The Charleston Gazette - Recreation

Cabwaylingo forest is built to last

johnmccoy@wvgazette.com (John McCoy) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:45:00 -0500

DUNLOW — In an era when government officials attempt to stimulate a stagnant economy by funding "shovel-ready" public works projects, West Virginias Cabwaylingo State Forest shows what those programs can acc...

Federal money to help Mon Forest expand

(The Associated Press) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:05:06 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A nearly $5 million allocation will allow for the purchase of 1,087 acres to expand the Monongahela National Forest and make other improvements in the forest. West Virginia Democrat Sen. Robert C. Byrd said money for the purch...

Planetarium manager offers tips for November sky

( ) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 23:45:00 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Go out and get your eyes on the skies. Bill Rouse, manager of the Clay Centers ElectricSky Theater; gives these tips for stargazing in November. The constellation Orion is going to start showing up in the late evening. By the end...

Spice Run Wilderness: Truly wild, wonderful W.Va.

rsteelhammer@wvgazette.com (Rick Steelhammer) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:19:48 -0400

Take an audio slideshow visit to Spice Run here or see player ...

Virginia may fill its own hills with Rocky Mountain elk

(The Associated Press) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:45:00 -0400

RICHMOND, Va. - More than 150 years after Virginias last native elk was killed, game officials may try to populate the states southwest corner with its bigger, buff-colored cousin - the Rocky Mountain elk. They say bringing back an elk subspecies coul...

Coonskin volunteers build new trail

kathryng@wvgazette.com (Kathryn Gregory) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 23:45:00 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- More than 20 volunteers descended on Coonskin Park early Saturday morning, determined to get their hands dirty while cutting and building a new 700-foot-long trail through the park. The trail weaves belo...

Walking tours in Italy open vistas and possibilities

earle@wvgazette.com (Rosalie Earle) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 23:45:00 -0400

SORRENTO, ITALY -- The young driver of the car I had hired to take me from the Naples Airport to Sorrento was complaining about the heat, the humidity and the lack of rain needed "just to clean things off." He looked at me with a sly grin. "...

Into the Garden: Theres a new guide in town -- use it wisely

sjbusse@gmail.com (Sara Busse) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 23:45:00 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Theres a new guide for identifying wildflowers and trees in our area, and its good to use in the field when traversing our state. Its small size makes it easy to stash in a purse, pocket or glove compartment, and the illustratio...

A really green golf course

johnmccoy@wvgazette.com (John McCoy) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 23:45:00 -0400

ROANOKE, W.Va. - Everyone expects golf courses to be green. Some, however, are "greener" than others. The Arnold Palmer Signature Course at Lewis Countys Stonewall...

Gorge bridge to host catwalk tours

rsteelhammer@wvgazette.com (Rick Steelhammer) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:50:09 -0400

FAYETTEVILLE -- Endless Wall Trail, Long Point Trail and other pathways in the New River Gorge National River bring visitors to breathtaking vistas atop sheer cliffs overlooking churning whitewater. But starting in the spring, New River Gor...

Kanawha State Forest nature walks to be held Saturday

(Staff reports) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:16:52 -0400

Nature hikes covering such topics as wildflowers, mushrooms, birds, trees, aquatic life and nature photography will be part of the Margaret Denison Fall Nature Walks program on Saturday in Kanawha State Forest. Registration for the program will begin...

Job Corps refurbishes Cranberry lodgings

rsteelhammer@wvgazette.com (Rick Steelhammer) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:45:00 -0400

RICHWOOD, W.Va. -- As Calvin and Martha Short unloaded gear from their horse-drawn wagon for a week of camping and fishing in the Cranberry Backcountry, they were pleased to see that the roof of Dogway Shelter had been replaced. "Boy,...

Whitewater season looks good

johnmccoy@wvgazette.com (John McCoy) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 23:45:00 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- What a difference a year makes. In 2008, West Virginias whitewater outfitters werent sure theyd have enough water to have a productive fall rafting season. This year, theyre sure. "For abundance of water, this is one of t...

Allegheny Highlands Trail to get $896,000 grant

(Staff reports) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:32:04 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The Allegheny Highlands Trail will move closer to its eventual southern terminus at the Elkins Railroad Depot, thanks to an $896,000 grant announced Tuesday by Gov. Joe Manchin. The trail currently stretches from Highland P...

Charleston man logs more than 100,000 miles on his bike

johnmccoy@wvgazette.com (John McCoy) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 23:45:00 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- If Gene Teaney were a satellite and not a cyclist, hed be on his fifth orbit of planet Earth by now.Teaney, 66, recently pedaled his 100,000th mile since taking up bicycling as a fitness activity in 1988. He knows exactly how many mile...

Dreaming big at Fayette Boy Scout base

(Jon Offredo) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 21:02:00 -0400

GLEN JEAN, W.Va. -- Art King wakes every morning with a new idea for Garden Ground Mountain high-adventure base.King is the president of the Buckskin Council, the part of the Boy Scouts of America that spans many of the Southern West Virginia counties, alo...

Coonskin Park mudslide draws activist ire

rsteelhammer@wvgazette.com (Rick Steelhammer) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 19:16:05 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A mudslide that scoured vegetation from a section of hillside at a log and brush dumping site at Coonskin Park has drawn the ire of park activist Nancy Ward and several trail users. The log and stump disposal area is located a...

Houseboat offers unique experience of Stonewall Jackson lake

sjbusse@gmail.com (Sara Busse) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 23:45:00 -0400

ROANOKE, W.Va. -- Expecting the S.S. Minnow, I was pleasantly surprised by the houseboat we rented at Stonewall Jackson Lake over the Fourth of July. It gave our family uninterrupted time together (and we survived!) with a pristine backdrop of trees, w...

Where rivers meet

johnmccoy@wvgazette.com (John McCoy) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 23:45:00 -0400

GAULEY BRIDGE, W.Va. -- As if to belie their nature, the two rivers merge smoothly and calmly. The New River glides up from the southeast, the Gauley down from the northeast. Its almost a miscarriage of justice. Something more symbolic should mark the mee...

Fayette biplane rides revive golden era of flight

sandyw@wvgazette.com (Sandy Wells) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:00:00 -0400

FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. -- "I dont get a thrill out of scaring people," he said. Really. Imagine an aerial dogfight in World War II. Imagine soaring over the New River Gorge in an open cockpit World War II biplane. Imagine a tum...

Forest Service saws away at managing 37,000 new acres of protected W.Va. land

rsteelhammer@wvgazette.com (Rick Steelhammer) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:27:20 -0400

COWEN, W.Va. -- When a tree fell across Little Fork Trail in the Monongahela National Forest in February, Diane Artale and Nathan Welch could have cleared it away with chain saws. But as of March 30, when an act granting wilderness protecti...

Paddlers hit the water for annual Tour de Coal

(Jon Offredo) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 18:34:35 -0400

TORNADO, W.Va. -- Kris Radford started swimming in the Coal River when she was 5, but on Saturday she was left ashore as 191 paddlers floated 11.5 miles during the 6th annual Tour de Coal."The river gets a lot of hard knocks but were trying to show p...

Kanawha State Forest pool reopens Friday

( ) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:25:37 -0400

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The Kanawha State Forest swimming pool, closed since the end of the 2006 season because of leaks, undermined decks and other problems, will reopen today, according to Kevin Dials, assistant superintendent of the forest. Hours of t...

Improvements make Beech Fork State Park a destination spot

johnmccoy@wvgazette.com (John McCoy) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:45:00 -0400

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- HUNTINGTON -- Beech Fork State Park is proof positive of the famous line from the film "Field of Dreams" -- "If you build it, they will come." The more st...

50 years: Lake Sherwood draws a new generation of fans

rsteelhammer@wvgazette.com (Rick Steelhammer) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:10:11 -0400

Fiftieth birthday celebration Fiftieth birthday activities taking place this weekend at Lake Sherwood include live music, a kids fishing derby and nature programs. Campsite reservations may be made online at

Green Bottom wildlife area has become popular destination

johnmccoy@wvgazette.com (John McCoy) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 23:45:00 -0400
GREEN BOTTOM, W.Va. -- On a typical day at Cabell Countys Green Bottom Wildlife Management Area, bird calls are the loudest noises visitors are likely to hear. For a public resource that came into existence amid sound and fury, that can onl...