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Not really a Trail info, but you sure could concider this off roading....
After going to a Halloween party for our exchange student, my wife had to deliver some Home Interior. We drove the Disco because directions to the party included and I quote “drive to the end of the hollow and then cross the creek, and ours is the last house, you can’t miss it”. So not wanting to take any chances with my wife’s new Caravan, we of course drove the “Rover”. After the party was coming to a point where my wife said I think it is time to go, I hopped into the front seat and programmed the GPS to take me from WV State route 21 to WV State route 14 (about 15 miles as the crow flies).
When we left, it was about 7pm if I recall correctly, so we had plenty of daylight. We started down the main highway and the GPS said take a left, so I turned down some county road. The first sign of fun was when I had to back up about 100 yards so two trucks coming the other way could get down this one lane road. After they got by, I started going again (by the way these were the only two vehicles that we seen the rest of the trip till pavement). I made it about one half miles when there was a one foot ditch going across the road going up the hill in a turn… that started the fun. From there for the next 4 to 5 miles, I thought I was driving down a path instead of a road, but at least it still showed signs of traffic. During this time we must have driven threw at least three creek beds that were part of the road and seen countless deer and turkeys.
About 6 miles later we crossed over another gravel road/path and the GPS said to keep going straight, so being the GPS kind of guy that I am I followed. I knew that fun was ahead when we headed down the hill and the leaves were about 6 inches deep in the road and it did not look like anyone had traveled this road in years. Thank God my Anti-look brakes are acting up, because at least I could slid a little to slow down. Kind of like Brake = slide, let off brake steer etc… you get the point. When we got to the bottom of the hill, there is this old hunting cabin and the road turns to grass. At this point I am thinking that maybe we might be in for some trouble. But the GPS said there was a road, so I follow. But at the bottom I made a slight miss calculation and drove into the Creek instead of around it and ended up driving about 100 yards down the creek bed. (Can you say rock crawling on wet slippery muddy tree covered fun)? Anyway we went as far as we could till there was a tree covering the whole creek bed then I had to back up and turn around… Thank God I drive a Rover. I get turn around and get out looking around and finding the road about 20 feet from the creek.
After getting back out of the creek, and back on the road, I didn’t make it another 100 yards and there was a tree blocking the road… I don’t think the state maintains this road anymore. So back up again so we can get out of here. Do you remember the leaves and the sliding earlier… well I get to drive back out of this valley up these leaves, so I finally decided it was time to lock in the CDL. I must have spun the whole way up the twisty road about a half mile. I get to the top and turn right and tell the GPS to take me to WV State road 14 this way, so it say to go straight. Since it is way past dark at this point, what choice do I have? So off we go.
About a mile down the road we run into about 15 cows in the middle of the road, so my wife (raised on a cattle farm) gets out and gets them off the road. My boys by this time have been begging to go home and that they are scared. But what can I do, but drive. So off we go again. About another 2 miles down the road, we get to another creek crossing, but this was is about 2 feet deep and a good 30 yards across. But I figure it must be safe, because I have seen at least 1 house so far. We drove threw that and made it to the main road. It only took us about 1 and 1 half hours to go 15 miles as the crow flies, next time I think I will make sure I at least have a winch before I listen to my GPS in WV.
After going to a Halloween party for our exchange student, my wife had to deliver some Home Interior. We drove the Disco because directions to the party included and I quote “drive to the end of the hollow and then cross the creek, and ours is the last house, you can’t miss it”. So not wanting to take any chances with my wife’s new Caravan, we of course drove the “Rover”. After the party was coming to a point where my wife said I think it is time to go, I hopped into the front seat and programmed the GPS to take me from WV State route 21 to WV State route 14 (about 15 miles as the crow flies).
When we left, it was about 7pm if I recall correctly, so we had plenty of daylight. We started down the main highway and the GPS said take a left, so I turned down some county road. The first sign of fun was when I had to back up about 100 yards so two trucks coming the other way could get down this one lane road. After they got by, I started going again (by the way these were the only two vehicles that we seen the rest of the trip till pavement). I made it about one half miles when there was a one foot ditch going across the road going up the hill in a turn… that started the fun. From there for the next 4 to 5 miles, I thought I was driving down a path instead of a road, but at least it still showed signs of traffic. During this time we must have driven threw at least three creek beds that were part of the road and seen countless deer and turkeys.
About 6 miles later we crossed over another gravel road/path and the GPS said to keep going straight, so being the GPS kind of guy that I am I followed. I knew that fun was ahead when we headed down the hill and the leaves were about 6 inches deep in the road and it did not look like anyone had traveled this road in years. Thank God my Anti-look brakes are acting up, because at least I could slid a little to slow down. Kind of like Brake = slide, let off brake steer etc… you get the point. When we got to the bottom of the hill, there is this old hunting cabin and the road turns to grass. At this point I am thinking that maybe we might be in for some trouble. But the GPS said there was a road, so I follow. But at the bottom I made a slight miss calculation and drove into the Creek instead of around it and ended up driving about 100 yards down the creek bed. (Can you say rock crawling on wet slippery muddy tree covered fun)? Anyway we went as far as we could till there was a tree covering the whole creek bed then I had to back up and turn around… Thank God I drive a Rover. I get turn around and get out looking around and finding the road about 20 feet from the creek.
After getting back out of the creek, and back on the road, I didn’t make it another 100 yards and there was a tree blocking the road… I don’t think the state maintains this road anymore. So back up again so we can get out of here. Do you remember the leaves and the sliding earlier… well I get to drive back out of this valley up these leaves, so I finally decided it was time to lock in the CDL. I must have spun the whole way up the twisty road about a half mile. I get to the top and turn right and tell the GPS to take me to WV State road 14 this way, so it say to go straight. Since it is way past dark at this point, what choice do I have? So off we go.
About a mile down the road we run into about 15 cows in the middle of the road, so my wife (raised on a cattle farm) gets out and gets them off the road. My boys by this time have been begging to go home and that they are scared. But what can I do, but drive. So off we go again. About another 2 miles down the road, we get to another creek crossing, but this was is about 2 feet deep and a good 30 yards across. But I figure it must be safe, because I have seen at least 1 house so far. We drove threw that and made it to the main road. It only took us about 1 and 1 half hours to go 15 miles as the crow flies, next time I think I will make sure I at least have a winch before I listen to my GPS in WV.
