On a positive note, I covered a little more than 500 miles before I bailed on today’s reconnaissance. I knocked off a significant unexplored portion of the first Virginia map. What was left to be done is primarily re-riding roads I’ve been on before for comparison purposes, to judge them against those discovered since. If my earlier notes are sufficient, I may have all I need to complete the map. Gosh I hope so, it’s been one heck of an effort to reach this point.

I left before sunrise, crossing the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee in patches of fog and darkness so thick at times it slowed traffic. I was prepared for this, such is the norm recently. I wore my cool and wet weather gear. My expectation was that as the day progressed, the recently oppressive heat would come on and I’d change into my mesh gear to make the remainder of the day tolerable. I expected a “chance of afternoon showers”. No big deal. Just a little rain. Been there before, it doesn’t slow me down much.

I paused at the border passing into Virginia as the sun was now up and I could see to review my notes and maps before I left the highway. Already, the clouds were evident, those tall thunderheads that foretell an ominous future. I hoped it would hold off until the afternoon, and the emerging sun reinforced my wishful thinking. Reaching Marion, I turned north towards West Virginia.

No sooner was I off the Interstate than the wet roads spoke that rain had already been through. It was a good road, even a great one, though the long range views that should have been making it even that much more enjoyable were lost in the gray mists of the low cloud that engulfed the mountain passage. The tight turns, often requiring a drop into first gear, were strewn with heavy patches of large gravel and slippery mud that had been washed over them by what must have been epic storms yesterday. This was a great road and I hope I will return to it one day and ride it when it can really be ridden. Today was not the day though, and I turned about once I left the border of the map instead of exploring the terrain that lays across the border of the state. West Virginia holds such promise.

Within just a few minutes the first heavy drops clacked on my helmet. It grew into a deluge that rarely abated coming in growing wave after wave of torrent and fury. My gear is typically dry in light to moderate downpours, but this was rain of a biblical scope. I pressed on. Brief forays back onto the interstate found the traffic plodding along at less than 50 mph in the blinding downpours. When the first trickle of cold seeped onto the family jewels and spread across my skivvies then down the backs of my thighs, I cringed. Hate that. Expecting heat, I wore only a light T-shirt. A chill set in that would stay with me until I got home.

I stuck with it until about 2 PM. I just couldn’t get the job done any longer. There was no visibility and I couldn’t really get a feel for the character of the surroundings. I was shivering and tensed up with cold which was sapping my concentration and focus. I couldn’t see the tar patches, gravel, or muddy spots on the road, and too often there was enough water cascading across them to lose traction in the curves. I had survived enough close calls and slips on the hidden hazards. It was too dangerous to continue like this. I turned back towards the highway and made the cold slog homeward.

Unpacking the bike, I was taken back when I glanced at my rear tire. There is a white stripe down the center of it. I’d worn it clear down to the chords and was lucky to have made it home at all. I don’t even trust it to ride to the shop for a new one, it’s going on the trailer. Had I stayed out much longer, the day could have ended far more tragically. That rain may have saved my life. I supposed it was a good rain after all.

Wayne@americaridesmaps.com

>> Go to America Rides Maps.com – http://americaridesmaps.com/

I had an ambitious schedule. Spend three or four days on the motorcycle finding the best map candidates. The rejects are usually quickly noted. I was hoping to hit two, maybe three maps worth of roads. Find the promising areas not identified from home – there are always undiscovered treasures. Just riding along, pass a road not on the list, and circle back to check it out. Occasionally you find a gem. Most times, you quickly know why it was left off the route list. Serendipity is rare.

Believe it or not it takes up to a week to plan out a map before I do the rides. Even so, the plan changes once I actually experience them. The goal is efficiency but is never achieved. I know ahead of time the majority of the roads I choose to investigate as potential candidates to include on one of my America Rides Maps will be rejected. I’m very selective. Just because a road appears as a wiggly line on the map doesn’t mean it is good enough. There are lots of wiggly roads. Few of them meet my standards. I’m only looking for the best.

Of those few good ones, I need to plan to ride them at least twice. Once in each direction, and at different times of the day. The best roads often see up to four passes. If it’s that good, I like it enough to work it in to my travels again. Revisiting a road is the only way to determine the traffic load. Just because it was devoid of traffic at 11 AM doesn’t mean it stays that way.

Some roads are better in one direction but not the other. Views seen approaching and climbing the mountains are quite different from those leaving. The views are relative to others in the area. All these factors come into play.

Then there’s the arguments with the GPS. She says there are roads where none are visible. Submerged the bike in a river once following her advice. Good thing she’s waterproof. The trout were laughing with her that day. She-devil in a box.

Enough whining? Did I mention the rain that wasn’t supposed to be happening? Both days? Karma. I’ve already logged more than a thousand miles in Virginia and I’ve hardly begun to get a grip on it.

Time to get serious. Back to the drawing board. More time planning. I’ll return next week. This time with the precision of a military invasion. Focus on one small area at a time. Secure it and move on. No need to revisit. At least that’s my new plan. Slow and methodical. You don’t rush a masterpiece. I hope this is one when I’m done.

Wayne@americaridesmaps.com

>> Go To America Rides Maps.com – http://americaridesmaps.com/