A Day on the Lake

Our first thought was 'Holy crap, that's expensive!' But, we rented the boat anyway. A 17 foot Triumph with a 50 HP outboard motor for 6 hours at a final cost of $352.24. Was it worth it? Yes, it was.

Summersville Lake is huge, clean and clear with rocky, striated walls, many that soar above the lake by well over a hundred feet. There are probably more than a hundred coves, and some are coves off of coves, where you can anchor your boat, whether a little motorboat like ours, a pontoon, speedboat, jet ski or houseboat, and jump into the water for a refreshing swim. It is also a sport fisherman's heaven-on-earth with an array of species to challenge their skills such as small and large mouth bass, lake pike, walleye, catfish, trout, crappy and brim. It is said there is even a jelly fish type creature that inhabits the lake.

The thick forests that surround the lake are still green with an occasional splash of contrast, and I can only imagine the explosion of color it will sport in just a month or so from now. Regarding the natural world, we saw two deer when we anchored in a cove for lunch, otherwise the number of wildlife, birds included, have been virtually non-existent. I was hoping to catch sight of a black bear but, to date, no such luck.

I really can't recommend enough a vacation to West Virginia. There is so much to see that we will be back in our future travels. And, I know many people think West Virginia is full of uneducated hicks. It just ain't so, folks, it just ain't so. In fact, West Virginia is losing some of its coal mines, and our current president has made it so difficult for new ones to start, that residents of this state are ultimately going to rely on tourism to sustain them. Besides, most of the coal mines that exist are owned by persons and companies out of state, and they take the profits with them to spend elsewhere, which impacts the state's economy—not in their favor. We must acknowledge the fact that this country would not have become what it is without the natural resources of West Virginia and it's people. Because of this, I think we all need to help support them for all they have done, often at high personal cost, for the rest of the country over all these many, many years.

This, obviously, isn't a photo of the lake, but Rob is enjoying himself.

The lighthouse during the day.

The lighthouse at night.

The lighthouse from the lake.

The lighthouse from the lake and, believe or not, you can see the front of the Beast in this photo. Whadaya mean you can't see it?

See the white spot at the base of the lighthouse (right side of photo)? That's the Beast. Whadaya mean you still can't see it?

Here it is!

Look at the patterns of color in this rock. You can see people who look like they're at a party during the roaring 20s.

This is a closer view of part of the scene in the photo above.

Like Bonsai. My father would have appreciated this.

See the man with the big coat and hat?

Although it isn't apparent in most of the photos, the lake looked very green from the reflection of all the trees.

My photography assistant and boat driver (aka Captain).

We had to be careful of the rock below the surface.

Budding rock climbers.

Giving you a little perspective.

You've seen this before, but from a different angle.

The clouds made a beautiful display as well.

Autumn is coming. My favorite time of year in the east.

One of two examples of how this lake can be enjoyed.

Wouldn't it be fun to houseboat for a week or two?