D.A.M.N Beastly D.S. Campout

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A bunch of guys have been planning a "dual-sport" ride & Camp for the past few months heading out to Seneca, Wv. I had been debating to do the trip, but some things changed and the guy that came up with the idea assured me that it wasn't going to be anything technical (although he wasn't the one coming up with the route, hondahawk from here did). I had the route in my gps prior to leaving yesterday a.m., and most of the actual roads I had been on at some time or another, the other stuff I was uncertain about but figured "how bad can it possibly be?".

So we met at point of rocks, md in the a.m.,
http://www.kyler.net/photos/628062567_aHxXR-M.jpg
grab a bite to eat after taking 15 to 340 down to front royal...
http://www.kyler.net/photos/628064705_PvpJz-M.jpg
and head out to the "fun" stuff... mostly unmarked roads, that became lightly gravel stuff. No biggie. Heading up one gravel road the rain became a steady down pour, the fog came in and before we knew it we were up at the top descending back to the actual paved stuff pretty quickly and rather blindly. Was pretty neat to see all the bikes lights and that was it coming down the switch backs deep in the foggy woods (wish I had gotten a pic).

Jumped onto another well known wv. road 55 briefly then jumping back off onto yet another unmarked road. It started off like most do..unmarked, turning to gravel, then before we knew it we're climbing up the mountain on chunky rocks with loads of mud due to the rain. At the top, or what we believed to be the top we take a break to debate which way to go at a crossroads, or to go back the way we came..
http://www.kyler.net/photos/628065441_3XWbr-M.jpg
http://www.kyler.net/photos/628065261_EvFkX-M.jpg

Someone comes up with the idea to push on (we're only 6 miles away from rt.33) so we proceed on coming to a gate cross the mud and do not trespass signs posted. We're a mile further in then we were and close to 15 or so from where we came from. 5 miles to go if we go around the gate. Beat and battered, we decide to take the chance and go around the gate. The mud continues and still a relatively defined path which then leads us to a cabin. The road that proceeds past the cabin looks like this..
http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs164.snc1/6134_1096938342998_1212786555_30232416_7992122_n.j pg

We send scouts to see how bad it gets ahead and they come back stating it remains like that for some time. Thinking that grass would be easier then all the mud, we push on. About 1.5 miles later we all come to the realization that wet grass is almost worse then ankle deep mud. But we push on..
http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs184.snc1/6134_1096938423000_1212786555_30232418_4901367_n.j pg

I take a glance at the gps again to see how close were are to 33. It dropped to 6miles awhile back, it should of read about 4 at this point, but for some reason it read 7 miles, yet the map showed we were closer. We push on for about another mile and it drops back to 6 yet again. Am thinking woohoo..finally decreasing distance til it jumped back to 7 yet again. It did this several times for whatever reason...and became an endless ride back in the woods, no one around and all of us on bikes that were huge!

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs164.snc1/6134_1096938382999_1212786555_30232417_8173072_n.j pg A little ticked, very exhausted, and wondering where we're heading since the gps is most likely not sure of our location, we continue. To much surprise, the grass turned back to mud which than back to gravel. WOOHOO! We made it!

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs164.snc1/6134_1096938583004_1212786555_30232421_2437065_n.j pg

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs164.snc1/6134_1096938503002_1212786555_30232420_3023772_n.j pg

Donnie and Steve heading to their luxury cabin on the river :dry:
http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs184.snc1/6134_1096938463001_1212786555_30232419_8306614_n.j pg

The jacket lantern invited by DCL :thumbup:
http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs164.snc1/6134_1096938623005_1212786555_30232422_5971120_n.j pg

:kumbaya:
http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs164.snc1/6134_1096938663006_1212786555_30232423_5060656_n.j pg
:cheers:
http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs184.snc1/6134_1096938703007_1212786555_30232424_7400204_n.j pg

Seneca in the a.m.
http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs184.snc1/6134_1096938743008_1212786555_30232425_1723682_n.j pg



As much as I was cussing Hondahawk / Jason out on the trip out..I'm actually thankful for following him. It was an "adventure" what every ride should be. Maybe not to that extent, but it definitely added to it and the stories, and to be able to say I did it on a strom. Good times!

Day 2 they took a route that I had been on portions of and got some suggestions from a guy from adv. which included this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn7vdwKhCHk

I actually bailed on that portion of the trip to do more twisty pavement in w.v. instead. Accidentally lacked to tell them where they were headed :mrgreen:

[Afflo]

Does D.A.M.N stand for anything?
If not your group should name itself the Dual-Sport/Adventure Motorcycle Network as a nice Backronym.

(I first read it as "Damn Beastly B.S. Campout" I thought you were going to tell us how your riding plans were thrwarted by a bunch of tweens and teens trying to earn merit badges!)

[BanditnDan]

Joe were you leading again? lol Sounds and looks like a good time, let me know when you all go again, do I recognize the bearded guy from our last ride 3 months ago?

[Kath]

Does D.A.M.N stand for anything?
If not your group should name itself the Dual-Sport/Adventure Motorcycle Network as a nice Backronym.

(I first read it as "Damn Beastly B.S. Campout" I thought you were going to tell us how your riding plans were thrwarted by a bunch of tweens and teens trying to earn merit badges!)

Close! Dual Sporters/Adventurers of Maryland and Nearby ;)

[Missy B]

Fun, fun, fun. :mrgreen:

It always amazes me how the Strom is worthy of stuff like that..even if I"m not. I always prefer the XT in those situations. That mud alone would have freaked me out on the Strom. :shock:

Way to go! :thumbsup:

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Fun, fun, fun. :mrgreen:

It always amazes me how the Strom is worthy of stuff like that..even if I"m not. I always prefer the XT in those situations. That mud alone would have freaked me out on the Strom. :shock:

Way to go! :thumbsup:

Strom worthy? More like strom stupid. Like just about any bike out there, the strom is capable of what the rider dishes out at it, if the rider is confident and has skills. I made it through without dropping out of mere luck! And I was freaked out with the mud stuff running the trailwings and not tkc's. That was stupid on my part along with taking it back there ( I had an enabler with me though that kept pushing me onward even though I was ready to quit about a half a zillion times). The last 3 miles I probably rode better then I ever have on it in any terrain, mostly because I was past the point of caring and just wanted out. Actually got a little air on a few whoops. Confident..nope. Just sheer exhaustion from being back there and ready to do whatever to get out. A smaller lighter bike and not worrying about a 600lb bike snapping your leg, it would've been "a lot of fun". The fun part now is simply being able to say "I did it".

[Missy B]

Well, now that you put it that way...that doesn't sound so fun.

:mrgreen:

[code]

It was fun. I think it's more fun to look back at it though.

Here's a vid one of the guys got from his helmet cam of some sections. Pretty cool.
http://www.vimeo.com/6257309