Cover photo: An early August afternoon in Blackwater Falls, West Virginia.
D&E Student Blog: This blog post was written by a D&E student, Savanna Hardman, in the ENGL 326: Writing for the Community course as a collaboration with Augusta.
On my second day in Elkins, West Virginia, three years ago, I first experienced Appalachian trails, which are very different from the trails I experienced in Washington. It was camp week, and my coach took the team to a popular scenic location with no cell service—Blackwater Falls. We had already finished our run for the morning and the vans headed out to the nearby waterfall that was filled with tourists from all over. We hiked down what seemed like an endless staircase to get from the parking lot to the waterfall. The water streamed down the sides of blackened rocks and the warm late summer sun beamed on the edges of the bridge.
When I started to go outdoors more often because of cross-country running, I was living in Lakewood, Washington, 45 minutes outside of Seattle. Washington State had its own charms, with flashing city lights on the west side and warm flatlands to the east. Mount Rainier is nestled in the middle, visible from most points. West Virginia is similar in many ways, with vibrant fall leaves and beautiful summer days. However, the Appalachian Mountains separate the northwest from West Virginia. Elkins is still evolving their trails, and organizations such as Elkins Area Shared Trails (E.A.S.T.) have plans to expand and connect the trailheads in Elkins to provide more accessibility. Even without a fully developed trail system in Elkins, I have enjoyed traveling outside of the town limits to see trails in Parsons, Belington, Montrose and many other areas with backroad and trail paths. I will take a trip to Lower Cheat near Shavers Fork and run along the river for a few hours. While the colder seasons are sometimes an obstacle for getting outdoors, I take advantage of the sunny days, never staying inside too long when the weather permits.
A week-long running camp near Mount Rainier
Before moving to West Virginia, I was unaware of the landscape that I would soon come to love. The quiet trails. The farmlands I never got to see in the city. The serene forest that blooms in the Spring. I used to think West Virginia was a carbon-copy of Virginia but I couldn’t have been more wrong. I’ve lived in Martinsburg the last two years, which is very different from the small town of Elkins; the small town has felt more like home than Martinsburg. It is a different feeling spending thirty minutes (to sometimes closer than two hours) simply listening to the sounds of nature. Music is played every so often but my favorite part about running in Elkins and the surrounding communities is that I have the option to not listen to music.
In the fall, about a year and a half ago, I was running on the Allegheny Highlands Trail with a few friends, something we do quite often. We spotted the horses on the side of trail that hang around the fields but this time, they were up against the fences. For the next hour, we greeted the horses and created a memory that always comes up passing that fence line. While it may not seem like a special memory to others, it perfectly represents the excitement and access to nature that comes with running on West Virginia trails.
Running hasn’t always been my favorite hobby. I never enjoyed leaving my house to go on a run as it was mostly sidewalks and military buildings. Living on a military base, barracks and identical housing accompanied my sights. I have never been the biggest hiker and the outdoors wasn’t where I usually spent my time. However, upon arriving in West Virginia and consistently researching new trails and sights to explore, I have come to love seeing Appalachia.
D&E Student Bio: Savanna Hardman is a junior at Davis & Elkins College, studying English with a double minor in Communication and Digital Media. She came to Martinsburg, WV two years ago from Lakewood, WA and in her free time enjoys running, writing, and spending time with her friends.