walkhighlands

This board helps you to share your walking route experiences in England and Wales... or overseas.
Warning Please note that hillwalking when there is snow lying requires an ice-axe, crampons and the knowledge, experience and skill to use them correctly. Summer routes may not be viable or appropriate in winter. See winter information on our skills and safety pages for more information.

Kaymoor Trail, New River Gorge, WV-USA

Kaymoor Trail, New River Gorge, WV-USA


Postby rvrscum » Fri Jul 24, 2009 1:08 am

Date walked: 24/07/2009

Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).

This is one of my favorite walks in the New River Gorge of West Virginia, which is located in the Appalachain Mountains of the Eastern US. The area is well-known over here for the adventure sports of whitewater paddling and rock climbing, but there are also some great hikes. This one features a lot of different things, but above all for me it is a work out. The walk is 6.8km of a wide mostly level gravel path, which leads to abandoned indstrial ruins of a coal mine. There you have the option of descending 600ft in 829 steps to more ruins and a ghost town.

The beginning of the trail crosses Wolf Creek:

Image

There is coal still to be mined along the trail:

Image

And waterfalls:

Image

Old ventilation shaft enterances to the Kaymoor Mine:

Image

Some of the unique sandstone rock cliffs that litter the Gorge:

Image

A view of the river from along the trail. This is where I work in the summer:

Image

The mine entrance:

Image

The beginning of the stairs:

Image

The view from the top of the stairs:

Image

On the way down:

Image

Ruins at the bottom:

Image

What it looked like in the past. I'm roughly behind where the tall building on the bottom is:

Image

Starting back up from the bottom. Prepare to feel the burn:

Image

Enjoy!!!
User avatar
rvrscum
 
Posts: 53
Munros:9   
Fionas:2   
Sub 2000:2   
Joined: Jul 5, 2009

Re: Kaymoor Trail, New River Gorge, WV-USA

Postby GarryH » Fri Jul 24, 2009 8:32 am

Well I think I can safely say this is one walk I wont be doing but I really enjoyed reading your report rvrscum.
User avatar
GarryH
 
Posts: 285
Joined: Oct 6, 2008

Re: Kaymoor Trail, New River Gorge, WV-USA

Postby Michelle » Fri Jul 24, 2009 3:59 pm

Neat report, RV. Good scenery with a bit of history mixed in. I especially liked the shot of the waterfall :)

I looked up New River Gorge on the map, was hoping it would be a bit closer to the panhandle but alas, it's a bit far out there for me. I'm going whitewater tubing on the Potomac this weekend though, should be fun! I ought to get into a kayak or something a bit more adventurous, but I'm too much of a scaredy :shock:
User avatar
Michelle
Hill Bagger
 
Posts: 208
Munros:25   Corbetts:9
Fionas:5   
Sub 2000:4   
Islands:14
Joined: Jan 21, 2009
Location: Washington DC

Re: Kaymoor Trail, New River Gorge, WV-USA

Postby Paul Webster » Fri Jul 24, 2009 4:05 pm

That's one impressive wooden staircase 8)
User avatar
Paul Webster
Site Admin
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 5826
Munros:282   Corbetts:222
Fionas:71   Donalds:45+17
Sub 2000:121   Hewitts:133
Wainwrights:135   Islands:92
Joined: Jan 6, 2007
Location: Highland
Walk wish-list

Re: Kaymoor Trail, New River Gorge, WV-USA

Postby susanmyatt » Fri Jul 24, 2009 6:17 pm

Great report and pics, this one is certainly outside Scotland :lol:
User avatar
susanmyatt
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 438
Hewitts:94
Wainwrights:141   
Joined: Feb 3, 2009

Re: Kaymoor Trail, New River Gorge, WV-USA

Postby rvrscum » Fri Jul 24, 2009 11:02 pm

Thanks for the positive reviews. I've lurked a bit enjoying the TR's, especially of Skye. I found this website after my trip there in '07. I've since used the site extensively in planning my upcoming trip in less than a week. :D So I thought I might give back a little bit. To Michelle, a lot of folks from the DC area get down here, its only about 5hrs or so away. In a roundabout way one might call my report a "highland walk" as the Scottish Highlands were part of the North American plate 60 million years or so ago. The New River is thought to be among the oldest in the world, and may have been around when the Highlands were still connected to the Appalachains. Anyway, thanks for checking out my photos, and enjoy the follow on TR which I shot today from a typical day at my work. Perhaps some visitors to the site might tour the US and come visit.
User avatar
rvrscum
 
Posts: 53
Munros:9   
Fionas:2   
Sub 2000:2   
Joined: Jul 5, 2009

Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).




Can you help support Walkhighlands?


Our forum is free from adverts - your generosity keeps it running.
Can you help support Walkhighlands and this community by donating by direct debit?



Return to Walk reports - Outside Scotland

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: iannotts and 13 guests