Nepernine Wandering (Northeastern Kentucky)

[Stichill_imp]

Another great report with more wonderful photos. Really nice work, Stichill. You're far more patient that I am. Couldn't be doing with so much stopping when I'm under way. But your readers appreciate it.

I'm glad you enjoyed it, Cormanus and Novice. Cormanus, I understand your sentiment and often that is me as well. Usually during my evening "wind-down" rides after a day at the office. Even stopping for a photo is too much distraction from the simple joy of riding during the available remaining light of day, and represents another kind of "work" that sometimes we are just loathe to undertake.

On weekends and holidays, it's a different story. I probably stop to take a photo more often than the average guy...in this case, for some reason, I took even more than I usually do. Kind of depends on my mood and the scenery. Sometimes I take extra photos of roads I'm less familiar with. Recently, I've started a collection of Google map screen shots and links I call "Favorite Kentucky Motorcycle Roads." I like to have at least one if not more photos of the road in question for this archive. Someday, when I have enough roads in the collection, I plan to create "The Epic Kentucky Motorcycle Route" by stringing as many as possible together in the most interesting fashion I can devise.

When I ride alone, I am rarely adamant about getting to a particular destination by a certain time. I want the clock to become a non-factor in my consciousness. Once I enter that state of mind and I see something I want to remember, I just stop and grab a shot without thinking, "This will delay me three minutes." This, to me, is the essence of wandering by motorbike. No clock, no obligation, no rigidity, no predetermined outcome. Simply giving over to living in the range of the immediate moment with no thought of past actions or future plans. I love it - it's a blissful child-like state that reminds me of being 8 years old, out and about, exploring my small corner of the world on my bicycle.

I think, were I on a bigger bike on some of these roads, I probably would stop less frequently, because good scenes come up on you so quickly that sometimes it's necessary to go back to capture a photo. When I'm on the CBR and I zoom past something notable, I can whip a quick feet-up U-turn on the narrowest road and shoot back to the point of interest, execute another smart U-turn and pull it into the narrowest "wide spot" on the shoulder to get out of the traffic lane to take my shot. Other times I get lucky and there's a good pull-off on the right side (US rules) that's convenient and in the right location...usually not.

A lot of these roads, as you can see, literally have no shoulders or wide spots. In that case, I will pull over in the left lane, facing any oncoming traffic so I can monitor it, with the headlight lit (I ride with high beam in daylight), clad in my hi-viz gear. As long as you ensure that oncoming vehicles have a decently long sight line to you as they approach, I've found this to be very safe. People are considerate, slowing and moving over to their left / my right a bit to go around me.
Yesterday I rode past this old filling station that I photographed so recently...it has been razed. Completely gone.