Mary#17

And the smoky mountains WV style. From our hotel at Elkins.

And this is off of 61 near deepwater. Supposedly there was bridge on this route to take us across the river at some point but we gave up when we came across this rock and decided another route would probably be a good idea. It's hard to tell from the pictures but I doubt a pickup could make it under this rock or it'd be close.

Yeah, we took 33 all the way south until maybe 10 miles outside of Harrisonburg and then turned back around and did 33 again. We picked up 28 from 33, It's just a little bit north of 220. 28 then dead ends into 250. Yeah. I'm thankful we had a safe trip and even with the tickets, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I just haven't had any tickets in years and it seems once you get one, they multiply..... Oh well. Sorry to hear about your misfortunes but I'm glad that everyone is ok. Next time around we are probably going to set up base camp in Elkins and just ride around there for 2 days instead of heading over to Beckley. There was just a lot more areas we could have ridden. I am going to keep my time in Virginia to a minimum though. Thank you to everybody who offered suggestions and reports on the roads. I really appreciate all the insight and was very thrilled with the suggested roads!

Yes. Road conditions were pretty decent on most of the roads we took. 41 is probably the only road I would say to avoid. It's just really rough. There were certainly some bad parts here and there but most were in really good shape. 16 was the only other road that had major issues but the nice parts were really nice so it's hard to say avoid it. 33, 61 (near deepwater), 39 near 220, 250 and 36 were really winners in my opinion. Mary

This was the road GPS wanted us to take to get to get. Um. No.

Ok. So we went to WV last Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Here's the route and what I can remember of the roads. Also, heads up, cell phone service in the mountains was EXTREMELY limited. Even at gas stops, we rarely had service. VERIZON carrier. Day one starting from Marietta. 47 16 39 219/55 47 was a good connector route and got us warmed up. 16 is a very twisty road. There were times that I was hoping a straight would be coming so I could rest. Road quality is a huge hodge podge. Kind of rough up north, then you'd hit nice pavement, then you'd hit brand new pavement then back to rough. It was really all over the place. The rough parts could be bone jarring but not impassable so I'd still recommend the road, just be cautious in the bad parts. 39 was fun and in decent shape from what I could remember. 218/55 were also in good shape and had some really nice sections. Day 2 from Elkins 33 south. It was so much fun we turned around and did it again. Southern part of 33 is amazing. Lots of new pavement and if it wasn't new, it was in great shape. 33 is a must!!!! from 33 to 28 - ok connector road but not as curvy as I thought it would be. It was interesting though as you were riding between the two mountains so I would call it scenic. 28 to 250 south - 250 was a very good road. I definitely want to do the whole section at some point. I was worried about road conditions and found this part to be completely fine so I would think the other sections in this area are probably OK as well. 250 to 220 - 220 was really not that exciting. We were actually pretty mellow on this road and of course, this is where we get tickets. A speeding ticket for both of us and passing on double yellow for me as a bonus. Thank you Virginia! After this joyous detour, I wanted to get out of Virginia as soon as possible so we picked up 39 north. What a nice road!! Freshly paved in most spots and just really twisty. I would have enjoyed it even more if we hadn't just gotten the darn tickets but it was really fun. 39 is another must route. Took 39 to 92 and then over to Beckley. We almost ran out of gas in this area and GPS tried to take us down a crazy road. There were lots of adv tour type of roads in this area for those that might be interested. Day 3 From Beckley heading back to Marietta 41 to 19 to 60 Over to 61 16 36 14 41 is a dump. The road quality is beyond poor. They had neon red circles and lines all over the road highlighting pot holes and other deformities. Felt like I was at Nelson Ledges but worse. Until they pave this thing, I would avoid it. 61 near Deepwater is a blast!!!!!! Brand new pavement and just wow! Good times. Keep in mind, unless you are on an adv tour bike, you will need to go to the town to cross the river. We tried heading over to another crossing and the road was crazy bad. I think the town is Montgomery? 36 is a pretty fun road. There are several parts that are freshly paved. It's a really nice north/south route. 14 is a decent connector road. Decent amount of turns and pavement is good for the most part although there are some bad spots. I think that covers it and hopefully I remembered all the important details!

Ok. Hundred to Moundsville definitely needs some road work. I may try 250 south of that or I might just shoot right back up 33 and do it in the other direction.

I think the roads around Lake Hope are fine. Pavement quality of 356 is fine as well. Unfortunately, the last time we rode it, there was some fine silt on the road in the turns and it made the bikes a little twitchy. Our tires were also on the end of their life so that could have played a factor as well. I think taking 356 south from 56 is the better route. I don't like it as much coming from the other direction. Not sure why...........

Funny, I was thinking about trying 677. I will put in on the route for sure now next time. No, didn't make it to WV yet. Hoping this week or last week of the month. My son was sick and the weather kind of iffy so did an overnight trip to Hocking/Athens instead. Mary

we did 329 north of 550 as well but it was pouring so I can't really comment on how much fun the road would be.

We started in Lancaster. 374 south to 56 east. 328 south. 50 east. 278 north over to 685 (turnaround at end and come back). 78 to 691 south. 56 over to 50/33 (?) pick up 329 from there to 550. 550 east to the good section near 377 then turn back around and do that good section of 550 again. Then took 550 to Athens where we stayed overnight. About 200 miles. All of these roads have new or newer pavement, very little traffic and are pretty clean for the most part.

Tried 328 finally. Had forgotten about it. Nice road. We are adding it to our keeper list!

329 south of 550 is a surprisingly fun road. Nice pavement as well.

Why can't we cut and paste anymore? there's a May 2014 review on motorcycleroads.us on RT 250 from 219 south and it says road is in good shape with lots of places to pass. I think Tpoppa said 250 northern side was in bad shape.

My Day 2 route takes 33 from Elkins all the way to almost Harrisonburg. Isn't that the good part? Mary

I wonder if it is a restricted area? it's not showing up for me. I registered but don't have any posts so maybe it won't show up?

Ouch! Glad everybody is doing ok. That is a great turn but always seems to have debris in the road. All these torrential downpours aren't helping either. Prayers for a speedy recovery! Mary

How do I find the FODS map on the FJ forum? I just don't see it. Thanks. Mary