The original plan
Trip Overview
Our camping adventure at Mountain Lake Campground on the shores of Summersville Lake, West Virginia and the New River Gorge National Park, offering opportunities for relaxation with our friends Deanna and Kathleen, great hiking, birdwatching and the natural beauty of the Appalachian Mountains.
What Actually Happened
August 20 – Cincinnati to Mountain Lake Campground, Summersville, WV
Met up with Deanna and Kathleen at Deeper Roots Coffee in Oakley around 10am for our pre-adventure caffeine fix. Smart move taking the Batavia route instead of I-71 – Wednesday morning traffic plus pulling the trailer at our leisurely 65mph pace would’ve been a nightmare!
The drive east was smooth sailing with a coffee stop at The Early Bird (https://www.instagram.com/theearlybird740?utm_source=qr&igsh=MWtlb3BpOHBiamRv) in… well, somewhere in Ohio (those small town coffee shops are the best discoveries!). As we crossed into Appalachia, the scenery transformed beautifully – rolling hills gave way to rushing streams and dramatic cliffs. West Virginia really knows how to make an entrance!
Rolled into Mountain Lake Campground mid-afternoon. Being late to the planning party meant Deanna and Kathleen scored lakeside sites while we landed up the hill at site 438. But honestly? No complaints here! We ended up with shade trees and a panoramic view of the lake that turned out to be pretty spectacular. Sometimes the “consolation prize” is actually the winner!
Sandra and I squeezed in some evening kayaking around the campground – the water was perfect and so peaceful. Wrapped up the day with a group dinner. Nothing beats good friends, good food, and a beautiful setting to kick off a camping adventure!
August 21 – Exploring Summersville Lake and the Gauley River
Traded our planned dawn hike for an early morning kayak session at Summersville Lake via the Salmon Run access – best decision ever! The lake at dawn was absolutely breathtaking, with dramatic cliffs plunging right to the water’s edge. Having the entire place to ourselves at that hour made it feel like our own private paradise.
Back at camp, we rallied for a group hike on the Patterson Trail (https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/afternoon-paddle-at-patterson-trail-7fea637?u=i&sh=bi3zyf). Deanna convinced us to take a detour down the Person-Hollow trail to reach the Gauley River. While this side trail was definitely more rugged and less maintained than the main path, the payoff was spectacular. We spent time playing in the river and even took a refreshing swim – nothing beats a mountain river dip on a warm day!
By 1 or 2pm, our stomachs were demanding attention, so we headed to The Secret Sandwich Society in Fayetteville (https://www.secretsandwichsociety.com). Great food, excellent beer selection – exactly what we needed after our morning adventures.
We returned to camp around 6:30 and immediately headed back to Salmon Run for a sunset kayaking session. The evening light on the water was magical.
Sandra and I took dinner duty, preparing chicken and veggies in our cast iron pot over the campfire, paired with some rosé. Our fire ring’s lack of a built-in grill required some creative engineering, but the results were delicious (if I do say so myself!). Sometimes the best camp meals come from a little improvisation!
August 22 – New River Gorge Adventures (and Misadventures)
Today was all about exploring New River Gorge National Park! Sandra and I started with an early morning hike on the Endless Wall trail. It’s a wonderfully flat and easy trail – unless you accidentally take a wrong turn like we almost did, which would send you on a pretty steep descent!
Made our obligatory stop at the National Park visitor center to learn about the local wildlife and pick up some souvenirs. Around 10am, we met Deanna and Kathleen at the Bridge Walk tour office (https://bridgewalk.com) for what would turn out to be a memorable experience in more ways than one.
After safety training, we accessed the catwalk that runs the entire length of the New River Gorge Bridge, right underneath the road deck. The tour offers spectacular views, though definitely not recommended for anyone with a fear of heights! At the midpoint – where the drop is about 850 feet – I decided to capture a group selfie with my iPhone (my camera doesn’t do selfies well). After a couple shots, the phone slipped from my hand, bounced off the catwalk, and disappeared into the void below, eventually landing somewhere in the woods near the river.
After the tour, we attempted a search and rescue mission for the phone, but the dense forest and steep terrain made it impossible to locate. I officially declared it lost in the FindMy app – my second iPhone casualty in consecutive National Park trips!
Back at camp, Deanna and Kathleen lifted our spirits with a delicious dinner. We ended the evening around the campfire with s’mores and songs. Despite the expensive phone donation to the New River Gorge, it was truly a wonderful day!
August 23 – The iPhone Resurrection and Babcock State Park
Woke up before dawn to a surprise notification on my iPad – FindMy was reporting that my phone had been found! Well, not exactly “found” – it had pinged a cell tower after I declared it lost, which triggered the alert. Sandra and I decided to mount one final rescue mission.
We returned to where I’d seen it disappear into the tree canopy yesterday, but came up empty. However, the FindMy map showed the ping coming from a different location. Despite the distance from where I thought it went in, we figured it was worth investigating. After bushwhacking through mud, thorny bushes, and potential snake territory, there it was – sitting intact against a rock, in perfect working condition! Score one for Apple engineering!
With phone safely recovered, we headed to Babcock State Park for a short hike on the Island in the Sky trail. Also stopped to photograph the historic Glade Creek Grist Mill.
On the way back to camp, we grabbed dinner at a local restaurant (the name escapes me now). Sandra and I turned in early to prep for tomorrow’s departure.
August 24 – Final Paddle and Homeward Bound
Couldn’t resist one last dawn kayaking session at Summersville Lake, this time exploring the west side of the overpass. The scenery was just as impressive as the east side – this lake never disappoints!
After our paddle, we hooked up the trailer and pointed the Subaru toward Cincinnati. Another successful camping adventure in the books, complete with beautiful scenery, great friends, and one very lucky iPhone survival story!
Looking 4 Nature 
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