Riding West "BY GOD" Virginia
#1
05-11-2001, 11:20 PM
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For those of you that have already riden this scenic area on versatile machines, I only hope you had no problems. For those that plan to go there to ride the "DEVIL HILLS" of WV, you'd better plan your trip carefully. This trip is definitely not for the novice... Oh sure! There are trails the novice can ride but not on the Hatfield/McCoy Trail System. There are other legal trails to ride that the Forestry Office makes for themselves and they're approximately ten feet wide.
H/M Trails are some times ten feet wide but you never know when they're going to be the ten miles of fifty inch wide trails, up hill and back down at a 30 to 40 degree angle.
There were eight of us riding, three days of WORK! We had a great time. I was holding up the group as usual. In the parking area, on the trail, I held'em up to make sure everybody was together and, 'cause I don't race to every corner... Two dirt bikes, Kevin and Harry, two quads, Tom and Anthony, were flying around each turn as though they could change the earth beneath them into a straight line. The dirt bikes, obviously had to travel faster just to stay up but the quads of Tom, 400EX and Anthony, TrailBoss 250, just had to keep up with the smaller agile machines. The other four of us, 450S, Explorer 400 and two King Quad 300's, were moving at a reasonable pace all weekend. Now, I'll give you guys one guess as to who got into trouble? Yep! The two dirt bikes both had damage. The 400EX, flipped in the parking lot (no damage) and the TrailBoss, found a tree to hug...
The other four, well, DuWayne's 450S, had the stock tires on it and suffered a flat tire which we fixed right on the trail. Bill's Exploerer 400, had no problems although, he expressed some discomfort sitting so high on the quad on cumbersome trails. Eric, on a King Quad and my self were very comfortable and the only problem with the King, I was riding, was when I had a problem starting after a break. We were 2100 feet up and I think she was running rich. That gas filled the cylinder and I couldn't start for some time. When I did get it started, Bill, Eric, Du Wayne and I went back down the mountain to make adjustments and the rest of the trip was great. Eric, runs stock tires on his KQ 300, I have Titin's on mine and Eric, could do everything I did, even better. That was probably the rider not the machine or tires. At the end of each day, we got together to discuss the days events. What could we do different to make some of the trails easier to travel, that kind of thing. The racers, decided to keep racing.
The trails have switch-backs that will humble the very best of riders. There are locals who ride without fear, without malice but 50 inch trails will not be forgiving if you should run into each other. Be aware! We rode Rockhouse, Bearwollow, then Buffallo the last day. It will take all three days to ride these trails if you use them all.
We ate out for breakfast and some times dinner. The folks there, are very nice and the people at the camp site (Chief Logan State Park) were also very nice. Think I heard a bear one night... It was probably Bill Snoring!
Yep! I'd like to go back there to try the trip again. I can't think of any trail I've riden in Michigan, that can compare to the competition at WV.
I do wish they would mark the trails better. They could also use some help in the inforcement area. There are far too many people riding without helmets and I'd like to see the trails there last a long time.
I'd like to thank April, one of the workers at H/M Trails, for her help getting things going for the trip and her supervisor, Mark, who was more than helpful if only asked a question. Hope this post will help keep things going for all of Logan County, and for all us riders. If anybody out there plans to go back to H/M Trails within the year, please let me know. I know we'd all like to go there again when ever possible.
Thanks to all the guys I rode with. You're a great group of guys to hang with. Special thanks to Eric, who got there early and showed us all the routes to the trailheads and was a very good companion on the trails.
Chuck
H/M Trails are some times ten feet wide but you never know when they're going to be the ten miles of fifty inch wide trails, up hill and back down at a 30 to 40 degree angle.
There were eight of us riding, three days of WORK! We had a great time. I was holding up the group as usual. In the parking area, on the trail, I held'em up to make sure everybody was together and, 'cause I don't race to every corner... Two dirt bikes, Kevin and Harry, two quads, Tom and Anthony, were flying around each turn as though they could change the earth beneath them into a straight line. The dirt bikes, obviously had to travel faster just to stay up but the quads of Tom, 400EX and Anthony, TrailBoss 250, just had to keep up with the smaller agile machines. The other four of us, 450S, Explorer 400 and two King Quad 300's, were moving at a reasonable pace all weekend. Now, I'll give you guys one guess as to who got into trouble? Yep! The two dirt bikes both had damage. The 400EX, flipped in the parking lot (no damage) and the TrailBoss, found a tree to hug...
The other four, well, DuWayne's 450S, had the stock tires on it and suffered a flat tire which we fixed right on the trail. Bill's Exploerer 400, had no problems although, he expressed some discomfort sitting so high on the quad on cumbersome trails. Eric, on a King Quad and my self were very comfortable and the only problem with the King, I was riding, was when I had a problem starting after a break. We were 2100 feet up and I think she was running rich. That gas filled the cylinder and I couldn't start for some time. When I did get it started, Bill, Eric, Du Wayne and I went back down the mountain to make adjustments and the rest of the trip was great. Eric, runs stock tires on his KQ 300, I have Titin's on mine and Eric, could do everything I did, even better. That was probably the rider not the machine or tires. At the end of each day, we got together to discuss the days events. What could we do different to make some of the trails easier to travel, that kind of thing. The racers, decided to keep racing.
The trails have switch-backs that will humble the very best of riders. There are locals who ride without fear, without malice but 50 inch trails will not be forgiving if you should run into each other. Be aware! We rode Rockhouse, Bearwollow, then Buffallo the last day. It will take all three days to ride these trails if you use them all.
We ate out for breakfast and some times dinner. The folks there, are very nice and the people at the camp site (Chief Logan State Park) were also very nice. Think I heard a bear one night... It was probably Bill Snoring!
Yep! I'd like to go back there to try the trip again. I can't think of any trail I've riden in Michigan, that can compare to the competition at WV.
I do wish they would mark the trails better. They could also use some help in the inforcement area. There are far too many people riding without helmets and I'd like to see the trails there last a long time.
I'd like to thank April, one of the workers at H/M Trails, for her help getting things going for the trip and her supervisor, Mark, who was more than helpful if only asked a question. Hope this post will help keep things going for all of Logan County, and for all us riders. If anybody out there plans to go back to H/M Trails within the year, please let me know. I know we'd all like to go there again when ever possible.
Thanks to all the guys I rode with. You're a great group of guys to hang with. Special thanks to Eric, who got there early and showed us all the routes to the trailheads and was a very good companion on the trails.
Chuck
#2
05-12-2001, 12:21 AM
Here is my take on the trail system. I am not the best writer but I am sure you will see I enjoyed myself. I road a total of 6 days, 3 by myself and 3 with 7 new friends from the Detroit area of Michigan, and yes they are and will be friends (even you Bill, grin).
I put a total of 214.5 miles on my 1996 Suzuki King Quad (according to the odometer)with no problems. Most of the miles were either going up a hill or down it but it was fun. (and sorry Chuck I think they were closer to 45-60 degrees).
Hatfield - McCoy Trail Ride
Ratings- Easy More Difficult Most Difficult
BearWallow Trailhead / Dingess Rumm Trail Directions to the trail head were excellent. Easy to see signs, including milage are posted in Logan and a really huge sign is right near the trail head.
The trail head has a huge gravel parking area. With the exception of one of the workers I was the only one present my first day there (I rode each trail twice). There is an office and restrooms. However when I returned from my ride they were locked. They may be unlocked on the weekend when there is more people in attendance. The rules are posted and trails are well marked.
You can tell the trail system is very extensive. The fact that some of the trails are new (last couple of months) results in a number of trails that are marked off. Only one trail required any major doubling back. And that is only if you want to go that far.
The trails have recently changed, there are a number of new trails made, I found the new easy trails a little on the rough side due to the newness. I understand that rough trails are fun but not in this manner. However I am not sure I have an idea on how to do a better job. You can tell a lot of work has gone into this project. There was one area that was very tight to a big
drop off, there was a rock formation that forced you to go to the very outside of the trial. Very tense going around it. (Ask Bill, aka Muddy4Life)
Trail 44, it is very new trail, it is rated "more difficult". However in my opinion it it should be rated as "most difficult" (which it was when I went back with the group a few days later). There hasn't been much traffic on it.
No signs posting the trail number on the trail when I rode it except at the beginning and end, just Hatfield-McCoy trail signs. There is a lot of branches that need to be trimmed. And some major obstacles that need to be removed. The only way to continue on the trail is to go around them and
sometimes that is not an easy matter trying to scale a 5 ft high bank at a 60 degree angle. Of course that may be due to my inexperience and it
something I will have to see if I can correct. There are a lot of steep hills both going up and down. One particular hill I was uncomfortable with the attempt to climb. However I had gone to far to turn around so the safest resolution was to winch myself up the hill. So since discretion is the better part of valor I winched myself up the hill
It was the first time that used the winch in that manner. It was an interesting experience. I placed a strap around a tree, extended the winch and slowly pulled the King up the hill. After getting the King up to more level spot I stowed my gear, (Jim, I did remember to winch in the extra cable before continuing). Then I continued on the trail.
I did attempt one "most difficult" trail, initially it was a very nice to start but then I came to a hill that was difficult to say the least. I started up and then realized that I was not in the correct gear to complete the climb. About halfway up (well, maybe a third) I came to a stop. Now the moment of decision, what to do now. Well this was taken out of my hand as the King decided to roll back down the hill slowly (on its wheels, luckily). So with some degree of difficulty and a little prompting, "come on girl" etc. I was able to get the King turned around and then we, the King and I, came down the hill and returned to the easy trail.
Could I have made it on a second attempt? Possibly, however since I was alone I did not want to try it. Possibly watching someone else attempt it or getting advice from someone who has more experience would help. (But believe it or not, my Momman didn't raise no fool, and I will be here Sunday to wish her a Happy Mother's Day)
One highlight of the ride at this trail head was the red fox that crossed my path. Although my mother would have said it was the butterflies. The were out in numbers and the variety of colors were spectacular.
Rockhouse Trailhead / Browning Fork Trail
I stayed on the easy trails again since I was riding alone. The trails start off with an area that has been recently constructed. There is an extensive trail system of easy trails at this trail head. A number of moderate to difficult
also exist, however if you want to do a lot of riding the easy trails will challenge your ability as well as give you a chance to ride fast and long.
The trails start off with an area that has been recently constructed. The insertion of water bars prevent any extensive fast riding initially however they do provide an opportunity to jump in places, but the trail itself does not always support it. The trails run right on the edge of the mountain. A false move could result in a serious accident, the least of which would be
damage or total destruction of your quad, worst case, well you can guess.
A lot of the ride includes old two wheeled tracks. This puts the vegetation close to the trail. Near the top of one of the mountains is a nice gravel road to let the quad out. Was this the halfway point of the trail? It is hard to say. I did not track the miles extensively. I did find a couple fires. I attempted to report them but do to the inability of giving an exact location it was confusing to the dispatch center on where I was exactly. Even though I gave them my coordinates (GPS) and told them which trail I was on. However trail 12 is a very long trail so it is hard to pinpoint where you are on it. I will give the dispatch center credit as they did call the offices of the Hatfield-McCoy trail system and try to figure out where it was.
On the second time riding this trail I could see where the second fire burned down to the trail. Glad it was out when we went through.
Toward the halfway (?) point on trail 12, it makes a sharp turn and then seems to go straight up (well, it did looked that way). Remember this is the easy trail, riiigggghhhhhttttt. Actually it wasn't really that bad, the trail consisted of mainly rock so footing wasn't too bad but there was loose rock on the trail as well. The difficult aspect was the fact that this was at the top
of the ridge. If you didn't make it up you would have to back straight down the hill. Turning around would be difficult at best, impossible at worst. After walking up the hill to assess the best line of travel, I went back down to the
King. Locked the front wheels. Put it in 1st low range and started up the hill.
I will have to admit that hills are not one of my strong points nor favorite. This could be do to the spill I had when I first got the King, in addition to everything I have read about the King and even though it is a 4 wheel drive quad due to the engine design it is light in the front end. Also stories of needing wheel spin to go up a hill. I understand that on loose surface that
may be necessary. I also know that the King has an immense amount of torque do to the transmission and sub-transmission.
Any ways, on the way up I kept telling myself to keep on the throttle, don't back off. Leaning forward to keep the front end down the last thing I wanted to do was come to a complete stop part way up the hill. I know the King could climb the hill, but was worried that starting from a complete stop (if I ended up stopping on the way up since you tend to get a heavy thumb in that situation) would cause the front to rise and the King to flip. So I stayed on the throttle to ensure I didn't come to a stop and even with the front coming up now and then (nothing drastic) I made it up. I was relieved to say the least.
Even though the hills seem steep at times, the surface is fairly solid and not loose, so by putting the King in 1st gear, low range I am able to get to the top. The engine is wound out pretty good but I make it to the top.
One thing I found interesting was some holes that were drilled into a hillside. What were they used for? I don't know but I did find them interesting. I found out what they were, this is where they removed some coal. They drill into it and leave the pillars in between to provide support.
Reverend Compton Park Trailhead / Buffalo Mountain Trail
This trail had to be the most interesting and demanding/challenging of the three that I rode. The first time I rode it I did all the easy trails and did about 15 miles.
Trail 10 to Matewan (More Difficult) was closed, due to being completely impassible, however this was on Thursday, on Sunday when the group was there it was open and I rode it all the way to the end. From the time it left the group of trails, it is 15 miles to the end, the town of Matewan. It is well worth the ride, however it is mainly going up or down the mountain. One place we went from about 1400ft to 1900ft by taking about 3 switchbacks that had to be at least a 45 degree angle, probably steeper. Again this was a place/hill where I put the King in 1st gear (I was in low range for the whole ride) and just stayed on the throttle. I climb the hill, not fast (about
10mph) but I got to the top without having to stop or flipping the King.
The Town of Matewan (at the southern end of the trail 10)
This is a place you have to see to believe. It is an historical little town. The people are friendly and out going. We even had our picture taken with the mayor.
I know you are wondering what is so special? Well to start off with the trail goes right into town, they even had a way to take the quad around the flood wall that surrounds the river side of the town (this place is the most flooded town in America). Then you get to drive right into town, park the quad/dirtbike right in front of a local eatery and go in and have a meal. That was fantastic. Then after the meal we headed out of town, went across the river (again by road) into Kentucky and gassed up at the local gas station.
We then headed back to the trailhead.
That is what is so very special about this little town.
Did I need a bigger quad then the King? No, the low center of gravity, independent suspension and the low range transmission combined with the fairly hard packed surface of the trails made it perfect. The only thing I may have needed would be to go down to super lo range but it wasn't required this time. I made it up the hills. If we had had loosely packed dirt on the trail or more wooded type terrain (like Rockhouse trail 44) then I would have to say yes. The King does not develop the wheel spin or speed for that type of long hilly terrain (I admit it Bill). Even Bill C. (Muddy4Life) admitted that the King was perfect for this trail system and we didn't even have to hit him over the head as someone on this forum implied.
Problems? One flat tire (Honda Foreman S), one rich running Quad (Suzuki King Quad, not mine) and that was it. A few scrapes on the bikers but nothing serious.
Did I enjoy myself? YES!!!!!! I did and that is an understatement. Will do this again? Most assuredly. Especially knowing what I know now will make the next trip even better. I would love to see more trails around Matewan and then stay at that town. Being able to drive to the trailhead with the quad would be fantastic and well worth any extra expenses.
I hope this wet everyone's appetite and heads for this trail system. It is worth everything it took to get there and the group was fantastic.
Please go and support the trail system and ATVs!!
Did my tires work better then Ecorman1, don't think so but I want those tires and wheel. Better keep an eye on them Chuck or you may have to put the old ones back on.
I put a total of 214.5 miles on my 1996 Suzuki King Quad (according to the odometer)with no problems. Most of the miles were either going up a hill or down it but it was fun. (and sorry Chuck I think they were closer to 45-60 degrees).
Hatfield - McCoy Trail Ride
Ratings- Easy More Difficult Most Difficult
BearWallow Trailhead / Dingess Rumm Trail Directions to the trail head were excellent. Easy to see signs, including milage are posted in Logan and a really huge sign is right near the trail head.
The trail head has a huge gravel parking area. With the exception of one of the workers I was the only one present my first day there (I rode each trail twice). There is an office and restrooms. However when I returned from my ride they were locked. They may be unlocked on the weekend when there is more people in attendance. The rules are posted and trails are well marked.
You can tell the trail system is very extensive. The fact that some of the trails are new (last couple of months) results in a number of trails that are marked off. Only one trail required any major doubling back. And that is only if you want to go that far.
The trails have recently changed, there are a number of new trails made, I found the new easy trails a little on the rough side due to the newness. I understand that rough trails are fun but not in this manner. However I am not sure I have an idea on how to do a better job. You can tell a lot of work has gone into this project. There was one area that was very tight to a big
drop off, there was a rock formation that forced you to go to the very outside of the trial. Very tense going around it. (Ask Bill, aka Muddy4Life)
Trail 44, it is very new trail, it is rated "more difficult". However in my opinion it it should be rated as "most difficult" (which it was when I went back with the group a few days later). There hasn't been much traffic on it.
No signs posting the trail number on the trail when I rode it except at the beginning and end, just Hatfield-McCoy trail signs. There is a lot of branches that need to be trimmed. And some major obstacles that need to be removed. The only way to continue on the trail is to go around them and
sometimes that is not an easy matter trying to scale a 5 ft high bank at a 60 degree angle. Of course that may be due to my inexperience and it
something I will have to see if I can correct. There are a lot of steep hills both going up and down. One particular hill I was uncomfortable with the attempt to climb. However I had gone to far to turn around so the safest resolution was to winch myself up the hill. So since discretion is the better part of valor I winched myself up the hill
It was the first time that used the winch in that manner. It was an interesting experience. I placed a strap around a tree, extended the winch and slowly pulled the King up the hill. After getting the King up to more level spot I stowed my gear, (Jim, I did remember to winch in the extra cable before continuing). Then I continued on the trail.
I did attempt one "most difficult" trail, initially it was a very nice to start but then I came to a hill that was difficult to say the least. I started up and then realized that I was not in the correct gear to complete the climb. About halfway up (well, maybe a third) I came to a stop. Now the moment of decision, what to do now. Well this was taken out of my hand as the King decided to roll back down the hill slowly (on its wheels, luckily). So with some degree of difficulty and a little prompting, "come on girl" etc. I was able to get the King turned around and then we, the King and I, came down the hill and returned to the easy trail.
Could I have made it on a second attempt? Possibly, however since I was alone I did not want to try it. Possibly watching someone else attempt it or getting advice from someone who has more experience would help. (But believe it or not, my Momman didn't raise no fool, and I will be here Sunday to wish her a Happy Mother's Day)
One highlight of the ride at this trail head was the red fox that crossed my path. Although my mother would have said it was the butterflies. The were out in numbers and the variety of colors were spectacular.
Rockhouse Trailhead / Browning Fork Trail
I stayed on the easy trails again since I was riding alone. The trails start off with an area that has been recently constructed. There is an extensive trail system of easy trails at this trail head. A number of moderate to difficult
also exist, however if you want to do a lot of riding the easy trails will challenge your ability as well as give you a chance to ride fast and long.
The trails start off with an area that has been recently constructed. The insertion of water bars prevent any extensive fast riding initially however they do provide an opportunity to jump in places, but the trail itself does not always support it. The trails run right on the edge of the mountain. A false move could result in a serious accident, the least of which would be
damage or total destruction of your quad, worst case, well you can guess.
A lot of the ride includes old two wheeled tracks. This puts the vegetation close to the trail. Near the top of one of the mountains is a nice gravel road to let the quad out. Was this the halfway point of the trail? It is hard to say. I did not track the miles extensively. I did find a couple fires. I attempted to report them but do to the inability of giving an exact location it was confusing to the dispatch center on where I was exactly. Even though I gave them my coordinates (GPS) and told them which trail I was on. However trail 12 is a very long trail so it is hard to pinpoint where you are on it. I will give the dispatch center credit as they did call the offices of the Hatfield-McCoy trail system and try to figure out where it was.
On the second time riding this trail I could see where the second fire burned down to the trail. Glad it was out when we went through.
Toward the halfway (?) point on trail 12, it makes a sharp turn and then seems to go straight up (well, it did looked that way). Remember this is the easy trail, riiigggghhhhhttttt. Actually it wasn't really that bad, the trail consisted of mainly rock so footing wasn't too bad but there was loose rock on the trail as well. The difficult aspect was the fact that this was at the top
of the ridge. If you didn't make it up you would have to back straight down the hill. Turning around would be difficult at best, impossible at worst. After walking up the hill to assess the best line of travel, I went back down to the
King. Locked the front wheels. Put it in 1st low range and started up the hill.
I will have to admit that hills are not one of my strong points nor favorite. This could be do to the spill I had when I first got the King, in addition to everything I have read about the King and even though it is a 4 wheel drive quad due to the engine design it is light in the front end. Also stories of needing wheel spin to go up a hill. I understand that on loose surface that
may be necessary. I also know that the King has an immense amount of torque do to the transmission and sub-transmission.
Any ways, on the way up I kept telling myself to keep on the throttle, don't back off. Leaning forward to keep the front end down the last thing I wanted to do was come to a complete stop part way up the hill. I know the King could climb the hill, but was worried that starting from a complete stop (if I ended up stopping on the way up since you tend to get a heavy thumb in that situation) would cause the front to rise and the King to flip. So I stayed on the throttle to ensure I didn't come to a stop and even with the front coming up now and then (nothing drastic) I made it up. I was relieved to say the least.
Even though the hills seem steep at times, the surface is fairly solid and not loose, so by putting the King in 1st gear, low range I am able to get to the top. The engine is wound out pretty good but I make it to the top.
One thing I found interesting was some holes that were drilled into a hillside. What were they used for? I don't know but I did find them interesting. I found out what they were, this is where they removed some coal. They drill into it and leave the pillars in between to provide support.
Reverend Compton Park Trailhead / Buffalo Mountain Trail
This trail had to be the most interesting and demanding/challenging of the three that I rode. The first time I rode it I did all the easy trails and did about 15 miles.
Trail 10 to Matewan (More Difficult) was closed, due to being completely impassible, however this was on Thursday, on Sunday when the group was there it was open and I rode it all the way to the end. From the time it left the group of trails, it is 15 miles to the end, the town of Matewan. It is well worth the ride, however it is mainly going up or down the mountain. One place we went from about 1400ft to 1900ft by taking about 3 switchbacks that had to be at least a 45 degree angle, probably steeper. Again this was a place/hill where I put the King in 1st gear (I was in low range for the whole ride) and just stayed on the throttle. I climb the hill, not fast (about
10mph) but I got to the top without having to stop or flipping the King.
The Town of Matewan (at the southern end of the trail 10)
This is a place you have to see to believe. It is an historical little town. The people are friendly and out going. We even had our picture taken with the mayor.
I know you are wondering what is so special? Well to start off with the trail goes right into town, they even had a way to take the quad around the flood wall that surrounds the river side of the town (this place is the most flooded town in America). Then you get to drive right into town, park the quad/dirtbike right in front of a local eatery and go in and have a meal. That was fantastic. Then after the meal we headed out of town, went across the river (again by road) into Kentucky and gassed up at the local gas station.
We then headed back to the trailhead.
That is what is so very special about this little town.
Did I need a bigger quad then the King? No, the low center of gravity, independent suspension and the low range transmission combined with the fairly hard packed surface of the trails made it perfect. The only thing I may have needed would be to go down to super lo range but it wasn't required this time. I made it up the hills. If we had had loosely packed dirt on the trail or more wooded type terrain (like Rockhouse trail 44) then I would have to say yes. The King does not develop the wheel spin or speed for that type of long hilly terrain (I admit it Bill). Even Bill C. (Muddy4Life) admitted that the King was perfect for this trail system and we didn't even have to hit him over the head as someone on this forum implied.
Problems? One flat tire (Honda Foreman S), one rich running Quad (Suzuki King Quad, not mine) and that was it. A few scrapes on the bikers but nothing serious.
Did I enjoy myself? YES!!!!!! I did and that is an understatement. Will do this again? Most assuredly. Especially knowing what I know now will make the next trip even better. I would love to see more trails around Matewan and then stay at that town. Being able to drive to the trailhead with the quad would be fantastic and well worth any extra expenses.
I hope this wet everyone's appetite and heads for this trail system. It is worth everything it took to get there and the group was fantastic.
Please go and support the trail system and ATVs!!
Did my tires work better then Ecorman1, don't think so but I want those tires and wheel. Better keep an eye on them Chuck or you may have to put the old ones back on.
#3
05-12-2001, 12:55 AM
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Eric, this is a great story but I still think I could do all the hills in second gear, low range. It helps me keep the front end down by varying the engine speed on those tricky rocks. However, I did run into trouble on the down hill side at Bear Wollow. I thought I was in second gear when in fact I was in first. I shifted thinking she would slow in first and she went to neutral. It was a hair raising experience, not to hit the front brake and not to have the rear brake slow me down. I almost crashed into all of you and off the cliff after that. Luckily, I got it into first before any damage and without throwing me and the King over forward.
Everybody with us seem to agree with you that Buffalo, was the trail of the most challenge. Maybe next time we should do it first!
Hum, getting a room in town may be a good idea. You find the rooms, I'll be there-- if I can get the boss to OK it!
Chuck
Everybody with us seem to agree with you that Buffalo, was the trail of the most challenge. Maybe next time we should do it first!
Hum, getting a room in town may be a good idea. You find the rooms, I'll be there-- if I can get the boss to OK it!
Chuck
#4
05-12-2001, 03:35 PM
A group of six of us rode the H/M trail on May 4, 5 & 6. We had a great time, found the trails challenging, definitely not for first time riders.
We were at all 3 trail heads and put a total of 168 miles on. At each trail head the bathrooms were locked and there was no one there for information or unlock the bathroooms. The trails in some places, were very narrow to two way traffic. We thought some of the trails should have been one way. The maps they gave us were missing some of the trails. We had an accident and want to thank the guys from Michigan who helped get the 4 wheeler back up on the trail. We met a lot of nice people riding the trail. I would definitely suggest going to the H/M trail to ride.
We were at all 3 trail heads and put a total of 168 miles on. At each trail head the bathrooms were locked and there was no one there for information or unlock the bathroooms. The trails in some places, were very narrow to two way traffic. We thought some of the trails should have been one way. The maps they gave us were missing some of the trails. We had an accident and want to thank the guys from Michigan who helped get the 4 wheeler back up on the trail. We met a lot of nice people riding the trail. I would definitely suggest going to the H/M trail to ride.
#5
05-12-2001, 03:37 PM
This trip was great,the riders were all fun.Yes,I did admit the KQ was better suited for this terrain than my High centered Polaris.My only regret was not being able to see some more mud,I really wanted to show the Xplorers stuff in that type of terrain.Eric is even better in person than he is on the net.Chuck,well he's Chuck and I hope he never changes,though I would like to see him shift down a gear once in awhile.We ate lots of food and the nerves were at edge at times,especially mine.These hills are like nothing I have EVER seen and I did turn back from one trailhead on Sunday.I teach the ATV safety course and I am allways telling my students to not second guess themselves if they should or should not attempt a hazardess situation,I had to adhere to my own advice as well.I been riding since 1983 and these mountains really humbled me.We couldnt get Chuck to quit farting in the camper,but it did keep out the mosquitoes.He said he was going to bottle that gas and sell it for spray.Yah,the rich just keep getting richer,love yah Chuck/Eric,had a great time and I will never forget this trip,
Bill
Bill
#6
05-13-2001, 12:52 AM
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nightowl, that was our group that helped get your quad out of that hole. We have pics of it standing on the front end between the trees. If you E-mail me, maybe I can forward it to you.
Bill, thanks for the cool attitude you held during some really tuff times out there in the hills. I think everybody was a little edgy at first. And I did bottle one big fart, just for you. I'll give it to you next weekend while we're grooming trails up north... :0)
Chuck
Bill, thanks for the cool attitude you held during some really tuff times out there in the hills. I think everybody was a little edgy at first. And I did bottle one big fart, just for you. I'll give it to you next weekend while we're grooming trails up north... :0)
Chuck
#7
05-13-2001, 08:00 PM
I have to agree that West Bigod virginia is awesome. I ride it every weekend and I find new trails every weekend. There is always something that happens that makes the ride worth going. The hatfield mccoy trails are a great example of what we have to offer. I would love to have the oppurtunity to show more people what is out there. I am always looking for more ridin buddies. Just because I am from West Virginia does'nt mean that I ride without a helmet and three people on the same four wheeler, I ride just like you guys....for the thrill.
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#8
05-14-2001, 12:51 AM
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05-22-2001, 04:41 PM
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