- Published on
So where did Appalachian ADV come from and how did all of these Events and Clinics happen? A recent barrage of social media posts (Instagram and Facebook) tried to tackle those topics but since there are character limits, I had to make them short, expeditious, and some would say streamlined. The goal was to highlight the first of every Rally, Tour, Group Ride, and Clinic and a quick hitter history of how each came together... the foundations of Appalachian ADV. Enjoying putting those together, I thought I would throw them up here on the website and maybe add just a dash more to them.
In the Beginning...Part 1
I bought a V-Strom 650 in late 2011, under the instigation of my good friend and future riding buddy Gabe. We worked together at The Ohio State University and it wasn't long until he had me pegged...an adventurous spirit looking for a better outlet. Up to that point it had been coaching football, snowboarding, mountain biking, triathalons and Gabe started to introduce this thing called Adventure. After buying the bike, taking the MSF Basic Rider Course, and going on that first ride to Hocking Hills with Gabe I knew I found my new passion.
Gabe and I explored many nooks and crannies of Southern Ohio and expanded our radius as the years went along. In 2015 I moved from Columbus back to my hometown of Youngstown, OH. The seeds of what would become Appalachian ADV were born from my good buddy Gabe, further greenhoused by a trip out west with a military buddy and great friend Shane and a newfound friend from Western PA whom we shall call OGB.
The V-Strom saw more and more dirt and gravel road action and off-road style terrain as my skills progressed. Exploring the Ohio River Valley, Allegheny National Forest, The PA Wilds, Bald Eagle, and a ton of great terrain in between as well as further along the Appalachian Foothills and Mountains sparked my interest in trying my hand at building a couple of events. December of 2019 saw the birth of the Appalachian ADV website, with moto-related articles to lead into a Spring rally. Mother Nature delayed my start a bit but the first official Rally that would become known as The Fools Ride on April Fools' Ride and first official Tour that would become known as Explore The PA Wilds Four Tour happened in the summer of 2020.
This is a selection of V-Strom photos from the beginning of my ADV journey right up to that first rally in the Northeast Ohio River Valley.
Check out more about how Gabe got me into riding on the Latterday Shunpikers article.
I bought a V-Strom 650 in late 2011, under the instigation of my good friend and future riding buddy Gabe. We worked together at The Ohio State University and it wasn't long until he had me pegged...an adventurous spirit looking for a better outlet. Up to that point it had been coaching football, snowboarding, mountain biking, triathalons and Gabe started to introduce this thing called Adventure. After buying the bike, taking the MSF Basic Rider Course, and going on that first ride to Hocking Hills with Gabe I knew I found my new passion.
Gabe and I explored many nooks and crannies of Southern Ohio and expanded our radius as the years went along. In 2015 I moved from Columbus back to my hometown of Youngstown, OH. The seeds of what would become Appalachian ADV were born from my good buddy Gabe, further greenhoused by a trip out west with a military buddy and great friend Shane and a newfound friend from Western PA whom we shall call OGB.
The V-Strom saw more and more dirt and gravel road action and off-road style terrain as my skills progressed. Exploring the Ohio River Valley, Allegheny National Forest, The PA Wilds, Bald Eagle, and a ton of great terrain in between as well as further along the Appalachian Foothills and Mountains sparked my interest in trying my hand at building a couple of events. December of 2019 saw the birth of the Appalachian ADV website, with moto-related articles to lead into a Spring rally. Mother Nature delayed my start a bit but the first official Rally that would become known as The Fools Ride on April Fools' Ride and first official Tour that would become known as Explore The PA Wilds Four Tour happened in the summer of 2020.
This is a selection of V-Strom photos from the beginning of my ADV journey right up to that first rally in the Northeast Ohio River Valley.
Check out more about how Gabe got me into riding on the Latterday Shunpikers article.
History Briefs Part 2
The first official #AppalachianADV rally was the Brush Creek Daytripper Rally (BCDR) in June of 2020, held a few minutes away from what would become our Base Camp for The Fools Ride on April Fools' Ride Rally near Richmond, OH. This would be the one and only Appalachian ADV event that the old V-Strom would attend, but it was one of the bikes that helped me find a ton of the terrain that would be used for most of our future events.
The BCDR would help set the tone for all of our events and would also be the beginning of the Appalachian ADV Inner Circle... Buzzsaw, Marsh, Kurt, and OGB were all in attendance. #ADVDualSporting was developed over the years preceding the rally and was field tested at the BCDR. Twisty paver, gravel road, unmaintained dirt road, off-road challenge area, repeat.
The ole' V-Strom would not complete the entire event due to a ripped rear tire but my Husqvarna TE310, which helped me find deeper pockets of off-road for this and other events, was up to the task. The TE310 helped hone some of those off-road skills and was a perfect combination with the Wee leading into the purchase of the #TankTenere700 in July of 2020 right before running our first Guided Tour that would take place in the PA Wilds and eventually be known as Explore The PA Wilds Four Tour.
I wrote a short article, with a bunch more photos, about this first event in the weeks leading up to the first official Fools Ride in 2021: 2020 Brush Creek Daytripper Rally
The first official #AppalachianADV rally was the Brush Creek Daytripper Rally (BCDR) in June of 2020, held a few minutes away from what would become our Base Camp for The Fools Ride on April Fools' Ride Rally near Richmond, OH. This would be the one and only Appalachian ADV event that the old V-Strom would attend, but it was one of the bikes that helped me find a ton of the terrain that would be used for most of our future events.
The BCDR would help set the tone for all of our events and would also be the beginning of the Appalachian ADV Inner Circle... Buzzsaw, Marsh, Kurt, and OGB were all in attendance. #ADVDualSporting was developed over the years preceding the rally and was field tested at the BCDR. Twisty paver, gravel road, unmaintained dirt road, off-road challenge area, repeat.
The ole' V-Strom would not complete the entire event due to a ripped rear tire but my Husqvarna TE310, which helped me find deeper pockets of off-road for this and other events, was up to the task. The TE310 helped hone some of those off-road skills and was a perfect combination with the Wee leading into the purchase of the #TankTenere700 in July of 2020 right before running our first Guided Tour that would take place in the PA Wilds and eventually be known as Explore The PA Wilds Four Tour.
I wrote a short article, with a bunch more photos, about this first event in the weeks leading up to the first official Fools Ride in 2021: 2020 Brush Creek Daytripper Rally
Short Histories No3... Birth of the #TankTenere700
My Tenere was finally delivered to Motozilli of Warren the end of July in 2020, a few weeks before running our first official Guided Tour in the PA Wilds. This event has morphed the most over the years and was originally called the PA Wilds Hardcore ADV Tour. We would meet in Western PA near McConnells Mill and spend the first day riding out to our Base Camp near Renovo. We ran 2 loops from camp and then the final day another long trek back to our starting point.
During that first Tour, some of the riders met us at the starting point and the others at the campground that first evening. The trek from McConnells Mill to Renovo took us over 14 hours and included everything from twisty pavement, dirt & gravel roads, Rail Trail, optional off-road challenge areas, and PA's infamous Drivable Trails! It was one heck of a start to a great weekend of challenging ADV riding. The two loops out of camp used for that initial tour became the base of the now four loops that we use for the current PA Wilds Tour. What we called "the hard loop" is still pretty much in tact from that first one, with some minor adjustments from year to year. The other loop was split and pieced together with the other three current loops.
We ran it the original way a couple of years before settling in on the single base camp and cloverleaf style as well as changing the name to Explore The PA Wilds Four Tour (i.e. one camp, 4 loops out into the wilderness and back each day). In the past we have also run this one in the autumn with the colorful leaves using both formats at one point, staying at The Black Forest Inn and trading in the tents for 4-walled accommodations.
We have planted this Tour in the month of August the last several years. This has historically been our final Event of the year and one of my favorites (Clinics run through October and we have plans for something new in the fall of 2027 but keep going to hear about that one)! We set up a single base camp for 10 riders, Lead, Sweep, and Medic. This set up also allows a handful of folks to pull in an RV and no need to break down and set up camp each day. My Base Camp Crew (Mama Wags, Wife Ashley, Son Dawson) also give us some homecooked meals for breakfasts and dinners.
Pictures are from that first PA Wilds Tour with a few of our Appalachian ADV Inner Circle guys coming back out with me! Buzzsaw, Marsh, Kurt, and OGB not only attended the first event but would come along for this ride too. Folks that have come out to our Allegheny Backcountry Adventure Loop (ABAL) Tour might recognize a couple of the photos in the beginning! Once I finished developing the ABAL Tour it helped make my decision to turn the PA Wilds Tour into a cloverleaf in order to avoid overlap between the two tours.
Here is a link to our Explore The PA Wilds Four Tour Documentary, put together by Tom MacConnel Photography.
My Tenere was finally delivered to Motozilli of Warren the end of July in 2020, a few weeks before running our first official Guided Tour in the PA Wilds. This event has morphed the most over the years and was originally called the PA Wilds Hardcore ADV Tour. We would meet in Western PA near McConnells Mill and spend the first day riding out to our Base Camp near Renovo. We ran 2 loops from camp and then the final day another long trek back to our starting point.
During that first Tour, some of the riders met us at the starting point and the others at the campground that first evening. The trek from McConnells Mill to Renovo took us over 14 hours and included everything from twisty pavement, dirt & gravel roads, Rail Trail, optional off-road challenge areas, and PA's infamous Drivable Trails! It was one heck of a start to a great weekend of challenging ADV riding. The two loops out of camp used for that initial tour became the base of the now four loops that we use for the current PA Wilds Tour. What we called "the hard loop" is still pretty much in tact from that first one, with some minor adjustments from year to year. The other loop was split and pieced together with the other three current loops.
We ran it the original way a couple of years before settling in on the single base camp and cloverleaf style as well as changing the name to Explore The PA Wilds Four Tour (i.e. one camp, 4 loops out into the wilderness and back each day). In the past we have also run this one in the autumn with the colorful leaves using both formats at one point, staying at The Black Forest Inn and trading in the tents for 4-walled accommodations.
We have planted this Tour in the month of August the last several years. This has historically been our final Event of the year and one of my favorites (Clinics run through October and we have plans for something new in the fall of 2027 but keep going to hear about that one)! We set up a single base camp for 10 riders, Lead, Sweep, and Medic. This set up also allows a handful of folks to pull in an RV and no need to break down and set up camp each day. My Base Camp Crew (Mama Wags, Wife Ashley, Son Dawson) also give us some homecooked meals for breakfasts and dinners.
Pictures are from that first PA Wilds Tour with a few of our Appalachian ADV Inner Circle guys coming back out with me! Buzzsaw, Marsh, Kurt, and OGB not only attended the first event but would come along for this ride too. Folks that have come out to our Allegheny Backcountry Adventure Loop (ABAL) Tour might recognize a couple of the photos in the beginning! Once I finished developing the ABAL Tour it helped make my decision to turn the PA Wilds Tour into a cloverleaf in order to avoid overlap between the two tours.
Here is a link to our Explore The PA Wilds Four Tour Documentary, put together by Tom MacConnel Photography.
Quick Hitter Histories Part 4
With two events under my belt I pressed forward and started planning the first official Fools Ride on April Fools' Ride ADV & Dual Sport Rally for the 2021 riding season. As the #AppalachianADV social media presence slowly grew a local befriended me and we started scout riding together. Is it weird for two grown a$$ men to meet via the internet? Not in these times...
I remember posting a video of the old V-Strom in the Wellsville Trails and the gist was that sometimes you get to a point the bike (and skills of the rider) hit the limits and you need to turn around and explore elsewhere. But you can have a ton of fun on that return trip since you are now more familiar with the terrain and can push it up a bit. A concept we call "Happy End(ing)" here at Appalachian ADV, which is used at many of our events and clinics... there is no such thing as a Dead End!
That video garnered the attention of a troll, whom decided that I was riding incorrectly. Jim decided to tell this troll that they could go and have relations with themselves (cleaned up for public consumption). After I watched the back and forth with great enjoyment, Jim and I became friends. After a few scouting sessions and great conversations, Jim offered to host The Fools at his home of 90 acres, mere minutes away from where we held the Brush Creek Daytripper Rally the previous year.
Stars align, the birth of The Fools Ride which is now going into the 7th Annual in 2027!
Appalachian ADV Inner Circle continues to grow with Buzzsaw and Marsh sticking it out from the beginning through the most recent Fools. Jim and Ed since the First Fools. Joel and his videos helped promotions a ton at Brush Creek and this first Fools. More would be added in the coming years and huge appreciation to all that help Lead, Sweep, Scout, Coach, and so much more.
Check out the very first episode of the Appalachian ADV Community Podcast: Jim & The Fools
Spotify Version
YouTube Version
Pictures below from the first Fools Ride.
With two events under my belt I pressed forward and started planning the first official Fools Ride on April Fools' Ride ADV & Dual Sport Rally for the 2021 riding season. As the #AppalachianADV social media presence slowly grew a local befriended me and we started scout riding together. Is it weird for two grown a$$ men to meet via the internet? Not in these times...
I remember posting a video of the old V-Strom in the Wellsville Trails and the gist was that sometimes you get to a point the bike (and skills of the rider) hit the limits and you need to turn around and explore elsewhere. But you can have a ton of fun on that return trip since you are now more familiar with the terrain and can push it up a bit. A concept we call "Happy End(ing)" here at Appalachian ADV, which is used at many of our events and clinics... there is no such thing as a Dead End!
That video garnered the attention of a troll, whom decided that I was riding incorrectly. Jim decided to tell this troll that they could go and have relations with themselves (cleaned up for public consumption). After I watched the back and forth with great enjoyment, Jim and I became friends. After a few scouting sessions and great conversations, Jim offered to host The Fools at his home of 90 acres, mere minutes away from where we held the Brush Creek Daytripper Rally the previous year.
Stars align, the birth of The Fools Ride which is now going into the 7th Annual in 2027!
Appalachian ADV Inner Circle continues to grow with Buzzsaw and Marsh sticking it out from the beginning through the most recent Fools. Jim and Ed since the First Fools. Joel and his videos helped promotions a ton at Brush Creek and this first Fools. More would be added in the coming years and huge appreciation to all that help Lead, Sweep, Scout, Coach, and so much more.
Check out the very first episode of the Appalachian ADV Community Podcast: Jim & The Fools
Spotify Version
YouTube Version
Pictures below from the first Fools Ride.
Histories of the Short Kind Part 5
The Allegheny Backcountry Adventure Loop (ABAL) took me the longest time to develop. Along with cruising Fools Ride Territory and the North Central PA Wilds (with a dash of Bald Eagle), I was spending a good amount of time in the Allegheny National Forest and Northwest PA. My goal for this Tour was to be a more classic ADV experience utilizing a loop with different campsites each night.
From 2015 to early 2021 I would take day trips, overnighters, and the occasional weekend to search for the dirt road goodness of the area. I ended up developing a base loop for any skill level, a hard version utilizing the ANF Trails along with other off-road goodies, and a couple alternate legs. For the first official Tour, I wanted to use the hardcore moto-camping version...of course! Over the years I have used the all-skill-level for our annual Group Tours and will mix it up with some combination of the alternate legs but save the hard version for private tours.
OGB helped the most but Buzzsaw also made an appearance for scouting sessions. Deciding to run the first tour in mid-June of 2021 I dragged OGB with me to pre-run the entire 500ish mile loop in May. We hit a handful of the off-road pieces because I planned to pre-run all of the ANF trail pieces with the Husqvarna TE310 two weeks before the tour.
At that time, I had moved out of Laboratory Management and was working as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist on night shift at a small community hospital. The benefit was that we worked 12 hour shifts meaning I had more time to wonder around on motorbikes. On a day off, I headed up towards Willow Creek for the 3 hour trek at 3 in the morning. I ran the loop a few times, reloaded the Husq, and pointed towards the Rock Gap Trails for another hour and 15 minute drive. We were only running a part of the south loop for the tour but I lapped it a couple times and hit just our section a third before jumping on the dirt road back to the trailhead parking.
The Husq reloaded into the truck, I headed towards the Rocket John Trailhead for another hour plus drive. From that point I could run the pass-through route I built using the southern half of the Marienville Loop and a long stretch of the Timberline Trail down to the Buehler Corner trail head. From there I had to ride the roads back to my truck, which got me there around 6 pm. After loading the bike back up and taking the 2 hour drive home, it was 9 pm! 18 hours of riding and driving to ensure a 'smooth as possible' ride along those trails when we took the group a couple weeks later on the inagural ABAL Tour.
Official USFS Trail Ratings: Timberline (easiest), Marienville (more difficult), Penoke (most difficult), Rocky Gap (South Loop = more & North Loop = most difficult), and Willow Creek (more difficult)
#AppalachianADV Inner Circle guys OGB, Buzzsaw, Marsh, and Jim all joined me for the first ABAL Tour. OGB, Buzzsaw and Marsh have all run Sweep for me at later Group Tours. The last several years Brad from Lost at Last Adventure Travel has been my Sweep and Josh from Ride Safer 724 has been our Team Medic, both Inner Circle members.
Check out a short Documentary Brad put together on his YouTube Channel about the 2024 ABAL Tour!
Pictures below from the first ABAL Tour.
The Allegheny Backcountry Adventure Loop (ABAL) took me the longest time to develop. Along with cruising Fools Ride Territory and the North Central PA Wilds (with a dash of Bald Eagle), I was spending a good amount of time in the Allegheny National Forest and Northwest PA. My goal for this Tour was to be a more classic ADV experience utilizing a loop with different campsites each night.
From 2015 to early 2021 I would take day trips, overnighters, and the occasional weekend to search for the dirt road goodness of the area. I ended up developing a base loop for any skill level, a hard version utilizing the ANF Trails along with other off-road goodies, and a couple alternate legs. For the first official Tour, I wanted to use the hardcore moto-camping version...of course! Over the years I have used the all-skill-level for our annual Group Tours and will mix it up with some combination of the alternate legs but save the hard version for private tours.
OGB helped the most but Buzzsaw also made an appearance for scouting sessions. Deciding to run the first tour in mid-June of 2021 I dragged OGB with me to pre-run the entire 500ish mile loop in May. We hit a handful of the off-road pieces because I planned to pre-run all of the ANF trail pieces with the Husqvarna TE310 two weeks before the tour.
At that time, I had moved out of Laboratory Management and was working as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist on night shift at a small community hospital. The benefit was that we worked 12 hour shifts meaning I had more time to wonder around on motorbikes. On a day off, I headed up towards Willow Creek for the 3 hour trek at 3 in the morning. I ran the loop a few times, reloaded the Husq, and pointed towards the Rock Gap Trails for another hour and 15 minute drive. We were only running a part of the south loop for the tour but I lapped it a couple times and hit just our section a third before jumping on the dirt road back to the trailhead parking.
The Husq reloaded into the truck, I headed towards the Rocket John Trailhead for another hour plus drive. From that point I could run the pass-through route I built using the southern half of the Marienville Loop and a long stretch of the Timberline Trail down to the Buehler Corner trail head. From there I had to ride the roads back to my truck, which got me there around 6 pm. After loading the bike back up and taking the 2 hour drive home, it was 9 pm! 18 hours of riding and driving to ensure a 'smooth as possible' ride along those trails when we took the group a couple weeks later on the inagural ABAL Tour.
Official USFS Trail Ratings: Timberline (easiest), Marienville (more difficult), Penoke (most difficult), Rocky Gap (South Loop = more & North Loop = most difficult), and Willow Creek (more difficult)
#AppalachianADV Inner Circle guys OGB, Buzzsaw, Marsh, and Jim all joined me for the first ABAL Tour. OGB, Buzzsaw and Marsh have all run Sweep for me at later Group Tours. The last several years Brad from Lost at Last Adventure Travel has been my Sweep and Josh from Ride Safer 724 has been our Team Medic, both Inner Circle members.
Check out a short Documentary Brad put together on his YouTube Channel about the 2024 ABAL Tour!
Pictures below from the first ABAL Tour.
Expeditious Histories No. 6
The Many Faces of the Jamboree: Subcategory 1 - Bald Eagle
Those Appalachian ADV-ers who have been around a minute may think Allegheny Jamboree when they see that subtitle but the original Jamboree was actually held in Bald Eagle. I always split the "PA Wilds Region" into Allegheny National Forest, Central PA Wilds, and Bald Eagle and my goal was to try and run an event in each.
I always loved the Bald Eagle region. There are tons of gravel roads and their Dual Sport system adds in a bunch of great Drivable Trails and Single Track style trails. After solo scouts and good ole OGB running with me through the Dual Sport trails a few times I lined up a Rally event in July 2022.
Based at a private campground outside of State College, we had about 20 show up. A great time running folks through the different loops that I built including a challenging ADV-friendly-ish track and tougher loops better suited for a Dual Sport but still do-able by the Tank Tenere 700! Mama Wags served up great home cooking and we had good times around the campfire in the evenings sharing tall tales of past motorbiking conquests!
Along with this Bald Eagle Jamboree event, I did run a small rally-style event in Allegheny in 2022 also so keep an eye out for that subsection for more info. In the long run I decided that having a couple events this far away from our homebase would make it tough on the Family Base Camp Crew, as well as a few other issues, so I decided to concentrate on the ANF Region since it is much closer to our backyard and only ran this Bald Eagle event one time.
In 2027 we will be heading back for the Bald Eagle Bash Guided Tour! Instead of revamping the rally event we ran in 2022, I have built our Bald Eagle routing into a cloverleaf tour, just like our Explore The PA Wilds Four Tour (with a little recent scouting help from The Two Scotts as well as Stoner Jimmy and Dimitri)! We will have 8 riders based in one location. The tour will be designed for Advanced level ADV bikes and Upper Intermediate to Advanced for Dual Sport Bikes and we will be recommending riders bring both styles of bikes!
Check out the promo video for the Bald Eagle Jamboree... still a good view for the new Bald Eagle Bash!
Photos from the 2022 Bald Eagle Jamboree.
The Many Faces of the Jamboree: Subcategory 1 - Bald Eagle
Those Appalachian ADV-ers who have been around a minute may think Allegheny Jamboree when they see that subtitle but the original Jamboree was actually held in Bald Eagle. I always split the "PA Wilds Region" into Allegheny National Forest, Central PA Wilds, and Bald Eagle and my goal was to try and run an event in each.
I always loved the Bald Eagle region. There are tons of gravel roads and their Dual Sport system adds in a bunch of great Drivable Trails and Single Track style trails. After solo scouts and good ole OGB running with me through the Dual Sport trails a few times I lined up a Rally event in July 2022.
Based at a private campground outside of State College, we had about 20 show up. A great time running folks through the different loops that I built including a challenging ADV-friendly-ish track and tougher loops better suited for a Dual Sport but still do-able by the Tank Tenere 700! Mama Wags served up great home cooking and we had good times around the campfire in the evenings sharing tall tales of past motorbiking conquests!
Along with this Bald Eagle Jamboree event, I did run a small rally-style event in Allegheny in 2022 also so keep an eye out for that subsection for more info. In the long run I decided that having a couple events this far away from our homebase would make it tough on the Family Base Camp Crew, as well as a few other issues, so I decided to concentrate on the ANF Region since it is much closer to our backyard and only ran this Bald Eagle event one time.
In 2027 we will be heading back for the Bald Eagle Bash Guided Tour! Instead of revamping the rally event we ran in 2022, I have built our Bald Eagle routing into a cloverleaf tour, just like our Explore The PA Wilds Four Tour (with a little recent scouting help from The Two Scotts as well as Stoner Jimmy and Dimitri)! We will have 8 riders based in one location. The tour will be designed for Advanced level ADV bikes and Upper Intermediate to Advanced for Dual Sport Bikes and we will be recommending riders bring both styles of bikes!
Check out the promo video for the Bald Eagle Jamboree... still a good view for the new Bald Eagle Bash!
Photos from the 2022 Bald Eagle Jamboree.
Brisk Walk Through History Part 7
The Many Faces of the Jamboree: Subcategory 2 - Allegheny
In high school a buddy of mine on the football team had a cabin up in Allegheny. Each year in between summer conditioning and doubles we would take a long weekend trip. My first experiences enjoying the ANF wilderness was in the passenger seat of an old CJ-series Jeep on the gravel and logging roads.
Since the Allegheny region is so close to where I live, I spent a ton of time on the ole V-Strom scouting its gravel roads when I moved back in 2015 through the first Allegheny Backcountry Adventure Loop (ABAL) Tour in 2021. During that scouting time I also started to ride on the ANF Trail System. Starting with the V-Strom on the Timberline (easiest) and Marienville (more difficult) then diving deeper with the Husq TE310 on those plus the Penoke (most difficult), Rocky Gap (more & most difficult) and Willow Creek (more difficult). Once I picked up the Tank Tenere 700 I started tackling all of those trails in preparation for the first ABAL.
Due to the ABAL Tour scouting I had a ton of tracks plus the ANF Trails to play around with. Wanting to take advantage of this hard work further, I decided to run the ANF OHM & ADV Group Ride in June 2022. I built a few new ADV Loops which Ed from the Inner Circle would Lead people through. I would pilot the Tenere and take groups on a Timberline/Marienville loop, Penoke, and then on the last day head up to run both loops of the Rocky Gap (my favorites!). My goal was to showcase the variety of the area (terrain and small towns) along with giving ADV riders a chance to test their skill on the Big Bike Friendly-ish ANF Trail System.
In 2023 I decided to stop the Bald Eagle Jamboree and move that title over to this event and the Allegheny Jamboree was officially born. The first 13 photos from the trail riding with the remainder from the ADV riding during that 2022 event. In 2025 we formally stopped the Allegheny Jamboree but replaced it with the Wildcatters Rally. We are also reinstating the Jamboree name in a new location for 2027! Continue forward to hear more about those!
Check out a video developed by Tom MacConnel Photography that highlighted our very last Allegheny Jamboree Rally.
The Many Faces of the Jamboree: Subcategory 2 - Allegheny
In high school a buddy of mine on the football team had a cabin up in Allegheny. Each year in between summer conditioning and doubles we would take a long weekend trip. My first experiences enjoying the ANF wilderness was in the passenger seat of an old CJ-series Jeep on the gravel and logging roads.
Since the Allegheny region is so close to where I live, I spent a ton of time on the ole V-Strom scouting its gravel roads when I moved back in 2015 through the first Allegheny Backcountry Adventure Loop (ABAL) Tour in 2021. During that scouting time I also started to ride on the ANF Trail System. Starting with the V-Strom on the Timberline (easiest) and Marienville (more difficult) then diving deeper with the Husq TE310 on those plus the Penoke (most difficult), Rocky Gap (more & most difficult) and Willow Creek (more difficult). Once I picked up the Tank Tenere 700 I started tackling all of those trails in preparation for the first ABAL.
Due to the ABAL Tour scouting I had a ton of tracks plus the ANF Trails to play around with. Wanting to take advantage of this hard work further, I decided to run the ANF OHM & ADV Group Ride in June 2022. I built a few new ADV Loops which Ed from the Inner Circle would Lead people through. I would pilot the Tenere and take groups on a Timberline/Marienville loop, Penoke, and then on the last day head up to run both loops of the Rocky Gap (my favorites!). My goal was to showcase the variety of the area (terrain and small towns) along with giving ADV riders a chance to test their skill on the Big Bike Friendly-ish ANF Trail System.
In 2023 I decided to stop the Bald Eagle Jamboree and move that title over to this event and the Allegheny Jamboree was officially born. The first 13 photos from the trail riding with the remainder from the ADV riding during that 2022 event. In 2025 we formally stopped the Allegheny Jamboree but replaced it with the Wildcatters Rally. We are also reinstating the Jamboree name in a new location for 2027! Continue forward to hear more about those!
Check out a video developed by Tom MacConnel Photography that highlighted our very last Allegheny Jamboree Rally.
History Tidbits No8
Dick, the owner of Street Track 'n Trail in Conneaut Lake, Pennsylvania contacts the Backcountry Discovery Routes (BDR) about having a Documentary presentation in early 2022. My good buddy Derek with the BDR reaches out to let me know that Dick is super excited for the BDR movie but also that one of their Ambassadors is right down the street and runs Appalachian ADV.
Dick and I talk and instantly become old friends. Although he spends some of his time in Florida, we would talk, email and text pretty consistently. Whenever Dick would find his way back into town we would get together and have deep conversations with drinks in his personal museum of old fire trucks, collection of amazing old motorcycles, and relics from Pennsylvania's rich oil and rail history. We also started taking trips running around the gravel roads of PA and Ohio in the truck to share each other's knowledge of our beautiful region. We coined these excursions "Dick's Raising Kane". Accompanied with old photos of ghost towns, rail yards, and other relics lost to time we would take deep dives of the areas that we run the Great Adventures Begin Here Rally, the Allegheny Backcountry Adventure Loop Tour, the Wildcatters Rally, Fools Ride Rally, along with many other gems of the area.
For this first event at the dealership, I suggested we do something special in early May towards the end of the BDR Documentary Season. Wanting to use some of the terrain right at the dealership I thought we should have a muddy grass track course set up Friday, camp on location overnight, run a 60 mile ADV Dual Sporting Loop on Saturday, then show the Wyoming BDR late Saturday afternoon in the main reception area of the store. This initial event would turn into the annual Great Adventures Begin Here ADV Rally.
The format eventually morphed into having a mini-Clinic, Slow Races, and the latest BDR Doc on the stage at night on Friday, 100 mile all skill level guided ADV Loop on Saturday, and a 50 mile all skill level guided ADV Loop on Sunday along with camping on the property each night. We've had various Inner Circle guys come up and help at this one including OGB, Ed, Big Brad, Josh, and Trever. Dick recently retired and the dealership is now Lake Way Powersports. The Final Great Adventures Rally would be held in 2026, with support from the new ownership.
Without guys like Dick and Jim who hosts our Fools Ride Rally, Appalachian ADV would not be where it is as we are closing the 2026 season. Their support and friendship has been paramount to the Appalachian ADV Experiment. I can't thank them, the Family Base Camp Crew, and the Inner Circle enough.
18 pics from the first event in 2022, which includes the first time I met Cross Adventuring (more on them later)! Dick and I have become great friends and the last 2 pics are from a couple of our "Dick's Raising Kane" trips (Allegheny Region & Fools Ride Territory).
Rapid Fire Histories Part 9
Building on the new collaboration with Street Track 'n Trail, I brought a new idea to my good buddy Dick. Each spring I would run through my own little riding clinic, developing a training plan like I used to do when I coached football. I also developed my "Purposeful Riding" theory in those early years as I gained experience. When it comes to gaining experience in the saddle, you have to challenge your skills and current knowledge every time you kick your leg over the bike. Purposefully choosing different or bad lines, changing speeds and angles on familiar roads, and the like go a long way in building skills. When I developed the initial training plan for the first clinic my goal was to combine my spring training sessions with Purposeful Riding, which would become the basis of all of our Clinics.
Always wanting to bring my coaching history into the Appalachian ADV experience, I asked Dick if he'd be interested in allowing me to run my first ADV & Dual Sport Beginner to Intermediate Riding Clinic at the shop in October of 2022. Being on a main drag between Conneaut Lake and Meadville, Pennsylvania, it would help draw attention to the dealership and also to everything Appalachian ADV. Seeing a bunch of dirty motorcycles falling all over the place and pushing their limits is going to attract attention!
The initial Group Clinics would have 5 riders plus me and starting in 2023 I added Private Clinics. In 2025 I decided to add a Level 2 Intermediate+ and my old friend Jim of Fools Ride Rally fame opened up his place for these too. In 2026 I changed the format slightly, having 10 riders and 2 coaches. Tom Macconnel had become a staple at our events and his skills on a bike and with a camera had been an amazing help. Tom jumped in on most of our Group Clinics in 2026 and my old buddy and OG Appalachian ADV Inner Circle member Marsh also jumped in on a couple.
2025 also saw my first Guest Clinic, invited by the Fairmont Dual Sport boys running the 304 Detour down in West Virginia. I bumped up the numbers at this one, compared to the normal five at that time, and asked Tom to help which in hindsight was a working interview for him jumping in on our 2026 Group Clinics (from both perspectives). In 2026 I was also asked by the Hogrock Adventure Rally crew to run a Guest Clinic down in Southern Illinois.
I am US Motorcycle Coaching Association certified!
Check out the Appalachian ADV Community Podcast I did with Tom in preparation for the 2026 Riding Clinics. Spotify version here.
Experience Gained is Wisdom Earned - Clinic Battle Cry
Purposeful Riding - Make Every Mile Count on Your Pursuit of Experience
Let's Make It Weird - Kane's Infamous Twist on Training
Have Fun, Take Chances - Main Motto
Streamlined Histories Part 10
The final season of my high school football career was over. Now what? Our focus was on team development and building the program into something better than it was. With that ending, where am I going next? "Next" was not thought about until after that final whistle blew.
I officially joined the Air Force my senior year in March of 1995 and left for Basic Training with my best friend and former co-captain at the end of August. 20+ years later after running the Air Force Trifecta via Active Duty, Air National Guard, & Reserves while hitting Senior Enlisted before gaining my Commision, I officially retired in the middle of 2015. Shortly after leaving Active Duty around the turn of the century, I joined the American Legion.
I had picked up that first bike in 2011 and wouldn't see my way to Appalachian ADV until the end of 2019. Once I moved back to the Youngstown area in 2015 my neighbor and Navy Vet dragged me to the American Legion Post 565 meeting. I am currently our Post's 2nd Vice Commander and Membership Officer.
By 2023 I had established our main events and clinics and found a lot of fellow Veterans attracted to this ADV & Dual Sport thing. Wanting to highlight the benefits of the ADV Community as well as the benefits of joining organizations such as the American Legion I decided to run the American Legion Fundraiser & Membership Group Rides.
The first couple of years I tried to promote it as an ADV and Street ride but after low turnouts from the street bikes I have changed it to an all-skill-levels ADV ride with some optional off-road challenge areas. We run the event annually, usually around the end of May or beginning of June, out of Birdfish Brewery in Columbiana, Ohio. I will lead the group down into Fools Ride Territory, also passing by some interesting Ohio Historical Sites.
You can donate to our Legion Fundraiser at any time!
Pictures from 2023-2026 events.
The final season of my high school football career was over. Now what? Our focus was on team development and building the program into something better than it was. With that ending, where am I going next? "Next" was not thought about until after that final whistle blew.
I officially joined the Air Force my senior year in March of 1995 and left for Basic Training with my best friend and former co-captain at the end of August. 20+ years later after running the Air Force Trifecta via Active Duty, Air National Guard, & Reserves while hitting Senior Enlisted before gaining my Commision, I officially retired in the middle of 2015. Shortly after leaving Active Duty around the turn of the century, I joined the American Legion.
I had picked up that first bike in 2011 and wouldn't see my way to Appalachian ADV until the end of 2019. Once I moved back to the Youngstown area in 2015 my neighbor and Navy Vet dragged me to the American Legion Post 565 meeting. I am currently our Post's 2nd Vice Commander and Membership Officer.
By 2023 I had established our main events and clinics and found a lot of fellow Veterans attracted to this ADV & Dual Sport thing. Wanting to highlight the benefits of the ADV Community as well as the benefits of joining organizations such as the American Legion I decided to run the American Legion Fundraiser & Membership Group Rides.
The first couple of years I tried to promote it as an ADV and Street ride but after low turnouts from the street bikes I have changed it to an all-skill-levels ADV ride with some optional off-road challenge areas. We run the event annually, usually around the end of May or beginning of June, out of Birdfish Brewery in Columbiana, Ohio. I will lead the group down into Fools Ride Territory, also passing by some interesting Ohio Historical Sites.
You can donate to our Legion Fundraiser at any time!
Pictures from 2023-2026 events.
Hypersonic Histories No.11
Out with the old, in with the new. The Allegheny Jamboree was dead, and I killed it. Now to replace it. Mike and Tambra from Cross Adventuring have been extremely supportive of Appalachian ADV. They brought me an idea and new connections in Venango County, PA at the end of 2025. My Allegheny Backcountry Adventure Loop Tour had been going through there since 2021, after scouting its many treasures since 2015.
Cross Adventuring along with Bob who is the owner of the Titusville Iron Works, the crew of the Oil Region Alliance, and the Warner Family who own Camp Singing Hills which is a 225 acre old Girl Scout Camp repurposed for events would become the basis for the new Wildcatters Adventure Rally in July of 2026.
Each event Appalachian ADV runs is intended to be different and after gaining the support of Venango & Crawford Counties and the PADCNR, this one would morph into a very unique rally. Cross Adventuring's special Ghost Town Tour would highlight the rich oil history of the area with cooperation from the local Parks. The first commercial oil well was planted right in Venango County near Titusville. We also had 4 more cloverleaf ADV routes for all skill levels and a bunch of trail riding right on the property including marking out an Easy Zone, Moderate and Hard Loops, and a taste of Single Track. Camp Singing Hills was an amazing rally base camp with all types of camping, shower houses, and group camp area.
Guided Night Rides on the Trails with the Little Bikes and Dual Sports was a highlight but one of the unique aspects of this event was the free shuttle bus that ran our guests up to Titusville on Saturday evening, provided by the Crawford County Tourism Bureau. Excellent small town restaurants and great live music at the Titusville Iron Works. Super stoked to run the 2nd Annual on July 8-11, 2027!
Our YouTube Wildcatters Playlist.
Out with the old, in with the new. The Allegheny Jamboree was dead, and I killed it. Now to replace it. Mike and Tambra from Cross Adventuring have been extremely supportive of Appalachian ADV. They brought me an idea and new connections in Venango County, PA at the end of 2025. My Allegheny Backcountry Adventure Loop Tour had been going through there since 2021, after scouting its many treasures since 2015.
Cross Adventuring along with Bob who is the owner of the Titusville Iron Works, the crew of the Oil Region Alliance, and the Warner Family who own Camp Singing Hills which is a 225 acre old Girl Scout Camp repurposed for events would become the basis for the new Wildcatters Adventure Rally in July of 2026.
Each event Appalachian ADV runs is intended to be different and after gaining the support of Venango & Crawford Counties and the PADCNR, this one would morph into a very unique rally. Cross Adventuring's special Ghost Town Tour would highlight the rich oil history of the area with cooperation from the local Parks. The first commercial oil well was planted right in Venango County near Titusville. We also had 4 more cloverleaf ADV routes for all skill levels and a bunch of trail riding right on the property including marking out an Easy Zone, Moderate and Hard Loops, and a taste of Single Track. Camp Singing Hills was an amazing rally base camp with all types of camping, shower houses, and group camp area.
Guided Night Rides on the Trails with the Little Bikes and Dual Sports was a highlight but one of the unique aspects of this event was the free shuttle bus that ran our guests up to Titusville on Saturday evening, provided by the Crawford County Tourism Bureau. Excellent small town restaurants and great live music at the Titusville Iron Works. Super stoked to run the 2nd Annual on July 8-11, 2027!
Our YouTube Wildcatters Playlist.
History Back To The Future Part 12
The Many Faces of the Jamboree: Subcategory 3 - Singing Hills
As I mentioned, I killed the Allegheny Jamboree. I personally had a great time running that event and feedback from the riders was always good. There are many reasons why I decided to close it down including that it was financially making less sense but mainly the property owner was becoming more difficult to work with. The first couple years I was actually paying to run the event with the next two just slightly more than breaking even but I have set up Appalachian ADV for diversity and I was able to make up for it through other events and clinics. Due to our "low" turnout each year, I felt it was time for a change.
I replaced this event with the Wildcatters Adventure Rally, paying about the same to use the Singing Hills property. The old place was a small campground with motel rooms and is kinda run down with only minor "upgrades" from year to year. Singing Hills is a 225 acre badass property that is a converted Girl Scout Camp. Rideable trails, amazing amenities, camping of all kinds. The property owners have put in blood, sweat, and tears to make it a very special place and have been fully supportive. A no brainer to make that switch. A special thanks once again to Cross Adventuring for introducing us. The old Allegheny Jamboree was getting ~85 riders a year for the last couple years and had been going since 2022. The very first Wildcatters in 2026 had 125, need I say more?
The success of Wildcatters sparked my interest in trying to run a second event on this wonderful property. As I've stated before, I want each of our events to be different. So the decision was made and the NEW Singing Hills Jamboree will be on September 24-26, 2027. There will be a friendly recreational tournament on the property to include several different classes: Junior Pitbike (i.e. 16 and under), Senior Pitbike, Little Bike (i.e. Honda Monkey, Grom, or other small bore), Dual Sport, and Adventure. But we will also include open riding sessions throughout the weekend. This one is for people who always wanted to try trail racing but never did or are looking for something different in an ADV and Dual Sport event.
The new Singing Hills Jamboree is being called a "tournament" but the main thing is to have fun and to give people the opportunity to try something different...whether that is a mock race, riding your Honda Grom (or similar) in a way unintended by the engineers, or if you want to challenge your off road skills on an ADV bike.
The Many Faces of the Jamboree: Subcategory 3 - Singing Hills
As I mentioned, I killed the Allegheny Jamboree. I personally had a great time running that event and feedback from the riders was always good. There are many reasons why I decided to close it down including that it was financially making less sense but mainly the property owner was becoming more difficult to work with. The first couple years I was actually paying to run the event with the next two just slightly more than breaking even but I have set up Appalachian ADV for diversity and I was able to make up for it through other events and clinics. Due to our "low" turnout each year, I felt it was time for a change.
I replaced this event with the Wildcatters Adventure Rally, paying about the same to use the Singing Hills property. The old place was a small campground with motel rooms and is kinda run down with only minor "upgrades" from year to year. Singing Hills is a 225 acre badass property that is a converted Girl Scout Camp. Rideable trails, amazing amenities, camping of all kinds. The property owners have put in blood, sweat, and tears to make it a very special place and have been fully supportive. A no brainer to make that switch. A special thanks once again to Cross Adventuring for introducing us. The old Allegheny Jamboree was getting ~85 riders a year for the last couple years and had been going since 2022. The very first Wildcatters in 2026 had 125, need I say more?
The success of Wildcatters sparked my interest in trying to run a second event on this wonderful property. As I've stated before, I want each of our events to be different. So the decision was made and the NEW Singing Hills Jamboree will be on September 24-26, 2027. There will be a friendly recreational tournament on the property to include several different classes: Junior Pitbike (i.e. 16 and under), Senior Pitbike, Little Bike (i.e. Honda Monkey, Grom, or other small bore), Dual Sport, and Adventure. But we will also include open riding sessions throughout the weekend. This one is for people who always wanted to try trail racing but never did or are looking for something different in an ADV and Dual Sport event.
The new Singing Hills Jamboree is being called a "tournament" but the main thing is to have fun and to give people the opportunity to try something different...whether that is a mock race, riding your Honda Grom (or similar) in a way unintended by the engineers, or if you want to challenge your off road skills on an ADV bike.
Speedy Histories Part 13 - Supporting Roles
Back in 2018, before Appalachian ADV, I attended Wailin Wayne Weekend Adventure Rally in Southeast Ohio. With the intention to start leading rides in 2020 (same year I ran my first two events!), I ended up breaking my wrist on Day 1 when scout riding my loop! I have been leading "The Best Of Wayne" ride since and providing door prizes.
In 2023 I attended my first Red River Scramble in Kentucky and I have to say it is a favorite for Dual Sport riding. Since this one is late in the year I have used it as a "vacation" and ride with buddies. I have also thrown stickers and door prizes their way each year.
In 2024 I started supporting Chilly Willy with door prizes and attended last year in 2025. So much fun to ride in December in the giant sand pit and trails of Uwharrie in North Carolina!
In 2025 and 2026 I supported with door prizes, ran a Clinic for, and attended the 304 Detour by the Fairmont Dual Sport Riders. If you want a kick in the teeth Dual Sporting experience and see some of the most beautiful West Virginia ADV riding then this is the event for you.
In 2025 I also supported Hogrock with door prizes and this year went down to run a Clinic for them and help Sweep and eventually Lead an ADV ride. I ran Sweep for Hogrock Mike but he had to be back at camp early in the day so I took over Lead duties! Appalachian ADV was also the Title Sponsor of their awesome Hogrock Adventure Rally/Team in 2026 and will continue these traditions in 2027!
Feb 2023 was the first time I attended the Adventure Riders Ohio Potluck and supported that event until the Ohio Adventure Summit took over in 2026, headed by Brad from Lost At Last Adventure Travel. Looing forward to helping grow this event!
I have supported Brad's October Camp-N-Ride in 2025 with door prizes and will be doing the same and attending the 2026 event to help sweep for Brad's guided rides.
As a BDR Ambassador I have also helped out that organization by working the booth at the old Progressive International Motorcycle Shows, helping coordinate and present a bunch of Documentary Premiers each year, Board Member for the BDR Mil Vet Committee, as well as several other projects.
Back in 2018, before Appalachian ADV, I attended Wailin Wayne Weekend Adventure Rally in Southeast Ohio. With the intention to start leading rides in 2020 (same year I ran my first two events!), I ended up breaking my wrist on Day 1 when scout riding my loop! I have been leading "The Best Of Wayne" ride since and providing door prizes.
In 2023 I attended my first Red River Scramble in Kentucky and I have to say it is a favorite for Dual Sport riding. Since this one is late in the year I have used it as a "vacation" and ride with buddies. I have also thrown stickers and door prizes their way each year.
In 2024 I started supporting Chilly Willy with door prizes and attended last year in 2025. So much fun to ride in December in the giant sand pit and trails of Uwharrie in North Carolina!
In 2025 and 2026 I supported with door prizes, ran a Clinic for, and attended the 304 Detour by the Fairmont Dual Sport Riders. If you want a kick in the teeth Dual Sporting experience and see some of the most beautiful West Virginia ADV riding then this is the event for you.
In 2025 I also supported Hogrock with door prizes and this year went down to run a Clinic for them and help Sweep and eventually Lead an ADV ride. I ran Sweep for Hogrock Mike but he had to be back at camp early in the day so I took over Lead duties! Appalachian ADV was also the Title Sponsor of their awesome Hogrock Adventure Rally/Team in 2026 and will continue these traditions in 2027!
Feb 2023 was the first time I attended the Adventure Riders Ohio Potluck and supported that event until the Ohio Adventure Summit took over in 2026, headed by Brad from Lost At Last Adventure Travel. Looing forward to helping grow this event!
I have supported Brad's October Camp-N-Ride in 2025 with door prizes and will be doing the same and attending the 2026 event to help sweep for Brad's guided rides.
As a BDR Ambassador I have also helped out that organization by working the booth at the old Progressive International Motorcycle Shows, helping coordinate and present a bunch of Documentary Premiers each year, Board Member for the BDR Mil Vet Committee, as well as several other projects.
Looking forward to what other History Making Events I can get myself into...
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