Corridor H (Va., W.Va. and Md.) Meet - Late Spring/Early Summer 2016

Started by cpzilliacus, September 13, 2015, 09:52:38 PM

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cpzilliacus

I suggested to A.J. Bertin that a possible weekend might be Memorial Day 2016 which would mean the meet would be Saturday, 28 May; and Sunday, 29 May.

It needs to be two days because of the length of both halves of Corridor H, of course attendees are welcome to participate one or both days.

A brief outline (a detailed itinerary, routing, estimated travel times and map are in development):

Saturday: Meet for lunch in or near Winchester, Virginia. 

Then it's on the road. First day proposed stops:

1. New southern interchange of Va. 37 and I-81 (construction started in 2015).
2. the Morgan Ford Road (Va. 624) low-water bridge over the Shenandoah River that is due to be replaced in the near future (VDOT may have let a construction contract by the time of the meet). 
3. Then west on the westernmost part of I-66 and south on I-81 to U.S. 48/Va. 55 to start heading toward the eastern part of Corridor H (all of the completed part of eastern Corridor H is signed as U.S. 48, along with the old highway between Wardensville, W.Va. and I-81).
Through Wardensville, W.Va., to our first stop, the massive set of bridges that carry Corridor H over the Lost River. 
4. Then back onto Corridor H to a pitstop at the Sheetz on U.S. 220 in Moorefield, W.Va.
5. Continuing west on Corridor H, up the front range of Allegheny Mountains to the bridge that carries Grassy Ridge Road (SR 42/1) over Corridor H for the first day meet photo and a great view of the Nedpower windfarm.
6. Then east on Corridor H to a great scenic view (only access is on the eastbound side) of the front range from the front range.
7.  Continue east back to W.Va. 93 (Laurel Dale Drive), follow that to and past Scherr to head back up the front range on the old highway, W.Va. 42/W.Va. 93 (Union Highway) for a taste of what people had to put up with before Corridor H. A short detour here might take us through and past Greenland Gap, a break in the mountains now owned by the Nature Conservancy.
8.  Now west again on Corridor H, past the Eastern Continental Divide at the Grant County/Tucker County line.  Some sections of Corridor H here may be two lane undivided, but that should not be a problem.
9. Eastern Corridor H (currently) ends at Davis, W.Va.  The tour will head south on W.Va. 32 through Davis (the highest municipality in West Virginia) to its southern terminus at Harman, W.Va.
10. At Harman, the tour goes west on U.S. 33 over several ridges, including Rich Mountain. 
11. U.S. 33 widens out to a four lane divided highway, the "racetrack," which was built with the intention that it be part of Corridor H. 
12. On the eastern edge of Elkins, W.Va. U.S. 33 runs into U.S. 219.  The tour goes south to the Sheetz a mile or two south of this intersection for a pitstop.
13. Then back on the road again - north on U.S. 219 through Elkins back to western Corridor H (the western part of Corridor H is not signed as U.S. 48, having various route numbers including U.S. 119, U.S. 33,  U.S. 250, W.Va. 92 and U.S. 219), and then west on U.S. 33 to the western terminus of Corridor H west of I-79 (there's a Corridor H milepost zero there).
14. Dinner (possibly) in Buckhannon, W.Va.

Sunday: 

Meet at the Sheetz in Elkins for an MTO brunch. Then:

1. North on U.S. 219 to complete the rest of Corridor H, from Elkins to Kerens.  WVDOT/DOH may have a contractor on board at that point to extend Corridor H from Kerens to a point in southern Tucker County near the community of Moore.
2. Check out the early construction at the other end of this project (near Moore, south of Parsons).
3. Continue north on U.S. 219 through the municipality of Parsons, seat of Tucker County, and on to Thomas, W.Va.  For those interested in route clinching, a short detour from U.S. 219 through Thomas in the direction of Davis clinches W.Va. 32.
4.  Next is the Fairfax Stone, the source of the Potomac River, the baseline for the western boundary of Maryland, and tripoint for Grant, Preston and Tucker Counties, West Virginia.
5. Continuing north on U.S. 219 into Garrett County, Maryland, the tour goes east on the western part of U.S. 50 in Maryland, to the highest point on the Maryland state-maintained highway system at the crest of Backbone Mountain.
6. Descending into the upper reaches of the Potomac River valley, the tour goes north on Md. 560 ascending Backbone Mountain again, to the municipality of Loch Lynn Heights, and then west on Md. 135 to the seat of Garrett County, Oakland, for a pitstop at the Sheetz in Oakland. 
7. Then back to Md. 135 eastbound, for what may be the longest, meanest and most deceiving mountain descent on an arterial highway in Maryland, from Md. 38 to a mountain wall on the edge of the mill town of Luke (think of N.Y. 28 descending into Herkimer for an analog).
8.  Back uphill along the Savage River to a suspension span over the river, and past a water supply dam that provides part of the water supply for far-away Washington, D.C. and its suburbs in Maryland and Virginia.
9.  Continuing up the mountain, to a bridge spanning the Casselman River built in the early 19th century that is still standing, and carried traffic for well over 100 years.  Candidate location for the meet photo on the second day.  A composting toilet is located here.
10. Now east on I-68, down another long and fairly steep descent into Cumberland, Maryland.
11. After Cumberland, the tour exits I-68 onto a much smaller road, to the next stop, a closed bridge that features a Warren Truss and a Pratt Truss, all in the same structure.
12. Then south to the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, and a short walk to the Oldtown Low-Water Toll Bridge over the Potomac River, the only privately-owned toll bridge in Maryland ($1.50 to cross by motor vehicle). Portapotties are available here.
13. Return to Winchester, Va. from Oldtown for those that have parked their cars overnight.

Comments and questions welcome. Thanks to Mr. and Mrs. MdRoads for help in developing this so far.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.


froggie

Given Saturday stop #2, I would think meeting/lunching in Front Royal would be a better option.  That way, you're not backtracking a minimum half hour (and more likely 45 minutes) in order to do #2.  An option to this would be to skip #2 (or #1) as a tour stop, and just let attendees know where it's at so they can stop at their leisure if desired before or after the meet.

Also, the itinerary as proposed makes it difficult for those who can only attend one day, given the noticeable difference between starting and ending locations for each day.

cpzilliacus

Quote from: froggie on September 14, 2015, 12:02:10 PM
Given Saturday stop #2, I would think meeting/lunching in Front Royal would be a better option.  That way, you're not backtracking a minimum half hour (and more likely 45 minutes) in order to do #2.  An option to this would be to skip #2 (or #1) as a tour stop, and just let attendees know where it's at so they can stop at their leisure if desired before or after the meet.

Also, the itinerary as proposed makes it difficult for those who can only attend one day, given the noticeable difference between starting and ending locations for each day.

I have logged the entire proposed route, and will be tabulating same.  One motivation for Winchester is that it is easier to "close the loop" from Oldtown, Md. or Green Spring, W.Va. 

As for attending one day, it is going to be inherently difficult, given that the eastern part of Corridor H is, well, long.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

jpi

I will definetly keep this in mind, would very much like to attend, could make a quick side trip to southern PA to visit family too. :-)
Jason Ilyes
JPI
Lebanon, TN
Home Of The Barrel

A.J. Bertin

Thanks for announcing this, Patrick! I really want to attend this. I'm just not sure yet whether I can attend one or both days. Right now I'm giving myself at least an 80 percent chance of attending. :)
-A.J. from Michigan

vdeane

Sounds like fun and will have to think about it.  My family normally celebrates Memorial Day, but it's not as if I need to attend every one, and given the large number of overnight meets next year, it might help with the budgeting.  There may be some prioritization with respect to what meets I attend.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

hbelkins

I've seen most of the West Virginia sites (having driven through there on Sunday, obviously) but the concept of a two-day meet originating in different cities on the two days is a novel one. I wonder how comfortable people would be leaving their vehicles in some random spot overnight and returning to them the next day.

Obviously, finances are going to play the major role in whether or not I can attend, but it's quite possible that I would skip the first day of the meet and would join only for the second day (the Maryland panhandle portion) and bail out somewhere before the return trip to Winchester.

For this region, I don't know that there is a good place where you could set up a central location from which to originate both meet dates.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

Duke87

Quote from: hbelkins on September 15, 2015, 02:16:49 PM
I wonder how comfortable people would be leaving their vehicles in some random spot overnight and returning to them the next day.

So long as it's a legal parking space in a non-sketchy location I see absolutely no problem with doing this.

Of course one would have to check the local regulations. I know some towns in New York have bans on parking on the street overnight. No idea if anywhere in Virginia has similar.
If you always take the same road, you will never see anything new.

cpzilliacus

Quote from: Duke87 on September 15, 2015, 08:42:36 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on September 15, 2015, 02:16:49 PM
I wonder how comfortable people would be leaving their vehicles in some random spot overnight and returning to them the next day.

So long as it's a legal parking space in a non-sketchy location I see absolutely no problem with doing this.

Of course one would have to check the local regulations. I know some towns in New York have bans on parking on the street overnight. No idea if anywhere in Virginia has similar.

I believe I will be able to point participants to a commuter [park-and-ride] lot owned by the Virginia Department of Transportation where cars can be left for a day.  Details will be provided. 
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

A.J. Bertin

Quote from: hbelkins on September 15, 2015, 02:16:49 PM
I wonder how comfortable people would be leaving their vehicles in some random spot overnight and returning to them the next day.

I would not do this. I would want to make sure my car was with me both days.
-A.J. from Michigan

jpi

Quote from: A.J. Bertin on September 16, 2015, 06:47:37 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on September 15, 2015, 02:16:49 PM
I wonder how comfortable people would be leaving their vehicles in some random spot overnight and returning to them the next day.

I would not do this. I would want to make sure my car was with me both days.
Same here, especailly if my wife is with me. Chances are she will hit the big box stores\ mall especailly if we have lunch in Winchester.
Jason Ilyes
JPI
Lebanon, TN
Home Of The Barrel

Laura

I'd be okay with leaving my car in a park-and-ride lot. Not sure what the rules are in VA, but in MD (unless it is signed otherwise) cars can be left for 48 hours. I've seen abandoned cars at the I-70 Park and Ride in Baltimore that were definitely there longer than two days.

hbelkins

I'm uncomfortable leaving my car at my office overnight. That's why I drove the old 1990 Chevy truck I inherited from my dad to leave at the office for a week while I had the state car for my drive to Maryland. Unless a cop was at the park-and-ride 24/7, I wouldn't leave my vehicle there.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

noelbotevera

If there's money, this might be possible. My dad can park in Morgantown and pick up the meet from there. I could pick up the meet from Front Royal at I-66, but I'd rather just be picked up.

Duke87

If the concern is the safety of the car and its contents for the duration of your absence, the best place to leave it short of somewhere where it is physically secured would be on a residential street. No one looking to break into a car is going to want to do so right in front of someone's house.
If you always take the same road, you will never see anything new.

noelbotevera

Quote from: Duke87 on September 18, 2015, 06:23:45 PM
If the concern is the safety of the car and its contents for the duration of your absence, the best place to leave it short of somewhere where it is physically secured would be on a residential street. No one looking to break into a car is going to want to do so right in front of someone's house.
Not really concerned. We've been lucky with our car not being hijacked. We usually leave the car where we're supposed to be, for example, when visiting the Bull Run battles, we just parked at the lots provided than in Manassas itself.

hbelkins

Quote from: Duke87 on September 18, 2015, 06:23:45 PM
If the concern is the safety of the car and its contents for the duration of your absence, the best place to leave it short of somewhere where it is physically secured would be on a residential street. No one looking to break into a car is going to want to do so right in front of someone's house.

You'd be surprised. There have been a rash of car break-ins at people's homes in this area lately. And 21 years ago, I had a brand-new car that was just four months old. One night, at my apartment, someone tried to throw a concrete block through the windshield. It didn't break the windshield but it bounced off and dented the hood. Then they threw the block through the passenger's side window with success, and stole a bunch of stuff out of my car. All of it was recovered except a pair of sunglasses and one CD, but it did about $1,000 worth of damage to a car that still had the new smell in the interior. I felt really violated, and that's one reason I am in favor of the death penalty for thugs with no respect for someone else's property. (That's only a slight exaggeration).


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

oscar

Quote from: A.J. Bertin on September 16, 2015, 06:47:37 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on September 15, 2015, 02:16:49 PM
I wonder how comfortable people would be leaving their vehicles in some random spot overnight and returning to them the next day.

I would not do this. I would want to make sure my car was with me both days.

Same here. Not so much worries about break-ins, but if I needed to overnight somewhere in Elkins or points west (like Weston on I-79) between day 1 and day 2, I'd want my stuff with me, including at a bare minimum overnight bag, tote bag with my meds, and portable electric cooler. Carpooling and leaving cars behind in, say, Winchester would require people not only to haul their gear, but also coordinate on their lodging arrangements.

A.J., did this issue come up with the Marquette/U.P. meet (which was also multi-location), and did anybody end up leaving cars behind and carpooling on the meet tours?

I'm pretty borderline on attending myself (familiar territory for me, and possible schedule conflict that weekend), so I'm just weighing in on the concerns about the logistics of a multi-location two-day meet.
my Hot Springs and Highways pages, with links to my roads sites:
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Duke87

Quote from: hbelkins on September 18, 2015, 11:17:26 PM
You'd be surprised. There have been a rash of car break-ins at people's homes in this area lately.

You're right, I would be surprised. But I can see thieves in a small town being more brash due to a lack of non-residential places you'd find a car parked at night and the ease of quickly leaving said town.
If you always take the same road, you will never see anything new.

hbelkins

Also concerning logistics, I wouldn't want to have to return to Winchester from, say, the Paw Paw area, only to have to drive west again. And someone from the east coast probably wouldn't want to have to backtrack from Weston.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

TheHighwayMan3561

Quote from: oscar on September 18, 2015, 11:41:00 PM
A.J., did this issue come up with the Marquette/U.P. meet (which was also multi-location), and did anybody end up leaving cars behind and carpooling on the meet tours?

I know I'm not A.J., but all of us drove our own cars from Houghton to Marquette and no cars were left anywhere overnight.
self-certified as the dumbest person on this board for 5 years running

Brandon

Quote from: Duke87 on September 19, 2015, 08:07:19 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on September 18, 2015, 11:17:26 PM
You'd be surprised. There have been a rash of car break-ins at people's homes in this area lately.

You're right, I would be surprised. But I can see thieves in a small town being more brash due to a lack of non-residential places you'd find a car parked at night and the ease of quickly leaving said town.

Even in larger cities they do that.  They've done it in broad daylight in Chicago, and even locally here.
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." - Ramsay Bolton

"Symbolic of his struggle against reality." - Reg

cpzilliacus

Quote from: hbelkins on September 19, 2015, 10:05:56 PM
Also concerning logistics, I wouldn't want to have to return to Winchester from, say, the Paw Paw area, only to have to drive west again. And someone from the east coast probably wouldn't want to have to backtrack from Weston.

Suggestions on this (long-distance) meet are welcome and appreciated.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

noelbotevera

Quote from: cpzilliacus on September 20, 2015, 09:58:00 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on September 19, 2015, 10:05:56 PM
Also concerning logistics, I wouldn't want to have to return to Winchester from, say, the Paw Paw area, only to have to drive west again. And someone from the east coast probably wouldn't want to have to backtrack from Weston.

Suggestions on this (long-distance) meet are welcome and appreciated.
Depends. Can the meet stretch into Pennsylvania? I could make this meet (if there's money and my mom and dad allows it) if it's around the Winchester, Virginia area. It's about 50 miles from here.

dgolub

Quote from: Brandon on September 20, 2015, 06:13:11 AM
Quote from: Duke87 on September 19, 2015, 08:07:19 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on September 18, 2015, 11:17:26 PM
You'd be surprised. There have been a rash of car break-ins at people's homes in this area lately.

You're right, I would be surprised. But I can see thieves in a small town being more brash due to a lack of non-residential places you'd find a car parked at night and the ease of quickly leaving said town.

Even in larger cities they do that.  They've done it in broad daylight in Chicago, and even locally here.

Interesting, considering that I was always raised to be especially cautious about that sort of thing when in a city.



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