Coopers Rock State Forest, West Virginia
August 17, 2024
Our first time at Coopers Rock, West Virginia! We started by meeting with Jeff’s coworker, Haiden, and his friend, Mark, at the Coopers Rock overlook. It was quite a beautiful overlook. We then followed Haiden to a hidden trail that led us to the cliffs we would be climbing. The boys set up the top ropes securely while I set up my hammock. We had an enjoyable afternoon hanging out, getting to know each other, and watching everyone climb. I tried a climb or two, but climbing in sneakers really wasn’t the move, so I watched for the most part.
There was another group of college students that came as a group and set up some top ropes too, so it was fun seeing their climbs. They had a fun tradition of hitting their helmeted heads off the top carabiner holding their top ropes when they finished the climb to celebrate completing it. It was fun to cheer everyone on and celebrate progress. I think that’s my favorite part of climbing so far- success is not necessarily defined by completing the climb but in finding new holds, making progress, getting stronger, and overcoming fears. For my perfectionistic, afraid-of-failing heart, I think there’s a valuable lesson of progress over perfection found in rock climbing, both indoors and outdoors.
After climbing, we headed back to the van where we heated up some leftover fajita burritos and hung out before everyone headed home. This was a great initial trip meeting each other and hanging out, and it would fuel future trips (our PA Grand Canyon trip and our next Coopers Rock trip below).
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Friday, March 28, 2025
With pleasant memories of our August 2024 trip to Coopers Rock, we were excited for our first camping trip of the 2025 season and to climb with new friends! After work, we took off for Coopers Rock. After many winding roads, we made it to our campground where Haiden and another of Jeff’s coworkers, Jack, had already set up their camp. I heated up some pre-made lasagna soup I had made and served it over rotini noodles. It was so delicious, especially at 9:45pm (when we arrived)! We sat around the fire as a couple others showed up (Lily, another of Jeff’s workers, and her boyfriend, Davis). We talked for a bit before going to bed to get ready for a big climbing day!
Saturday, March 29, 2025
We woke up around 8:30ish and got ourselves ready! We piled into the cars available and went back to the hidden pathway to get all the top ropes set up. I finally got a pair of real climbing shoes (versus the Nikes I had tried climbing in before) along with a harness (which conveniently matched in color!). This was my first real time top roping, with all the bells and whistles to do so correctly. I do not have a ton of finger strength, so I definitely struggled with many of the holds and feeling safe on the side of the cliff. As I got higher and higher, my legs started shaking so hard! I don’t consider myself afraid of heights, but I guess when I’m hanging on for dear life, I am a bit afraid. Jeffrey was able to “hold” me (hanging) using the ropes to let me take my time as I figured it out. I did have a few moments of panic, but I made it to the landing (which was my stopping point). It was a big achievement for me! While I didn’t make it to the top on any of the climbs, I was proud of myself for making it as far as I did. Jeffrey was such a patient cheerleader with me as he taught me the different knots and techniques and encouraged me as I panicked on the cliff face.
While I struggled a good bit, Jeffrey had a very good climbing day! He climbed many routes to the top and worked past any tricky spots he encountered.
As the day went by, Saket (another coworker) showed up, along with a guy that was climbing by himself who kind of absorbed into our group. We ended up climbing from 11am to 6pm, so by the end of the day, we were quite hungry. A few members of the group went back home while others stayed to camp with us. We made our way back to camp, and while Jeff started making us tacos, I took a walk around the campground. Haiden, Jack, and Saket made sandwiches and hotdogs. We had s’mores after dinner and stayed up talking around the fire until 1:30am!
Sunday, March 30, 2025
After a short night’s sleep, we got up, had cinnamon toast for breakfast, and started to go our separate ways. Haiden and Jeffrey went to a mountain biking trail near Upper St. Claire to bike while I went to a baby shower. Switching from camp mode to baby shower mode was a wild experience for me. I went from hanging out with multiple guys and talking about camping, climbing, and biking to sitting around all women and talking about motherhood (as a woman who doesn’t have a child yet, nor is ready for one- I’m still in my camping child-free era). Nevertheless, we each still had fun doing our separate activities. We made it home that evening and neglected to unpack the van for the following three weeks. Oops. You win some, you lose some.
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