Ride to HELL FOR CERTAIN RD in Hazard, KY
In September 2014, a bunch of us (GoldwingOwners.com members) Traveled to Hell for Certain Road near Hazard, Kentucky. There were friends, old and new, from Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Oklahoma, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan. Some rode more than 1200 miles to get there. I rode a little over 500 miles, one way, and had the pleasure to travel those 500 with my friends Terry, Mark, Phil and Ralph (the MadRussian). We arrived via I-75 from Knoxville, Tn with a beautiful run on the Hal Rogers Parkway. We arrived to find most of the others already at our hotel and proceeded to dinner at a nearby BBQ and steak place. We enjoyed the fun, food and fellowship and returned to the hotel for a ride meeting that evening. We were still expecting a few stragglers and they arrived during the pow wow. A few beverages, some handshakes and stories of life since our last big gathering would consume our evening. Some retired early and some, Lee, Ralph and myself, messed around with our bluetooth headsets into the wee hours. Communication on this little journey would be fun, if not essential, as we shared jokes, warnings and comments on our run.
Breakfast Saturday morning at 8:00 and KSU (Kickstands Up) around 9:00. The morning was blanketed with a heavy fog so we waited it out and began our parade, in two groups, around 9:30 First stop was about 20 minutes and was our reason for coming to this part of the country. A mysterious road we'd only heard about, named... Hell for Certain Road. We knew it was about 9 miles long but had no idea what we'd face when we arrived. The locals tell us that these types of roads are often neglected by county or state maintenance and that freeze damage and age could render it practically unsafe for those on two wheels. We accepted the challenge anyway and determined we would evaluate it when we got there.
Well, we gathered for a photo op and took a few deep breaths. It was, after all, our primary destination. I've included some raw videos here to show what kind of condition and danger we face. All in all, we ran it, timidly, and experienced Hell for Certain, in all it's glory. No mishaps or damage, just a few shaken nerves that we all quickly put behind us and proceeded to run through some beautiful scenery on some spectacular roads. Ultimately, gathered with our other group and a few locals at the head of Red River Gorge in Slade, KY. There are Natural Bridges and National Forests in this area and the rest of the day was absolutely a dream ride. Perfect weather, nice roads and adventure around several corners. We finished up the day at dinner. Shared our individual insights and loved on one another, until next time. We have a trip planned to Cody, WY, in summer 2015. Most of this group and our western US friends will all be together there. If it's anything like this weekend, it should be a real hoot! Thanks for following along on the pictorial journey. The pictures should be loaded in roughly chronological order so you can see what we saw as if you were riding along.
Breakfast Saturday morning at 8:00 and KSU (Kickstands Up) around 9:00. The morning was blanketed with a heavy fog so we waited it out and began our parade, in two groups, around 9:30 First stop was about 20 minutes and was our reason for coming to this part of the country. A mysterious road we'd only heard about, named... Hell for Certain Road. We knew it was about 9 miles long but had no idea what we'd face when we arrived. The locals tell us that these types of roads are often neglected by county or state maintenance and that freeze damage and age could render it practically unsafe for those on two wheels. We accepted the challenge anyway and determined we would evaluate it when we got there.
Well, we gathered for a photo op and took a few deep breaths. It was, after all, our primary destination. I've included some raw videos here to show what kind of condition and danger we face. All in all, we ran it, timidly, and experienced Hell for Certain, in all it's glory. No mishaps or damage, just a few shaken nerves that we all quickly put behind us and proceeded to run through some beautiful scenery on some spectacular roads. Ultimately, gathered with our other group and a few locals at the head of Red River Gorge in Slade, KY. There are Natural Bridges and National Forests in this area and the rest of the day was absolutely a dream ride. Perfect weather, nice roads and adventure around several corners. We finished up the day at dinner. Shared our individual insights and loved on one another, until next time. We have a trip planned to Cody, WY, in summer 2015. Most of this group and our western US friends will all be together there. If it's anything like this weekend, it should be a real hoot! Thanks for following along on the pictorial journey. The pictures should be loaded in roughly chronological order so you can see what we saw as if you were riding along.
