PA to VA via WV 2025-4-24

Woke up near 0600 to Jim taking down his hammock. After visiting the tent area porta-pot, I started my packing and morning coffee rituals. Jim then pulled out an odd assortment of food. He made coffee with my extra water then heated up a cabbage soup. He had ham and wraps too. I accepted the soup, but declined a ham sandwich. The soup was very tasty.

To the showers we rode. Nice hot strong showers. The coin box would take money, but wasn't needed to shower. Jim discoverer this, but I was so pleased when I showered for $0.25 that I left one for the next guy.

Finally we dropped payment off in the box and headed south around 0930. Anne's ZumoXT2, that I am testing pn this trip, showed some Trans America Trail (TAT) routes nearby, so we travel some towards our gas stop near Rt81.

Bikes refueled, chain oiled, bathroom used and more coffee.drunk. Back on Rt81 south we crossed from PA into MD, WV and then VA.

I wanted to get off the highway and into the wonderfully twisty roads of WV. In a unusual burst of FOMO on "the great road" I exit Rt 81 at the last minute. Jim wasn't pleased. The exit dumped us out into a city. We filtered through it's core of lights and stops to the far side. Then we headed west over the Apalatian ridges toward WV. On the wrong road. After awhile I even told Jim it was the wrong road.

We made our way south and followed more of the TAT. Some TAT some wonderfully curved WV paved roads. Until reaching "the good road" Rt33. On our way we stopped for lunch at Lost+Found Pizza and Provisions. Nice place, and at the beginning of the Lost Valley?Park. A new contender for the title of "the great road". It's a 1.5 lane paved mountain curved road with jawdropping views. Then we headed south through Seneca Rocks and back into VA on Rt33 (a great road).

Nearing Rt81 at rush our offered delays. We chose to parallel Rt81 for awhile instead. Finally getting on Rt81 for a dozen miles to reach campground two.

Again past checkin, to another riverside tent area almost to ourselves. This time with a waterfall below us and real bathhouse on the hill above us. A campground overrun with rabbits observed a heated campsite selection with flatness and grassy at odds. Eventually a compromise was made, site selected, tents pitched. Scrutinized by lounging rabbits. Then back to town for a failed Cafe dinner that redirected us to a second pizza joint.

Returning uneventfully to our cozy tents. Somewhere in the darkness a hundred rabbits watched. Undaunted in my tent I wrote two days blog post in almost as many hours.