Hocking Hills Ohio

I just returned from using the curvy routes option on my TomTom rider to and from Old Mans Cave. Advoid anything that is not a state route or national road. The roads are covered with salt, sand, and worse MUD. Damn near dropped it a couple of times going well under the speed limit.

Ride safe my friends.

Some fun roads down there...as long as you can avoid the weekend traffic. Need a few good rains to clean off the roads. I figure they'll all be clean, by the time my new bike comes in.

I love hiking in the Hocking hills in the winter!I hiked the trail between Old Man's Cave and Ceder Falls about three weeks ago after that 8-10 inch snowfall.Very cool!

As for the roads...I haven't been in the H.H. area yet this year on either of my bikes.Maybe I'll head down that way tomorrow on the KLR.

I'm curious,what roads did the Tom-Tom suggest in it's curvy road mode?

El Toro Joe said:

Some fun roads down there...as long as you can avoid the weekend traffic. Need a few good rains to clean off the roads. I figure they'll all be clean, by the time my new bike comes in.

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So when is that new bike going to be in the stable?

Just got back from the Indy Bike show and nobody even the Yamaha manufacturer's booth didn't have the new FJR. They said March will be the earliest anyone has one.

I have no idea which roads. A Lot if them had no road lines. I just followed the verbal commands. "Turn left onto blablabla road in 300 yards".

I was out for about a hundred miles, all on state highways paved last yr.. The highway dept is using more and more of the "liquid salt" on the roads. All roads I traveled were off white, ,not black. The part that was unnerving is it seems as though it holds enough moisture that it could be slick. You could see where a car may have passed another car, or just "got out of the groove".

timk said:

I was out for about a hundred miles, all on state highways paved last yr.

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Like 147 and 9?I love 147 but the frackers keep it pretty dirty...and a lot more traffic than it used to be.I was over that way a few weeks ago visiting the grave of the frontiersman Lewis Wetzel.The roads were in pretty good condition then.Since I discovered I have a short in the KLR,I think I'll head west on the FJR today and check off another frontiersman's grave,Simon Kenton in Urbana.That just leaves Samuel Brady in West Liberty WV.Kind of a weird hobby,but at least most of these graves are in good riding areas.

drc32-0 said:

timk said:

I was out for about a hundred miles, all on state highways paved last yr.

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Like 147 and 9?I love 147 but the frackers keep it pretty dirty...and a lot more traffic than it used to be.I was over that way a few weeks ago visiting the grave of the frontiersman Lewis Wetzel.The roads were in pretty good condition then.Since I discovered I have a short in the KLR,I think I'll head west on the FJR today and check off another frontiersman's grave,Simon Kenton in Urbana.That just leaves Samuel Brady in West Liberty WV.Kind of a weird hobby,but at least most of these graves are in good riding areas.

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Not a weird hobby...it's a history that is dying and likely no longer taught in depth. The seeing in first person of historical items is never a waste...especially when there's good riding to be done as well.

Stupid question from a southerner that doesn't have any idea what snow is....

Is this the area where we are gathering for SEOR, and if so, are we very confident that the roads will be clean by that time?

Not a stupid question...yer not from round here. The SEO Ramble is based out of Marietta, Oh. Hocking Hills is about 75-80 miles to the west...click on link below.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Marietta,+OH/Hocking+Hills+State+Park+Visitor+Center,+Logan,+OH/@39.3780716,-82.0316242,9.5z/data=!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x8849cce10cc4322d:0x3d62273591e4e495!2m2!1d-81.4548436!2d39.415352!1m5!1m1!1s0x8847eaea6ac55f65:0x5bee1d4afbeb639e!2m2!1d-82.541568!2d39.4345586

hppants said:

Stupid question from a southerner that doesn't have any idea what snow is....
Is this the area where we are gathering for SEOR, and if so, are we very confident that the roads will be clean by that time?

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As the map that Joe posted shows the Hocking Hills are a little West of the Ramble headquarters.We've had routes that included the Hocking Hills in past Rambles,but I don't know if there will be any this year.There are several good roads in that area,but the problem with the H.H.s is that it is a tourist attraction and there can be a lot of traffic.Slow moving tourist type traffic,pedestrians and groups of horseback riders on some roads...Big Pine comes to mind.

Now with that said,if you have a couple of days open before the Ramble the Hocking Hills would be one of the best places to see/ride if you want to explore the scenic side of Ohio.Especially during the week.Lots of rock formations,hiking trails and zip lines.I highly recommend the trail between Old Man's Cave and Ceder Falls.Some of the more scenic or twisty roads that shouldn't be missed include Big Pine(between 664 and 374),Thompson Ridge,374(from 33 to 56),56(from 664 to 93)and sections of 180,678,93,Kreashbaum,Illsboro-Ceder Falls and Harble-Griffith.Be careful on Harble-Griffith,there is a decreasing radius,off camber,down hill turn on that road that has gotten me twice.Thank God for no traffic and a drive way on the otherside of the road!

The roads will be a lot cleaner by May,but I would never say that I'm confident that S.E.O. roads will be clean.Too many hunters,farmers,frackers,kids in big pick-ups,oil field workers,loggers and pot growers to ever be confident that the road head will be clean...thus my tagline.

Tommy Kay said:

I have no idea which roads. A Lot if them had no road lines. I just followed the verbal commands. "Turn left onto blablabla road in 300 yards".

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Depending on the version of your Tomtom, you can tell it to record your route. It's then possible (with a little jiggery-pokery) to overlay that on a Google interactive map. Some of my examples here.

Great information - much thanks. I am planning to leave Tuesday before SEOR, and that may afford me a little time to wander in route, especially points West of Marietta.

I clicked and I looked. No photos. This RR is worthless.

I can appreciate a no picture ride report, because I've just gotten too lazy to take pictures anymore. I spent the weekend not too far from you doing much the same things. I rode from Chicago to Cincinnati on Friday afternoon/evening. Then I spent Saturday cruising through the roads of northeast Kentucky, (KY 22, Ky 10, KY165, US 27, KY 9 and 8) kind of running around the Kentucky side from where you were ending the day coming back the length of AA highway/KY 9 to Cincinnati again. Then on Sunday I meandered around the Whitewater Forest in Indiana and made it back to Chicago at 9:00 Sunday night.

Fred will say that since I have no pictures it never really happened, but on the other hand I didn't take the ride to make anyone happy but me.

Hey, you're supposed to wait for the Ramble before you can ride those straight, boring roads. WTF?

FJRPittsburgh said:

Hey, you're supposed to wait for the Ramble before you can ride those straight, boring roads. WTF?

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I hope to get some seat time on the new bike down in SEO, prior the he Ramble

El Toro Joe said:

FJRPittsburgh said:

Hey, you're supposed to wait for the Ramble before you can ride those straight, boring roads. WTF?

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I hope to get some seat time on the new bike down in SEO, prior the he Ramble

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No, sorry, you'll have to wait for the Ramble. Unless, of course, I'm invited.