Hatfield-McBlog

Hatfield-McCoy Week rolls in early....

2012-05-22T10:36:00.002-04:00

A few years ago, ol Big Jim was hangin' out with his freinds at the Logan County Chamber of Commerce when he met a VERY interesting and intelligent chap. Bill Richardson had just gotten some kudos for a documentary he had been working on. Bill was working probably two or three interesting jobs at the time, but he also was heavily invested in film-making, documentaries and the preserving of local

Will Costner's Devil Anse fit in with his other frontier portrayals?

2012-05-14T19:47:00.000-04:00

Hey folks, Big Jim here... I gotta admit I am every bit as antsy as you guys and gals are, vis a vis the upcoming Memorial Day Weekend, or "Hatfield-Palooza" as some of my friends are calling it. The biggest news around HMT country of course in regards to that weekend is the long awaited opening of the Pocahontas Trail System near Bramwell. Recently I spoke with one of my old buddies on the

Get ready for Hatfield-Palooza???

2012-05-03T11:15:00.000-04:00

Hey folks, your old buddy Big Jim here.... The other day I was talking with a friend about the upcoming Memorial Day Weekend, which will FINALLY!!!! See the long awaited opening of the Pocahontas Trail System. I had noted that unbeknownst to us, when the date was set, the History Channel was going to have a weeks worth of programs tying in with the grand unveiling of the newest section of the

Ride for a Reason, Matewan Massacre, Dirt Days and More!

2012-04-23T12:10:00.000-04:00

It is a LOT to look forward to…. Hey folks, Big Jim Charles here, coming to you from the heart of HMT country. It is sort of a dreary, cold day here, not too different than many we had in the winter. Sort of hard to believe that we had such beautiful spring weather for so many weeks last month! Oh well, even if todays skies belie the fact, springtime is here …. And summer is right around the

Gearing up for Dirt Days this summer!

2012-04-04T09:19:00.002-04:00

Dirt Days is a comin’!!!!Hey folks, Big Jim here…. With more good news for you from the Wide World of Outdoors Adventure in Hatfield-McCoy Country. The other day, I was talking with Deputy Director John Fekete and Marketing Director Mike Pinkerton about this year’s sure-to-be-amazing Dirt Days event. Dirt Days is always a very special event around these parts. For one thing, it is a Logan County

Sharing the Adventure of a Lifetime with Mud Buddies

2012-03-26T07:46:00.002-04:00

Hey folks, Big Jim here with an interesting yarn to share with my Ridin’ friends….A few years ago, I was at a board meeting of the Hatfield-McCoy Regional Recreation Authority when the slogan, “The Adventure of a Lifetime” came up. I felt then, as I do now, that it was a great slogan indeed. Remember, initially I was critical of the idea of the Hatfield-McCoy Trails, until a friend took me ATV

Pocahontas at last.....

2012-03-20T14:40:00.002-04:00

The announcement you have been waiting for Hey there, my trail ridin’ buddies, Big Jim here. For more months than I can remember the big question that has been on everyone’s mind is - “when will Pocahontas come online?” You see, for a myriad number of reasons beyond HMT‘s control, the project got behind. There were issues about where the trailhead could be located, getting legal paperwork

How they do it!

2012-03-14T13:45:00.002-04:00

Lots of folks wonder how a Hatfield-McCoy Trail is built. Despite myths and rumours to the contrary there is more to it than the uninitiated would imagine. I know. I have seen trails in the process and I have spoken with HMT’s Deputy Director John Fekete many a time about the process, which can be rather long and involved. The first part of the process, after a decision is made on which county or

When Opportunity Knocks....

2012-02-28T14:47:00.002-05:00

The Difference…..A few weeks ago, a buddy of mine was talking about the difference between some of our towns in Southern West Virginia. In particular, he was pointing out how places like Gilbert, Matewan and Man had benefited quite a bit more from the creation of the Hatfield-McCoy Trails than other towns had. As I pointed out to him, there were various reasons for this….For one thing, some of

An HMT Valentine of sorts....

2012-02-15T13:47:00.002-05:00

As I sit here starting this new McBlog it is still Valentine’s Day. And of course, spring is right around the corner. As the old saying goes, “when Springtime comes, a man’s thoughts turn to Romance.” Romance....The things we love....I got to thinking about this when I saw a posting one of our regular visitors made on our very popular Facebook page.A rider named Jerry King wrote, “ Im coming

Reality Check

2012-02-05T18:43:00.003-05:00

Early in the 20th century a pretty rotten excuse for a human being who got into European politics made the boast "If you tell the same lie over and over enough, people will start to beleive it is true."This horrid man brought the entire civilized world into conflict. I am no fan of that rat, but I have to give even the devil his due, he was an expert about human nature and the power of lies upon

How to deal with unseasonal weather

2012-01-25T09:52:00.001-05:00

If you have ever been to Southern West Virginia this poem will probably strike a chord with you.....Even though it is about a fictional country of hills and valleys. “I remember….The dark woods, masking slopes of sombre hills;The grey clouds' leaden everlasting arch;The dusky streams that flowed without a sound,And the lone winds that whispered down the passes.Vista upon vista marching, hills on

Prepping your Ride....

2012-01-11T18:01:00.000-05:00

Prepping your ride for the winter seasonBy Big Jim CharlesToday’s automotive machines are remarkable compared to earlier transportation devices but even though the technology is higher, one thing remains the same- The need for proper and routine maintenance to make sure your ride keeps going and going through the years. As rugged as today’s ATVs, UTVs and Dirtbikes are they still need some tender

How you, our riders help us!

2011-12-29T09:15:00.004-05:00

Hey guys and gals,If you have ever wondered just how much we listen to you, get a load of this!The HMT Rangers have initiated an investigation into an illegal dump thanks to keen eyed riders bringing it to their attention! There are many different ways our riders help us. From telling folks what a great vacation destination the trails are to reporting things to us that may not be all right.During

Christmas at HMT

2011-12-18T17:44:00.002-05:00

Christmastime is always a very busy and special time at the Hatfield-McCoy Regional Recreation Authority. It's a time of merriment and good cheer, but it is also a time of hard work and contemplation. Trail management has to assess how good of a year we have had work-wise from maintaining and building new trails to which merchandise sells well and which needs to be phased out. There are annaul

For your own benefit

2011-12-07T07:10:00.002-05:00

Hey folks, Big Jim here with a little safety warnin'.... Have you ever seen that tee vee show on SPIKE called "A Thousand Ways to Die"? Eventually they are gonna have a segment like this, if people don't get their heads out of their hindquarters as my dear ole pappy used to say.... Now, lets start with the voice over in that Ron Perleman style....Cut to intro of an excited looking guy standing

Concerns about safety in the fall...

2011-11-30T16:21:00.002-05:00

Hey Guys and Gals,Big Jim here. Recently I have been asked a lot of questions about hunting season in WV vis a vis from visitors concerned about coming during November and December. Some folks who are not familiar with the area and culture are afraid of possibly getting shot. As I keep explaining to 'em, "You have a better chance of getting shot paying for gasoline at the convenience store where

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

2011-11-18T10:33:00.002-05:00

Hey folks,Big Jim here..... You know, Wild, Woolly and Wonderful West Virginia is known for it's vivid four colorful seasons and dramatic weather. I remember when I was a kid, growing up in the hills and hollers of Southern West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky when the old timers would tell visitors, -"you don't like the weather? Well, stick around and it will change in 5 minutes." That didn't

Planning your visit to HMT

2011-11-08T15:20:00.000-05:00

Come on home to WV…. So you have decided you want to visit the world famous Hatfield-McCoy Trails and see what all the excitement is about for yourself. Maybe you have seen feature stories about the Hatfield-McCoy Trails in your favorite ATV, dirt biking or outdoors magazine. Maybe you saw a feature story on it on the Outdoors Network or on a cable outdoors show. Maybe you even saw pictures of

Fall fun is here!

2011-10-25T10:23:00.000-04:00

Summer is over but fun still still here...Well, the past few weeks have been pretty active ones here in Hatfield-McCoy Country.In addition to the usual riding fun to be had on nearly 600 miles worth of trails in several southern West Virginia counties, there has been a LOT going on on weekends in the area. Such as the Aunt Jennie Wilson Music Festival and of course Frontier Days in Logan County,

History comes to life this weekend!

2011-10-13T19:17:00.000-04:00

History comes to life this weekend!The history of the Pioneers and Native Americans will come vividly to life this weekend when the Museum in the Park at Chief Logan State Park brings Pioneer Days back this weekend, Oct. 14-16.Visitors also are invited to tour the current exhibits at the museum, including the newly installed railroad and coal exhibit with a model train; a general store common to

Trailfest is International fun!

2011-10-09T19:22:00.002-04:00

This year's Trailfest event hosted out of Gilbert West Virginia was truly an international one. Just ask the families from Canada who were riding Bearwallow's trailhead on Sunday afternoon. Rob Williams is a Canadian HMT enthusiast who has been to trailfest and other festivals before. "This is the best festival," he said on Sunday, adding he was very happy to be back in Hatfield-McCoy Country

Fall Riding and Trailfest!

2011-09-28T08:56:00.001-04:00

Well, It looks like the Fall riding season is coming a bit earlier this year. You see, last year it was around Oct. 12 when we started seeing major changes in the topography of the mountains, when the thousand shades of green started turning red, then gold as Fall arrived. This year, we are allready starting to see a lot of leaves turn red and it is not even October yet! Those of you who will be

Civil War returns this weekend to Logan County

2011-09-19T08:10:00.001-04:00

The Rebellion in the Hills Civil War re-enactment will return to Chief Logan State Park this month. During the weekend of Sept. 24-25, 2011 the era of the Blue and the Grey, of historical figures such as Abraham Lincoln, General Robert E. Lee and days when brother fought brother at places like Shiloh and Gettysburg will return. Historical reenactors portraying figures such as Abraham Lincoln

Music Festival coming up fast!!!

2011-08-31T07:19:00.003-04:00

For those riders in the Logan and Boone and Mingo areas on Labor Day Weekend there will be a little something extra going on locally that you may want to enjoy. The Museum in the Park at Chief Logan State Park in Logan County will host the 2011 Aunt Jennie Music Festival Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 3-4 at the Liz Spurlock Amphitheater at Chief Logan State Park in Logan. Named in honor of