Rovers in West Virginia

Every Presidents' Day a large cohort of Land Rover owners come together in Maine for Winter Romp. Bruce Fowler, a Land Rover enthusiast, sponsors and host the event on his farm. In 2024, over 200 trucks were in attendance. Unfortunately, not everyone can make the trek out to Maine so this year, over Presidents Day weekend, two rover owners from Ohio travelled to West Virginia for their own winter romp. The trip to Monongahela National Forrest was the brainchild of Tom Martin. Tom and Cora Martin (Chardon, OH) drove their 2012 Range Rover L322 from northeast Ohio to Davis WV. Their L322 has no mods other than a roof rack, light bar, and Toyo AT3 tires. DJ Harvey (Hudson, OH) drove his 2013 LR4 down from Northeast Ohio where he met his father Jim Harvey (White Sulphur Springs, WV) in Elkins WV. The only mods to the LR4 are a prospeed roof rack and 18” TuffAnt wheels on BFG KO2 tires. During planning, it seemed the trail could easily be done with basic recovery gear and no need for a winch.

Saturday morning the group awoke to 6-8 inches of fresh snow! The teams met up for breakfast at Milo’s Cafe in Davis, WV where they made plans for the day’s adventures.

Two trails were chosen. The first was the Canaan Loop Road, a nearly 18-mile loop road which the group drove in a clockwise fashion ending at Blackwater Falls State Park. The fresh snow made the trails more challenging than anticipated, but extremely fun. A tow rope and traction boards were used a couple of times on the trail. The snow and the forest were beautiful. The group had fresh untracked snow for a large portion of the trail. There were several areas available for dispersed camping and several campers were passed along portions of the trail. Along a portion of the trail was a beautiful stream open to fly fishing only. There were several water crossings and an area where pinstriping was unavoidable.

The second trail was Canyon Rim trail, also known as Forest Road 18. This is a 7.5-mile trail that was driven from east to west. There was only one obstacle that would

have been relatively easy without the snow and ice. The use of tractions boards were required and the LR4 had a minor mishap while climbing out a stream. A portion of the rear bumper cover was dislodged but easily snapped back into place. At the end of the trail the group drove up to Olson Observation Tower which was built in 1963. The tower is 100 feet tall and has 133 steps to reach the top. Due to the snowfall and slippery conditions the tower was not climbed on this trip. The group took some photos then said their goodbyes. Work and family called the group to their respective homes and the group said farewell. The group hopes to make another trip later this year and is considering making the mini romp an annual event in February. The next trip will hopefully include some camping, fishing, as well as some on-road exploration following one of three overland routes/motorcycle touring trails known as the infamous Monongahela Adventure Trails (iMAT). The iMAT currently has three routes mapped ranging from 120-180 miles in length through the region.

Trip Summary

Location: Monongahela National Forrest, WV

Nearest Towns: Davis, Thomas, Elkins WV

Difficulty: Canaan Valley Loop (18 miles) and Canyon Rim Road (7.5 miles) are easy

Special equipment: 4x4, tow rope and recovery point. Winch not required. Stock vehicle ok as long as you’re ok with pin stripes.

Other Activities: Blackwater Falls State Park, Canaan Valley Ski Area, Snowshoe Ski Resort, Seneca Rocks, Greenbank Observatory

Distance from NE Ohio: 240 miles, 4.5hr drive

Distance from Columbus: 250 miles, 4.75hr drive

Minimum Time: trip can be done in 24 hours/1 overnight