[GaliWalker]

Otter Creek Wilderness, West Virginia (5/28/'18) Route: Otter Creek Trail (north trailhead) > Moore Run Trail > Turkey Run Trail > FR701 > Big Spring Gap Trail > Otter Creek Trail Stats: 17.9mi, 2700ft elevation gain, 11.5hrs I seem to have fallen into this groove of selecting Otter Creek Wilderness as a hiking destination during spring, when I'm transitioning from conditioning hikes to more fun ones. This year, the transition point got pushed back a few weeks, which meant that I was able to visit Otter Creek at its prettiest. Incredibly lush, even plush, conditions would greet me on my hike, although thunderstorms would crack the whip halfway through, pelting me with heavy rain. I reached the north trailhead for the Otter Creek Trail around 6:15am and took off up the gently graded trail. A wet spring had the surroundings as lush green as I'd ever seen in the area. Since it had rained the day before raindrops bejeweled every leaf and some remnants of fog still lay nestling in the folds of the verdant valley. Otter Creek was a talkative companion to my right. I kept one eye on the trail and one on the creek. Every once in a while, I’d head down to the bank for some photography, so progress was really slow, despite the easy nature of the hike.

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2.5mi in, at its intersection with the Big Spring Gap Trail - which lay on the far side of Otter Creek - the trail made a left turn. The last time I'd travelled along this section of the Otter Creek Trail, numerous trees lay strewn like matchsticks across the creek, an aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. I was pleased to see that these had mostly been cleared and the creek was now as beautiful as ever.

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I crisscrossed Otter Creek twice via precarious rock hops; the next two crossing would require fords. Soon after the second crossing I reached the junction with the Moore Run Trail, which of course lay on the far side of Otter Creek. The refreshingly icy wade cooled me down somewhat; it had become a hot and humid day. The creek crossings and the time spent indulging my photography itch meant that it had taken me around 6hrs to travel the first 7.1mi.

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I headed uphill along the Moore Run Trail through some pretty rhododendron tunnels. As I ascended up the flanks of McGowan Mountain turgid clouds gathered overhead and thunder began to rumble. The next moment, right as I turned onto the Turkey Run Trail, sheets of rain began to pelt me. The next 4mi were some of the most miserable ones I've encountered recently on the trail. Head high brush, laden with moisture, slapped me in the face and wrapped around my bare legs, gleefully shedding itself of the water. Nettles and catbrier hooked and clawed at my legs, raking them over well and good. Sodden through and through my boots began to make obscene squelching noises inside and out as I scrabbled for purchase in the muddy conditions. Small flying beasties joined the wet brush in attacking my eyes; blinded by this aerial assault I was unable to see the trail, already well hidden by the thick undergrowth. At one point, I slipped slightly and as I put a hand down an unexpectedly abrasive rock sliced a sliver of skin off. At another my shin banged painfully into a hidden log, which exacted its own price. In the middle of all of this I was literally run into by a lost dog. The first inkling I had that I was not alone in my misery was when I felt something bump into me from behind. I look around and this cute but lonely looking dog is peering up at me wagging its tail in an uncertain greeting. What to do? I'd seen not a single other human on my entire outing and that dog had materialized out of thin air. 2mi further along was FR701, where there would a chance of meeting someone. I made the decision to allow the dog to follow me that far, if it wanted to, but no further. I could not let it continue back down into the Otter Creek valley, and didn't even know if it would be able to cross the creek. As I reached FR701 I saw a truck parked there. There was no one with the vehicle, but I was able to persuade the dog to stay there. Guilt gnawed at me as I hiked the short 0.5mi to the Big Spring Gap Trail, but I persuaded myself that the radio collar the dog was wearing would allow its owners to locate it reasonably quickly, and that the truck also belonged to them.

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The rain had stopped by now and I covered the 0.9mi Big Spring Gap Trail back down to Otter Creek in no time at all. Another ford and I was back on the Otter Creek Trail. The final 2.5mi back to the car were fast and uneventful. Slipping into my waiting dry clothes was pure bliss.

[awilsondc]

Gorgeous water shots! I wonder if that dog found its way home, how odd...

[GaliWalker]

[wildernessed]

Very nice !

[gb]

You did a nice job of finding good angles on many of the shots that make it feel as if the viewer is part of the action; right in the stream. You also managed to crop out distracting bright sky. Nice images.