WV Camping

[JimLor]

Heidi - I'm in for Sunday AM. If you don't know the exact route/times yet, I can always get to the area and give you a call say around 0830. It's roughly 166 mi and 3 hours to Seneca Rocks and it looks like your camp ground is another 35 miles west if I have the right one. I'd rather not do another 70 miles to meet at the campground if you're going to turn around and head back east. If you can think this over and figure a good place for us to meet, I'll see you there!

 

[luvtoride]

Jim, there is no cell service at the campground. If anything, I'd need to go to a pay phone to call you. I think that meeting to the east is a reality. There is still no plan... that is part of the beauty of this ride... & I'll get practice planning routes on my GPS on the fly. We do plan on running Smokehole Rd for sure. Not sure if we'd be coming in from the top or bottom. Probably the top... so we'd be headed past the country store for Smokehole caverns. Do you know where that is? Slow Ride (Chuck) sent me some local roads that I'm going to look at today. Also, I am pretty sure that the campground is not 35 miles from Seneca Rock. The last area that we camped at (at this campground) we had an awesome view of the rock. We were so close that you could almost see climbers on the rock w/ bare eyes. The campground is very, very close to the intersection of 33 & 28.

Looking forward to seeing you. If you want to contact me, you've got my #. I'm at work right now but past 5:00, you'll only be able to get me on my cell, Heidi

 

[JimLor]

I looked up the address to the campground you mentioned and it put it near Elkins, roughly 35 miles east of Seneca Rocks. I don't know Smokehole road or the country store, but if you could narrow it down for me I could be sitting there fat dumb and happy at, say 0900 on Sunday morning?? It it on 33/55?

 

[luvtoride]

I think that Seneca Rocks might be 35 miles from Elkins. No way that the campground is 35 miles away from the rock. Look at the intersection of 28 & 33. The campground is about 1 mile southish.

Ok, I just looked at Google. It is 1.3 miles from Seneca Rocks to the campground.

Smokehole Caverns is west of the intersection of Rte 28 & 220. Let me see if I can find a physical address.

Be right back.

 

[JimLor]

Heidi - got it. I looked up the campground and mapped what I suspect is the business address in Elkins - wrong place.

How about this, I'll be at the campground NLT 0900 on Sunday morning. Worse comes to worse I'll just sit at the exit and wait for you. I'll do my best to be there closer to 0830. How would that work out?

 

[luvtoride]

Heidi - got it. I looked up the campground and mapped what I suspect is the business address in Elkins - wrong place. How about this, I'll be at the campground NLT 0900 on Sunday morning. Worse comes to worse I'll just sit at the exit and wait for you. I'll do my best to be there closer to 0830. How would that work out?

Sounds good Jim. Will PM you with more info. See you Sunday.

 

[JimLor]

Anyone else interested in riding out there with me? The route (I'm in Stafford VA) is 95N to 234W to 66W to a couple other roads. I plan on a NLT 0600 departure from Stafford, but could certainly meet up with any interested parties along the way.

I am making this an out and back day and depending on the route once I meet up with the group, I would like to be home NLT 1900. I expect this will be between a 400 and 500 mile day. Bueller??

 

[JimLor]

Thanks for the nice day yesterday Heidi. And, it was nice meeting you Pat, Rick, and Chuck.

Turned out to be a 527 mile day with 11+05 in the saddle! Really nice country out there in WV. Nice open sweeping roads as well as narrow roads with tight turns. I really enjoyed Smoke Hole road and can see why you, Heidi, like it so much. I actually enjoyed Howard's Lick with the turns and even the uneven pavement and bumps. I don't think that was Lorie's favorite!

Nice day with nice people, thanks to you all.

 

[luvtoride]

It was very enjoyable seeing Lorie & you. Had a very good time. Sorry to see that you guys were cutting out b4 Rte 250... but I do completely understand. Good ride & good people. We had a really good time all weekend.

Glad to hear that you liked Smoke Hole Rd. It is definitely one of my favorites. Rick didn't like it so much on that big yellow bug of a Wing. Too tight for that big bike.

I'm really please to see that a couple of folks came out to enjoy the ride. Will see you in a couple of weeks, Heidi

 

[JimLor]

From where I sat Rick did a great job throwing that Wing around!