Last night I tried washing my helmet liner in the sink, the odour finally getting the best of me. I'm glad I don't have to ride with my visor closed, because the stench has become almost unbearable. The humidity and the sweat have kept it from drying for over a week now. By the end of the day it did seem better, as I didn't really sweat and it wasn't as humid. I'll have to wash it in a machine before we start for home.
I patched together a route in the morning, going off some suggestions online, that would get us from Summersville, WV to Woodstock, VA. We took highway 39 from just south of Summersville (you'll have to zoom in pretty far to find it on the map) to the junction at 219, and then up to Elkins, where we took 33 east to I-81 at Harrisonburg. We had a 1 hour side trip up to Spruce Knob on a suggestion from locals when we got gas for the bike in Riverton. It was a tiny little road going up to the highest point in West Virginia, only barely more than a lane wide with big drop offs into the trees beside the road. The views up at the top were incredible, as far as the eye can see!
Other than 60km at the end of the day, the day was spent leaning into corners. There were sections that felt like an amusement park ride, with super tight corners and elevation changes coming rapid fire. It was awesome to get off the chicken strips and do some real riding, and the bike really is a lot more nimble that my Harley was. It corners so well, though as loaded down as we are I still have to be a little careful not to wash out the front end.
It's hard putting a day like today into words, or even letting pictures tell the story. I have a feeling the next week is going to be like that. I'll still post up a few pictures and write some words, but to describe it is not easy. The little bit of West Virginia that we saw was some of the best country I've ever been in North America.
Like I said yesterday, it's like a greenhouse down here, stuff just grows
One of the many hairpin turns today
This is what large portions of today's ride looked like, so many curves!
Seneca Rocks
This picture isn't in sequence, it's from earlier in the day in Richwood, WV
Eastern lookout on the way up to Spruce Knob. It's impossible to capture the depth with a picture, and though beautiful, this pictures fails to even come close to what it looks like in real life
Looking west on Spruce Knob, the highest point in West Virginia (4,863 feet)
Working our way up another mountain, almost in Virginia
5th new state on this trip
Enjoying the sunset on our walk back to the hotel, what a beautiful day it was
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