Enchanted Creek (Buena Vista, VA)

After an eventful summer of adventure since our last moto trip, my buddy Whit & I decided it was time to load up the trailer again and head west to explore some asphalt & gravel within the Blue Ridge Mountains.



For this outing, we decided to haul the motos and mountain bikes to our friend Chris's property near Blue Ridge School near Stanardsville, VA. We arrived on a Wednesday night after work and were met by another friend, Brian, the next morning. From there, the three of us set out toward the Blue Ridge Parkway to criss-cross the scenic byway.

Within the first hour we were met with couple of closed gates, but eventually did find a route which allowed us to detour from the paved roads. This section of our ride was through the Bald Mountain Jeep Trail - a rocky climb from Coal Road to the Parkway.













Another section that I'd hoped to ride was the Shoe Creek Trail. Whit informed me, though, that parts of the trail that cross over private property have been closed to the public, so we abandoned those plans and rerouted.



Eventually we reached our destination for the day - Enchanted Creek Trail & Tunnel.



After passing through the tunnel we spotted a sutiable campsite to call ours for the night. Hammocks & tents were setup before convening by the fire to share stories of the day and assess our plans for the return trip.



On Friday morning we loaded up our gear and finished the Enchanted Creek Trail to meet the Blue Ridge Parkway at its terminus. Our aim was a breakfast stop at Beltie's in Nellysford. It was my first time there and WOW - I was blown away by the food!

After enjoying our meal in the sun, we chose to boogie back via paved roads. We wound our way through the farmland and were soon back at Chris's.





Brian hung out for a bit, then headed back to Richmond while Whit & I gathered wood for that night's bonfire. Later in the afternoon Chris arrived to join us by the blaze. A classic film (Young Einstein) serenaded us to sleep once the bonfire was extinguished.

On Saturday the three of us rode mountain bikes at Blue Ridge School. Whit was giving a first-ride to a bike he'd recently assembled and was happy to find the fit suited him and would only need a slight change in handlebar width to be totally dialed. After the ride we returned to the house for pizza & beers. That night another classic movie (Real Genius) lulled us to a deep slumber.

Sunday morning we took our time loading up before setting our sights westward, scheming over the next trip as the miles ticked by.

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Canaan Loop Road (Davis, WV)

I've been looking forward to a return to the Canaan Loop Road since our last trip in the Crosstrek.

Early on Thursday morning, I loaded up the bus and headed west. By the early afternoon I was in Thomas, West Virginia.

I left the bus near the Thomas City Park and rode the KTM to the Loop Road to scout whether I'd encounter any issues bringing the large rig. It seemed to be possible and one large campsite was still available, so I high-tailed it back to hop in the bus and return!

I lucked out and found the site still vacant upon my arrival. Within a few more minutes I had the bus parked and unloaded for the extended weekend.





That night Rebecca arrived and we set to making margaritas to celebrate our second trip together in Big Blue!

The next morning we woke to a cool, eerie fog and pink hue welcoming us out to explore.



Since we'd been experiencing quite a bit of rain, Rebecca & I were unsure what the trail conditions would be. One of the dryer trails is within the Canaaan State Park network, called Promised Land. We loaded up the gear and dogs into Rebecca's Corolla Cross and drove down to the park. Our hunch was correct - although other areas were a boggy mess, the trail we chose was relatively dry and as enjoyable as always.

That night we visited The Billy for dinner. As always, the cocktails and food were delicious!

For our next day of riding I suggested we try riding from the bus to one of the offshoots from Canaan Loop Road - Pointy Knob Trail. After a quick warmup on the fire road, the trail began with a steep, rocky, rooty climb. Rebecca amazed me with how well she navigated the ascent! It was a heart-in-throat sort of challenge - especially so considering that we were both still dealing with a lingering sinus & respiratory cold.

Eventually, though, the bogs appeared (during our climb, no less). We pushed through the saturated trail for a bit, but decided the descent would be even wetter - so it'd be wiser to turn around than continue. Although the conditions got the better of us, we were still able to enjoy bombing down the trail we'd just climbed.

After our ride we returned to the bus to enjoy snacks in the sun before enjoying another cozy night with the dogs.



The next day Rebecca headed home, with a stop near Baker, WV at her brother's property. I accompanied her to TipTop for breakfast before sending her on her way east on Corridor H. Since we'd emptied the [partially filled] freshwater tank, I swung by Blackwater Bikes to see if they'd let me use their bike-wash hose to fill up. They obliged and within a few minutes the tank was back in action!

Since the errand had me situated in town, I decided to park the bus and get in a ride at one of the Camp 70 trails - Moon Hoodoo Rocks!

The ride is one of my absolute favorites in Davis. Even with all the rain, the trail was in good condition and I crossed paths with several groups of hikers out enjoying the trail.

Once back at the bus I derobed from my muddy riding gear and headed back to camp to enjoy lunch and a Big Timber after a hot shower due to the refilled tank.



On my final day I chose to swap to the moto. I rode from my campsite to the end of the Canaan Loop Road & back.





After the ride I broke camp, loaded up the KTM, and headed down the fire road back to civilization. It was a great way to spend five days in the beauty of the Canaan Valley!



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SMEC/MotoAmerica (Alton, VA)

Every once in a while, the SMEC Supermoto Series coincides with MotoAmerica at Virginia International Raceway. When both events happen simultaneously, I try my best to make it to the track!

For this outing, I decided to use the bus in order to bring along all the toys (supermoto, dual-sport, & mountain bike) and the comforts of home to a historically BRUTALLY HOT weekend in the late summer sun.

On my way out of town on Friday, I made a stop at my father's house to show him and his wife the bus, since they hadn't seen it in its fully-functional state. While showing them the living area and motos strapped both inside & out, my father mentioned the MotoAmerica ad he'd seen on TV. Once I explained that's where I was headed, his eyes lit up! I told him to gather his things and head out the next morning if he'd be interested...so he did!



Once at the venue, I set to unloading my gear and swapping the SM wheels onto my YZ250F. The next morning I made breakfast, tested out the YZ on the asphalt, then rode the KTM (dual-sport) through the MOTUL offroad tracks. By about 1pm my dad pulled into the Kart Track area, at which point we retreated to the cool temps in the bus to go over our itinerary.

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About an hour later I decided I needed to modify my front brake adaptor [which was rubbing on the rotor]. I performed the modification and begin reassembly...only to come up short locating the pad retention spring. The two of us began searching every nook & cranny for the part, but eventually threw our hands up in defeat! Although this meant no more SM riding for me, we chose not to let it ruin our day - we'd simply walk over to the main course to watch MotoAmerica.

With that, I grabbed a T-Shirt and BAM! The spring fell out of the shirt and onto the floor!

I raced outside to install the caliper and get into my tracksuit as fast as possible before the practice sessions ended for the day. Although rather winded and out-of-sorts, I did eventually get into the flow of things somewhat. They'd opened the dirt section as well, so I got to hit every jump & berm there as well.

Once the practice session ended, I took a quick shower and we set off to see the last bit of racing on the main course.

That night we headed into Milton to grab dinner at Aunt Millie's.

The next day I inquired about taking part in the SMEC practice only, since I knew I'd prefer to pack up and head out before the races actually began. They informed me that practice would only last 10min per category, so I decided to forego the costs and simply enjoy spectating with my father instead. With that, we were off to walk the perimeter of the track, exploring all the possible viewing points.

Along our walk, we came across a limited-edition Jeep Cherokee I'd never seen before. It was one of only 100 made in the late 90's - decked out with a raised roof and interior converted for boondocking!



After chatting with the Jeep's owner, we continued on our way around the course, finding several vantage points to watch the action.



When black clouds began appearing, we decided to head back toward the bus, thumbing for two rides on passing golf carts until we were nearly back to the Kart Track. It wasn't enough, though, as a torrential downpour began!

I ran the rest of the distance to the bus, closed the windows in the garage section, then hopped in my dad's vehicle to retrieve him from The Lodge.

Back at the bus, we dried off before beginning to pack up. My dad hit the road around 1pm and I was headed east soon after. Although we hit a snag or two, the weekend was spectacular - a fitting use of the bus on its third-ever trip!

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Big Bear Bike Bash (Bruceton Mills, WV)

Rebecca and I have attended the Big Bear Bike Bash several times over the past few years - usually in ground-mounted tents and once in our rooftop tent.

This year, however, Rebecca suggested we experience the event in first-class-luxury while taking the bus on its second trip!

Although the conversion is 90% complete, the AC system was one of the last items to fully finish. During its install, I attempted to shorten the lineset going from the air handler to the outside unit. It was rather unfortunate, but my efforts were wasted as the unit requires a certain length of coil to contain the proper volume of refridgerant. At the eleventh hour, I sweated the lines back together and got them remounted and charged. Just before hitting the road, the AC was fully functional and blowing cold air into our bedroom!

First, we headed to Winchester on Monday after work. Rebecca left town first and I followed later that night (after getting the AC going!).

The next day Rebecca worked from her mom's house while I washed the solar panels and performed some organization to the interior of the bus. That night we celebrated her mother's 80th birthday with dinner, along with two of her siblings.

On Wednesday I rode the KTM to Green Ridge State Forest in Maryland while Rebecca put in another day at work.

On Thursday I packed up the bus and headed to Cacapon Resort State Park to check out their trail network.



I rode a trail I'd heard quite a bit about - Thunderstruck. It was a rocky mess! Every bit as challenging as I'd hoped!



Back at the bus, Rebecca arrived shortly after I descended Thunderstruck. I gave her the lowdown and we decided to try one of the other trails together - Giddy Up! It was a twisty route with plenty of tabletop jumps to keep us grinning from ear-to-ear!







After our ride we continued to the Big Bear Camplands, carefully navigating the last bit of our drive before settling into camp and preparing a late dinner.



After dinner, Rebecca and I enjoyed our first overnight in the bus! The AC kept us comfortable and the memory foam mattress was up to our discerning standards. The next morning we lounged around for a bit, made breakfast, and generally got a slow start to the day - departing for a ride around noon.







After our ride, we decided to post up at our campsite for the remainder of the day, watching the parade of bikers pass by with the dogs splayed out at our feet.

That night, Rebecca made us margaritas to go along with a taco dinner as the rain clouds began to accumulate around us.

The next morning featured intermittent rain, so we attempted to time our departure around the bands of rain clouds in the radar forecast.



Although the ride began smoothly, soon enough the rain returned and drenched us thoroughly. We pushed through, and eventually emerged from the trail to catch the shuttle back to the airstrip.





On our final day, the sun returned and we chose to head out on the trails relatively early.

We decided to visit the Pines - an overlook marked by a row of evenly-spaced trees just about three miles from camp.





The ride there & back featured some more rocky, technical challenges.





Soon after our ride, Rebecca loaded up her car and headed home.

Once she was en route, I decided to perform a bit of work on the bus - installing the final two drawer locks (a design I created) on the kitchen cabinets.



After completing that task, I decided to go out on the motorcycle once more before loading it onto the bus. I found several gravel roads and even a powerline trail to explore.



I returned to the campsite to finish loading the bus and soon departed for home. Another great trip in the books!

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Blackwater Birthday Bash (Davis, WV)

For several years, I've celebrated my birthday with a ride along a rail-to-trail segment. Rebecca and I invited my Mom and her husband for the first year, then extended the invite to my brother and his wife. In 2023, though, my stepfather suffered a fall during the ride. He was lucky to have survived, it turned out, when his over-the-bar trip landed him directly on his face and almost caused what's known as an "internal decapitation" when his uppermost vertebrae nearly separated where it meets the skull. Luckily, though, his tough-as-nails attitude guided his recovery and soon enough he was back to normal.

Needless to say, the accident put a hold on our trips for a few years.

This year marked my 45th birthday, so I figured it was time to get the tradition going again!

For this outing I chose a segment along the Allegheny Highlands Trail known as the Blackwater Canyon Trail. It's a 10.7 mile ride from Thomas, WV into Hendricks with a stop by Douglas Falls just about a mile or so into the ride.

Since the forecast was calling for scattered rain storms starting on Friday, Rebecca and I arrived early on Thursday to get in a mountain bike ride at Moon Hoodoo Rocks (probably our favorite trail in the area).

We left Ruprecht in the car and let our energetic Boxer, Bianca, come along for the ride!



After our ride, Rebecca and I headed to Davis to rendezvous with my Mom & John. After grabbing lunch at The Big Belly Deli we drove to Blackwater Falls before eventually retreating to the AirBnb she'd booked near Canaan Heights. The house was excellent, stocked with a huge dog bed that our two could share, hot tub on the rear patio, and fireplaces inside and out.



Later that night my brother and his wife arrived and we met at Moguls for dinner.

The next morning we woke to rain, so there was no rush to get organized for the ride. Luckily, our patience paid off and we departed the house just as the clouds began to dissipate.

We began our ride as Bianca led our group of six down the trail toward the first attractions: the Douglas Highwall, followed by Albert Falls & Douglas Falls.



Eventually Bianca began to tire, so I wrapped her in our Little Chonk Brodie One backpack.



A couple miles later she was eager to run again, so I let her out when we stopped to explore another waterfall with an impressive culvert beneath the trail.



Rain did eventually return, but the dense tree cover worked well to shade us from the downpour that we could see in the canyon beside the trail. Eventually we reached Hendricks where we loaded Dave's Tacoma with six bikes and bodies before returning to the cabin to dry off and regroup.

Once back in dry clothes, Rebecca mixed Cucumber Jalepeno Margaritas for us all before we grilled beef & tuna steaks for a feast that outdid the previous night's dinner by far.

The next morning saw the return of rain, so our guests departed soon after breakfast. Rebecca and I are troopers, though, so we chose to ride at Blackwater Falls State Park despite the conditions. Likewise, Bianca didn't hesitate to join us for the Dobbins Figure-Eight ride.





The Dobbins House trails are rooty and off-camber, a characteristic which is enhanced when wet. The climbs aren't especially steep, but they are extremely difficult in the conditions we were under.

Eventually we completed the circuit and headed back to the cabin to light another fire before kicking up our feet and enjoying our last afternoon of the trip.



On Sunday, we packed up and headed to Tip Top for two cups of coffee & pastries to enjoy during the drive home.

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