both the process and the whole. A lot of times you don’t get to do all of that in a short-term scope. By the time I get to go out and ride a trail I’ve built, it’s been sitting in the works for a year. I think it’s all of it together. You can’t just have one of the parts. If you go design a trail out in the woods and nobody ever sees it, that’s kind of pointless. If you only go ride trails, you’re missing out on part of the picture. It’s design and build and riding and getting other people to ride, too.
Courtesy Zach Adams
How did you get into mountain biking?
What makes mountain biking in the Canaan Valley area so great? Two things. First, it’s the type of forest and ecosystem that we have here, it’s a lot like out west or Alaska in its nature and the wetlands. It’s just a little bit cooler than everywhere else. It’s really special, this whole isolated pocket up here in the mountains. Two, it’s a true mountain town. You get trail access to 400+ miles of trail right out of town. It’s a lot of backcountry riding. It’s technical, rocky, rooty, muddy, all of that goodness. That’s where my heart is with riding rough, technical backcountry.
What’s the story behind your winter event, the Mountain State Fat Bike Champs race? What are you goals with the race? The race is the centerpiece of advocacy for fat biking in the West Virginia highlands. It’s the culmination of a season of trying to pump up fat biking with group rides, educational events, the racing opportunity, and trying to get access to groomed trails. The proceeds from each year go to some kind of local advocacy project. The first year was to raise funds for Dale’s Trail in the Thomas City Park Trails, and the next two editions are for obtaining a groomer.
in place for ages here. We’re a little bit behind the ball as far as development goes. I see a larger, more organized effort for investment in trail infrastructure here. We need variety, that’s the reason we put so much effort into easier, green-level trail experience added in the Thomas City Park Trails because we don’t have a lot of that around. We have what a lot of other places don’t have, which is that first reason why I moved here, that beautiful, natural, special place. You can’t fake that. w Zach Adams is owner and operator of trail building outfit Appalachian Dirt and runs the annual Michaux MTB School up in PA. You can find him moving rocks and slinging dirt this summer as he builds fresh MTB trails in Deep Creek Lake State Park, MD.
“You get to build something every day, something that wasn’t there before. It’s something that makes people smile.”
Courtesy Zach Adams
What do you see for the future of the mountain biking scene in Canaan? I see investment in trails as a primary driver for tourism. Everyone talks about tourism and recreation, but they’re relying on these opportunities that have been SUMMER 2019 HIGHLAND-OUTDOORS.COM
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EV E N T S CA L E N DA R
Big Air Blob Competition
6
Gather at Wonderland Water Park as teams compete for the most outrageous blob of the day.
Scenic Mountain Triathlon
Embark on WV’s oldest triathlon featuring a swim in Summit Lake, a ride over Kennison, and a run to Cranberry Glades.
Women's Weekend MTB Camp Ride with the ladies of all ability levels at Snowshoe. One-on-one professional coaching in a group of your skill level.
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This extreme triathlon features mountain biking, whitewater paddling, and trail running in the NRG.
Ragnar Trail Appalachians
17 - 18
Bridge Jam
23 - 24
30 - 3 3
3-4
6 6-7
Head to Big Bear Lake Trail Center for this celebration of everything mountain biking.
Captain Thurmond's Challenge
This sailing event at Summersville Lake helps raise money for Hospice of Southern West Virginia.
This year, the Bridge Jam takes on a life of its own. Head to Fayetteville for even more local music, art, and craft beer than last year.
Revenge of the Rattlesnake
Find out what you’re made of at this legendary XC-style mountain bike race held throughout the trails surrounding Davis.
Overnight running relay at Big Bear Lake Trail Center with trails for any level of runner. Costumes encouraged!
SEPT
Peak of Bloom Festival
UCI Mountain Bike World Cup
Celebrate WV wildflowers during peak bloom with guided hikes, picnics, music and more at Camp Creek State Park.
New River Gorgeous Trail Run Choose between a half-marathon, 10K run, or a 5-mile walk through the historic town of Thurmond.
Head to the Snowshoe Bike Park to watch the world’s top riders duke it out on the best trails in the east.
ADD YOUR EVENT
Send us an email with details about your event to: info@highland-outdoors.com
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4
Step it up for this 4-mile course starting on the Rail-Trail behind Morgantown Running.
Dirt Rag Dirt Fest WV
Learn all about and enjoy craft beer from Big Timber on a train ride from Elkins to Nova Scotia Rocks.
Mountain Mama Hospice Regatta
6-8
Morgantown Running 4 on the 4th
Head up to the 4,848foot summit of Cheat Mountain for eclectic music and more at Snowshoe’s inaugural 4848 Festival.
Bluegrass and Brews
9 - 10
JULY
4848 Festival
Head down to Parsons for this annual event, awarded 2017 Bluegrass Event of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association.
16 - 18
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Choose the Tenacious 5k Trail or Moxie Mile as part of the largest mud run in WV. All (including men) are welcome!
Fine tune your focus on climbing routes with this course led by Elaina Arenz and Jeffery Hearn at the New River Gorge.
Pickin' in Parsons
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Gritty Chix Mud Run
The Warrior's Way Mental Camp
11 - 13
22
Head for the hills in this legendary 33 or 74-mile bike race at Mason Dixon Historical Park in Core, WV.
12 - 14
Hilly Billy Roubaix
Test your legs on this adventure-cycling race that climbs paved, gravel, and dirt roads to the highest point in WV.
14
Rally in the Valley for a slew of two-wheeled events including group rides, skills clinics, and trail work.
Gravel Race Up Spruce Knob
20 - 21
14 - 16
Canaan MTB Festival
AUG
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JUNE
G A L L E RY
Isn’t it interesting, this thing we do in the woods on bicycles? I’ve long been a fan of exploring the world aboard two wheels, and no other form of it challenges the body and inspires the mind more than the visceral and rugged experience of mountain biking. The gravity-fueled exploration of West Virginia’s wooded nooks and crannies influences how I share my experiences and perspectives with others. Photos and caption by Brice Shirbach. SUMMER 2019 HIGHLAND-OUTDOORS.COM
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