4/21/25

I rode out from the Half Moon Trail Head.

Yellow blaze

Parking: The entrance is off a paved road outside of Wardensville, WV. It’s a smallish parking area but plenty of room to circle around and park the trailer.

I started out crossing the bridge. There is a billboard and map at the start of the trail.

Slight incline, wide fire road with several small creek crossings.

At about the 2 miles mark there is a dirt trail branching off to the right. This is the trail to half moon overlook. Which was my goal for this ride. But when I got there I realized the Old Dominion Endurance ride was coming out of that trail and curving to the right. I didn’t want to get stuck going against them on a narrow trail so I turned left instead, following the path they are following.

I went another 1.5 miles and the trail narrowed out and got rocky. I have ridden this trail from the other direction. I had already been passed by two groups and I figured more were coming so I turned around and headed back.

I passed 3 more groups before I branched off. The positive is after the first group Willow didn’t seem to care. And by the last group she would sit where I pointed, next to me, and stay. Huge improvement. She even got a “wow, good dog” compliment. She has a lot of improving to do but it’s in there.

I leisurely rode back, checking out a few side trails. Two went to private property and two looked like very old logging branches. I did see old mostly downed fencing in the forest a short ways off the trail. I am assuming it marked the boarder of private property.

That was pretty much the ride.

I passed horse crossing driving on the way out and back at the Paddys Run entrance. And I noted the base camp was at the closest spot. It’s one of the first places I rode here. On my second or third ride there I had a bear run out to the parking spot and stand behind Simon. This prompted me to go in the opposite direction and up a trail to an overlook. Gorgeous. It was a bit busy though. On my way up the trail a guy coming down whipped out pepper spray yelling “I don’t like horses, don’t come near me or I’ll spray!” I avoided him completely and got well off the trail.