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Unity wrote: rode 11 miles ,,,.on a gravel mountain road. A lot of first- and second-gear stuff with occasional body jolts from ruts, washouts and potholes

Firebird wrote: Congrats to Jody for conquering that fire.

Thanks, Dawn! I'm probably the only one in the world who expected a road across Dolly Sods Wilderness Area to be paved! Actually, the Rand McNally map I was using shows it as a paved road. I had a more detailed county map with me, but didn't consult it before suggesting a "shortcut" over to Route 55 to John.

We'd ridden a lot of back roads around Phillippi and St. George yesterday morning, after spending the night at a great B&B in Davis, WV. LOVELY roads over there. And the first part of the road we took was paved, and very twisty. I found myself wondering if there weren't a gear lower than first! Still, I put the skills I'd learned in the Rider's Workshop to use, and enjoyed the ride to Laneville.

The gravel started shortly thereafter, and seemed to go on forever. John was in the lead, so I could hug the side of the road away from the sheer dropoff until we met the occasional vehicle--I was afraid of bouncing right off the road! It was incredibly beautiful up there, but I didn't want to stop even for pictures--it started looking pretty cloudy up ahead, and we weren't sure how far we had yet to go on the gravel (the GPS couldn't find us). I did take a few on the first leg of the Laneville Road, though. I'd sure like to go back, but on a GS or in a 4-wheel-drive vehicle next time! It was quite an adventure for a lady on an RS.






Jody

Jody,

You rock! (But then, I already knew that.) Congrat's on crossing the Dolly Sods Wilderness Area on an RS. A sure-footed Grand Canyon mule might have been a more appropriate way to go.

Now I've got another part of WV to look for the next time I return.

Rick F.

Rick F. wrote:Now I've got another part of WV to look for the next time I return.

Laneville Road goes east from WV 32 not far south of Canaan Valley State Park. The first 4 or 5 miles is beautiful, a lot of tight, blind turns. Then a little past the village of Laneville it turns into Forest Road 19, all gravel for the next 11 or so miles. We somehow got onto Public Road 75 and eventually came out near Petersburg; staying on FR 19 looks like it might be even more adventurous. Jody says there was some really nice scenery, but it seemed like every time I looked away from the road I got into a mess of potholes and rocks.

--John

Unity wrote:

Rick F. wrote:Now I've got another part of WV to look for the next time I return.

Laneville Road goes east from WV 32 not far south of Canaan Valley State Park. The first 4 or 5 miles is beautiful, a lot of tight, blind turns. Then a little past the village of Laneville it turns into Forest Road 19, all gravel for the next 11 or so miles. We somehow got onto Public Road 75 and eventually came out near Petersburg; staying on FR 19 looks like it might be even more adventurous. Jody says there was some really nice scenery, but it seemed like every time I looked away from the road I got into a mess of potholes and rocks.

--John

John & Jody,

With all those potholes and rocks, it's a good thing there weren't any sheer dropoffs ... oh, wait--there were sheer dropoffs! Oh well.

It sounds like another road I took in WV, where it was pretty difficult just to get up and down the rocky hills without spilling. I followed it for about 6 or 7 miles, only to discover that it turned into an impassable goat path only 2 miles from my destination. So I had to turn around and do it all again in the opposite direction... (At least I was on a GS, with tires and suspension designed for such abuse. I'm pretty sure that RTs and RSs could have made it, too, but only with even more drama.)

As Neil Peart likes to say, "Adventures suck when you're having them."

Rick F.

Jody just looked at the DeLorme atlas and discovered that we took the wrong damned road. We should have turned onto FR 19 branching to the right at Laneville. We went straight and got onto FR 75, which took us way out of our way. Way. We did 11 miles of gravel instead of 5.

--John
(Seemed like 50.)

Wow! Go Flash!

Thanks, Dawn, Rick and Moses (and John!) for our encouragement. I doubt I'll ever be as leary of gravel again. Now if I could just do a tight u-turn...

Jody

Flash! wrote:Thanks, Dawn, Rick and Moses (and John!) for our encouragement. I doubt I'll ever be as leary of gravel again. Now if I could just do a tight u-turn...
Jody

You and me both...
Great job!

The Friction Zone / clutch control, is the best friend of tight U-turns.

Man dolly sods is kids stuff, now go down Woodstock tower road TOWARD Rt. from the top on your RT. Now That's real gavel road riding.(can you say gravel switchback?) Ha Ha.

All seriousness aside, Dolly Sods is a great area, ridden it several times during the Fof events. Congrats on the new experience!

RM

RocketMan wrote:Man dolly sods is kids stuff, now go down Woodstock tower road TOWARD Rt. from the top on your RT. Now That's real gavel road riding.(can you say gravel switchback?) Ha Ha.

All seriousness aside, Dolly Sods is a great area, ridden it several times during the Fof events. Congrats on the new experience!

RM

You mean up to the top?

Glad you guys mastered the dirt! I've told the story many times about Wired, Sonar and I getting passed on a road that is far worse than the one Dawn described (I do know Detour Rd, but do not know the Dolly Sods one - would like to find it though!) by a SCOOTER and an RT. It really is far more rider than bike to a very big extent. Now, a GS can give a rider more confidence if he/she isn't used to riding on dirt. But a person who knows how to ride dirt can easily handle stuff that would make most of us run for cover! I'm getting better, but have quite a ways to go! Especially in sand. I swear 85%, if not more, is attitude!

wiredcur wrote:

RocketMan wrote:Man dolly sods is kids stuff, now go down Woodstock tower road TOWARD Rt. from the top on your RT. Now That's real gavel road riding.(can you say gravel switchback?) Ha Ha.

All seriousness aside, Dolly Sods is a great area, ridden it several times during the Fof events. Congrats on the new experience!

RM

You mean up to the top?

yeah, when I had the /5. Smoke Hole is another nice one up there, and I used to do Bear Town road years ago.
I think the guys that rode smoke hole this past Fof said it was now paved.

RM

These roads are in my back yard. Love them all. Soon, I may have to break down and buy a GS!