Black Diamond, No Skis

It all started out innocently enough.  It was a typical Saturday morning, all the street riders sitting around the breakfast table in the local Cracker Barrel, waiting for everyone to show up for the ride. I kinda nonchalantly said that I would like to go to Arkansas tomorrow and ride the mountain dirt trails for a few days, and wondered out loud if anyone could go. My riding buddy, Kim, never missed a bite or raised his head as he said in a monotone voice, “I’ll go.”   And so the adventure began.  

The next day, with hardly any planning at all, we loaded his CRF450 and my KLX450 into the back of my truck.  And off to Arkansas we went. We arrived at Mena that afternoon, and since it was already 3pm, we decided to go and ride mountain fire roads. A great warm-up for the next day.  The Arkansas mountains are just full of these fire roads that can be ridden on the big adventure bikes as well.  

We got up the next morning to tackle the trails. After a BIG breakfast, we asked the waitress if she could make us each a sack lunch.  Sack lunches in hand, we drove to Wolf Pen Gap to start the day’s ride. It's one of those places that can be enjoyed by ATV's, adventure bikes, or dirt bikes. 

Black Diamond Trail

Six hours later, concluding another great day of outdoor fun, and no bloodshed, we loaded our bikes up and headed to Ozark, AR for the night.   

The next morning we drove 20 miles north to the Mill Creek trailhead, quite a different story. I have been riding Arkansas for a many a year and had never been to Mill Creek before. WOW, what a neat place to ride, but not for the inexperienced for sure.  Mill Creek is one place you do NOT want to take the big adventure bikes.  Light and agile dirt bikes are the weapons of choice in this location.  I waited until we were half-way down one trail before I asked Kim if he had seen the sign that said Most Difficult, with a black diamond symbol.  Uh, no.  

Miles and miles of trails with one gotcha. We would be zinging along the twisty trail, through the creeks and over dales, when suddenly there would be a 1000-foot-long rock garden just to add spice to the day. Long, uphill, rock-covered climbs were the norm. Once, at the top of a mountain, Kim, in his non-excited way, said “It has been my experience that after any ascension there has to be a descent."  So, down the other side of the mountain we went, rock garden after rock garden.

Up and Locked

If you study the pic of me and my KLX stuck in the trees, you will also notice that this happened on a smooth and wide part of a trail….in aviation we have a term called UP AND LOCKED, referring to the landing gear, but as the pic shows, UP AND LOCKED applied to me with a different meaning.  You get the point, don’t you? 

 Overall, this spur-of-the-moment adventure was worth every mile, dollar and the pain involved.  Thanks for dropping by.   

The Little General

Ten Hours of Therapy

The first thing one of my scooter trash buddies said was “10 hours isn’t enough, you will need more”…HEY I have feelings too.

I got up early this morning with an agenda to do an exploration ride on the KLR to see if I could find some good Dualsport roads to add to my repertoire. The plan was to work all the dirt roads to the Southwest of Glenrose, Texas, for about 100 miles. 10 hours and 325 miles later, I’m back home with a smile and some new roads to share with my scooter trash friends.

My riding bud, Steve Plunkett, who was going to help me, called yesterday to see if he needed to wear his waterproof boots or not – no, I replied, I’m not. Seven miles into the ride, Steve is laying on his side in the middle of a river crossing, wet up to his neck. How’s your waterproof underwear working for you, Steve? I spent the rest of the day hearing about how his wet underwear was chapping his butt. Seems a lot of riders who ride with me go home chapped one way or the other. We spent the next 10 hours working the roads and found some jewels. We found dirt roads that twisted and turned for mile after mile.

As we rounded a corner on one of the many roads, we saw a sign that said ROAD CLOSED AHEAD. Being the type of guy who obeys all signs, I turned around and started out the way we came in.  NOT!  Let me see the hands of all you Dualsport bikers out there who would turn around. That’s what I thought, NONE of you, outlaws all of you…remind me to never go riding with ya’ll. My curiosity was really starting to build, wondering what was ahead.

As we proceeded down the road, it got more overgrown on the sides, and then the road got narrower, and then there were weeds starting to grow up in the road. This is a good sign, I thought to myself. Then, there it was, the most beautiful bridge you have ever seen. Standing there in the outback of Texas, old but proud of the years of service that it had provided for the many tractors and model A’s and T’s that had crossed her. The rusted metal and rotten boards did not take away from her years of service and beauty. As I approached her, I could see where some of the boards had fallen some 50 feet to the river below due to rot. Steve and I both got off our bikes and looked at each other with big smiles on our faces.

Steve stuck in the cedars...said he was chasing a bear...

As we started to walk across the old bridge, she creaked and shuttered with delight to be back in service, if for only a little while. As we walked along her worn out and rotten wood slats, we could see all the way to the river between our feet. On the other side, the road continued on through the woods, inviting us. As Steve and I looked at each other, no words were said, but it was clear—I will if you will! We mounted up our bikes, and as we started across, the boards under our wheels popped and moved. Safely on the other side, I took one last look at the grand old lady as we rode off into the woods.  I was thinking about bringing my riding buddies back here to see this. Enjoy the pictures. REL #54

Can You Hear the Banjos?

Well, my friends, it's been awhile since we spoke, but the two wheels have still been turning. One of the many highlights of the year for me is the Hillbilly Dualsport in Arkansas each April. This ride is put on by my friends in Kansas, David Hemphill and Larry McGillivary. These guys are a great asset to the Dualsport community.

This year's ride was, as in the past, one heck of a blast, with fellowship, deep water, rocky trails, magnificent scenery, and the best bologna sandwich at Turner's Bend. One great time in the mountains of Arkansas!

The official ride is on Friday and Saturday, but as usual, we arrived a day early to do a little pre-ride warmup. On Friday, we had a turnout of about 70 riders. David and Larry held a riders meeting, then the riders joined groups according to ride level and pace: Picture Takers, Medium Pace, and my group, which is fondly referred to as the Over-Caffeinated Bunch (O.C.B.). :)

Friday was a wonderful day, with mild temperatures and sunshine. At 8:00 a.m., the groups started to roll out for a tour of the Arkansas mountains on the forestry roads and backroads. The night before, there was a large amount of rain, so the creeks were a real challenge at points. Fifteen miles into the ride, we encountered a creek that couldn't have been crossed in a john-boat. Where else can you have an adventure in every mile except on a motorcycle? I just love it.

Thank goodness for GPS. Using the GPS, I was able to lead the O.C.B. 5 miles to the east, then back on track on the other side of the swollen creek. As the day progressed, we encountered a number of challenges and adventures. I had a newbie in my group this year, and I always enjoy sharing in their excitement. About 150 miles into our 200-mile ride, I had a flat on the rear. As I parked my KLR and stepped off my bike, the newbie ran up to me, and with a concerned look on his face, asked, "What are we going to do now?!" With a smile, I said, "Watch this." Twenty-two minutes later, we drove off with a new tube installed. I just loved his response: "Man, I need to get some more tools!" You know, that might be a good blog -- what to carry into the mountains and outback.

Well, to wrap up, all I can say is, 450 miles in two days left us all with a feeling of peace and accomplishment, and plenty of stories to talk about as we drove back to the great State of Texas. Enjoy the pictures. Be sure to look at the slideshow to the right, and double click for larger pictures. Thanks, Brad, for the great pics.