Tigerboy's Domain
Ohio Valley Vintage Trials : Jun 4 - 5, 2011

Getting to Ohio Valley : Jun 4   |    Vintage Trials Jun 4-5    |    Coming home from Ohio : Jun 5


I pull out of Cable's Campground, site of the Ohio Valley BSA Rally and head south on an Ohio County road that descends to the junction of US 22 and OH 7. You can see the US 22 bridge that crosses the Ohio river straight ahead.

The bridge to Weirton, which I've taken in the past, is closed.
Besides I want to follow the Ohio side to get more photos of the Rust Belt on this side of the river.

This is the bridge to Weirton.

I pass by a town called Mingo Junction which I get off OH 7 to check out.
The descent into town shows some heavy industry here in form of a steel plant.

Further into the descent, the main street looks pretty tough.

As I wait for my light to turn green, I can't help but think this town has seen better days.

Yup, the main street looks pretty cavernous, empty and eerie.

Now this is a photo that smacks of industry. A slow moving train creeps in front a heavy industrial steel factory.
There's something about my Black Baghira that makes it blend in well.

The road crests upwards so I park my industrial looking bike to get a closer look at this industry.

Wow, this photo pretty much says it all. NS-9325 and BNSF-5776 which I'm sure the railfans have well documented, sit in front of the factory that processes and recycles the raw materials, while turning the gears of commerce in this country. It's all blue-collar muscle and sweat, not the highly paid CEOs in air conditioned offices that make it happen.

Let's take a closer look at those locomotives and factory. This is the kind of manufacturing that built this country. Makes you go wow.

A little further down the road (Southbound, off of OH 7), past that large coal-fired generating station we saw on the way up, lies another steel mill, this one in Titonsville. I am just awed by the size of that structure.

Heading through the main part of town, I can't help notice a building that has collapsed (or torn down).
Not sure if they are any better off than Mingo Junction.

Following the road along the Ohio river, I park next to a dam, or is that dumpster?

At Martin's Ferry, which is at the junction of US 250 and OH 7, I notice this older Heil garbage truck.

This also smacks of blue collar work. Let's compact some garbage !

The front view shows the Heil body sits atop a nice Mack chassis.

A close-up side view, revealing the hydraulics of the truck, I can't help notice the rendition of Oscar the Grouch!

I'm pretty sure that monster is responsible for my fascination with garbage trucks!

Next, we take a look at the other side of the truck.

And finally, I notice the ejection panel is pushed all the way to the back, against the compacting mechanism.
This means the truck is ready to start its run.

Continuing on, I pass by another bridge crossing over to West Virginia, around Bellaire.

This town also gives you a nice view of the Ohio Valley. Look at that industry, once again.
It's easy to appreciate the importance of the rail system here.

An impressive truss-bridge (for railway), also in Bellaire.

It's now time to cross over back into WV the same way I came.

I take a closer look at that clean coal plant that we saw earlier at this junction.

Finally back in WV, I stop to get a photo of a prison in Moundsville. Note the razor wire atop the fence.

Instead of County Rd 17 (Fork Ridge Rd), I take Big Grave Creek Rd (County Rd 54) which looks to follow a river.
So, there is no ridge to climb, yet, but lots of green foliage.

I stop to check out a distribution facility for pipelines.

Now County Rd 54 climbs up the ridge through a series of tight switchbacks. Here's the beginning with some pretty impressive tall trees.

Pretty steep looking down.

This road arrives at the top of the ridge, meeting up with County Rd 21. Which resembles the countryside of Fork Ridge Rd.

Looking down into a pretty deep gully.

Now I come to a fork in the road where a small church sits up high.
I want New Bethel Rd to my left.

I come across a house covered with vines.

Yup, it's covered pretty good with overgrowth.

Across the road sits a much nicer house atop the hill.

And across the road at this spot is a curious burro behind a fence.

Later, I come across a mine entrance. I'm not all that far from Cameron WV, now.

Probably, you've never seen a speed limit sign for 17 mph.

I continue on, expecting to descend onto the main street of Cameron, but for some reason the road keeps going on.
Then I find myself on familiar territory, which is Fork Ridge Rd. I say wait a second, didn't I pass that yesterday ?! So, rather than find the road I was supposed to be on, it's quicker for me to get on US 250 then descend down onto Cameron, which is a pretty decent ride in itself.

Here's the view of Cameron, looking north, from US 250.

I then find Pennsylvania Rd to my left, which is what I want, to continue my trip home into PA.
Incidentally this is the road I wanted to take on my way up.

A short while later, I cross into PA, which is Greene County, township of Aleppo.
Just a small junkyard and some tires stacked up at this state border.

Along this road, which is Green Valley Rd, I stop to admire a horse.

This road leads me to New Freeport, which then connects with PA 18.

The old-style cast Pennsylvania sign says Waynesburg is 20 miles from here. But that's north, not the direction I'm heading.
The sign is then facing the wrong way for that.

So, PA 18 turns into WV 69 at the border and connects with US 250 at Hundred. It's all familiar territory now, and I simply elect to take the direct route home, pulling into my driveway around 8pm, with daylight to spare.


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Page created Jun 12, 2011