Scooter in the Sticks

Exploring life on a Vespa, Royal Enfield Himalayan, Honda Trail 125, and a Kawasaki W650

Exploring a Mysterious Road

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A Honda Trail 125 motorcycle parked at a scenic vista.
The goal in my mind’s eye.

Can I Get There?

There’s a road not far from here that I’ve spent considerable time thinking about, looking at maps, reviewing satellite imagery, and searching for first-hand accounts of whether it’s passable.

I know where the road might lead — to the ridge top where I have ridden many times. And I know a short stretch that reaches through a farm field at the bottom. But what lies between is unknown. I’ve been told it is now private property. Some suggest a property owner has bulldozed a barrier making in impossible to cross. And some say it is just too steep and rough to navigate. I’m left with the question, “Can I get there?”

I recently stumbled on a mountain biking site where riders share information and saw a nugget of intelligence about the Pennsylvania Furnace Road — rough but passable. No one seems to care if you ride through. Satellite images appear to show the road going through someone’s front yard and being a gentleman I don’t readily trespass so close to someone’s home. Especially when so many people here carry and are protective of their property. Still, the report said “passable.”

That’s all I needed to reach out to Paul and ask if he wanted to take a long ride to breakfast on our Honda Trail 125 motorcycles.

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The Trail 125: Keeping the Spark Alive as the Years Roll On

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Steve Williams selfie in Moshannon State Forest.
Getting older but still having fun.

In the Mirror

A few years ago, just before turning 70, I looked in the mirror and acknowledged I’m getting old. Not an admission of failure or surrender, but rather an acceptance of reality and the need to make some adjustments. Especially as it pertains to riding. While still able to ride bigger motorcycles I could tell the comfort point had shifted. Particularly riding off the pavement. And that desire to maintain a reasonable comfort level led me to buy the Honda Trail 125. The perfect little motorcycle for an old man hell bent on still exploring places where the road isn’t always well traveled or maintained.

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Confidence Inspiring Motorcycle

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The Honda Trail 125 motorcycle parked on a trail.
Embracing the promise of adventure.

The Honda Trail 125

Drivable Trail signs make me a little nervous when I’m riding my Himalayan. Unless I’m certain of what’s ahead, and especially if I’m alone, I generally don’t ride on past those signs. That’s not the case with the Honda. I almost can’t conceive of a road or path that I won’t happily ride on. It’s a real confidence inspiring motorcycle. Great to have when your 72nd birthday is just around the corner.

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The Honda CT 125 Isn’t Just a Trail Bike

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Steve Williams with his Honda CT 125 trail bike.
I purchased the CT125 for dirt and gravel but it can go almost anywhere. (Photo by Paul Ruby)

Lead Up to a Ride

A few things are in play when I prepare for a ride and they are sometimes in conflict. Like deciding I want to ride the Kawasaki W650 but the destination takes me through miles and miles of dirt and gravel. I try to juggle riding the machines I have to keep them “exercised” and in good working order. A friend recently pointed out that I seem to be trying to balance them on the blog as well. Writing to meet the expectations of readers rather than just share the rides I make.

“I thought you wrote here as part of a personal documentation of your life on the road?”

It was pointed out that as soon as I work to satisfy some imagined expectations of readers the whole thing becomes more forced, less authentic, and ultimately will begin to feel like work. The exact reasons why I’ve put new content on my YouTube channel on hiatus.

So I’ll put the crystal ball away and quit being concerned about what readers want. Hopefully that won’t offend or drive anyone away.

I knew I wanted to take the Honda Trail 125 for a ride. Somewhere. And I had a fixed window of time to ride. In these situations I generally sit down at the computer and open Google Maps and start looking for a destination or route. In this case, for a place to eat breakfast. And the place I decided on was 35 miles away. The ride would mostly be on pavement with some time on roads where people were traveling far faster than the Honda could handle. The adventure would take me to the Kitchen Witch in Howard, Pennsylvania.

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Riding in Pennsylvania’s Magnificent Forests

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Looking up into the forest canopy.
Peering up into a canopy of hemlock and fir trees.

Surrounded by Trees

Every rider finds themselves blessed (or cursed) by where they live. Long ago I knew living in the middle of the vast forest lands of central Pennsylvania was a gift.

In 1681, when King Charles II gave a nearly 29-million-acre expanse of old-growth trees to William Penn, clearing a Royal debt and ridding the Crown of a troublesome Quaker religious movement by sending them across the Atlantic, I’m enjoying the benefits of that deal today.

Nearly 60 percent of Pennsylvania is still forested and provides a seemingly endless supply of dirt and gravel roads to explore. And for me, they begin just two miles from my front door. For my friend Paul and I, those roads are always beckoning.

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