Valley Voice

Featured this week: Renee Anderson

Summer’s heat, haze, and humidity are with us these days, although daily high temperatures seem to have moderated slightly, peaking in the high 80s rather than the 90s. Perfect for afternoon treks to the river or the nearest waterfall. Recent rains have kept river levels up, a nice reprieve from mid-summer drought of years past.

Holly River State Park’s two easily-accessed main water falls-Shupe’s Chute, and the Upper Falls-provide a forested and refreshing respite from the heat. The falls area is located some three plus miles up the gravel-based Pickens Grade Road (County Rt. 3) on Fall Run of the Left Fork of Holly River.

The Upper Falls is easily reached by a wooden board walk and stairs leading to the wadeable water at its base. Shupe’s Chute is an easy 1/4 mile walk down an old road bed and never disappoints with its breathtaking burst of flow from a nature-carved sluiceway that empties into a deep pool. The most remote of the parks three main featured falls is the cascading Lower Falls, accessible on foot by crossing the creek below the Chute and wending one’s way downstream along the bouldered border; intrepid explorers may find upon reaching it that they have the place to themselves! Holly River State Park has two other hike-in waterfalls, the type where a thin stream pours over a rock ledge. (More about them in a future column.)

While on the subject of Holly River State Park, it is prime time to consider entering the Holly River Festival Photo Contest, with winning entries announced and displayed during the Labor Day Weekend Holly River Festival, September 5-6. The contest puts the focus on the park as all entries must have been photographed somewhere on park grounds. Age divisions are Youth (under 18) and Adult; the five categories are Plants, Animals, People. Scenery and Mystery Photo. Photos should not be digitally altered (cropping is fine), must be printed in 4” x 6” size, and received by Aug. 20. Entries can be dropped off at the park office or mailed to Photo Contest c/o HRSP Foundation, PO Box 2, Hacker Valley WV 26222. Grand Prizes and Runners-up in each age group receive $50 and $25 respectively. Place ribbons are awarded in each category and winning photos will be displayed in glass cases on the covered park porch. For more info, see the Holly River State Park Foundation Facebook page and scroll down for complete photo contest rules.

This past week the park and community lost two special men who both loved Holly River State Park and labored to make it a better place. Olen Carpenter passed away on July 10 at the age of 93. Born and raised on Cowger Hill, Olen dedicated 38 years to park maintenance from 1950-1988. A hard worker and skilled carpenter, Olen crafted many wooden furnishings and structures on the park and kept things running smoothly throughout his tenure. The Carpenter Pavilion, dedicated in 1992, was named in his honor and he returned to the park as a volunteer to help build it. Allen Fisher of Weston was well-known and loved by recent park staff and guests alike as an ever-helpful and welcoming Campground Host and dedicated volunteer who spent several years of his retirement helping wherever needed, including long hours of summer weed-whacking and assisting with maintenance projects during the winter months. 

On July 13, Allen succumbed after a long and courageous battle with cancer; he was 65 years old.

It will soon be peak garden harvest and canning/freezing time, as tomatoes, peppers, beans, and corn come on in earnest. I would love to feature photos of your proudest produce so gardeners of the valley, on’t be shy; send me your pics for publication!

A follow-up note to last week’s report about the missing Wheeler Overlook sign; it has been recovered from where it was thrown over the road bank and will soon be back in place, thanks to overlook

groundskeeper Kenneth Chapman.

Upcoming events of interest in Hacker Valley:

The Northern Webster Co Improvement Council is joining in with the Big Yard Sale event of Upshur, Lewis, and Webster Counties on Friday and Saturday, August 7-8 at the Cleveland Roadside Park on Rt 20. There is no fee to set up a table or booth, good visibility, a port-a-potty on site, a safe parking area, and plenty of room; interested vendors should call or text Glenn Miller at 304-932-2240 to reserve a spot soon.

The Hacker Valley Rebekah Lodge is planning to have an indoor Rummage and BBQ-Hot Dog Lunch Sale in conjunction with the Big Yard Sale on Saturday Aug. 8 at the Lodge on School Loop Rd.

The Improvement Council will hold a lunch sale during the auction of the Marie & Damon Carter home in Hacker Valley on August 29 with all food proceeds benefitting the organization’s numerous community projects.

The Mountaineer Mobile Food Bank will be at Hacker Valley School on Friday, August 7, from 10-11:30 to distribute free fresh and non-perishable food to all Webster Countians who meet income guidelines.

Do you have a Hacker Valley Happening you’d like to see here? Perhaps a report on progress being made with one of the many projects going on in the valley, a Fire Department update, a family event

folks would enjoy hearing about, a church activity open to the public, a newsy item of note? Justmessage or email me at reneea@mountain.net and I will try to include it. 

Untl next time, carry on!