sstodvictory
01-19-2005, 05:10 PM
I sold my BMW R100 GSPD this last Sunday to a guy from New York state, who drove out to pick it up late on that day. I acutally drove up on Saturday so I could spend Sunday driving around in my truck. I chose the area between Mt. Carol and Galena and West to the River. I've ridden this area for years, but I've tended to stick to just a few routes that I've learned. This time I decided to find some new routes. Every road I was on was new, and I barely scratched the surface! I didn't even touch the area North and East of Elizabeth.
Anyway, among other roads I discovered a great new loop between Hanover and Galena and back that is different up and back from the usual Blackjack road. From Hanover you head out on Blackjack and hang a right on Rodden and follow Irish Hollow Road until it joins with Blackjack again near Galena. On the return trip you follow Rocky Hill Road to where it intersects Blackjack near Chestnut Hill, then Blanding and Diggin Hill Road down to the Mississippi River Road. From there its South to the lower end of Blanding, then up to Beaty Hollow Road, East to Blackjack again, then branch off of Blackjack onto Speer Road a bit South of there and follow Speer back to Hanover.
A rock-hound friend from work asked me how my weekend went, and I learned something new from him. The mine tailings that are visible around Blackjack road are from shaft-mining of lead sulfite, which is also called Galena. One of the mines in the area is called the Blackjack Mine. Go figure. Here's a photo of Galena (the mineral) and some info about it.
http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/sulfides/galena/galena.jpg
http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/sulfides/galena/galena.htm
I have a question for all of you. How do you all feel about riding on gravel? I don't hesitate to do it on my Vic unless its like marbles, but I'm wondering how many others would do gravel roads on a group ride.
Steve
Anyway, among other roads I discovered a great new loop between Hanover and Galena and back that is different up and back from the usual Blackjack road. From Hanover you head out on Blackjack and hang a right on Rodden and follow Irish Hollow Road until it joins with Blackjack again near Galena. On the return trip you follow Rocky Hill Road to where it intersects Blackjack near Chestnut Hill, then Blanding and Diggin Hill Road down to the Mississippi River Road. From there its South to the lower end of Blanding, then up to Beaty Hollow Road, East to Blackjack again, then branch off of Blackjack onto Speer Road a bit South of there and follow Speer back to Hanover.
A rock-hound friend from work asked me how my weekend went, and I learned something new from him. The mine tailings that are visible around Blackjack road are from shaft-mining of lead sulfite, which is also called Galena. One of the mines in the area is called the Blackjack Mine. Go figure. Here's a photo of Galena (the mineral) and some info about it.
http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/sulfides/galena/galena.jpg
http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/sulfides/galena/galena.htm
I have a question for all of you. How do you all feel about riding on gravel? I don't hesitate to do it on my Vic unless its like marbles, but I'm wondering how many others would do gravel roads on a group ride.
Steve