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This newsletter is brought to you by the Marion County CVB

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An autumn for the ages

It's been one helluva fall thus far in the West Virginia highlands. Ideal conditions have culminated in some of the best reds and yellows I've seen in recent memory—especially with the peak foliage hues currently passing through Blackwater Canyon.

A few weeks ago, it was sunny and 65 degrees in Davis. Nikki and I wrapped up work early to go for a serene hike at Bear Rocks Preserve and Dolly Sods. On the way through Canaan Valley, I noticed a thick fog hanging just over the summit of Cabin Mountain. My first thought was Well isn't that just beautiful. That was immediately followed by a second thought: Oh no...

If there's a low cloud hanging over Cabin Mountain, you can be exactly 86.87 percent sure that the skyline of the Alleghney Front will be equally shrouded in a fog so thick it's hard to drive.

As we climbed up Forest Road 19 from Red Creek, we passed two motorcyclists. The lead rider waved us down and said, "You know there's zero visibility up there, right?" To which I responded, "Yerp, I figured as much."

But up we went, steadfast in our desire to hike among the vast realm of bogland plants and what we figured might be near-peak foliage. By the time we made it to the parking area for the Roaring Plains, we couldn't see squat. Instead of spending another 40 minutes to creep along Forest Road 75 to hike with zero visibility, we figured we'd rather spend that time on the trail... in zero visibility.

Into the misty, mystic void we went, armed with cameras, rain jackets, and one oatmeal stout to share at a spot of our choosing. When you can't see much of the world around you, you tend to become hyper-focused on what you can see. And so our eyes drifted downward to the trail and plants immediately in front of us. As we drifted through the fog, a microcosm of color exploded before us with each new section of trail. Blazing orange ferns fanned out over lush green laurels; fire-red blueberry leaves contrasted coral-colored mosses and lichens. The rare flora of the Sods offers up a visual feast like no other ecosystem in West Virginia. We finally reached our turn-around point at a serene campsite, where a small stream bubbled along a large oak tree and offered the perfect place to share our malty beverage.

The moral of the story? Grab a rain jacket and go out in the fog! As the saying goes, there's no bad weather—only bad gear. You never know what you're going to see when you narrow your focus to the immediate environment around you. Oh, and don't forget to bring something tasty to sip along the way.

Water, shrubs, and spruce—oh my! Photo by Dylan Jones

The ferns were on fire, their vivid hues enhanced by the coating of water on every conceivable surface. Photo by Dylan Jones

A sphagnum ring of fire. Photo by Dylan Jones

Periodic puddles along the soaked trail offered some creative opportunities for abstraction. Photo by Dylan Jones

Fog-shrouded spruce silhouttes and jumbled talus—iconic shapes of the West Virginia highlands. Photo by Dylan Jones

Yours Truly among the ferns. Photo by Nikki Forrester

A closed bottle gentian (Gentiana andrewsii) flowering among the ferns. Photo by Nikki Forrester

A cornucopia of texture and color, punctuated by the branched structures of reindeer lichen. Photo by Nikki Forrester

A red spruce cone covered in sap hangs tight to a branch. Photo by Nikki Forrester

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Our Fall 2023 mag is available free online

The Fall 2023 issue is now available to read online for free via the satisfyingly interactive Issuu digital reader. This is a great way to share Highland Outdoors with those who are unable to grab a print copy. Send it along to someone who loves West Virginia!

This is just a screenshot of the interactive reader (this program won't let me embed the interactive reader in our newsletter 🙄).

To check out the interactive version of our Fall 2023 mag, along with every other issue dating back to Spring 2019, visit the Issues page on our website!

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Take advantage of our Small Sale!

We've got an overabundance of small and extra-small shirts and hoodies. Use code SMALLSALE23 and get 40% off any size small or extra-small across our full line of shirts, including the Floral Laurel Tee, NRG Bridge Tee, Floral Laurel Hoodie, and HO Baseball Tee.

Shop Shirts Here

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Support the mag by subscribing

We most definitely want you to rock our merch and rep the mag, but the best way to support Highland Outdoors is by subscribing to the print magazine.

Subscribe Here

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Have you seen this yet?

One of Ours

Enjoy Nikki's informative and beautifully written venture into the conservation and character of the colorful candy darter, a beloved and endangered fish endemic to but a few remaining watersheds in West Virginia and Virginia.

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Stay tuned for our next installment in early November, featuring more digital articles, a special birthday shoutout, and more.

Enjoy, and thanks for reading #westvirginiasoutdoormagazine!

Dylan Jones

Editor-in-Chief

Highland-Outdoors.com