Surf and Turf '08 RIDE REPORT! (56k warning)

[bush]

Ok, I've been stalling way too long on putting this together. Since this ride, I've sold my bike, bought a house, then bought the bike back again. Funny how these things work out. So without further delay, here it is...

I planned a trip starting May 28, 2008 from Williamsport, PA to Fort Meyers, FL. The plan was to ride mountains south, and coastline up - hence the name Surf and Turf. My intended route would take me down through PA, MD, WV, and into VA where I'd ride all of Skyline Drive, then continue onward to the Blue Ridge Parkway, eventually Deal's Gap, then Florida. There was no strict plan other than I wanted to ride Skyline and the BRP from top to bottom, which I did, except for some construction closures on the BRP which were unavoidable.

The bike was my 2000 GSXF Katana, known for being bloated, underpowered, and bland. What follows is an abbreviated description of my journey, eventually to be laid out in great detail in a book I will complete once I ride all 50 states.

Let's begin!

[bush]

I woke up at around 3:30AM, hoping to get an early start. After a quick gas-and-go, I was on the road at 4:18AM. There were no points of interest on my intended route, which through PA is as follows:

US220S > I80 > PA64 > PA26

The air was colder than I had expected. I did not put on enough layers, because I ended up stopping at 38 miles at the junction of I80 and PA64 to put on a sweatshirt beneath my jacket. I ended up warming my hands over the exhaust.

I continued down PA64 before the sun came up. Once I hit State College, I got on PA26 and went through town. The road wound up a mountain through Rothrock State Forest, then back down the other side. The temperature was still cold, but traffic was sparse, so all was well. But I did leave my warm-weather gear at home, figuring it would be useless in Florida.

[bush]

I was surprised at 90.8 miles by 3 doe in the road just before I hit Huntingdon. I didn't have time to snap a photo. D'oh!

The cold was really getting to me, so I stopped less than 3 miles later for a smoke and a drink. It was 6:12AM. I was extremely happy with my pace thus far.

I stopped in a church parking lot, obviously empty at this point as it's early on a Friday, and even the most God-fearing Jesus freaks aren't worshiping at this hour. I did notice halfway through my cigarette than an elderly lady was standing in her doorway across the street staring me down, and I decided not to stay any longer than I had to.

Journal notes at this point:
41F in Huntingdon
Extreme elevation and temp changes
Fog in the hollows
26 is empty and FUN!

[bush]

Ok, so maybe I didn't emphasize enough. The cold was REALLY getting to me. The Katana doesn't have the capability to power heated gear, so even if I had any, it wouldn't have helped. Temps were in the mid 40s, and the sun was still slightly obscured by some patchy clouds.

I hit 118 miles before I stopped at Saxton Surplus & Supply, a gas station slash convenience store somewhere between Huntingdon and the PA/MD border. I grabbed a cup of coffee for $.50. Not Starbucks, but it brought my core temp up. My journal references "lots of pickups and flannel." I was in good ol' boy territory. This was the type of place where the locals all showed up in the morning before work to shoot the shit and have their coffee, and while everybody was friendly, I did get some strange looks and felt very out of place.

So I topped off the tank, finished my coffee, and got back on the road. And what a road! PA26 does NOT disappoint. And the best part? It took me all the way to Maryland.

[bush]

So here's where things get tricky.

I planned most of the route to Skyline Drive using Google Maps. Well, there's a problem with that - Google doesn't distinguish between paved roads and... gravel. The entirety of Green Ridge State Forest (at least the section I went through) ended up being washboard.

My GPS is also guilty of this. GPS 1, bush 0.

I continued on anyway, having no other real option. I found this uninhabited cabin (or whatever it is) and rode around a gate for a photo. Why the hell not, I hadn't seen anybody all the way up the mountain.

[bush]

There's a reason it's called Green Ridge. It's green, and the road runs along the ridge of the mountain. The little dots in the picture looking down appear to be cows.

[bush]

More vistas from Green Ridge. I was riding high at this point. Had something happened and my ride ended, I would have considered it a successful day trip. Little did I know that the best was yet to come.

[bush]

Welcome to West Virginia!

I stopped at the gas station right across the border and topped off. There was a nice Harley parked outside, with its bearded, vest-wearing owner standing next to it. He seemed jealous.

But there was some bad news. I found out that the West Virginia governer's mansion burned down the night before. Yep, right down to the axles.

I was on WV29, and the road was awesome. Until I felt the back end getting squishy through the turns.

Journal entry:
"10:30AM. 229.1 miles. Nail in my fucking tire."

So I pulled off in the parking lot of a flea market in the middle of nowhere, pulled the SPIKE out of my tire, and got down to business.

This was my second incident in as many months. I had just replaced the tire before the trip, now this. No big deal though, I had been trained in the use of a tire repair kit the first time, and I came prepped with an air compressor. About a half hour later all was well and I was packed up, on the road.

Footnote: The tire didn't leak air for the rest of the trip. The tire is STILL on the bike, even after I sold it and bought it back again. It does need replaced though.

[bush]

That's all for tonight, I'll continue the saga tomorrow evening!

[bush]

I forgot I had a half day at work today (starting two weeks of vacation), so I can keep going on this thread.

The tire put a slight damper on my mood, but I made the decision before it was even inflated that I would stop somewhere and purchase another tire if I had to. Ended up not being necessary.

This particular area of WV was beautiful. This section of the Appalachians is known as ridge and valley, which is exactly what it sounds like. Long, straight valleys bordered on each side by generally even ridges. We have this exact type of geography back home in and around Williamsport, and it makes for some great roads. Absolutely no complaints on this front.