DS to James D Martin WMA 05/22/2021

[thinwater]

05/22/2021 Saturday
Eat Breakfast before you leave or bring it to woof down before KSU, bring a snack and water.  We'll eat probably late, either at Mexican in Stevenson, AL, or in Scottsboro after the offroading and Hwy 72 slab it back and split up at the end.  Meet at the BP gas station in Hazel Green Alabama on 231/431  (google copied address) 13771 Highway 231 431 N, Hazel Green, AL 35750   
Meet at 9am KSU shortly afterward.

Previous similar run, changing the route a little for more time at James D Martin, ride video example here.  https://www.motorcyclealabama.com/rides/index.php?topic=4184.0
This ride should have everything from paved switchbacks to creek crossings, except hopefully no mud this time since there hasn't been rain for a while, but I'm not sure. 

See you there. ;D

[jrobinson]

You may want to put the date here in case someone wasn't following your planning thread.

KC's BBQ at County Park in Scottsboro. Is a good place to eat. Everything is good, smoked wings, brisket, BBQ and ribs. Outside tables on the water.

[thinwater]

Thats the Scottsboro eat I had in mind.  Thanks for the suggestion though in case I didn't know about it. 

[klaviator]

Sounds like a great ride.  Unfortunately I'm at the beach and won't be back in time.

[mojo1]

I will see you in the morning

[Guidedawg]

Unfortunately I'm at the beach

There's something you only hear from a rider or perhaps an overstressed father

[jrm927]

I'm in unless something happens. My father-in-law is about to take a trip to the ER, so there's a little uncertainty now.

[klaviator]

There's something you only hear from a rider or perhaps an overstressed father

The beach (Destin, Fl.) Is OK but I'd much rather be riding.

[jrm927]

I'm in, see you at 9:00

[thinwater]

The ride did not go as planned. :o  We met up at the appointed time.  Mojo winning the miles driven to meet up contest as usual.  Then we headed out east as planned.  Once to Hwy 65 at a intersection stop Jrm927 said "he wasn't feeling it", and "might bail out".  We all proceeded on and Jrm927 was still in the mirror, so I thought he was in after all.  We ran backroads, and Crow Mountain, and made our way near the entry to the WMA and took a break.  After the break Jrm927 bailed out afterall.  I think he has ESPN, cause just a little while after that Mojo and I discovered that the gates were locked up!  Klaviator can insert his "I told you that could happen" here. .... :'(

  So we went South towards Stevenson then a little more west then turned North toward Sewanee Tn looking for a gravel twisty rd Mojo had ridden before and then drop into Bridgeport for lunch.  We explored some good stuff, but the sought after route was not found, one that was likely it that also ended about 1.5 miles off of pavement at a locked gate cut over into Franlin State Forest.  So back down into Stevenson then toward Bridgeport to eat at Copper Top.  It was a good place to eat and right behind a place to gas up. 

I came back from there and Mojo just didn't have enough miles under his belt yet, he was looping back NW before crossing the river at Scottsboro and going through Guntersville St Pk before heading home.  He's probably still out there right now. 

  Thats how it played out, we still had a motorcycle ride, and it was still Dual Sport , just not as planned. 

[mojo1]

Just got home. Even though things didn't go as planned still had fun. I did hit a lot of my favorite roads on the way home, even cut over through Leeds and went down HWY 25. The only major road I was on was just the few miles on hwy 35 crossing over the bridge in Scottsboro. Ended up with 457.4 miles for the day.