XS East 2017

[Huron52]

Home safe and sound.... It rained on the truck and trailer but not us coming back! Another accident in Detroit. Other than those two things nice drive home!

It's great we can always find a couple of great people to put their heads together and come up with a great rally!

[newc4]

Home safe

I got home about 3:30. Had some fine BBQ in Gordonsville with Dwayne and Jim.

[2manybikes]

XS East

Thanks to Marty and Darrell for a great event! Nice to see some of my XS friends, and the opportunity to make a few more. Rhonda and I had a blast.

[dbbrian]

Home too

Phil and I split off from the Sunday ride shortly after the scary pass though Dingess tunnel.

http://theresashauntedhistoryofthetri-state.blogspot.ca/2013/11/dingess-tunnel.html

We put in a few hours ride north and took a break, finished the ride today. We parted near Niagara and I made it home about 7:30.

Thanks to Darryl and Marty for planning and hosting, it was a great experience!

The roads were amazing, whether on a planned route,...or not

Brian

[MaximPhil]

Phil Delhaye (Canada Phil) won the first "Character" award, voted by the group. (my camera won't win any awards for the photo I have. Sorry Phil. )
Here is a stock photo of our "Character"

Thanks Marty & Darrell
Not sure what i did to deserve the award but thanks.
Phil

[MaximPhil]

Phil and I split off from the Sunday ride shortly after the scary pass though Dingess tunnel.

http://theresashauntedhistoryofthetri-state.blogspot.ca/2013/11/dingess-tunnel.html

We put in a few hours ride north and took a break, finished the ride today. We parted near Niagara and I made it home about 7:30.

Thanks to Darryl and Marty for planning and hosting, it was a great experience!

The roads were amazing, whether on a planned route,...or not

Brian

Thanks for making the ride Brian. We stopped in Bridgeport near Clarksburg for the night. found a bar with $1 craft beers .....so had some
Delayed start this morning and home by 6:45 No rain or traffic

[MartyA]

Character Award

Thanks Marty & Darrell
Not sure what i did to deserve the award but thanks.
Phil

Someone who keeps coming to these rallies, is colorful and fun to be with, can tell a good and funny story just about any time, and has to have been around the block a few times to get to that level...

[hamjam]

thanks for the Photos miss you guys and gals

[MartyA]

thanks for the Photos miss you guys and gals

Us too! Take care of yourself!

[dbbrian]

The XS East experience from my perspective

I left Stratford, Ontario, Canada on Thursday afternoon and met with MaximPhil near Mississauga. Triple layered clothing with rain suit.



From there we headed for Marty & Sally's place in Kane PA where they very kindly held over a lovely home cooked meal for our late arrival, put us up for the night and provided a nice breakfast on top of good conversation and a minor celebration of Sally's favourite NHL team winning the east conference.

Suited up in the morning and headed out - 4 bikes included Dean from New York (I think) who also arrived the night before

[dbbrian]

It was a bit gusty, and the 40 year old XS, or maybe more accurately the even older rider was not quite up to the speeds at which modern machines and experienced drivers like to go, so after lunch at Cracker Barrel in Fairmont WV, it was suggested I head out while the others were starting their bikes and they would catch up. After riding a while, I recalled the chart that talks about how much faster you have to go to make up just a few minutes. So I rode alone and was perfectly content knowing the next main destination was exit 42 in Beckley. It was absolutely a fantastic ride on the best roads yet - little did I know . Stopped a few times to peel off layers at it got warmer, Kodak moment at the lookout point, and finally at exit 42 I parked and waited.





One more stop



Marty and Sally found me first.

[dbbrian]

A picture of the bikes at the lodge on arrival, or maybe the next morning.

[dbbrian]

Back of the Dragon Run

All the bikes rolled out on Saturday and headed for the Back of the Dragon!



Even the road in and out of the lodge was fun, but faster riding was soon found as we headed for route 16. I was in the back of the pack, 2nd last. It was really impressive to see all those bikes ahead making the curves. As time passed we got more and more stretched out, and soon the back group of 5 bikes came to the proverbial fork in the road. I followed like a good little lemming, and it looked to me like we took the logical one that followed the yellow line but we never caught up to anyone. We discovered a really great mountain road that was narrow but paved and very scenic, so I think we got a bonus route but don’t ask me where it was .

Eventually Phil said “…get me to Tazewell, I know the rest from there.. ” and then he led us up and down the two mountains between Tazewell and Marion, but not without stopping so we could enjoy the breathtaking view.

Hungry Mother Park










Then we finished the downward ride off the second mouintain and found the Macado's restaurant and the rest of the gang.

[dbbrian]

Afternoon ride home

We all departed the restaurant and headed for the second "half" of the day, which turned out to be a lot more than half for Phil and I. As I followed with Phil behind me, I struggled to pace myself between keeping the bike in fronmt of me in sight, and not losing sigh of Phil behind me.

I reached a complicated intersection with a light system that had red, green and yellow lights all on in various configurations, so I stopped for safety sake and to let Phil catch up. I watched the bikes ahead disappear. We went in the same route but never found them. One last kodak moment at the famous sign, and the we had a great afternoon exploring, stopping at the info centre and talked with a local retired Army Vet who is busy marketing the whole Back of the Dragon thing. And I got a great hat!



Here is where we recommend you stop for beer. There is a walk in room that begs you to ahang out and select the varieties you might enjoy.


We were late getting back, but managed to get some dinner in time with the gang to celabrate a great days ride.

[dbbrian]

Sunday ride

Sunday ride was also very good, with lots of winding roads along a river, up and down mountains, and of course....the Tunnel!!!!

Dingess tunnel has some folklore that I learned about afterwards, but there didn't need to be any folklore to scare me

It was pitch black I was last, so could see tail lights ahead, but my headlight and even the new cree lamps were useless until about halfway through when my eyes adjusted, and even then I could only barely see the surface of the "road"

Here we are waiting for oncoming traffic to clear. If you see lights, don't go yet Then go, and hope the nearly mile long tunnel doesn't have a vehicle coming with weak lights like mine. Everyone beeped their horns for fun at one point which eased the anxiety just enough to keep on going.



Now I understand why Marty asked "anyone claustrophobic?