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Ever Wonder What Bikers Do During the Off-Season? This is Not Your Typical Road Trip

February 9th gave us some beautiful riding weather, so ride we did. The sun was feeling pretty warm, and we decided to crank the Harley over and go for a ride -- the first ride of the new year. I'm sure a lot of you felt the same way -- sun, leather, wind in your face, full throttle........oh yeah. It was good! But as the sun started going down, the chill returned to the air. We were just getting started!! Where else to go now?

Underground!

Helmets, flashlights, extra batteries, warm clothes, and the cave pack were gathered and thrown into the truck. We were off to Randolph County by 6:00am Sunday morning. Cave temperatures are constant year 'round, so it doesn't matter what kind of weather you're having ...... the caves await.

As a veteran caver, John has filled my head with stories of the underground. Well, hey, it sounded like fun. And besides, it was cold and dreary outside.

Don't let the big opening fool you. It wasn't long until we were crawling around with shoulders brushing the sides and a ceiling height of about a foot or so.

Here's one place where I can say helmets "don't suck." I musta hit my head over 50 times and was sure glad I was wearing one. Unlike the "veteran caver," it still doesn't come natural to me to crab walk, scoot and crawl on my belly for what seems like at least a half mile. I would raise my head -- bang -- I would turn my head -- bang --. Pretty close quarters at times. But I was doing ok -- well, as long as I could see John's light ahead of me, that is.

This is a typical rock formation found in Bowden Cave. No, I don't remember the exact type. It was like a mini-geology lesson with John telling me about flowstone, stalactites, stalacmites, breakdown, and other caving terms. This was coming from the same man who is usually talking about compression, horsepower, cylinders, lacing spokes, oil bags, kick starts, and fat bobs. Go figure.

The real adventure -- well, at least for me -- started deep in the cave at this water passage. Cold mountain water was rushing through the passage which was a couple hundred yards long. (Don't know the actual length...it seemed long). For our trip, the water was over knee-deep in places, with the sides about three feet apart. The ceiling was still "stand up height" ......well, until we approached the end of the water passage. Have you ever tried crawling in cold water? Intentionally? Me either. And I thought the mud at the 2001 MOM Run was bad.........

And there was life in the cave! While trecking our way back out of the mountain, low and behold, we saw lights -- lots of them. A group of cavers from the Parkersburg Grotto (kinda like a M/C for cavers), were making their way through the end of the water passage. Just like with riding, it wasn't long until we realized that we'd actually been in e-mail contact with their guide and leader. Small world. Here we were finally meeting face-to-face underground. I always feel the same way when I meet up with bikers I've e-mailed with . . . kinda makes ya feel warm inside.

WE MADE IT!! It seems (well, to me it does) the sky never looks so good as when you emerge from a long trip underground. I'd say it's real similar to riding the storm out. You're wet, you're tired, but you can see light -- a clearing in the sky. You know you've accomplished something -- be it small to everyone but you -- but every step along the way leads you closer to your destination.

......and yes, the hot shower felt wonderful.

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