Blackwater Canyon

Blackwater Canyon and Canaan Valley have been described as ''a piece of Canada gone astray''. At an elevation of 3,000-4,000 feet both the canyon and the valley share a flora very similar to Canada. Bogs,cranberries,balsam fir and tamarack just to name a few. The area also receives an average of 150'' of snow much of it attributed to lake effect . It's an area of extreme beauty and one that offers many recreational possibilities. As a forestry student at WVU I spent 3 summers hiking in the canyon looking for genetically superior trees. Once identified we would make a map and then come back and collect the seeds either by climbing the tree or shooting branches out with seeds on them. Once collected we'd plant them in a nursery and follow their growth cycle.

It's from this point here that West Virginia's Office of Tourism shoots their photos for come and visit '' Wild Wonderful West Virginia''

Blackwater Canyon

I've been going to Blackwater canyon since 1965. As a forestry major at WVU I spent the better part of 3 summers hiking in it looking for genetically superior trees. We would mark the superior trees and come back later and either shoot some branches out or climb the trees to collect the seeds. The seeds were planted in a nursery and studied for a lifetime. Now, I work near by at a ski resort in the winter time teaching skiing and snowboarding. I love the place!! Checkout photowalking.org for a photowalk at 6pm August 22 starting at the Lincoln memorial.