Bones
05-17-2006, 05:24 PM
A three and a half day trip, covering Western, PA, Eastern Ohio and Western New York
Sometimes, carving out free time to get away on the motorcycle for more than a day is more difficult than it should be. For me, the scheduling of these events needs to be taken care of months in advance. While one of the joys of the type of motocycle adventuring I pursue is the exercise of flexibility and spontaneity while on the ride, the planning parameters are somewhat rigid. And so, this trip last week arrived with miserable weather forcast and excercised for the entire Northeast. That is why they invented rain gear and why I own some.
The excuse for the excursion was a continuing education course to be held in a very small central PA town. As it turns out, this is the same town as the home of my riding partner. Perry is a college professor who enjoys saying to me everytime we stop for gas "have I mentioned that I don't have to be back to work until August?" Thanks. Yes, you reminded me.
As my course did not finish until late afternoon, we decided to head out the next morning. This created the opportunity for us to take a two hour ride that afternoon around the back roads of Central PA. I rode his BMW R75/5 that he bought new in 1971. He has ridden the entire US on this bike and has over 140,000 miles on it. It still runs great and was a blast to tool around on. He rode my GS. His regular ride these days is an '01 R1150R. The /5 is like riding a giant flywheel. Plenty of grunt down low and it definately feels like a real motorcycle. Brakes have come a long way since state of the art drums of the early 1970's.
The next morning we headed out under threatening skies, temps in the low 50's and the normal anticipation of a real journey. We had plans to make it to Eastern Ohio taking back roads. This would end up being about 475 miles that day. The rain gear was on both for heat retention and so we wouldn't have to stop when, not if we got into rain. I decided that the Gerbing's heated jacket liner was a great investment. The comfort it provided allowed me to enjoy the actual ride and not shiver while waiting for the next stop for coffee. As it turns out, that was a good thing, because Perry has decided to become a human camel. He can go forever on only a thimble full of water and a saltine cracker.
His daughter Ann bade us farewell and safe riding and we were off. The first few photos are of Kinzua dam in Western PA. The photos don't do it justice, as photos often diminish the awe of such huge things. Perry commented that he finds this place more inspiring than Hoover dam. I haven't been to Hoover, but Kinzua is worth visiting, for sure.
As Perry is not only camel like, but also can get ornery if required to stop when we are in good rhythm, some of the most beautiful and inspiring scenery was not gotten on digital. The back roads of Western PA are truly astounding. Good road surface, plenty of elevation changes and nice sweepers, for hours on end. It is like flying through a giant forest. Little traffic and few houses. Remote, beautiful and with the throb of the large flat twin beneath me, a relaxing and mind clearing space was reached.
Eastern Ohio along the river is like another planet. Barges push up the river, huge power plants and other industrials eat huge amounts of sky and 6 lanes of traffic flow like the river. This valley of river and industry is followed for about two hours and then we head inland into some of the most astounding twisties I have ever encountered. Everyone raves about Deals Gap. Yes, there are over 300 curves in 11 miles there. But there are also a lot of yahoos, minivans, police and lolly gaggers. These roads were endless, had very little traffic and amazing elevation changes with scenery that was inspiring. Farms amidst forests were everywhere. Crests of hills required discipline on the throttle because you really had no idea if it was right left or straight once you got to the top. You would crest the hill, lean into the now apparent turn, roll on the throttle and look down into the next valley filled with the lazy chewing Gurnsey cows, red farm houses and snake twisted road to follow, disappearing into the next forest entry.
40 miles of that and we found the driveway of Perry's friend who would put us up for the night. That 1/4 mile driveway should be a posting on ADVrider. We ascended the gravel snake and made it into his garage. Cold beer, meatloaf and mashed potatos along with Dave and his family made us feel good after 475 miles under heavy skies, but little rain.
Day 2
We planned to cross West VA, but the weather channel said storms. So we decided to try to run away from them by going North into Ohio, then back to Western PA and then onto Western NY. I tricked Perry into two extra cups of coffee that morning. That didn't help me out much, as he didn't signal that he needed to stop until we had just about emptied our tanks. Almost two hundred miles in that run. I usually find that I am the one getting annoyed when others want to stop. But I guess Perry is tougher than me because the old coot can just keep on ticking lick a Timex watch. Thankfully, his prostate is older than mine, so that helps me out when my legs are getting stiff. North Eastern Ohio, Route 9 is just fantastic. I was actually aching for straight roads after ride.
After gas, a quick bite to eat and zipping up the rain gear, we headed East and found Warren PA and a hotel. On the way we made it to a spill way in Western PA that had a pretty lake and a weird density of carp. See photos.We got away with a full day without the rain that battered the Northeast. Grey, but clear roads. Another 10 hour day of riding complete. We found a family owned Italian restarant. A cold beer and some eggplant parmesan worked well.
Day 3
Up early again, coffee a bagel and donned the rain gear again. The skies remained black and threatening now for the third day. We did a loop through Allegheny State Park. Astounding in all the ways forests should be. That took two hours and we were back in Warren. We headed North for Western NY, rode along the Western edge of Lake Chatauqua and up to Lake Erie. The shores of Lake Chataqua looks like lots of money and the shores of Erie doesn't. It got cold, windy and real rain arrived. That drove us inland and the next several hours found us ride testing rain gear at the limits of what it is designed for. Modest wind, strong rain with no breaks and cool temps in the mid 50's ushered us into Geneseo, NY. Fortunately, the Country Inn and Suites had lots of hot water. A cold beer, a hot meal and a shot of Irish Whiskey topped off the night.
I was wearing a Tourmaster 2 piece rain suit, Aerostich over booties and their 3 fingered rain overgloves and all of it worked great.
The next morning was still rainy so we decided to head home. We rode together for a while until Arkport NY and he then headed back to PA and I rode through the Western Finger lakes through Hammondsport and back to Ithaca. The rain held off for most of it and I did stop for a few pics in Hammondsport. These pics show what is nice about Upstate NY when it isn't winter.
Home sweet home is the last picture. I walked in to an empty house, but my kids had made a giant welcome home Dad poster and it was good to be home, indeed.
Photos should link up at
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AbNmLJq4bOHug
I hope the photos work. If not, I will be emailing the shutterfly link directly to Arkline and he will rescue me from computer idiocy.
Jeff
Sometimes, carving out free time to get away on the motorcycle for more than a day is more difficult than it should be. For me, the scheduling of these events needs to be taken care of months in advance. While one of the joys of the type of motocycle adventuring I pursue is the exercise of flexibility and spontaneity while on the ride, the planning parameters are somewhat rigid. And so, this trip last week arrived with miserable weather forcast and excercised for the entire Northeast. That is why they invented rain gear and why I own some.
The excuse for the excursion was a continuing education course to be held in a very small central PA town. As it turns out, this is the same town as the home of my riding partner. Perry is a college professor who enjoys saying to me everytime we stop for gas "have I mentioned that I don't have to be back to work until August?" Thanks. Yes, you reminded me.
As my course did not finish until late afternoon, we decided to head out the next morning. This created the opportunity for us to take a two hour ride that afternoon around the back roads of Central PA. I rode his BMW R75/5 that he bought new in 1971. He has ridden the entire US on this bike and has over 140,000 miles on it. It still runs great and was a blast to tool around on. He rode my GS. His regular ride these days is an '01 R1150R. The /5 is like riding a giant flywheel. Plenty of grunt down low and it definately feels like a real motorcycle. Brakes have come a long way since state of the art drums of the early 1970's.
The next morning we headed out under threatening skies, temps in the low 50's and the normal anticipation of a real journey. We had plans to make it to Eastern Ohio taking back roads. This would end up being about 475 miles that day. The rain gear was on both for heat retention and so we wouldn't have to stop when, not if we got into rain. I decided that the Gerbing's heated jacket liner was a great investment. The comfort it provided allowed me to enjoy the actual ride and not shiver while waiting for the next stop for coffee. As it turns out, that was a good thing, because Perry has decided to become a human camel. He can go forever on only a thimble full of water and a saltine cracker.
His daughter Ann bade us farewell and safe riding and we were off. The first few photos are of Kinzua dam in Western PA. The photos don't do it justice, as photos often diminish the awe of such huge things. Perry commented that he finds this place more inspiring than Hoover dam. I haven't been to Hoover, but Kinzua is worth visiting, for sure.
As Perry is not only camel like, but also can get ornery if required to stop when we are in good rhythm, some of the most beautiful and inspiring scenery was not gotten on digital. The back roads of Western PA are truly astounding. Good road surface, plenty of elevation changes and nice sweepers, for hours on end. It is like flying through a giant forest. Little traffic and few houses. Remote, beautiful and with the throb of the large flat twin beneath me, a relaxing and mind clearing space was reached.
Eastern Ohio along the river is like another planet. Barges push up the river, huge power plants and other industrials eat huge amounts of sky and 6 lanes of traffic flow like the river. This valley of river and industry is followed for about two hours and then we head inland into some of the most astounding twisties I have ever encountered. Everyone raves about Deals Gap. Yes, there are over 300 curves in 11 miles there. But there are also a lot of yahoos, minivans, police and lolly gaggers. These roads were endless, had very little traffic and amazing elevation changes with scenery that was inspiring. Farms amidst forests were everywhere. Crests of hills required discipline on the throttle because you really had no idea if it was right left or straight once you got to the top. You would crest the hill, lean into the now apparent turn, roll on the throttle and look down into the next valley filled with the lazy chewing Gurnsey cows, red farm houses and snake twisted road to follow, disappearing into the next forest entry.
40 miles of that and we found the driveway of Perry's friend who would put us up for the night. That 1/4 mile driveway should be a posting on ADVrider. We ascended the gravel snake and made it into his garage. Cold beer, meatloaf and mashed potatos along with Dave and his family made us feel good after 475 miles under heavy skies, but little rain.
Day 2
We planned to cross West VA, but the weather channel said storms. So we decided to try to run away from them by going North into Ohio, then back to Western PA and then onto Western NY. I tricked Perry into two extra cups of coffee that morning. That didn't help me out much, as he didn't signal that he needed to stop until we had just about emptied our tanks. Almost two hundred miles in that run. I usually find that I am the one getting annoyed when others want to stop. But I guess Perry is tougher than me because the old coot can just keep on ticking lick a Timex watch. Thankfully, his prostate is older than mine, so that helps me out when my legs are getting stiff. North Eastern Ohio, Route 9 is just fantastic. I was actually aching for straight roads after ride.
After gas, a quick bite to eat and zipping up the rain gear, we headed East and found Warren PA and a hotel. On the way we made it to a spill way in Western PA that had a pretty lake and a weird density of carp. See photos.We got away with a full day without the rain that battered the Northeast. Grey, but clear roads. Another 10 hour day of riding complete. We found a family owned Italian restarant. A cold beer and some eggplant parmesan worked well.
Day 3
Up early again, coffee a bagel and donned the rain gear again. The skies remained black and threatening now for the third day. We did a loop through Allegheny State Park. Astounding in all the ways forests should be. That took two hours and we were back in Warren. We headed North for Western NY, rode along the Western edge of Lake Chatauqua and up to Lake Erie. The shores of Lake Chataqua looks like lots of money and the shores of Erie doesn't. It got cold, windy and real rain arrived. That drove us inland and the next several hours found us ride testing rain gear at the limits of what it is designed for. Modest wind, strong rain with no breaks and cool temps in the mid 50's ushered us into Geneseo, NY. Fortunately, the Country Inn and Suites had lots of hot water. A cold beer, a hot meal and a shot of Irish Whiskey topped off the night.
I was wearing a Tourmaster 2 piece rain suit, Aerostich over booties and their 3 fingered rain overgloves and all of it worked great.
The next morning was still rainy so we decided to head home. We rode together for a while until Arkport NY and he then headed back to PA and I rode through the Western Finger lakes through Hammondsport and back to Ithaca. The rain held off for most of it and I did stop for a few pics in Hammondsport. These pics show what is nice about Upstate NY when it isn't winter.
Home sweet home is the last picture. I walked in to an empty house, but my kids had made a giant welcome home Dad poster and it was good to be home, indeed.
Photos should link up at
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AbNmLJq4bOHug
I hope the photos work. If not, I will be emailing the shutterfly link directly to Arkline and he will rescue me from computer idiocy.
Jeff