Wild, Wonderful, West Virginia

Some old time musicians jamming in Clifftop, West Virginia.

Three weeks ago I went to my first Clifftop West Virginia old time music festival. West Virginia is a state that has always been a black hole in my consciousness. Even though I've lived practically right next door for most of my life, and even lived in West Virginia (on the border) for a year in my life right after college, I know very little about the state. The last time I camped in West Virginia was my freshman year in college. That trip in some ways set the course in my life. I knew I wanted to be outside as much as possible then, and fell in love with camping and backpacking. Going to the Clifftop music festival was going to be a good reason to get reacquainted with the place. Once there, I became very, very pleased.

I stayed at the music festival only two days. It's a week long event that occurs every year in August. The music was fantastic. However, it's really hard for me to stay put on the road or on the trail. I was itching to do some exploring. Monogahela National Forest was on my radar. I was blown away by the beauty of the place and intrigued by the towns and farms I passed. It was like stepping back in time. I will most definitely be back...