This is what the paved roads of GC look like after the snow melts:
Just up the hill, one of my favorite GC views. The late winter sun is still a bit pale:
The reason for coming this way (aside from the previous view):
About halfway up the hill:
That road terminates at Route 50, near the top of Backbone Mountain. There is a roadside tavern, (Table Rock Inn, I believe) on the far side of Route 50. From Route 50, you would never believe the pathetic little path off the side is an actual road. It is really fun to come tooling along on Route 50, past the tavern, with people hanging out on the porch, drop a few gears and back it in, rear tire howling, and disappear off the side of the road.
At the WV line, just south of Kempton (that is the town the ADV MD tag guys were most worried about. WF, time to grab that tag and bring it back out here.
). Hill climb anyone?
That road leads past Fairfax Stone, the head spring of the northern branch of the Potomac. And it brings you out to Route 219, a few miles north of Thomas. The next turn off is another little road you would never guess is an actual road as you go by it on 219, aka Rightfork Leadmine Road. It goes back and forth between paved and dirt. There is quite a bit of logging going on along the road these days and the logging trucks have the dirt packed down hard, making for excellent traction. Here is a low water bridge a few miles in:
and looking the other way:
RF Leadmine Road dead ends @ Horseshoe Run Road which continues along the same creek and has some very tasty, narrow pavement. There is a blind turnoff on the right side along the way for Leadmine Mountain Road, which is a real treat and quickly turns into a Forest Service quality road. Here is a photo over a blind rise into a right hander which caught me out a few years back and gave me a case of blurry vision and a nice concussion. Notice the National Forest signage on the right:
...and just over the brow, trying to show a bit of the scenic runoff in the upper middle. It is very pretty right here and my photos don't do justice:
a view up the next stretch:
dual sport tire:
I was stirring up wild life all over the place. I have seen a bear not far from here a few years back and wanted to really look deep into the bare (no leaves, no pun) forest, but the streams of water running down the road required most of my attention. A little higher up Leadmine Mountain Road, trying to show some perspective on the grade and the drop off the side. Awesome view from here and dead silent:
At the end of Leadmine Mountain Road, I took Location Road down to St. George. Then took Holly Meadows Road South. Anyone that has ridden with me out here is familiar with that stretch. However, where I normally bear right, I stayed straight/left forkish on Sugerland Road. Sugarland is one of those bits of road that is 15-20 degrees cooler than everywhere else in the summer as it runs through a tunnel of trees. Here is a little scenery from the creek that runs along side:
Sugarland Road connects with 219 just south of Thomas, where the big overlook pull off is for the huge crazy windmill farm.
I stopped in Thomas to top up with fuel and water, then reversed the route back to where Holly Meadows intersects Horseshoe Run, back up to RH Leadmine Road to 219, where I turned north for Oakland, content with my day. So long winter. Don't come back anytime soon.
I might need to take the wifes Jeep to have the trans worked on Thurs but probably pretty early in the day.... So, most of Thursday is open, Friday is wide open, and all day Sat is open. Plus, I have a buddy who just picked up a KLX650C a few weeks ago who I might be able to get out on Friday if he has the bugs worked out of it by now......