#244573 - 09/19/07 03:24 PM
Re: Attn: "Tunnel of Death" Pied Piper Riders . . .
[Re: Ken H.]
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LeftSpin
Member
Registered: 09/10/02
Posts: 8053
Loc: San Diego, CA
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How did the other "Un" riders miss this challenge?
Apparently Jamie found the magic of the "Recalculate" feature on his GPS and it took his group off the original planned route.
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This was no tunnel of LUV, the pictures don't do it justice. I think I'd drive around WV just to avoid it, let alone drive TO WV just to go through it.
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Well now I guess it could be called the tunnel of love, I sure was hugging my driver a lot closer during the ordeal.
Gee . . . SORRY GUYS!!  
It's a good thing Leslie was on the back guiding me through the tunnel like a seeing-eye dog while I'm out there tapping my white cane along the gutter! 
The pics look to be taken with a flash so you can see the detail on the inside of the tunnel. There were not only no lights, but there was water running down the dark stone walls and the description of the light at the end of the tunnel being about the size of a dime at arm's length was exactly as I recalled it! I thought: "Oh $#!T! There are no lights or windows/vents in this tunnel I can't see a thing! I flipped up my visor--no difference! My 50W amber motolights mounted down low are angled up a bit but I couldn't see a trace of them on the black asphalt. I flipped on my highbeam--it was sucked in to the black hole with no light bouncing back off the wet, dark stone or road. Foglights--nothing! Aaaaahhhhhh!! 
That TINY little keyhole of light was too far away to key in on (though the tunnel was straight as an arrow) and it just never seemed to get any closer--it was surreal--like a scene from some haunted fun house or something! My dark sunglasses were prescription (I'm near-sighted) and my glasses with the clear lenses were in the tank bag. I think we hit the tunnel at about 50mph and there was no place to stop the group! Fortunately, Leslie had snapped up her tinted visor (her far-sightedness complementing my near-sightedness) and verbally guided me down the middle of the path over the Autocom! 
It was indeed a RUSH . . . sorry you all missed it! 
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#244574 - 09/19/07 07:27 PM
Re: Attn: "Tunnel of Death" Pied Piper Riders . . .
[Re: KMG_365]
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Turtle Whacks
Member
Registered: 04/13/03
Posts: 14982
Loc: Edmonton, AB Canada
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Okay it gets creepier... "Tunnel of Death" has dual meaning as it turns out!
Tunnel Cemetery is located over the Dingess tunnel where six Dingesses a buried. The most recent 1977. You've maybe been over someone's grave before, but now some of you can say you've been under one and lived to tell about it!
_________________________
Ken & Donna H.
If you want to ride tomorrow, ride quietly today.
Quiet is cool, silent is sexy.
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#244575 - 09/19/07 08:18 PM
Re: Attn: "Tunnel of Death" Pied Piper Riders . . .
[Re: Ken H.]
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Ranger Kiddo
Member
Registered: 08/21/02
Posts: 531
Loc: Stafford, VA
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Okay, I was seriously contemplating when I could get down thereto experience this for myself, but after your latest post Ken, that's just WAY creepy I'll probably still go, but I won't be stopping to check out any odd sounds.... even if they are coming from the bike.
_________________________
IB5000 ride site - be a part of the insanity! KT  09' R1200RT 07' F800ST 97' R1100RT-sold IBA #21881
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#244577 - 09/21/07 07:58 PM
Re: Attn: "Tunnel of Death" Pied Piper Riders . . .
[Re: Ken H.]
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Member
Registered: 07/23/07
Posts: 633
Loc: Doyline, Louisiana
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I remember one more thing, being sweep and on radio, after we cleared or just, Jamie almost begging asks, "did everyone make it out okay"?
I go, "well, sorta". I didn't have the composure to tell him although we were all out fine, I may have suffered psychological damage.
Also the first 4 bikes went straight, and should have turned right at first turn, Jamie called the mistake, so Allen (also on radio) and I turned and waited. I remember watching them squeak out a slow tight U-turn and come back, I was thinking we just survived a hell of a tunnel only to dump on a real tight turn around. Good riding guys!
_________________________
10 MTS 1200 Standard (riding)
08 Yamaha WR250R DualSport fun
07 Triumph Tiger 1050 (Sold)
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