It is something how you come up with the idea for a ride in the middle of winter and it seems like the date you set is so far off in the future. The next thing you know, you are packing the bike wondering what happened to all the time. I have been very fortunate this year and have done a lot of riding and seen a lot of things and this ride would be the final big ride of the year. It almost made me sad to start knowing that this would be the last one until next summer.
We left our usual McDonalds at 7:00AM. The weatherman said we would have sunny skies all the way down to the Gap. As usual, the weather forecast was wrong. We rode through the usual fog and clouds and really did not see any sun until we reached Virginia. Still, the ride down the West Virginia turnpike is one of the most scenic freeway rides there are. We stopped at the scenic overlook I have passed dozens of times and it really was a nice overlook. The gas station we stopped at along the WV turnpike had a real nice area behind it with picnic tables and a stream where we could stretch our legs and eat some snacks.
All in all the trip down was pretty uneventful. I have made this trip so many times this year that there really was not a whole lot of interest in it for me. In fact, it had only been around 10 days since I returned from Deals Gap via this same route.
We arrived on the Dragon pretty late at about 10:00PM. We stopped on the overlook and the view was absolutely breathtaking. There was no moon or any clouds in the sky and I do not think I have ever seen so many stars in my entire life. The Milky Way could be clearly seen crossing the sky. It was one of the most stunning sights I have ever seen. The stars combined with the silence and fresh mountain air made it clear that the long ride down was going to be worth it.
We rode down the Dragon to the store where I found my motel room door locked. Marks room was open and waiting for him, but mine was locked. Mark is a heck of a guy. I know he was not happy about it due to my (alleged) snoring, but he said I would just have to sleep in his room for the night. I decided to call and see if someone was available to help me out and Brad showed up within minutes to get me in my room. I felt bad having him run down to get me in my room, but he said he was painting and needed a break anyway. Somehow the paperwork got messed up and they thought I was already there so they did not leave the door unlocked when they closed shop. Mark was very happy to see Brad show up because this meant he would not have to sleep with my (alleged) snoring. We unpacked our bikes and settled in for a good nights sleep.
