seafood crisis

Cruising along at 60mph on wonderful US 33 when I came upon the very recent truck accident. A panel truck full of seafood tipped over on one of the bends. The very polite, and very tough looking, state trooped explained what happened. I asked, harmlessly enough, if maybe we could cook some of of the fresh seafood on the searing pavement. He replied something to the effect: "Sun, I am not shure I guldurn thank that is a right funny comment"

Then another guy on a motorcycle pulled up and said he had to get to work. The trooped explained that the cleanup could take hours so the bike guy said he would lead me and 2 other cars over the mountain over another ridge. He said, roughly: "Tain't no road I ride iffun I could not, but sheet, I got to get ta wuk. Ya'll kin folla me if yid lik. Theys kwite a bit a gravel along the holler, but it ull get us there" We thanked him politely and followed.

What he did not say was that he was going to drive the gravel road, up and along Harpers Ridge, to the peak or North Mountain (3500 feet) at speeds that were just insane. I was sliding in the gravel, trying to wreck on every bend. One car stayed with us, the other is somewhere along Harpers Ridge whistling the tune to Deliverance by now.

This might be the first traffic jam in the history of Harpers Ridge. The guy who was leading us, who is behind the pick up truck in this photo, immediately blasted through the little gap between him and the other cars, leaving the rest of us behind. I saw one little girl come out of a house (shack) with a shotgun screaming something about "I'z gonna killa me one of 'em revnuers on a motersickle" I am sure I heard it. Nonetheless, Harpers Ridge views and scenery were incredible and we made it back to US 33, frazzled, but better for the adventure.

US 33

Something convinced me to make a right turn off of US 119 north towards Morgantown, north of Charelston, and head east on US 33 to meet up with Schultz in Roanoke. Turned out to be a great decision. US 33 is one of the greats roads I have ever driven, riden or rowed. Between Buckhannon WV and Roanoke VA is winds through the Allegheny mountains, up to 3500 feet, across the eastern continental divide, past Senaca rocks, Blackwater falls. The roads are in excellent condition. They climb, dip, wind, curve with spectacular views. I am now determined to travel every US Hwy in America (in between trying to visit every planet on earth). On this trip alone I have been treated to US 11, US 27, US 119 and US 33. All incredible. Who knew these great roads were out here....not me!

Senaca Rocks

Riding at sunrise just north of Charleston. It is more than real, it is magic.

Swell little town of Elkins WV

Diggers, diggers, diggers....that is what my kids used to scream at all construction equipment. If they were working we would stop for hours to watch them, no matter where in the country or where in the world we were. The badass diggers were doing some major stuff along US 33.

Whoops, almost went a whole day of blogging without my posing the vortex. hahahaha

Wartburg KY and beyond

I was cruising at 6omph on beautiful US 92 out of Stearns KY towards Charleston WV when US 92 just ended. No signs, no anything, it just ended at these red diamonds. Nothing to do but pull out the trusty road map and find another route.

This is a road up Pine Mountain off of US 119 north of Harlan. Sometimes these roads just seem to go up and off into the clouds. I hit the throttle and took a ride into the atmosphere.

So many beautiful streams, creeks, rivers.

This is what I call real riding, in Wartburg KY along the Obed River. Ahhhh

View from the top of Pine Mountain, north of Harlan, US 119, Kentucky. Just gets better every minute.

I was not sure how I felt about entering this highway. Was this some sort of message. I stopped and did a life inventory. It took about 3o seconds, not much on the shelves. So I moved on.

Getting closer to home as I recognized the Elk River and felt obligated to stop and patronize this establishment...what with the fact that I could not spend any of my beer budget last night in the dry counties of Kentucky.

Early morning sun on, yep, Kingdom Come Parkway. If it was I sign I took it to mean that I could go faster on this great road.

She is now officially named Comet I, and this old 1998 Roadkind has certainly treated me well. I am near 3000 miles on this trip and she has been ridden hard in 105 heat and pouring rain. At the moment it is so dirty I can't tell what color it is, but onward.

The Blues Brothers Mantra

I always loved that scene in the Blues Brothers....."full tank of gas, 100 miles to Chicago, wearing sunglasses".....and here I am. I am 500 miles from home in Pittsburgh. I am at a hotel where I am the only guest. My budget is depleted. I calculated that I have enough money for gas...I don't need food as I have my trusty bag of trail mix....I don't need lodging because, well because I don't. I budgeted enough to have a few beers tonight, but that won't happen because I am in Kentucky in a dry county. I love it. If all goes according to plan I will pull into my driveway sometime tomorrow night with not a dime left. This is all the better to me in that I have a great job (hell I don't remember a day in my life where I did not have a job) but not a lot of income to show for it and it matters not a lick. The road still rules. Nice little hotel by the way, though I am not sure what it means that they rent rooms by the hour, or by the night.

Alabama/Tennessee

I think I have made a command decision based on some fairly heavy traveling in the last 3 years. US Routes are the best. I am US 27 today from Chattanooga TN to Lexington KY.

They are wide open, 55-70mph, rolling, beautiful, not full trucks. Trade of is you come to small towns about every 40 miles or so and you hit a few traffic lights some times, but you get to see the great small towns that are the real world and you rarely see all of the interstate stuff.

Second choice would be interstates because, well, they get you there I guess.

There are US Highway Rts. all over the country. Never far from interstates. Motorcycle, Car, Bicycle, or Boat, it is my choice of travel.

Alabama is, as the sign says, beautiful and I wonder why it has taken me so long to explore it. I will be back.

Desoto Falls, Little River Canyon, Ft. Payne Alabama

Sign claims it is a 100% pollution free reserve, meaning there are not any sources of pollution along the entire river. Just incredibly beautiful.

I miss road partner Schultz. Nobody comments when I pull over every 2o miles to take silly photos or look at dead snakes, and nobody to talk to at the water breaks. At the moment I am sitting 50 miles south of Oak Ridge TN in a wonderful rainstorm, inside a great little gas station market, playing on the computer, having coffee and watching the rain.

Seems I have believed this is how one should live all of my life.

This is video taken by a passenger, not me, US 27 in Tennessee with pretty fair storm clouds brewing on the mountain. I made it to a safe dry place before it hit.

The Route in a nutshell