Sideling Hill and Blackwater Falls

We made Thursday our day trip to Blackwater Falls in West Virginia. It is a good four hour drive to get there. It had been a long time since I had visited there, and I wanted John to see it too. This was going to take an John, having lived in sea-level Australia for so long, a glimpse of the mountains. Laura also came along with us.

On our way, we made a stop in Maryland, outside of Hancock to Sideling Hill.

What is Sideling Hill?

Highway construction cut through the mountain exposing almost 850 vertical feet of a textbook example syncline.

 Travelers formerly crossed the mountain about two miles to the south on U.S. 40. A new route to the west was needed to meet interstate standards and construction of the road cut began in 1983. Excavation of ten million tons of rock were later used as fill to construct the inclined road grades leading up to the cut from the east and west.

The geological history of these mountains has left scenic cliffs where rocky outcrops of Devonian shale and Chemung and Hampshire sandstone create dramatic formations.

In the spring, turkey gobblers strut through the forest and forest clearings, displaying their beautiful array of feathers. Black bears are occasional visitors to the area.

Besides all that, it gives a great view of the hills crossed to get there.

After that, I deviated from the Google directions to enter West Virginia from Cumberland, taking 220, instead of going further West. This allowed me to take a walk down memory lane for a bit and see the roads we used to take to Keyser to see Grandad and Edna.

We also stopped in and saw Edna, she was really surprised.

Still deviating from my Google directions, I took Route 93 to Blackwater Falls.
This gave John and Laura a drive by view of New Creek, Scheer, and some winding roads taking us 1000, 2000, and finally 3000 feet upwards. At the top I noticed a wind farm, that was new, and coal mining that was just in the works the last time going there.

To Johns surprise  horror, we saw snow too! It was a cold and blustery day for our visit to the falls.

Unlike other times I have gone, there was so much water this time. I suppose being spring had something to do with that, in spite of the places of snow we saw.

Blackwater Falls State Park is named for the falls of the Blackwater River whose amber-colored waters plunge five stories then twist and tumble through an eight-mile long gorge. The “black” water is a result of tannic acid from fallen hemlock and red spruce needles. The falls are one of the most photographed sites in West Virginia.

The falls were powerful with all the water thundering downwards. It was a treat to see them this way.

Much to Laura’s displeasure, we took a looong walk around to the other side of the falls, a view I had never seen before. Leave it to John to want to discover even more to this natural wonder.