Good morning, Earthlings!

What a perfect morning it is. Having been spending the month camped out on the Cheat, I’ve had a front row seat to the changing season. From the rapids in the Cheat Canyon, I’ve watched the forest floor transform from a canvas of hummusy brown, first only highlighted by the mosses and pioneering ramps, to what is now a verdant rainbow dotted with the purples, blues, yellows and whites of spring ephemeral flowers. The corridors of the Cheat Watershed are truly bursting with life; the redbuds have burdened me with a sensation of unmanageable happiness and sometimes it all just moves me to dance.

It’s not just the plants — spring storms engulf my camp in the low roll of thunder. The warm air that accompanies them means my skin can once again breath after shedding my winter layers. Yesterday, I found a Morell, and oh, the rain! The river rose 6 feet in a day last week and at the same time the water warmed up to something near 60 degrees *perfect* and all I want to do is roll around in my kayak like a river otter. What a magnificent home this earth is, especially here at the Cheat. We are the luckiest of earthlings!

For me, this is all the motivation I need to keep me moving through the long days of organizing that lead up to the festival – because, what can be better than to celebrate this river, in the Spring, with so many folks who have loved this Appalachian ecosystem for a quarter century or more — and dance?

Everything you’ll need to know for this year’s fest is below. See you in 11 days.

Happy Earth Day,
Lauren & Friends of the Cheat

Click Here to See All the Fest Info In One Spot