Spruce, WV - 2014

My backpacking trip last year to the old logging community of Spruce got quite a bit of attention from my facebook and TU friends. I did a presentation on the trip at a local TU meeting and made an open invitation for a return visit this year.

I got one taker, a friend I had fished with on a couple of other occasions and one that wanted to learn a little more about backpacking. We made plans to head in after the Middle Fork of the Williams Bucket Brigade, with plans to stay 3-4 days.

As always,  we had a good turnout for the 7th Annual Bucket Brigade.

On the other side of the attention scale, I received several messages from the "softees" who wanted to know if you could drive to Spruce. I'm sorry (soapbox time) but if I put in the time and effort to explore these places (off the beaten path) don't insult me by asking if you "can drive to Spruce"!

OK, rant over, time to get back to Spruce...

We got a late start on the day, but the only real day 1 activity was to get camp established. We made it to the same spot I set up camp in 2013 and found the campsite empty. As we started to get camp set up, I noticed a couple of visitors crest the railroad tracks just upstream. I thought to myself: "no big deal, we can share this large area with a couple of other outdoor enthusiasts...plus they didn't appear to have fishing gear".

As I continued to pitch my tent, I noticed a couple additional people crest the tracks...than a couple more and a couple more...When they finally all arrived in Spruce, there was nearly 30 people with packs strapped to their back - not good! A couple of them actually started to set up camp right beside us!

They have as much right to this lovely place as I do, so I said nothing. Luckily the leaders, and obviously more experienced coordinators, asked everybody to give us our space and everybody happily obliged.

After getting camp set up, we spoke with the coordinators for a few minutes. They were from Washington DC and many of the folks were making their first visit to West Virginia. They said it started out as just a couple of friends, then those friends invited a couple of friends, those friends invited a couple of friends, and eventually you end of up with a group of 30+ people.

They gave us plenty of space and I was amazed how quiet a group that size could be. Eventually, we got our lines in the water with the backdrop of "tent city".

It turned out to be a very nice evening and we had a noticeable hatch of some type of sulfurs and even some coffin flies floating around. I quickly picked up my first brookie in a riffle below one of the old mill abutments.

We fished our way upstream past camp until we got to a large, lazy pool under the trestle. I climbed up the bank to simply take in the views. Shortly after, my partner yelled for help...I wasn't sure if he had gotten hurt or caught the "big one". It didn't take long to figure out what his problem was as his rod had a nice bend to it.

I watched him follow this fish up and downstream, under the trestle, all the while not making much headway in landing it. When it finally rolled so that I could see the size, I was simply amazed! I knew there had to be some big fishing hiding up under the remnants of all of these concrete abutments.

She didn't look like she had been eating well but she definitely had the length. My partner couldn't tell how big she was until the line went tight because she simply "sipped" the coffin fly he had tossed to the head of the bridge abutment.

What a way to start this adventure!

That was also a nice fish to call it a day on. We headed back to the campsite, had dinner, and were in our tents early. It had been a long day for both us and we big plans for the next few days as it would be all new water for my fellow explorer.

As usual, I'm up when it starts getting light out. Early morning is my favorite time of day! I love the rainbow of colors in the sky and the reflections on the calm water.

After enjoying the sunrise over Back Mountain, it was time for a cup of coffee and a Clif bar before meeting another friend on the stream I had landed "the slam" on the previous year. Our partner on this small trib is the head of the WV DNR Limsetone Fines Program and coordinator of the Middle Fork Bucket Brigade.

He had made the short trek to try his luck at landing all three species in one stream.

I didn't take many photos and all we landed were brookies - not that I'm complaining. All three of us landed good numbers and a few better than average-sized brookies. I think the only photo I took on the stream this morning was of this blood-red trickle that dumped into the main trib.

We fished much further up the tributary than I had the previous year and we decided to call it a day around lunch time. Our partner on the stream had a family commitment but it is always nice to spend some time on the water with him - no matter how brief.

When we returned for lunch, Spruce was empty. All of the tents were gone, the camp fires buried and, other than matted down grass from the tents, you couldn't tell anyone had been there. This was a fine example of "leave no trace"!

After lunch, my remaining partner and I decided to explorer the main stem above the trestle and below the trib we had fished in the AM. This is slow water and the temperatures felt like borderline trout water as we wet-waded upstream. Again, I didn't take any photos but between the two of us, we landed all three species - however, I don't recall who landed what.

Once again, we returned to camp, and had dinner as the sun was setting at the end of another great day in Spruce.

Day 3 started just as day 2 had, watching the sun come up over Back Mountain and watching the spectrum of colors in the early morning sky.

The plan for day 3 was to push further up the main stem to the final trib I had remaining to explore. This last trib would nearly complete my exploration of the tributaries from Rt.250 to Snowshoe Resort. I would have one unnamed trib above Spruce remaining and one more just upstream of Rt. 250.

In this section the main steam actually returns to the resemblance of a trout stream and the fish were there to prove it. It was the most beautiful section of water I had fished in that area.

After landing a nice, wild brown under a log jam in the early morning, my partner was able to complete his slam in this section of water. It is also nice to see remnants of days gone past. I know it makes me wonder what life in this area must have been like 100 years ago. I'm guessing it wasn't very easy.

Ultimately, this was not our destination for the day. We had set out to explore a small trib that drains the Silver Creek ski resort. It didn't take long to verify the existence of brookies...

We had been going hart at it for a couple of days and after we had both landed brookies from this small trib, it was time for an on stream lunch break and a quick nap (for my fishing partner).

After a quick nap, we fished up this little trib until we crossed one of the resort hiking trail...exit stage right. We had a 2-3 mile hike back to camp and the mid-day was starting to get very warm. When we finally made it back to camp, we attempted to take a siesta but it was just too hot in the tents.

I made a recommendation to explore a heavily canopied trib about a mile downstream from Spruce and my partner was all in.

I had not explored this little trib the previous year but I did take note of the new fish ladder that had been installed. I hope it works to reconnect the brookie populations in this upper watershed. it sure looks like it should help.

I quickly landed one little brookie just upstream of the fish ladder and didn't see another until we made our way to this old structure and the pool it created above it.

I've checked all of the topo maps and trail maps I have and none indicate a road or trail this far upstream. I'm sure it's more remnants of the days when Spruce was the highest incorporated town east of the Mississippi, but I can't find anything on this trail/road...and the nice pool did create habitat for a decent/small stream brookie.

We pushed our way upstream to the point the stream was becoming very high gradient and, again, we moved no more fish. Hopefully, the fish ladder will enable movement of the disconnected populations and one day this stream will rebound - assuming acid rain doesn't impair it.

With no prospects of fish and still feeling the heat of the day, we both enjoyed a stream side nap. The dense canopy and the soft bed of pine needles made for a very comfortable nap.

When we finally decided to head out, my partner had decided he had had enough and made the decision to call the trip to an end for him. Once we returned to camp, he packed up and headed out. I spent four days up there solo last year so sticking it out by myself didn't bother me.

I had the entire evening to enjoy a nice, quiet, stream side dinner.

I also took this time to explore the area around the old mill - something I didn't take the time to do last year.

After exploring the old structures for a bit, I grabbed my rod and piddled around the mill abutments in hope of catching an evening hatch of some sort. I didn't catch a hatch but I was treated to one of the most amazing sunsets I have seen in West Virginia. The photos do not do it justice -as if they ever do.

The early morning of day 4 was just like the previous mornings, with the exception this morning would add a small layer of fog over the old town of Spruce. I will never get tired of this view:

I had no plans to fish this day. After a quick breakfast, I grabbed my day pack and my camera and headed up an old Forest Service road to Bald Knob (3rd highest point in West Virginia).

Typically, you take Cass Scenic Railroad to the top of Bald Knob and have to deal with the crowds of people getting in your photos at the overlook. The benefit of an early morning hike was that I had it all to myself! I'm selfish in that way, but look at the benefits:

Looking out over the Greenbrier River valley and the town of Marlinton.

 A nice panorama looking across Green Bank Observatory into Virginia.

In addition to dealing with the crowds when you ride the train to the top, you also don't have time to go to the "true" Bald Knob, which requires about another half-mile hike uphill on a Forest Service road. What you find on the real Bald Knob is an old, abandoned fire tower.

After enjoying the views by myself, it was a nice downhill hike and a pack out. It was a couple of days sooner that planned but I was more than satisfied with my return visit to Spruce. I didn't catch nearly as many fish as the previous year (as evident by the lack of fish photos), but I didn't fish as hard or cover as much ground.

I was able to add two more streams to my personal list, which nearly completes another West Virginia minor watershed for me. I may add this trip to my 2015 plans, it's definitely worth the return visit, but my fishing days are getting fewer and my bucket list is getting longer...something has to give.

Chris

West Virginia Trout Bummin - Rain, Rain, Rain

The final leg of my West Virginia Trout Bummin Adventure would conclude on the upper Williams watershed in a USFS campground.

After finishing up my first leg, I made a short stop on a trib of the Slatyfork section of the Elk. I had fished this stream (stream #11) a few years earlier and landed several small brookies. I had since received reports of wild rainbows in this stream and I had t find out for myself.

I made the short hike in during the heat of the day but I knew this little trib had a good canopy, so I wasn't concerned about the high mid-day sun.

This stream was as I remembered it but it had been hit hard by the heavy snow of Superstorm Sandy - there were downed trees everywhere. However, it didn't affect the brookies, as I caught brookies of a couple of different age classes.

 

 

I didn't catch any wild rainbows, but it was nice to see the brookies still doing well.

From here it was on to the USFS campground and as opposed to another freeze-dried dinner, I drove into town and had a nice hot meal at a local restaurant/hotel, then it was back to the tent - just in time for the rain.

This night the rain would not let up and my coffee would be prepared in the tent vestibule before throwing on the rain gear and heading out.

I had three tribs on the upper Williams on my list for this day - the last three tribs on the main Williams.

The first trib (stream #12) was slightly off-color, which brought out the wild browns.

 

I also caught several brookies out of this trib but with the rain I  didn't take the camera out. I like to have digital proof of my catches when I'm exploring, but not at the risk of my camera.

 

After fishing the first trib for a short distance, I headed back down to the mouth for the hike upstream to the two tribs that make up the Williams proper.

 

It had been raining all  night and all morning, so by the time I made it to the junction the two tribs were chocolate milk!

 

You can see the current from the second trib coming in on the right - the beginning of the Williams River.

 

 

I was surprised that the upper Williams, and the two headwater tribs were meadow streams - I didn't imagine that when I planned this trip.

 

I did fish up the trib to the right (stream #13) but it was no use fishing in the heavily stained water, I will be back when conditions are better.

 

After a wet hike out, it was back downstream for lunch. The rain held up long enough for lunch, the it was back on to stay. Another freeze-dried dinner but this evening I would have company with a friend from Morgantown who was also in camp for the Bucket Brigade. I stayed up past sunset this day but it was another early morning...in the rain again!

 

I had a couple of streams downstream on my list for this day. I made the short drive downstream and the ran seemed to let off - until I parked. When I grabbed my rod, I also had to grab my rain jacket again.

 

I had to wade across the main Williams to get to the first trib, but it was worth it. This trib (stream #14) would be the most beautiful of the trip - even in the rain. It was very high gradient and lined with rhododendron.

 

It also contained brookies! You can tell by the darkness of the photo how dark it was on this stream, between the dark skies and the heavy rhododendron, it felt like I was fishing at twilight.

 

 

There were a couple of nicer brookies landed in the plunge pools.

 

 

I had to leave the stream a couple of times to navigate upstream. When I had to make a decision at another impassable section, I decided to call it quits on this stream.

 

 

From here I drove further downstream with two more tribs on my list. By the time I reached my next destination it was raining much harder, but I was here to fish.

 

I wandered through the woods trying to find a trail while navigating with my GPS in the driving rain, when I glanced down and saw the screen fading on my GPS, I decided I had had enough. There will be other times to explore and I had to protect my gear - I never leave the vehicle without my GPS and the accompanying SPOT emergency satellite communicator.

 

I drove back to camp, grabbed some clothing and headed into town for a (dry) motel. First stop though was the local grocery store for a bag of white rice to dry my GPS unit.

 

I met up with some good friends at the hotel and it was nice to sleep without the sound of rain on the tent.

 

The next morning it was back to the campground to break camp for the end of my adventure. It started raining again as I started breaking down my tent - quite fitting for the final leg of my West Virginia Trout Bummin Adventure.

 

The rains did stop in time for the annual Bucket Brigade, which was another successful year. We had over 100 volunteers, more than half were Walmart employees. We moved another 6-7 tons of limestone sand into the headwaters of the Middle Fork of the Williams. I didn't stick around long enough for a group photo, I had to be back in town to pick somebody up at the airport...but as I drove down the road I mentally summarized my adventure.

 

Five watersheds, 14 streams, brook trout in 11 streams (10 new), rainbows in four streams (all new), and brown trout in two streams (both new). That's quite an adventure!

 

Chris









West Virginia Trout Bummin - The Town of Spruce

This trip has been on my West Virginia bucket list for quite some time. This week was initially planned to take place in the Smokies, but when that fell through, I was searching for plan B.

A few years ago I saw a report that mentioned this section of water was one of only a few in the state that has reproducing populations of all three species (brooks, browns, and rainbows).

Then, two months before this trip we had a presentation at a monthly TU chapter meeting that showed quite a bit of remediation work being done in the area. That sealed the deal! I was headed to Spruce.

The week started off with a WVCTU State Council meeting and as soon as the motion to adjourn was agreed upon, I was headed for Spruce. This solo trip mas made up of a drive to the top of Cheat Mountain and out an 11-mile (dead end) dirt road, then I backpacked six miles up the railroad tracks to my destination.

Here is a link with more information on this abandoned logging community: SPRUCE

The tourist train makes occasional stops at this location, beyond the rail station I didn't know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised to see these markers throughout the area.

 

This is where I chose to set up camp for the (planned) three day adventure, along the Shavers Fork of the Cheat at the end of the concrete slab that was once the rail car repair shop.

I set up camp, went to the stream to pump water for my dehydrated dinner, and that's where the adventure took a negative turn. My water filter had apparently lost a seal that allowed it to pull vacuum - no filtered water! I would have to boil all of my water and I had only packed in two fuel canisters. This was going to cut y pack trip short but I would make the best of it. It was an early evening with anticipation of a smorgasbord of wild trout to come the following day.

I woke up sometime during the night to a heavy rain pounding on the tent. The rain didn't last long but I wondered what it would do to the streams.

As is usual when I'm in a tent, when the sun is up, I'm up. I had my cup of coffee and Clif bar, while boiling water for my hydration pack. I was burning a lot of fuel!

Regardless, I packed up and headed upstream about a mile to the first tributary on my list - I had several tribs on the agenda.

The water was slightly off-color from the rain but it didn't take me long to land my first brookie.

 

I didn't know what this stream had in store for me as I started picking up a few more small brookies.

 

 

There was definitely a good brook trout population and I wasn't too surprised when I landed this little guy. I thought, at first, it was a lightly-colored brookie but when I got it to hand I realized it was a small wild brown trout.

 

 

I caught a few decent-sized brookies as I fished further upstream. This guy would be my largest brookie from trib #1.

 

 

 

As I pushed upstream, I came to the largest and deepest pool in this small trib and it was still stained from the rain. I made a long cast to the head and on the first drift, I hooked this next fish. I knew this wasn't a brookie as it bull-dogged and held to the bottom.

 

When I finally got it to hand, I had completed my slam on the very first trib of the trip - and my first slam on any stream in West Virginia!

 

 

With several other streams to explore, when I completed the slam, I headed to the next stream on my list. My next stream would be in an entirely different watershed. I crossed the low gap at the railroad switch on Cass Scenic Railroad. Down the tracks is Whitaker Station, up the tracks is Bald Knob, and the spur takes you back to Spruce.

 

 

I crossed the tacks and bushwhacked into a tributary of the Greenbrier River drainage. I was on the extreme headwaters of Leatherbark Run, which empties into the Greenbrier River at the Cass rail yard.

 

It was a beautiful, high-gradient section of water but I struck out on trib #2.

 

I returned to camp for lunch. While I was taking a break, I did a little exploration of Spruce. This is the site of the old mill, with the abutments still standing.

 

 

 

Of course I didn't explore the old town without my fly rod and I landed this wild rainbow while drifting a nymph against the old mill abutments.

 

 

Near the mill were the remnants of the sand and water towers for the Shay locomotions - which are still in operation today.

 

 

I dropped back into the stream and fished the short distance back to camp. I landed this little guy in the main stem (stream #3) right below my tent. Species number two in the town of Spruce.

 

 

 The main stem had some unique in-stream structure in remnants from times gone by.

 

 

 After lunch I headed up another section of rail, into my third watershed of the day. It was a short, two mile hike up the tracks, through the Big Notch, into the Tygart Valley watershed.

 

 

As was my adventure in Leatherbark, I struck out in the extreme headwaters of the Tygart Valley River (stream #4). It was, however, nice to see the origins of the stream that I have followed many times on my adventures in The Mon.

 

When I got back to camp, I boiled more water for another freeze-dried dinner. I had used up one of the two fuel canisters. Then after dinner, I hit another trib, that dumps in right above Spruce.

 

I fished a very short distance (stream #5)but landed a few of these little gems.

 

 

The summary for day 1: 5 streams in 3 different watersheds, brookies in 3 new streams and my first WV Slam.

 

It was another early evening, another night with rain, and another morning up with the sun.With only one fuel canister remaining, I made the decision to pack up camp. I hated to leave this location but when I'm solo I always err on the safe side.

 

You can see why I hated to leave. With the early morning mist hanging low in the valley, it was beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 With those final few photos, I said goodbye to the town of Spruce. I had checked off a few more streams on my personal list and added another bucket list adventure to my list...but I will be back!

 

Chris