Glacier National Park - August 2021

 

Sperry Chalet – August 19th

In early 2020, before Covid-19 fully plagued the country, I had been successful in landing a reservation at the Sperry Chalet, one of Glacier National Park’s rustic backcountry lodges. We were scheduled to visit the Chalet in early September. Sadly, we had to cancel due to the high health hazard gripping the nation. 

I got online again in January of 2021 and was able to score a much-coveted room at Sperry for August 19^th! Originally, I had requested a room with 3 beds – one for me, Terry and our son Charlie. Due to some health issues, Terry opted out of the strenuous 6.7-mile hike up to the Chalet.   

 

The Sperry Chalet represented the final chapter in our quest to visit all of the “Great Lodges of the National Parks.” In 2017, the Sprague Fire destroyed the Swiss-style Chalet constructed in 1913 of stone and timber.  At that time, it appeared we would be unable to achieve our Lodge goal. But due to a large contingency of generous people and with the help of the Glacier National Park Conservancy, the Chalet was rebuilt and opened for business in 2020. 

 

Sperry Trailhead

The Steeps!

Registration and Dining Room

Sperry Chalet 

Chalet built by the Great Northern Railway in 1913

To reach the Chalet, one must hike up a steep trail with an elevation gain of 3300 feet. There is another alternative – take a horse up the trail; however, you cannot drive to the Chalet as there are no roads to it!  Only a well-maintained hiking/horse trail. There are three segments to this hike. The first mile and a half segment is steep with one excruciating gradient sporting a 28° incline!

 

The second portion of the trail offers a gradual accent through a charred forest that fell victim to the Sprague Fire. This portion of the hike is relatively easy. Then you reach the “switchbacks!”  The Switchbacks will test your hiking meddle as you make the final 2-mile ascent to the Chalet! 

Trekking the Switchbacks

Charred Forest from Sprague Fire - Aug 2017

Weather-wise, we couldn’t have asked for better conditions. The day we arrived in Glacier Aug 17 it rained steadily. The forecast was for more rain in the days to come. Yet on the nineteenth, the day of our trek up to the Chalet, we were treated to cool weather,  overcast skies…and no rain. 

 

With the Chalet now in view, the last two miles of the trail climbs aggressively up the side of the mountain. Steep, but not nearly as precipitous as the first segment! The trek took Charlie and me four and a half hours – the average hiking time for people in decent shape. The first building we reached, Registration, Kitchen and Dining, was miraculously spared by the fire as were a couple of other support facilities. With Covid still in play, we were required to mask up prior to entering the building. 

 

Chalet in sight - 2 miles more!

Checking in at the Dining facility

Charlie and I were pre-assigned to Room 18, a four-bed facility on the ground floor of the two-story dormitory. The rooms at the Chalet are defined as “rustic.” There is no electricity, no heat, no toilet, sink or shower. However, there was a battery-operated lantern that did cast a bit of light inside the room! 

Room 18 - Sperry Chalet

Best of all, no TV or cell service! Just a roof over your head and a bed covered with thick Pendleton Blankets! A chance to “get away from it all” and meditate on the meaning of life! The pit toilet potties are located in a separate building about 50 yards downhill from the Dormitory. 

Of course the lack of cell service would cause Terry a bit of angst, as she wanted us to text or call her once we reached the Chalet. I was told that if I trekked up to Lincoln Pass, another mile up a steep incline, I “just might get a signal!”  My attempt to reach the Pass was thwarted due to spent legs! The first 6.7-miles had taken its toll meaning Terry would be left wondering what had happened to us! 

 

While attempting to give Terry a call, I did happen upon a Mountain Goat who was lounging peacefully by the pond adjacent to the Sperry Campground. Charlie meanwhile was resting his weary legs in our room. 

View from Chalet - Lake McDonald in the distance

Mountain Goat checking me out!

The view from the Chalet is eerie and spectacular. Eerie, as you can see the vast devastation to the forest the Sprague Fire caused. Charred trees as far as the eye can see. Yet, Lake McDonald is in view to the north and Gunsight Pass stands tall to the south. 

We thought lunch was included in our stay only to find out we would be getting a bag full of sandwiches for tomorrow’s descent. While resting our legs in the Dining facility, a couple of women who were departing the Chalet offered up their sandwiches. Hungry as we were, we accepted their offer. 

 

After one bite into the soggy sandwich, I noted that it was made two days prior! When Charlie noticed me spitting the contents, he opted out of even opening his offering. We would wait for dinner!

In the meantime, Charlie and I explored the immediate grounds. Earlier, Charlie had been walking around the grounds as I attempted to reach Lincoln Pass and somewhere along his wanderings, he lost his glasses! He retraced his steps and was fortunate to find his specs sitting on the rocky trail he’d explored earlier.   

 

On our way up the mountain, we encountered a deer that was heading down the trail. She didn’t seem to mind our presence and casually veered off trail as we passed. The only other critters we encountered on the hike up to the Chalet were a number of squirrels and chipmunks. 

There are bears in Glacier. Both Grizzlies and Black Bears. As a precaution should we encounter such a beast, I did rent Bear Spray for the first time. Terry and I have hiked in all 63 of our nation’s major parks and not once did we have Bear Spray with us. 

However, we have run across several bears during our treks. In fact, during our 2013 Glacier visit with Charlie, we were treated to a “Bear Sighting” during our Grinnell Glacier hike.  Nevertheless, better to be prepared than breakfast for the beast! Now, much to our chagrin/delight we did not come across any bears along the trail!

 

Much to Charlie’s delight, we did find a Mountain Goat peering into the window of our room. Later that afternoon, we spotted a small heard of 3 goats wandering about the grounds. The Goat sightings made the trip for Charlie! The hike tortured his legs!

 

We were assigned the first of two dinner seatings at 5:30pm and after our unpleasant experience with the soggy lunch sandwich, we wondered what dinner had to offer. Much to our delight, we were treated to turkey chili, a small green salad, prime rib, scalloped potatoes, broccoli, and carrot cake for dessert.  

 

With tummies full and a light rain beginning to fall, we retreated to Room 18 to attempt sleep. Unfortunately, three women whose voices and laughter could be heard for miles occupied Room 20, which was located next to ours! Besides, it doesn’t get dark until around 9 pm, hence, sleep was out of the question! 

 

Knowing Terry was most likely worried sick about our condition, having not been able to communicate with us all day, we decided to catch breakfast at 7 am and head downhill shortly thereafter. Breakfast was excellent! Two eggs, two pieces of crispy bacon and a slice of toast! Plenty enough to fuel our bodies for the descent! After a hearty breakfast, we began our hike down the mountain shrouded with early morning clouds. 

Preparing for our trek back down the mountain

When Terry and I hiked from rim-to-rim through the Grand Canyon, there is a sign at the top of the trailhead that reads something like this: “It takes twice as long to hike back up as it takes to descend into the canyon.”  Two times more difficult going back up to the rim as descending down into it.  

 

For our hike, we’d be hiking uphill first, then descending the following morning. It took Charlie and I about 4 ½ hours to hike up to the Chalet, so taking the Canyon notice into consideration, I believed it would take us about 2 hours 15 minutes to get down. 

 

One thing we forgot to do with Terry before we started our journey up to the Chalet was to establish a time and place for our rendezvous! I thought I had mentioned to her that we should be down the mountain between 10 and 11 on the 20^th.  But I wasn’t so sure that we had established that timeline! 

 

It did take us half the time to get down to the mountain and guess who was parked directly in front of the Trailhead? With tears of joy streaming down her face, we were happily reunited with mom and spouse!

 

August 17^th – Arrival

Getting to Glacier isn’t easy, unless you want to spend a bunch of money flying directly into Kalispell. In 2019, when Terry and I last visited Glacier, we took a Southwest flight to Spokane, WA, rented a car and drove 4 plus hours to the park. Since we had a bunch of SWA credits, we chose to do the same. Save some money on airfare and spend it on food! 

Belton Chalet

Terry had booked us two rooms at the Belton Chalet for our Glacier trip. As the Belton was one of the Great Lodges of the National Parks, we’d stayed there during our 2019 trip to Glacier and found both the facility and restaurant to be splendid.  Terry had made dinner reservations at 7:30 pm at the restaurant on the day of our arrival. 

 

We thought we’d have no problem making it to dinner as we were departing Spokane International Airport at around 2:30pm. The problem being, it was steadily raining AND there is a one-hour time difference between Spokane and Glacier! So it was actually 3:30 pm at the Belton when we left the airport giving us exactly 4 hours to make it on time for dinner!  I drove a bit faster than usual considering the weather and we were able to make dinner just on time!

 

Dinner at the Belton is delightful! EJ Reynolds, the executive Chef was on duty when Terry and I dined there back in 2019 and he was back in 2021! Of all the Great Lodges Terry and I have visited, only two had truly gourmet dining – Lake Crescent Lodge in Olympic National Park and the restaurant at Belton Chalet. The Belton Dining Room offers innovative Montana cuisine and the Chef utilizes local organic ingredients! The wine selection is decent and the Taproom features Montanan craft beers. If you ever visit the West Glacier area, we highly recommend dining at the Belton!

 

August 18^th

Since the Belton only offers dinner, this morning we walked a whooping 200 yards to the Glacier Highland Restaurant for breakfast. Although Chef Reynolds isn’t on staff here, the meals are very good. Especially the Huckleberry style French Toast!

 

After breakfast, we decided to reenact our epic 2013 hike up Avalanche Creek and on up to Avalanche Lake. Entering the park was a unique experience. Due to Covid’s creation of pent up demand for outdoor experiences, Glacier had to put into play new restrictions to the number of vehicles they would allow into the park each day to keep the park from becoming gridlock. 

 

This meant that those wishing to enter the park needed to purchase a $2 Vehicle Entry Pass good for 7 days. The passes were available online at recreation.gov 60 days prior to arrival with a few more the day of. There are a limited number of passes issued, so some folks were going to be left out. 

 

As we entered the road to the park, traffic was backed up all the way to the shops near Hwy 2 at West Glacier. In all the previous trips we’d made to Glacier via this route, we’d never experienced this sort of traffic. I suspected that the problem was many visitors were unaware of the new regulation requiring the Entry Pass! Sure enough, when the Entry Kiosks finally came into view, we witnessed many vehicles being turned away. Fortunately, we had our Pass!

 

Our plan to trek about Avalanche Creek was thwarted by a swarm of people vying for a limited number of parking spaces. Even with the new vehicle entry program that was designed to minimize overcrowding, there was nowhere to park!

 

Plan B. We would drive the Going-to-the-Sun road in search of another hiking opportunity. The Logan Pass parking lot was jammed, so hiking to Hidden Lake was out of the question. As we descended the eastern side of the Continental Divide, we found a lone parking spot near the St. Mary Falls Trailhead. 

St. Mary Falls

From where we parked, the trail to the Falls is about a mile and a quarter long with an elevation gain of around 215 feet. Dusty Star Mountain towers 8064 feet above while St. Mary Lake is situated to the southeast of the trail. 

The trail is lined with a forest of charred trees that were scorched during the Reynolds Creek Fire of 2015. New growth is beginning to spruce up the trail, yet is sad to see how much fire has changed the landscape at this park. 

 

St. Mary Falls consists of three separate tiers. The upper two are the most visible and photogenic. The third lies under the wooden footbridge that spans the St. Mary River.

 

Virginia Falls is located about another mile up the trail. It’s well worth the extra 392’ of elevation change, as many believe Virginia Falls to be more visually pleasing than St. Mary. We enjoyed both!

Virginia Falls

Once we returned from our Falls hike, we continued down the Going-to-the Sun (GTTS) Road on our way to the town of St. Mary located on the eastern edge of the park boundaries. The GTTD Road is 50 miles long. It takes at least 2 hours to drive if you do not stop. Yet there are plenty of scenic stops along the drive…if you are lucky enough to find a parking spot! There is no gas along the route, so be sure your tank is adequately stocked!

 

At the summit of the Road sits the Logan Pass Visitor Center with what you might think would have ample parking. In 2019 and on this trip, there was a long line of cars awaiting someone to depart in order to secure a parking space. As both Charlie and Terry will attest, I am not the most patient of people and waiting in line for a parking space is not my forté! Hence we bypassed Logan Pass.

 

We did stop by the St. Mary Visitor Center only to discover that the only thing open was the Gift Shop. All displays and films were closed. The Rangers were queued up outside the facility to answer any questions visitors may have. We had dinner reservations at the Belton this evening at 5:30. It was 4 pm when we filled up with gas in St. Mary, which is a good 2 hours from the Belton. We would be late for dinner! Although we were seated along the solid wall facing the main dining area, our meal was once again sensational!

 

August 20^th

Reunited with Terry upon the conclusion of our trek to the Sperry Chalet, Charlie and I were in desperate need of a shower! Back to the Belton for a shower and then back to the Glacier Highland Restaurant for lunch. 

 

During lunch, we discussed going back to Avalanche to attempt to reenact our 2013 visit. While Charlie and I were hiking Sperry,  Terry took one of the famous  Red Bus Tours. During her tour, he Jammer - the driver who jams the stick shift into gear - had mentioned that the Avalanche Campground parking sign always says FULL. The Rangers never change the sign. Charlie, the designated driver replacing Mr. Impatient, easily found parking in the Campground! 

Avalanche Creek Gorge from Footbridge

Off we wandered along the Trail of the Cedars - a short 1-mile loop trail that features a raised wooden boardwalk along the eastern stretches of the hike passing through a forest of ancient western red cedars and western hemlocks. The cedars grow to a height of 100 feet, have diameters ranging from 4 to 7 feet and some of the trees in the area are estimated to be over 500 years old. 

 The visual highlight for many is the view from the footbridge that spans Avalanche Creek. Here you get a spectacular view of the lower Avalanche Gorge and the dynamic carving effects glacial waters have on the terrain.  

 

A short distance up from the footbridge along the Avalanche Lake Trail is the location of one of our favorite places on earth! The three of us visited this site in 2013 and again today!  After posing for another classic photo, we headed to the Lake McDonald Lodge for a much needed beer!

Avalanche Creek - 2013

Avalanche Creek -2021

Prior to departing Lake McDonald Lodge, Terry saw a tee shirt that she wanted. The cashier noticed Terry was wearing her hat with our Trekking the National Parks logo on it along with her Trekking the National Parks long sleeve hiking shirt. The cashier asked her if she belonged to a Club. Terry responded that no, Trekking the National Parks isn’t a club, it's a game our family created. The cashier excitedly exclaimed, “I have that game! It’s terrific!” Standing behind Terry were two women and two kids. Both of the women squealed with delight and informed Terry that they too owned a copy of our game! 

Totem Pole outside Lake McD Lodge

Lake McDonald Lodge

Much to her surprise and delight, Terry finds herself sandwiched between three women who are gleefully stating how much they love our game! Charlie and I were summons over to join the excitement and introduce ourselves.  We were then asked to pose for pictures alongside the family of four! This random chance meeting in the Lake McDonald Gift Shop made Terry’s day! 

For more information about our game visit www.trektheparks.com. 

NP#63 - New River Gorge National Park 

In 2009, Terry and I set a Life Plan Goal of visiting all of our country's major national parks. At the time, there were 58 of these magnificent sites. In 2013, Pinnacles was added to the list. We completed all 59 parks with our visit to American Samoa in September of 2017. Since then, Congress has added four more - Gateway Arch, Indiana Dunes, White Sands...and #63 - New River Gorge.

On July 6, 2021 we achieved our goal of having visited all of them...for now! For who knows what lies ahead?

Our country's 63rd National Park!

Where to stay when visiting this park was a challenge. Terry researched the area and came across Lafayette Flats, a VRBO property located in Fayetteville, WV. We highly recommend this establishment!

Inside our unit - The Corten.

The owners of Lafayette Flats recommended the Cathedral Cafe for Breakfast. We would too! Good eats...downright funky interior!

Inside the Cathedral.

On the Endless Wall Trail.

Mountain Laurel adorns the trail!

Happy Trekkers enjoying the Endless Wall Trail.

View along the Endless Wall Trail.

The "Endless Wall"

A peek at the New River Gorge Bridge from the Endless Wall Trail.

The New River runs through this deep gorge! Not sure why they call it the "New River" as we were told it is the world's second oldest river!

New River viewed from the Tunney Hunsaker (Fayette Station) Bridge.

Incredible tile floor depicting the New River Watershed located at the Sandstone Visitor Center at the south end of the park. 

A glimpse of part of Sandstone Falls.

Another section of Sandstone Falls.

Grandview from the Main Overlook.

You are facing east looking directly at the horseshoe bend of New River.

Steps leading up to a 360 degree view of the Gorge from the Grandview area.

Rainy morning kept the crowds down to...two! Me and Terry! We had the park to ourselves this cloudy, misty morning! This is the boardwalk leading to two observation decks where you'll find excellent views of the Bridge.

View from the lower Observation Deck approximately 150 steps down into the Gorge.

New River Gorge Bridge turned a 45 minute commute into 45 seconds!

The original river crossing was way down into the Gorge at river level. Originally, the bridge was called the Fayette Station Bridge built in 1889. After several facelifts, it's now called the Tunney Hunsaker Bridge in honor of Tunney Hunsaker, longtime Chief of Police in Fayetteville, WV. 

The Tunney Hunsaker Bridge from the Observation Deck.

Beneath the Bridge on a foggy morning.

The New River Bridge as seen from the Tunney Hunsaker.

Chapter 63 -New River Gorge                                                                                      July 14, 3031

 

 New River Gorge located in southern West Virginia became our country’s 63^rd major national park when Congress added HR 4610 to the Omnibus Appropriations Bill, which was primarily aimed at providing economic stimulus for pandemic relief. 

 

White Sands, the country’s 62^nd national park was earlier upgraded from National Monument status to National Park status compliments of the National Defense Authorization Bill.

 

That’s how government works. Congress people horse trade their votes with other congress people for the inclusion of their pet projects deep within a variety of House and Senate Bills! For a very insightful look at how government works, read The Waxman Report by Henry Waxman!  

 

Because our Life Plan included the goal of visiting all of our country’s major national parks, (the ones with the title National Park) Terry and I were compelled this year to visit numbers 62 and 63. (We visited #62 - White Sands National Park in mid-June)

 

New River Gorge was originally established as a National River in 1978 to protect 53 miles of the New River and its surrounding gorge. By the way, we learned that the “New River” is actually the second oldest river on the planet! Not quite sure how they came up with that designation…but we’ll take their word for it!

 

July 5^{th –} July 6^th

After dropping of the doggies at Roy and Micki’s house on Monday night, we began our journey to New River Gorge with a redeye flight from Phoenix to Charlotte, NC and then on to Charleston, WV. Normally, I can sleep on airplanes. But this is the first time I’ve had to have a mask covering my face when flying. As of today, all passengers are required to mask up for the entire airport/airplane experience. Masks make my nostrils itch! I understand the why we are required to wear one…however; it still made for a very uncomfortable flight!

 

Nevertheless, we made it to Fayetteville, WV where we would be staying at a VRBO named Lafayette Flats. Terry found this lovely vacation rental online and we’d highly recommend it to anyone heading to visit the Gorge. 

 

Co-owners Amy McLaughlin and Shawn Means converted a 100-year-old cut-stone building into four lovely apartments overlooking downtown Fayetteville. The units are smartly decorated with a variety of artwork from a diverse array of West Virginia artisans. 

 

We stayed in the Corten unit – a one-bedroom rental fully equipped with everything necessary for a comfortable stay.  As we would soon discover, the word “Cor-Ten” refers to the type of steel used to construct the famous bridge spanning the New River Gorge.  More on the bridge later.  

 

Our first stop was to the Visitor Center located on the east side of the river where we would inquire about the best TTD’s (Things To Do) for a three day visit. Along with purchasing our Park Pin to add to our collection, we learned of the many hiking trails, rafting trips and scenic drives that are featured throughout the park. 

 

After checking in to our unit, we ventured out into Fayetteville to purchase “Croakies” for our rafting trip on Thursday and vino for our room! We were told Studio B had a decent selection of wines and it was just a “short walk” from our basecamp. The local “vicinity map” indicated that Studio B was right around the corner…so off we went in search of wine!

 

Maps can be deceiving! What appeared to be a very short stroll turned out to be a long and treacherous trek on a hot, humid afternoon down a very narrow road without sidewalks and fast moving traffic coming at you in both directions with little room to dodge the speed demons!

 

One of the locals we passed warned us to “Be careful! This is the most dangerous road in Fayetteville!” We survived our trek to Studio B. Bought a couple bottles of vino and headed back up the Road from Hell to the safety of Lafayette Flats. 

 

Next up was deciding on what to do for dinner. The owners of our unit recommended a place called Pies and Pints - a pizza joint with craft beers. We opted to do take out and bellied up to a overcrowded bar while our pie was baked. Surprisingly, the choice of beverages was of high quality and with much variety. I sampled the North End Tavern Roedy’s Red – an amber/red ale from Parkersburg, WV.  Terry tried a taste of the Bad Shepard Not your Momma’s Berry Pie that had her puckering up! She immediately changed course and ordered a pint of the Swilled Dog Wild Berry Cider. 

 

After the 45-minute wait for our Pie, we headed back to the Corten, cracked open a bottle of Stags Leap Chardonnay and noodled. It was a long, sleepless day and we needed some rest!

 

July 7^th

Up at 6am plotting out our day’s itinerary. Terry still gently snoring in the bedroom. Our hosts recommended the Cathedral Café for breakfast, which didn’t open up until 8 am. Funky joint with all kinds of stuff for sale. Wines. Tee shirts. Games.

 

Here we met a most unusual human being. A genuine conspiracy theorist from Naples, FL who, when not driving his Semi is informing people that mankind is doomed. He is convinced that the military already has bases established on the moon and on Mars in preparation for the mass exodus from planet Earth!

 

He goes on to tell us that humans now have the mind power to stop tsunami’s by creating plastic walls by simply thinking it to be and it will. Voila! He honestly believes humans are capable of building a plastic wall to stop an ensuing tidal wave from destroying a city by using the power of their mind!  Whoa! A genuine Space Cadet sitting next to us at the Cathedral Café! Check please! Time to go visit the park!

 

Our first stop is the Endless Wall Trail – a 2½-mile loop through densely forested terrain.  The trailhead is about 4 miles from our VRBO. Parking is limited! We find the last available “legal” spot and off we go to discover the Endless Wall. When researching this newest of parks, we discovered that not all West Virginians were in favor of upgrading the area from National River to National Park. 

 

Their primary concern is that this newfound notoriety would bring hoards of tourists (like us) to an area with limited infrastructure to handle the influx of recreation-starved humans! There are very few hotel accommodations in Fayetteville. Very limited parking at trailheads.  And not a large number of restaurants to choose from. 

 

The trail itself is rated moderate – meaning there are a few minor hills to contend with. The main destination is the Diamond Point Overlook, which offers up a great view of the Gorge, the river below, a glimpse of the Bridge and the “endless” rock wall that defines the upper reaches of the gorge. 

 

If you choose to do the entire loop, you will have to navigate about a half mile of paved road similar to that which we experienced trekking to Studio B! We opted for an out-and-back experience in order to avoid traffic. 

 

Most of the scenery along the trail is dense green trees of many varieties. For color, Mother Nature threw in a lovely collection of Mountain Laurel in full bloom. 

 

When we emerged from our hike, we found the parking lot overflowing with vehicles all jockeying for a space, of which there were none! A rather large RV was camped on the road, blocking entry and exit! A group of hikers helped the RVers back out of the parking lot allowing us to head out to our next destination – the Sandstone Visitor Center at the south end of the park.

 

One of the recommended activities at New River is to take the “Scenic Drive” around the entire circumference of the park. It takes you on a tour of the Nuttalburg Mine Site, the Grist Mill at Babcock State Park, the Sandstone Visitor Center at the south end of the park, Sandstone Falls, Grandview, Thurmond Historic District and back to Fayetteville. 

 

We were able to take in most of this drive…until the skies opened up and biblical amounts of rain came down upon us. So much rain that we literally had to get off the road due to the fact our wiper blades could not keep up with the downpour! 

 

Highlights of this drive for us were the Sandstone Visitor Center, Sandstone Falls and Grandview. 

 

The Sandstone Visitor Center serves as a model for state-of-the-art green design and construction. One of the visually stimulating features of the building is the tile flooring, which depicts a map of the New River watershed. The New River is one of the rare rivers in North America that runs northerly. 

 

It joins the Gauley River just north of Fayetteville and eventually merges with the Kanawha River. The Kanawha flows into the Ohio, which eventually empties into the Mississippi. So waters that originate near Blowing Rock North Carolina find their way into the Gulf of Mexico!

 

New River is estimated to be between 10 and 360 million years old. To me, that’s quite a large gap in time. So, which is it? Ten million years old? Or 360? Or somewhere in between?

 

After spending some time at the Visitor Center, we ventured down to Sandstone Falls – the largest waterfall along the New River. The drive from the Visitor Center to the Falls will take about a half hour, yet it is the only scenic riverside drive within the park boundaries. 

 

Sandstone Falls spans the river where it is 1500 feet wide. Here the river drops between 10 to 25 feet. A wooden boardwalk and bridges that span two islands will take you to several of the Falls viewing points.

 

Our next stop is Grandview – said to be one of the best places to view the Gorge. It might possibly be all that it was touted had it not been for the ever-growing gray skies. The Main Overlook at Grandview is 1400 feet above the river and on a clear day it is said that “you can see directly into the heart of the park, including seven miles of the New River and its watershed.” Here you will have a good view of the horseshoe bend in the river. 

 

We drove to the Turkey Spur Overlook and hiked up the 128 wooden steps to the three landing decks to view the river and gorge below. Unfortunately, the view from Turkey Spur was no different than from Main Overlook. We experienced gray skies shadowing a massive green forest that blankets the hills that make up the Gorge. Winding through the Gorge is a clear view of the railroad tracks that follow the direction of greenish-brown river meandering through it.  

 

Once we departed Grandview, we intended to visit the Thurmond Historic District; however, we experienced a violent thunderstorm that literally forced us off the roadway as our windshield wipers were no good against the downpour.  After waiting out the storm for about 20 minutes, we limped back to Fayetteville and the comfort of our flat! 

 

Once the rain subsided we headed back to Pies and Pints for an early dinner. The Char-grilled Hotwings and Spinach Salad with creamy Gorgonzola dressing were delightful as the main course. As were the pints of craft beer we drank. But the highlight of dinner this evening was dessert! The Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Terrine was out-of-this-world yummy! This coming from one that’s not particularly fond of dessert!

 

July 8^th

Today we float the New River! Adventures on the Gorge (the company we signed on with) offers several different whitewater rafting experiences. We’ve been down class 3, 4 and 5 rapids in the past so on this trip we chose to do a leisurely  “float” rather than tackle the more challenging whitewater. 

 

We booked the Upper New River float that courses through several class one and two rapids (dinks) and one Class Three that did get several of the floaters tossed into the drink!  There were 44 rafters on our trip including several young kids and a dozen or so teenagers who had no clue as to how to paddle a Duckie!  (A Duckie is an inflatable 2-person raft shaped like a kayak.)

 

The all day trip included transportation to and from the river, a sandwich lunch on an overcrowded beach that we shared with two other rafting companies, and all the gear needed to float the river. 

 

Scott was our Trip Leader. Ed the Driver of the Bus. Both looked like recycled Hippies from another era. Both seemed to really love their laid back jobs!

 

This float was a great way to view the Gorge from the river’s perspective! The trip launched from the Thurmond Historic District and took out at Cunard – approximately 6 miles upriver. 

 

Terry and I followed “Mother Duckie Tanner” most of the float. When we were about to approach the only Class 3 rapid, Mother Duckie told all floaters that if they wanted to stay dry, stay left with her as she descended down into the rapid. 

 

She said to all those who wanted to get launched into the river, to stay about 15 feet to the right of her. We followed Mother. The Teens veered 15 feet to the right and got wet! As for the Croakies we bought a couple of days ago to save our glasses from drowning in the event we were tossed from our Duckie…we really didn’t need to invest in them!

 

Just as we were about to reach our final destination, it began to rain. Not the biblical sort we experienced yesterday. Just a steady gentle downpour. Back to the Flats, a hot shower, a glass of Malbec and off to dinner. 

 

Guess where we went to dinner this evening? You got it! Pies and Pints for the third straight night! And the main reason for this lack of culinary variety was to come back for more of that incredible Brownie! 

 

Each night we sat at the bar and watched tennis. Wimbledon was in its late stages and we were treated to some excellent matches. I can’t remember having ever watched more tennis on TV than we did the three nights we sat the bar at the pie shop!

 

July 9^th - Departure Day. 

We awoke to another drizzly day. Leftover pizza and coffee for breakfast.  We have the whole morning and afternoon to further explore the Gorge.  Our first stop was back to the Canyon Rim Visitor Center to take advantage of views of the New River Gorge Bridge. There is a wooden Boardwalk that leads you to one of two viewing platforms. The first platform offers an ok view of the Bridge. The second platform is located about 150 steps down into the gorge and offers a great view of the Bridge.  The rain has scared the tourists away. Terry and I are the only one’s on the boardwalk.

 

The Bridge is definitely one of the key points of visual interest when visiting this park. Most of the literature advertising the park includes a picture of this structure. Construction of the 3030 foot steel arch bridge began in July of 1974. 

 

The material chosen to build the bridge, rust colored Cor-Ten steel, was chosen due to its strength, flexibility, maintenance qualities and its ability to blend in with the natural environment. Cor-Ten steel produces its own durable rust coating thus does not need to be painted. Painting the bridge was estimated to cost about $1 million each time. 

 

The bridge’s official Grand Opening took place in October of 1977, a little over 3 years from the commencement of construction. It has been said that the completion of the bridge reduced a 45-minute commute across the Gorge to 45 seconds!

 

We tested that theory and upon leaving the Visitor Center, we ventured down the Fayette Station Road to the bottom of the Gorge and crossed the Tunney Hunsaker Bridge, which was one of the original crossing points.  Most of the road is one way, very narrow and loaded with hairpin turns. At the bottom of this 100-year old road, you’ll get a great view of the New River Bridge and the river itself. We were in no hurry, but do believe that it would have taken close to 45 minutes to go from one side of the gorge to the other via this old road!

 

All in all this proved to be a very enjoyable experience. We’re not quite sure that it measures up to true National Park status…but what do we know! It gave us a chance to get out of Peoria and see a part of the country we’ve never visited before. 

 

Happy trails my friends and keep on Trekkin’!