The main FS roads here are nice and easy.
I stopped a few times on the top of the mountain to enjoy the view.
There's a nice exposed seam of limestone that appears mostly between 2400 and 2800 feet. At these parts, the roads have more rock and I liked the challenge of the varied terrain.
Seems like all of the 2-track roads are "out and back". I picked a few of them and they were all very good. It was like riding through a tunnel of trees.
This is Rock Creek Lake, and it was a perfect spot for lunch.
I took a powernap on this rock, listening to the lake overlow into the creek just to the right of this picture. Uh... yeah, this does not suck.
My Garmin XT shows EVERY one of the roads here and the map is flawless. That really helped me - I can't be lost if I don't know where I'm going!
This is Winding Stair Gap Road, and very well might be one of my all time favorite DS roads. It just keeps going back and forth, switching back like a natural stairway. And while you are riding, you are treated to a mountain view just beyond one row of trees. I went up and down this road twice - LOL.
We've gotten a bit of rain over the past couple of days. All of the creeks are running. I'm glad they have bridges for me to cross the water. I'm not too good at riding across water.
Now looping back in the direction of the cabin, I found this mountain top clearing and the color caught my eye. Don't know what these flowers are, but I enjoyed walking among them for a bit.
One more stop to drink some water before I'm down off the mountain. I think I crossed about 5 cages and 1 motorcycle all day. I didn't want it to end.
We try to tell our non-riding brethern that the motorcycle is about the enjoyment of the journey, not the destination. I fear they will never truly get that, and if so, then it's simply their loss. Nothing on the motorcycle gives me more pleasure than the excitement of not knowing where I'm going, or what I might see just around that next corner. In ways, the Dual Sport seems to exaggerate that excitement, and the icing on the cake is the solitude that comes from being off the pavement.
After 15 years, I'm still enjoying it very much.
Stay thirsty, my friends....
