Member III
Today is May 4th. I leave WA heading to WV on June 4th (should get there on the 10th). One month and counting down! Who else is leaving early to make the Rally Point? When are ya leaving?
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Member III
I'm either heading out 6/5 via "scenic" route or churn-n-burn leaving on 6/9. Either departure arriving Ripley lodging 6/11
CountryRoads4x4
Rank I
Contributor I
@armyRN just a heads up...Williams River Rd which is part of WV TAT 3 is closed, and will be for quite some time. Monongahela National Forest - Alerts & Notices
I have mapped a possible detour for your consideration. Unfortunately there aren’t too many through routes in this area. Most trails lead to nowhere and dead ends. The only other off pavement route (FR 76) is also closed for bridge repair. Let me know what you think.
GPX viewer
I have mapped a possible detour for your consideration. Unfortunately there aren’t too many through routes in this area. Most trails lead to nowhere and dead ends. The only other off pavement route (FR 76) is also closed for bridge repair. Let me know what you think.
GPX viewer
Various places in Cranberry River Management area seem to be closed as well (bridges). With all the snow, melt off, and now all the recent storms, it makes sense. So many dashed lines, makes it tough to re-route. GAIA says dashed lines are footpath or road. Not sure how to tell the difference based on the map. What I see is to go way out of the way to get back on trail. Get off in Sutton. Take HWY 15 East to 219 South into Marlington, where the trail is picked back up. Or stay on trail to Cowan, Take HWY 20 to 15, to 219 to Marlington. There probably is a "trail way", but with all those dashed lines, just don't know.
Member III
Thank-you CountryRoads4x4 for the intel. Sounds like three options:
#1. The bypass suggested by CountryRoads4x4 pictured below:
#2. (suggested by Triple B): Get off in Sutton. Take HWY 15 East to 219 South into Marlinton (where the trail is picked back up).
#3. (again; suggested by Triple B): Stay on trail to Cowan, Take HWY 20 east to 15, to 219 to Marlinton (where the trail is picked back up).
It is nice to be able to think about this well before we're all in a line at a blocked gate. I have a feeling this will happen frequently. Here's my thinking when choosing alternate routes:
a. If the suggested route by CountryRoads4x4 is known to be open come early June (#1), that would be my first choice. Seems more "trail-ish" if you know what I mean.
b. If not open, then my next choice would usually be to do as much of the TAT as possible before detouring off (provided distances between the options are roughly the same). So that would make #3 above my second choice.
c. So unless there are other viable options on the table, #2 above would be my third choice. Options #2 and #3 both end up in Marlinton and look roughly the same distance to Marlinton, so in reality either one would work - but we can only pick one.
I'll chose dirt roads over paved two-lanes, and paved two-lanes over four-lanes pretty much every time.
#1. The bypass suggested by CountryRoads4x4 pictured below:
#2. (suggested by Triple B): Get off in Sutton. Take HWY 15 East to 219 South into Marlinton (where the trail is picked back up).
#3. (again; suggested by Triple B): Stay on trail to Cowan, Take HWY 20 east to 15, to 219 to Marlinton (where the trail is picked back up).
It is nice to be able to think about this well before we're all in a line at a blocked gate. I have a feeling this will happen frequently. Here's my thinking when choosing alternate routes:
a. If the suggested route by CountryRoads4x4 is known to be open come early June (#1), that would be my first choice. Seems more "trail-ish" if you know what I mean.
b. If not open, then my next choice would usually be to do as much of the TAT as possible before detouring off (provided distances between the options are roughly the same). So that would make #3 above my second choice.
c. So unless there are other viable options on the table, #2 above would be my third choice. Options #2 and #3 both end up in Marlinton and look roughly the same distance to Marlinton, so in reality either one would work - but we can only pick one.
I'll chose dirt roads over paved two-lanes, and paved two-lanes over four-lanes pretty much every time.
Hey, y'all! I'll be following along solo on the TAT potentially around the same time of your group trip. I didn't sign up to join since I have the rest of the year free I want to explore the whole TAT, TAT spurs, and surrounding areas as slow as possible. Guessing 3-5 months of adventuring around.
If I am ahead of you on the trail I will report any closed sections here in this thread. And if I am behind you on the trail, I will be following this conversation for your trail reports.
Gonna be a great journey for us all. Maybe I'll see you out there! -BP
If I am ahead of you on the trail I will report any closed sections here in this thread. And if I am behind you on the trail, I will be following this conversation for your trail reports.
Gonna be a great journey for us all. Maybe I'll see you out there! -BP
Traveler I
Hi armyrn. I would love to join in on this trip, but would only be able to join for a short part (sorry, work). I have a question - I know you have stated that you have no way of knowing where you will be when. If I am able to join, I would be able to do the GA, AL, MS sections. But I would need to have some sort of idea of when you would be near the GA section. I am currently working on my Jeep ('07 JKU Rubicon) and trying to get it ready for this, or the next trip. Thanks and would love to join in for part of this trip if it works out.
Traveler I
Hi armyrn. I would love to join in on this trip, but would only be able to join for a short part (sorry, work). I have a question - I know you have stated that you have no way of knowing where you will be when. If I am able to join, I would be able to do the GA, AL, MS sections. But I would need to have some sort of idea of when you would be near the GA section. I am currently working on my Jeep ('07 JKU Rubicon) and trying to get it ready for this, or the next trip. Thanks and would love to join in for part of this trip if it works out.
Member III
CountryRoads4x4
Rank I
Contributor I
So Saturday I took my boys to Spencer to visit my parents. On the way home we decided to take the long way back and ran a section of the TAT. The video shows the section of the trail from US33 at Windyville Rd to just east of Ripley (we were traveling backwards from the normal route). I turned up the “mud hole spur” to check it out. Unfortunately my GoPro battery died just shortly after turning onto that section. I didn’t travel very far up this section before turning around. It was very tight and being by myself I was afraid of getting in a sticky situation. The small section I did do did not test the full capabilities of my truck in the least. I would love to return to this trail when not alone.
When watching the video you will notice I missed two turns. I was enjoying the scenery too much and lost track of my map. Luckily I didn’t go very far either time before I noticed my mistake.
When watching the video you will notice I missed two turns. I was enjoying the scenery too much and lost track of my map. Luckily I didn’t go very far either time before I noticed my mistake.
That was awesome! I nominate you to be the group videographer :). I saw some posts on the TAT FB group who says those mud holes out of Ripley are something. One person had to winch themselves through. Hopefully it will dry out some by the time we arrive, if not there is always the bypass.
Member III
Yes, awesome video! Can't wait to get out there and see it for myself. Thanks for posting it.
I too saw the post on the TAT FB group page about the mud holes out of Ripley. I already planned on us bypassing that section (the TAT map shows the bypass) - it'll be too early in the game (day #1) for a potential winch-fest. I have a feeling there will be plenty of other opportunities with obstacles and to get muddy that don't present with an obvious bypass as we progress along the TAT.
Enthusiast III
We will be leaving on the June 9th 0r 10th to be there a day or two early.
As this is our first trip still working on storage ideas. Didn't like all of the space the rear jeep seats take up so I pulled them and made a diy plate system. This opens up more storage options.
Wow, that looks great! I've been wanting to try something like that. Did you have a set of plans or just design and build from scratch?
Member III
Woo Hoo! Today is 12 May; we leave 12 June. One more month to go! Actually three weeks for me - I leave WA on 4 June.
I'm trying to start tying up loose ends. I renewed my nursing license early (due in July) so I won't have to deal with it on the trip.
I went to the commissary yesterday and bought ten MREs along with some other foodstuffs for the trip. Was going to mount the canopy on the Jeep today but got called in early so that'll get done tomorrow (it isn't kept on the Jeep all the time). I've started a box to put the little things in as I think of them so I won't forget them. And at Cabela's yesterday I bought a new little headlamp that is USB rechargeable (NEBO Einstein 400) - we'll see how that works out.
I'm trying to start tying up loose ends. I renewed my nursing license early (due in July) so I won't have to deal with it on the trip.
I went to the commissary yesterday and bought ten MREs along with some other foodstuffs for the trip. Was going to mount the canopy on the Jeep today but got called in early so that'll get done tomorrow (it isn't kept on the Jeep all the time). I've started a box to put the little things in as I think of them so I won't forget them. And at Cabela's yesterday I bought a new little headlamp that is USB rechargeable (NEBO Einstein 400) - we'll see how that works out.
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Nice pic. Your wife is pretty. I'm trying to stay positive at the moment with the Colonial mess. What a FUBAR fiasco this is turning out to be. With less than 30 days to go I'm keeping hope alive that all the catch up will get caught up since I have about 4 of those Colonial states to travel through.
Enthusiast III
No Plans. I borrowed ideas and patterned it after a well know maker. I basically worked with cardboard to make patterns and used the rear cargo area above the jack storage as my starting point that has a straight line to it.
Member III
Thanks. I think she's pretty cute. She puts up with me.
What's the "Colonial Mess" you're talking about?
Mrprez
Rank IV
Enthusiast III
The pipeline in the SE that carries gasoline. It was hacked causing a disruption to the supply and hoarding. I’ve seen pictures of people pumping gas into clear plastic garbage bags and carrying them in the back of their car!
