Motorcycle Mama
by Christine Weaver

MISSION: To unite women who ride or want to ride motorcycles for recreation, education, mutual support, recognition, and to promote a positive image of WOMEN motorcyclists.

I know one thing; there is not enough time in the day....especially if you are a biker chick! I hope everyone has been enjoying your summer riding weather so far. The warm weather will be over before we know it. But don’t despair, you can easily ride into January here in New Jersey, and there are still many biker events taking place. I’ve enjoyed meeting up with all of you along the way, and people hollering in the crowds at different biker events has been an experience in itself. So, some people really do read my articles! I have fans! I’m on a mission, and it is working!

I would like to hear some stories about the recent trips you have taken on your motorcycles. Let me share with you one of my favorite destinations so far....Forksville, Pennsylvania. Put on your boots ladies...we’re going for another ride; "The Adventures of the Wild Hogs in Forksville, PA." First let me tell you a little bit about Forksville. Forksville is a borough in Sullivan County. Population is less than 200 people. It is the home of the 150 year old Forksville General Store and Covered Bridge, which my family owned in the 1970’s. I have very fond memories of this place, but never dreamed I’d be rolling around those hills on a motorcycle! Forksville also is the home of the Sullivan County Fair, and borders the beautiful Loyalsock Creek.

Recently I visited again, and this time like I said, I was on a motorcycle. I was a passenger for this trip, but hope to someday go solo. Another couple joined us and I will refer to them as "Nettie" and "HD". We started out on a Friday morning; Destination Shunk, PA Bear Market Retreat. BMR is a few miles outside of Forksville, situated on 22 private acres with a private pond and A Frame cabin with an additional small rustic cabin on the property. The entire trip took approximately 4 hours. Our first stop was in Allentown to fuel up the bikes and have breakfast. We were only halfway there and Motorcycle Mama could already feel the burn in her rear end from riding on the Sportster. Filled with anticipation and excitement we continued on, rumbling up and down into the mountains. Next stop was the Poconos. I could already feel the change in the air temperature. Back home when we left, the temperature was 90 degrees and rising. I was thankful it was getting cooler as we entered the Endless Mountains region. Once we left the Poconos I knew there would be no more stops and I could already see the beautiful mountain scenery. For the rest of the ride I took off my helmet and let my hair blow in the wind.

Not a very good idea to take off your helmet, but I just needed to experience it as we climbed the mountains. Also, it’s perfectly legal in Pennsylvania. Up and down we went traveling different mountain towns and valleys. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking, especially from the view on my bike. You have to ride very cautiously due to the falling rock and dangerous curves, but like they say, respect the bike, and the bike will respect you. When we finally arrived at Bear Market Retreat we were exhausted from our journey so we unpacked and sat around and enjoyed each other’s company for awhile before we decided to head into town to get something to eat. I laughed at myself because Nettie and HD had never been there before, and I could tell that they were expecting more modern accommodations. I was very pleased with this cabin. It was a familiar place to me, and I felt like I was in "God’s Country".

Going into town was dangerous, but well worth the fear. The hills, the scenery, the creek rolling alongside us, and the friendly people waving like they had known us forever when we zoomed past their homesteads...it really warmed my soul. We crossed through the covered bridge and parked the bikes. We went into the general store, which happened to also be the only restaurant. We enjoyed our meal there, and went outback to sit at a picnic table that was on the creek side. I looked at the people swimming in it, and my surroundings, and my eyes filled with tears. They always did when I visited there. I have memories of hot summer days when I would swim under that covered bridge as a kid, in the same spot. At that point, I told myself that before this trip was over, I would swim in that water again...now 35 years later.

We got back on our bikes again and headed into the next town called Dushore. It was where the only grocery store and gas station was. So, once again we filled the tanks and we stopped to get some groceries for the cabin. The people there treated us like we were locals, even though we looked rough from our travels and had these loud bikes; they certainly didn’t care about that! It was getting dark and I suggested we better get back before the sun went down since there were no guardrails or streetlights along the way.

When we returned, I immediately set up a bonfire area, with chairs and tiki torches all around a fire pit so we could enjoy a fire and tell ghost stories. I ended up being the last one sitting outside at the fire as everyone else went to bed. I was taking in all of the beauty in the darkness. The moon was full and seemed so close that I could reach up and grab it. The moonlight shone on the rustic cabin like something you would only see in a picture. The stars were bright and vivid. I was sitting right under the Big Dipper. I could hear the frogs on the pond, and the crackling of the fire. I was thinking to myself....I could stay here forever". Well, that is until I heard a pack of wolves or coyotes howling in the distance. Motorcycle Mama jumped up quickly and ran into the cabin and locked the doors! I had to laugh at myself and finally laid my head against the pillow and called it a day.

The next morning we were greeted by some beautiful peacocks on the property. They were very friendly and I could tell that they had been there before because they were eating right out of our hands. I guess it was better than being greeted by a bear! We headed through the hills to World’s End State Park. This is a place I definitely recommend you visit on your bike.

As soon as we arrived in the park I decided that I wanted to walk in the creek water. We all took off our boots and rolled up our pant legs as we got into the cold crystal clear water. You could see every pebble underneath your feet. We were surrounded by gigantic rock walls. I envisioned the large bear sitting in the water eating their trout. This didn’t last too long before Nettie slipped off of a large rock and dislocated her elbow. Here we were in the bottom of this mountain in this massive state park and had to call 911. The ambulance arrived and we had a 45 minute scenic ride to the nearest emergency room behind the ambulance on our bikes. Nettie was fixed up and we were out of the hospital within a few hours. We didn’t plan this on our trip. We got her back on the bike, one arm in a sling, and headed on the road again. True rebel bikers!

We often referred to ourselves as "The Wild Hogs". We were old, crazy, and on an adventure for sure! We went back to the state park and put on our bathing suits and went for a swim in the creek. I felt like a kid again. The water was so refreshing and the surroundings were so peaceful and serene. I had no fears in that water. Even Nettie got back into the water with her arm the way it was as she held onto HD. We were the only people in sight, and I felt like it was all a dream. This is what serenity is. We decided to head to the mountaintop on the bikes in the state park before it got dark. Here I was on the highest mountaintop in Pennsylvania, looking down into the valley which was all green trees and hills, except for the creek that looked so tiny from above. It was the same spot I was swimming in moments earlier. From this spot we had a panoramic view of all of the mountains in the Susquehanna Valley. This view is why I came back to visit. I stood there for a long time and just enjoyed the moment. I was at peace. On the way back to BMR we stopped at the general store to pick up a few things. We were notified that there was a tornado warning in effect. We headed back on the bikes, and within minutes the cloudy sky broke open to heavy downpours and lightning the entire way back to the cabin. We could hardly see in front of us as we tried to stay on the roadway. I didn’t think we were going to make it back. I felt like perhaps we had just seen all of that beauty because this was the end for all of us. I never prayed so hard in my life. When we pulled up to the cabin we all ran in to get away from the lightning bolts and to get out of our soaking wet clothes.

Something else I noticed while there is that you could see the lightning, but you couldn’t hear it because we were so close to it up in the air. It was a neat experience and I sat in the screened porch drinking a cup of hot coffee. Later we played some cards and laughed about our hectic day and the beautiful roads we traveled, and once again called it a night. We were leaving in the morning to come back home, and I was sad. A part of me really wanted to stay. I felt at home and at peace here.

The next morning I snuck out of bed and into the kitchen trying not to awake anyone so I could start the coffee. I went out to feed the peacocks one last time while we were there and kept an eye out for any other unwanted visitors and sat there enjoying my coffee. I sat there listening to the silence. The sky was cloudy and the air was crisp. It reminded me of when I was around 7 years old venturing down these mountain roads by myself on foot, not afraid of anything. It was fall and the different colored leaves were falling from the trees. On a previous trip here last November, I did visit our old family home from back then and it still stood there unchanged.

I changed. I’m older now. But I realized that I appreciated it here so much more now. Every sight, smell, and color surrounding me. And this time I got here by motorcycle...how cool was that? This ride was so much better than being inside a vehicle. I felt free and alive out in the open as we were riding earlier through the hills. It was time to go. As we gathered our things, everyone spoke of the great time we had there. Next thing you knew, we were headed back and in the Poconos for a pit stop. The rain started once again. It rained the whole rest of the trip home non-stop, and we rode non-stop. The total trip was around 700 miles. Motorcycle Mama had rode on the back of a Sportster in the rain for 700 miles without a backrest! The important thing is that we all got home safely.

I think that the rain on the way home was God’s way of making me see that I was happy to be at home in Mannington, NJ. No rolling hills but plenty of beautiful scenery and friendly people. Who was I kidding; Motorcycle Mama could never be a "mountain mama". But I’m telling you.... make this trip on your bike a priority in your lifetime. I don’t know if I will ever make it back there again, but at least I have the memories. It’s all about the journey...not the destination. A piece of my heart and soul will always be in Forksville.

Email any suggestions or comments to mrschrisweaver@yahoo.com

Coming up around the next bend: Motorcycle Poetry Upcoming Biker Events: (Motorcycle Mama will be attending several of these) Sept. 9-12 Roar to the Shore -Wildwood www.roartotheshoreonline.com

Sept. 9-12 Wildwood Tattoo Beach Bash 609-889-2422
Sept. 16-19 Delmarva Bike Week-Ocean City MD www.delmarvabikeweek.com
Sept. 19 Ride To Remember Run www.ridetoremember.org benefits Hero scholarship fund
Sept. 25 VFW Post 1795 1st Annual Poker Run (856) 451-9839
Sept. 25 Motorcycle Domino Run (856) 696-4380 Rob’s Pre Winter Poker Run (856) 825-1145 to benefit Make A Wish Foundation Motorcycle

Mama’s Favorite Eateries:

Kelly’s Tavern 101 W. Market St. Port Penn. DE (302) 834-9221 BEST CRABCAKES
Deer Park Tavern 108 W. Main St. Newark, DE GREAT PLACE TO MEET OTHER BIKERS
The Toadfish Bar and Grill 222 Bridgeton-Fairton Rd. Bridgeton, NJ (856) 455-1300 MUSIC
Red Eye’s Dock Bar Kent Narrows Grasonville, MD (410) 827-EYES OPEN 7 DAYS
Union Bar and Hotel 1282 Sesquehanna River Rd. Port Deposit, MD (410) 751-0400 SCENIC
Hedger House 4265 RT 563 Chatsworth, NJ (609) 894-4565 LIVE MUSIC