BY RACHEL DOVE
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
DEBORD — All-terrain riders from as far away as Michigan spent Saturday soaking up the glorious colors of fall and scenic views in the hills and hollows of Martin County. They rode alongside the family of the late Victor Slone, who established a never-ending commitment to bringing a trail system and adventure tourism to Martin County during his time as Judge/Executive and District 5 Magistrate.
Saturday’s ride, the Victor Slone Memorial Trail Ride, was organized to honor Slone.
The late judge’s sons, Jarrod Slone and Cody Slone, and wife, Marlena Slone, say they are picking up the torch that Slone carried in hopes of seeing the trail system do for Martin County what the Hatfield-McCoy Trails system has done for nine counties in southern West Virginia.
According to Jarrod, the memorial ride attracted approximately 60 machines as local enthusiasts were joined by Ohio, West Virginia and Michigan riders.
The riders assembled Saturday morning at the Big Sandy Airport in Debord and departed on a six-hour adventure through the hills and hollows of eastern Kentucky, stopping for a short time to enjoy a BBQ lunch on the trail.
“It meant so much to my family to see the long line of riders who joined us for the first memorial trail ride in my dad’s memory,” said Jarrod. “This is what he pushed for; this is what he believed was the key to attracting tourism to Martin County that would boost the local economy and provide opportunities for new businesses and lodging to accommodate those who come here to ride.”
The ride consisted of approximately 50 miles of trails, with the majority being on the 46,500 acres of land that Martin County Judge/Executive Lon Lafferty successfully persuaded Pocahontas Land Company to lease to the Kentucky Mountain Regional Recreation Authority in June. The trail authority encompasses 19 counties in eastern Kentucky.
“Saturday’s ride confirmed that Martin County is on the threshold of becoming a tourist destination for trail riders seeking new ground to explore. We heard nothing but compliments from those who joined the event that had not ridden here before, with many saying they had never ridden trails with more scenic views than here in Martin County,” said Jarrod. “Adventure tourism is alive and well here. We need to concentrate on getting more property owners on board and encourage them to consider investing in lodging, food trucks and campgrounds.”
Marlena Slone commented, “This was the perfect time of the year for a ride. The majority of the riders asked us to make this an annual event, and that’s exactly what we’d love to see.”
She added, “When my husband began his mission many years ago to see Martin County become a premier trail riding destination, there were plenty of naysayers and those who opposed his ideas. Hearing them talk about his dream in a new light is wonderful.”
Cody Slone spoke of the opportunities that come with a trail system.
“The saying, ‘If you build it, they will come,’ is right on the money,” Cody said. “I want to see everyday working-class people have an opportunity to construct cabins and tiny homes to rent to riders. I want to be riding on the trails and come upon a food truck on someone’s property that sells hotdogs and cold drinks … and know there are campgrounds for riders who want to bring RVs and pull campers to our area. All these things can and will happen if we strike while the iron is hot and promote, advertise, network and take advantage of every opportunity. The possibilities and opportunities are endless. This is the low-hanging fruit Dad always spoke of that he said was ripe for the picking.”
The Slone family expressed gratitude for their participation and help with the ride.
“You will never know what this has meant to us,” Marlena said. “Hopefully next year, we can double the number of riders.”
