Intruders-Alert

Sorry - I have to cancel this ride. If members are interested we could do it next year. But this year is out for me. This is my left wrist:

[img][IMG]http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h349/DrAlloway/Civil%20War%20Sept%202017/wrist%2001_zpskbktg8tn.jpg[/img][/img]

I am thinking of organizing a One Week ride visiting Civil War battlefields in Virginia – with some forays into Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

There is nothing closer to Stuart’s Calvary racing along back roads to flank Union Armies than a batch of motorcycles twisting along old railroads from battle site to battle site.

Basically this is ride from one Civil War battlefield to the next. Mostly battlefield; not so much riding.
Mostly little back roads following Stuart’s Calvary (not the big roads taken by 50,000 troops marching).

In Sept 2017 after kids go back to school (off-peak rates and get campers off Skyline Drive).
Stay in cheap motels 8 nights - but - with meals, beer, park fees, etcetera it still adds up to $1k

If you are interested (this is not a sign-up yet) please respond.
I will only do all the detail planning if we have 6 riders who will actually show up.

The headquarters website for this ride is INTRUDERS-ALERT dot COM so this thread is IT.

DrAlloway aka Bob

Meetup for dinner in Culpeper on Saturday night Sept 23. And return home after breakfast from Appomattox on Sunday morning October 1.

Our route goes up and down Virginia. We are basically tracing the Confederate Calvary in their Three Major attacks north to capture the Union Capitol. It took them four years and we have only one week, so there are some compromises to fit in all the major battles. I just counted 35 on our routes. The last two days are Grant pushing Lee out of Richmond and battling again and again until Appomattox.

8 RIDERS INTERESTED SO FAR

DrAlloway (me)
MadCow (weekend only
Fifth Twin
98VS1400
Digger + Friend
dadztoyz50
PinkKingFish + Eric

As you can see from this preliminary plan these are long days, nine hours and change, most of which is sightseeing battlefields. Saddle Time is included in the Total; given the low miles per day, you can see the pace on little back roads will be leisurely.

• Dinner Total Saddle Date Sleep Miles
  Country Sat 23 Sept Culpeper meet at dinner or motel
  Vietnamese 9:42 3:42 Sun 24 Leesburg 120 miles
  British Pub 9:33 2:48 Mon 25 Shepherdstown 83
  Diner 9:36 2:36 Tue 26 Chambersburg 90
  Country 8:39 5:54 Wed 27 Front Royal 204
  BBQ 9:13 4:43 Thur 28 Fredericksburg 165
  Southern 8:45 3:15 Fri 29 Richmond 133
  American 8:56 3:26 Sat 30 Appomattox 143

I should know better than trying to paste a table here..

Did this ride some 11 years back with my son. You need 2 full days at Gettysburg alone to really enjoy the ride. We hit some of Kentucky as well.
If you plan the ride correctly, you can get it all in with moderate daily miles ridden to maximize time on sites.
What site's did you anticipate stopping at?

I can do it if it's on the weekend...

I'm interested. I'm going to Gettysburg in June, but I don't mind revisiting.

I'm interested but too early to know now.

this post has been superseded - but - I don't know how to delete it

Digger from Canada is now a GO plus his Buddy !

sounds good. I'll keep this on the calendar and see if it will work out.

6 riders interested so far

so it has a chance

we obviously need more IAers interested to make it actually happen

so express your interests and stay tuned

Overview Map of all days (preliminary routes)::

Note that from the Union capital (DC) to Confederate capital (Richmond) is only 120 miles. The macro strategy, for both sides, was simply to capture the other's capital. The South tried for 4 years and, when finally exhausted, Grant attacked Richmond. After that it was just mopping up until Appomattox.

The South made three major attempts to capture DC. First they ran up the middle of Virginia to cross the Potomac River and turn down on DC. Second, they ran up the Shenandoah Valley to cross the Potomac River and turn down on DC. Third, they ran up the Shenandoah Valley to cross the Potomac River and turn down on DC.

I'm interested and pretty sure Eric would be as well. Are any of these "back roads" non-paved"?

Ha Ha !!

Just because I tried to kill you guys before with Not One, BUT, Two Dirt Roads - does not mean I will do it again.

Probably

I know it's still a long way off but I'm getting pretty excited about this ride!! Looks awesome and I can't wait to actually meet some of the great people that frequent this board!

Bob, you spilled poppy seeds on your map. [emoji2]

Just because you guys are all namby-pambies,
I checked with the National Forest Service and they assure me that
one of our optional roads is "Yes, definitely paved."

This map is a detail of Wed Sept 27th towards the end of the riding day.

We will stop in Luray, VA at a Non-Ethanol gas station and choose our route to Super 8 motel in Front Royal:
along the way there is a terrific spot: Woodstock Tower on a mountain top in the George Washington National Forest
from here you can see SEVEN ox-bows in the North Fork of the Shenandoah River below.

Option A: Stonewall Jackson Highway US-340 thru the Shenandoah Valley and loop back on VA-678 Fort Valley Road.
or
Option B: From Luray VA-675, a really steep twisty mountain road to Woodstock Tower.

Option A is more historic but just a normal road - and 43 miles longer.
Option B is shorter; a true back road; really steep and twisty - but I am assured Paved.

now I'll have to find another ride. [emoji41]