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This newsletter is brought to you by the West Virginia Land Trust

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Winter is back, just in time for our Spring 2023 issue!

Ah, the irony. Old Man Winter, who all but abandoned Appalachia since his brief appearance in late January, has apparently booked his return trip to West Virginia for next week—just in time to throw a wrench into our spring mag distribution plans.

Although snow lovers in the West Virginia highlands are thrilled at the prospect of March Radness (me included!), I can't help but laugh that, after the lowest-snowfall winter on record, we'll possibly be getting our largest snowfall of the season right as the spring mag is scheduled to arrive.

Once Highland Outdoors is printed, 15,000 copies get shipped to us on two large pallets in the back of a freight truck, which can have quite a time navigating our country roads in the thick of a snowstorm. In fact, with the Winter 2022 issue, the delivery company, which usually honors our request of a smaller box truck, sent the mag on a full-size tractor trailer, which barely skirted the low-hanging telephone and power lines of Davis. I may or may not have been standing on the back of the truck cab, poking the telephone lines up with a broom handle so they could clear the top of the trailer. But don't worry—I wrote this newsletter, so clearly I didn't receive a high-voltage shock to the system.

Regardless of Ullr's misaligned plans, our Spring 2023 issue will start hitting shelves at some point next week, so keep an eye out for a fresh copy at one of our 150+ distribution locations throughout West Virginia. And if the truck can't make it, well, I guess we'll just have to go skiing!

With features on bikepacking, low-water paddling, wildlife camera trapping, Seneca's first 5.14 climb, WV's outdoor rec economy, and the American Perimeter Trail, this is—and I say this with 1000% certainty—our best issue yet. Big thanks to regional photographer Nathaniel Peck for his incredible cover photo of a barred owl. We are thrilled to finally debut a wildlife cover shot and can't wait to see it in print.

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In the midst of winter's absence

It's been just about a month since our last newsletter, and well, I wish I had some snowy photos to share. I do, however, have a few worthy non-snowy snaps to send your way.

Nikki out on a lady's ride in the Mon National Forest. Photo by Taira Gainer

Dylan enjoying some Sunday sends at Big Bear Lake Trail Center. Photo by Micah G.

Full moon rising over Cabin Mountain. Photo by Dylan Jones

A particularly spectacular sunset over the Blackwater River in Davis. People were literally out in the middle of the streets looking at this beauty! Photo by Dylan Jones

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Sunrise Scramble recap!

No, this is not a recap of the classic bazillion-calorie Bob Evan's breakfast item. But, if someone set one down in front of me right now, I would eat the entire thing in one sitting.

I'm talking about none other than the Sunrise Scramble, an uphill ski race held on the slopes of Canaan Valley Ski Resort and hosted by the Canaan Valley State Park Foundation (CVSPF). The CVSPF hosts the Sunrise Scramble, which is the region's only uphill ski race, to showcase Canaan's terrain and advocate for uphill skiing policies at area ski resorts. Highland Outdoors was once again a proud sponsor of this year's event, which proudly showcases the tight-knight and supportive atmosphere of our local business scene here in Tucker County.

On Sunday, March 5, 42 hungry racers lined up at 8 a.m. for fourth-annual running of the race, eager to crush out the challenging course so they could crush out a brekky burrito at the awards ceremony. HO's own senior editor / magazine designer (and my wife) Nikki Forrester finished first in her age group with an impressive time of 24:24. You can view full race results here. Way to rep, darling!

Enjoy these race photos, all from Canaan Valley photographer Mark Moody.

Uphill racers climbing (aka 'herring-boning') up Canaan's main drag.

Local mountain bike celebrity Sue Haywood crushing out the uphill with racers in hot pursuit.

HO's own shredder Nikki Forrester in a full speed-tuck during one of the downhill sections.

Mason Powell, winner of his age group, skating to maintain speed.

A racer pizza wedges his way down one of the course's fast turns on freshly groomed corduroy. The Canaan mountain ops team did a superb job of prepping the course for the race.

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Have you seen these yet?

Highland Profiles: Charlie Waters

From her days of running rivers and the Adventure Skool to her years of teaching skiing at White Grass and art in the Tucker County school system, Charlie has been a fixture of West Virginia's tight-knit outdoor education community.

Going with the Wind

It's not often that I get to do some straight up prose for the mag. I really enjoyed writing this piece, especially the inclusion of the now-infamous Spruce Springstrees story!

Patchwork: How a Lichen-Dyed Quilt is Spreading Climate Awareness

Karen Lane is an artist who created a handmade quilt with dye she made from ethically harvested lichen bodies that shows changes in atmospheric sulfur in Central Appalachia. Wild stuff!

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Stay tuned for our next installment in late-March, which will feature, just maybe, finally, loads of snowy photos!

Enjoy, and thanks for reading #westvirginiasoutdoormagazine!

Dylan Jones

Editor-in-Chief

Highland Outdoors