My wife’s plan for the year was one new trail a month. In January, we got it done. February, however, kept slipping away — one cold snap after another, icy roads, and snow that didn’t do anything fun except sit there. By the 28th, we’d done exactly nothing.
Then the forecast broke. Saturday the 28th: 60 degrees and sunny – the first real warmth we’d had in weeks. The kids had other plans. Roxy and Mochi, our two ever-enthusiastic dogs, did not. They made that clear the second we started loading the car.We pointed north up 219 with the windows cracked, both dogs doing the full-head-out-the-window routine. The plan was Red Spruce Knob — a short but steep trail off the Highland Scenic Highway that climbs quickly into moss-carpeted red spruce forest and tops out at one of the higher points in the area. Only 2.1 miles, but it sits in its own weather world. We figured 60 degrees, no problem.
About four miles from the trailhead, the road turned white.
We looked at each other and laughed. Of course it did. The Highland Scenic Highway runs around 4,500 feet — what exactly were we expecting in late February? We did a slow, apologetic three-point turn while Roxy and Mochi gave us the look from the back seat. Red Spruce Knob will be there in the spring. We’ll be back.So we regrouped and headed toward something we’d been meaning to check out anyway — Monday Lick. If you haven’t heard of it yet, you will. It’s a nearly 30-mile system of bike-optimized singletrack just south of Marlinton on Forest Service land, finished and opened last spring. Built by Appalachian Dirt and Rock Solid Trail Contracting, and funded through the Appalachian Regional Commission, it’s one of the bigger trail investments this part of West Virginia has seen in a while. Pocahontas County is aiming for IMBA Gold Ride Center status — the first on the East Coast — and Monday Lick is a big piece of that.
A lot of our friends have already ridden it. I have not. Yet.
On the way down, we stopped at Greenbrier Bikes in Marlinton to poke around and ask where to park. Full-service shop — rentals, repairs, and shuttles up to Monday Lick so you can drop in from the top. The owner pointed us exactly where to go, no fuss. We parked next to the Greenbrier River Trail and the Wyatt Nature Trail. Monday Lick was still under snow, as was the nature trail, so we didn’t ride or hike anything. We walked around, scoped the access points, and figured out how we’re coming back. Scout mission. That’s what we’re calling it.
We did find a clear stretch of the river trail to walk, followed it until the snow returned, then found a sunny bank for lunch. Roxy and Mochi discovered the Greenbrier River, and that alone was worth the drive.
Big credit to Pocahontas Trails for maintaining the trail networks here — they’re the reason Monday Lick exists and stays in shape. And to the Snowshoe Highlands Area Ride Center for the work they’re doing. These are the organizations that make this region worth showing up for.
After lunch, we drove into town and ducked into Rivertown Café — a former hardware store turned coffee shop that someone had the good sense not to gut. The original shelves and bins are still on the walls. It’s warm, a little worn in, exactly what you want after a morning of snowy turnarounds and river walks. Marlinton is one of the Mon Forest Towns, a partnership of twelve communities across the Monongahela National Forest working together to grow the outdoor economy here. If you’re not familiar, it’s worth checking out and planning a trip to one of these awesome towns.
We didn’t get the February hike. Not technically. But we know exactly where we’re going when the Highland Scenic Highway opens back up, and Monday Lick is locked in for spring. Sometimes a failed hike is just a good excuse to come back.
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