New River Gorge

Miles Monday: 197

We headed out from Wildberry Hollow Farm in an attempt to get out before the rain came. Our first stop was Audra State Park which Julie has read about. It was really pretty and there were a lot of campsites right on the river. But it's a really popular place with 65 sites and is even full during the week, so it may be a bit crowded for Julie's tastes but it IS really pretty, and they even have laundry! 

Not much to say about the rest or the day. It was really rainy and cold all day. We made it to the Historic Glen Ferris Inn where we will be staying for a couple of nights. 

Miles Tuesday: 114

After a late breakfast post-sleeping in, we set out for some rides in New River Gorge. Julie programmed all of the drives from Scenic Driving: West Virginia in to the Rever app for this trip. There was a side trip 3 mi down a dirt road and back. Julie was considering skipping it bc the roads were wet from last night's rain, but dammit I just took offroad training so we went for it. It led to a former coal town called Nuttelburg and was just a beautiful drive thru the forest. It was literally idyllic. 

I did a dirt road when I didn't have to! 

Then we continued on the route to the old bridge across the gorge, at the bottom. It was super twisty and super cool to see the bridge from underneath. 

Then we went back up the other side, crossed the bridge, and went to the visitor's center. Until 1977 this was the only way to cross the river. 

Next we decided it would be responsible to find some lunch before our next adventure (to avoid last night's hangriness) and went to a restaurant overlooking the New River Gorge which was actually at Hawk's Nest State Park. 

After that, we headed to another scenic drive from the book, to Thurmond Depot. About a mile after turning off the highway Julie's fuel light came on. The drive wasn't very long, but...we decided NOT to add that additional element of excitement to it, and turned around to get gas. (looking at you right now, Daddy 😘)

We crossed the New River on a pretty long one-lane bridge. The trucks crossing it were going so slowly it was actually hard to tell that they were moving at all. There was a sign that said no stopping on bridge, but going 0.5 mph is ok I guess. 

After we crossed the river the road quality degraded quickly and there was a very steep hairpin with potholes and a very large bump in the asphalt. Julie spewed profanity the entire time and legit did not think she was going to make it up. After clearing the hairpin, she heard a thunk and Jaron spewing profanity so I found a flat place I could stop and went back to help him. He was in 2nd gear and stalled. He only got a bruise on his hip because we wear All The Gear, All The Time (ATGATT). He has hip armor, but landed on a rock right next to the armor. 

We kept going and hit another super sharp and short hairpin. The road kept getting shittier. The next direction said to bear right on the county road. That fork in the road was super rocky and steep. Julie just stopped and laughed and said "I'm not going up that. I'm ready to turn around. Are you ready to turn around?" Duh. So we turned around and then had to wait for a very long train at the bottom of the gorge. It was Thurmond Depot, after all. Jaron went to "his" hairpin to get some pictures while we were waiting on the train. 

Of course the caboose came as soon as he left to do that. Julie goes, let's go get ice cream next and navigates thusly. 

After some more noodling around, we made it back to our Inn. We have been really liking the historic Glen Ferris Inn and booked another night. 

It turns out that the Inn's restaurant closes at 8pm. At 7:55 we waltz in to find this out. The kitchen was already closing. Since we both asked after the chicken pot pie special, rhe waitress said she could probably make that happen. And she did! 😅