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Re: southern MADBR April 13-14

Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2018 12:13 pm
by BDMaha
Once you see the Potts Jeep trail, you will know that you are approaching the end of this gravel stint. And the next bit of asphalt smack in the middle of the Jefferson Forest was by far my favorite piece of asphalt. Smooth, wide, fast, and trails and camp sites every where. Seriously this would be a great place to ride to with thumpers, camp and explore all around here!!! Anyway I think I remember some more gravel before eventually getting to Covington where I ate, screwed around with my garmin which quit helping me as soon as I was in Newport, found the tracks on my phone which worked brilliantly except there were no topography or street signs. Anyway with gas and everything I probably messed around for an hour.

Leaving Covington immediately get into gravel which takes you to logging roads with some occasional super slick clay, and it was dry. The second time I almost went down in a turn cause of this stuff, I got off and looked at the dirt which looked like most of the other super grippy dirt. First stint ws 25 miles then short asphalt bursts into more loggin roads. This went on for a while and when I first really started feeling tired. I started taking more breaks and longer ones too.

Eventually I got on asphalt which I was welcoming now and it was beautiful farm country. It was getting to be later in the day than I was thinking it would take so when on faster asphalt I didn't stop to take many pictures but it was beautiful. It might have been 20 miles of asphalt or super fast gravel. Funny; they had the smoothest well packed gravel here. Wasn't even sure it was gravel, it wasn't tar and chip, I don't know what it was.

Re: southern MADBR April 13-14

Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2018 12:35 pm
by BDMaha
Then before long maybe after a couple more gravel stints and back onto the asphalt, your get to a sign that says Shenandoah Mountain Rd. Your on this for a short time before getting on a trail that is unnamed and your route for another 20-30 miles. I missed this turn off and was hauling some butt on this smooth wide fast Shenandoah Mountain rd. I wanna go back and see where this goes. I rode off track for about 5 miles. Then went back to the slower more technical MABDR. This area of the MABDR had some of the weirdest feeling gravel I have felt. Felt like the gravel was made of marbles, very slick. Camping and other trails all around here! At this point the sun was going down, I was very tired and taking breaks every 10 miles or so. Sun was going down. But I started to cross water a lot, the big crossings that are on the videos then all of a sudden asphalt again, Sugar Grove Rd. The large water crossings have baseball and softball sized rocks all through. I followed sugar Grove to RT 33 and the gas station this was 145 miles, glad I have a 4 gallon tank...one less thing to worry about.
Then I rode Rt 33 to Harrisonburg Chillis, 8:45. I rode 280 miles from Dublin, Va on Clator Lake to Harrisonburg. I had 2 beers, burger and got hold of my buddy who lived 4 miles from there. This ride would be much less tiring if going from North to south if doing all in one day because the 3rd leg of the trail is more technical. I took my time, was safe, had some close calls, but never dropped my 2018 500 exc once. No problems with that machine at all. Had it 2 months and have 1000 miles on it now.

Re: southern MADBR April 13-14

Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2018 5:31 pm
by Bucho
Awesome ride report! Thanks for taking the time to do it.

I'm looking forward to doing this southern route. And/or maybe taking the van down and setting up camp in the middle and riding a few loops or something.

Re: southern MADBR April 13-14

Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2018 9:07 am
by Wingfixer
Awesome!
:hi5:

Re: southern MADBR April 13-14

Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2018 6:25 pm
by BDMaha
Bucho wrote: Tue Apr 17, 2018 5:31 pm Awesome ride report! Thanks for taking the time to do it.

I'm looking forward to doing this southern route. And/or maybe taking the van down and setting up camp in the middle and riding a few loops or something.

Re: southern MADBR April 13-14

Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2018 6:38 pm
by BDMaha
Bucho wrote: Tue Apr 17, 2018 5:31 pm Awesome ride report! Thanks for taking the time to do it.

I'm looking forward to doing this southern route. And/or maybe taking the van down and setting up camp in the middle and riding a few loops or something.
I'd be up for that. My parents have a ton of land for camping, leaving truck, bathing in lake, 1:20 from Damascus by 81, 1:30 from Hatfield. There is much to do down there.

Leaving vehicles in Harrisonburg then riding south on mabdr, then camping in the Jefferson close to Potts jeep trail, could ride for hundreds of miles around there then ride back to harrisonburg.

By the way I'm back down here at va tech, staying on Claytor lake again. This time I'm doing Hatfield McCoy; riders paradise, top of the world, beer can alley, the playground. I'm so glad my daughter needs me to bring her to tech most weeks in April!! An evil not allowed to watch try outs! Well I'll ride instead

Re: southern MADBR April 13-14

Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2018 11:48 pm
by Glenduro
Thanks for the detailed ride report!

I'm planning on 150-200 miles per day throughout the full route heading south to north? Based on your experience on the Southern Route do you think this is obtainable or am I being too aggressive on miles per day?

Thanks again for taking the time to put this together.

Glenn