Going to War (WVA that is)

Very cool ride, my dad and I did that area including checking out Burke's Garden a couple years ago. We had a ball.

Great photos. I camp at Hungry Mother and near New River to enjoy that beautiful country too. +1 on leaving the region out of the spot light. The negative attention from LEO's and heavy traffic at the "Dragon" and "Snake" have added nothing, but a cluster fuck.

Well, I let the storms clear and finished my ride. Better late then never. I headed up into West By God, via 311 north of Roanoke. 311 would be a prelude of things to come as from here on out every road I would take would be full of 20 mph turns. And what's better than a curvy road? A curvy road next to a river. For the next 3 days I would not ride one road that was not a combination of the 2.


311 north of Roanoke




Headed up 311 I had to pull to the right to let a BMW rider by as my goal for this trip was to explore WV and nothing more.

Craigs Creek along 311.

Riding along 311 I was hoping I had not planned the best road along my journey my 1st day out. I mean, how can you top this?



As 311 crossed into WV, it continued to be a good ride.

As a big fan of roads that run along rivers, 41 did not let me down. In fact it was my second favorite road on this trip.

On 39 I passed a sign that caught my attention.



I've read so much about ramp collecting on ADV I had to try them. I guess it's cheating to buy them but if I attempted to harvest them myself I'd probably end up eating poison oak or something. As I only picked up 2, the owner of the market gave them to me on the house.

Off of 39 I took a short hike to the Falls of Hill Creek.






I decided to pose for a picture on the way back up from the falls. (Not that I was winded or anything)

From there it was onto Watoga State Park where I would camp for the night. Here's a pic of the Road into the park.


And my site for the night.

There was still time left in the day after I set up so I decided to ride 150 the Scenic By-way. With the temperature hovering around 40, no cell service, and the by-way deserted, I was hoping I would not regret leaving all of my gear back at camp. When you ride a bike with a belt, it's always in the back of your mind.



I rode the entire length of the by-way and did not pass one car or bike. to WV.

So I headed back to camp to cook up some Ramps.

The good thing about taking a trip in the early spring is that it's easy to scavenge for firewood as there is still a lot of tree fall left from the winter laying on the ground. I imagine by mid summer you'll have to buy one of those $4 bundles.

Next stop was to be Helvetia. The 12 miles of gravel road had me thinking about my belt again.

I"d have lunch at The Hutte.

Then it was on to Backwater Falls.



Now I had a decision to make. I could either stay in Davis at the Purple Fiddle hostel, eat a good dinner, drink a beer or 6, and catch a live band or continue on to Seneca Rocks.

Nuff said



Without a doubt, the walk in sites have the best view!

In the am I'd ride Smoke Hole Rd, my favorite Rd of the trip. You want mountains, its got mountains, you want rivers, its got rivers, the pavements in good shape and for the most part, I had it all to myself.

I did stop at Peaks of Otter on the way home. My wife and I got married there 17 years ago so I thought a picture of the place might make my life a little easier as I've been out riding for a good part of the past week, not to mention blowing a weeks worth of vacation.

WV is a great place to ride. If you are from up north and are bypassing WV on your way to Western NC you are missing out. Hell, WV is Western NC without the traffic. Most of the towns I went through were not gentrified, simply empty store fronts, consignment shops and maybe a Mom and Pop restaurant. The valleys are undeveloped offering scenery I had underestimated.
I grew up in states surrounding WV and have heard my share of WV jokes but after spending the better part of a week touring the state, I'd say the joke is on us.

Very cool, and thanks for recognizing WV as a beautiful place to spend some time cruising the backways and byways. There is some really majestic sites throughout this state.

I have called it home for most of my life and I only need a reminder of a vacation drive through traffic nightmares and endless commercialized tourist traps to realize that WV has so much more to offer than it is ever given recognition for.

Seeing it all on a motorcycle is simply amazing.

Just to add a little about the bike.

A Uly is great for these kind of roads. I really appreciated the torque and top notch suspension. I'd come across a lot of uneven pavement in coal country and as loaded as I was, the Uly soaked it up with ease. My only complaint is the tall 1st gear.
Used Uly's are selling for next to nothing these days and IMO are a good value for your dollar. They have a unique feel and sound so if you are in the market for a different bike you might want to give a Ullysses a look.