Big Muskie

9/30 Tuesday

Before leaving the Gorge on more great secondary roads, we located any BMW dealers we might pass. If we rode north about an hour on the highway we could get to the nearest one. So reaching Ohio highway 77 we decided to go a bit further to see the Big Muskie Bucket. The largest strip-mining drag bucket ever made. It was worth the extra trip, as are the roads in that area. It was only a few hundred yards of Nate's route. After that we plotted a course back to Rt77 and the BMW of New Philidelphia, OH.

The BWM shop was very helpful. They suspected the control board and found they had one. It was a $500 part. If you needed the entire assembly it was $2700. Of course the issue was a blown LED light in the assembly. So no "cheap" fix. While Buce found all this out I replentished my cash, and Nate and I went to the dollar store. We loaded up on munchies and some contact solution for Bruce. We also picked each of us up some bagged sliced pickles that Bruce hooked us on.

Back at the shop we drowned our headlight sorrows in pickles, then headed back to the top of Ohio Rt 555. Some highway and random back roads before we reached the Triple Nickle Saloon, Zanesville Ohio.

The Triple Nickle Saloon looked closed, but a car was parked out front with someone in it. We drove beside the building to the bike parking near a rear outdoor patio. The car pulled in behind us. We expected them to say the place was closed. But a lady jumped out and said "We're closed today, but stopped by to feed the deer. We saw you and figured we better open up." So they oppened up the Saloon. We went in, had drinks, bought stickers and one Tee Shirt. Oddly it was Nate whos size they had in Tees. Bruce and I could only by "wife beaters", which wasn't our style. A few locals appeared moments after the bar door opened. As we didn't stay long, I wonder how long before the locals got sent home...

The North end of Rt555 is very underwelming. Fun to joke Nate about the straight twisty road. But eventually it went wild. All types of corners are represented. Mos are not in tight sequences that are tricky to navigate, like the dragon Rt129. But the hill crests and drops are significant. So the road is constantly getting revealed before you. Each cresting and drop offers a new corner to enjoy. This goes on for 60 miles. We stopped at a local business on the south end to take a photo by the route 555 sign. Shortly after a work truck showed up. Instead of asking us to leave, they just ensure we would be a few minutes so they could unload a trailer near us. They even offered to take a group photo for us.

We soon crossed back into WV and headed for our campground. Nate called ahead and secured a tent site. It was $20 for one night. We rode in just after dark. Down a rocky sloped road to the rivers edge. We camped alone on the edge of the river. Passing through the full campground was a bit eary. Just after dark all of the campers had no lights on. Nobody out at fires. It was like aliens took them all. In the morning I learned they all work 12 hour shifts building a local titaniuum plant.