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    Yermo
    8 years ago
    buffalo and I had a fantastic ride yesterday in the Western Maryland Panhandle. Why didn't anyone tell me the smaller roads out there would be so good?

    Map #11322
    Yermo
    8 years ago

    2015 September Western Maryland Twisty Tree Covered Mountain Ride

    Why didn't anyone ever tell me the roads in the Western Maryland Panhandle were so good?

    buffaloare I took our sport touring bikes (he on his 2009 BMW K1300S  and me on my 1992 BMW K100RS) and rode out from the DC area to exit 34 on route 68 just past Cumberland Maryland. I had see Savage River Road on a map another member here posted and wanted to check it out. I thought it might turn into gravel but it turned out to be just a wonderful little twisty hilly tree covered mountain road that went on for a good ways along a mountain stream. In higher elevations the leaves were already starting to turn so some corners appeared treacherous.

    This went on for quite some time and that road is worth the trip out there alone. It just a stunningly beautiful area. Duncan had never seen Deep Creek Lake before so we made our way out there and had lunch at the Pine Lodge Steakhouse. I had been there last year. 

    From there we took Sang Run Road to White Rock Road and once again found ourselves in just wonderfully hilly tree covered mountainous terrain. This trend continued to the Westernmost border of Maryland and through West Virginia as we made our way South. 

    We took Route 7 east. This was a bigger less interesting road which eventually turned into 39 and then 135. Once we turned off on 38 the roads got good again and this trend continued on until we reached 220 at which point it was time to head back home. 

    All told our loop was just under 420 miles and we hardly noticed the distance. Over the last few weeks we've just had the best luck finding great roads, but this area around the Western Panhandle will need to be explored a little more thoroughly. 

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    buffalo
    8 years ago
    It really was a fantastic riding day. The quality of the roads and the number and quality of turns was striking, particularly through Savage River State Forest, and later heading up the southern side of the Potomac River valley on the West Virginia side.