Cranberry Wilderness — For a long time, I've wanted to visit the Beechy Run waterfall in the Cranberry Wilderness during winter. I thought it would look nice with lots of snow and ice. But I've been discouraged by the difficulty of reaching the area during the winter months.

In good weather, you can park at a trailhead off Williams River Road and hike three-and-a-quarter miles down the Middle Fork Trail to reach the waterfall.

But most of Williams River Road is unplowed and impassable in winter.

Getting to the trailhead from the east was out of the question, due to road conditions. But the trailhead is much closer to the western terminus of Williams River Road in Upper Glade.

A representative at Gauley Ranger District told me that Williams River Road is plowed from Upper Glade as far as people live. I wasn't sure how far that was or how far I could get in my front-wheel drive subcompact, but I figured I'd give it a try. If I got within a few miles of the trailhead, I would hike it in.

So, my dog Smokie and I loaded up for a trip to Webster County and Upper Glade. If successful, our journey would take us back into Pocahontas County, via Middle Fork Trail, to our objective -- the Beechy Run waterfall.

It's a nice drive from Marlinton to Richwood on Route 39. It's a National Scenic Byway, traversing unspoiled forests and crossing the Cherry River at least twice. For shutterbugs, there are several good photo opportunities along this route.

I wanted to stop and take pictures along the way, but I was on a tight schedule. It was important that we start hiking no later than 1200 hours in order to get to the waterfall and back before dark.

A few miles past Richwood, I turned onto Route 20 north, which took me through Craigsville and on to Upper Glade, where I turned onto Williams River Road. I proceeded for approximately seven miles, past several homes and camps, until I saw a sign that read, "no snow removal past this sign."

Due to a recent melt, the road past the sign was fairly clear, so Smokie and I pressed ahead. About two miles past the warning sign, the road got much worse, and I looked for a place to turn around and park.

Off to the right was a graveled driveway down to a big metal quonset building with a sign over the door, "Williams River Lodge #3." I thought it might be some kind of tourist operation, where I could find out how far it was to the trailhead.

As I pulled up to the building, three dogs ran around the corner of the building and jumped up to my car window to greet me. Smokie got very excited. I was scratching one of the mutts on the head when a burly, bearded mountain man -- big as the Richwood Lumberjack -- burst out the door of the lodge.

Thankfully, the man was not pointing a shotgun at me, and I stated my purpose for being on his property. The big fellow was just as friendly as his dogs and welcomed me to his home. I introduced myself and the fellow said his name was John Jackson.

Jackson has owned the lodge for a long time but just moved up here a year ago to live full-time. His lodge is in a beautiful spot with awesome views of Williams River and Sugar Creek Mountain. It's the next-to-last dwelling before entering the National Forest.

There's an attractive little guest cottage on the property, but visitors will have to rough it -- there's no electricity or telephone service this far out on Williams River Road. Jackson seems to like it that way.

The owner said the road got much worse past his place and kindly offered to let me park at his lodge. He said it was about three miles to the bridge near the trailhead.

Smokie and the three resident dogs were playing and getting along well. Jackson said one of his mutts, a beautiful little long-hair named Whiskey, would want to follow us on our hike. Smokie was very happy to have a playmate along for the hike.

Off we advanced -- three wilderness explorers! We were about a half-hour off-schedule, due to the chat with John Jackson, but it was a pleasant part of the journey.

Still fresh and strong, we quickly hiked three miles to the Williams River bridge. It's a gorgeous view from atop the concrete arch, so we stopped to rest and I snapped some pictures.

[Note: Never get in too much of a hurry on a hike that you don't stop frequently for water and rest. Drink small amounts, even if you're not thirsty, even in wintertime. Headaches and muscle cramps from dehydration can ruin a good hike and lead to more serious heat exhaustion.]

We followed Forest Road 108 about a half-mile from the bridge to a parking area and the trailhead, where a wooden sign marks the start points of both Middle Fork and County Line trails.

You cross a narrow creek to get started on Middle Fork Trail. There are three stream crossings on the way to the waterfall, where you must walk through shallow water, and many muddy areas on the trail. The path follows an old railroad grade, so it's generally flat and an easy walk, but there are places next to the river where the trail is slippery and narrow, and you have to watch your step.

[Note: Always wear good hiking boots in the wilderness. High top boots provide good ankle support and can prevent ankle sprains and breaks. Leather boots can be softened and waterproofed with neatsfoot oil. Lace up your boots tight to protect your ankles and prevent blisters. Tighten them up again after walking a couple miles.]

The lowest elevation in the Cranberry Wilderness is where Middle Fork empties into Williams River, so this would be a low elevation hike. At higher elevations, there was still a lot of snow. But there was only about six inches on the trail, and even some bare spots. In two places, giant trees had fallen across the path, necessitating detours into deeper snow, but these were minor obstacles.

As you proceed southeast on Middle Fork Trail, there is high ground to the left, where water cascades down nearly vertical fissures to the valley below.

A half-mile from the trailhead, the path meets and follows Middle Fork river. Snow-capped boulders lined the river and plentiful evergreens leaned out across the water.

The dogs were having great fun racing through the woods, but stayed within eyesight as I pressed ahead. I've worked hard training Smokie to stay close during our hikes. I was glad to see him having fun with his furry little pal, but remembering not to stray too far.

An advantage of hiking in winter is the ability to easily discern animal tracks. Walking along Middle Fork, I saw deer, rabbit, turkey, mouse and cat tracks. I was surprised to see cat tracks so far out in the woods. It would be fun for kids to locate and identify animal tracks on a hike like this.

At a bend in the river, I sat on a log, took a break and gave the dogs some treats. A short walk farther, we came to a low, but wide, little waterfall, created when a tree fell across the water to form a natural dam. I had seen this little waterfall before, on a summertime hike a few years ago. Rocks and sediment collected behind the tree to create a shelf. I wonder if the waterfall will disappear when the tree finally rots away. It's a beautiful spot.

Less than two hours from the trailhead, I heard the rumble of a larger waterfall. I plowed through some deep snow and got my first glimpse of Beechy Run waterfall in winter.

Snow and masses of rhododendron framed the beautiful cascade and the emerald green pool into which it fell. I felt a mix of awe and euphoria.

I snapped several pictures of the waterfall. The dogs playfully tangled at my feet as I lined up my shots and I had to shoo them away.

I sat on a big log, overlooking the waterfall, and rested. These are great times, when you can enjoy nature in a beautiful spot, with nobody around for miles. It's what keeps me going back to the wilderness time and time again.

I plan to visit the waterfall again, during more frigid weather, when I expect to find more ice. The wonderful thing about the forests of West Virginia is that they are constantly changing. A hike through these mountains is never boring.