4 Days of Virginia Dirt, 2 Track and Backroads - aka Scouting The Blue Ridge Trail

[DAAANG]

Wow, we did some of the exact same run. A lot of those pics look so familiar. Looks like you had a blast!

[H14]

Going to try and ride some of it this weekend. Thanks for the motivation.

[error cooled]

Originally Posted by h14xl

Going to try and ride some of it this weekend. Thanks for the motivation.

Our favorite roads from the trip:

Dunkle Hollow
Bald Mtn
Hogback Mtn
Tub Run
Butt Mountain / Mountain Lake
Anything near Burkes Garden
----

I would also suggest Shoe Creek near Montebello but I wouldn't want to do it alone.

Everything around Goshen / Rockbridge Baths is awesome from prior rides.

[inmate-n00b]

great trip report.

[longslowdistance]

Thanks, this is great!
Have you ridden "public road 55" that spans the Va VW state line, crosses 39? Looks like a cool ridgetop road but might be technical.
Can you list your roads as:
- needs knobbies and a dirt bike
- Can do with a BMW GS sort of bike with tourances

PS Alhambra road (FR 63) along the Piney River east of the BRP north of US 60 is beautiful - you've probably been on it since shoe creek dumps out at the eastern end of Alhambra road.

[H14]

Originally Posted by longslowdistance

Thanks, this is great!
Have you ridden "public road 55" that spans the Va VW state line, crosses 39? Looks like a cool ridgetop road but might be technical.

I'm familiar with the section between Hwy 84 and 39. We rode it in April and again in May. Nothing technical, just 16 miles or so of maintained forest road with lots of views.

[error cooled]

Originally Posted by longslowdistance

Thanks, this is great!
Have you ridden "public road 55" that spans the Va VW state line, crosses 39? Looks like a cool ridgetop road but might be technical.
Can you list your roads as:
- needs knobbies and a dirt bike
- Can do with a BMW GS sort of bike with tourances

55 I have not been on. I love lightweight bikes... especially light bikes with gobs of power. The WR250 lacks that power but the DR350 is pretty torquey. After periods of heavy rain almost all the the roads we were on you would be wishing you had a knobbie. Some roads like Dolly Anne and Clayton Creek are nice gravel so no worries except for flooding - but that would take a lot of rain.

I would not want to be on a large bike on Dunkle Hollow, Parts of Bald Mtn, most of Hogback and Big Walker is bushwhacking no matter what bike you are on.

So I guess what I am saying is a competent rider on ANY bike could do it but knobbies would make it much much better.

Originally Posted by longslowdistance

PS Alhambra road (FR 63) along the Piney River east of the BRP north of US 60 is beautiful - you've probably been on it since shoe creek dumps out at the eastern end of Alhambra road.

That is definitely some good riding that I have enjoyed in the past. Shoe Creek is the worst the trail has to offer besides Iron Mountain Singletrack in the MRA.. but I have not gotten there yet. Early October hopefully!

[CHECK_OIL]

Nice read and cool pics...well done

[screamin injin]

Great report, looking forward to hitting some of these roads soon.

[advtenn]

Very nice! Thanks

[Mastros2]

Looks like it was a great trip. Thanks for the share!

[Rider2205]

EC - Great ride report! I was following along on the iPhone but just read the whole thing on a big screen for the first time today. Great photos and info. Can't wait to get out to some of these places on the Blue Ridge Trail!

[GordoS]

Since it looks like you were in the GWNF, are you required to have permits or anything like that?

Also, looking at googlemaps it looks the roads don't go through, but obviously they do or you would be turning around. Is there a better map set that shows where the roads go through?
- Never mind, I followed your link to the BRT thread and found your info there.

Thanks
Gordon

[manfromthestix]

Hey, cool ride report! I live on a farm about 12 miles west of Lexington and have ridden all over this area on my 1150GS, but haven't ventured out onto the real two-tracks like you did on this trip because I wasn't sure of the routes. The Big Pig ain't no fun layin' on it's side in a mudhole, ya know.

I got a kick out of this statement:

The rougher Potts Mountain Jeep trail is accessible off of 177.1 if boulders are your cup of tea. I personally got my yearly serving a few weeks prior at Taskers.

I lived in Wyoming for many years and rode endless miles of dirt roads and single-track out there, but sold my dirt bikes when I moved to Virginia about four years ago. I guess I was spoiled and figured there just wouldn't be any off-road riding to be found out East with all the "civilization" the area has been subjected to. I miss my dirt bikes... I got to this point on my DR650 after seven miles of boulders one day up in the Wind River Mountains above Lander, Wyoming and thought "OK, that's enough of this shit for a while." I just about smoked the clutch by the time I got seven miles back out going over those things.



Great report! I need to get another dirt bike.

Doug

[1Bonehead]

THERE IS A RUMOR THIS RIDE IS GOING TO HAPPEN THIS YEAR.