Embracing the Dog Days of Summer – the Nature’s Mountain Playground Way
Michael Moore
Unless your day job finds you stocking the refrigerated aisles of your local Walmart or spending an eight-hour shift within the confines of a frozen meat locker, you’ve undoubtedly noticed most of the U.S. is experiencing a bit of a heat wave. Temperatures for the majority of the country have been hitting high, double digits and even triple digits for some. Here in West Virginia, depending on which part of the Mountain State you find yourself, we’ve already seen the mercury rise above 100 degrees.
Driving across state just a few days ago, I was stopped while an accident a couple miles ahead was being cleared. As I sat waiting for traffic to start moving again, I watched my outdoor temperature gauge slowly climb from 97 degrees to 106; with a brief visit to 107 until I looked at the gauge in disbelief and it politely dropped back to 106. The word sweltering repeatedly came to mind as a sudden urge to quickly assess my travel rations (one 12-ounce bottle of lukewarm water and a few roasted almonds) in the likelihood that I was about to face a survival situation. Fortunately, the struggle over life and death never materialized and after about an hour the accident was cleared away and the south-bound traffic finally began to move again. I thanked God for air conditioning, ate some almonds, and happily continued my journey.
The word swelting kept coming to mind as I once again zipped down the interstate. I started wondering about things like its origin, precise meaning, the fact you don’t seem to hear it used that often – don’t judge me, it’s a writer thing and it’s what we do. With my queries played out, I turned my attention to other summer-related words or phrases I might want to examine further. I feel at this time I must confess to being a bit of a word geek and, in my defense, was travelling alone with no one to talk to, so again, don’t judge. After a few moments of pondering, I landed on the phrase the “Dog Days of Summer.” What an interesting saying, I thought. This is one of those expressions I’ve heard my whole life but never really stopped to consider what it means, where it came from, and ask the hard-hitting question, “What do our canine friends have to do with hot summer days?” Well, the search was on and here’s what I discovered about the “Dog Days of Summer.”
When one refers to the Dog Days of summer, they are usually speaking of a specific period of time during midsummer when the days are exceptionally hot and humid. Here in the Northen Hemisphere, those days typically range from early July to mid-August. And while some think the origin of the phrase is a nod to days so hot they’re “not fit for a dog” or that period of sweltering summer heat when dogs are driven mad, the truth is the source of this phrase has less to do with dogs and more with stars – one star in particular named Sirius.
Sirius (nicknamed the Dog Star) is part of the constellation Canis Major, also called the Greater Dog, and during the Dog Days of summer, it is the brightest visible star in the sky. In fact, it has been said that Sirius burns so brightly it can even be seen during the day with the naked eye. During the summer Sirius rises and sets with the sun, and it is this union of Sirius and the sun that forms the origin of the phrase Dog Days of summer. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans noted not only this dual rising of the stars, but also the warmer days that seemed to coincide with the event. It was believed the collective temperature of both Sirius, and the sun was at the root of the midsummer oppressive heat and humidity. And even though the rising of Sirius has no effect on Earth’s weather, the faulty science stuck. The Romans called the midsummer heat wave the “dies caniculares” or the “days of the dog star” (for those of us who might be a little rusty with our Latin). By sometime around the 1500s, the Roman expression was shortened by the rest of the world to “dog days” and the phrase “Dog Days of Summer” has been with us ever since.
Someone once wrote that, “While everybody talks about the weather, nobody seems to do anything about it.” Now while we can’t do much about the heat and humidity of the Dog Days of summer, here in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, we have a few ideas of how best to lean into the warmest days of summer. And when it comes to dealing with the Dog Days of summer, what better way to beat the heat than to spend some time on the water? So, here’s a couple thoughts on destinations to beat the heat during your summertime visit to Nature’s Mountain Playground.
Watoga Lake
Situated very near the center of Watoga State Park, Watoga Lake is an 11-acre oasis of cool mountain water and the perfect location for visitors looking for a little relief from the hot, humid Dog Days of summer. And while there’s no swimming allowed in the lake, row boats, paddle boats, kayaks, and canoes are available to rent between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day; allowing guests the opportunity to get out on the water and beat the heat while enjoying the surrounding views of the park from a little different perspective than those on dry land. So, whether you’re looking to canoe silently across an early morning misty lake or churn up the midday water with the fun of a paddleboat, Watoga Lake is a great choice when it comes to getting out on the water during the Dog Days of summer.
Seneca Lake
For a smaller, more secluded and serene lake setting, you might want to try Seneca Lake located in Seneca State Forest. With less typical shore line than one might expect, Seneca Lake has a tucked away feel as the mountainsides surrounding most of this 4-acre lake seem to rise directly from the water’s surface. This unique feature of the lake provides a number of isolated pockets and out-of-the-way coves that offer welcome protection from the hot, summer sun as well as making for an excellent location to drop anchor, sit back in your boat, cast out a line, and just relax in the cool shade. Seneca Lake is a great place to spend a lazy afternoon on the water and unwind in the cool shade of the surrounding mountains.
Shavers Lake
Now, if you’re looking for something about as far from the serene, laid-back feel of Seneca Lake as you can find, you definitely need to check out Shavers Lake at Snowshoe Mountain Resort. While Nature’s Mountain Playground may not have an official seaside beach in the technical sense of the term (a rare find in the Appalachian Mountains), we have the next best thing in Shavers Lake. Snowshoe has spared no expense when it comes to creating a family-fun beachfront experience in the heart of the rugged West Virginia mountains. Shavers Lake has just about everything you could want when it’s time to embrace the Dog Days of summer, including beachfront space supplied with chairs and umbrellas, a 200-foot lake dock providing access to a swimming area, child and adolescent water inflatables, as well as a wide array of stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, and canoes.
The Greenbrier River
Formed by the confluence of the East Fork Greenbrier River and the West Fork Greenbrier River, two short streams of northern Pocahontas County above 3,000 feet in elevation, the Greenbrier River flows south-southwest throughout the length of Pocahontas County. And when a river of this scale cuts a path through an entire county, it’s safe to say that river is going to be a source of recreation for just about everyone. That’s been the case for the Greenbrier River for decades. Whether you cast a line in a secret fishing hole, float its meandering stretches, or bike the trail alongside its banks, the Greenbrier River has been a top destination for those wanting to get out and experience all that Nature’s Mountain Playground has to offer. And why should it be any different during the Dog Days of summer? Beat the heat and humidity by taking advantage of the Greenbrier River with a float trip. Either by inner tube, kayak, or canoe, locals and visitors alike get out on the river to relax and let the current take them away. Or bike the Greenbrier River Trail and plan on making a few stops along the way to get off the bike and into the river for a quick cool down. Leaning into the Dog Days of summer along the Greenbrier River is a great way to not only beat the heat but also enjoy the natural beauty of the West Virginia landscape.
Well there you have it, a few ideas on where to visit Nature’s Mountain Playground this summer if you’re looking for the best way to deal with the Dog Days of summer. It’s worth repeating, “While everybody talks about the weather, nobody seems to do anything about it.” And while that bit of sage wisdom is correct and we can do little to change the weather, we can adapt to it. The heat and humidity that comes with the Dog Days of summer don’t have to just be endured – they can be embraced. So why not take the plunge and join us here at Nature’s Mountain Playground and embrace the Dog Days of summer the mountain way.