Bama Rides

Posts Tagged ‘dual sport motorcycle riding alabama’

The event known as Dual Sportin’ the Free State started on a Friday, and ran thru Sunday, a fairly large gathering of DS riders from across the state, and outside.  Originating from ADV Rider, most of the guys came from there.  Interesting to meet some new faces, and ride with some guys that I have known of.  We came in Friday afternoon, in the rain and promptly set up a tent to have a dry spot to sleep.  We had a good chance to share some spirits and stories with the Goodwin boys and their families.  Brushy Lake is a nice spot to start from.

Plenty of time to gear up in the morning, as most of the riders only showed up a few minutes before  departure time.  A nice comfortable pace started the ride, gradually gathering speed until we ran across a group of horses with riders enjoying the forest.   Well maintained FS roads allowed us to maintain 45 MPH thru most sections.  Until we took  a section with a ROAD CLOSED sign moved to the side, we kept a good pace.  This road was composed of sticky, slick, OSFH (owl-shit from hell) that dumped at least 2 bikes at very low speeds – as turning your bars had very little effect on which direction your bike went.

After the adventure through 2 miles of the OSFH road, we stopped at the local market to regroup, refuel, and repair a broken brake lever from mud-falls.  Then off we went, back into the woods to find other unique spots.  Most of the moisture on the roads did not cause any real problems, but rather kept the dust to a minimum as a large group as this could make a real mess on a dry day.

Although there were several other “crashes”, the others were low-speed, made in some really slick mud.

The details of our crash (the bad ones) are more a tale of what not to do:

We (me and Jeep8) had just passed another member of the ride (doing a reasonable speed) and turned it up about 6 notches, just before a downhill turn.  The rider in front locked his rear and went sliding off the bluff – about 15 feet down.  I did the same, just to his right, and my bike was stopped by the tree to my right – luckily it did not follow me down the hill.  I remember 3 very loud thuds, and recovered 30 feet from the road, and 15 feet below…….. minus my breath, helmet screen, sunglasses, and tank bag – all were recovered in a few minutes.  Injured both shoulders, left knee, ribs/abdomen, right hip and ankle.  I also discovered a bruise to my forehead after returning home, and it looks like the helmet took a pretty good lick.  4,000 mg. of Ibuprofen, and 24 hours later, and I am walking like and 80 year-old man, but at least I am walking.  Given the circumstances I fell pretty lucky to not have severe and crippling injuries.  I heard Jeep8 had 3 cracked ribs.  I hope he heals up soon.  I hope to be riding next weekend.

Untitled from dredman on Vimeo.

Much of Alabama’s hidden history still exists in many places.

The goal was to uncover the mysteries that surround this abandoned hospital that has a controversial and somewhat tainted past.

Most people don’t even know this place exists. The few that do often refer to it incorrectly.

I wanted to understand the history of this forgotten location that was built for the purpose of housing society’s misunderstood population of the mentally deranged.

This Neo-Colonial Style building sits on what was originally known as the Cherokee Plantation.

The plantation was owned by a wealthy southern industrialist, Robert Jemison.

The first Alabama Insane Hospital was built in 1861. The name was changed in 1900 after its first superintendent to Bryce Hospital.

With the end of the Civil War and the pressures of segregation looming, the number of African American patients increased dramatically at Bryce Hospital.

In the 1920s, Bryce Hospital became segregated and this building, the Jemison Mental Institution, was built to house the increasing numbers of African American mentally insane.

It is believed that many of the patients were not insane, but resided at this facility due to the impossible conditions brought on after the abolishment of slavery.

Many had nowhere to go. They became residents right along side of the mentally insane.

The souls of many  of them are still here.

Today, the hospital is in terrible shape.

Due to fire damage from years ago, the structure is tremendously deteriorated. With the roof collapsed, access to the third floor is next to impossible.

Back then little was understood about treatment of the mentally ill.

The cruelty of treatments performed here can be really hard to imagine.

Electroshock — “electroconvulsive therapy” or ECT — was used on patients of all ages for every type of disorder including depression, mania, schizophrenia and even homosexuality and truancy.

Frontal and prefrontal lobotomies were common practice here.

While looking around the property and the buildings I get the sense of being watched. I’m alone, but a creepy feeling comes over me.

The old boiler house to heat this tainted institution.

Due to constant underfunding by the state of Alabama, other means became necessary in order for the Hospital to function.

Farming these fields was the primary “therapy” for the residents/patients.
However, critics thought the institution had more of a “plantation” arrangement.

You see, the hospital became self-sufficient by having the patients do all the work in its fields.

The system seemed to benefit the health of the patients despite long, hard hours and little (or no) pay. The Alabama hospital expenses were paid for by the harvests produced.

Some of these poor residents/patients found themselves back in the same plantation environment they had previously tried to escape.

The overall environment continued to deteriorate at Jemison Mental Institution.

This facility became part of the longest running mental health lawsuit in U.S. history.

By 1970 conditions had become intolerable.

The 33-year long battle for the humane treatment of people with mental illness and mental retardation lead to sweeping reforms in the way this country acknowledges and treats mental illness.

Jemison Mental Institution was closed in the early 1970s and completely abandoned.

Reflecting on my visit to Jemison Mental Institution, I have to wonder what or who is actually still there.

That feeling of constantly being watched was always there.

While this old institution may be abandoned, it is by no means empty.