12/30 Going Back on Saunders
On a whim and a glimmer of hope
spin out for the old line
can't remember the last time
could be a reason it's scratched from my mind
Head wall of holler
used to be the challenge to middle ring climb
no cluster now - just the 18 teeth
grin and bear it
that old old feeling
thru the spine
Poaching ridgeline property 4 wheeler jack
land owner don't want them no more
dropping tree after tree to the floor
onward to bathtub downhill
out at moto-x track
Western face light show
on my back
12/27 On The Road
Merrits ck
Riviera
9 mile
Union ridge
Barkers ridge
Left Fork of Barkers
Jenkins Ck
Dry ridge
Lower Ck
Howells Mill
Left Fork of Fudge
Left Fork Cyrus Ck
Linmont
Mud river rd
48 miles
It's not the shoes
There are five ways out of the hole that is Jenkins Creek, the Southern headwall is the steepest and the longest. It is good to have the gear for the job - or the shoes. And I wonder why people don't want to ride with me, or maybe I deserve to be pulled off the bike from time to time. For those keeping score, look above, it is now even.
1212/19 Lowdown
VanHook Falls
Cane Creek
random tributary
this really is December
trailhead 18 miles from I-75 exit 38
12/18 Broke Down
London, KY; Yo boss! my car broke down 3 hours from the house .. it is in the garage but won't be fixed till tomorrow ... going to shack up a night in a cheap motel
and ride my bike...see if I can find this trail that is like 16 miles away... can I still get paid? I can? Cool.
Yeah money money money. Got a free roadside diagnostic from the rollback driver - Thars far comin out yure a.c. compressor - just $115 for 30 mile tow to a garage. $534 for a new serpentine belt and a used compressor installed. a $39 room...
Scored an area map with county roads and the Sheltowee Trace from the motel manager. Got a scoop on a natural spring with good drinking water out about six miles on Willie Green road. Happenstanced rightfully on the water stop, but came up maybe two miles short of any trail head. Got kinda lost on High Moore road.
Test drove the crv the next day right by the London District Ranger office - then picked up some good info on the Trace on the way out of town - maps that would come in handy the next time that I drive by this neck of the woods, say, today 12/19.
12/14 Meltdown
...not mine
but saying adios
to the cold embrace
so blue
not that happy
to see you
going deep into pockets
dragging out the clean white lines
all gone
for now
. . .sigh
12/13 Winter Wonder
Getting out and chasing the fun stuff. Requires a little early morning motivation, not necessarily any preplanning, I didn't expect this to hang around for a as long as it did, but there it was day two cold, hard solidness. Shared the river trail freshiness with Stephen Porter, who was making his own A M rooute.
early AM krisp
me
&
mine
12/11 A Sad State
This is what it's like living around America's fattest and unhealthy metropolis
and riding in WV
WV Ranked last by League of American Bicyclists
State
Rank: 50 out of 50.
See the report online at http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bicyclefriendlyamerica/
Reasons for Ranking: Though ranked last, West Virginia does a great job constructing and promoting mountain biking facilities. However, with no dedicated state funding sources for bicycling related projects and programs, no state-wide bike route network and discriminatory mandatory sidepath laws, West Virginia sits far behind leading states.
I certainly agree with that, there simply is not any mainstream cycling infrastructure in Huntington let alone connecting neighboring communities, save for a few left over "bike route" signs left over from the first gas crisis. Remember the 70's? I do. I was too young not to remember. But as far as a "bike lane" or "sidepath" that's just freakin greek to me. And now that gas is cheap enough to burn, I figure it will be staying that way for quite a while. Maybe that is a bit self-fulfilling, but Kim Broughton is out there on the state advocacy front on this one but I feel that it will be a vain battle. New facilities will remain on the back burner, fueled for now by cheap oil. Don't think supply and demand - think the chicken and the egg, or build it and they will come. According to a government survey, almost half (47%) of Americans 16 and older say they would like to see more bike paths, lanes, and trails in their community. Bike bFAT will see to the trails for now, working with land managers maintaining the existing trails and developing new ones. And riding our bikes - it is what we do.
12/6 Saturday Session
Dial in Barboursville Park
Snoi r wde
seasons first round here
little work when it's froze in
lay in lots of trax
just a dusting
and some downhill bowling
cold A$$hole too
12/5 Making Dots
More Sheltowee recon - making dots that may or maybe not ever be connected. Either way a beauty of a day trip about 30 minutes off the beaten work path out route 460 - Broke Leg Falls and the Red River Gorge. Crisp day with temp topping out at 30 degrees kept the isolated trails clean and hard packed. Trolled out the low contour, along and bisecting the water line. The trail beckoned, but not wanting to test the wits, I kept it simple with an out and back venture. Yeah - can't get too much of this...
Broke Leg Falls
Bridge over Red River
beater beat down
12/1 Heidelberg KY
The old lock and dam at Heidelberg is at about the 100 mile point along the Sheltowee Trace. Need to put all the map scourring (that has been passing a lot of time while I am holed up in the dungeon) to some real life circumstance. Try to find some trailheads and drive some of the road sections. I had the bike but with all the daylight was falling fast. Checked for the standard(s) of the trail blazes. Best to have map in hand if you want to stay on track, is all I can say.
New Virginia road and north, will get the next recon trip via bike..
Barboursville FAT Tire Brethren
Beech Fork Association of Trails
bFAT is an informal group of riders who appreciate the land and ride for a healthy well being.
Beech Fork is mostly a single track trail that follows around the lake leading into a combination of creek bed, hill climb, and fast downhill back to the lake. Barboursville's Park has some nice runs from the top with numerous scenic overlooks from the sheer cliffs and steep drops. The flat single track that follows the river and comes out behind the lake - is where the real fun can begin or end. Click on the link at top of page - above left to see a map! The Kanawha Trace and Adahi Trails are 32 mile and 17 mile multi user trails crossing over private land. Check with the Tri-State Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America for trail information and registration.
bFAT email groupo<----click here Become a part of an e-group forum that will let all subscribers communicate (free!). Send an e-mail with the word "join" in the subject or body and you'll get hooked up with other riders, to do fun group rides, get trail info and conditions, technical advice, etc.
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