Cranberry Wilderness (WV) Backpacking – May 2020
Cranberry Wilderness Backpacking – May 2020
After a couple of months of Coronavirus quarantine ‘lock-down,’ we decided to make a jailbreak! It was late May of 2020. Carl, Christian, Travis, Jaden and Bailey, and I decided the various state restrictions had eased sufficiently that a backpacking trip was in order. The Cranberry Wilderness in West Virginia was our destination.
Background & plan for the Cranberry Wilderness hike
Travis is originally from West Virginia. One of his favorite hiking destinations is the Cranberry Wilderness in the Monongahela National Forest. Travis had attempted a Cranberry trip just before our late May 2020 visit. Unfortunately, his earlier trip had to be called off. So we decided a Cranberry ‘do-over’ was in order. The plan was to hike a 3-night/4-day 21-mile counterclockwise loop starting at the North-South Trail trailhead. The route included the North Fork, Middle Fork, Laurelly Branch, and North-South trails. We decided to camp near the trailhead the night before the hike instead of a hotel. Being close to the cars allowed us a night of ‘real’ food and relative car camping luxury before starting the trek in earnest.
First night camp at North-South Trail trailhead
Our first night campsite in the Cranberry Wilderness was just a few feet inside the wood line. That camp was in some serious ‘hobbity,’ moss-covered woods, only about 100 yards from the car. I set up my brand new Zpacks Triplex tent just before it started to rain. Carl’s dinner of marinated salmon, asparagus, and brussels sprouts was undoubtedly worthy of some ‘most gourmet-est’ trail meal award. Perhaps the healthiest backcountry meal ever! Christian and I ‘settled’ for filet mignon and fire-roasted potatoes! Travis went with leftover pizza, which the dogs favored over brussels sprouts! Hauling in ‘real’ food for the first night’s dinner in camp is new for me. But it sure provides a great treat to get any hike started right.
First day of hiking in the Cranberry Wilderness
A tasty breakfast in Cranberry Wilderness’s hobbity woods
Our second day in the Cranberry Wilderness started with Dunkin Donuts coffee and Honey Bunches of Oats with Nedo (whole-fat milk powder) packaged in a vacuum-seal bag. If you have never tried cereal with Nedo, I recommend trying it. It’s simple, fast, and delicious. Bailey and Jaden kept a close eye on things to ensure no dropped morsels went to waste. Carl again took the prize for the most delicious and best-smelling meal with his pan-fried bacon. Nothing is better than the smell of bacon cooking while you’re out in the woods. Well, maybe eating that bacon tops it! Carl graciously shared a few of his slices with us. The rain and gloomy skies from the previous night had mainly cleared out. It held the promise of some nice hiking.
Descending on the North Trail, to the Middle Trail
After a leisurely breakfast, we broke down camp and got hiking on day #2. The hike began with a gradual descent down the North Trail. After hiking a couple of miles, we turned onto the Middle Trail for the remainder of the day. It was a perfect day for hiking, and all gradually downhill. Our pace was pleasant and mild, and the scenery was gorgeous.
But soon, trail conditions became ‘difficult’ (ok… brutal!). They would remain that way through our entire hike. We encountered long stretches of ankle-deep mud and continuous rock sections. Adding to the ‘fun’ were moss-covered roots, overgrown trails, and sketchy stream crossings. Christian had to fish Jaden out during one crossing.
The vegetation and trail conditions in the Cranberry Wilderness were varied. It was mossy, rocky, and rooted on the trails up high. Basically, like hiking in Maine would be. Down lower, it reminded me of hiking along streams in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Dryer, more open, and beside creeks with the sound of running water.
Challenging trail conditions in the Cranberry Wilderness
The hundreds of downed trees were undoubtedly the most challenging and exhausting obstacles we encountered. Often they came one right after the other. Recent spring storms had brought down many of the trees. And the Covid shutdowns had prevented any trail maintenance from being performed. Human hikers certainly struggled with the trail conditions. But the downed trees were especially difficult for the three dogs we had with us. The dogs had to be lifted and helped over, under, around, and through each downed tree. It was slow and exhausting.
Looking for a campsite on the Middle Branch Trail
The plan had been to hike about five to six miles on the second day, but we had trouble finding a decent campsite. There were a couple of great sites soon after we turned onto the Middle Branch Trail, but we had hiked less than three miles when we encountered them. It would have made for a brutally long third day if we had camped there. We came across a decent spot at five miles on the opposite shore of the Middle Fork Williams River. But the crossing looked a bit treacherous, so we kept going. We went a little further but didn’t find any spots. So we turned around to claim the site on the far side we had seen earlier. The shoreline was vertical and ten feet high, but the crossing wasn’t too bad. We made it over to camp.
Relaxing in the second Cranberry Wilderness campsite
It was a relaxing and enjoyable afternoon and evening at camp. We arrived early and had plenty of time to lounge by the fire, snooze, explore, and hang in the hammock overlooking the river. After the Coronavirus insanity we had all been through the last couple of months, it felt great to get away from it all and simply be ‘disconnected.’
Second day of hiking in the Cranberry Wilderness
Uphill all day starting on the Laurelly Branch Trail
The first two days in the Cranberry Wilderness were entirely downhill. But not long after starting hiking on the third day, we turned onto the Laurelly Branch Trail. It was all uphill. The ever-present mud and downed trees made the constant climbing even more ‘fun.’ There was an unsettled feeling in the air as we hiked on the Laurelly Branch. We had no idea where we would camp, and the terrain was rough. Also, water was sure to be scarce since we’d be camping ‘up top’ on the North-South Trail. So we stopped to tank up at a stream just before the top of the climb. Camp #3 was made about a mile after turning onto the North-South Trail in a saddle between two hills. There had been no water since tanking up. I was glad we had stopped!
Relaxation, rain, and spam the last night in camp
Relaxation around the fire was again on the afternoon agenda following another early arrival in camp. But menacing clouds began to build not long after getting camp set up. Eventually, we heard the deep rumble of approaching thunderstorms. The decision was made to set up the Zpacks tarp, ‘just in case.’ About 30 seconds after it was up, we heard what sounded like a stream getting closer and closer. It was a ‘wall’ of rain rapidly approaching through the woods. There were a couple of near misses with lightning, but the tarp did its job to keep us dry. Mother Nature put on quite the show that afternoon!
Third, and last, day of hiking in the Cranberry Wilderness
The last breakfast in camp, and more mud
The rain was long gone by the morning of day #4 in the Cranberry Wilderness. It looked like it was going to be a lovely last day. Dunkin Donuts coffee was top on the priority list. The coffee tasted particularly good in the woods this morning after the rain and cold from the previous evening. After breaking down camp, we hit the trails and were immediately greeted with a grueling climb. I think I was the one who commented, “well, maybe today we’ll get some ‘real’ trails…”. Nope! More of the same greeted us from the start – mud and downed trees. But soon, we entered one of the greenest, hobbity-woods I have ever seen. Truly amazing. (The last picture below is the banner for this website).
A strange encounter I didn’t even know I had
There was an interesting ‘moment’ for me on day #4. It was a moment I didn’t even know I had until long after the trip. After I posted the Cranberry video on YouTube, someone commented that they saw a small bear in a tree in the background of one clip. Really?! I mentioned it to the guys, and we all started going through the video to find it. We found it! The scene with the bear happened to occur when I was walking solo within a couple of miles of the car. Christian, Carl, and the dogs had worked their way ahead. Travis was a bit behind with his dog, Jake. I was in an area where the trail had disappeared and was ‘off-trail.’ Off-trail is the kind word for ‘lost.’ Luckily, I had loaded the route into the Gaia GPS app on my phone.
Off-trail, navigating by GPS, with a bear watching!
I was in ‘follow the GPS’ mode, with no clue where the trail was. In hindsight, I’m glad I was oblivious that a bear cub was keeping an eye on me. I’m sure that ‘Momma’ bear wasn’t far away! At that moment, I was already a bit tense. Solo and lost! Never a good feeling while backpacking. A bear encounter would have been a bit much to handle.
Conclusion – Cranberry Wilderness, May 2020
We returned to the cars without further drama, a bit worn out but happy. There was a sense of accomplishment from another successful hike. Being able to hike with my son, Christian, the three dogs, and Carl and Travis made this trip extra special. Despite the difficult trail conditions, it was a great hike. The Cranberry Wilderness is magnificent, with diverse vegetation and topography. It’s hard to describe just how good it felt to get back into the woods after everything we went through with the Coronavirus pandemic the last few months. The woods healed us!
“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity.” – John Muir
I am a ‘content creator’ with a passion for backpacking, creating videos, photography, and writing – with a healthy dose of all things outdoors on the side!
