Dirt_Dad
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Every so often you will see spklbuk post an invitation to join him on a ride he's planning in West Virginia. I have now joined him on two of these rides, and I can say without reservation, you should do it if you have the opportunity. He is one hell of an accommodating host, and I've not met anyone else who knows the roads of WV as well as him. No matter what road I mention to him, he's familiar with it. The roads he has shown me have often been spectacular.
This past weekend it was a ride to camp at R. D. Bailey Lake about an hour SW of Beckley, WV. It's a little more than 400 miles from home if you take the twisty roads. And there are a lot of great twisty roads between home and the lake. Back Mountain Road, Rt 66 between Cass and Snowshoe, and the spectacular Highland Scenic Highway.
Highland Scenic Highway climbs from the valley up to nearly 5000 feet. You climb and descend numerous times during the ride on the highway. Those downhill sections became very important to me on the way home.
You see a lot of coal mining operations in this part of WV. Always with conveyer belts running different directions.
Once at the lake I created a very rare sight. A Dirt_Dad camp site.
I realize a number of you have seen this before when I setup at Romney every spring, but thanks to my time in the US Army I am not a fan of tent living and I generally avoid it at all costs. But there were no close by hotels, and the promise of good weather, and tipping a few with spklbuk and new friends was tempting enough to get me to setup. That may sound simple, but the truth is for two weeks leading up to the ride I went back and forth between camping and staying at a hotel 30 minutes away. Even 200 miles into the ride I still wasn't sure where I was staying that night.
It was good to meet spklbuk's friends from his FJR days. Our group had 2 Teneres, 2 FJRs, a BMW GS 1200, and a Suzuki V-Strom DL650. All good guys and we enjoyed a few beers until the camp ranger appeared. Apparently I missed the sign at the entrance that said no alcohol in the campgrounds ??? What the hell am I doing staying in a tent if I can't indulge? Fortunately the ranger is a reasonable guy and tells us to stay in control and no one cares about the beverages.
The next morning we all line up in front of our respective camp sites ready to be impressed.
This past weekend it was a ride to camp at R. D. Bailey Lake about an hour SW of Beckley, WV. It's a little more than 400 miles from home if you take the twisty roads. And there are a lot of great twisty roads between home and the lake. Back Mountain Road, Rt 66 between Cass and Snowshoe, and the spectacular Highland Scenic Highway.
Highland Scenic Highway climbs from the valley up to nearly 5000 feet. You climb and descend numerous times during the ride on the highway. Those downhill sections became very important to me on the way home.
You see a lot of coal mining operations in this part of WV. Always with conveyer belts running different directions.
Once at the lake I created a very rare sight. A Dirt_Dad camp site.
I realize a number of you have seen this before when I setup at Romney every spring, but thanks to my time in the US Army I am not a fan of tent living and I generally avoid it at all costs. But there were no close by hotels, and the promise of good weather, and tipping a few with spklbuk and new friends was tempting enough to get me to setup. That may sound simple, but the truth is for two weeks leading up to the ride I went back and forth between camping and staying at a hotel 30 minutes away. Even 200 miles into the ride I still wasn't sure where I was staying that night.
It was good to meet spklbuk's friends from his FJR days. Our group had 2 Teneres, 2 FJRs, a BMW GS 1200, and a Suzuki V-Strom DL650. All good guys and we enjoyed a few beers until the camp ranger appeared. Apparently I missed the sign at the entrance that said no alcohol in the campgrounds ??? What the hell am I doing staying in a tent if I can't indulge? Fortunately the ranger is a reasonable guy and tells us to stay in control and no one cares about the beverages.
The next morning we all line up in front of our respective camp sites ready to be impressed.
