________________________________________________________________

This newsletter is brought to you by the Pocahontas County CVB

________________________________________________________________

Another Classic Low-Water Paddling Trip...

...this time via an overnighter on Shavers Fork. I often refer to Shavers Fork as the gem of the Cheat River watershed—a remote river that originates high on Cheat Mountain and flows 89 miles to its confluence with the Cheat River. It's easily up there as one of West Virginia’s premier recreational rivers and the site of successful stream restoration by the WV Department of Environmental Protection, and later by Friends of the Cheat. The river's upper reaches constitute the highest river in the eastern U.S. An astounding 97 percent of the river’s basin is forested, and two-thirds of it flows through public lands, including the magnificent Monongahela National Forest.

Nikki and I overnighted on Shavers Fork many moons ago in our big green cataraft, which we affectionately call The Booger. The flows were juicy and we had no problem navigating—and clearing the rocks that create the consistent class I and II rapids that makes this a safe-yet-fun float trip.

But this time, we opted to borrow a canoe from our neighbor and test the waters—both literal and marital—on a new-to-us experience. I've only canoed on a moving river once (July Fourth on this very stretch), and whitewater canoeing is very different from whitewater paddling.

After a deluge, water levels were up, and Nikki and I set out for an adventure: 26 miles of paddling between Bowden and Porterwood, just upstream from Parsons. We put on at friendly flows, paddling 16 long miles to our campsite on a wonderful island in a serpentine section of river that snakes through the narrowest part of the valley. The next morning, the water had dropped about a foot, meaning all those rocks that we would have cleared the previous day became hazards to avoid. It's easy to swamp a canoe if you get sideways or take on too much water in a wave train—a far cry from our typical modus operandi of seeking spicy lines and punching waves in The Booger.

Nikki happened to be on the guide stick when we went blindly into the largest class II rapid of the section, featuring an awkward entrance over a ledge into a V-shaped drop. We squared up and made it into and through the drop clean, but the odd reactionary waves tipped us sideways and dumped many gallons of water into the canoe. Fun fact: when a canoe takes on water, it becomes even more tipsy, and we barely balanced our way through the pool and to shore to bail out the canoe.

After a lunch and beer break to calm the nerves, we continued on, almost tipping again in a few spots due to unavoidable rock strikes and shallow, river-wide ledges. If you see any blue paint on the riverbed, that was us!

At any rate, we were proud to make it through our first tandem whitewater canoeing trip sans swamps or swims. After all, there's a reason they say "paddle your own canoe."

Nikki up front during a particularly scenic pool on day one.

Nikki strikes a vogue pose with our loaded canoe.

Camp vibes on our private Highland island. What a magical spot!

Nikki celebrates by the class II rapid that almost did us in.

There's a reason we call Shavers Fork the gem of the Cheat River watershed.

________________________________________________________________

Don't forget to submit your photos for the Second Annual Highland Outdoors Photo Contest!

I repeat again: Don't forget! Our second annual photo contest is open for submissions. We are in need of more submissions and I want YOU to help us get there. Please share our contest with all your photog pals. Submit your images by August 15 for a chance at having your images published in our Winter 2023 issue (along with cash and swag prizes). Click here or on the image below for all contest rules and submission guidelines!

________________________________________________________________

Remember back when...

Well, you won't remember this, but I sure do! Nine years ago today, my good friend and Morgantown-based climber Chris Bailey climbed Mount Teewinot, one of the five major peaks in Wyoming's Tetons—just two days after a successful summit of the Grand Teton. The name Teewinot comes from the Shoshoni word meaning "many pinnacles." The standard route is a fourth-class scramble to the 12,325-foot summit. But once we got off the steep snowfield and hit a seemingly endless playground of slabby granite, we veered off the scramble and opted to find a more adventurous route up solid rock. We brought a short 30-meter alpine rope and a few pieces of climbing gear for safety, but ended up free-soloing (and downclimbing) the entire peak sans rope. Most of it was a low-angle fifth-class slab, but there were some super-exposed vertical moves in the 5.7–5.8 difficulty range—although that's considered easy by modern climbing standards, a fall anywhere along those several hundred feet of climbing would have been certain death. It's the only time I've free-soloed anything and it remains simultaneously the most terrifying and exhilarating thing I've done in the mountains. And don't worry, mom, I won't ever do that again. Fun!

5 a.m. start time. Our objective of Teewinot looms some 6,000 feet above in the early light.

Chris on the final pitch of the hanging snowfield. The Idol and the Worshipper, the two towers in the background, are several hundred-feet-tall.

A steep, hanging snowfield and the playground of granite above.

Chris Bailey on some exposed and puckering slab moves—fun!

Ropeless and vertical 5.7 layback moves quite far from the "ground"—exciting!

Chris Bailey precariously perched on one of the "many peaks" atop Teewinot, some 6,000 feet above the Snake River Valley.

Me atop the true summit of Teewinot, hanging my head over a sheer 3,000 feet drop off the backside of the overhanging peak—scary!

________________________________________________________________

You know the drill—subscribing is the best way to support Highland Outdoors. If you love the mag and want it to continue, please consider joining our 390+ subscribers (thank you!) to get each issue delivered right to your door—and to continue reading it in the future.

Subscribe Here

________________________________________________________________

Have you seen these yet?

The Salvage Yard: Ferreting Out NRG First Ascents

Although several thousand climbing routes exist within the world-class confines of the New River Gorge, potential new routes still lie dormant, often hidden in plain sight among the well-trodden classics.

Stalking West Virginia's Wild Orchids

Fun fact: West Virginia is home to a whopping 45 native orchid species. Join botanist Hope Brooks on a deep dive into the fascinating world of West Virginia's native orchid flowers—worlds apart from the standard "ubiquitous drug store" varieties.

Feet of Strength

Enjoy this foray into the wild minds and VO2-maxed hearts of West Virginia's ultrarunners. From running 100 miles in a single outing to puking up gummy bears, an ultrarun is the ultimate journey for the human body, mind, and spirit.

________________________________________________________________

Stay tuned for our next installment in late-August, featuring a sneak-peak at our upcoming Fall 2023 issue!

Enjoy, and thanks for reading #westvirginiasoutdoormagazine!

Dylan Jones

Editor-in-Chief

Highland-Outdoors.com