| LOCALS PAY NO MIND TO NARROW, CURVACEOUS ROADS
AWARD WINNING 'PUCKER-UP' SPOTS
#1 - Meeting a passing car, it's crash'em, hit
the ditch and hillside or a straight down drop-off
deep into Henry's Fork, the berm is about 4"
#2 The road rises uphill with no view of oncoming traffic, the
road so narrow, you either come to a screeching halt or crash'em
#3 A blind U-turn curve encounter after drivers
can build some speed, the options are few
By Bob Weaver
Reports say West Virgina roads are in the worst shape in years, the state is more than a dozen years behind on their repaving schedule, with extra money allocated this year to fix potholes. The state makes the Worst Bridges in USA List.
Most Mountain State citizens have long adapted to bad roads, not the least being many of the state's secondary highways that were carved over 100 years ago, following trails and cow-paths.
We have written a number of times that those of us who live here have well adapted to their curves and pitfalls, taking them into daily stride.
When city folk come to visit, they sometimes have panic attacks and outbursts using the Lord's name in vain, fearful for their life on narrow roads that require paper-thin passage when meeting a car, blind turns and steep drop-offs.
Henry's Fork, which borders the Calhoun-Roane line, is a road I have likely traveled more than a thousand times, improved in more recent years with some asphalt, but still the same winding cow-path.
I take it mostly for-granted and routine, but there are three places that cause me to pucker, pictured above in this story.
A while back I brought a New York writer down Henry's, and the exclamations that rolled from his mouth, while annoying, were understandable.
I told him this was a road to build faith, causing people to have a spiritual experience.
"How many people have died on this road?" he asked. I replied, "Few that I can remember, but several folks do collide and remove their fenders."
I had to explain the law of probability to him. "We're probably are not going to meet anyone in the most dangerous places," I said.
"Calhoun drivers are better than we give them credit. They know they only have three inches from disaster, sometimes paper thin."
Yes, I know, there's some who fly and own the whole road.
I am cautious and use some early-learned driving skills, and at times I get a little nervous as I practice on the "Road of Faith" - Henrys Fork.
There's plenty more roads just like it all around the county.
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