With iconic whitewater found on rivers like the Gauley, Cheat, and the New as their playgrounds, kayakers have long been drawn to West Virginia’s tumultuous waters. The Mountain State’s endless aquatic features provide ample opportunities for water lovers to surf standing waves, execute aerial maneuvers, and explore the hidden depths beneath the surface. From the […] The post Freestyle first appeared on Highland Outdoors. The post Freestyle appeared first on Highland Outdoors ..read more

In the dark hours before dawn on January 2, 2010, I woke up at 10,188 feet on Mount Rainier to my headlamp illuminating the frosty condensation covering the walls of my tent. It was summit day. I was living in Seattle while training for an Alaskan expedition to climb Denali and descend its runoff by […] The post Finding the Balance first appeared on Highland Outdoors. The post Finding the Balance appeared first on Highland Outdoors ..read more

If you live in the town of Davis, West Virginia, there’s a one in 150 chance you’re a national mountain bike champion. This small town, nestled among rugged forests and home to around 600 people, has a special allure for those eager to test their mettle on bikes. Pedaling over slick roots, endless rocks, and expansive bogs is made even more difficult by less-than-ideal weather, which happens more often than not. And yet, the mountain biking scene has thrived in Davis for decades, calling to those who are independent, strong-willed, and hungry for a challenge. Four stellar athletes have taken t ..read more

Howdy, fellow photogs and photo lovers! I am three-illed to announce the third installment of our annual photo contest. The best things come in threes, and it is with this notion that I fully expect this year’s contest to be the best one yet. Our 2023 photo contest was a successful endeavor that saw 94 contestants submit a whopping 173 images (both figures up 45% from 2022)! I was once again impressed by the range and quality of the images we received; the stockpile of shots resulted in tough choices and spirited debate among the judges. I’d like to send a sincere thank-you to all the photogra ..read more

We’ve been sauntering through a delightful forest of black cherry trees rising from a thick carpet of ferns for several miles, but now we find ourselves ensconced in the dark, damp, shady womb of a balsam fir-red spruce swamp. Carefully stepping over mossy hummocks and avoiding deep vernal pools of tea-colored water, I wouldn’t be surprised to spot a dinosaur stomping through this primordial landscape. We suddenly emerge from the shade to a sprawling meadow filled with the brilliant yellow fireworks created by millions of goldenrod flowers. In the distance, a stand of white trunks and mint-col ..read more

As the sun slides higher in the sky, winter starts warming up, and snow gently trickles back to the land. Maple farmers tap their trees, boaters are happily floating cool rivers, and trails are drying out. Spring is in the air! Green again with wildflowers while birds sing their love songs, daylight seems to go on forever. It’s a magical time of year. Meanwhile in the mountains, a few snow lovers still have winter on their minds and seem slow to transition with the seasons. The inevitable end of winter brings back memories of floaty turns through the kind of knee-deep fluff considered the crèm ..read more

This piece is a follow up to our original piece on this amazing, ancient find, which was published following the skull’s initial discovery in 2022. You can check it out here. -Editor In May 2022, Kevin Adkins uncovered the skull of a giant ground sloth in a small creek while turkey hunting in Putnam County, West Virginia. In our first story about this incredible find in our Summer 2022 issue, we shared Adkins’s tale of seeking out giant-sloth experts to confirm an identification. With the help of folks from the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey (WVGES) and Gregory McDonald, a paleon ..read more

This past March, I strapped into my trusty snowboard to compete in my first-ever giant slalom race: the 63rd Governor’s Cup Ski Race, which was held at Timberline Mountain in Canaan Valley. Before the snowboard portion of the show, we were allowed to “side-slip” the course, meaning we could ride down alongside the icy path containing the gates to gauge where the hardest turns would be. I slid down with my friend and longtime local snowboarder Brian Sarfino, listening to his assessment of the course. I pictured myself way up on edge, parallel to the ground in each sharp turn like a seasoned vet ..read more

Highland Profiles is a series highlighting West Virginia’s exemplary outdoor adventurers, business owners, and community innovators. If you’ve got someone in mind worthy of a profile, drop us a line: info@highland-outdoors.com. When I spoke to Dave Saville for this profile, he was sitting in a cozy room in Nairobi, Kenya. He spends months there each year working to restore the beloved mpingo tree, which is used to make clarinets, oboes, violins, and other musical instruments. The high demand for this precious wood has nearly driven the species to extinction. But over the past 10 years, Saville ..read more

Solitude, silence, and stillness await in the splendor of a snow-covered forest. Trekking up the Mountain State’s highest peak in the dead of winter is not for the faint of heart; a four-wheel-drive vehicle is a requisite. It’s a little daunting perhaps, stupid even, but the lure is strong. This blue, cold January day is biting, but the thrill of finding a new way to fish in West Virginia feels warming and enticing. Sitting pretty at 3,840 feet in elevation, Spruce Knob Lake is the highest lake in West Virginia. A prolific year-round fishery, this gemstone of a lake annually ranks near the top ..read more