**OHIO WHEELIN' & MEET-UP THREAD**

im in, place to meet, date and time

 

When and where

 

I'd be down in about 3 weeks..

 

Hmmmmmm.

 

In an earlier post I said I would un-ass myself and build an off road route and post it here. I'm not comfortable with the route I typically run on the enduro without totally pre running it in the Taco first. Some stuff doesn't seem problematic on the bike but might be a huge problem in the truck - deadfall, for example, or the width of a trail, or going around a gate, that sort of thing.

So I started prerunning it today, by hitting 3 specific "abandoned" roads that require 4WD to get through, waypointing them, and photographing them. The process took like 6 hours because I took my time, played around, stopped a lot, had lunch, and kind of explored. I think I will gradually add more stuff a few places at a time and then link the off road / abandoned roads all together in the most interesting way, trying for about a 150 mile / 6 hour loop through Coshocton, Tuscarawas, Harrison, Holmes, Guernsey, Belmont, and Jefferson Counties and keeping the "road" stuff on gravel as much as possible. The road stuff will likely overlap with my enduro route but the off road stuff probably will have some deviations.

Here's the 3 roads / trails I did today. Keep in mind, pics are taken in the easy stuff, since you're busy doing shit in the rough stuff. Still, they should give a good idea of the conditions. I also added my impressions and the GPS coordinates.

Harrison County, Oak Hill Rd. Closest town is Dennison. Abandoned road, marked on both ends with signs, shows on maps and GPS. Slightly rough and rutted, most of it is 2WD capable but for the north end, which is a muddy switchbacked hill that requires momentum and 4WD. N 40 23.070 W 081 12.632








Harrison County, Freeport TR 107. Closest town is Freeport. Abandoned road. Not marked with signs but does show on maps and GPS. Rough with mud holes and water bars, erosion, most of it requires 4WD. Tight in spots, may scratch paint on brush. N 40 13.829 W 081 18.636








Jefferson County, Beagle Club Rd (aka TR 241). Closest town is Richmond. Abandoned road. Not marked with signs, does not show on Google maps but does show on GPS. Best traveled north to south, I think. Very rough, with mud holes, and 16 (yes, SIXTEEN) creek crossings, requires 4WD. Very tight for a truck, you will scratch your paint on brush. This is my definition of what a fun trail is. Challenging, but not so bad that your dick and balls retract up into your crotch. N 40 28.361 W 080 42.450















I also played around on some basic gravel and dirt roads, nothing spectacular, but fun to turn off the traction control and go sliding around in 2WD. I didn't waypoint them but I'll probably add them to the route as I build it. There was one off road trail I didn't waypoint and probably won't include because it really isn't fun or challenging - it's an old railroad line with the tracks ripped out that runs between Holloway and Piedmont Lake (about 5 miles). It's perfectly straight and basically a really skinny gravel road. There is a cool old caboose on it though. I also dipped over to the Ohio River in Steubenville but I doubt I'll add that to the list, and I played around at Tappan and Piedmont Lakes and had lunch at Piedmont.

McAtee Rd, Cadiz



Old RR trail near Holloway


Ohio R bridge near Steubenville / Weirton WV


Skull Fork Covered Bridge, Skull Fork Rd, Freeport


Fuck... I can't recall. Near Freeport... maybe Covered Bridge Rd...?


Tappan Lake, just off of the abandoned Oak Hill Rd noted above



Flood wall in Stebenville along the Ohio R


CSX train passing under the old wooden McAtee Rd bridge, Cadiz


More route suggestions from 7-18-15:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/ohio-wheelin-meet-up-thread.371898/page-15#post-10498833

 

^^That looks like a blast! What is the big Ohio thing with the flag?

 

That's the flood wall in Steubenville. You see it as you come over from WV. The picture with the suspension bridge in the background is basically looking the other way from the flood wall.

 

Looks fun.

 

looks like a blast! awesome pictures man.

 

Great job Zah you really went above and beyond for us!

A route like this is just what we need and this thread was sorely missing any good info from experienced local offroaders. Looks like you spent the day in some areas that are perfect for us to get rolling on a late July central OH meet.

 

I will try to keep it coming a few routes at a time...

 

I got sketched out when you mentioned the part that would scratch the truck.

I couldn't imagine my baby getting messed up

 

haha i love scraping brush in the truck. every time paint comes off i grin ear to ear, last week while wheelin in the High desert north of LA with my buddy we dropped the drivers side of the cab down on a boulder and get a pretty sweet dent out of the encounter i didn't buy new though so i have little if any attachment to the appearance of the paint.

 

Scratches? My life in a word

 

I like things that are well used. Paint scratches don't bother me. I like my guns with the bluing worn off and it's a matter of pride to me that my gear shifter on my bikes is basically worn down to a nub. Patina, baby!!!

I guess you could always flex your truck on a parking lot bumper stop or something.

 

Call a couple of the tacombros out next time. Develop the routes on a day trip.

Except this guy hahaha He can join for beers after

 

^ Ha ha haaaaa.

 

I'd be down for that route looks fun.

Anyone been out to Yankee Lake I've wheeled there 4 times the last two years. It's a 4x4 exclusive place.

 

never heard of it^^

 

I see a few lifted beater trucks on the road now and again with "Yankee Lake Truck Night" or similar stickers.