Friday Ride ?

I like Ivy , too . It's a lot like Ohio mud trails. Needs to expand using all that avail UDT !
Now you have seen all the HM trails

I pulled out at quarter til o'dark thirty Friday morning to meet Roger At Little Coal River around 1PM. It is a long ways to Charleston WV. A full hour and a half beyond Mountain Top travel time. It seems to be all uphill past Bluefield too. The truck DRANK gas, but I couldn't slow down. Except to pay the tolls of course. I made it to the trailhead without major incident.

While I was putting on my riding gear, after unloading the quad, Roger rolled in. You have got to like Roger. He is Dependable. (note the capital D).



A guy and his son were in the parking lot and joined us for the afternoon.



I don't remember the trail number but I'm glad we were coming down, not going up. We desended the trail to the right.



We rode maybe 30 miles while on the Little Coal system. In my opinion it is highly UNDER rated, especially with Ivy now nearby. We rode mainly the outer 'loop' and I really enjoyed the 60 somethings. It has water features. I didn't know that. You have to look at it for what it is, not what you want it to be. It a closed system. Once you get your head around that you realize it has some very nice trails.



Roger and I finished the day with dinner at Quaker Steak and Lube next to the hotel. He thought he would have to work Saturday. We hoped that would change...

Roger sent a text Friday night saying that he would be at the trailhead around 9 Saturday morning. So after a good nights sleep, I arrived Ivy Branch around 8.15. Like Friday, the weather was predicted as perfect considering it was December, at 56 degress and full sun. Other than a HUGE big rig dwafting the trailer it was pulling, I was the first there. Today would be the day. Before I go home, I will have ridden ALL of the Hatfield trails. It will have only taken 11+ years.





Mr Dependability showed up late, as is his style. Jeeps and other non ATV's started showing up too.



I'll let Roger tell of the white Jeeps and what they carried. James (I think that was his name) and his son from Friday arrived to ride with us. Instead of riding with his Dad, son was taking the 90. As taking all rights worked well on LCR we repeated the process. Electing not to ride black, James and his son were to meet us at the intersection of 84 and 18.

As Bob and Jeff mentioned, you can see the LCR trailhead from Ivy.



We missed our meet and doubled back to ride 83.





Just to go ahead and say it, the blacks on Ivy can be extreme. 83 gave me all I wanted and then some. I really don't know why the GrizzLee didn't roll over. I felt in a pinch and expected it to. But it didn't. It wasn't anything I done. After I stopped shaking, we figured what the h3ll. Go black or go back. We aimed for 79. This ledge doesn't look so big but it was.



For scale:



Then the Jeeps came.







We went in another direction with a hidden agenda. We saw the 'trails' that were not trails Jeff mentioned.







We entered 79 from the other side.



And then had the illusion that I had made it.



Something you guys should know. Roger will haul asse if in front. Really. He may not be a Punisher, but he is no slouch. When he took the lead, I watched kind of slack jawed as he went down some black or another with the rearend trying to pass the front. Just saying think twice before saying 'you go first'...

The scenery was almost overwhelming.



I mentioned Busco Beach in reference to the Ivy mud. It's close but not as clingy. It doesn't stain like Busco Brickmud does. It could be that I come home in the rain and that kept it soft. I wouldn't let it get hard. Here’s what fell off in the truck.



I do like Ivy Branch. I feel it has something for everyone and you could spend a long summer day explorer it’s boundries. Again, it’s a closed system - and riding out of Crumpler has ruined us. It is what it is, and it is NICE. My personal goal has finally been fulfilled.

I look forward to 2014 and riding with you, my friends.

Congrats on completing all the trails! Any ride with Roger not ruining a tire is a good ride!

He is doing much better. He credits it to a change back to 12" rims. It seemed to have worked.

Here's the Ivy track and photo link. I have lost the one for LCR...



https://s414.photobucket.com/user/wvatvridingdotcom/slideshow/Ivy%20Branch%20Dec%202013?sort=2

Nice ride report and pic. Punisher and I tackled a lot of the black trails from the top down at Ivy, some were very interesting. Not many miles but fun to ride.

While at LCR the hill you said you went down, and glad not up, was that by a compressor station at the bottom? If so I went up that a couple months ago, and that will be the last time, until they fix it

Enjoyed looking at the pictures - Thanks for posting them.   

I worded my success wrong. I haven't been on all of the trails, just all of the systems.    

The track for LCR was victim of user error (and is gone), but here is Ivy's...

New Years forcast sunny and 52 in Williamson and charleston

Very enjoyable reading and viewing. Lots of good info. The to-scale photo was most useful.   

I think my wife is getting a little jealous of Hula Lula.   

Friday and Saturday 4cast is for really nice weather in Delbarton and Charleston .
Just finished repairs on the Polaris , worked all day and evening on it.
May have to go test my handiwork

 

I didn't go anywhere but around the neighborhood .