I have written before about motorcycle riding in West Virginia and why it is one of my favorite states to ride. I have to steal some of my own words and ideas from the past because they are still relevant.
Straight roads are more efficient and as a society we lower the tops of peaks, fill in valleys, build bridges and even drill through mountains to get straight roads. We wage a violent assault to impose our will over nature and the results are nice, straight, efficient, safer roads and highways.
In most of WV though, nature is too big and too wild to tame. Nature wins. WV doesn’t have a lot of straight roads. The asphalt ribbons have to conform to the mountains that climb, plunge and twist.
So, I basically look for any excuse to make the trip to ride in WV. This time it was to attend the Devils’ Den Bike Fest, which is typically held the third weekend in September. The “Devil’s Den” is an area with particularly great roads for two wheeled adventure. The Hatfield McCoy Convention and Visitor Bureau puts out very useful maps of the better rides and has also worked to develop off road trails for bikes, ATV’s and side-by-sides.
Another thing that is very impressive to witness first hand is the cooperation that happens to make visits to the state such a pleasure. Everything seems connected. The Hatfield McCoy Convention and Visitor Bureau, the dealership, restaurants, state parks and festivals… the people running them all seem to know each other and work together behind the scenes so that someone like me can come in and make the most of everything.
Mountain State Harley-Davidson dealership (in Delbarton, WV) had the good fortune (or the good sense) to be right in the center of these great roads and the H-D dealership ran the Devils’ Den Bike Fest poker run. This is also the area made famous by the Hatfield and McCoy feud. I have seen my share of H-D dealerships, good and bad. Some seem connected to their patrons and others, not so much. This dealership is on point. The people running it are part of the motorcycle culture first and I think their good business practices flow from a love of bikes and asphalt.
I run things for a living and I can say their poker run is really well done. There was food and some kind of entertainment at every stop. We saw the INCREDIBLE Chief Logan State Park where I stayed the night and interesting local attractions. Logan State Park is worth a long bike trip. I know the dealership had to have sunk some money into it because the cost of the poker run was only $15. Saturday night held even a pig roast and music.
Friday night the dealership had a list of great activities in the area (everyone works together), which included a chili cook off called Fire and Ice. Fire and Ice was also really inexpensive and included all the craft beer and various types of chili you wanted to try (for free). Maybe I will see you there next year.
–Almost heaven.
