Last Ride of 2023

For the last ride of 2023, a Saturday, a ride on both gravel and pavement in the Uwharrie National Forest seemed in order. I had not been out there in a while and wanted to give the new Tiger 1200 Explorer a go on the many of the unpaved roads.

Setting out after lunch, a quick 30 minute ride gets to the start of the unpaved adventure. I have ridden this route many times. It had rained earlier in the week so dust was quite minimal (this area is notorious for choking dust).

With all the trees bare, an old abandoned house was spotted and deserved a bit of a look. Off the bike and on foot to check it out.

It has seen better days but was still in good shape. Since the ceiling was intact, there is not any water damage. Everything was solid except for a few small spots. After checking it all out, it was off down the road to continue the journey.

One favorite spot on this trek is Low Water Bridge. It is VERY close to the water and Uwharrie River is always a nice view. As we rounded the corner, a Road Closed sign was found along with a small bit of bridge debris.

Wow! What a site. I have been here many times and never seen it this bad. The water damage is incredible. This once nice summer bathing area is quite a mess. No getting thru this mess. We hopped on the bikes and decided to go around to the other side.

We had to drive all the way to the next bridge then circle back down to get to the other side of the bridge. At least the water was flowing...but it is still a mess.

This changes the route a bit. I will have to go back to the maps and figure out a nice route that no longer includes the Low Water Bridge section. Not nearly as much fun but hopefully this will get repaired quickly since this is one of the most scenic parts of the ride.