Dolly Sods, Monongahela National Forest, WV

In less than two weeks, Wilderness Volunteers heads to “Wild and Wonderful” West Virginia for our first ever service trip in “The Mountain State.” That’s right: WV in WV!

We’ll spend the week ditchin’ and turnpikin’ – that’s trail slang for cleaning up soggy, washed out trail – in the Cranberry Wilderness, which some have called “the crown jewel” of the 919,000-acre Monongahela National Forest. Home to scenic red spruce, rhododendron groves, and mossy, fern-covered forest floors, the wilderness is a designated black-bear sanctuary and boasts some of the best trout fishing in the east.

We’ve got a good project, a good hike, good meals, and a good group – all key ingredients for a successful trip. One could say “It’s Almost Heaven…”

Stay tuned for a full report in August.