Tag: Allegheny Mountains

With Appalachian Trail Closures, Allegheny Trail Welcomes New Hikers, Volunteers

Hurricane Helene forced the closure of hundreds of miles of the Appalachian Trail. Allegheny Trail staff in West Virginia want to offer affected hikers an alternative in the Mountain State.

In late September, Hurricane Helene brought devastating damage to the southeastern United States. This destruction affected much of the southern Appalachian Trail, forcing the closure of hundreds of miles of hiking path.

The cyclone caused some damage in West Virginia, but the state fared far better than regions further south. That is partially why Allegheny Trail Coordinator Marissa Bennett wants to spread word about the state’s longest hiking trail: to provide an alternative to hikers who were affected.

The Allegheny Trail stretches across 311 miles of the Allegheny Mountains, and celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Reporter Jack Walker spoke with Bennett about the trail, and efforts to attract new hikers and volunteers.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Walker: How did the Allegheny Trail get started?

Bennett: The Allegheny Trail was an idea started by a group of Boy Scouts in the 1950s, where they were thinking: Why can’t we have a version of the Appalachian Trail in West Virginia in the Allegheny Mountains? Some guys pulled out some maps, and in 1974 the West Virginia Scenic Trails Association came to be, and they are the stewards of the Allegheny Trail. So in 1974, we started actually digging treads for the trail.

Walker: What amenities are on the trail?

Bennett: So along the 311 miles of trail, we have a dozen hiker shelters. The trail also passes through a dozen communities and trail towns where it could be easy for one to resupply and there are some dispersed camping areas the trail goes through. The trail also follows a little bit of road and dirt path, so it’s really easy for someone to get on and off the trail if they needed to try to hitch a ride into town to resupply or just wanted to get a break off the trail for a few days.

Walker: How many people thru-hike the Allegheny Trail each year?

Bennett: Over the last four years or so, we have really started doing a lot better on record-keeping and bookkeeping. We’re trying to get a better registry system online so we know how many people are using the trail. It would be really hard to say because so many people don’t register. But we probably have at least 12 thru-hikers on the trail right now that we’re aware of, which is a pretty good number for us. A lot of people are starting to find out about it for the first time. So a lot of people that have done the Appalachian Trail or any other long distance-trails in the area have gained interest in wanting to do the Allegheny Trail.

The Allegheny Trail offers a view of Blackwater Canyon, pictured here. The canyon is located in Tucker County.

Photo Credit: Marissa Bennett

Walker: What are you looking for in trail volunteers?

Bennett: So, we try to do trail maintenance almost every weekend. A trail coordinator will host a work event where volunteers of any experience can come out. You don’t have to have any kind of experience. We’ll show you what kind of work is needed, and we’re there to help you every step of the way. We’re just excited to get people out that want to help volunteer. You know, we’re a very small organization, and taking care of 311 miles with just a handful of people is quite a feat. So we’re always looking for volunteers.

We do have a dedicated set that’s come to almost all of our events, but we’re always trying to expand. During the summer time, some of the more remote areas of the trail get a little brushy, where the thorns and brush start to grow in. … So we try to host work events to get these areas cleared out, along with making a better tread for hikers.

If people are interested in learning how to be a sawyer, we work really closely with the United States Forest Service. They host a chainsaw class periodically, and we try to get volunteers signed up for that so we could have more sawyers on the trail. Down trees during, especially these hurricane storms we’ve had — we’ve got quite a few trees we need to get blown down, and not a lot of people certified to use a saw. But even if you weren’t interested in sawing, just having a pair of cutters and coming out and just cutting the vegetation back so it’s a comfortable trail to hike through. There’s not too many trouble areas, but there are some areas that we really need to start getting volunteers in to help keep the trail open and more desirable to use.

Walker: How do you expect Hurricane Helene to affect turnout on the trail?

Bennett: We really want to build up a good volunteer base, because we have a feeling that, because of the really bad floods in North Carolina that devastated the Appalachian Trail, we’re probably going to start seeing an influx of hikers coming off that trail, and maybe wanting to hike this trail. We’re really trying to get things cleaned up for the trail, anticipating a higher usage. We just really want to get it in really good shape.

The volunteers on the trail do the best they can now, but there’s only so many people for so many miles of trail. Just really trying to spread the word there. The Allegheny Trail is a West Virginia hidden gem. There’s a mix of walking on country roads, and you’ll be hiking along a canyon, you’ll be in the woods. It’s varied scenery.

The section coordinators and the volunteers in general are very helpful. If someone was ever in need, usually people tend to go on Facebook first, and will post a question. or if they need a ride or need off the trail for a few days. The coordinators are really helpful with connecting people together to help the hikers in need.

For more information on how to hike the Allegheny Trail, visit the trail’s website.

Working To Graduate Debt-Free At Marshall And Hiking West Virginia’s Longest Trail, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, Marshall University’s “Marshall For All’ project allows participating students to complete a 4-year bachelor’s degree without accruing any debt and with Hurricane Helene closing much of the southern Appalachian Trail, Allegheny Trail advocates want hikers to know they can find alternatives in West Virginia.

On this West Virginia Morning, Marshall University’s “Marshall For All’ project allows participating students to complete a 4-year bachelor’s degree without accruing any debt. Randy Yohe spoke with Marshall For All Project Director Jennnifer Jimison on how the program works, even as America’s student loan debt percentage continues to soar.

Also, fire season came early for New River Gorge Park in September, with the Beury Mountain fire. Caelan Bailey reports on how firefighters prepare, contain, and coordinate fire response.

And Hurricane Helene closed much of the southern Appalachian Trail. Allegheny Trail Coordinator Marissa Bennett wants hikers to know they can find alternatives in West Virginia. She spoke to reporter Jack Walker about efforts to reach more hikers and volunteers.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

Maria Young produced this episode.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

Allegheny Wood Products CEO Sells Thousands Of Acres To US Forest Service

CEO of Allegheny Wood Products John Crites and his family announced this week plans to sell property in Tucker County to the United States Forest Service to be added to protected lands.

Monongahela National Forest will soon expand by roughly 2,700 acres.

CEO of hardwood manufacturer Allegheny Wood Products John Crites and his family announced this week plans to sell property in Tucker County to the United States Forest Service to be added to protected lands.

The property includes roughly five miles of land in the Blackwater Canyon, a gorge carved by the Blackwater River bordered by a scenic trail. The acquisition will expand public access to this land.

The purchase is funded by a federal grant program known as the Land and Water Conservation Fund. In a Monday press release, Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., expressed his gratitude for the sale, and said estimates of the property’s cost are about $14 million.

“This is a huge win for the Mountain State and the nation as people are able to enjoy more of the true treasures of wild and wonderful West Virginia,” he said. ““When this deal is complete, it will provide wonderful outdoor recreation opportunities, which will strengthen opportunities for tourism, job creation and economic growth in the region.”

The property’s acquisition is expected to be finalized by the end of 2025.

Sept. 5, 1716 – Virginia Lieutenant Governor Alexander Spotswood Reaches Allegheny Mountains Crest

On September 5, 1716, Virginia Lieutenant Governor Alexander Spotswood and about 50 men reached the crest of the Allegheny Mountains, likely in present Pendleton County, and claimed the land for King George the First of Great Britain.

Spotswood and his men—described as “gentlemen, servants, Indians, and rangers”—journeyed up the Rappahannock River and crossed over the Blue Ridge Mountains into the Shenandoah Valley. Robert Brooke, a member of the expedition and the king’s surveyor general, made the first scientific observations west of the Alleghenies.

Within a year of the expedition, some of the first English settlements were established in the Shenandoah Valley, with possibly one at present Shepherdstown. Spotswood hoped these settlements would prevent the French and Indians from expanding into the region.

After reaching the crest of the Alleghenies, Spotswood gave each of his fellow adventurers a small golden horseshoe—some set with valuable stones—to commemorate the event. They are remembered as the “Knights of the Golden Horseshoe.”

In honor of the expedition, West Virginia schools, beginning in the 1930s, began presenting golden horseshoes annually to students who excel in West Virginia studies.

July 12, 1749: Loyal Company Granted 800,000 Acres

On July 12, 1749, the Colony of Virginia granted the Loyal Company 800,000 acres in what is today parts of southern West Virginia, southwestern Virginia, and southeastern Kentucky. The Loyal Company promoted settlement in Western Virginia at a time when few pioneers dared to venture west of the Allegheny Mountains.

By 1754, the land company had settled about 200 families, including some along the New and Bluestone rivers. Most of these settlements, though, were destroyed by Indians during the French and Indian War.

The grants to the Loyal Company, and to the Greenbrier and Ohio companies, were early attempts by colonial Virginia to resist English rule. The king of England believed that he alone had the right to award land grants, while Virginia’s leaders felt they should control western lands.

After the French and Indian War, England tried to repress violence on the frontier by forbidding settlement west of the Alleghenies. However, many land speculators and pioneers ignored the order of the crown and pushed into Western Virginia. This westward expansion heightened tensions with England and furthered our nation’s journey toward independence.

Loyal Company Granted 800,000 Acres: July 12, 1749

On July 12, 1749, the Colony of Virginia granted the Loyal Company 800,000 acres in what is today parts of southern West Virginia, southwestern Virginia, and southeastern Kentucky. The Loyal Company promoted settlement in Western Virginia at a time when few pioneers dared to venture west of the Allegheny Mountains.

By 1754, the land company had settled about 200 families, including some along the New and Bluestone rivers. Most of these settlements, though, were destroyed by Indians during the French and Indian War.

The grants to the Loyal Company, and to the Greenbrier and Ohio companies, were early attempts by colonial Virginia to resist English rule. The king of England believed that he alone had the right to award land grants, while Virginia’s leaders felt they should control western lands.

After the French and Indian War, England tried to repress violence on the frontier by forbidding settlement west of the Alleghenies. However, many land speculators and pioneers ignored the order of the crown and pushed into Western Virginia. This westward expansion heightened tensions with England and furthered our nation’s journey toward independence.

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