e riding seemed like a good idea. I was determined to keep riding, so I ventured off to my old stomping grounds today for a little nostalgic ride through the pits. Most people don't know what "stripper pits" are, but when the coal mines strip, or dig up the earth to harvest the coal, they used to leave mounds or spoils of the dirt. Over time, they become re-forested and provide a lot of enjoyment for outdoor enthusiast, who like to fish, hunt, four-wheel and dirt bikes, etc...Back in the late 70's and early 80's when I rode out there it was all owned by the mining companies. Since then they have sold or leased these many acres of land to individuals, corporations and so forth, so now all of the land is private property. Fortunately for me, my brother and some buddies have leased 600+ acres, which they hunt and fish on.
I parked at the old Coleman Cemetery, I believe. There are a few cemeteries the mines stripped around in the area and I always get the names mixed up! This particular spot is well know for the parties back
in the day and more so for being the dump site of a local double murder. In 1986 a young couple murdered her parents because they wouldn't let her marry this gentleman. Anyway they killed them one night around Christmas and dumped their bodies over a highwall, or cliff, to be found later by a guy scrounging through some junk. In these pictures, it would be just about right of my seat! Awesome huh?This was the beginning of my adventure! I took off down an old road I had traveled probably a thousand times on dirt bikes, but everything had changed. It was all grown up and briers were everywhere, including
my unprotected, fleshy legs! I eventually made it to a old ditch, where unfortunately another guy had perished several years ago as well in a car wreck. My brother had made a bridge over the creek but was made for 4-wheelers and the pipe were just wide enough for a bike tire to drop in to. I walked the bike across this section! The section ahead of me was heavily grown over and I could hardly see the old trail. It eventually ran in to a hairy section of briers, and I retreated back across the rickety bridge.I then ventured off towards what used to be "The Highwall"! We used to climb these steep embankments, but the State has came in and leveled most of these areas down. Safety concerns I guess? It was a pretty good climb and I made it, only stopping once because of a tree on the trail. I decided, it would be more fun to ride backwards, or in the opposite direction next time...all down hill! It was pretty cool to again see the areas I had spent so much of my youth in riding. The "highwall" itself is no longer, just a gently rolling hill, not as perilous as it was back then, but still an awesome site.
I took off down the old trail, which was gone and now replaced with a ton of black locust trees, the ones with the big ass thorns! More ripped flesh! That trail evidently had become flooded over the years and was now about 4-6 inches of soft gooey mud! I made it through most, determined to make it back to the old haulage road unscathed!
I encountered a big branch and tried to pedal over the stick, but lost traction with the bike and my foot and the pedal. The back of my calf ripped across the gnarly pedal teeth, tearing even more flesh. T
his one actually bled a bit. I cussed a little, and trudged onward.I finally made it out to the road, stopped for some water and took off down the road towards the old "Junk Pile" road. It too was all grown up, but the boys did have a gate there and I could easily climb over or under it and take off down another memory lane so to speak.
I chickened out! Hell I was beat and bleeding and still had a mile or so back to the van! I leisurely pedaled back to the transporter,wiped some blood off my leg and cracked into a Gatorade. A beer sounds better, but Gator Juice and water was all I had!
I plan to come back often and explore my youths playground, but tonight may be the biggest challenge of all...riding with the wife!
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