Winter at Dolly Sods

Dolly Sods is the highest elevation plateau east of the Mississippi River located along the Allegheny Front in West Virginia. Hosting some of the most spectacular scenery in the Mountain State, Dolly Sods is encompassed within the Monongahela National Forest. But its high elevation and frequent weather events makes finding good hiking weather at Dolly Sods nearly impossible to predict, and being stuck miles from any residence or shelter in the dead of winter is an experience that no one wants to encounter.

 

On January 23, 2010, I ventured a trip to Dolly Sods with my friend Pete Jenior from Baltimore, Maryland. I had been planning for a trip to the region for over a month, but frequent, heavy snowfalls and blizzard warnings all but starved off any attempt at accessing the backcountry. And I wasn't about to tempt the roads -- all two-lane, with mountainous crossings coupled with high elevations.

 

On the weekend that I planned for this trip, I appeared to be in luck. A weekend of warm weather -- high's in the low 30s with possible peeks of sunshine at Canaan Valley, in the valley to the west of Dolly Sods. I packed up and drove east, meeting Pete at the well-rated and affordable Ladybug Bed and Breakfast in Thomas. I didn't get to the Ladybug until midnight, after encountering thick fog on U.S. Route 33 east of Elkins that slowed my arrival by nearly 40 minutes, but surprisingly, the roads were clear and well maintained.

 

After a good nights sleep, we awoke and drove out to Dolly Sods from the west via Forest Road 19, only to discover that the route was impassible. We turned back undeterred and proceeded to the eastern side of the Allegheny Front, where the snowfall is much less frequent and where the temperatures tend to be at least five to ten degrees warmer.

 

Turning off onto Forest Road 75 from Jordan Run Road, we drove up what was a plowed paved road before it became a snow covered dirt roadway with two worn tire tracks. Using that as leverage and traction, we were able to make it as far as the midpoint on the ascent towards Bear Rocks at Dolly Sods, before we turned off into a pull-off. We broke out the winter shoes and gear, and walked up the remainder of the road to the top.

 

_{After about an hour of trekking through two feet of snow and ice, we made it to the top at Bear Rocks.}

 

Bear Rocks was amazingly beautiful and all quiet, sans the endless whistling of the winds as it swept the barren landscape that is Dolly Sods. An ice storm that hit two nights prior left the leaning pine trees and shrubs caked in a thick ice layer, forcing a gleam in the brief bits of sunlight that protruded through the low cloud layer. And a lot of dense fog.

 

 

 

 

_{Scenes from Bear Rocks.}

 

Not a single soul was around. No tracks from vehicles, no footprints, nothing. We walked over to the trailhead for the Bear Run Trail (T 522) and plotted the day's hike. Should we attempt a loop via the Bear Run and Dobbin Grade trails, and wade through the icy Red Creek? Or just protrude in and back out? We decided for the latter.

 

Wandering down the Bear Run Trail was an exercise in itself. While the first half of the day involved below-freezing temperatures, where we were able to walk on top of the two-foot snow pack due to the layer of ice, it became increasingly evident that the temperatures had risen. Crashing through the ice barrier and performing lifts on increasingly burdened legs became tiresome after a few miles, but the views and solitude were worth any effort and energy expended.

 

 

_{Crossing Red Creek along the Bear Run Trail wasn't difficult, but doing so further downstream along the Dobbin Grade would have been much more difficult.}

 

 

 

The trail past Red Creek became increasingly narrower and harder to locate, so we began hiking off-trail for the lack of guidance at this point. I had done this trail once before, so I had a general idea of where to walk and where the high point was on our topographic map. After about 20 minutes of wandering, we were able to make it to the peak where in the fall, views of endless barrens for miles around were afforded. On this cold, blustery day, with fog enveloping the valley below, there were only sight distances of tens of feet, but that didn't matter.

 

 

 

 

 

At this point, confident that we could navigate back to Bear Rocks by dusk via some off-trail hiking, we ventured down the slope towards Red Creek. After sliding down a large hill and poking my foot through rock crevices, we were treated with expanse panoramas of a pristine, clear valley along Red Creek.

 

 

 

_{Crossing Red Creek, which flowed underneath these large boulders, was more difficult for me than it was for Pete.}

 

 

As we headed back towards Bear Rocks, it was becoming increasingly darker and we knew that we had timed our trip out in Dolly Sods perfectly. A bit worse for the wear and hungry, we ended the evening by walking down Forest Road 75 to the vehicle, and driving out to dine at the Blackwater Brewing Company, where they served great food and delicious hand crafted beers. I devoured a Wiener Schnitzel and downed it with the Blackwater Gold Ale, a good way to end a perfect expedition.

 

Here is a familiar photograph from my last trip to Dolly Sods, with a bit that I wrote to explain why I do what I love.

 

_{We are photographers, backpackers and admirers of the vast wilderness that lay amongst each mountaintop and valley. We do this not because of the photographs that we take, nor do we do this because we need a day off from work. We brave the cold and the unbearable winds because we have a passion to be out amongst the open, blue skies, the vast conifer forests, the bogs and wetlands, and the solitude that only nature can provide. The following image was taken at Dolly Sods, October 12, 2009. I woke up at 5:30 AM to pack my tent up in the windy, 30F weather, freezing in four layers, and rushed down to Bear Rocks to capture the stunning sunrise. There were few others out there, only passing by these two photographers who hailed from Winchester, Virginia. I was later greeted by four others -- two of whom were from San Diego and came up here to "brave the cold and see the wild and the wonderful West Virginia." This truly is a wild and wonderful natural area.}

 

If you enjoyed these photographs, visit the Dolly Sods page for more photographs from the winter expedition. Stay tuned for photographs and a write-up from my trip to North Fork Mountain and Chimney Rocks next week!

I can imagine a 5-Star Resort overtaking those pathetic little trees.

Beautiful!

Some of those photos of snow and ice-covered trees have an ethereal quality. Nice work!

Awesome pictures. Dolly Sods feels desolate even in the summer.

 

    Just got back from a winter camping trip in the snow and freezing rain.  It was mild, but makes one appreciate a warm house.

 

  Thanks for the photos.