Hatfield-McBlog

Mud Grip Mountain Coming to Little Coal River Area...

2013-04-30T14:41:00.001-04:00

Hey guys and gals, We are excited to tell our friends in the area about a special cleanup event that is coming to HMT territory in Boone County very soon! This is an event which will offer local folks the chance to helpput our best foot forward for several upcoming events in the BooneCounty/Madison area and we are delighted to pass this informationalong to our freinds and fellow riders.

New Logan Connector is up and running just in time for charitable event...

2013-04-11T16:09:00.001-04:00

Hey guys and gals, Your old friend Big Jim here, coming to you from the heart of HMT country... You may have heard about the Ride to Survive event on our FB wall.... I first heard about this through the families of these kids, some of whom, are friends of mine. Gabe's uncle is a local policeman I know. His family also volunteers for community clean ups and such. These are great kids from

HMT welcomes new sponsor who can help you and HMT too!

2013-03-27T15:02:00.001-04:00

Hey Folks! Big Jim here coming to you with some exciting new news courtesy of HMT’s Marketing Director Mike Pinkerton. I first met Mike a decade ago when he took the reins of HMT’s fledgling marketing and ran with it further, faster and better than anybody could have imagined. Those were not easy years either as nobody had ever done anything remotely like HMT in our end of the state. It

The American Cop and the ATV....

2013-03-18T19:23:00.002-04:00

""I’ve always believed ATVs are a great asset for police work; their uses range from backcountry enforcement, search and rescue, beach or park patrol, special events, parades to urban patrol. You’re only limited by your imagination..." - Suzi Huntington, editor of "American Cop" magazine.... Hello Folks! Big Jim here, coming to you from the very heart of Hatfield-McCoy Country. Years ago, I

HMT is GROWING!!!!

2013-02-20T13:33:00.003-05:00

HMT is GROWING Hey folks, your old pard Big Jim here with some interesting updates… The other day I was visiting the local Lions Club when my old friend Johnny Fekete showed up as guest speaker. Johnny was there officially to talk about his work on the town council in Man, but you know me- I asked him for some updates on this year’s HT projects like Ivy Branch, the Logan Connector and

Tips for riding in a Winter Wonderland....

2013-02-04T10:35:00.001-05:00

Hey folks, Big Jim here enjoying the current winter weather... I get comments from time to time about the phrase "snowbirds" as it relates to our Facebook page. I first heard the term a few years ago, when I was working at Bear Wallow. Some of the locals would refer to riders who came back every winter as "Snowbirds." These guys and gals looked FORWARD to the extreme winter weather that we

HMT plans for the future...

2013-01-21T09:18:00.002-05:00

Hey folks, 　 Big Jim here, coming at you from the heart of Hatfield-McCoy Country…. A lot of people are wondering what HMT has in the works for this coming year. The answer is a LOT! Months ago, before the new Pocahontas Trail System at Bramwell opened up, Deputy Director John Fekete sat down and talked with me about that and several other projects. I took notes and to say I was

A very HMT Christmas...

2012-12-21T23:09:00.001-05:00

Christmas: Hatfield-McCoy Trails style Hey folks, Big Jim here, Just figured I would let you all in on the 2012 Hatfield-McCoy Trails Christmas Dinner- an event held annually for all of the employees who work for the world famous Hatfield-McCoy trails. This time of the year everybody from the rangers, to the field maintenance team, to the executives and the customer sales representatives

Holiday Fun with HMT

2012-12-06T11:40:00.002-05:00

Hey folks, Big Jim here…. It is that time of the year again- The Holidays! Christmas and New Years! Hogmany and Kwanzai! Hanukka and Yule….No matter what holidays you celebrate it’s a great time to be together with family, have friends and enjoy a LOT of food. But do not fear- We have not been relaxing here at Hatfield-McCoy Land! Work continues on expansion projects, despite several

Give the gift of HMT this holiday season...

2012-11-27T11:54:00.000-05:00

Hey folks, Big Jim here…. Winter before last I was sitting around the Trailhead at Bearwallow, where I worked a few days a week, when one of my friends called. He was griping about not being able to get out and shop much before Christmas and not knowing what to give as presents… To be honest with you- I had a hard time feeling much sympathy for this fellow… You see, it was a cold, wintery

Take a ride in the Fall and see it all...

2012-11-08T13:04:00.002-05:00

Ironically, As I write this, many people all over the earth are celebrating the birthdate of Irish author Bram Stoker... No doubt you are wondering if ole Big Jim has flipped his lid...after all, what could Bram Stoker have to do with the World Famous Hatfield-McCoy Trails. Basically, just a tenuous link.... During the fall, when October turns to November, I often find myself in that "

Thunder in the Mountains is coming!!!

2012-10-12T15:11:00.001-04:00

While TrailFest may be over the fun and adventure will continue on the Hatfield McCoy Trails thanks to the first annual Thunder in the Mountains Charity Poker Run in support of the Mud Buddies Ride for a Reason Project.... Hey folks, Big Jim here with some good news from Mike Pinkerton... If you missed the September 8 Mud Buddies ride in Boone County on the Little Coal River you missed out

Come ride HMT in the fall!

2012-10-10T09:22:00.001-04:00

Well, if you are thinking that the trail riding season is over, you have never seen WV in the fall. … You see, WV is blessed with four very vivid and very different seasons, and visually speaking, fall is probably the most beautiful time of the year. We have experienced riders who plan their trips to HMT coming back every year just to ride in the fall, so they can experience the visual delight

Relive the Days of Devil Anse....

2012-09-24T16:18:00.005-04:00

For those of you who will be in the Logan area this weekend and want something extra to do off th trails, the annual Civil War Reenactment called the Rebellion in the Hills will return with skirmishes, soldier camps, sutlers and more. It is always a lot of fun and gives you a glimpse of what life was like when Devil Anse was a young man... As regular readers of the McBlogs know, the

Get Ready to Hear the Rumble!!!!

2012-09-18T15:02:00.002-04:00

Get ready to hear the Rumble folks! The sound of thousands of ATVs, UTVs and Dirt Bikes descending upon sleepy little Southern West Virginia as the Hatfeild-McCoy Trails annual “TrailFest” event comes back to Gilbert West Virginia bigger and better than ever! Big Jim here folks, and if you think I am a excited about what all is in store for HMT fans this October 4-8, wait till you talk to my

History and Hollywood - Hooray for Heritage!

2012-09-11T14:28:00.000-04:00

Hey folks, Big Jim here with a thought or two vis a vis what's on folks minds here in HMT Country.... There has been a ton of interest in local history and heritage and our trails since the Memorial Day Weekend airing of the Hatfields & McCoys mini series on the history channel. Sad to say, most folks in this area were taken aback at just how successful this mini-series would become and how

Ride for a Reason this weekend...

2012-09-04T16:52:00.001-04:00

Hey gang, In case you had not heard, the Mud Buddies "Ride for a Reason" that was postponed has been rescheduled for Sept. 8. Thats right....Just when you thought the year was winding down, things will be heating up on the world famous Hatfield McCoy Trails! First up we have the Ride for a Reason which helps an organization that does so much for kids and other

Will this be the best Trailfest ever????

2012-08-16T14:57:00.000-04:00

Hey folks, Big Jim here- A few days ago I checked my In Box and found a great email from HMT’s Marketing Director Mike Pinkerton that had a VERY pleasant surprise for me. My old friend had sent me a HOST of wonderful photos, many of which, were actually taken last year at Trailfest…. As I told Mr. Pinkerton, “These are incredible, I bet I can post one and by 9 p.m. tonight it will have 50

Visit HMT staff at Fisher's ATV Reunion this weekend!

2012-08-10T08:12:00.000-04:00

Brian Fisher, the host and executive producer of Fisher’s ATV World on the Outdoor Channel, is a long time ATV Enthusiast with a love of travel and adventure in the great outdoors. Fisher’s ATV World is an award winning television series that has been airing nationally for the past ten years with travel to four different countries and 29 of the 50 states. Over the years, Brian Fisher and his

Make it a Challenge

2012-08-03T09:40:00.003-04:00

Awhile back, somebody on our Trailriders Community Forum had wondered how bad theft was in the area, vis a vis ATV thefts and such…. The answer to that one of course, is a bit mixed. For the most part, compared to the rest of the USA here in the coalfields of Southern West Virginia we have a fairly low crime rate. Oh, don’t get me wrong, like anyplace else on earth we do have crime, but it is

The sky is the limit

2012-07-13T10:11:00.002-04:00

A lot of people are asking what is next for the Hatfield-McCoy Trails…. After several long delays, the exciting, new Pocahontas Trail System is up and online and has been garnering a lot of positive reviews from riders as well as the business community in the Bramwell area, who hope to see the same kind of success places like Gilbert and Matewan have seen. What is the future of HMT? We currently

More summer fun on the Hatfield-McCoy trails

2012-06-26T10:05:00.003-04:00

Hey folks, Your old pard Big Jim here with more downhome dirt on the World Famous Hatfield-McCoy Trails. Unless you have been living on Mars or in a wormhole pocket universe, you have probably heard of the outrageous success of the recent History Channel mini-series about the Hatfield-McCoy Feud. And lemme tell ya, the interest it has created in the Hatfield-McCoy Trails is nothing less than

The Biggest Dirt Days ever.....

2012-06-11T10:24:00.003-04:00

Hey Folks! Big Jim here and I am sorta anxious about all the excitement we are seeing in Logan County these days..especially in light of what is coming up this week.... This promises to be one of the most exciting times of the year in Hatfield-McCoy Country because Dirt Days is a comin’ as we locals say…. And it promises to be one of the most exciting Dirt Days EVER!!! More on that in a

So, what is in a name?

2012-05-31T15:33:00.000-04:00

While it is true that the Immortal Bard himself, William Shakespeare once wrote that a Rose by any other name would smell just as sweet, a lot of people are interested in names…. Family names to be exact…. We call it Genealogy. Genealogy was a big thing when I was a kid in rural Appalachia back in the 60s and 70s….I would bring a new friend home and my grandparents would always astound me by

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