Laurel Fork Wilderness WV

When we got to the Laurel Fork Wilderness we parked cars at the north end of the trail and then drove 20 miles south to start at the south end. As soon as we were on our way a thunder and hail storm hit. I was driving but jumped out to snap the pic

laurel1.jpg


The storm stopped as we arrived at the south end. After a mile or so thru the woods we came upon this huge meadow.
laurel2.jpg


There was a faint trail into it and then it vanished. We slogged thru thigh deep moss and bog to the side of the hill. We knew the trail followed the river north so we kept bushwhacking north trying to stay in the edge of the woods to stay out of swamp.
laurel3.jpg


We finally came to a place where it drew up some and Ms Hollowdweller started doing her circling walk like she does and found the trail. In no time we had set up camp and she was demonstrating how to roast a hot dog and bun at one time.

laurel4.jpg
 
The next morning my buddy Paul fired up the fire again and we used the tripod that was at the camp to dry some of our rain soaked clothes. Our gore tex boots were no match for the boggy field.

Never wore my boots again for the rest of the hike. Just my Keen sandals.

paulfire1.jpg



paulfire2.jpg
 
Will post more pics this PM when I get a chance to size them down:thumbup:

Was funny. Rained on us at almost the same time both evenings we were there. Not a big problem because most of our hiking time it was sunny.

I have 2 sets of clothes I bring usually. One is my "trail clothes" and is a quick drying set of shorts and a T shirt. The others are my "camp clothes" that I keep super dry in a rainproof bag and those are my clothes I change into once we stop.:thumbup:

In retrospect I should have left my boots at home and only brought the sandals. We crossed the river and various runs so many times and the trail was so muddy my friends who wore both were continuously having to change back and forth.:(
 
Later on I found a loaded serviceberry tree growing over the river and waded out to forage some berries:thumbup:
serviceberries.jpg

pickingserviceberries.jpg
 
The trail was almost always either right beside or within view of the river nearly the entire 20 plus miles we walked it. Sometimes it passed thru these ferney type woods.
ferneywoods.jpg

There was evidence of intense beaver activity thru the whole valley
beaver1.jpg

beaver2.jpg

This was the biggest dam, it was probably 2 acres and was in a series of smaller dams:
beaver4.jpg

Here's the main big lodge:
beaver3.jpg


In the really beaver areas the trail moved off of the old logging railroad grade and followed an old woods road:
beaver5.jpg
 
While in the woods part I ran onto some Chicken of the woods Fungi.

cotw.jpg


To answer what was my "hard use wilderness knife" to quote someone a while back it was my Nessmuk, Mr Stripey who managed to rise to the challenge of anything i needed a knife for on the 3 day 2 night 20 mile trek in the wilderness;)

By the way the outer part notice the part I cut off, that is the best most tender part of the fungus for eating.

cotw2.jpg


Later on we broke for a little fishing

fishing.jpg
 
When we made camp that night it started raining. About half of us ran for the tents while me and a couple others either got the fire going as best we could or cooked stuff.

It was raining too hard to take pics but I sauteed the chicken of the woods in some garlic, salt, and sesame oil I brought and then added in some chopped nettles. Then I added that to some Lo Mein noodles I brought. When the rain broke a little I did manage to snap a pic of Ms HD who emerged and said it was excellent and showed how to use a pack cover as a rain hat.:D
lomein.jpg


My pal Asbury's son Jacob demonstrated survival Jiffypop cooking;):thumbup:
as he shared some with Paul.

jiffypop.jpg


The rain slacked off during the night and the next day was again beautiful.
bluefield.jpg
 
Ha ha! Mr. Stripey saves the day! :thumbup:

Is that your Mountainsmith pack by the barefeet?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top