Ride to Deals Gap - if the weather gods are kind | GTAMotorcycle.com

Ride to Deals Gap - if the weather gods are kind

BeastieGirl

Well-known member
Of course I can't get time off work when we were having all this great October weather - but thanks to my boss being away and my heated gear - hoping to get one last tour in. Planning around the weather forecasts for each region and may have to change things up a little - kind of a seat of the pants tour. With heated jacket liner and gloves, through my rain gear over top if necessary for added warmth, add a light hat and neck warmer under the full face, I can keep pretty toasty. Trying to keep it down to no more than 8 hours saddle time and 2 hours resting time, to avoid riding in the dark.

So with those paramaters tentative plan is to leave this Friday and targeting Beckley, WV for my first night - with alternates being anywhere between Fairmont and Summersville if Beckley proves too ambitious for this time of year. This will be all highway riding.

Day two from Beckley is an easy trip to Deals Gap area - stay there Saturday and Sunday nights - right now forecast is for sunny and in low to mid teens.

Day four - Monday the forecast right now is good for the Blue Ridge - start in Cherokee and really after that ride as far as I feel like that day - again weather dependent. But probably no further than where it crosses into Virginia - which gets pretty monotonous and at that time, will probably need to hit the highway again to make some distance.

Tuesday from where-ever I am to home - said it was a by the seat of my pants tour.

All I need is the weather to hold up!!
 
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I like your style. :D

The shorter days hurt, but the fall weather is just wonderful.

Have you any anti fog gear?

Hopefully I'll see some lovely fall pictures of the mountains in this thread.
 
I like your style. :D

The shorter days hurt, but the fall weather is just wonderful.

Have you any anti fog gear?

Hopefully I'll see some lovely fall pictures of the mountains in this thread.

+1

Not sure about you guys, but the rides that I enjoy the most are always in fall.
 
I agree, it's the weather that worries me, but Beastiegirl is no stranger to touring.
 
Ride safe Beastie
I too love riding in the fall but I’m a baby and it’s a little too cold for me.
Have a great trip. :D
 
Ride safe Beastie
I too love riding in the fall but I’m a baby and it’s a little too cold for me.
Have a great trip. :D
I went the week before thanksgiving (got home on the Friday) Mornings and evenings were a little cool, but the weather Gods were definitely on our side. A little rain in the GTA the morning we left, and about an hour's worth in PA on the way home. Otherwise, totally awesome.
Have a great time!
 
I agree, it's the weather that worries me, but Beastiegirl is no stranger to touring.

Yeah I'm worried about the weather too which is why no reservations anywhere :) I'm already thinking about running down through Ohio and Kentucky instead of WV - I just hate I-75 and I actually like I-79 south of Pittsburgh. Weather this time of year can turn quickly and more so in the mountains.

I have been to all these areas before so its not going to break my heart to change my plans on the fly in the weather hits the crapper - sunny and dry are more of a priority than warm.
 
What do you do for anti fog on your helmet? It's always a problem for me.
 
Stop by the Jack Daniel's Distillery on your way down, free tour :) Not much of a detour.
 
Might see you down there. Have some heated gear to pickup in Niagara Falls Saturday morning. Will figure things out from there.

That's of course if my new chain ever shows up
 
why not just drive down there in a car beastie. you dont have to worry about the weahter and still enjoy your trip in comfort and safely.
 
Hey, I'm in summersville wv and its about 3deg and rain on the way over the next few days. A weather front is coming in and snow mixed with rain is forecasted over the next few days. I left deals gap yesterday morning and they were calling for snow at higher elevations over the next few days and certainly by next week. I was surprised - the area was so quiet I had most roads all to myself:)

Unless you like taking slab everywhere, I would suggest going somewhere else or just waiting til next season to ride the higher elevations. That said, things might change for the better! I'm coming home three days early because of the sudden turn in weather:(

Ride Safe.

Edit: I should note that I'm camping everywhere I go and temps around freezing and packing up a wet tent factored in my decision - if you are hopping from one motel or warm bed/shower then you should be fine. Just not sure about the snow at elevations issue...
 
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Hey, I'm in summersville wv and its about 3deg and rain on the way over the next few days. A weather front is coming in and snow mixed with rain is forecasted over the next few days. I left deals gap yesterday morning and they were calling for snow at higher elevations over the next few days and certainly by next week. I was surprised - the area was so quiet I had most roads all to myself:)

Unless you like taking slab everywhere, I would suggest going somewhere else or just waiting til next season to ride the higher elevations. That said, things might change for the better! I'm coming home three days early because of the sudden turn in weather:(

Ride Safe.

Edit: I should note that I'm camping everywhere I go and temps around freezing and packing up a wet tent factored in my decision - if you are hopping from one motel or warm bed/shower then you should be fine. Just not sure about the snow at elevations issue...


Yeah - that jives with what the weather forecasts have indicated, but nice to get first hand confirmation :)

I really am aware of the weather and I don't have a set in stone agenda, this is supposed to be a fun trip not an endurance trip. Its kind of liberating - and I'll post where I end up. But I am confident in my ability to handle what happens and make appropriate decisions.
 
What do you do for anti fog on your helmet? It's always a problem for me.

Have found no real solutions - other than cracking it open a bit or holding my breath until I turn blue. I've tried various "anti fog" sprays, etc. but though they help, nothing has eliminated so far. The best remedy I've found was one I picked up on a forum somewhere, which is to put a drop of dish soap on a paper towel and rub the inside of your visor. Actually quite effective. None of the anti-fog kind of face masks work for me, because I think they are designed with men's faces in mind - even size small are too big.
 
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Have found no real solutions - other than cracking it open a bit or holding my breath until I turn blue. I've tried various "anti fog" sprays, etc. but though they help, nothing has eliminated so far. The best remedy I've found was one I picked up on a forum somewhere, which is to put a drop of dish soap on a paper towel and rub the inside of your visor. Actually quite effective. None of the anti-fog kind of face masks work for me, because I think they are designed with men's faces in mind - even size small are too big.

Pin Lock Visor
 
I'm also itching to ride down or just go down to skip the cold weather. I have a truck and looking for 3 people to share gas.
Or I will just ride down by myself.

I can go anytime.
 
Hey, I'm in summersville wv and its about 3deg and rain on the way over the next few days. A weather front is coming in and snow mixed with rain is forecasted over the next few days. I left deals gap yesterday morning and they were calling for snow at higher elevations over the next few days and certainly by next week. I was surprised - the area was so quiet I had most roads all to myself:)

...

I had ice on my bike this morning in Port Perry and there were flurries mixed in with light rain on my ride in to work. No accumulation of course but it seems like it isn't too bar away with the weatehr talking about the potential of Lake Effect flurries in some areas.

..Tom
 
I had ice on my bike this morning in Port Perry and there were flurries mixed in with light rain on my ride in to work. No accumulation of course but it seems like it isn't too bar away with the weatehr talking about the potential of Lake Effect flurries in some areas.

..Tom

It was crummy when I rode into work in Hamilton yesterday morning too (no ice, just cold and drizzling) - but gorgeous by the time I head home.

Weather gods and work gods hate me - am still heading out tomorrow morning, but have to shorten my vacation by one day, so have no idea where I will end up.

Still thinking towards Kentucky/Ohio - Tennessee is looking iffy - but who knows :) But I've only ridden through Kentucky and with sun and double digit temps forecast for the weekend - could be interesting to explore.

I'm okay with pointing my face towards the sun and seeing what happens - worse comes to worse I'll get a nice hotel in Cincinnatti and veg for a couple days.
 
I rode through a blizzard today for about 2 hours. My windshield was a thick mess of slush and I was thankful someone thought of putting a wiper on my gloves. Last night I rode through a blizzard for about an hour and decided to get a motel instead of riding another 5 hours to get home.

At lower elevations, the riding was fantastic, but at higher elevations it was really unpredictable. After this weather front passes, the weather looks great for this weekend and beyond. No rain in sight...
 

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