BamaSToc 2008

[bygdawg]

Here it is. The moment you've all been waiting for. The official date and location of BamaSToc is...(drum roll please):

Little River Canyon
October 17-19

Click Here to attend (http://www.st-owners.com/forums/calendar.php?do=getinfo&e=180&day=2008-10-17&c=1)

We'll be staying here:

Here is the link for accommodations: http://www.desotostatepark.com/

While the campground is closed for renovations, they have cabins and chalets are available. Cabins will accommodate 3 as will the chalets, but the chalets are a bit more than the cabins.

Cabins run: $85.00
Chalets run: $115.00

The cabins have screen porches, and I'm wondering what we couldn't set up a camper or two on the porch without too much issue, perhaps even in the back yard if need be. If there is only going to be 10 to 15 of us, this wouldn't be a bad option. They also have a motel inside the park.

Who wants to split a cabin???

[gene]

Guess I need to reserve a chalet for friday and saturday for lisa and I :D ,most likely H2orider and Rocket Boy from moonshine will use the other 2 beds but the porch might just be available ? Jay does it matter which unit we get as to location being close to each other?

[bygdawg]

Good question Gene. I'll call them today and see what I can find out as far as proximity is concerned. After I hear from them, I'll post my findings in this thread. This is certainly a route we'll have to run:
http://www.motorcycleroads.us/roads/al176.html

[bygdawg]

Son of a .... :eek:

I just got off the phone with the reservation person. Get this...ALL of the cabins and chalets are booked for this weekend. All that is available is 6 non smoking rooms and 4 smoking rooms in the lodge motel on site. So, if we are going to do this, we need to book those rooms now. The rooms are all double beds. Here is the information:
FOR RESERVATIONS CALL 1-256-845-5380

Or go here and click motel on the left:
http://www.desotostatepark.com/

Also, roll aways are available for $6.00 plus an additional $6.00 for each person over 2 in the rooms. I'm not sure how observant and strict they are on enforcing this though.

So, what do you guys think???

As far as numbers, I have all of these folks that are planning on attending:

1. Me - bygdawg
2. dduelin
3. CZman
4. Lou 65
5. ChipSTer
6. ED 1300
7. sandman
8. Hotel 179
9. jdaniels
10. bayoubear
11. motomac
12. Mellow
13. lesjohns
14. gene
15. STindy05
16. Shuey (???)
17. ???

[bayoubear]

I live close enough to make all the rides without actually staying there

[bygdawg]

McFarland Park has 20 camping slots open with 10 being reserve spots and 10 being first come first serve:
http://www.flo-tour.org/campnfo.htm

$11 per tent.

You don't get much farther Northwest in Alabama without being in TN. That's just a thought.

[motomac]

The farther north in Alabama, the closer it is for us Yankees!!!:usflag1:

[gene]

Don't matter to me just make up my mind already !! After CampStoc Lisa and I should know if bike camping is for us HA HA !!

[bygdawg]

Well...The plus would be that it has lots of hotels nearby.

[sandman]

I'll be camping wherever we decide to go.

[STindy05]

The farther north in Alabama, the closer it is for us Yankees!!!:usflag1:

+1:biker:

[bygdawg]

I'll do more investigating today.

[bygdawg]

It looks like the Canyon area is still doable. http://serenitycampground.com/
Spoke to the guy this morning, and he said they have 22 spots and more by October. The pads are 20X24 with water and electric, a fire pit, and a table. They are only 3 miles from the Desoto State Park. I'd book now or soon to avoid availability issues. I'm going to book the motel room, and will be happy to split one of those rooms with anyone that wants to split it.

Ride Safe,
bygdawg

P.S. It's a bit expensive at $17 per site, but I'm sure that could be split. Also, the amenities look really nice.

Mentone (singing waters) is in the heart of Cherokee and Confederate history. Developed as "a resort and summer home" around the turn of the century, Mentone is "one of the best kept secrets in the southeast" and boasts being the camping capital of the world with eleven summer camps.

[bygdawg]

It's official now, as I booked my motel room inside the park a few minutes ago. They have 9 left if you are interested in the motel as opposed to the camping thing. I'm sure they won't mind us meeting up at the lodge or at the campground either one to begin our riding adventures. Now, all I have to do is go back and dig up that Little River Canyon article that I wrote on here a while back. Anyone know where that is? :D

[motomac]

The $17 per site is with electricity and water. That is not bad these days. Heck for a site in Galup NM, with no picnic table they wanted $37.95!!! I don't think we will have a lot of company in the middle of October. Most of the campers will be holed up somewhere for the winter.

[bygdawg]

$37.95! :eek: I'm getting a cheap motel for that kind of money. Yeah...The guy talked like the camping area was pretty sweet, and from what I saw of the pictures, it did look really nice. October isn't really winter for us, although I'm sure it's snowing like mad in Moonshine or parts farther North by that time. LOL If we hit it right, we'll get to see some nice color changes. If not, most of the leaves will be on the ground. Either way, we should have a nice area to do some great riding and just hanging out. :capwin:

[sandman]

Thanks for the work Jay, looks like a good site!

[lesjohns]

This weekend is the traditional fall leaf turning time depending on the weather here in North AL and Southern TN, expect to see some campers.

It is at home against Ole Miss for Alabama and off weekend for Auburn and Tennessee plays Miss State. So the football crowd should not be a bother.

For you folks, not from around here there are certain weekends when there is not much traffic around except coming and going to a football game on Saturday and you do not want to get caught up in a bunch of slightly beer'd up football fans on the way home or to a football game.

Motomac, I know they play football up north, but the number of red/crimson, blue, or orange trucks sold in a given year down here depends on how Alabama and Auburn did in football. I would guess that 70% have never even been on the campus of either school much less gone to school there. Since I have had lots of classes at both schools, we drive a black pickup.

Landon it's about 20-30 miles as the crow flies but we don't have as many straight roads as there are up there so the mileage will change. If you take the back roads, remember they don't take folks driver's license away if they are able to climb behind the wheel, and we have quite a few slightly older fellers who might be going to the store at 20 on a 55 mph road....
We should see less than 3 inches of rain for the whole month of October on average, although I have taken scouts out during October and it has rained all weekend.

You should not need any 'heated' gear but it might get a little cool (not cold) in the evenings, we don't get frost usually until 2nd or 3rd week in November. I usually do not put the liner in my jacket until early Nov for the ride into work.

Hope this helps folks coming into the area for the first time or at least this time of year.

We have some pretty good rides (not the dragon) around the area so depending on the direction you are arriving and leaving might suggest some different rides that could be interesting.

ya'll have fun now, ya hear.

Les

[bayoubear]

I'm really looking forward to this .

[bygdawg]

Me too. I'm getting pumped, and it's still nearly 6 months away. LOL :capwin:

[bygdawg]

Here is a recent article from Rider magazine based on the area:

Although I live in Sweet Home Alabama, my home state is not known for such sweet motorcycling roads, if a sweet road is defined as a curvy one. One of the few exceptions is a route around Little River Canyon in the Little River Canyon National Preserve near Fort Payne, Alabama.

The ride experience is a little bit like Colorado in reverse. Instead of high rocky mountains towering above, this ride blesses the rider with deep rocky canyons below. Throw in a river, a twisty road, some waterfalls, a sunny day and your favorite motorcycle, and you might call the ride sweet, too.

The Little River winds its way from headwaters in Georgia across Lookout Mountain before emptying into Weiss Lake in Leesburg, Alabama. It’s one of the southeast’s deepest canyons and carries the nation’s longest mountaintop river, running nearly its entire length down the middle of Lookout Mountain in northeast Alabama. It is also among the cleanest and wildest waterways in the South because there are no dams to regulate its flow, and few manmade developments to cause pollution. Desoto State Park is also included within the preserve’s 14,000 acres, but that’s another story. Little River Canyon National Preserve also offers the daring adventurer rock climbing, kayaking, hiking and fishing. Just be careful and make sure someone knows where you are going and what you intend to do. The preserve is a mostly primitive area and is not exactly crawling with folks who can come to your rescue if there is trouble.

It’s advisable to stop by the park headquarters at 2141 Gault Avenue in Fort Payne, Alabama, before your ride begins. There you will find maps of the area and various information about the preserve. The park headquarters phone number is (256) 845-9605. It’s easy to access this ride route off Alabama Highway Interstate 59 at exit number 218, where you will find a number of motels and restaurants. If it’s anywhere near lunch time, you should stop at Durango’s Mexican Restaurant, about one Evel Knievel jump east of I-59 (Exit 218), on Route 35 on the right. They serve up a good “Speedy Gonzales” dish.

Heading east off I-59 on Route 35, continue past Durango’s and you will see the Alabama Band Fan Club and Museum on the left. It’s a large building that is divided into a museum and gift shop. Inside there are a number of personal items from the band members, so it’s worth a stop. The museum’s phone number is (256) 845-1646, and it’s open Wednesday-Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays noon to 5 p.m. The museum section closes at 4:30 p.m. each day.

Back on Route 35 southeast just past the 176 junction, turn right into the Little River Falls parking lot. There are restrooms here (outhouses, no running water) and a 50-car parking lot with picnic tables and grills close by. It’s a short hike down to the waterfall area and there are hiking trails up and down the crest of the bank as well. It’s possible to walk out over the river rocks right up to the waterfall, but be careful of the wet, slippery ones, and be especially careful bringing small children to the area. Quite a few visitors come to this area on nice days and just sit around the bank or on one of the rock formations out in the river. They bring chairs and refreshments and enjoy the day and the scenery. It’s possible to find plenty of good views of the waterfall from the hiking trail alongside the river. It’s a bit woodsy but not overly hard to walk the trail.

Leaving Little River Falls it’s back on 35 northwest a short distance to Route 176 west. Maurice and I took a left on 176 and began a leisurely ride around the western rim of the canyon. There are eight overlooks along the way to stop, take pictures, rest, eat a packed lunch and just take it all in. By the time we passed Mushroom Rock, I was thinking about how enjoyable it is just taking it easy riding through this place. As a member of the Honda Sport Touring Association (HSTA), I’m a sport-touring-type of rider, so when I see a set of curves up ahead I usually feel a shot of adrenaline and get ready for a quicker pace.

Farther down the road, Grace High Falls Overlook provides a view of yet another waterfall, this one 104 feet high but seasonal. Finally we came upon the cutoff to Route 275, which leads to Canyon Mouth Park (CR 275 is not listed on every map). We considered the signs and literature warning against taking this route, due to the road being rough and steep. But this fork in the road looks inviting so we decided to travel down it anyway knowing that we would simply turn around if the road conditions became too treacherous for our motorcycles.

Everything went fine for a couple of miles. The road was rough, but nothing a Suzuki V-Strom and Bandit couldn’t handle. It all came to an end, though, when we met a truck parked in the road. A stern-looking man with an attitude told us to turn around. He claimed he was a road worker, but we didn’t see any road work going on behind him. I thought about pressing on anyway, but decided it was best to simply take another route to Canyon Mouth Park. It may be that 275 south would be a great road to take a dual-sport bike on some other day.

We traveled back and continued down 176 west and had lunch at The Big Time Café, a somewhat modest-looking place that serves a good variety of tasty food. With a good meal in us we hopped back on the bikes and went east on Route 68 to 273 north. From the junction of 68/273 it’s about nine miles to the signs pointing to Canyon Mouth Park on the left. This is an excellent place to bring the family. There are plenty of shade trees, a pavilion, a beach, picnic tables, grills, restrooms and very calm water for wading in or fishing (with a license, of course). Canyon Mouth Park is a day-use area only. Camping is permitted in three designated areas within the preserve, including Desoto State Park. Ask someone at Park Headquarters about areas to camp.

The Little River Canyon ride was very enjoyable for me. It’s a ride I plan to do again sometime, possibly with a dual-sport bike so I can give Route 275 a try. Cruising down Canyon Rim Parkway (176) I can’t remember seeing a house or a side road anywhere. There was simply great scenery, curves, the canyons and the waterfalls, with plenty of peaceful solitude to be found at the end in Canyon Mouth Park. If you’re ever in the area, I encourage you to give this ride a try.

-Warren Renshaw-

[bygdawg]

GPS file...

[gene]

Jay what hotel do I make resurvations at ??

[bygdawg]

FOR RESERVATIONS CALL 1-256-845-5380 or
1-800-568-8840

[edwinger]

Well as I like this kind of roads I may have to make this ride also. Anyone want to share a camping site that way we could save some $ if not I need to call and get me a site.
Eddie H.

[Pyrojohn]

Hey,

Sorry for being the new guy but jst found this form an didn't know we had a Bama St group is there a web site? I love to ride and always looking for new people to ride with. Thanks for the info in advance.

John

[bygdawg]

Well...there are a few of us around, although Ed is on a Wing. We don't really hold that against him. No one is perfect. :crackup Technically, we don't have a Bama region club, but there are several of us from Alabama and North Mississippi. I try to do BamaSToc as a way of getting several of us together and providing some new territory for other folks that want to come in from the North, South, East, and West.

[gene]

Jay is the camping area Eddie is talking about acroo the road from the hotel ?

[bygdawg]

That should be correct. The campground hotel and camping area are suppose to be fairly close to one another.

[Pyrojohn]

Well I hope to meet up with a few of you guys someday and if I am in town (I travel a lot for work) in Oct I will try to ride with you guys then. Is there more info on that weekend or the rides your going on?

Thanks
John

[bygdawg]

Check all of the BamaStoc threads. All of the information about the Little River Canyon can be found there.

[Chip J]

Well I hope to meet up with a few of you guys someday and if I am in town (I travel a lot for work) in Oct I will try to ride with you guys then. Is there more info on that weekend or the rides your going on?

Thanks
John

Welcome, John. Next group ride I'm in, I'll run it by you.

[Pyrojohn]

Thanks Chip that would be great.

John:D

[ChipSTer]

Hey.... two Chips in Alabama on ST's... what are the odds???? :D
:cool:

[Chip J]

Long odds! But, I knew another Chip, at my High School, and he was an avid motorcyclist way back then & only rode Hondas. He's currently living in Alabama and probably motorcycling...but probably not an ST. Now that I've said that, watch him make a post here. :)

[Lou65]

Long odds! But, I knew another Chip, at my High School, and he was an avid motorcyclist way back then & only rode Hondas. He's currently living in Alabama and probably motorcycling...but probably not an ST. Now that I've said that, watch him make a post here. :)

Chip ....29 Dreams for breakfast....

[bygdawg]

Yeah...We should do a close meet somewhere one Saturday or something.

[Chip J]

Yeah...We should do a close meet somewhere one Saturday or something.

I'd like to do that. It seems like almost every Saturday has been rainy for weeks.

[dmax driver]

Count me in also for the October get-together. I live in Huntsville and camp in Desoto state park at least once a year so I am planning on getting a camp site. I have one question though, are we going to be riding as a group or is it every man for himself, and see you at super. Allen

[bygdawg]

Great. The more the merrier. We rode in small groups last year, and I figure it'll be the same this year. However, every person is free to ride solo or other routes if he/she chooses to do so. You'll find that we're a flexible group of folks for the most part.

[Hotel 179]

www.bamarides.com

I post this for you Alabama folks that may be interested in some other motorcycling news and forums. This site is a young site and has been gaining membership for the past 90 days.

For your viewing pleasure....

See you all at BamaSTOC.

[bygdawg]

Cool. Thanks.

bygdawg

[Shuey]

Here is a recent article from Rider magazine based on the area:

Although I live in Sweet Home Alabama, my home state is not known for such sweet motorcycling roads, if a sweet road is defined as a curvy one. One of the few exceptions is a route around Little River Canyon in the Little River Canyon National Preserve near Fort Payne, Alabama.

This was from message #21 in this thread. Well, I won't be making it to BamaSTOC this year, but, with such a great write up, had to check out the ride, so rode through there on my way back from CampSTOC.

First, Durango's Mex Restaurant is no more. It is now a steak and fish place called "The Fillin' Station." However, there is another that got several local recommendations and proved to be excellent on the North side of town - Mi Casita, 3802 Gault Avenue North.

Fort Payne, "Sock Capital of the World" or was formerly since most of the factories have closed due to work migrating to China, has a unique Limestone Train Station, one of only two in the country (supposedly). it has a nice museum for a short visit and break.

OK, now for riding the Little River Canyon. It's a GREAT ride! Two lanes, up and down, sweeper turns (some pretty tight) and lots of blind corners. I went through on a Monday and only saw 2 other vehicles on the road. Vista views are great but be carefully getting off the road - oiled gravel at road edge of parking areas, then loose gravel. If you want to stop at "Mushroom" rock, be careful as limited visibility turns before and after don't give much warning. Took 176 West to the end then turned left onto CR275 and took it to the end. Paved with some rough spots, pot holes, some loose gravel in spots, but no problem getting through on the ST - just not a speed run route.

Hope you all enjoy the ride.

(Of course I had to stop at "Wolf Creek!")

[bygdawg]

Great. Thanks for the pictures and the update. Now, why aren't you making BamaSToc???

[Shuey]

I'll be in New England with wife and friends kicking through the fall leaves. I can't take off riding on my own ALL the time. :nuts1:

I'll hope we all get some great weather - I know you'll have a great time. It's really beautiful along 176. Lots of nice roads to get there too! Enjoy, sonny boy! :)

[bygdawg]

Will do pops. Enjoy England. Give the queen my regards.

[Tor]

Is the campground still closed down there? Is it safe to assume that we won't be able to camp there when time comes? We were contemplating trying to make this.

[bygdawg]

It looks like the Canyon area is still doable. http://serenitycampground.com/
Spoke to the guy this morning, and he said they have 22 spots and more by October. The pads are 20X24 with water and electric, a fire pit, and a table. They are only 3 miles from the Desoto State Park. I'd book now or soon to avoid availability issues.

Also, back in April when I booked my motel room inside the park (see page one of this thread), they had 9 rooms left.


To the best of my knowledge the Desoto Campground itself is still closed.

Hope this helps.

["H"]

I have had to change plans and cannot attend the Blue Ridge get together.I was planning now to make the Bama SToc if ya'll will allow. What is still available and is anyone coming up early? My plans are to tent camp. Any info would be appreciated.

[bygdawg]

I'll be up early on day one of the event. It is only about 2.5 hours from my house though.

["H"]

What would be the place to call for a tent camp reservation? I will be there 1 to 2 days early as I need a vacation badly. One other question, is there cell service in the campground?
Thanks
"H"

[bygdawg]

It looks like the Canyon area is still doable. http://serenitycampground.com/
Spoke to the guy this morning, and he said they have 22 spots and more by October. The pads are 20X24 with water and electric, a fire pit, and a table. They are only 3 miles from the Desoto State Park. I'd book now or soon to avoid availability issues.

Also, back in April when I booked my motel room inside the park (see page one of this thread), they had 9 rooms left.


To the best of my knowledge the Desoto Campground itself is still closed.

Hope this helps. You can also call the Deoto Campground to check with them about availability and report back to us. I booked a room at the motel in the park myself.

Ride Safe,
bygdawg

[ChipSTer]

What would be the place to call for a tent camp reservation? I will be there 1 to 2 days early as I need a vacation badly. One other question, is there cell service in the campground?
Thanks
"H"
There should be cell phone service... Pretty close to a major town... (and freeway)... :D
:cool:

["H"]

Thank ya'll, I'll have the Community coffee brewing.

[Hotel 179]

I overheard my wife telling a friend of hers about this trip to North Alabama that we were going to take....I'm looking forward to seeing ya'll.

[bygdawg]

Same here. It should be a great time of the year for it. :hat1:

[bygdawg]

Bump for those interested...

[dmax driver]

I have at one time read all the threads on the get together this year, but was curious have we set a time and place for all of us to gather on the 17th. The reason that I ask this is because some will be staying in the local campgrounds and others will be using the motels or lodges. I am sure that this has already been covered but I'm to lazy to look back through all the previous posts to find the information. I can't wait to met everyone. Allen

[bayoubear]

+1 on where are meeting and what time ?

[bygdawg]

Actually, we haven't set a specific place. However, most are staying very near the Desoto Park motel. We should just plan to meet there Friday evening and discuss our plans for the following day.

[dmax driver]

Sounds good to me, did anyone have a particular time that they wanted to meet at the Desto park hotel. would everyone want to meet for a early supper such a 5:00 pm or would it be easier to meet later such as 6:30 - 7:00 pm. Allen

[Road Dust]

I should be good for 5:00pm.

[bygdawg]

I think 5:00 PM sounds good to me. That way, we can decide if we want to eat there (not sure that's possible) or go a bit farther and sit down and eat somewhere while we talk over the possibilities for the next day. Also, I'll be giving away some door prizes on Saturday night. If someone gets me the banner, I'll make sure everyone signs it for BamaSToc 2008. :D

["H"]

See ya'll at 5. "H"

[dmax driver]

I'll be there at 5 also possibly earlier. Allen

[bygdawg]

I should be around there most of the day after 12:00, if some want to show up a bit earlier.

[dmax driver]

I will be there around 10:00 - 11:00 am, to try and find a place to stay, after I set up camp I will head to Desoto hotel and look for anyone on a ST. I will be riding a blue 04, and my cousin will possible be with me on his Concorse. Allen

[04ST1300a]

Its about 110 miles from my house, might try to make it on Saturday.
Could someone post the meeting place and time for the Saturday ride, I wont be there for the Friday meeting.
:04biker:

[bygdawg]

I sent you a PM. Shoot me your cell, and I'll get back with you after we discuss it Friday evening. I figure we'll look at possible routes at that time and just pick one. Everyone is welcome to do either group riding or split out on their own adventure. That being said, I hope that we can all get together for dinner Friday night, and we'll need to pick a place and time for dinner Sat. night because that's where we'll do the drawing for the prizes.

["H"]

I just found out work will replace my BamaSToc trip. Hate I won't be able to meet and ride with ya'll. "H"

[bygdawg]

Sorry to hear ya can't make it H. Maybe next time.

[STay froSTy]

bygdawg,

I will be on a road trip and will be in the Virginia Beach area on the 14th. I might be able to do a recalculation and hit BamaSToc on my way home.

Would I have trouble if I did not reserve space at a campground?

Looked at Serenity and that would be the place I would stay.

TIA

[Hotel 179]

Hello Jay, and everyone...Denise and I have our reservation set at the Hampton in Fort Payne. We are heading north as soon as the kids get on the school bus Friday morning. That should put us up there in the early afternoon.

See you at the Park.

Stephen

[bygdawg]

bygdawg,

I will be on a road trip and will be in the Virginia Beach area on the 14th. I might be able to do a recalculation and hit BamaSToc on my way home.

Would I have trouble if I did not reserve space at a campground?

Looked at Serenity and that would be the place I would stay.

TIA

I don't think so, but don't quote me on that. PM me, and I'll drop you my cell number.

Hello Jay, and everyone...Denise and I have our reservation set at the Hampton in Fort Payne. We are heading north as soon as the kids get on the school bus Friday morning. That should put us up there in the early afternoon.

See you at the Park.

Stephen

Looking forward to it. You guys have a safe ride to the park.

[bygdawg]

Hey guys,

Mellow just PM'd me to let me know that he'd be sending the banner my way. So, we'll be able to sign it for BamaSToc. Next question, are any of you planning on attending FL-STOC as well? If so, I would simply pass the banner along to you so that you could carry it to FL-STOC.

Ride Safe,
bygdawg

[CWDUSMC]

Hey guys,

Mellow just PM'd me to let me know that he'd be sending the banner my way. So, we'll be able to sign it for BamaSToc. Next question, are any of you planning on attending FL-STOC as well? If so, I would simply pass the banner along to you so that you could carry it to FL-STOC.

Ride Safe,
bygdawg

Assuming I make it, I can bring it back to Pensacola and then deliver it to Mellow. Not to far from me and an excuse to ride. Wait, I don't need an excuse. How is he getting it to you? If necessary, I can go pick it up also. Guess I should ask "how big is it" so I can make sure I have room!

[Mellow]

Assuming I make it, I can bring it back to Pensacola and then deliver it to Mellow. Not to far from me and an excuse to ride. Wait, I don't need an excuse. How is he getting it to you? If necessary, I can go pick it up also. Guess I should ask "how big is it" so I can make sure I have room!

I was going to mail it to Jay in the morning.

[CWDUSMC]

I was going to mail it to Jay in the morning.


Disregard my comment about picking it up. I need to pay more attention to "locations"! Not enough time to ride to TX and back to pick it up. But I can still deliver it to FL-TOC or at least to Shuey after the Bama-STOC. Sorry for any confusion.

[Mellow]

I thought that sounded a bit off but I've seen ST Owners do longer more-odd rides before.. LOL

[bygdawg]

Glad to see you guys solved that issues, especially since I polled the BRG riders at supper the other night and no one from there was planning on attending BamaSToc.

[CWDUSMC]

OK, we are in! Just made reservations at the EconLodge, exit 218. Planning to meet Stephen and Denise (Hotel 179) Friday morning and ride up with them. Sharon and I are looking forward to the trip, after owning the ST for 14 months (and 16,000 local miles) this will be our first real trip on it!

[bygdawg]

Cool. Don't forget we'll all meet up Friday evening and talk about ride plans for Saturday and dinner plans for Saturday night. We'll have the drawing for the prizes on Saturday night, and I'll pass the banner off to someone that is planning on attending FLSToc. :hat1: I hope to be at the campground motel around 12:30 or so Friday. I'll hang out there or near there pretty much all evening.

[Road Dust]

Moeg and I should be in Fri around 1:00pm +/-

[bayoubear]

Do you have a way to post saturday ride plans after you decide friday night what they are . Due to some unforseen family medical stuff it looks like saturday ride is all I can make .

[bygdawg]

Worse case scenario, I'll leave them at the front desk.

[bayoubear]

well if you plan on riding the canyon first and are gonna start at the the water fall just give a time to be there .

[bygdawg]

I plan on carrying my laptop. If I can get a connection, I'll post ride plans online Friday night.

[bayoubear]

thanks :bow1:

[bygdawg]

No sweat. I just can't recall if they have Wi-Fi or not.

[bayoubear]

well what time you think the group will be leaving the motel . guess I could be everyone there .

[bygdawg]

I expect that we'll plan an 8:00 am flight and possibly give about 15 minutes for the later folks to show up. I wouldn't expect that we'd get out before that time.

[bayoubear]

and just to verify : is this the motel addie - 265 county rd. 951 fort payne, AL 35967 ??

[bygdawg]

This is the address they give:

DeSoto Resort State Park Lodge
265 County Road 951, Fort Payne, AL 35967
Phone: 256-845-5380 FAX 256-845-3224

Click motel on the left:
http://www.desotostatepark.com/

[bygdawg]

I haven't ironed out all of the rough spots, but I'm thinking we'll leave the campground around 8ish on Saturday morning and ride over to Fort Payne, hit exit 218 off of 59 to Rt. 35 and maybe swing back by there to Durango's Mexican for lunch, onto the 176 junction where the Little River Falls is located, to the route 275 cutoff at Canyon Mouth Park, 176 West (where another lunch option awaits...The Big Time Cafe), ???

The area south of Adamsburg near Sigsbee looks most interesting at this point. Of course the West Rim around the canyon will provide some nice vistas for anyone wanting to get some pictures and/or just take in the scenery. Now...Back to work.

[bygdawg]

Go here to download a map:
http://www.tourdekalb.com/dcta%20map%20larger%20(3)%20SG.jpg

[bygdawg]

If someone can find this County Road 275 he speaks of, please point it out to me, as I can't find it. I wonder if he meant Co. Rd. 273.

http://www.ridermagazine.com/output.cfm?id=1190071

[bygdawg]

Here is what I have so far, for those of you with MapSource:

[bayoubear]

well my GPS is dumbfounded over the address that is for sure .

[bygdawg]

Yeah...Mine would not find the starting point for the article in Rider Magazine "Sweet Home Alabama." So, I just plugged in the campground, as that will be where we will be leaving from anyway. Pack a liner, as it might be a little cool first thing Saturday morning.
http://www.weather.com/weather/weekend/USAL0210?from=36hr_topnav_undeclared

[bayoubear]

I have to travel 68 miles just to get to the starting point :o:

[bygdawg]

You guys don't forget that we'll have the prize drawing and banner signing on Saturday night (wherever we decide to eat supper at). That's dinner for some of you high class folks. lol

[CWDUSMC]

Today a friend loaned me his "madmaps" (motorcycle adventure destinations) and it has two routes in the Ft Payne area. One runs from Mentone in the north down to Gadsden via 176/275 and across Weiss Lake, it is 138 miles. It lists "Top O' the River" in Gadsden as a good lunch stop. Second route is their "shop 'til ya drop" route and it runs to Gadsden and up to Albertville then north along Guntersville Lake to Scottsboro and back towards Ft Payne. Listed as 125 miles.
I will bring it along so those of you familiar with the area can check it out.

[bygdawg]

Good deal. That must be the elusive 275 that I can't seem to find. I'm leaving around 8:30 in the AM from Tupelo, MS, and I expect to be at the motel around 12:30 or 1:00. I'll be interested in seeing that map. Looks like we may have to route this one around the ol' fashioned way. :03biker:

Ride Safe,
bygdawg

[bayoubear]

I have that map and I keep my toy hauler in gadsden so I can vouch for Top O the river . But I already have plans for Saturday night so will be heading home before then .

[bayoubear]

I have concert tickets for Saturday night. :chrfl1:

[bygdawg]

Well...I'm here. In fact, I'm sitting outside the lodge as I type. I'm using their Wi-Fi, but they close at 9:00. I just had a great dinner at Ruby Tuesday with my wife, son, Craig and Sharon, Jimmy, Moe, Alan, Steve and Denise. We will be meeting at the lodge and having breakfast here at 8:00 sharp. We will probably hit the road sometime between 8:30 and 9:00. We're going to give the temps a chance to move up a bit, as it's suppose to be a bit colder in the AM than they gave at the first of the week. I think the high for tomorrow is going to be around 67, but perhaps we'll see 70 with the sun out. Either way, we've got a pretty good loop plotted out and will discuss it more over breakfast. I'm looking forward to a great day of riding tomorrow. I'll post pictures after I get back home sometime on Sunday. We haven't figured out where we'll have dinner tomorrow night, but that will probably get worked out tomorrow sometime.

Ride Safe,
bygdawg

[bygdawg]

Great riding today folks. I really enjoyed the weather and the roads, even though I did get us lost a few times. LOL Sorry about that. The good news is that we actually hit a few good roads while we were lost. I'll have to come back and try that Top of the River place sometime in the future. I'll post pictures when I get home.

Ride Safe,
bygdawg

[bayoubear]

If you paid for lunch at Logan's with a card be sure to check your statement . I got charged twice . Had a great time meeting and riding with everyone .;)

[CWDUSMC]

Jay and All,
Sharon and I had a great time meeting everybody and riding. Ride home was much better than the ride up (i.e. no rain)!
Jay, thanks for organizing the event!

[CWDUSMC]

Having now been to the area, I have found the "missing roads" on mapquest that would have allowed us to by-pass the killer 275 downhill section! But then we would not be able to talk about it, so since nobody went down, it was worth it! However, even looking at it on mapquest, I am not sure we could have actually followed the roads correctly. And, there is a wrong turn (HWY 82) in those directions from the "madmap" I had. Just gave us the chance to get in more miles! Steve and I took one more ride down 176/CR-3/Lookout Mtn Pkwy/Tabor Rd (could they give it any more names to make it more confusing?) down to Gadsden to start our trip home, today.
Thanks again, Jay.

[dmax driver]

Hey to everyone that went to Bama stock, I really enjoyed meeting and riding with everyone. I hope that everybody's ride home was safe and enjoyable. I hope to see you soon, now back to lurking :-)



Allen

[bygdawg]

If you paid for lunch at Logan's with a card be sure to check your statement . I got charged twice . Had a great time meeting and riding with everyone .;)

Thanks Paul. I'll check with my card company tomorrow. It was good meeting you. Glad to hear you guys made it back without any rain Craig. Jen, Kent, and I all went back by the falls before we headed out today. I'll have pictures up shortly. Thanks again to everyone that made it, and we'll try to do it all again next year, perhaps without the getting lost a few times part. lol

Ride Safe,
bygdawg

[bygdawg]

Pics. are up:

http://pics.midsouth-mr2.com/listpics.asp?dir=Jay%5Fand%5FJennifer%5CMotorcycle %5CBamaSToc%5F2008%5FLittle%5FRiver%5FCanyon

[Hotel 179]

Hello All,

A big "Thank You" to Jay for organizing the 2008 Bama STOC. I have lived here all my life and never ridden those roads. What a great time Denise and I had with everyone. She hopes that next year's rules don't include "Leave the crazy woman at home"!

Craig and Sharon were very gracious to agree to a route change on the way home. We zipped over to Leeds, then down Hwy 25, "Alabama's Dragon".

At a service station farther down the highway, a group of three riders wearing "colors" stopped for gas. Denise shouts to them, "Hey, what's that say on your jacket?" He turns to show her and says something that we couldn't hear so she shouts at him again, "What did you say...I can't hear you...your bike is so damned loud!" He died laughing and walked over to join us where we were sitting on a bench. His buddy was riding a custom chopper. After gassing up he started pushing his bike toward us and whips out a cell phone. As he neared us he declared, "Look, I'm multi-tasking." They were pretty good boys from right down the road. The leader said, "I've ridden a bunch of Hondas in my life...real comfortable and always dependable." We should have taken pictures but the battery was dead...

Then, there was the stop that we made alongside the road so that I could adjust my gear. I pulled into the driveway of a country house...not a Little House on the Prarie, but a real-life shack with washing machine on the front porch and 5 dogs in the yard. The dogs all ran toward us, teeth showing, barking like hell...Denise has wrapped her legs around my waist and is shouting, "Get the Fk out of here". Craig and Sharon pull between me and the pack of wild dogs and protect us until "Granny" comes out of the house. She slams the screen door against the wall and gives us the evil eye. She goes back inside to put in her teeth and comes back out...we never saw the gun, but were sure that it was propped by the door.

Ya'll have to come next year.

[bygdawg]

Sounds like an interesting ride home. Glad we're hearing it from you rather than the headlines:

"Local Couple Mix it up with Hell's Angels and Lose" :crackup

Don't forget to PM me with the link to your pictures so that I can add them to my website.

Ride Safe,
bygdawg

[bygdawg]

As if I didn't already know this:
http://pics.midsouth-mr2.com/listpics.asp?a=show&ID=36035

Read the warning. :crackup

[Road Dust]

Great to meet everyone this year. Good to hear that everyone made it home safe.

Special thanks to bygdawg for making it happen.

[sandman]

Really hate I missed this one, Jay.

My mother was in ICU for a week and passed away on the 17th.

The weather looks like it was perfect.

There's always next year.

[bygdawg]

Sorry to hear that Sandman. Family always comes first. There will certainly be another one next year, Lord willing. The weather on Friday was not so great for some on the ride up, including me. However, the weather Saturday and Sunday was superb. Hope to see all of you guys and more next year.

[Hotel 179]

http://picasaweb.google.com/spearceus/BamaSTOC2008#

Here is a link to some pictures that Denise and I took at BamaSTOC 2008.

[Hotel 179]

[CENTER]Here it is. The moment you've all been waiting for. The official date and location of BamaSToc is...(drum roll please):

Little River Canyon
October 17-19



Hello All,

I put video of some rides on YouTube. Search BamaSTOC, there are 3 videos. The first is a short ride down the county roads, number 2 is following Craig/Sharon through Little River Canyon, and #3 is following Jay for a little while before he zips away.

Denise is filming from the rear seat so you can see the dash and GPS as we wind through the park.

[bygdawg]

Very cool. I've gotta watch that zipping though. I almost zipped myself right over two turkeys. P.S. I added the extra pictures to the website:
http://pics.midsouth-mr2.com/listpics.asp?dir=Jay%5Fand%5FJennifer%5CMotorcycle %5CBamaSToc%5F2008%5FLittle%5FRiver%5FCanyon