- Joined
- Jul 14, 2005
- Messages
- 3,593
- Reaction score
- 9
- Location
- Lufkin, TX
- First Name
- Danny
- Last Name
- Roth
I'll start by saying right off, I didn't find it.
I saw quite a bit of interesting roads, including enough sugar sand (about 10 miles worth) to make me truly regret I went to a non-knobby set of tires on the BRP.
Left Lufkin on FM 58 South to FM 1818 and turned West towards Diboll. Got to US 59 and slabbed it South across the Neches River and turned East on FM 1987. Negotiated those wonderful curves past the Damascus Church and missed the first of several missed turns today. Continued south on 1987 until I reached the bridges over Piney Creek. I knew I had gone too far South.
Backtracked north almost to Damascus and turned East on what I hoped was Loving Ferry Road.
I immediately dropped into some rather challenging sandy surface that kept me telling myself to "relax" and, "If it gets real sqirrely, gas it." A couple of miles East the road made a T at what I assumed was Nine Bridges Road. I turned South and continued through sand intersperced with hard clay sections that were a bit washed out, but dry.
I met a truck driven by a fellow that flagged me down and asked if I had seen a collie dog back up the road. I told him that I had not seen a dog, but had seen a couple of deer. I confirmed that it was Nine Bridges Road, and, "the bridges are just down the road." I didn't count them, but there are a multitude of bridges taking the road over the Piney Creek bottom.
I continued South, merging East eventually into Purvis Road. I soon came out in the Stryker community, home of my friend, Cloyce Rhinehart, the self-appointed Mayor of the community. As you can see, Cloyce, who owns the NAPA auto Parts store in Corrigan, is a collector of neat junk, especially if it has anything to do with old railroads.
By the way, there really is an airfield here in Cloyce's pasture. He lets the crop duster contractors use it when they work for the timber land owners in the area.
I continued on my journey and found that the road I had planned out was barred by a heavy metal gate! So, I headed on South to US 287 and slabbed it to the East and Chester. At Chester I turned northwest on FM 2097 that took me to Peach Tree Village and Camp Ta-Ku-La, a beautiful retreat in the Deep Piney Woods which surrounds this structure.
Continuing north on 2097 I soon see this, one of the most sought after signs in the DSer's world:
By the time I got there I realized that I had missed another turn on my planned route, but turned East on a little road that took me to FM 1745. I turned North here. This is a very cool road with wide sweeping curves and great scenery, and is a favorite of tours that come through the area. It covers the area between Chester and Colmesneil. I was not sure just where the road to Ft. Teran turned off and spent a couple of hours going down several wrong, but very interesting, roads. Never did find the right road, or when I saw big gates and hunting lease signs, I turned back.
Next time I come here I will have or be with someone that has a GPS that we can put the route into so I start down the right road.
Since I had a project to do at the house I headed back. Next time It will be more fruitful.
I saw quite a bit of interesting roads, including enough sugar sand (about 10 miles worth) to make me truly regret I went to a non-knobby set of tires on the BRP.
Left Lufkin on FM 58 South to FM 1818 and turned West towards Diboll. Got to US 59 and slabbed it South across the Neches River and turned East on FM 1987. Negotiated those wonderful curves past the Damascus Church and missed the first of several missed turns today. Continued south on 1987 until I reached the bridges over Piney Creek. I knew I had gone too far South.
Backtracked north almost to Damascus and turned East on what I hoped was Loving Ferry Road.
I immediately dropped into some rather challenging sandy surface that kept me telling myself to "relax" and, "If it gets real sqirrely, gas it." A couple of miles East the road made a T at what I assumed was Nine Bridges Road. I turned South and continued through sand intersperced with hard clay sections that were a bit washed out, but dry.
I met a truck driven by a fellow that flagged me down and asked if I had seen a collie dog back up the road. I told him that I had not seen a dog, but had seen a couple of deer. I confirmed that it was Nine Bridges Road, and, "the bridges are just down the road." I didn't count them, but there are a multitude of bridges taking the road over the Piney Creek bottom.
I continued South, merging East eventually into Purvis Road. I soon came out in the Stryker community, home of my friend, Cloyce Rhinehart, the self-appointed Mayor of the community. As you can see, Cloyce, who owns the NAPA auto Parts store in Corrigan, is a collector of neat junk, especially if it has anything to do with old railroads.
By the way, there really is an airfield here in Cloyce's pasture. He lets the crop duster contractors use it when they work for the timber land owners in the area.
I continued on my journey and found that the road I had planned out was barred by a heavy metal gate! So, I headed on South to US 287 and slabbed it to the East and Chester. At Chester I turned northwest on FM 2097 that took me to Peach Tree Village and Camp Ta-Ku-La, a beautiful retreat in the Deep Piney Woods which surrounds this structure.
Continuing north on 2097 I soon see this, one of the most sought after signs in the DSer's world:
By the time I got there I realized that I had missed another turn on my planned route, but turned East on a little road that took me to FM 1745. I turned North here. This is a very cool road with wide sweeping curves and great scenery, and is a favorite of tours that come through the area. It covers the area between Chester and Colmesneil. I was not sure just where the road to Ft. Teran turned off and spent a couple of hours going down several wrong, but very interesting, roads. Never did find the right road, or when I saw big gates and hunting lease signs, I turned back.
Next time I come here I will have or be with someone that has a GPS that we can put the route into so I start down the right road.
Since I had a project to do at the house I headed back. Next time It will be more fruitful.