West Virginia
May 5, 2024
On Friday, we drove 111 miles for an airboat ride on the Tug River in the Hatfield and McCoy Feud area of Matewan, West Virginia. Our host gave us the area’s history and told us much about the Hatfields and McCoys.
He narrated through our headsets as the airboat skimmed over the water. Note: if you want sound on any of these videos tap the lower left corner.
The Tug River has a history of flooding, and it was the first time we have seen flood control walls with gates that close if rising water threatens to flood the town.
Matewan was also the area of the Coal Wars where the US bombed its citizens 🤔
We drove a short distance and checked into Mountain Top Adventures in Gilbert, West Virginia, for our side-by-side rental the next day. They showed us to our campsite in town, a full hook-up spot on a gravel lot, and promised to deliver our side-by-side the next day. We were glad to be in a level spot and not up the steep hill as I had feared. There was an active train track up the hill and across the street, but thankfully, it didn’t appear to run at night. Saturday, we were ready early for our side-by-side adventure. It began to rain before our side-by-side arrived!
The driver from Mountain Top Adventures gave us a short briefing, and we were off on our own. The rain pelted our faces as we drove to the start of the Rock House section of the famous Hatfield and McCoy Trail system.
We had quite a day, and Larry did a phenomenal job maneuvering in the wet clay. We visited the Hatfield Cemetery, a foggy overlook, and a waterfall before having lunch in the town of Man at Keith’s.
The road to Man includes the longest ATV bridge (it’s long, so here’s part of it)
After a delicious hamburger, we finished the 88+ miles, returning past a rock formation and high rock wall.
It was so wet that we didn’t see many other people on our route. That was a blessing, as crowded trails would have made travel much slower and more challenging. Plus, we could help wildlife get out of the way.
In town again, we rinsed off the side by side (What a muddy sight!), refueled it, and returned it to Mountain Top Adventures.
We put our very wet and muddy clothes in a garbage bag before showering, calling it a long but adventurous day. Larry did a fine job driving, and we agreed that the first experience in Hot Springs was a good introduction. These trails were much less steep and technical but much more slippery. On Sunday, we drove into Oak Hill, West Virginia, on scenic rural backroads that followed streams along steep West Virginia hills. We celebrated Mass at St Peter and Paul Catholic Church, where eight children received their first communion. The girls in their pretty white dresses brought back such fond and sweet memories of our girls. We found a nearby laundromat and washed clothes, first using the outdoor shower on the Ute to clean most of the mud from our rain jackets and pants from the day before. After resupplying at Walmart, we checked into The Outpost at New River Gorge, our home base for the next few days, while we explore the newest National Park.
According to our airboat driver, the governor of West Virginia eventually stepped in to order a halt of the open hostilities between the Hatfields and McCoys. The media was feeding the drama to an incredulous nation and the optics were bad for the state. The wealth from coal mining left the state, which arguably should be much richer from its resources, and coal miners continue to fight for fair treatment.