A Wild and Wonderful Week

Solo mountain biking in West Virginia

RAVEN ROCK: No better way to start the trip than a ride at Cooper’s Rock, still my favorite ride in all of West By God.

Two large trucks transporting gravel on a muddy construction site surrounded by hilly terrain and foggy weather. — FROM DAVIS TO ELKINS: Spent the first night in Davis but decided against riding there, opting to devote the week to riding places I’d never been. The first part of the drive was through the clouds, and even though the mountains of WV pale in comparison to the mountains out west, this sight reminded me that you don’t have to drive the country roads to see something wild.

JOEY”S BIKE SHOP: Stopped at the local bike shop in the cool little college town of Elkins and got a chance to chat with Joey Riddle, a regional legend and veteran mountain bike racer. He confirmed that my next destination, the Mower Tract Basin, was a great place to ride. Getting to the trails involved a seven-mile drive on a gravel road back up into the clouds. The trail system is only a few years old and is well-signed and maintained despite being pretty far “out there.”

A mountain bike rests on a wooded trail surrounded by tall trees and pine needles, with patches of moss on the ground.

A mountain bike lying on a dirt trail surrounded by tall trees in a forest. The ground is covered with fallen leaves and moss. The scene is overcast and suggests a peaceful, natural environment.

A rocky trail winding through a dense forest, with tall trees on either side and patches of green moss and leaves scattered along the path. A bicycle rests on the ground beside the trail.

Narrow trail running through a dense forest with tall trees and scattered rocks along the path.

Close-up view of black animal droppings on a dirt trail, with a mountain bike tire in the frame. — SHAVER”S MOUNTAIN: I really enjoyed these trails even though I only rode about half of the total mileage available. There’s some awesome campsites, and I stopped at one of them to talk with a couple who had pulled their trailer all the way up the forest service road to a beautiful overlook. Turns out that the guy was the great great grandson of the namesake of Shaver’s Mountain and the Shaver’s Fork of the Cheat River. We had a really cool conversation about the abundance of bears in the area, and shared travel stories.

A small waterway running through a natural area, surrounded by trees and shrubs, with a beaver dam made of branches on one side. — JUNCO LOOP: Apparently the beaver wanted to help make a bridge for this section of single track. The area is a reclaimed strip mine, and there’s plenty of evidence of reclamation and regrowth,

A white barn in a green field with a large radio telescope structure in the background, surrounded by rolling hills and cloudy skies. — GREEN BANK OBSERVATORY: Started heading south toward Snowshoe, but couldn’t get a cell signal because of the radio blackout in the area that keeps the space signals clear. Stopped for directions, and a friendly local told me I was on the wrong side of the mountain. I liked that and I love West Virginia people, Despite all the stereotypes, I’ve never had a bad encounter.

A two-story yellow building with a porch and outdoor seating, featuring large windows and a black vehicle parked in front. — DIRT BEAN: After checking in at the Snowshoe Inn, I did an orienting ride of the basin side, then woke up the next morning and headed toward the small mountain town of Marlinton, a place I’d always wanted to visit. Dirt Bean Coffee and Bike Shop (checkout the website) was created by another veteran mountain bike racer and is well worth your patronage if you’re ever in the area. While I was eating my fully loaded De Kine Bagel, I had another cool conversation with a father/daughter couple who were also riding Snowshoe. They were from Ashville and the dad was a veteran whitewater kayaker who loved paddling the notorious Green River Narrows and the Gauley River.

A mural featuring the word 'WELCOME' at the top, depicting a mountain biker riding through a scenic landscape with pink flowers at the bottom. The mural is located in Marlinton, WV. — MONDAY LICK TRAILS: The plan was to hit the local single-track just outside of town for my morning ride. The system was designed on a series of ridges and involved climbing for about 20-30 minutes up a forest road, then ripping down the fresh and well-built singletrack. Got a chance to talk to one of the trail builders from Appalachian Dirt and Rock Solid Trail Contracting who happened to be from Davis. Again, I didn’t ride all of the available singletrack, but I definitely will someday.

A mountain bike lying on its side on a dirt path surrounded by trees and fallen leaves in a forested area.

A modern green cabin with large windows, a flat roof, and a man standing in front. Surrounding trees provide a natural backdrop. — On one of the trips back up the ridge, I decided to pull into the driveway of this cabin to see if it was an AirBNB. My wife and I are planning on building small home on our property in Northern Michigan and I’m really interested in this design. Turns out the guy who was renting was from Ohio, and once again I had a nice chat with a total stranger.

Sunset over a mountainous landscape with trees in the foreground and a colorful sky.

A scenic view from a mountainside featuring a ski lift, tall trees, and a lake surrounded by autumn foliage under a clear blue sky. — SNOWSHOE: The main destination of the trip was supposed to be the Snowshoe mountain bike trails. The folks at Fort William in Scotland thought it was strange that I had never ridden there, given the fact that it’s one of the best downhill mountains biking destinations in the US. So I vowed to go this year.

Sign marking the trail 'Double D' at a bike park, with a closed sign and forested area in the background. — I”M TOO OLD TO BE A BIKE PARK KID: The gameplan was to ride the blue trails as a warmup to the technical rooty and muddy black trails and use an access road to ride back up to the top of the slope each time. After checking out Dirt Beaver and Dreamweaver, I decided to try the “E” trail which I found to be blown out and generally slow and no fun. The 6000 Steps trail descends the other side of the valley, and honestly, I was already tired of the noise and business of the bike park, so I decided it would be interesting to climb rather than descend the 6000 Steps Trail.

A forest path surrounded by tall trees with sunlight filtering through the branches, featuring a bicycle lying on the ground among moss and fallen branches. — BACKCOUNTRY-ISH: It was a great decision, and I really enjoyed the climb up the ridge as well as the singletrack along the Allegheny Trail. The views to the East from the backcountry cabin were Pure West Virginia.

A scenic view from a mountain overlook featuring a wooden railing, with a mountain bike leaning against it. In the background, rolling mountains and a clear blue sky are visible, surrounded by trees and greenery.

A rustic log cabin with a wooden porch overlooks a scenic view of mountains under a clear blue sky. A mountain bike is leaning against the porch railing. — ALWAYS THE NEXT TIME: A great loop would be to descend Rooty Pebbles at the park, climb 6000 Steps, go north on the Allegheny Trail, descend Bailout back to Shaver’s Lake, then climb back to the top of the slope. On an ebike, of course. Otherwise, I concluded, the riding at Snowshoe Bike Park just wasn’t for me. Fortunately, the guy at the bike shop set me straight.

Menu page for The Dog House at Country Roads Kitchen, featuring the address, contact number, and business hours. — DINNER FOR THE NIGHT: Hotdogs and beer, right across the street from the Snowshoe Inn. All you need.

A lineup of classic cars parked in an open area, with a mix of colors and models under a clear blue sky and surrounded by trees. — SHOULDER SEASON: Not many people at the Snowshoe Inn (perfect) but eventually a couple of vehicle clubs rolled in. Strange contrast between off-road wheelers and Porche afficionados.

A parking lot filled with various SUVs on a clear morning, surrounded by trees and mountains in the background.

A black bicycle resting on the ground in a forest, next to a colorful sign that says 'Yep, You're Lost.' The background features tall trees and moss-covered ground. — NOT REALLY: The bikeshop guy pointed me to the trails at the north end of the resort, where the trails were in much better shape but no less rocky and rooty. Even though the “zone” was relatively small, it was enchanted, beautiful and unique.

A mountain bike leaning against a tree in a lush forest with tall, straight trees and a narrow dirt path covered in green moss.

A mountain bike leaning against a tree on a rugged forest trail surrounded by tall trees, rocks, and exposed roots.

A serene forest scene showcasing tall trees and a small creek, with ferns and a bike resting on a wooden plank near the water. — SILVER CREEK: Bikeshop guy also pointed me to the trails beyond the ski slopes to the north, which I found to be classic West Virginia singletrack – exactly what I came for. Once again, I saved some for later.

A mountain bike lying on the forest floor with a bike repair station in the background, surrounded by trees and sunlight filtering through the leaves. — I COULDN’T BELEIVE IT WAS OVER: This is possibly the only trailside tool post I’ve ever encountered that actually had all the tools intact and unpilfered.

Close-up of a dirty black rail with the word 'RAIL' partially obscured by dirt and debris. — The Trek Rail performed perfectly throughout the week: nearly 100 miles of hard riding and 13,000 feet of ascent. On the way home, I decided to drive across WV and head up into Ohio on Rt, 77. Along the way, I drove by the Rich Mountain Battlefield, and got treated to a nice history lesson about how WV seceded from Virginia because they didn’t want to be a slave state. I believe there is still a vibe in this state that speaks to that sentiment. Also along the way, I saw a sign for Watters Smith State Park and decided to check out a place that I hadn’t ridden in 16 or 17 years. In the parking lot, I had the good fortune to meet the original train builder, George, and another guy, Jason, who does a lot of trail maintenance and who also coaches the local NICA team Great people and they took me on a fun ride around the trail system. Really glad to have met them. And it turns out that they know Joey Riddle from Elkins as well as the trail builder from Davis. Such a cool community of riders.
I couldn’t imagine a better ending to a wonderful time in a state I love.