The excitement of gravel road maintenance...

Dirt_Dad

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
2011 Site Supporter
2013 Site Supporter
2014 Site Supporter
Joined
Sep 21, 2010
Messages
5,955
Location
Northern Virginia, USA
...never before thought I'd string those words together.

It has been an unbelievably wet year here in the mid-Atlantic. My buddy told me the cost of gravel has about doubled due to the counties buying up the supply to try to keep their gravel roads passable. Today, one day after yet another .75" of rain falling, I went exploring dirt/gravel roads.

To my delight I found a new dirt road today. It was in horrible shape from all the rain and I was really enjoying it. I could see two dump trucks pulled over up ahead. The closest truck had been driving the opposite direction from me. The second truck was facing in my direction of travel and was at the crest of a downhill section. I passed the driverless first truck and assumed the operator was the guy standing in the road talking to the driver of the second truck.

Not giving it much thought I slowed to pass the forward truck. The guy standing in the road didn't seem to care much about my approach. As I rolled past I said, "hello." I think the guy standing there said something like, "be carefu...", that's all I heard. I immediately leaned down to check my mirror to see if he was trying to get me to stop. He seemed to be more animated now. I thought maybe I should stop. I turned to look forward and oh $%!#, I think I know what he was trying to tell me.

The entire road was covered in what looked like black pulverized asphalt that had just freshly been dumped out of two full trucks moving up hill as they dumped. It was thick piles of the stuff just waiting for the grader further down the road to smooth it into a passable road. Crap! Didn't really have time to stop or enough room to turn around so I did the only thing I could do...picked a line. Unfortunately the only available line was the ditch the water had carved as it was busy destroying the side of the road.

Fortunately the ditch was not deeper than the foot pegs. I had high hopes I could make it gracefully through the ditch...I think that's called being optimistic. Not sure what the truck drivers were saying as they watched me jump out of my standing position to dab a foot left and right to avoid hitting the ground, but I doubt they were impressed.

A little more challenge than I was expecting on a gravel road ride, but I'll take it. The roads were horrible, the Tenere was great. It was an excellent ride.
 

holligl

Find the road less traveled...
Joined
Nov 13, 2015
Messages
2,212
Location
IL/AZ
No "Road Work Ahead" signs? I can only imagine what the truck drivers were really saying. Did you ride it out?

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
 

Checkswrecks

Ungenear to broked stuff
Staff member
Global Moderator
2011 Site Supporter
Joined
Mar 7, 2011
Messages
11,489
Location
Damascus, MD
Glad you and the bike are OK. As you know, any landing you walk away from...
;)
 

Dirt_Dad

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
2011 Site Supporter
2013 Site Supporter
2014 Site Supporter
Joined
Sep 21, 2010
Messages
5,955
Location
Northern Virginia, USA
No warning signs of any type. Just a road grader, and 2 dump trucks with a single operator for each, on a Sunday afternoon.

It was deep into a dirt road. Thinking about it, they probably were confident they blocked enough of the road with their trucks to prevent a car from getting through. Probably hadn't considered any moron out riding a motorcycle on such torn up roads.

Had to ride it out. Once in the ditch there wasn't any getting out. Got to the bottom, rode about 50 years then had to wait for the grader to stop backing up to make another pass on the section he was working.

Yes, CW, the bike and I fared just fine. My balance of cool points is somewhat diminished from the flailing about, but I never had a large account anyway.
 

Dirt_Dad

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
2011 Site Supporter
2013 Site Supporter
2014 Site Supporter
Joined
Sep 21, 2010
Messages
5,955
Location
Northern Virginia, USA
Definitely got your attention and made you focus quickly. Like one of those obstical courses where you don't know which way you're going until the instruction is given as the very last second. In a way it was more amusing than worrisome. If the ditch had been any deeper I may not feel the same way.
 
Top