Took A Little Ride Last Weekend

[special-K]

My 95 Suburban was down for head gasket/valve job and my buddy lent me his little Sonoma 4cyl/5spd. It was the weekend after Labor Day, which I spent working around the place, and was going to be a beautiful day. I wanted to take advantage of having a gas miser, but no particular place to go. I grabbed a bunch of CDs and at the end of the driveway I decided to make my way up to US30/Lincoln Hwy (first paved coast to coast) since the truck has a PA tag on it. I stayed on the 2-lanes all day, taking a road in my area that hits Lincoln Hwy as it approaches the ridge & valley region of the Allegheny Mts. Just good old country scenery and natural beauty along the way.

The first ridge is Sidling Hill and the old road climbs right up and back down with switchbacks. That's when I started falling in love with that l'il GMC. He has it set up just perfect for what it is. Handles like a go cart to me and plenty of pep. I stopped on top to catch the view.

The truck:

[special-K]

The view to the West with a touch of irony:



The view back East across the Cumberland Valley (Great Appalachian Valley):


The plan was (I kinda had one) to ride west till I was above my mom's town and drop down Maryland to see her. I passed by the Flight 93 Memorial and dropped in. Sorry no pictures. I left camera in truck and was anxious to get farther along. It was pure coincidence that I was these on the 9th, two days off from the anniversary. It was an eerie experience. I paused for thought, then hi-tailed it out.

It's light out, time for my walk. Be back shortly...

[67ChevyRedneck]

There was a reason GM sold a literal crap ton of them, they really were cool little trucks.

Mine was a 2.2 5spd as well. I swapped in a set of leather S10 blazer buckets and console, cold air intake, removed the heavy clutch fan and installed a Taurus E-fan, 94-97 mirrors, 2" spindles and blocks, and put a cool "Chevrolet" script on the tailgate.

I really do miss mine, owned it from 2007-2012. I actually sold it for more than I paid for it with about 50K more miles on it when I got it. And it was as nice in person as it looked in pics, it was immaculate.

I would LOVE to own another one with an LS/6spd!

[special-K]

That was a nice one. I thought how cool it would be 350 or LS powered, but that would throw the great handling off and I dig the 33 mpg it got. What I love is the 4cyl. I've been driving V8 trucks all my life. This took me back to my '56 VW bug days, zippy and agile. This one had electric fan, header, cold air intake, and don't know what else. Stopped on a dime and handled curves like it was on rails. A true sport truck.

So, on along US30 I came to Shawnee Lake State Park and cruised on in to check it out. I was dumbfounded by the fact that it was a perfect weather Saturday yet not a soul at the lake just days after Labor Day. It figure I'd be fighting a crowd just days earlier. I guess people hop into preparing for winter like clockwork. I dunno

[special-K]

Kept heading up and down mountains and through the valleys, passing through towns I knew the names of but never been to. Lots of history, total Americana. I crossed the roads I know from Western MD that let me know how far west I was. Was getting hungry for a bite to eat when I came to New Centerville with signs posted "Caution. Event in progress". Extra activity from what I had been seeing, then the sign...Farmers & Thrashers Jubilee.

Pulled in, parked, and walked around. This must be a club and this is their grounds. It was all about the early farm machinery, the most and best display I have seen. The place powers itself with old huge diesel & natural gas generators with many aspects steam powered. They were out of bean soup in the cider press building, but I grabbed some fresh as it can be apple cider. The only other food was burgers, hot dogs, and pizza at a few stands. I wanted something more special so I made my belly wait. It was machinery time! The fourth picture is a belt driven mixer of some sort. The last one is one of the cider presses or a generator to run one.

[special-K]

There was a big boiler to run the steam presses in the cider bldg. Last picture is the apple cart they roll in on rails. I was hoping no one fell off it

[special-K]

One more set before I take a break and get something done today. I'll be back with more pics

[Ol Blue K20]

Hurry up and get whatever done....I'm enjoying the ride...

[special-K]

Did you get the fell off the apple cart pun? I crack myself up...har har har

It's lunchtime, so I'll add some more for Dale (and anyone else...I guess)

Who likes old chain saws? Or even earlier mechanized wood cutting apparatus? How about chain saw widdling? Or more like carving.

[Ol Blue K20]

Thanks Tim, I got the pun......man, all those saws look sharp....you're not the only one who pun.... That function looks like a lot of fun. Loving your road trip so far..

[special-K]

They have a tractor/horse pull area, maybe they do mules, too. But no action happening while I was there. As far as food goes, I eat burgers, hot dogs (they also had sausages), and pizza. But I was hoping more for some good local fare. Just local food would have been great, too! Not even pies, fer cryin' out loud!! Oops, sorry, no negativity intended (but I was hungry)

[special-K]

It was a very vocational event. So cool to see this stuff operating, not just sitting there. Not sure what the story was on this AA bus, but I'd like to have it to gather friends up and do a back roads bus tour. I love the Case tractors. That little thingy was neat, whatever it is. Maybe just a lightweight tractor or possibly an early Polaris 4 wheeler

Gotta go. I'll be back. Oh, and I thought I was in General Disco when I started this thread. Went there to post and it was gone!! Then I found it here in 67-72. I have reported myself to the staff and willing to pay the consequences . Look in General Disco once they fix it.

[midniteblues]

Cool trip there tim.

I quickly recognized those set of pics in post two, yep that's PA. I'm surprised the TV wasn't there too.

A lot of guys I pal around with always knock on the little trucks.
I always say that they are just lighter duty trucks, no different than any other tool in the box. If you need a 3/4" drive breaker bar that's what you get, if you need a 1/4" drive breaker bar that's what you get. BUT it's nice too have them all.
I certainly don't need my 3/4 ton k20 as often as my so called 1/2 ton s10 but it's always nice too have the bigger tool.

I like when guys here show their travels, its almost like I was along for the ride reading about them.

The bus and the little do hickey thing are cool. It's really amazing on how much of that really old machinery is still around here and still in service once you start looking for it.

We just had our annual town car show here last weekend it's really small about 500 cars and a small swap meet, but they really go all out on displaying alot of the old steam and hit&miss engines.
The annual show here is usually a really long busy day for me.

[toolboxchev]

Buddy of mine has one of those little trucks, still uses it towing, and daily driver. He put a chip in it, makes some ponies and burns some rubber.

Those wild engineers at Detroit! Kudos!

Same color truck even!

[nds1968]

Thanks for sharing Tim, that wood carved does a show at the Big Butler Fair in July just north of Pittsburgh.

I had a 2000 S10 4.3L auto 4X4. I liked driving the truck but it needed a lot of work done to it over the years... I wouldn't mind driving a 4 cylinder 5 speed 2wd...

[special-K]

Yeah Nate, if I had left earlier I might have made it out your way. I dropped down PA281 I believe it was, or I ended up on it. I recognized it as what a WVA road near my mom's changed to in PA. It was in Somerset County west of US219.

He probably has a chip in this one and maybe a blueprinted throttle body? Very responsive off idle. That thing would be fun to autocross. I dig guys doing up the C10s for that, but you are miles ahead with one of these, even after a ton of mods. Just the dimensions and weight put it there. All corners are closer. I was taking 15 mph curves in 4th gear going uphill at 50 mph easily, hugging the inside with ease. True, that is banked and thrust into the hill, but it reminded me of my friend in HS's TR6 he would let me drive when we went cmping on Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. I'd sling that thing through the switchbacks and the responsible adults who saw me from directly above would be waving their fists at me when we'd pass.

I like trucks for their usefulness and just my style, big or small. I rank my manliness by who I am and what I do, not by what I drive. I'm confident like that . I like the MPGs. I spent under $40 and ran 417 miles that day.

He had another one a few years ago. He likes them for a shop truck and loaner vehicle. It's not like he doesn't have a '14 K2500 Duramax with at least 500hp he hauls the trailer with all over God's creation and most all of the time. The '92 K3500 6.5TD I had was having intermittent stalling/low power issues on the way to a job one coldass winter day. He ran down in the S10 to run me to get a lift pump (I was hoping he's bring the big truck and trailer). Wasn't that, so he followed me home. It kept stalling and he'd roll up on my bumper and push that 8k#+ sucker on up the road till it caught again or to a place to pull off. That issue is another story. Figured it out but can't explain it.

More from the show:

[special-K]

Well, almost done the show pictures. I didn't get everything and wanted to get rolling again. Still hungry! If there was home cooking it was somewhere else. First thing I saw coming into town was a quilt show. Maybe the food was there. Kinda like the event was separated between the big bad guy stuff and the stuff for women and guys that drive small trucks

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...ldNxI3wFZPYN0g

Here is the last of it, then on down PA281.

[special-K]

Last tractor running a belt. Then on down PA281.


I wanted to go to Confluence, which is above my mom's town and where the Youghiogheny R., Laurel Hill Cr., and the Castleman R. meet.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...gQ2XQ5seP5UR7Q

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...La2w2x9jeLMoPg

The Yough and Castleman both run north from Maryland. Back in the mid-1700s John Friend, who I descend from, traveled there. It was called Turkeyfoot back then. He had settled on land along the Potomac R. on the Virginia (now WVA) side near Cumberland, MD. But after it flooded a few times he pulled up stakes. His brother has settled in Turkeyfoot, so he went up to check it out. He ventured south from there, up the Youghiogheny, where he came upon a basin along the river. It was a Shawnee summer camp they called The Hunter's Bowl. These guys traded with the Indians and knew their language. John asked their permission to bring his wife and John Jr back to build a cabin and settle, and that's how he became the first European to settle Garrett County, MD. It was named Friend's Fancy till years later when the got a post office and it became Friendsville, where my mom lives and grew up. I'll stop with the history lesson.

I found a cool little place to eat on the Castleman in town. Lots of cyclists from the cities there. Pretty upscale from the rest of my day. Plenty of tables out on the porches to eat and watch the bikes and river. This is the back side from where I parked.

[special-K]

So I treated myself to something tasty and healthy, as well as a Stella Artois. Mmm that tasted good. This was touch of class moment among the uppity yuppity crowd where no one knew my connection with the down to earth types who settled where we sat and didn't give a hoot about having anyone else around over many mountains...other than the Native Americans.

Let me back track a bit. Before I got to Turkeyfoot (I prefer that!) I came upon a covered bridge on a back road. No tourist attraction, just an old bridge still in service

[special-K]

On down to Friendsville to see my mom. She was busy ending her day at the Friends Family Assoc. Library & Museum, so it was a short visit. There were people there and she had to tend to them. In '15 Friendsville celebrated their 250th birthday...1765

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...qOLuwoT-TO2q7w

I realized I hadn't seen my grandparents old house from when I was growing up and cruised by. I remember hanging on the sun porch (slept out there) and playing 78s on the old Victrola, homemade blackberry jam with homemade butter on homemade bread, and grandma working out in the garden wearing her bonnet and apron


This house was my Aunt Minnie and Uncle Budd's place at first and my grandparents lived along the river in a house attached to the bar/restaurant/barber shop, where the barber was the mayor/justice of the peace. When pop retired Minnie & Bud took over and they traded houses. Lots of stories about that bar back in the day. Pop, aka Red Jenkins, had been a logger back when they used horses. He wasn't a big man, but he kept the guys in line at his "joint". Here's the old place. Not very well kept up. It's been 40+ years since it's been out of the family. I got to wondering what it would take to get that place back. Probably not much, if they ever sell. Not an illustrious family history, but I'm proud to be associated with such a history. There's lots more to tell, but this isn't history class. Sorry for going on.

I traveled south through the county and caught MD135 over Backbone Mt. to down by the Potomac at Westernport where I picked up MD36. The sum was getting low so I hoped on I-68 on down to I-70 to home. 68 is actually a nice drive in itself. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the ride. Now I wish I had stopped for more pictures.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...00qiXSwq6DNJeg

http://www.times-news.com/news/drone...4ba74f4e1.html

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...b6ELKe-5owq5PA
Last picture, back home:

[bill3rail]

I actually have one of the chainsaws in those pictures, it is a Mall two-man saw from the '30s.

Love the tractors too!

Bill

Originally Posted by special-K

Did you get the fell off the apple cart pun? I crack myself up...har har har

It's lunchtime, so I'll add some more for Dale (and anyone else...I guess)

Who likes old chain saws? Or even earlier mechanized wood cutting apparatus? How about chain saw widdling? Or more like carving.

[Ol Blue K20]

Great trip Tim, thanks for the ride. Friendville looks like a cool spot. I've never been east of Pasadena Texas.... Yeah, I did a road trip to "Gilley's" after watching the movie Urban Cowboy. Dang I'm getting old.

[special-K]

I haven't met many who knew what a Mall was. I helped a friend in the late-70s cut big trees on his folks' place on the mountain using one. It was his grandfather's originally. I wasn't too fond of holding that handle at the end of the bar! . I was wondering how worn those links were in the chain the whole time. He had the heavy end but I would have traded in a heartbeat!!

[special-K]

Urban Cowboy... Gilley's....Nope, ahead of my time

I think more people travel out west from back east than from out west to back east. I thought it was funny when I lived in CA hearing people call it "Back East" and they had never been. But, I realize all but the Native Americans and Hispanics once came from back here.

Friendsville had the second highest fatality rate per capita from Vietnam, with one being my cousin Roger. My Friend who is a Vietnam Vet from Friendsville has a '73 Sportster painted up to commemorate these lost souls and is working on getting a memorial built in town. I was on my way up to the 250th parade early that morning when he called and said his knee was hurting too much to kick it over and was worried about stalling it (kick start only) in the parade, which is very possible loping along so slow like that. He asked me to ride it and I was very honored to oblige. Wasn't easy, but I did it. Everyone knew the bike but many probably wondered who the heck was riding it. I'm used to a low down big twin and riding just a bit faster. I was out in front of the girls with the banner and behind the color guard. I was worried about off and on with the clutch so much, you couldn't just idle it in first that slow. That's when I thought about those Shriners buzzing around in circles and zig zagging. Even weaving from curb to curb I'd gain on the color guard, so I'd do a circle every once in a while. I was hoping people didn't think it was show offish or disrespectful, but it made it work well and Jimmy was pleased. It was quite an experience riding in my first parade celebrating the 250th of my descendant settling there behind the color guard on a bike honoring those lost souls looking down and seeing Roger my cousin's name on the tank. It was tearing me up a bit, just like it is now telling about it. What a day in small town America.

Here's the bike from that morning, and Bessie his '40 WLD he has had since forever

[Ol Blue K20]

Wow Tim, the old XL's are cool. What an honor to get to do the parade. Being a old bike painter, whoever did that bike was an awesome painter/artist. I love my Roadglide but miss the sporty that I put so much work in. But life moves on and I have 90,000 plus miles on the glide. It's much nicer for an older guy like me. I thought my cabin was old (1883). But the east coast has the REAL old history. Awesome stuff.. Again, thanks for the great ride along.