Return to Hillbilly Highways ride route....

[Highbinder]

We will be leaving the hotel on US 11 heading south, left turn out of the parking lot, stay in the right lane to the second traffic light which will be Rte 16 turn right..our 1st gas stop will be at Thompson Valley, you can’t miss it because it’s the only place of business in the town…this will be a 30 minute stop from the last motorcycle in….standards and tourers should top off there tanks here, most I/S can make this  round trip without refueling or wait for the last fuel stop..

Continue on Rte 16 to stop sign turn right, you will still be on 16 north, about 3 miles you will see 16 alt. north turn left, this will by-pass the town of Tazewell and bring you right back to 16 north, turn left….stay on 16 north….

Our second stop is in Coalwood, W.Va. home of the Rocket Boys, from the Movie “October Sky”  this is a 30 minute stop,

Continue on 16 north until you reach Welch, W.Va., there will be a traffic light there, go thru the light and bear right on US 52 we will run this for about 35 miles, you will see signs for the Pocahontas Mine, this will be Rte 120 Bramwell make a right off of exit, follow this to stop sign, go straight thru stop sign, this will now be rte 102 (Boissevain Rd) this will bring you into Pocahontas turn right on 644 also called Boissevain Rd. continue on this road, you will see signs for the Coal Mine, do not turn, we are going to the buffet first, after you see the sign for the coal mine continue straight for about a 1 mile and you will see the high school on your left, turn into the school and go around to the back and park…

After eating we will tour the mine…..we will go back out of Pocahontas the same way we come in, back to where 120 and 102 meet, only this time we will stay on 102 so bear right on 102, this will take us to the out skirts of Bluefield where we get on US 460 east to Tazewell, we will make our last gas stop on US 460, we’re going to ride 16 back to Marion to save time from the original route, stay on 460 for about 18 miles to Fairgrounds Rd, this will be 16 alt. turn left off of exit, follow this to 16 south to Marion,Va. Left on US 11 to hotel….ride over. Total trip 168 miles.

[Bob E.]

Thanks! 

[GiG]

Welch, WVa has a traffic light?!?!
COOL! Can we watch it change for a while?    

[hubcapsc]

Depending on how late it is, it seems that upon arriving near the end of the ride on 460 at Tazewell, one
could take 61 over to Burke's Garden...

I'm not suggesting changing the ride route, just wondering out loud if this seems
like I could do it  and get back to the motel before dark/supper's over...

Google makes me think that going over to Burkes Garden and doing the loop and
coming back to 460/Tazewell would take about an hour...

-Mike

[Highbinder]

Mike...going to Burkes Garden would definitely take longer that 1 hour, just from Tazewell to Marion will take that long, Burkes Garden is about 5-6 miles from 460 and then 8 miles up the mountain to the Garden, then time to ride around there and back...there is a dirt road out of there that goes to 42, but that road is 12 miles long and full of switchbacks, which would take some time to ride...sounds like another ride to me...

[LandElephant]

Mike the Explorer,
I can better answer this question.  The road CO RD 623 turns into approximately 11 miles of 2 dirt rut switch back road once you get off the gravel (approximately 1/2 mile) from Gose Mill.  You will make three stream crossings and will be in timber and overgrowth until suddenly you pop out on Rt 42.  You will spend more than an hour traversing this primative section of road alone.

How do I know you say.  In 2006 the Big Red Land Elephant and I transverses this road in October.  Might be better on a four wheeler or four wheel drive vehicle to tackle this road instead of a Valkyrie.

Charlie Morse
Land Elephant

[LadyDraco]

Mike the Explorer,
I can better answer this question.   .
Charlie Morse
Land Elephant

Sorry Charlie... I always wanted to use that... (Like in the ole commercial..)
But I can truly answer this way better...  
This is our back yard , for real  ...We live down the road from Burkes...
HB and I have had our Valks on the backside  many times .. We will ride it only in a dryish spell..
When it's wet it's awful!! And we have been getting a good deal of rain this week .. We have a lot of clay here.. And it's slicker then goose grease when wet and slimmy..

HB and I explore  our area very well and hit ALL the Dirt roads on our Valks..
We still have 1 we need to hit on the Valks.. Been on it via truck, but not Bikes yet.. Waiting for that week of Dry..

I agree with HB .. Sounds like another ride for ya to me as well..

Here's a link to  one of out dirt rides  on the backside of Burke's..
A Dirt road calls us..

[hubcapsc]

I certainly believe y'all, since you've done it, and HB and LD live there... I wasn't thinking about leaking
out the back side of Burke's Garden on the dirt road, here's what I was thinking, and you can see how long
google thinks it would take. About 40 minutes to do the loop, from A to B, and then (this part isn't shown) about
20 minutes to get from B back to A... and then an hour back to Marion.

http://goo.gl/maps/M7T7

Anywho... Tracy's pictures show why I want to ride down there some time...

-Mike

[..]

I too in a moment of usual foolishness took the dirt southern route out of Burkes Gdn on my ST1300

Some of the switchbacks are tight enough that I had to back up and try again a couple of times.

[..]

Excellent. Thanks Don.

Any idea as to ETA at lunch location?

[Highbinder]

Excellent. Thanks Don.

Any idea as to ETA at lunch location?

Paul...I spoke to Wolf1910 earlier today and they are set for us to arrive between 1 and 2 PM, he also told me the people at the mine are going to give us a discount tour rate of $5 a head, we'll tour the mine after lunch, this way we can walk of some to that W.Va BBQ...

[..]

Excellent. Thanks Don.

Any idea as to ETA at lunch location?

Paul...I spoke to Wolf1910 earlier today and they are set for us to arrive between 1 and 2 PM, he also told me the people at the mine are going to give us a discount tour rate of $5 a head, we'll tour the mine after lunch, this way we can walk of some to that W.Va BBQ...

Thanks

[..]

Don,

Do you know if the motel will have some old towels for the obsessive compulsive cleaners amongst us?

[Highbinder]

Don,

Do you know if the motel will have some old towels for the obsessive compulsive cleaners amongst us?

Paul, I never discussed that with him, but if he can accommodate us I'm sure he would...they have been more then helpful getting ready for us....