Thursday, September 9, 2021
Blackwater Canyon Trail, Olson Tower, Blackwater Falls State Park
Finally it was time to break out the bikes we've been hauling around for days, on the biggest adventure of the trip - biking the Blackwater Canyon Trail from Thomas to Parsons. The trail drops 1,300 feet in 14 miles - a noticeable slope - so we only wanted to ride it one way, which meant finding a shuttle. We arranged this through Blackwater Bikes in Davis.
The Blackwater Bikes shuttle works like this: One person in your group drops off all riders and bikes at the trailhead in Thomas, then proceeds to Mill Race Park in Parsons, about 20 minutes away, to meet the shuttle driver (in this case, Matt). Rendezvous time in Parsons is 9:00 a.m. because Matt opens the bike shop at 10:00. The shuttle is Matt's personal car, so he is able to transport the driver ONLY and no equipment. The cost is $45 for a ride from Parsons to Thomas. A shuttle is possible between other locations (e.g. Elkins), but the cost is more.
Matt and I were both a few minutes early for our meet-up in Parsons. By 9:15, I was reunited with Tom and the bikes in Thomas, and we immediately hit the trail. It was all downhill from there - in a good way! The first quarter mile is along a gravel road, then you cross a bridge over the North Fork of the Blackwater River and keep the river on your left for the rest of the ride - sometimes WAY down the canyon to your left.
Downtown Thomas
Blackwater Canyon trailhead in Thomas
The Blackwater Canyon Trail is remote and overgrown, and there's no cell service for a bail-out in case of emergency. Our bikes were perfect for the task - hybrids with 700x40 tires, front shocks, and inexpensive models in case they got torn up. We took our time on the downhill to not tear up ourselves!
Crossing the North Fork of the Blackwater River
The old railroad grade the trail follows was formerly used to haul coal and lumber through the rugged Blackwater Canyon. The steep 3% grade limited the trains to only ten cars per engine, and even then the trains climbed slower than walking speed. Just outside of Thomas, we came across some old coke ovens from the area's coal-mining days.
Coke ovens
There are several waterfalls easily visible from the trail. The two most spectacular - and the only ones I know by name - are Albert Falls and Douglas Falls. At Douglas Falls we climbed down the steep bank for a closer look. The rocks are slippery, but there was a rope along the footpath to help us back up.
Albert Falls
Dangerous bridge on a bike
Comely cascade
Jana at Douglas Falls
Riding above the steep gorge, it was easy to get distracted by the stunning scenery, so we had to be mindful to keep our eyes on the trail. It rained overnight and there were some puddles, but we were able to ride around them for the most part and didn't end up covered with mud. There was also the occasional obstacle in the trail that had to be overcome.
North Fork of the Blackwater River
Nameless falls
Single-track trail
Tom bypasses a barrier
We didn't see another soul on the trail for the first 10-plus miles. Coming into Hendricks, the trail joins a rough gravel road for about two miles, and we encountered our first human - a woman in pajamas loitering near her car with two huge Cujo-type dogs. The dogs chased us while the woman screamed at them, which just riled them up more. Yikes.
The North Fork of the Blackwater River joins the Cheat River at Hendricks, where the trail turns to silky smooth pavement for the final two miles to Parsons. In Parsons, the Blackwater Canyon Trail connects with the Allegheny Highlands Trail and continues for another 20 miles to Elkins, but this was far enough for today. We rode past Mill Race Park and over a bridge to downtown Parsons, then returned to our truck. We'd ridden 15 miles.
Shavers Fork Bridge in Parsons
Tucker County Courthouse
Thanks to our early start this morning, we still had the entire afternoon left for sightseeing. From Parsons we drove to the Olson Observation Tower, high on a ridge of Backbone Mountain in the Monongahela National Forest.
Olson Observation Tower
Looking up
Looking down, down, down...
The first tower was built on this site in 1922 and was replaced by the current tower in 1963. Over 100 feet tall and with 133 steps, this is one of the tallest fire towers I've climbed. Made of sturdy steel, the tower seemed safer than the steep and narrow gravel road we took to reach it. The view from the top was breathtaking!
Worth the climb
The view...
...from the top
Next we stopped at Fred Long Centennial Park on US 219, a spectacular roadside scenic overlook. I'd passed by here twice this morning while shuttling between Thomas and Parsons, but it was too foggy then to see anything. This afternoon, it was clear as a bell!
Fred Long Centennial Park scenic overlook
Coming back into Davis, we made a quick stop at Tucker Boulder Park, where Tom joined two small children in conquering the climb! Go, Tom!
Tom at another summit
Yesterday's visit to Blackwater Falls State Park got cut short by rain, so it was back on today's agenda. First we went to Pendleton Overlook for one of the better Blackwater Canyon vistas. After that, we had one more short hike planned, but here came the rain again, so we retreated to our nearby motel to wait it out.
Blackwater Canyon from Pendleton Overlook
Deer everywhere!
An hour and a half later, the rain having ceased, we ventured back to the park to hike to Lindy Point Overlook. The trail was extremely muddy, but we hopped, skipped, and jumped our way among the puddles to the viewpoint, a .9-mile round-trip hike. Boy, was it worth it!
Path to almost heaven
Lindy Overlook
Just a couple more steps...
Afterwards, we walked around Davis's small downtown, where we were pleased to find a couple of eating/drinking establishments actually open today, now that the weekend is in sight. We tried out local brewery Stumptown Ales, where we both had the “Porter? I Hardly Knew Her!” In spite of the overly clever name, the beer was fantastic!
Downtown Davis
Beer o'clock
Stumptown Ales
While we drank, we placed a pizza order with Sirianni's Cafe down the street. The restaurant has indoor dining, but it was kind of congested, so we opted to take our pie to go. Outstanding! It was a long and satisfying day.
Tom
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