KRX at Hatfield McCoy Memorial Weekend

Wednesday, May 25, 2022

  

Sold the Old Polaris General back in January and picked this Beast up in Virginia the next month.  

For the last 4 months just been prepping and adding some accessories to get ready for the upcoming season. 

A few lights here, a few more there, some additional suspension upgrades here and there. Hope to get some really cool pictures and videos. Stay tuned ya'll.

Installed the communications radio, also the Trail Maps GPS System, threw in some emergency items, a few tools in the box, a couple of bandaids and Voila'......the Beast is ready to load........Hatfield and McCoy is calling us.

Gonna head over to West Virginia and meet up with some riding buddies from Ohio.

Big "Thank You" to Ed and Sally Thornton for inviting me to their party. Due to Christine's issues I had not made any plans. So campsites were all full. But they found a cabin to rent and here I go. One text later and Ray and Karen Moore joined the party too.  This will be called "The Buckeye Brigade". Can't wait to hit the trails with this bunch. 

Thursday, May 26, 2022

Checking in at the Buffalo Mountain Trailhead. 

Next stop is at the Sunoco Station in Delbarton. That's where the keys to the cabin and check in is located.

Ya gotta love the way they do business in West Virginia.

This should be a different experience for sure.

Always go in the Toyhauler/Camper but due to circumstances we rented a cabin this time.

Karen is about to see what we got. It's like a "Box of Chocolates" ....you never know what you're going to get.

Well this ain't bad at all....big double bunk beds. Very clean, freshly stocked with every thing you would need except food and cooking gear.

Took a short trail ride down to Williamson this afternoon and ended up over at "Mud Pit".

This is the Drag Strip used during the "Mud Fest"...right at the edge of town. Obstacle course and Mud Pit too....This is ATV heaven. 

Stairsteps Trail to Williamson........a bit of a challenge but  

"No hill for a Climber"

Friday, May 27, 2022

Ed and Jake rolling out early to get ready for a day on the mountain.

After a 6 hour drive from Ohio they got in around 10:30 last night.

Karen getting her rain gear on and prepping for today's ride.

Forecast doesn't look good. Thunderstorms predicted for later in the afternoon.

Karen, do these pants make you look bigger?

She said Jerry, why did you take that picture? These pants are huge.

Jake says....let's get this show on the road.....

I got places to go, people to see, and things to do.

Good morning Sally, you look fired up and ready to ride.

These gals even put make-up on to ride the trails today. Must have been because we mentioned eating lunch in Matewan.

But Jade doesn't look like she is real sure what today is going to bring.

This is her first time riding the trails.

I think she will be fine, these trails are pretty easy.

Rainy morning on the mountain....

Well, as you can see, the rains moved in early. 20 miles of sloppy trails but all is good.

Good day of riding until we went to find the wild horses over on Horse Pen Mountain.

It came a frog strangler rain storm on the way back to the cabins.

Everyone got drenched from head to toe. 

Found what appears to be a black bear den on one of the trails.

We didn't bother to see if it was home.

A flag hanging from a tree next to an old mine shaft is a good sign that it's Memorial Day Weekend.

Seems a shame that the same respect can't be found it some places in America today.

Did you notice? This is not the old Polaris General I have been wheeling for the past five years.

Got me one of them there new fangled Kawasaki KRX'S.

WOW....THIS MACHINE IS A BEAST. Rides like a Cadillac and climbs like a mountain-goat.

Passed another old abandoned mine entrance along the way.

Lots of tell-tale signs of the coal industry over here in West Virginia.

Sally, my temporary "Navigator for the day" really enjoyed this little hill.....Almost.

Not sure what this monument is all about, Karen found it when we were in downtown Matewan.

This is my fifth or sixth time to this little town and I have never seen it. Karen has a nak for finding the good stuff.

Beautiful little town with lots and lots of history. When you get some time google Matewan Massacre. It's an interesting story.

We finally made it to Matewan, seems the skies are clearing out.

Time for a good meal at our favorite Mexican Food joint.

Matewan has become a hot-spot for the ATV/UTV crowd.

The Dixie Chicks........

.......well, for this week anyway...

This is etched into the Matewan Flood Wall as you enter town from the Kentucky side. More history about the great flood...if you want to Google that too.

I wish I had some pictures of that monster rain storm we drove thru this afternoon but it was so bad I couldn't even find my phone to take pictures.

But I did get a shot of my fried potatoes/onions in the monster skillet. Great dinner at the cabin after a hot shower and some dry clothes. Pork Chops, fried potatoes and corn on the cob.

Saturday, May 28, 2022

Started the day out with Karen's biscuits and gravy.

Gotta make it a fast meal....long day ahead. Leaving out at 8:00 sharp, hope to be back by dark.

The Buckeye Brigade is fired up and ready. I promised them we would make it to the Waterfall today.

They have no idea just how far it is from our cabin.

But they are a hearty group....no worries.

BFF's for 29 years....

Rapid Ray and Krazy Karen...

Caught Karen off guard as she was on the floor making sandwiches for our lunch when we get to the waterfall.

This will be an all-day ride by the time we ride 2 1/2 hours to Matewan, then 2 hours to the Devil Anse Cemetery then 1 1/2 hours to the Waterfall. Then back to the cabin.

Well, our day just got longer....300 yards into trail 20 to Matewan Jake broke a tie-rod end on his Artic Cat.

After 2 hours of trying to make a part from another brand side x side we gave up and left him to return to the cabin to see if he could locate a part while we headed to the waterfall.

We all hate that he missed todays ride but I promised we would make it to the waterfall by dark and figure out the rest as it happens.....

Sally was riding with Jake but she is now my navigator.....Let's get going.

We are all very glad that this break down didn't happen on the side of a mountain somewhere in the middle of nowhere.

Our day would have been taken up trying to get the unsteerable buggie back to a road.

This pic was taken the next day in Matewan after Jake successfully got it repaired.

Ed hit some of the mud holes just a tad bit too fast.

he don't have fender flares on his RZR......,,,but he WILL have.

A view on the way.

Still cloudy but suppose to lift early and no chance of rain today.

It rained enough yesterday to last a while.

But hey, no dust.

Just a Pee and Picture stop.

No, not a picture of pee.

Finally made it to Matewan...parked along the Flood Wall while everyone visited a pee station....

Arrived here 2 1/2 hours behind schedule. One of our group broke a tie rod end on his Artic-Cat and we took time to try to get him going but to no avail. He missed today's ride.

This is a hoot......The Devil Anse Tunnel that goes under the King Coal Highway...lots of fun, just don't miss the turn at the other end......it's straight down.

OK Sally.....what have you done.We are suppose to be on a dirt trail. Not on the side of the road looking at a map.

oh well, it won't be the first time we are lost today.

Time to take a hike.........up that trail to the cemetery.

I was just kidding....Sally knew what she was doing all along.

She wanted to see the Devil Anse Cemetery.

And she even hiked up the mountain side to take it all in. 

It's a couple hundred yards up a steep hill to the cemetery.

Miss Jade was having quite a good time. but don't ask her. Just catch the smiles.

Captain Jerry has a passenger today, this fine lady lost her ride when her son's  buggie broke down this morning.

We had a fun day on the trails. I think Sally even liked going really fast.........once she was able to talk about it.    

We made it to the Rockhouse Waterfall with no issues. Just about 50 miles one-way with heavy weekend traffic. While leading, Sally and I had a couple of "close calls" with head-on traffic. Met a RZR in a blind curve but we both made a sudden evasive move that avoided a head-on crash and roll-over. Next incident was meeting a dirt bike going wayyy to fast in a curve, he almost laid it down trying to avoid us. By this time of day and on a major weekend I had already told the group we would be riding much slower because of incidents like these that are sure to happen.

Ray and his "Wild and Wired Wife"  Karen.....making memories in the beautiful West Virginia mountains. I could not have asked for better 'roomies ' to share a cabin with.

And what Karen does Sally also does. These two gals are like "two peas in a pod".

Ed, Sally and their daughter Jade were also great friends to have along....Thanks to these folks I got to be  a part of their adventure. Sorry their son Jake had to miss this day but hopefully he will have his buggy fixed when we get back.

I don't think Karen realized how far away she was when she snapped these pictures but to her credit she had a handful of cameras trying to take multiple shots. We were also in a hurry at this point because of our delay this morning and the heavy traffic encountered on the way. We had a long ride back ahead of us and it was getting late.

We were getting low on fuel after some 85 miles of riding. For an idea of how the traffic was we waited in a line of 5-6 at each pump to get gas. This shot was after I gassed up and waiting on the group.

Sunday, May 29, 2022

Ain't this a pitiful looking bunch of hard heads.

So glad Jake got his Wildcat fixed.

We are ready to go find those elusive wild horses again. This time we will be hunting on top of Bald Knob over in Floyd County Kentucky.

This should help  us find those damn horses.

If all else fails we could ask Brandon...........

he seems to have all the answers.

gas prices=Russia

economy=Trump

etc. etc. etc.

We got an early start for another long day and some of the scenery was absolutely breathtaking. This is Sally"s favorite hillclimb without all the weekend traffic. Ask her about it sometime.

And another fantastic early morning shot from either Ed or Sally.

I borrowed several of their pictures for the blog. I have a video of a big Tom Turkey taking flight in front of my buggy on GoPro but so far can't get them uploaded to my YouTube channel and that's the only way I can post them to my blog.

Sally is always finding stuff. 

This morning she found this painted rock. Other riders place them and track how many times it changes locations.

Never a dull moment on the trail.

Just so happens, this group I am leading  is also from Ohio.

Exploring Outlaw Trails....once we found Bald Knob that is....

Well, speaking of leading a group. I screwed up big time on this leg. while trying to find an unmarked trail (we are riding outlaw trails today) I missed a checkpoint I had previously placed where the trail turns to Bald Knob and we drove about 15 miles before I figured it out.

This so-called trail entrance was to a cemetery.

 so Ray says....looks like a nice quiet place to have lunch. So we did, and looked over the grave dates while eating lunch......like I said, never a dull moment.....even when you’re lost.

Jake and I decided to chase Ray up and down a few of these hillclimbs....these old reclaimed strip mines can be a lot of fun. 

The next several shots are just some of the beauty captured today by Ed, Sally and Karen.

That's all I got on this Glorious Memorial Day Weekend......Please remember all those that sacrificed so much so that we can do the things we love and enjoy our freedom while we can.