Adventure Biking

High Nob Road - right in the middle of heaven.  Paved for at least half of the way - the second half of the roads were a little more adventurous.  Okay - it turned into gravel, but we were already half way up the mountain and only had to traverse back down.  A few homes, many 90 degree turns, all part of the adventure.  Considering today we spent almost as much time in the saddle and put half the miles on the machines - is telling.  Chicken and Biscuits in Johnson City which were absolutely scrumptious, and off into the Cherokee National Forest for some of the most spectacular roads, rivers, bridges, and canopy of trees ever to be imagined.  The skies were blue and the foliage was at its peak.

We hunkered down in Marion, Virginia for the night.  A quick trip over to the Mexican restaurant for some carnitas and bebidas and ready for our tour of the Back of the Dragon tomorrow.

159 miles 5.31:34 hrs.  Can we do it again?

Name: Adventure Riding
Activity type: motor bike
Description: -
Total distance: 255.95 km (159.0 mi)
Total time: 5:31:34
Moving time: 5:22:19
Average speed: 46.32 km/h (28.8 mi/h)
Average moving speed: 47.65 km/h (29.6 mi/h)
Max speed: 136.80 km/h (85.0 mi/h)
Average pace: 1:18 min/km (2:05 min/mi)
Average moving pace: 1:16 min/km (2:02 min/mi)
Fastest pace: 0:26 min/km (0:42 min/mi)
Max elevation: 1166 m (3826 ft)
Min elevation: 335 m (1100 ft)
Elevation gain: 3615 m (11859 ft)
Max grade: 77 %
Min grade: -90 %
Recorded: 10/26/2014 10:04 AM

Almost Tennessee

All saddled up and packed and off at 8:50 A.M. on our way to ride the southern states.  According to http://smokymountains.com/fall-foliage-map/ we should be right on course for the colors.  323 miles and we made it to Norton, Virginia before sunset.  Traveling south on 104, a stop in Chillicothe for the bacon egg and cheese bagel and Mickey D's, through Portsmouth, Grayson and Route 23 South for our stop in Norton, Virginia, where we settled in for the night at the Quality Inn. 323 miles - 7 plus hours but all for the next three days of fun in the Appalachian Mountains. 

Name: Almost Tennessee 
Activity type: motor bike
Description: -
Total distance: 520.74 km (323.6 mi)
Total time: 7:35:43
Moving time: 7:07:19
Average speed: 68.56 km/h (42.6 mi/h)
Average moving speed: 73.12 km/h (45.4 mi/h)
Max speed: 147.60 km/h (91.7 mi/h)
Average pace: 0:53 min/km (1:25 min/mi)
Average moving pace: 0:49 min/km (1:19 min/mi)
Fastest pace: 0:24 min/km (0:39 min/mi)
Max elevation: 703 m (2306 ft)
Min elevation: 123 m (404 ft)
Elevation gain: 3175 m (10417 ft)
Max grade: 21 %
Min grade: -10 %
Recorded: 10/25/2014 8:52 AM

Riding, Rafting & Revelling

What a fabulous weekend - all around the weather was perfect for riding, rafting and over indulging in food, drinks and laughter.

We pulled out early Friday morning, a little chilly but it quickly warmed up as soon as the sun peeked out of the clouds.  We opted to take 33 so we could get close to WV sooner than later.  A quick stop at the Mickey D's in Pomeroy and we were in WV for some nice scenery and small twisties to Fayetteville.  We arrived at Woods Ferry, our cabin for the next few nights around 4:00 PM.  Kicked off our boots and filled a tall glass to wait for the rest of the troops who rolled in around 7:00 PM - the night was fun filled with drinking and debauchery. "Tokyo?"

Early Saturday morning and we were off to the river.  Mark rolled out to do some discovering in Southern WV and Eastern VA.  The rapids and river were challenging as always.  We only lost Tammy and her camera - luckily both were recovered downstream.  Saturday night proved to hold up to its history - and the friendships just grew stronger.

Sunday morning we were off to find a few more twisties on our way north.  The leaves were beginning to turn, we passed the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, chatted with a few other riders from Canada, and snapped a few photos.  Off through the Monongahela National Forest where we settled in at the Holiday Inn Express for the evening.  A great dinner at C.J. Maggies, a funnel cake on our way home, and the fluffiest pillows I can remember made for one more evening of memories not to forget.

Winding our way back home on Monday, catching Route 536 crossing the Ohio River in New Martinsville, makes me want to go back and do it again and again.  Something about the roads, the rolling hills and the cows that make Southern Ohio one great riding destination.

More Fall Spectacular Riding to come.  I'm going to be pretty sad when the snow starts falling - but for now I'm living my dreams.

Total Miles for me : 792
Total Miles for Mark:  1,112 (approx).
 

Almost Heaven..West Virginia...

It just doesn't get much better than this weekend.  Off to an early morning start, just shy of 9:00 AM - through southern Ohio and the Wayne National Forest - where apparently nobody seems to travel since the cars were scarce.  A stop at Kali's pizza in Oak Hill and off to 233 and 775.  Pure heaven and the types of roads that were meant for the FJR and F800.

Across the river into West Virginia, where Marshall apparently just finished their game which led to a slow ending to our overnight stay in Cross Lanes, but not before a stop at the Barnyard BBQ in Hurricane.

After a relaxing and perfect nights sleep at the Comfort Inn, the roads we hit yesterday were calling us back so we spent the rest of our trip winding back through serenity.  We have to remember to hit 671 - just east of Londerry for a few last twisties, next time.  Arriving home just shy of 4:00 PM on Sunday and calculated our mileage at 545 for two more spectacular days.

Kentucky Fried

Wow.. the weather was fantastic, the skies were an electric blue and the roads we discovered were remarkable.  I forgot to turn on the tracker from Chillicothe to Maysville, KY.  Didn't really matter as much because it was the "lets find some new roads" on the way home that we need to go back and ride again and again.

A stop at Adams Lake in West Union for stunning pictures of the Lotus in the marsh on our way to Maysville, Kentucky where apparently the whole town was at the Harvest Festival for homemade Fried Chicken.  We passed on the dinner and music outside and headed back across to Ripley where we shared a plate at the Riverhouse restaurant to plan our trip back up north while sipping from our bendy straws.

We will see Route 35/11 (Decatur Pike) and 247 again and again.  We missed 770 and will be sure to get there next time.  Spectacular weekend all around.  Is it Friday yet?

273 miles and home for a glass of vino, some fresh salmon and catching up with Brian made for a perfect ending to another perfect weekend together.

Labor Day - Second Time's a Charm

We got out the map - charted our days, the next morning the alarm went off at 6:00 AM and ready to go by 7:30 after an adjustment to my shift lever to accommodate the new boots - just in time for buckets of rain to fall on us for the next 5 hours.  More than a sprinkle, and what Mark calls a "frog strangler".  Indeed it was.  But don't let that stop us - we had one more day in the long weekend to get out.  It was a cloudy morning, not too humid (at least in my mind) - but a wonderful day riding in Southern Ohio and a great weekend comes to an end.   Mark's new tires finally got broken in.

Officially the end of summer, but what that really means is the best riding of the year is yet to come, fall leaves, 60's and 70's and so many places we have to see before the frozen tundra sets in.

Name: Labor Day 
Activity type: motor bike
Description: Second times a charm 
Total distance: 333.94 km (207.5 mi)
Total time: 4:35:12
Moving time: 4:32:20
Average speed: 72.80 km/h (45.2 mi/h)
Average moving speed: 73.57 km/h (45.7 mi/h)
Max speed: 130.50 km/h (81.1 mi/h)
Average pace: 0:49 min/km (1:20 min/mi)
Average moving pace: 0:49 min/km (1:19 min/mi)
Fastest pace: 0:28 min/km (0:44 min/mi)
Max elevation: 316 m (1036 ft)
Min elevation: 168 m (552 ft)
Elevation gain: 2053 m (6737 ft)
Max grade: 12 %
Min grade: -12 %
Recorded: 9/1/2014 8:37 AM