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"Tripping out"
Off the Wall
August 2, 2007
Back in the middle of July while visiting West Virginia,
I happened to run into Sal.
Now, I know what you are thinking. Who the heck
is Sal?"
I'll give you a clue. It's not a man or even a person.
Got you stumped?
A matter of fact, I even passed up Amanda when I
made my discovery of this old fashioned outhouse that stood in
the corner of Spruce, an old ghost town in the middle of nowhere.
Both facilities were given male and female names.
"And how did I get there?" may be another
question you are asking. The answer - aboard an old train that
took 47 others as well as myself through 17 miles of dense wooded
area of the Monongahela National Forest some 30 miles south of
Elkins.
I don't ever recall being in the mountain country
of the Panhandle State. I did visit Morgantown once to visit
relatives of my wife for an afternoon's stay.
So when I climbed on a bus from Groomes Tours and
found my seat, I visualized the coming events. I knew it may
take a while to get there, but that's no problem for me. I love
to sit in any kind of a vehicle and stare out of the window and
see the world around me.
Hours down the road, I was beginning to look forward
to what I might see from this very special one-car train, a replica
of a 1922 Edwards Railway Motorcar.
The vehicle was named after a salamander that exists
only in West Virginia. It is one of 30 species of salamanders
found in that state. The Cheat Mountain Salamander will grow
to no more than 10 centimeters in length. Since it is on the
decline due to environmental changes, it is protected by the
Federal Endangered Species Act.
No sooner had we gotten there did we find ourselves
surrounded by mountain ranges as far as the eye could see. We
had to ascend approximately 4,000 feet above sea level where
we would find the highest standard gauged mainline railroad east
of the Mississippi River.
After nearing our destination, we saw the
railcar off in a distance. What came to mind was the old type
streetcar that used to travel throughout the streets of downtown
Pittsburgh, only without the power lines above. It was
a definite standout, colored yellow with red window frames.
Departing from the bus and stepping aboard
the Cheat Mountain Salamander, I felt eager to see what the brochures
told us. As we climbed onto the iron steps and plopped down along
side the open windows, it became evident that this was truly
a railway of the past, and indeed, an experience worth relishing.
No sooner did we get nestled on our brownish upholstered
seats did we feel the vibrations under us and the scenery moving
by with much to see. And sights there were.
For those who love wildflowers, daisies coated the
hillsides along the tracks sprinkled with a host of other plants
sprouting colors that became purely a delight.
Most everyone on board could be seen hanging out
windows photographing the various designs God had created for
our viewing pleasure. Many times below us could be seen the Shavers
Fork River of Cheat that added to picture perfect scenery.
We were told that this waterway was a great trout
stream. Right then and there, I wanted to hop out of the train,
plunge over the hillside and take to the waters. Instead, I just
watched the fishermen.
And it goes without saying that anytime we are exposed
to such great creation, there is always evidence of wildlife.
By seeing one black bear, one whitetail deer, Canadian geese,
a vulture and a couple of great blue herons, it made the day
complete.
Tripping out was surely a treat. Can't wait to go
again!!!
Paul j. volkmann
7/ 18/07
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