You have a project to do and you’ll need several tools to get the job completed. You reach into your tool box and everything you need is right there. How satisfying is that? The same can be said for riding a motorcycle and being presented with a challenging scenario. Do you have the tools (skills) in your tool box to get the job done?
Regardless of the number of years you have been riding, rider safety courses should be considered as part of your annual checklist. Every year, if you have a riding season, when the season begins you check your bike out to make sure it is safe and in good riding condition. Then you check your gear. Is your helmet going to still do the trick if it needs to? How are your boots holding up? The same consideration should be given to your skills.
When was the last time your motorcycle riding skills were challenged in a controlled environment? I dare say that this should be done at least once every year. Ask someone who cares about you whether they think you should be as prepared as you possibly can while in control of your motorcycle. Of course the answer is YES. There are many opportunities for you to do this. We had the pleasure of singing up for and taking the new dual sport rider training course offered by Stayin Safe. The class description read well as it offers “real world “, real time travel skills. What that means is, you ride on both pavement and dirt/gravel/mud roads while an instructor communicates with you using a one-way radio. For many of us the roads less traveled i.e. dirt, gravel and mud are somewhat intimidating but the reality is that you will end up on a dirt or gravel road sometime and you need to be prepared.
I have been both backpacking and motorcycling for more than 30 years. But it wasn’t until recently that I, like many others, decided to combine the two with motorcycle camping. Also, I have worked for an outdoor outfitter for 11 years so I have had the ability to test many combinations of gear and brands.
While motorcycle camping is somewhat akin to car camping – in that you don’t actually have to physically carry all of your gear – it is also similar to backpacking in that the size and weight of your gear matters on several fronts.
The Iron Horse Motorcycle Lodge in Stecoah, NC is perfectly situated amongst some of the best riding there is. The lodge is only a short distance from the Tail of the Dragon and the Cherohala Skyway, not to mention Fontana Lake, the southern terminus of the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as well as hundreds and hundreds of miles of paved and unpaved motorcycle nirvana.
Tucked away on 39 secluded acres the Iron horse offers camping, rooms and cabins with weekend dining.
The dining hall offers dinner on Friday and Saturday evenings. Last weekend Friday evening’s choices were the pulled pork plate, beef brisket plate or BBQ chicken plate each of which included your choice of collard greens; baked beans; baked potato casserole or broccoli cheese casserole all for $8.95. On Saturday they took it up a notch with the choice of either prime rib ($15.99) or Salmon ($12.95) both of which included salad bar, baked regular or sweet potato and a dinner roll. Make sure that you reserve dinner ahead of your stay. They take walk ups but on a first come first serve basis. Continue reading »
Where: Pipestem Resort State Park, WV
Location: Near Athens WV
Price: $87 (Standard Room) – $182 per night (Executive Suite)
The entrance to Pipestem Resort State Park.
Pipestem Resort State Park near Athens, WV is known as the “Crown Jewel of West Virginia State Parks.” I remember visiting this park as a child and thinking then that it would be a great place revisit. It never occurred to me that it would be 30 some years later and on a motorcycle, not a Ford Fairlane.
There are a number of way to get to Pipestem Resort from Boone, NC. The fastest, about three hours door to door, would be to make your way to I 77 north to Princeton, WV, then 14 miles north to the park for a total of 150 miles. But that’s not how we roll.
Instead, a more inspiring ride is to take Hwy 194 through Todd to West Jefferson, then US 221 to Independence, VA (60 miles). Where you can pickup US 21 north to Wytheville, VA which includes crossing the Jefferson National Forest (30/90 miles). In Wytheville take US 52 north back into the Jefferson National Forest. After 10 very scenic miles you will come to the Big Walker Mountain Lookout (10/97 miles). …
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