My goal this summer of 2010 has been to ride the entire length of the North Bend Trail on my favorite Specialized hybrid bicycle, 72 miles between Wolf Summit near Clarksburg and Parkersburg, WV.Of course, I'm doing it in pieces of 10-15 miles each but it's been a great opportunity for me to renew my love for this part of the state up-close and personal.
My first observation is that it's been a really hot summer! On the hottest day of the summer when the temperature was over 90 degrees and the humidity over the top, I was bicycling the section of the trail west of Salem to Long Run Road. At least a couple of times, I paused to lie in the shade to recover and I hydrated continuously.
Second, this trail is an outdoor photographer's paradise. Central West Virginia's wildflowers are plentiful here, posing quietly for my lens. And, many of these flowers are butterfly magnets, so their fluttering and colorful wings also attract my attention. Check them out by clicking on the slide show found on the right of this blog page.
Another treat for bicyclers on this trail is the numerous tunnels that the 1850's railroad builders created to ease trip for early industrial era steam engines and us post-industrial age bicyclers who followed. Some are totally lightless and provide welcome cool respite.
I encountered few other bicyclers and usually traveled solo except when I was joined by brother-in-law, Dave Rice and his wife, Linda, who are younger and more experienced bicyclers now living in Wilmington, NC. We rode the segment of the trail west of North Bend Park to Ellenboro and back where butterflies and tunnels are plentiful. We recommend the trail, the Ellenboro McDonald's and the North Bend Park lodge food.
