Tourmeister
06-03-2004, 10:50 AM
Howdy,
http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/
:tab After months and months of eagerly awaiting the arrival of Memorial Day Weekend, it is finally upon us. The weather has been incredible all week, but now it looks rather threatening. When I get home from work Thursday afternoon, I find Paul "Scratch" Massie in the garage cleaning his bike. Seems he managed to get out of work early! Now we are waiting on Doug "FotoMoto" Smith to arrive. He's riding up from Kingsville. The three of us are going to leave early tomorrow morning and trailer up to Eureka Springs. First things first though... I have things to do to my bike before we leave!
:tab It is a good thing Paul has arrived early. I am in need of a little assistance. My last offroading experience on the R1150GS resulted in a severed ABS sensor cable from the front wheel. The new parts just came in this afternoon and I want to get them intalled before we leave. So Paul helps me disassemble the GS and off we go. While I am at it, we are going to replace my worn front tire as well. Fortunately, GS's are easy to disassemble.
Left side (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01810.JPG) / Right side (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01811.JPG)
:tab Debbie "Snoopster" McMullen shows up while we are working. She's ere to go to dinner with us once Doug arrives. I get the new ABS wires installed after cutting and replacing a ton of zip ties. It seems BMW really likes using a LOT of zip ties to hold wires in place. Paul and I are in the middle of removing the front tire from the rim when Doug arrives. Moments later, one of the other riders calls and cancels because of the impending potential nasty weather in Arkansas. Drat. Everyone is starved so we head to dinner and finish the work when we get back. We're getting up and leaving at 7:00am tomorrow so everyone knocks off fairly early. I have some last minute stuff to do that takes a little more than few last minutes and finally hit the sack around 1:30am... :roll:
:tab Friday morning arrives way to early. I slept like crap, feel like crap and generally have reconfirmed that I hate getting up before 10:00am. :-| We loaded the bike last night so all we have to do is pile in the truck and go. 7:05am and we are actually on the road headed North! I cannot wait for the Coke to kick in... The weather is nice and the drive boring. We pass the hours getting to know one another, talking about everything and anything that comes to mind. We make great time and reach Eureka Springs around 4:30pm. We're not the first to arrive.
:tab We find Buzz "hcope1" Copeland hanging out on the patio enjoying the nice evening. After getting the bikes unloaded, stowing the trailer and checking in, we decide that a short ride is in order. We can't let such a beautiful evening go to waste! So Doug, Buzz and myself grab our gear and head out. Paul elects to hang back at the hotel to take it easy.
:tab By default, I get elected leader of the pack. We head West out of town on US 62. This is one of the more twisty roads in the area. By twisty, I mean there are literally no straights, there are lots of large elevation changes, and 15-20mph blind curves. The pavement is excellent and it is a nice ride even if there is a little traffic. We make a quick gas stop and then head South on Hwy 187 to make a loop down towards Beaver Lake and the dam. There are rental cabins and lodges of all sorts everywhere we look. This area is a really popular resort town. We stop at an overlook that looks out over the North end of the lake and Beaver Dam, then head back on up to US 62 and continue West a few more miles.
:tab Hwy 187 runs North off of US 62 into the hills and woods. Now it is a narrow winding path. The pavement is nice and smooth. We arrive at the White River and there is a long suspension bridge that crosses the river. It is a narrow single lane with a wooden decking. Riding across I have be be careful not to wander from board to board because it makes the bike feel all piggly wiggly. Just after the bridge there is a nice tight right hander that decreases and has a little gravel in the center of the lane, great fun!!
:tab We reach Hwy 23 on the North side of Eureka Springs and it is still early in the evening. So I am thinking we have plenty of time to head North into Missouri and check out Hwy 86, a twisty slice of biker Nervana. It is only a few miles up over the border to Hwy 86 and then we head West, or North, or whatever, we turn left. It starts out kind of ordinary, but after a few short miles the curves start coming rapid fire with no straights at all, just smooth banked transitions. This is one of those rythm roads. You know the type. Brake, lean, gas, lift the bike up and lay it over, brake, lean, gas... rinse and repeat as necessary.
:tab Seeing as how it has been a while since I was last up here, I am running a nice moderate pace to give myself time to get back in the groove of riding really twisty roads. I'm running the late apexes, coming iinto the corners slow and rolling out hard, making sure my eyes are up and looking down the road. It pays off because as I come around one fast corner, there is a goofball standing right smack in the middle of the road wildly waving his arms :shock:
:tab A few feet behind him are two stalled minivans. I'm on the brakes hard and soon start hearing the familiar ABS cycling noises from the GS. Apparently, bozo hears it as well and starts running to get out of my way :lol A quick glance up the road shows no one is coming the other way and I let up a little and slip around them. In the front, a guy has his head under the raised hood. I stop and explain to him that he may want to get his buddy up around the next curve so he has more time to warn people BEFORE they are right on top of him :roll: A few curves later and we reach the end of the road.
:tab We double back and head the way we came, passing the minivans again. Bubba is actually around the next bend so he can warn people before they come around the corner. We head South back to Arkansas and run down Hwy 23 into Eureka Springs. I lead Doug and Buzz through the historic downtown area of town. The turn of the century Vitorian style of architecture prevails. Some of the houses are quite nice! Even the small houses are nice just because of how well they are kept. We soom reach the hotel parking lot and see that several other people have arrived.
Kevin checking out Greg's VFR 750 (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01812.JPG)
My Pig, Will's svelt R1, Paul's hidden Sprint RS, and Chris's VTec VFR800. (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01813.JPG)
Kevin (left) and Doug admire the rides. (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01814.JPG)
The view from our room (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01815.JPG)
:tab Shortly after we get back to the hotel, Buddy and Stephanie arrive. Tonight they're staying elsewhere as the Comfort Inn is booked for the evening. After a little milling about, we decide to do dinner down the road at Sparky's Grill.
Buddy, Doug and Will (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01816.JPG)
Kevin in the first of his many pictures with the ladies all weekend, this is Will's wife, Lauren. (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01817.JPG)
Paul, Chris, Greg and Buzz (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01818.JPG)
Stephanie and Buddy (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01819.JPG)
Doug gets friendly with the locals on the way to Sparky's (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01820.JPG)
:tab Sparky's gets us in and seated pretty quick even with us being a large party. The weather is great and we are out back in their covered patio. Our waitress wades through all the smart __s comments and eventually gets all the orders taken. :roll: I could never be a waiter. :suicide: Here's the gang again:
Chris, Doug, and Kevin (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01821.JPG)
Buddy, Stephanie and Greg (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01822.JPG)
Will and Lauren (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01823.JPG)
:tab If I did not know better, I would say I am having dinner with a bunch of little girls with all the giggling and laughing going on. It seems everyone is delighted with the food. Kevin manages to get his picture taken with most all of the female waitstaff, especially one cute youngster! :-P The older, not so cute waitresses have much less of a sense of humor, hehe. I wonder if he will be sharing those pictures or just adding them to the collection he likely has on the wall in his bedroom closet? :lol: Stuffed and buzzing, we all make our way back to the hotel where we hang out for a bit.
:tab While we are goofing off in the parking lot, Deb and Tim show up from St. Louis. They roll in at about 10:30pm. I meet them in the driveway to let them know where everyone is and what is going on, then everyone head to their rooms to call it a night. Roll call in the parking lot at 8:30am!
:tab Saturday morning arrives sooner than expected. Some sadistic person set our alarm clock for 5:00am and turned the volume up to max :shock: I bang on the thing trying to figureout how to shut it off in the dark. Paul has to be wondering what in the world I am doing?! I finally get it off and wait for my pulse to drop back down to mostly normal and slip back into lala land. That's just not cool!
:tab The Saturday morning I am expecting rolls around a few hours later and the wakeup nudge from Paul is much less stressful on my circulatory system. He's been up for a while and is heading out for breakfast. I roll and and start the process of coming back to the land of the living. A quick shower, some Raisin Bran and I am good to go! Everyone actually gets to the parking lot on time. After everyone makes sure they are gassed up and ready to roll, we have a quick pre-ride briefing, go over signals, and all that other exciting stuff.
:tab It is decided that we will attempt the longer (460 mile) Northern route in an effort to miss some iffy weather. All week long the weather guessers have been predicting end of the world storms but we haven't seen any of it. It is muggy and overcast, but it doesn't look particularly threatening at the moment and nothing was showing on the radar a few minutes ago. So off we go, heading out of town on US 62 West.
:tab The ride out of town on Hwy 62 is really fun. This is the same stretch we did on last night's short ride. This time we skip the loop out by Beaver lake and the dam and head straight for the section of 187 that runs over the one lane suspension bridge. I pull over to see if anyone wants to take and pictures and just get a lot of blank stares in return. :shrug: So off we go again, headed to Hwy 23 where we turn North and head into Southern Missouri.
:tab Once into Missouri, we hit Hwy 86 and head West. The road starts bending to the North immediately and heads across Table Rock Lake which is fed by the White River. Beautiful homes sit perched on the cliffs above looking down over the river. The North side of the river has a campground and it is packed for the Memorial Day weekend. We get beyond all of this to where the real fun begins, right after passing the turn off for CR F. Missouri has a strange lettering system for it's county roads. The nice thing is that most of them are nicely paved! I dip into the first curve and slip into my groove... which now includes scanning for idiots standing in the middle of the road behind hidden minivans :roll:
:tab Like so many other "groove" rides, this one goes by quickly. We reach the intersection of Hwy 86 and 76 at Smalley's Corner. I wait for everyone else to form up on me. Considering the curviness of the past few miles, I am a little surprised when Deb and Tim bring up the rear within less than a minute. She must really be hustling that Harley around the corners! Impressive.
:tab We run Hwy 76 West into the outskirts of Cassville to pick up Hwy 112 and head South. It seems strange how just moments ago we were in really hilly terrain and now it has flattened out into farm fields. I always wonder what is going through the heads of people that are following me when they have no idea where I am taking them and we start heading down straight flat roads away from the fun stuff? Those that have spent any time riding with me are usually patient because they know there is a method to my madness :twisted: Along those lines we run CR Aa out through a lot of pasturelands, around lots of ninety degree corners, through some gravel, around the tractors, and finally back to a regular highway.
:tab We reach Hwy 37 in the tiny town of Washburn. I don't even see a stoplight anywhere. I do see a stop sign though where we turn off onto Hwy 90 and head West. The folks following me are in for a sweet surprise. I first found out about Hwy 90 from a diminutive UPS delivery driver while stopped for gas in Cassville last fall. He spied our bikes and came over to talk with us. It turns out he rides a Bandit 400 in the area and knows all the good roads. He takes me back to his van and shows me a map, highlights the roads, and then just gives me the map! Very cool! We thanked him and went our merry way. This guy hit the nail on the head when he said Hwy 90 is a great ride. He also has a gift for understatement.
:tab About a mile and a half out of Washburn, we cross Greasy Creek and the road starts to twist and undulate over and around the hills. The elevations changes come one after the other in rapid fire succession. I can feel my stomach getting that funny feeling when the bike goes light as I crest a hill and lean into the tight curve, trusting my tires to do their thing. Then it's down the hill and into the next tight curve that bends back up the next hill. My tush is pushing down into the seat crushing the pathetic stock foam. We start out running along some ridges with views out over the surrounding countryside. Then we slip into the thick forest with trees lining both sides of the road, forming a shadowy tunnel, the curves still just as incredible as before.
:tab Soon we reach the tiny town of Noel. It is situated down in the very Southwest corner of Missouri. Like so many small towns, its' days of glory have long since faded like the paint on the old buildings that line the road through town. There is what appears to be a somewhat active rail line through town, but otherwise I am not sure what sustains the small town. We gas up at a small station and have an interesting time interacting with a few of the locals. "Ride hard, take chances!" This is the favorite phrase of a few of the more vocal locals :roll:
:tab With our tanks topped off, we bactrack on Hwy 90 heading East back towards Cassville. Some people hate backtracking and covering the same ground. To me, it's fine because the road is a totally new ride when you are going the other way ;-) Besides, this road is so much fun, even if it were the same, it would still be worth riding twice! And so I slip once again into the rythmic flow, apexing curve after curve, listening the to the reassuring throb of the Boxer Twin rising and falling in time with the twisting of the road.
:tab As happens so often, the time to reach our next destination seems to slip away almost unnoticed. I pull over in Washburn on Hwy 37 so we can regroup. Tim and Deb usually bring up the rear within a minute or so at the most. She was a little concerned that she might be holding up the group, but from what others in the group are telling me, she is hustling her Harley through the corners just fine. Besides, when leading a group like this, I prefer to keep the pace moderate so that we don't wind up spread out all over the place. True to form, moments after we pull over, Tim and Deb come cruising up with smiles on their faces. We head North on Hwy 37 to Cassville.
:tab The next stretch of our route takes us into the Mark Twain National Forest. I have been through here several times before and it ranks pretty high as one of my favorite rides, unless we get stuck behind traffic... Leading the pack, I can usually make a clean pass and move on but everyone else will get stuck. There simply are very few passing zones here. Today it is not too bad until I come up behind a truck with some guy eating fries, a burger and sucking down a shake. He does not want to be passed and is driving eratically! It is times like this that I prefer to be on the VFR with it's ability to accelerate around people before they can really react. The GS takes time to get up a head of steam... When the moment arrives, I start accelerating up behind the truck and before he realizes what is happening, I slip around him and ride off into the woods. It seems to be clear sailing now.
:tab Everything is great for a few miles until I come gliding up behind a couple on an older model Goldwing. The highway pegs on this thing stick out so far that he available lean angle is almost nil. To compound the problem, the driver does not seem to know how to negotiate a corner smoothly. When he sees me coming, he tries to speed up rather than just moving over and letting me by. I have to think his passenger is either exceptionally naive and does not realize how close they are to disaster, or is just really trusting. I lay back hoping the driver will relax and not feel pushed by me. It doesn't work. This guy is wobbling through the corners and even freaking me out a bit! We finally reach a short straight and I move around him, then it is clear sailing the rest of the way.
:tab Hwy 76, the one we've been running, eventually hits Hwy 173 at Cape Fair. At the intersection is Koppie's Diner, a fifties style burger cafe. We pull in here for lunch. It is a little overcast, but it doesn't look like rain is in the near future. The weather predictions have been dire, but so far we've been lucky. The overcast keeps it from getting really hot and makes for great riding.
Outisde the diner (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01824.JPG) / Take two (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01825.JPG)
Inside - Paul, Buzz, Kevin, Buddy, and Will (L to R) (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01827.JPG)
Deb and Tim (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01828.JPG)
:tab Despite the size of our group and the presence of other people in the diner, our food comes out quickly and is great. Judging by the glassed over eyes and distant stares after eating, everyone is pleased with their lunch :lol: After some ice cream, we head out to the parking lot and get ready to roll.
Doug and Deb discussing the ride (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01829.JPG)
Deb's Harley and Tim's Beemer (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01830.JPG)
Greg, Buzz and Chris (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01831.JPG)
Most of the gang (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01832.JPG)
:tab After lunch we skirt over the North side of Branson. I want to miss the holiday traffic in and around Branson if possible. We run Hwy 76 East to Hwy 13 and then up to Hwy 248. The traffic is not bad at all, very cool. We pick up US 160 and continue East. Somewhere along the line we lose a few folks so I pull over to wait. A minute or two goes by and no one shows up. I start getting that uneasy feeling. I tell the others to wait here and then head back up the road in search of the others. A few miles up the road I pass them coming the other way, all accounted for and seemingly fine. When we join up with the others, they inform us that they just had to pull over for something. Whew! I am definitely relieved.
:tab There is a little more traffic on US 160 that I would like, but it is not heavy and it does not really slow us down. The highway is smooth and has predictable curves as it winds its way over to Lake Taneycomo. Here we turn North on CR H. This is another great road. The traffic thins out almost immediately and it is just us, the road, and the beautiful woods. Kevin has been riding behind me most of the morning and the two of us gradually pull away from the others on this road. We come around a corner to find a bunch of dirt bikes coming the other way. There are kids of all sizes and ages on all sizes and makes of dirt bikes. It is really cool to see all these kids out having a great time in the woods. They are totally decked out in full riding gear. It really makes me want to go play with them, hehe.
:tab A fw moments and curves later, I come around a corner to find that the road has suddenly and without warning become loose chip seal gravel. Kevin sees the large puff of dust come up from my bike as I slide into the corner and he slows down. I stay on the gas until the bike quits sliming around. That was exciting! We slow way down and take our time negotiating the corners. It would seem that the road crews don't care about sweeping off all the excess gravel from their "paving". As I near the end of a particularly long straight, I notice that Kevin has pulled over back at the beginning of the straight. So I wait, he waits... then he turns around... :-? I really hope no one has lost it on the gravel!
:tab A few moments later, I turn around and head back to see what I might find. Once again, I find everyone coming along the other way, all accounted for and doing fine. What a relief! I guess the gravel just really freaked a few of them out and they were taking it extra slow and cautious. Better safe than sorry! Soon we reach Hwy 125 and the real fun begins.
:tab Like so many of the roads in the area, me trying to describe Hwy 125 seems kind of pointless. Regardless of the prose I try to use, you as a reader will never truly appreciate the reality of the experience until you have sampled it for yourself. Mere words can only create a vague impression of the true sense of the road. Suffice to say, it is very technical, demanding all of one's attention and the exercise of all the riding skills. The pavement is silky smooth, the scenery beautiful, and the path serpentine. It goes on for mile afer blissful mile...
:tab When we reach Bradleyville at Hwy 76, we stop for a break. It has warmed up, or maybe all the concentration makes it feel like it has warmed up, I don't know. My GS doesn't have the nifty digital ambient temperature gauge like the VFR and it drives me nuts! Regardless, everyone else seems a little toasty and welcomes the break.
Kevin, Chris, Paul, Doug, Buzz, and Tim talk excitedly about the ride! (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01833.JPG)
Buzz is no doubt regaling Doug and Tim with one of his numerous good ol' boy stories, hehe (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01834.JPG)
Greg, Chris and Buddy, men of action hanging loose. (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01835.JPG)
:tab After the break we continue running South on Hwy 125 for more of the same. After a few miles of moderate curves, the road twists back into motorcycle nirvanna, the next curve starting almost before the last has finished! This is the perfect place to come to take a center flattened tire and round it back off to a nice smooth profile. Peg feelers lose their lives here. Soon we reach US 160 again. While we wait for the stragglers to regroup, Doug suggests that we backtrack a few miles and do it all again. I am uncertain because we still have a lot of miles left in the day and time may start to become an issue, but looking at the faces of the others soon convinces me that they aren't all that concerned about this time thing. And so, regrouped, we head North back into the woods.
:tab About ten miles up the road, I finally pull over at a place where traffic will have a chance to see us and stop while we are in the middle of the road turning around. Kevin takes the lead on his VFR for the run back South to US 160. I let him go. Trying to keep his pace on this road on the GS is more hassle than I am up to. Nonetheless, the pace back South is fast and fun! We regroup a second time and continue back on our original route, South on 125 to Bull Shoals Lake where we will catch the ferry across to the other side. The few remaining miles of 125 down to the ferry seem somewhat less than exciting...
:tab Soon we are on the shore of the lake and the ferry is on the far side taking on a load of vehicles. So we park and wait.
Waiting for the ferry to arrive (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01836.JPG)
Exploring the artsy fartsy side of my camera (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01837.JPG) :mrgreen:
The whole posse plus a few new comers hanging on the end (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01838.JPG)
More artsy stuff (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01839.JPG)
:tab While standing around, I notice that there are some admirers of the bikes:
A future adventure tourer? (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01840.JPG)
Maybe a set of HeliBars would solve his problem? (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01841.JPG)
Almost a perfect fit! (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01842.JPG)
Just before the ferry arrives (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01843.JPG)
:tab The ferry arrives and unloads its' cargo. Soon we are loaded and ready to go. The ferry pulls gently away from the dock and we begin making our way across the lake.
Kevin, like everyone else, makes sure his gear is secured (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01844.JPG)
Kevin and Buddy living on the edge... (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01845.JPG)
They've gone over the edge (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01846.JPG)
The ferry man, not a talkative fellow (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01847.JPG)
I don't think knobbies would help much here (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01848.JPG)
Chris Hayden, he doesn't have a cool username (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01849.JPG) :-P
Will and Greg enjoying the ride under the watchful eye of the ferryman (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01850.JPG)
:tab The ferry (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01851.JPG) is simply a barge with a small tug attached in the middle via a hinged joint. When the ferry reaches the far side, the rear of the tug is released and the front stays connected to the barge. The tug spins around the side of the barge until it is facing the opposite direction and the end is attached to the barge. Then off it goes, over and over...
:tab As we near the far side, I start putting on all my gear so I can be ready when we unload. As we are unloaded, it is apparent that not everyone has done likewise and we will need to pull over immediately so they can get situated. Just off the ferry, there is a parking lot on the right so I pull in for a quick stop. I scarcely come to a stop when I hear the unmistakable crunch of a bike going over on its' side. A quick look back and I see Kevin standing next to his VFR, doh!! Seems he left his helmet hanging on his right mirror and when he went to turn, the helmet hit his front brake lever and locked up the tire, PLOP!! We get the bike righted and see there is no damage other than to his ego, which handles the blow effortlessly. In all the excitement, I forget to get a picture!! :roll:
:tab We get Kevin upright and head out. We're running South on Hwy 125 away from the lake. The curves open up into big smooth sweepers. The shoulder is wide and the woods set back from the edge of the road a good ways. Visibility through the corners is fantastic. This of course leads to one thing... We reach Hwy 14 and turn towards Yellville. This is more of the same big sweepers. After the tight technical stuff of 125 up in Missouri, this is a nice relaxing break. We stop for gas in Yellville and to regroup.
:tab It is getting late in the afternoon and we still have about 200 miles to go in our nearly 440 mile route. It is not looking like we will be getting back in time for a nice group dinner. This does not seem to be cause for much concern among the group. It seems the riding has gotten ahold of them and it is all they care about at the moment. I wonder how Stephanie and Lauren will feel by the time we get back to the hotel? I am sure they are expecting Buddy and Will in time for dinner, hehe. They don't seem too concerned.
:tab We head South out of town to the start of Hwy 235 and start a run to the Southwest. The scenery opens up in to valley views, rolling pastures covered with flowers, and the highway just winds its way along the ridges between the valleys. This is not much in the way of a technical ride, but for some reason I really enjoy this stretch of highway. There is just something about it that takes me to that calm relaxed place in my mind. It seems so far from the worries of the world. I find myself fantasizing about having a nice getaway cabin up here in the woods. We're making pretty good time now that the road has opened up a bit and soon reach US 65 where we turn to the Northwest for a few miles.
:tab US 65 is one of the major North/South artieries through Arkansas and as such it always seems to have RV's on it. Sure enough, while we are sitting at the stop sign waiting to pull out, a huge touring bus and a few RV's go by and get ahead of us. It is a good thing we will only be going a few miles before turning off onto Hwy 123. Despite the traffic, it is a short run up to Hwy 123. It starts out alarmingly straight, but then it climbs up and around the side of a mountain and we are back to running along a winding ridgeline to the Southwest. I glance back and see the long line of bikes snaking through the corners. I prefer that view from the rear but I seldom get the chance to ride sweep for a large group.
:tab When we reach the intersection of Hwy's 374 and 123, I pull over to regroup before we get back into the twisty stuff again. Once South of this intersection, the pavement on 123 is newer and very smooth. The road winds its way down to the small town of Mt. Judea. Just East of town, 123 splits from Hwy 74, they have been running together since just North of Hwy 374. Here is where we encounter the warning sign indicating steep grades and tight curves ahead... we are not disappointed!
:tab We run a few miles to reach the base of Kent Mountain and then start the climb to get up on the ridge. The switchbacks are steep 5 and 10 mph corners with a bit of loose gravel tossed in for fun :eek: Going up seems not to be so bad. I know from past experience that coming down is a little more exciting, hehe. After clearing the switchbacks, the road runs along the side of the mountain through a series of 15-20 mph corners. Here the left side of the road climbs steeply and the right side drops off steeply, there is no run off at all! There are several places where the pavement has washed away when the underlying mountain slid out from under it. The first time I came here, I rounded a blind 20 mph corner to find my lane was completely gone :shock: Today, we have a bit more notice and once again, part of our lane is completely gone, leaving a one lane road.
:tab Once cleared of the section of road on the side of the mountain, we get up onto the ridgeline and the road becomes a beautiful series of 25mph corners. The lanes are wide with a good wide shoulder as well. The pavement is clean and smooth with no potholes or bad ripples or bumps. This is the perfect road to practice getting as much lean angle as you can. The nice thing is that you really don't have to go fast to do so. There are only a handful of driveways and no side roads. There is one dog to worry about near the South end before we start to descend from the ridge. Once back down off the ridge, we pull over at Lurton, a one house and one stopsign town, to wait for the others. Grins are stretched from ear to ear on all the faces I see coming up behind me!
Buzz on his 2000 VFR 800. (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01852.JPG)
:tab This road is so much fun, we are turning around and doing it again. I usually try to hit it several times on each trip when I come up here because it is almost always a favorite of everyone. Once everyone shows up, we give them the turn around signal and take off. But as I round the second or third corner, I see Doug stopped on the side of the road, his bike laying on its' side!! It seems he had stopped to shoot some video of us and when his foot hit the loose sand on the shoulder, it slipped right out from under him and down went the bike. He and the bike are fine, hehe. We get the bike righted and head off.
Kevin waiting patiently to head back up the ridge (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01853.JPG)
:tab There is one particular spot on 123 that is perfect for getting action shots of the riders coming around the corners. I make it a point to stop here each time we come by to get pics of everyone, and video if possible.
Will Howard on his 2004 R1 (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01854.JPG)
Buddy Thomas laying over the big Goldwing! (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01855.JPG)
Chris Hayden on his VTec VFR 800 (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01856.JPG)
Paul Massie on his Triumph Sprint RS (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01857.JPG)
Doug Smith on his custom painted Vtec VFR 800 (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01858.JPG)
Greg Gmeiner on his 94-97 model VFR 750 (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01859.JPG)
Kevin Bailey hamming it up for the camera on his custom painted Vtec VFR 800 (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01861.JPG)
doug and Kevin come back by to setup for another pass (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01863.JPG)
:tab After Doug and Kevin's last pass, Kevin comes back to where I am sitting to check out a few of the pics. Satisfied that we have some decent ones, I head back to my bike. Kevin asks if I'd like to sample his VFR, which of course I do, and so we swap bikes. His VFR has a sweet custom exhaust on it and he has dropped a tooth off the front sprocket :twisted: I can't think of many roads better than 123 to sample a bike! And away I go...!!!
:tab I don't see Kevin or Doug in my mirrors again. Everyone else has already gone ahead and so I find myself alone to enjoy the road and the bike. I find myself getting hard on the gas coming out of the corners, the bike pulls fanstastic and the sound is intoxicating!! The throttle is a LOT more sensitive that the GS's, which is hard as heck to hold open :mad: There is something wrong with it and I will have to get it checked when we get back from this trip. For now, I am having to retrain my brain on the fly so I don't send myself flying off into the woods. Soon, it is like I have never been off the VFR, the shifts coming smooth with small blips of the throttle, flicking it into the curves and rolling hard away from the apex. I could just run back and forth on this road all freaking day long!! But we have somewhat of a schedule to keep and I know the others are waiting for us at the bottom of the mountain. I head down the switchbacks, careful of the twitchy throttle. It is here where the wide bars of the GS really shine. Switchbacks are a breeze on the GS, up or down them. I find everyone sitting back at the warning sign just outside Mt. Judea. They seem surprised to see me when I roll up on the VFR with a big wide grin on my face :twisted: Moments later Kevin and Doug roll up behind us. Kevin comfirms my opinion that the GS throttle pull is a little on the insane side of things!
:tab We head back up 123 to 374 and cut over to the West, intent now on making time back to Eureka Springs. We stop for gas in Jasper before continuing West on Hwy 74. It is getting late in the evening and a bit hazy. The air feels thick and heavy, as if rain is imminent. The stretch of 74 between Jasper and Boxley is a great ride. Much of the area is part of the Buffalo National River area. The terrain is steep and twisty. We fall in behind a lady in a Jeep Liberty that is set on staying ahead of us. I hang back and watch her throw this poor vehicle through the corners like a woman possessed. Down here in the woods, it is virtually dark and the roads slightly damp. I just use her headlights to scan the curves ahead. In some areas, the curves become tight 20mph switchbacks. Great fun!
:tab At Boxley, we head North on Hwy 21 for the final run to Eureka Springs. It is not that the scenery and the road is boring, it is just that now it is dark, folks are likely getting tired and their attention to their riding is waning. I've seen it before. We soon reach US 62 and make the final shot West into Eureka Springs where we find Stephanie and Lauren all dressed up waiting to go out for dinner with Buddy and Will. It is nearly 9:00pm. Things close down pretty early here in Eureka Springs, but I give them a few suggestions and they go off in hopes of finding some good food at this late hour. The rest of us opt for having pizza delivered to the porch area out in front of the rooms!! A wise choice! After consuming too much pizza and beer, we saunter off to our rooms and call it a night.
:tab total miles for Saturday, right about 450.
:tab Sunday morning comes around grey and early. The weather is predicted to be terrible everywhere. However, it is not actually raining right now so the crowd decides to head out and see what happens. Today, Stephanie and Lauren will be joining us. Stephanie is on the back of the Luxotourer Goldwing with Buddy, and Lauren on the perch behind Will on his R1 :lol: Also joining us is Dave "OldmanViffer" from Tulaso, Okalahoma on his VFR. With everyone gassed up and ready to roll, we head South out of town on Hwy 23 towards Huntsville. The skies look ominous, but the roads are dry.
:tab A few miles North of Huntsville, just off of Hwy 23, is Withrow Springs State Park. In this same area, the road gets nice and twisty. We have been stuck behind this lady in an SUV for some time that speeds up on the straights and slows down in the corners so we cannot get around her. I have been sitting back a ways trying not to crowd her. Finally, I cannot take it any longer. When we come out onto a nice straight, I slip around her and then off into the next corner and think nothing of it. It was not a rushed pass and there was no oncoming traffic. As is often the case with a large group, not everyone can make the pass at the same time so I did not see everyone else for some time.
:tab When I reached the outskirts of Huntsville, I pulled over into a small parking lot to wait for everyone else to catch up to me. Right about the time the last bikes pulled into the lot behind me, one of Arkansas's finest pulls up in the road in front of me. He very carefully dons his wide brimmed trooper's hat and steps out of the car.
:tab Since I am nearest, I guess he assumes I am the leader of this bunch. He then proceeds to question me about where we had just come from, where we are going, etc,... He informs me that a motorist had just called in a complaint that she had been dangerously passed by a large horde of bikers! Apparently, much of the group behind me passed on a double yellow and it sent this poor woman over the edge! The trooper glares at me with a very stern face, "Being as it is the holiday weekend, we are cracking down and not cutting anyone any slack!" I get a sick feeling in my stomach. "Ya'll slow down, be careful and have a nice weekend." "Yes Sir! Thank you Sir!" is my quick and sincere reply!
:tab I make a show of going back through the group and lecturing everyone about the dangers of passing on a double yellow and that the troopers are out watching for us this weekend. The trooper seems satisfied and with that, he gets back in his car and drives away leaving us sitting on the side of the road. Whew!
:tab We gingerly make our way South out of town and head for Hwy 74. We head East on 74 and run over to Kingston. The entire town sits on the town square, and it is not a big square. I stop in the middle of the square so we can regroup again. A glance South and I notice foreboding clouds. We head South on Hwy 21 towards what looks like impending gloom. Sure enough, a few miles out of town I pull over and warn everyone to start donning the rain gear as we won't have a chance much further up the road. Deb informs me that her and Tim will be heading back. She has wisely decided that she does not need to be pushing her limits while riding in the rain. The rest of us suit up and prepare for the worst.
:tab Another fifteen miles or so South and we reach Edwards Junction where Hwy 21 and 16 split apart. It has been raining harder and harder. Now, as we sit here deciding our next course of action, the fog rolls in real heavy and the rain is coming in sideways. Visibility is maybe 50 yards or so. Buddy and Will are thinking they need to head back, the ladies are in firm agreement. The rest of us decide to push on South hoping to come out on the far side of the rain. Thinking everyone has been squared away and accounted for, we head West on Hwy 21/16 into the grisly weather.
:tab Buddy and Will had decided to continue with us because the nearest gas stations were likely to be ahead rather than behind. Will's range on the R1 is limited. It turns out that several of VFR riders have the same range issues?! :scratch Don't understand that as I could almost always count on getting 200 miles out of a tank on our VFR 800's. Anyway, after slogging our way through the fog and carefully making our way around the great curves, we stop again in Fallsville to reconsider.
:tab We now have the option of heading South on Hwy 21 to Clarksville where there is gas for sure, or continuing West on Hwy 16 in the hopes that several of the small gas stations might be open on a Sunday afternoon, something rare in rural parts of Arkansas. It is only about another 25 miles to Clarksville and Will thinks he can make that. Greg now informs me that his VFR is now running on fumes!? Good grief! And where the heck is Chris?! I just noticed that he is not with the group. Greg and a few others assure me that he had turned around at our last stop and headed back for the hotel. For a few moments, I have an uneasy feeling. I never like losing track of someone unless I know directly what is up. But with so many people assuring me, I put it out of my mind. Doug and Buzz have decided that they will be heading West on 16 to 23 and then heading back to the hotel. They've had enough of the rain. Greg, Kevin, Dave, Paul, Buddy & Steph, Will & Lauren and myself continue South on Hwy 21 into the rain.
:tab The fog has mostly blown on through and now it is just a low hanging overcast and a steady rain. The lightning and winds have died off for the most part. I set a nice steady and smooth pace. The road has been recently repaved, is exceptionally clean and offers superb wet traction. Soon I am not even aware of the rain as I focus on arcing through the curves as smoothly as I can, never hard on the brakes or the gas. As we come down the South side of the mountain ridge, the road becomes a series of tight 25mph switchbacks. Woods line the edge of the road on each side, climbing up the hills to the left, and falling away into a valley below on the right.
:tab I know that for many riders, the thought of riding in the rain is distressing. I used to be one of those riders myself. I did not trust my tires to hold to the road and I was just plain scared. With experience, oft born of necessity, I have learned to trust the bike, to read the road for traction, and to have fun when riding in the rain. Rain riding will either kill you or make you a much smoother rider ;-) No, it won't necessarily kill you literally, but it may emotionally cripple you so that you may never enjoy it for the rest of your riding career. Many riders get frustrated because they can't go fast in the rain. I try to emphasize that trying to go fast is the wrong approach. The focus should be on doing everything possible to minimize negative impacts on potential traction. This means no hard braking or other drastic manuevers, scanning the pavement for potential slick spots, adjusting your lines to the widest and gentlest possible arc through a curve, and so on. If you do all of this, then the speed will come comfortably and naturally, not in a forced and tense way.
:tab When I reach the edge of town on US 64, I pull over to wait for the others. Kevin, Paul and Dave are the only ones with me. We spend a few minutes chatting it up with a local Harley rider that is sitting out the sprinkles. A few more minutes go by and now I am starting to worry slightly. The others should have been here by now. A few more minutes and I can't take it. Instructing the others to wait here, I head back up the road in search of the others. About five miles up the road I pass them heading South. It seems they did not think they could make it all the way into town for gas and stopped at one of the little two pump stations just outside of town. Relieved, I spin back around and follow them until we hook up with everyone else.
:tab We putt into town, the rest of us fill up our bikes, and then we head to the local Mexican Restaurant. The grill I had intened to visit has closed down since my last visit, peculiar since their food was great. We now know that folks in Arkansas don't do Mexican food very well :puke: The service was great. Kevin got another picture of him and a cute waitress. But overall, the food was just bland. It was however filling. Of course, mud would be filling...
:tab After lunch we head out of town on Hwy 352 for Ozark. This road runs roughly parallel to I-40 but is a much nicer drive. I'm blasting along, lost in though and happy that the rain seems to have moved off to the Northeast. I crest a hill and find myself bearing down on some kids on the road messing with some huge thing. They look up and see me, dodge for the side of the road and leave the THING in the road. As I blast by, I catch a glance down and notice that the THING is a freaking HUGE snapper turtle with a head the size of a big grapefruit. I laugh as I think how I would not have been able to leave the critter alone when I was a youngster like these kids.
:tab When we reach Ozark, we head North on Hwy 23 to the start of the famed Pig Trail Scenic Byway. Before we get to the really twisty stuff, I pull over because my rear tire has been feeling like it is squirming around and I think it might be flat. A quick check of the tread shows a cut, but a check with the tire gauge shows everything to be fine. Hmmm...? Maybe it is just the road surface interaction with my tire. No one else seems to be having trouble. So we take off again and I resolve to pay attention to how the bike is reacting as we get into the more challenging stuff.
:tab The Pig Trail starts out as a series of sweeping curves that climb around the edges of the foothills and then it becomes tighter and tighter. Soon we are deep in the woods, the branches and leaves covering the road like a translucent roof. The pavement is still wet in places but it is not raining. The woods have that fresh look, the wet tree trunks, the leaves wet and dripping, everything clean.
:tab Not far into the Pig Trail, there is a long line of slow moving traffic holding up the show. So we decide to pull over and let it get ahead of us. Passing here is pretty much out of the question.
Lauren, Stephanie and Buddy taking a break (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01864.JPG)
One of the many great corners on the Pig Trail (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01865.JPG)
Another view (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01866.JPG)
Waiting out the traffic (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01867.JPG)
:tab After a nice break, we mount up to finish the ride. We pull out just in time to get ahead of another long line of slow moving vehicles. Kevin and Dave take the lead. The last I see of them, Dave's rear tire is stepping out as he downshift's going into a tight lefthander, and then they are gone. We catch up to the a little bit later at the next stop sign where Hwy 23 and 16 join together. We run together until we reach the spot where 23 and 16 split again. Will and Buddy are headed on up 23 to Eureka Springs to call it a day. Their passengers have had enough damp weather riding. Dave, Paul, Kevin, Greg and myself decide to run East on Hwy 16. We wave goodbye to the others as we split off and head East.
:tab It sprinkles a bit now and then, but still no bad rain. The road has patchy damp spots but nothing bad. Most of the curves are surprise free, well except for one... When I was out here last fall with another group of Texas riders on VFRs, we came cooking into what looked like a nice right handed sweeper only to find that as it climbed the side of the hill, it tightened up considerably. I came in first, chanting "look, lean, believe... look, lean, believe..." It worked for me, I dragged a peg most of the way through, and managed not to do anything to upset the bike. The adrenalin high was kind of groovy too :twisted: But now I am thinking that prudence is the better part of valor. We got lucky last time and I don't care to push our luck this time. So I am on the look out for this curve.
:tab Well, I find it as we come in kind of quick and start having to lean wayyy over, hehe. But this time I was expecting it so there was no surprise involved and the guys behind me have time to react. This is one of those curves that seems to just keep going and going and going... And then the road sets off into the woods with nary a straight in sight for some time. It is a shame that everyone else is missing out on this. Soon we reach Fallsville again and pull over for a conference. The clouds are getting dark again and it is obvious that some serious storming is upon us.
:tab A local lady is sitting in the gravel parking lot of the closed shop, the sole building other than a large ailing barn. She informs us that there is a severe storm heading our way quickly. There is a tornado watch, large hail and high winds are expected. The bad news is that it is between us and Eureka Springs. Do we try to loop back South and do and end run around it? Do we race to the Northeast and try to outrun it to do an endrun around the front of the storm? There is no where out here to hole up for cover to ride it out. :-| While we are debating out options, the storm is coming on fast, limiting our choices. Then a small SUV pulls up with a bike on a trailer behind it. Out pops Buzz, Doug and Chris :scratch
:tab It seems that earlier, when we thought Chris was going to head back to Eureka Springs, his bike failed to start as we all rode away. :-( Unbeknowst to us, Chris's bike had suffered a massive electrical meltdown leaving him stranded in the middle of the mountains in a nasty storm :shock: Crap!! I feel horrible! I thought for sure we had everyone accounted for before leaving that intersection! Fortunately, he was able to leave a message at the hotel. When Doug and Buzz returned, they got the message and set out with Buzz's trailer to retrieve him, just in the nick of time it would seem. The wind is now picking up and the lightning and thunder is coming on good! We bid them farewell and they decide to just run Hwy 16 West to 23 and run up to Eureka. We may be crazy, but we are going to attempt the end run around the leading edge of the storm since we are mostly ahead of it now.
:tab Fate seems kind to us for now. We are running quickly over Hwy 16 back to Edwards Junction where Chris spent a soggy afternoon with his disabled bike. Then we head North on Hwy 21 and make for Kingston. We don't make it... Soon the rain is coming down so hard it is difficult to make out the lane on the road. The drops are bouncing back up several inches creating a hazy layer of water over the surface of the road. The individual drops are so large that they are stinging my chest even through my riding jacket and rain suit! As we near Kingston, the rain lets up a little. We pass through the town square, we pick up Hwy 74 West back to Hwy 23. Not even a mile out of town, a single HUGE lightning bolt rips the sky asunder followed by an immediate thrashing of my eardrums. It is now that I realize there are no longer any headlights behind me, the clouds have assumed a dark shade of grey/green and the rain has all but stopped... :shock: I beat a quick retreat back to town to find the others already seeking cover!
:tab Kevin has holed up under the overhang at the front door of a local repair shop. I spy what looks like the covered entrance to a garage and we take cover, just in time...
Are these really collectibles? (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01868.JPG)
A closer look (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01869.JPG)
The storm is approaching from behind Kevin's hiding place (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01870.JPG)
Looking South into what we had just come through (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01871.JPG)
And then it hits... (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01872.JPG)
:tab At first, the wind hit and the temperature dropped rapidly. Then the rain start coming down in earnest! Then it started hailing. By this time we are hiding behind the bikes in the corner with the local town hound dog that has joined us.
Hailing, the big obvious white spots are water on the lens, not hail! (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01873.JPG)
:tab By the time the second wave passed through, we had been sitting here for just over an hour. We still had a good ways to go to get back to the hotel. Hopefully, the others are not getting worried about us. When the worst of the storm has passed over, we suit back up and head West on Hwy 74, the clouds no longer green! Once again, Kevin takes point and runs off into the distance. Dave, Paul, Greg and myself just run a nice relaxed pace. The rain has all but stopped. Yet the last few miles before we reach Hwy 23, my tires feel like they are sliding all over the road. A few more turns at tip toe speeds and now I know I am sliding. Dave is right behind me, I hope I am not slowing him up?
:tab We reach Hwy 23 and Kevin is nowhere to be found... :-? I don't like this. All day long he has been real good about waiting at the next intersection. Dave pulls up and excitedly asks me if I has been sliding all over the road the last few miles? I assure him that I had and am glad to hear it was not just me! But where is Kevin? Paul and Greg arrive and wonder the same thing? We head North to Huntsville hoping to find that Kevin has stopped for gas in town as we are planning to do. No dice. By now, we are concerned that perhaps the slippery conditions may have gotten the best of him. Paul and Greg decided to wait at the gas station while Dave and I run back to the last place I know I saw Kevin for sure.
:tab This is the kind of ride I hate. I've done it before and when I did find the rider I was looking for, it was my Dad. He'd had a nasty lowside followed up with an even nastier highside. I rounded the corner to see him out cold in a ditch and his bike upside down, wheels spinning, in the middle of the road. The feeling of coming up on something like that is indescribeable. Were we about to find the same thing today?
:tab We carefully work our way back to the East on Hwy 74, scanning the ditches and woods, looking for telltale scrape marks on the pavement or the soft shoulder. Nothing. I notice this time that there is a large timber processing facility on one side of the road. I'm guessing that perhaps the lumber treatment is what is on the road making it so slick. We finally reach the last place where I remember seeing Kevin ahead of us and turn around, scanning again all the way back to town. Nothing.
:tab At this point, we simply hope he has gone on to the hotel without us and we'll get the opportunity to scold him when we arrive. The thought that he might be enjoying a cold beer while we are out here sweating bullets drives us crazy, hehe. We head North out of Huntsville on Hwy 23 at a brisk pace. A few miles North of town I round a corner and go blitzing by a State Trooper, the same trooper that spoke with us earlier this morning :shock: The look on his face is priceless. I guess he was expecting more of us, and at the pace we were running, it was not worth the hassle of turning around to come after us. We were only about 10mph over at the time we pass him. I watch for his lights in my mirror, but it is near 5:00pm and probably close to the end of his watch. I never seem him again :mrgreen:
:tab A moment or two later, we pass several oncoming bikes. There is no mistaking the lime green and bright red of Dave Viosca'a Guzzi V-11! I throw out a quick wave, but he's never seen me on the GS. Come to think of it, I don't think he even knows I have it. I make a mental note to email him when I get home, and then we continue running North. Dave is probably headed home after a weekend of riding.
:tab A few miles South of Eureka Springs, I am starting to get that feeling. you know, the feeling where you just want to get there already! I am running behind a truck, hanging back about 75 feet or so. I am trying to be polite and not rush the guy because he is at least doing the speed limit. We finally reach a decent (legal) passing zone and I zip around him. As soon as I swing back into the lane, I spot another of those freakishly large turtles in the middle of the road. It is doing its' slow motion imitation of the Six Million Dollar Man.
:tab I'm sure in his world, this turtle is booking across the road. In my world, he is standing stone still right in front of my front tire!! Make no mistake, this guy is so large that hitting him would be ugly. In an instant, I make a hard swerve and just miss his lengthy tail. My next thought is of the bikes still behind the truck. They are close behind the truck setting up to pass. When the Snapper comes out from under the truck, they are likely to be looking far up the road and could miss seeing him. A quick glance into the mirrors and I see the truck swerve hard! I guess the bikes behind swerved instinctively and stayed in the wheel tracks of the truck. A quick count and all helmets behind me are accounted for :dude:
:tab Soon we are back in town. The skies have cleared out and it has turned into a beautiful evening :roll: We pull into the parking and what do we see?? Kevin is wandering around with a cold beer in his hand :pound: He's never going to hear the end of it!! We decide he owes us all a round of drinks at dinner, hehe. Chris has his VFR torn apart in the parking lot in an attempt to figure out why his main fuse melted down, and I mean MELTED, not just blown. It's obvious he won't be riding the bike home. I've got room for two more bikes on the trailer if we can come up with enough straps. Greg rode up with Chris and does not relish the thought of riding home alone, so we will trailer him home as well (at least to DFW).
:tab Our mileage today was only 290 miles. Not bad considering the weather had us pinned down for a bit. Soon everyone gathers around and we make plans for dinner. It seems Sparky's Grill has won the vote, it's close and good. Unfortunately, it is also closed!! Which means we walk over to the Big Dog Grill. Mc Donald's would be better than this place...
:tab The Big Dog is new. It has a nice deck outside and is basically a pool hall/bar inside. Heavy metal music is blaring on the outside speakers so loud we can barely hear each other talk. The waitress agrees to turn it down a notch, but it is right back up in no time. About ten minutes after we all place our orders, the waitress comes back out and tells us that they are out of chicken in any shape or form. More than half of us ordered some kind of chicken. Then when the food finally comes out in little doggie bowls, she informs us that they are out of hamburger buns and we get toast instead! As son as the food is on the table, every table around us fills up with smokers and we are thoroughly fogged the rest of the meal :puke: All in all, it is a horrible experience. I am now so stopped up from the smoke that I can harldy breathe and have a splitting headache.
:tab After dinner we all gravitate back to the porch area at the hotel. Buzz breaks out the Jeigermeister... I don't take any pictures. We won't want any evidence of things to come... After much beer and other things are consumed, I head out around midnight. We will be getting up early tomorrow. I want to load the bikes now and leave by 7:00am. I get outvoted and we will be loading the bike in the morning, which means we will be getting home late. Oh well...
:tab Monday morning arrives BRIGHT and early. It is incredibly beautiful outside. The view from the hotel blacony (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01875.JPG) is fantastic. We finally get all the bikes loaded (Pic 1 (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01874.JPG) / Pic 2 (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01876.JPG)), fill up with diesel and head out around 10:45am... :-| Leaving town on such a beautiful day is killing us.
:tab We hit Fort Worth about 6:30pm and drop off Greg and Chris. We can see a huge storm brewing to the South in the direction we are heading. Chris's wife informs us that there are severe thunderstorm alerts to the South and wonders if we might want to wait. We are already about four hours behind the schedule I had hoped to make so we push onward. In Ennis, we stop for dinner and it starts to rain. We are still on the edge of the storm and the sun is coming in under the edge of the clouds. It makes two huge full rainbows, very cool looking against the dark and bleak backdrop of the imminent storm.
:tab Fast food in hand, we venture into the looming darkness. Well, it should be dark, and it is between lightning flashes, but the flashes are so many and so frequent, that the sky spends very little time actually dark. For a while, the rain stops and we just get a fantastic lighning show. Paul and Doug are trying to take pictures with their digital cameras set for long exposure times. I am just trying to keep the road in sight as the constant flashing is blinding me! As we get farther South, the rain really starts to come down hard. Cars are pulling over, we are crawling along at about 25mph... WOOSH!!! The freaking 18 wheelers have not slowed down at all!!?? If anything, they seem to be going even faster?!
:tab As we approach Centerville, the lightning has increased and is now really close to us. We see several bolts come down in the nearby woods on the side of the freeway. Then a bolt hits the shoulder of the freeway right in front of us, a few car lengths out. In uinson, we scream like little girls. Chunks of flaming debris fly up into the road right in front of us. We run right over it and pass through a huge cloud of smoke, the smell of ozone permeating the truck. My face and arms are tingling from the intense adrenalin rush. My heart is pounding away. Worst of all, I can't see a thing with my central vision and I'm having to navigate using my peripheral vision until the streak in my eyes fades about ten minutes later. The rain stops... and then the hail begins, pea sized at first and then...
:tab We are sweating bullets. It sounds like there is an army of angry gnomes pounding on the truck with ball peen hammers! This is NOT good. It's hard to imagine that the truck is not taking any damage, and then there are the bikes... :-| I think we all have a sick feeling in our stomachs as we imagine the worst. There are cars crowded under the few overpasses in the area. Some cars are actually stopped in the right lane!! Between the strongwinds and driving on the hail, the truck is weaving back and forth. It is like driving on ball bearings! The road is completely covered.
:tab We spot a rest stop and try to pull under some trees for cover. No good. As we start to pull out, we spot a lone motorcycle rider taking the spot under the tre
http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/
:tab After months and months of eagerly awaiting the arrival of Memorial Day Weekend, it is finally upon us. The weather has been incredible all week, but now it looks rather threatening. When I get home from work Thursday afternoon, I find Paul "Scratch" Massie in the garage cleaning his bike. Seems he managed to get out of work early! Now we are waiting on Doug "FotoMoto" Smith to arrive. He's riding up from Kingsville. The three of us are going to leave early tomorrow morning and trailer up to Eureka Springs. First things first though... I have things to do to my bike before we leave!
:tab It is a good thing Paul has arrived early. I am in need of a little assistance. My last offroading experience on the R1150GS resulted in a severed ABS sensor cable from the front wheel. The new parts just came in this afternoon and I want to get them intalled before we leave. So Paul helps me disassemble the GS and off we go. While I am at it, we are going to replace my worn front tire as well. Fortunately, GS's are easy to disassemble.
Left side (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01810.JPG) / Right side (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01811.JPG)
:tab Debbie "Snoopster" McMullen shows up while we are working. She's ere to go to dinner with us once Doug arrives. I get the new ABS wires installed after cutting and replacing a ton of zip ties. It seems BMW really likes using a LOT of zip ties to hold wires in place. Paul and I are in the middle of removing the front tire from the rim when Doug arrives. Moments later, one of the other riders calls and cancels because of the impending potential nasty weather in Arkansas. Drat. Everyone is starved so we head to dinner and finish the work when we get back. We're getting up and leaving at 7:00am tomorrow so everyone knocks off fairly early. I have some last minute stuff to do that takes a little more than few last minutes and finally hit the sack around 1:30am... :roll:
:tab Friday morning arrives way to early. I slept like crap, feel like crap and generally have reconfirmed that I hate getting up before 10:00am. :-| We loaded the bike last night so all we have to do is pile in the truck and go. 7:05am and we are actually on the road headed North! I cannot wait for the Coke to kick in... The weather is nice and the drive boring. We pass the hours getting to know one another, talking about everything and anything that comes to mind. We make great time and reach Eureka Springs around 4:30pm. We're not the first to arrive.
:tab We find Buzz "hcope1" Copeland hanging out on the patio enjoying the nice evening. After getting the bikes unloaded, stowing the trailer and checking in, we decide that a short ride is in order. We can't let such a beautiful evening go to waste! So Doug, Buzz and myself grab our gear and head out. Paul elects to hang back at the hotel to take it easy.
:tab By default, I get elected leader of the pack. We head West out of town on US 62. This is one of the more twisty roads in the area. By twisty, I mean there are literally no straights, there are lots of large elevation changes, and 15-20mph blind curves. The pavement is excellent and it is a nice ride even if there is a little traffic. We make a quick gas stop and then head South on Hwy 187 to make a loop down towards Beaver Lake and the dam. There are rental cabins and lodges of all sorts everywhere we look. This area is a really popular resort town. We stop at an overlook that looks out over the North end of the lake and Beaver Dam, then head back on up to US 62 and continue West a few more miles.
:tab Hwy 187 runs North off of US 62 into the hills and woods. Now it is a narrow winding path. The pavement is nice and smooth. We arrive at the White River and there is a long suspension bridge that crosses the river. It is a narrow single lane with a wooden decking. Riding across I have be be careful not to wander from board to board because it makes the bike feel all piggly wiggly. Just after the bridge there is a nice tight right hander that decreases and has a little gravel in the center of the lane, great fun!!
:tab We reach Hwy 23 on the North side of Eureka Springs and it is still early in the evening. So I am thinking we have plenty of time to head North into Missouri and check out Hwy 86, a twisty slice of biker Nervana. It is only a few miles up over the border to Hwy 86 and then we head West, or North, or whatever, we turn left. It starts out kind of ordinary, but after a few short miles the curves start coming rapid fire with no straights at all, just smooth banked transitions. This is one of those rythm roads. You know the type. Brake, lean, gas, lift the bike up and lay it over, brake, lean, gas... rinse and repeat as necessary.
:tab Seeing as how it has been a while since I was last up here, I am running a nice moderate pace to give myself time to get back in the groove of riding really twisty roads. I'm running the late apexes, coming iinto the corners slow and rolling out hard, making sure my eyes are up and looking down the road. It pays off because as I come around one fast corner, there is a goofball standing right smack in the middle of the road wildly waving his arms :shock:
:tab A few feet behind him are two stalled minivans. I'm on the brakes hard and soon start hearing the familiar ABS cycling noises from the GS. Apparently, bozo hears it as well and starts running to get out of my way :lol A quick glance up the road shows no one is coming the other way and I let up a little and slip around them. In the front, a guy has his head under the raised hood. I stop and explain to him that he may want to get his buddy up around the next curve so he has more time to warn people BEFORE they are right on top of him :roll: A few curves later and we reach the end of the road.
:tab We double back and head the way we came, passing the minivans again. Bubba is actually around the next bend so he can warn people before they come around the corner. We head South back to Arkansas and run down Hwy 23 into Eureka Springs. I lead Doug and Buzz through the historic downtown area of town. The turn of the century Vitorian style of architecture prevails. Some of the houses are quite nice! Even the small houses are nice just because of how well they are kept. We soom reach the hotel parking lot and see that several other people have arrived.
Kevin checking out Greg's VFR 750 (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01812.JPG)
My Pig, Will's svelt R1, Paul's hidden Sprint RS, and Chris's VTec VFR800. (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01813.JPG)
Kevin (left) and Doug admire the rides. (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01814.JPG)
The view from our room (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01815.JPG)
:tab Shortly after we get back to the hotel, Buddy and Stephanie arrive. Tonight they're staying elsewhere as the Comfort Inn is booked for the evening. After a little milling about, we decide to do dinner down the road at Sparky's Grill.
Buddy, Doug and Will (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01816.JPG)
Kevin in the first of his many pictures with the ladies all weekend, this is Will's wife, Lauren. (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01817.JPG)
Paul, Chris, Greg and Buzz (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01818.JPG)
Stephanie and Buddy (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01819.JPG)
Doug gets friendly with the locals on the way to Sparky's (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01820.JPG)
:tab Sparky's gets us in and seated pretty quick even with us being a large party. The weather is great and we are out back in their covered patio. Our waitress wades through all the smart __s comments and eventually gets all the orders taken. :roll: I could never be a waiter. :suicide: Here's the gang again:
Chris, Doug, and Kevin (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01821.JPG)
Buddy, Stephanie and Greg (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01822.JPG)
Will and Lauren (http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01823.JPG)
:tab If I did not know better, I would say I am having dinner with a bunch of little girls with all the giggling and laughing going on. It seems everyone is delighted with the food. Kevin manages to get his picture taken with most all of the female waitstaff, especially one cute youngster! :-P The older, not so cute waitresses have much less of a sense of humor, hehe. I wonder if he will be sharing those pictures or just adding them to the collection he likely has on the wall in his bedroom closet? :lol: Stuffed and buzzing, we all make our way back to the hotel where we hang out for a bit.
:tab While we are goofing off in the parking lot, Deb and Tim show up from St. Louis. They roll in at about 10:30pm. I meet them in the driveway to let them know where everyone is and what is going on, then everyone head to their rooms to call it a night. Roll call in the parking lot at 8:30am!
:tab Saturday morning arrives sooner than expected. Some sadistic person set our alarm clock for 5:00am and turned the volume up to max :shock: I bang on the thing trying to figureout how to shut it off in the dark. Paul has to be wondering what in the world I am doing?! I finally get it off and wait for my pulse to drop back down to mostly normal and slip back into lala land. That's just not cool!
:tab The Saturday morning I am expecting rolls around a few hours later and the wakeup nudge from Paul is much less stressful on my circulatory system. He's been up for a while and is heading out for breakfast. I roll and and start the process of coming back to the land of the living. A quick shower, some Raisin Bran and I am good to go! Everyone actually gets to the parking lot on time. After everyone makes sure they are gassed up and ready to roll, we have a quick pre-ride briefing, go over signals, and all that other exciting stuff.
:tab It is decided that we will attempt the longer (460 mile) Northern route in an effort to miss some iffy weather. All week long the weather guessers have been predicting end of the world storms but we haven't seen any of it. It is muggy and overcast, but it doesn't look particularly threatening at the moment and nothing was showing on the radar a few minutes ago. So off we go, heading out of town on US 62 West.
:tab The ride out of town on Hwy 62 is really fun. This is the same stretch we did on last night's short ride. This time we skip the loop out by Beaver lake and the dam and head straight for the section of 187 that runs over the one lane suspension bridge. I pull over to see if anyone wants to take and pictures and just get a lot of blank stares in return. :shrug: So off we go again, headed to Hwy 23 where we turn North and head into Southern Missouri.
:tab Once into Missouri, we hit Hwy 86 and head West. The road starts bending to the North immediately and heads across Table Rock Lake which is fed by the White River. Beautiful homes sit perched on the cliffs above looking down over the river. The North side of the river has a campground and it is packed for the Memorial Day weekend. We get beyond all of this to where the real fun begins, right after passing the turn off for CR F. Missouri has a strange lettering system for it's county roads. The nice thing is that most of them are nicely paved! I dip into the first curve and slip into my groove... which now includes scanning for idiots standing in the middle of the road behind hidden minivans :roll:
:tab Like so many other "groove" rides, this one goes by quickly. We reach the intersection of Hwy 86 and 76 at Smalley's Corner. I wait for everyone else to form up on me. Considering the curviness of the past few miles, I am a little surprised when Deb and Tim bring up the rear within less than a minute. She must really be hustling that Harley around the corners! Impressive.
:tab We run Hwy 76 West into the outskirts of Cassville to pick up Hwy 112 and head South. It seems strange how just moments ago we were in really hilly terrain and now it has flattened out into farm fields. I always wonder what is going through the heads of people that are following me when they have no idea where I am taking them and we start heading down straight flat roads away from the fun stuff? Those that have spent any time riding with me are usually patient because they know there is a method to my madness :twisted: Along those lines we run CR Aa out through a lot of pasturelands, around lots of ninety degree corners, through some gravel, around the tractors, and finally back to a regular highway.
:tab We reach Hwy 37 in the tiny town of Washburn. I don't even see a stoplight anywhere. I do see a stop sign though where we turn off onto Hwy 90 and head West. The folks following me are in for a sweet surprise. I first found out about Hwy 90 from a diminutive UPS delivery driver while stopped for gas in Cassville last fall. He spied our bikes and came over to talk with us. It turns out he rides a Bandit 400 in the area and knows all the good roads. He takes me back to his van and shows me a map, highlights the roads, and then just gives me the map! Very cool! We thanked him and went our merry way. This guy hit the nail on the head when he said Hwy 90 is a great ride. He also has a gift for understatement.
:tab About a mile and a half out of Washburn, we cross Greasy Creek and the road starts to twist and undulate over and around the hills. The elevations changes come one after the other in rapid fire succession. I can feel my stomach getting that funny feeling when the bike goes light as I crest a hill and lean into the tight curve, trusting my tires to do their thing. Then it's down the hill and into the next tight curve that bends back up the next hill. My tush is pushing down into the seat crushing the pathetic stock foam. We start out running along some ridges with views out over the surrounding countryside. Then we slip into the thick forest with trees lining both sides of the road, forming a shadowy tunnel, the curves still just as incredible as before.
:tab Soon we reach the tiny town of Noel. It is situated down in the very Southwest corner of Missouri. Like so many small towns, its' days of glory have long since faded like the paint on the old buildings that line the road through town. There is what appears to be a somewhat active rail line through town, but otherwise I am not sure what sustains the small town. We gas up at a small station and have an interesting time interacting with a few of the locals. "Ride hard, take chances!" This is the favorite phrase of a few of the more vocal locals :roll:
:tab With our tanks topped off, we bactrack on Hwy 90 heading East back towards Cassville. Some people hate backtracking and covering the same ground. To me, it's fine because the road is a totally new ride when you are going the other way ;-) Besides, this road is so much fun, even if it were the same, it would still be worth riding twice! And so I slip once again into the rythmic flow, apexing curve after curve, listening the to the reassuring throb of the Boxer Twin rising and falling in time with the twisting of the road.
:tab As happens so often, the time to reach our next destination seems to slip away almost unnoticed. I pull over in Washburn on Hwy 37 so we can regroup. Tim and Deb usually bring up the rear within a minute or so at the most. She was a little concerned that she might be holding up the group, but from what others in the group are telling me, she is hustling her Harley through the corners just fine. Besides, when leading a group like this, I prefer to keep the pace moderate so that we don't wind up spread out all over the place. True to form, moments after we pull over, Tim and Deb come cruising up with smiles on their faces. We head North on Hwy 37 to Cassville.
:tab The next stretch of our route takes us into the Mark Twain National Forest. I have been through here several times before and it ranks pretty high as one of my favorite rides, unless we get stuck behind traffic... Leading the pack, I can usually make a clean pass and move on but everyone else will get stuck. There simply are very few passing zones here. Today it is not too bad until I come up behind a truck with some guy eating fries, a burger and sucking down a shake. He does not want to be passed and is driving eratically! It is times like this that I prefer to be on the VFR with it's ability to accelerate around people before they can really react. The GS takes time to get up a head of steam... When the moment arrives, I start accelerating up behind the truck and before he realizes what is happening, I slip around him and ride off into the woods. It seems to be clear sailing now.
:tab Everything is great for a few miles until I come gliding up behind a couple on an older model Goldwing. The highway pegs on this thing stick out so far that he available lean angle is almost nil. To compound the problem, the driver does not seem to know how to negotiate a corner smoothly. When he sees me coming, he tries to speed up rather than just moving over and letting me by. I have to think his passenger is either exceptionally naive and does not realize how close they are to disaster, or is just really trusting. I lay back hoping the driver will relax and not feel pushed by me. It doesn't work. This guy is wobbling through the corners and even freaking me out a bit! We finally reach a short straight and I move around him, then it is clear sailing the rest of the way.
:tab Hwy 76, the one we've been running, eventually hits Hwy 173 at Cape Fair. At the intersection is Koppie's Diner, a fifties style burger cafe. We pull in here for lunch. It is a little overcast, but it doesn't look like rain is in the near future. The weather predictions have been dire, but so far we've been lucky. The overcast keeps it from getting really hot and makes for great riding.
Outisde the diner (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01824.JPG) / Take two (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01825.JPG)
Inside - Paul, Buzz, Kevin, Buddy, and Will (L to R) (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01827.JPG)
Deb and Tim (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01828.JPG)
:tab Despite the size of our group and the presence of other people in the diner, our food comes out quickly and is great. Judging by the glassed over eyes and distant stares after eating, everyone is pleased with their lunch :lol: After some ice cream, we head out to the parking lot and get ready to roll.
Doug and Deb discussing the ride (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01829.JPG)
Deb's Harley and Tim's Beemer (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01830.JPG)
Greg, Buzz and Chris (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01831.JPG)
Most of the gang (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01832.JPG)
:tab After lunch we skirt over the North side of Branson. I want to miss the holiday traffic in and around Branson if possible. We run Hwy 76 East to Hwy 13 and then up to Hwy 248. The traffic is not bad at all, very cool. We pick up US 160 and continue East. Somewhere along the line we lose a few folks so I pull over to wait. A minute or two goes by and no one shows up. I start getting that uneasy feeling. I tell the others to wait here and then head back up the road in search of the others. A few miles up the road I pass them coming the other way, all accounted for and seemingly fine. When we join up with the others, they inform us that they just had to pull over for something. Whew! I am definitely relieved.
:tab There is a little more traffic on US 160 that I would like, but it is not heavy and it does not really slow us down. The highway is smooth and has predictable curves as it winds its way over to Lake Taneycomo. Here we turn North on CR H. This is another great road. The traffic thins out almost immediately and it is just us, the road, and the beautiful woods. Kevin has been riding behind me most of the morning and the two of us gradually pull away from the others on this road. We come around a corner to find a bunch of dirt bikes coming the other way. There are kids of all sizes and ages on all sizes and makes of dirt bikes. It is really cool to see all these kids out having a great time in the woods. They are totally decked out in full riding gear. It really makes me want to go play with them, hehe.
:tab A fw moments and curves later, I come around a corner to find that the road has suddenly and without warning become loose chip seal gravel. Kevin sees the large puff of dust come up from my bike as I slide into the corner and he slows down. I stay on the gas until the bike quits sliming around. That was exciting! We slow way down and take our time negotiating the corners. It would seem that the road crews don't care about sweeping off all the excess gravel from their "paving". As I near the end of a particularly long straight, I notice that Kevin has pulled over back at the beginning of the straight. So I wait, he waits... then he turns around... :-? I really hope no one has lost it on the gravel!
:tab A few moments later, I turn around and head back to see what I might find. Once again, I find everyone coming along the other way, all accounted for and doing fine. What a relief! I guess the gravel just really freaked a few of them out and they were taking it extra slow and cautious. Better safe than sorry! Soon we reach Hwy 125 and the real fun begins.
:tab Like so many of the roads in the area, me trying to describe Hwy 125 seems kind of pointless. Regardless of the prose I try to use, you as a reader will never truly appreciate the reality of the experience until you have sampled it for yourself. Mere words can only create a vague impression of the true sense of the road. Suffice to say, it is very technical, demanding all of one's attention and the exercise of all the riding skills. The pavement is silky smooth, the scenery beautiful, and the path serpentine. It goes on for mile afer blissful mile...
:tab When we reach Bradleyville at Hwy 76, we stop for a break. It has warmed up, or maybe all the concentration makes it feel like it has warmed up, I don't know. My GS doesn't have the nifty digital ambient temperature gauge like the VFR and it drives me nuts! Regardless, everyone else seems a little toasty and welcomes the break.
Kevin, Chris, Paul, Doug, Buzz, and Tim talk excitedly about the ride! (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01833.JPG)
Buzz is no doubt regaling Doug and Tim with one of his numerous good ol' boy stories, hehe (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01834.JPG)
Greg, Chris and Buddy, men of action hanging loose. (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01835.JPG)
:tab After the break we continue running South on Hwy 125 for more of the same. After a few miles of moderate curves, the road twists back into motorcycle nirvanna, the next curve starting almost before the last has finished! This is the perfect place to come to take a center flattened tire and round it back off to a nice smooth profile. Peg feelers lose their lives here. Soon we reach US 160 again. While we wait for the stragglers to regroup, Doug suggests that we backtrack a few miles and do it all again. I am uncertain because we still have a lot of miles left in the day and time may start to become an issue, but looking at the faces of the others soon convinces me that they aren't all that concerned about this time thing. And so, regrouped, we head North back into the woods.
:tab About ten miles up the road, I finally pull over at a place where traffic will have a chance to see us and stop while we are in the middle of the road turning around. Kevin takes the lead on his VFR for the run back South to US 160. I let him go. Trying to keep his pace on this road on the GS is more hassle than I am up to. Nonetheless, the pace back South is fast and fun! We regroup a second time and continue back on our original route, South on 125 to Bull Shoals Lake where we will catch the ferry across to the other side. The few remaining miles of 125 down to the ferry seem somewhat less than exciting...
:tab Soon we are on the shore of the lake and the ferry is on the far side taking on a load of vehicles. So we park and wait.
Waiting for the ferry to arrive (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01836.JPG)
Exploring the artsy fartsy side of my camera (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01837.JPG) :mrgreen:
The whole posse plus a few new comers hanging on the end (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01838.JPG)
More artsy stuff (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01839.JPG)
:tab While standing around, I notice that there are some admirers of the bikes:
A future adventure tourer? (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01840.JPG)
Maybe a set of HeliBars would solve his problem? (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01841.JPG)
Almost a perfect fit! (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01842.JPG)
Just before the ferry arrives (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01843.JPG)
:tab The ferry arrives and unloads its' cargo. Soon we are loaded and ready to go. The ferry pulls gently away from the dock and we begin making our way across the lake.
Kevin, like everyone else, makes sure his gear is secured (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01844.JPG)
Kevin and Buddy living on the edge... (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01845.JPG)
They've gone over the edge (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01846.JPG)
The ferry man, not a talkative fellow (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01847.JPG)
I don't think knobbies would help much here (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01848.JPG)
Chris Hayden, he doesn't have a cool username (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01849.JPG) :-P
Will and Greg enjoying the ride under the watchful eye of the ferryman (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01850.JPG)
:tab The ferry (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01851.JPG) is simply a barge with a small tug attached in the middle via a hinged joint. When the ferry reaches the far side, the rear of the tug is released and the front stays connected to the barge. The tug spins around the side of the barge until it is facing the opposite direction and the end is attached to the barge. Then off it goes, over and over...
:tab As we near the far side, I start putting on all my gear so I can be ready when we unload. As we are unloaded, it is apparent that not everyone has done likewise and we will need to pull over immediately so they can get situated. Just off the ferry, there is a parking lot on the right so I pull in for a quick stop. I scarcely come to a stop when I hear the unmistakable crunch of a bike going over on its' side. A quick look back and I see Kevin standing next to his VFR, doh!! Seems he left his helmet hanging on his right mirror and when he went to turn, the helmet hit his front brake lever and locked up the tire, PLOP!! We get the bike righted and see there is no damage other than to his ego, which handles the blow effortlessly. In all the excitement, I forget to get a picture!! :roll:
:tab We get Kevin upright and head out. We're running South on Hwy 125 away from the lake. The curves open up into big smooth sweepers. The shoulder is wide and the woods set back from the edge of the road a good ways. Visibility through the corners is fantastic. This of course leads to one thing... We reach Hwy 14 and turn towards Yellville. This is more of the same big sweepers. After the tight technical stuff of 125 up in Missouri, this is a nice relaxing break. We stop for gas in Yellville and to regroup.
:tab It is getting late in the afternoon and we still have about 200 miles to go in our nearly 440 mile route. It is not looking like we will be getting back in time for a nice group dinner. This does not seem to be cause for much concern among the group. It seems the riding has gotten ahold of them and it is all they care about at the moment. I wonder how Stephanie and Lauren will feel by the time we get back to the hotel? I am sure they are expecting Buddy and Will in time for dinner, hehe. They don't seem too concerned.
:tab We head South out of town to the start of Hwy 235 and start a run to the Southwest. The scenery opens up in to valley views, rolling pastures covered with flowers, and the highway just winds its way along the ridges between the valleys. This is not much in the way of a technical ride, but for some reason I really enjoy this stretch of highway. There is just something about it that takes me to that calm relaxed place in my mind. It seems so far from the worries of the world. I find myself fantasizing about having a nice getaway cabin up here in the woods. We're making pretty good time now that the road has opened up a bit and soon reach US 65 where we turn to the Northwest for a few miles.
:tab US 65 is one of the major North/South artieries through Arkansas and as such it always seems to have RV's on it. Sure enough, while we are sitting at the stop sign waiting to pull out, a huge touring bus and a few RV's go by and get ahead of us. It is a good thing we will only be going a few miles before turning off onto Hwy 123. Despite the traffic, it is a short run up to Hwy 123. It starts out alarmingly straight, but then it climbs up and around the side of a mountain and we are back to running along a winding ridgeline to the Southwest. I glance back and see the long line of bikes snaking through the corners. I prefer that view from the rear but I seldom get the chance to ride sweep for a large group.
:tab When we reach the intersection of Hwy's 374 and 123, I pull over to regroup before we get back into the twisty stuff again. Once South of this intersection, the pavement on 123 is newer and very smooth. The road winds its way down to the small town of Mt. Judea. Just East of town, 123 splits from Hwy 74, they have been running together since just North of Hwy 374. Here is where we encounter the warning sign indicating steep grades and tight curves ahead... we are not disappointed!
:tab We run a few miles to reach the base of Kent Mountain and then start the climb to get up on the ridge. The switchbacks are steep 5 and 10 mph corners with a bit of loose gravel tossed in for fun :eek: Going up seems not to be so bad. I know from past experience that coming down is a little more exciting, hehe. After clearing the switchbacks, the road runs along the side of the mountain through a series of 15-20 mph corners. Here the left side of the road climbs steeply and the right side drops off steeply, there is no run off at all! There are several places where the pavement has washed away when the underlying mountain slid out from under it. The first time I came here, I rounded a blind 20 mph corner to find my lane was completely gone :shock: Today, we have a bit more notice and once again, part of our lane is completely gone, leaving a one lane road.
:tab Once cleared of the section of road on the side of the mountain, we get up onto the ridgeline and the road becomes a beautiful series of 25mph corners. The lanes are wide with a good wide shoulder as well. The pavement is clean and smooth with no potholes or bad ripples or bumps. This is the perfect road to practice getting as much lean angle as you can. The nice thing is that you really don't have to go fast to do so. There are only a handful of driveways and no side roads. There is one dog to worry about near the South end before we start to descend from the ridge. Once back down off the ridge, we pull over at Lurton, a one house and one stopsign town, to wait for the others. Grins are stretched from ear to ear on all the faces I see coming up behind me!
Buzz on his 2000 VFR 800. (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01852.JPG)
:tab This road is so much fun, we are turning around and doing it again. I usually try to hit it several times on each trip when I come up here because it is almost always a favorite of everyone. Once everyone shows up, we give them the turn around signal and take off. But as I round the second or third corner, I see Doug stopped on the side of the road, his bike laying on its' side!! It seems he had stopped to shoot some video of us and when his foot hit the loose sand on the shoulder, it slipped right out from under him and down went the bike. He and the bike are fine, hehe. We get the bike righted and head off.
Kevin waiting patiently to head back up the ridge (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01853.JPG)
:tab There is one particular spot on 123 that is perfect for getting action shots of the riders coming around the corners. I make it a point to stop here each time we come by to get pics of everyone, and video if possible.
Will Howard on his 2004 R1 (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01854.JPG)
Buddy Thomas laying over the big Goldwing! (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01855.JPG)
Chris Hayden on his VTec VFR 800 (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01856.JPG)
Paul Massie on his Triumph Sprint RS (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01857.JPG)
Doug Smith on his custom painted Vtec VFR 800 (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01858.JPG)
Greg Gmeiner on his 94-97 model VFR 750 (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01859.JPG)
Kevin Bailey hamming it up for the camera on his custom painted Vtec VFR 800 (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01861.JPG)
doug and Kevin come back by to setup for another pass (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01863.JPG)
:tab After Doug and Kevin's last pass, Kevin comes back to where I am sitting to check out a few of the pics. Satisfied that we have some decent ones, I head back to my bike. Kevin asks if I'd like to sample his VFR, which of course I do, and so we swap bikes. His VFR has a sweet custom exhaust on it and he has dropped a tooth off the front sprocket :twisted: I can't think of many roads better than 123 to sample a bike! And away I go...!!!
:tab I don't see Kevin or Doug in my mirrors again. Everyone else has already gone ahead and so I find myself alone to enjoy the road and the bike. I find myself getting hard on the gas coming out of the corners, the bike pulls fanstastic and the sound is intoxicating!! The throttle is a LOT more sensitive that the GS's, which is hard as heck to hold open :mad: There is something wrong with it and I will have to get it checked when we get back from this trip. For now, I am having to retrain my brain on the fly so I don't send myself flying off into the woods. Soon, it is like I have never been off the VFR, the shifts coming smooth with small blips of the throttle, flicking it into the curves and rolling hard away from the apex. I could just run back and forth on this road all freaking day long!! But we have somewhat of a schedule to keep and I know the others are waiting for us at the bottom of the mountain. I head down the switchbacks, careful of the twitchy throttle. It is here where the wide bars of the GS really shine. Switchbacks are a breeze on the GS, up or down them. I find everyone sitting back at the warning sign just outside Mt. Judea. They seem surprised to see me when I roll up on the VFR with a big wide grin on my face :twisted: Moments later Kevin and Doug roll up behind us. Kevin comfirms my opinion that the GS throttle pull is a little on the insane side of things!
:tab We head back up 123 to 374 and cut over to the West, intent now on making time back to Eureka Springs. We stop for gas in Jasper before continuing West on Hwy 74. It is getting late in the evening and a bit hazy. The air feels thick and heavy, as if rain is imminent. The stretch of 74 between Jasper and Boxley is a great ride. Much of the area is part of the Buffalo National River area. The terrain is steep and twisty. We fall in behind a lady in a Jeep Liberty that is set on staying ahead of us. I hang back and watch her throw this poor vehicle through the corners like a woman possessed. Down here in the woods, it is virtually dark and the roads slightly damp. I just use her headlights to scan the curves ahead. In some areas, the curves become tight 20mph switchbacks. Great fun!
:tab At Boxley, we head North on Hwy 21 for the final run to Eureka Springs. It is not that the scenery and the road is boring, it is just that now it is dark, folks are likely getting tired and their attention to their riding is waning. I've seen it before. We soon reach US 62 and make the final shot West into Eureka Springs where we find Stephanie and Lauren all dressed up waiting to go out for dinner with Buddy and Will. It is nearly 9:00pm. Things close down pretty early here in Eureka Springs, but I give them a few suggestions and they go off in hopes of finding some good food at this late hour. The rest of us opt for having pizza delivered to the porch area out in front of the rooms!! A wise choice! After consuming too much pizza and beer, we saunter off to our rooms and call it a night.
:tab total miles for Saturday, right about 450.
:tab Sunday morning comes around grey and early. The weather is predicted to be terrible everywhere. However, it is not actually raining right now so the crowd decides to head out and see what happens. Today, Stephanie and Lauren will be joining us. Stephanie is on the back of the Luxotourer Goldwing with Buddy, and Lauren on the perch behind Will on his R1 :lol: Also joining us is Dave "OldmanViffer" from Tulaso, Okalahoma on his VFR. With everyone gassed up and ready to roll, we head South out of town on Hwy 23 towards Huntsville. The skies look ominous, but the roads are dry.
:tab A few miles North of Huntsville, just off of Hwy 23, is Withrow Springs State Park. In this same area, the road gets nice and twisty. We have been stuck behind this lady in an SUV for some time that speeds up on the straights and slows down in the corners so we cannot get around her. I have been sitting back a ways trying not to crowd her. Finally, I cannot take it any longer. When we come out onto a nice straight, I slip around her and then off into the next corner and think nothing of it. It was not a rushed pass and there was no oncoming traffic. As is often the case with a large group, not everyone can make the pass at the same time so I did not see everyone else for some time.
:tab When I reached the outskirts of Huntsville, I pulled over into a small parking lot to wait for everyone else to catch up to me. Right about the time the last bikes pulled into the lot behind me, one of Arkansas's finest pulls up in the road in front of me. He very carefully dons his wide brimmed trooper's hat and steps out of the car.
:tab Since I am nearest, I guess he assumes I am the leader of this bunch. He then proceeds to question me about where we had just come from, where we are going, etc,... He informs me that a motorist had just called in a complaint that she had been dangerously passed by a large horde of bikers! Apparently, much of the group behind me passed on a double yellow and it sent this poor woman over the edge! The trooper glares at me with a very stern face, "Being as it is the holiday weekend, we are cracking down and not cutting anyone any slack!" I get a sick feeling in my stomach. "Ya'll slow down, be careful and have a nice weekend." "Yes Sir! Thank you Sir!" is my quick and sincere reply!
:tab I make a show of going back through the group and lecturing everyone about the dangers of passing on a double yellow and that the troopers are out watching for us this weekend. The trooper seems satisfied and with that, he gets back in his car and drives away leaving us sitting on the side of the road. Whew!
:tab We gingerly make our way South out of town and head for Hwy 74. We head East on 74 and run over to Kingston. The entire town sits on the town square, and it is not a big square. I stop in the middle of the square so we can regroup again. A glance South and I notice foreboding clouds. We head South on Hwy 21 towards what looks like impending gloom. Sure enough, a few miles out of town I pull over and warn everyone to start donning the rain gear as we won't have a chance much further up the road. Deb informs me that her and Tim will be heading back. She has wisely decided that she does not need to be pushing her limits while riding in the rain. The rest of us suit up and prepare for the worst.
:tab Another fifteen miles or so South and we reach Edwards Junction where Hwy 21 and 16 split apart. It has been raining harder and harder. Now, as we sit here deciding our next course of action, the fog rolls in real heavy and the rain is coming in sideways. Visibility is maybe 50 yards or so. Buddy and Will are thinking they need to head back, the ladies are in firm agreement. The rest of us decide to push on South hoping to come out on the far side of the rain. Thinking everyone has been squared away and accounted for, we head West on Hwy 21/16 into the grisly weather.
:tab Buddy and Will had decided to continue with us because the nearest gas stations were likely to be ahead rather than behind. Will's range on the R1 is limited. It turns out that several of VFR riders have the same range issues?! :scratch Don't understand that as I could almost always count on getting 200 miles out of a tank on our VFR 800's. Anyway, after slogging our way through the fog and carefully making our way around the great curves, we stop again in Fallsville to reconsider.
:tab We now have the option of heading South on Hwy 21 to Clarksville where there is gas for sure, or continuing West on Hwy 16 in the hopes that several of the small gas stations might be open on a Sunday afternoon, something rare in rural parts of Arkansas. It is only about another 25 miles to Clarksville and Will thinks he can make that. Greg now informs me that his VFR is now running on fumes!? Good grief! And where the heck is Chris?! I just noticed that he is not with the group. Greg and a few others assure me that he had turned around at our last stop and headed back for the hotel. For a few moments, I have an uneasy feeling. I never like losing track of someone unless I know directly what is up. But with so many people assuring me, I put it out of my mind. Doug and Buzz have decided that they will be heading West on 16 to 23 and then heading back to the hotel. They've had enough of the rain. Greg, Kevin, Dave, Paul, Buddy & Steph, Will & Lauren and myself continue South on Hwy 21 into the rain.
:tab The fog has mostly blown on through and now it is just a low hanging overcast and a steady rain. The lightning and winds have died off for the most part. I set a nice steady and smooth pace. The road has been recently repaved, is exceptionally clean and offers superb wet traction. Soon I am not even aware of the rain as I focus on arcing through the curves as smoothly as I can, never hard on the brakes or the gas. As we come down the South side of the mountain ridge, the road becomes a series of tight 25mph switchbacks. Woods line the edge of the road on each side, climbing up the hills to the left, and falling away into a valley below on the right.
:tab I know that for many riders, the thought of riding in the rain is distressing. I used to be one of those riders myself. I did not trust my tires to hold to the road and I was just plain scared. With experience, oft born of necessity, I have learned to trust the bike, to read the road for traction, and to have fun when riding in the rain. Rain riding will either kill you or make you a much smoother rider ;-) No, it won't necessarily kill you literally, but it may emotionally cripple you so that you may never enjoy it for the rest of your riding career. Many riders get frustrated because they can't go fast in the rain. I try to emphasize that trying to go fast is the wrong approach. The focus should be on doing everything possible to minimize negative impacts on potential traction. This means no hard braking or other drastic manuevers, scanning the pavement for potential slick spots, adjusting your lines to the widest and gentlest possible arc through a curve, and so on. If you do all of this, then the speed will come comfortably and naturally, not in a forced and tense way.
:tab When I reach the edge of town on US 64, I pull over to wait for the others. Kevin, Paul and Dave are the only ones with me. We spend a few minutes chatting it up with a local Harley rider that is sitting out the sprinkles. A few more minutes go by and now I am starting to worry slightly. The others should have been here by now. A few more minutes and I can't take it. Instructing the others to wait here, I head back up the road in search of the others. About five miles up the road I pass them heading South. It seems they did not think they could make it all the way into town for gas and stopped at one of the little two pump stations just outside of town. Relieved, I spin back around and follow them until we hook up with everyone else.
:tab We putt into town, the rest of us fill up our bikes, and then we head to the local Mexican Restaurant. The grill I had intened to visit has closed down since my last visit, peculiar since their food was great. We now know that folks in Arkansas don't do Mexican food very well :puke: The service was great. Kevin got another picture of him and a cute waitress. But overall, the food was just bland. It was however filling. Of course, mud would be filling...
:tab After lunch we head out of town on Hwy 352 for Ozark. This road runs roughly parallel to I-40 but is a much nicer drive. I'm blasting along, lost in though and happy that the rain seems to have moved off to the Northeast. I crest a hill and find myself bearing down on some kids on the road messing with some huge thing. They look up and see me, dodge for the side of the road and leave the THING in the road. As I blast by, I catch a glance down and notice that the THING is a freaking HUGE snapper turtle with a head the size of a big grapefruit. I laugh as I think how I would not have been able to leave the critter alone when I was a youngster like these kids.
:tab When we reach Ozark, we head North on Hwy 23 to the start of the famed Pig Trail Scenic Byway. Before we get to the really twisty stuff, I pull over because my rear tire has been feeling like it is squirming around and I think it might be flat. A quick check of the tread shows a cut, but a check with the tire gauge shows everything to be fine. Hmmm...? Maybe it is just the road surface interaction with my tire. No one else seems to be having trouble. So we take off again and I resolve to pay attention to how the bike is reacting as we get into the more challenging stuff.
:tab The Pig Trail starts out as a series of sweeping curves that climb around the edges of the foothills and then it becomes tighter and tighter. Soon we are deep in the woods, the branches and leaves covering the road like a translucent roof. The pavement is still wet in places but it is not raining. The woods have that fresh look, the wet tree trunks, the leaves wet and dripping, everything clean.
:tab Not far into the Pig Trail, there is a long line of slow moving traffic holding up the show. So we decide to pull over and let it get ahead of us. Passing here is pretty much out of the question.
Lauren, Stephanie and Buddy taking a break (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01864.JPG)
One of the many great corners on the Pig Trail (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01865.JPG)
Another view (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01866.JPG)
Waiting out the traffic (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01867.JPG)
:tab After a nice break, we mount up to finish the ride. We pull out just in time to get ahead of another long line of slow moving vehicles. Kevin and Dave take the lead. The last I see of them, Dave's rear tire is stepping out as he downshift's going into a tight lefthander, and then they are gone. We catch up to the a little bit later at the next stop sign where Hwy 23 and 16 join together. We run together until we reach the spot where 23 and 16 split again. Will and Buddy are headed on up 23 to Eureka Springs to call it a day. Their passengers have had enough damp weather riding. Dave, Paul, Kevin, Greg and myself decide to run East on Hwy 16. We wave goodbye to the others as we split off and head East.
:tab It sprinkles a bit now and then, but still no bad rain. The road has patchy damp spots but nothing bad. Most of the curves are surprise free, well except for one... When I was out here last fall with another group of Texas riders on VFRs, we came cooking into what looked like a nice right handed sweeper only to find that as it climbed the side of the hill, it tightened up considerably. I came in first, chanting "look, lean, believe... look, lean, believe..." It worked for me, I dragged a peg most of the way through, and managed not to do anything to upset the bike. The adrenalin high was kind of groovy too :twisted: But now I am thinking that prudence is the better part of valor. We got lucky last time and I don't care to push our luck this time. So I am on the look out for this curve.
:tab Well, I find it as we come in kind of quick and start having to lean wayyy over, hehe. But this time I was expecting it so there was no surprise involved and the guys behind me have time to react. This is one of those curves that seems to just keep going and going and going... And then the road sets off into the woods with nary a straight in sight for some time. It is a shame that everyone else is missing out on this. Soon we reach Fallsville again and pull over for a conference. The clouds are getting dark again and it is obvious that some serious storming is upon us.
:tab A local lady is sitting in the gravel parking lot of the closed shop, the sole building other than a large ailing barn. She informs us that there is a severe storm heading our way quickly. There is a tornado watch, large hail and high winds are expected. The bad news is that it is between us and Eureka Springs. Do we try to loop back South and do and end run around it? Do we race to the Northeast and try to outrun it to do an endrun around the front of the storm? There is no where out here to hole up for cover to ride it out. :-| While we are debating out options, the storm is coming on fast, limiting our choices. Then a small SUV pulls up with a bike on a trailer behind it. Out pops Buzz, Doug and Chris :scratch
:tab It seems that earlier, when we thought Chris was going to head back to Eureka Springs, his bike failed to start as we all rode away. :-( Unbeknowst to us, Chris's bike had suffered a massive electrical meltdown leaving him stranded in the middle of the mountains in a nasty storm :shock: Crap!! I feel horrible! I thought for sure we had everyone accounted for before leaving that intersection! Fortunately, he was able to leave a message at the hotel. When Doug and Buzz returned, they got the message and set out with Buzz's trailer to retrieve him, just in the nick of time it would seem. The wind is now picking up and the lightning and thunder is coming on good! We bid them farewell and they decide to just run Hwy 16 West to 23 and run up to Eureka. We may be crazy, but we are going to attempt the end run around the leading edge of the storm since we are mostly ahead of it now.
:tab Fate seems kind to us for now. We are running quickly over Hwy 16 back to Edwards Junction where Chris spent a soggy afternoon with his disabled bike. Then we head North on Hwy 21 and make for Kingston. We don't make it... Soon the rain is coming down so hard it is difficult to make out the lane on the road. The drops are bouncing back up several inches creating a hazy layer of water over the surface of the road. The individual drops are so large that they are stinging my chest even through my riding jacket and rain suit! As we near Kingston, the rain lets up a little. We pass through the town square, we pick up Hwy 74 West back to Hwy 23. Not even a mile out of town, a single HUGE lightning bolt rips the sky asunder followed by an immediate thrashing of my eardrums. It is now that I realize there are no longer any headlights behind me, the clouds have assumed a dark shade of grey/green and the rain has all but stopped... :shock: I beat a quick retreat back to town to find the others already seeking cover!
:tab Kevin has holed up under the overhang at the front door of a local repair shop. I spy what looks like the covered entrance to a garage and we take cover, just in time...
Are these really collectibles? (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01868.JPG)
A closer look (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01869.JPG)
The storm is approaching from behind Kevin's hiding place (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01870.JPG)
Looking South into what we had just come through (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01871.JPG)
And then it hits... (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01872.JPG)
:tab At first, the wind hit and the temperature dropped rapidly. Then the rain start coming down in earnest! Then it started hailing. By this time we are hiding behind the bikes in the corner with the local town hound dog that has joined us.
Hailing, the big obvious white spots are water on the lens, not hail! (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01873.JPG)
:tab By the time the second wave passed through, we had been sitting here for just over an hour. We still had a good ways to go to get back to the hotel. Hopefully, the others are not getting worried about us. When the worst of the storm has passed over, we suit back up and head West on Hwy 74, the clouds no longer green! Once again, Kevin takes point and runs off into the distance. Dave, Paul, Greg and myself just run a nice relaxed pace. The rain has all but stopped. Yet the last few miles before we reach Hwy 23, my tires feel like they are sliding all over the road. A few more turns at tip toe speeds and now I know I am sliding. Dave is right behind me, I hope I am not slowing him up?
:tab We reach Hwy 23 and Kevin is nowhere to be found... :-? I don't like this. All day long he has been real good about waiting at the next intersection. Dave pulls up and excitedly asks me if I has been sliding all over the road the last few miles? I assure him that I had and am glad to hear it was not just me! But where is Kevin? Paul and Greg arrive and wonder the same thing? We head North to Huntsville hoping to find that Kevin has stopped for gas in town as we are planning to do. No dice. By now, we are concerned that perhaps the slippery conditions may have gotten the best of him. Paul and Greg decided to wait at the gas station while Dave and I run back to the last place I know I saw Kevin for sure.
:tab This is the kind of ride I hate. I've done it before and when I did find the rider I was looking for, it was my Dad. He'd had a nasty lowside followed up with an even nastier highside. I rounded the corner to see him out cold in a ditch and his bike upside down, wheels spinning, in the middle of the road. The feeling of coming up on something like that is indescribeable. Were we about to find the same thing today?
:tab We carefully work our way back to the East on Hwy 74, scanning the ditches and woods, looking for telltale scrape marks on the pavement or the soft shoulder. Nothing. I notice this time that there is a large timber processing facility on one side of the road. I'm guessing that perhaps the lumber treatment is what is on the road making it so slick. We finally reach the last place where I remember seeing Kevin ahead of us and turn around, scanning again all the way back to town. Nothing.
:tab At this point, we simply hope he has gone on to the hotel without us and we'll get the opportunity to scold him when we arrive. The thought that he might be enjoying a cold beer while we are out here sweating bullets drives us crazy, hehe. We head North out of Huntsville on Hwy 23 at a brisk pace. A few miles North of town I round a corner and go blitzing by a State Trooper, the same trooper that spoke with us earlier this morning :shock: The look on his face is priceless. I guess he was expecting more of us, and at the pace we were running, it was not worth the hassle of turning around to come after us. We were only about 10mph over at the time we pass him. I watch for his lights in my mirror, but it is near 5:00pm and probably close to the end of his watch. I never seem him again :mrgreen:
:tab A moment or two later, we pass several oncoming bikes. There is no mistaking the lime green and bright red of Dave Viosca'a Guzzi V-11! I throw out a quick wave, but he's never seen me on the GS. Come to think of it, I don't think he even knows I have it. I make a mental note to email him when I get home, and then we continue running North. Dave is probably headed home after a weekend of riding.
:tab A few miles South of Eureka Springs, I am starting to get that feeling. you know, the feeling where you just want to get there already! I am running behind a truck, hanging back about 75 feet or so. I am trying to be polite and not rush the guy because he is at least doing the speed limit. We finally reach a decent (legal) passing zone and I zip around him. As soon as I swing back into the lane, I spot another of those freakishly large turtles in the middle of the road. It is doing its' slow motion imitation of the Six Million Dollar Man.
:tab I'm sure in his world, this turtle is booking across the road. In my world, he is standing stone still right in front of my front tire!! Make no mistake, this guy is so large that hitting him would be ugly. In an instant, I make a hard swerve and just miss his lengthy tail. My next thought is of the bikes still behind the truck. They are close behind the truck setting up to pass. When the Snapper comes out from under the truck, they are likely to be looking far up the road and could miss seeing him. A quick glance into the mirrors and I see the truck swerve hard! I guess the bikes behind swerved instinctively and stayed in the wheel tracks of the truck. A quick count and all helmets behind me are accounted for :dude:
:tab Soon we are back in town. The skies have cleared out and it has turned into a beautiful evening :roll: We pull into the parking and what do we see?? Kevin is wandering around with a cold beer in his hand :pound: He's never going to hear the end of it!! We decide he owes us all a round of drinks at dinner, hehe. Chris has his VFR torn apart in the parking lot in an attempt to figure out why his main fuse melted down, and I mean MELTED, not just blown. It's obvious he won't be riding the bike home. I've got room for two more bikes on the trailer if we can come up with enough straps. Greg rode up with Chris and does not relish the thought of riding home alone, so we will trailer him home as well (at least to DFW).
:tab Our mileage today was only 290 miles. Not bad considering the weather had us pinned down for a bit. Soon everyone gathers around and we make plans for dinner. It seems Sparky's Grill has won the vote, it's close and good. Unfortunately, it is also closed!! Which means we walk over to the Big Dog Grill. Mc Donald's would be better than this place...
:tab The Big Dog is new. It has a nice deck outside and is basically a pool hall/bar inside. Heavy metal music is blaring on the outside speakers so loud we can barely hear each other talk. The waitress agrees to turn it down a notch, but it is right back up in no time. About ten minutes after we all place our orders, the waitress comes back out and tells us that they are out of chicken in any shape or form. More than half of us ordered some kind of chicken. Then when the food finally comes out in little doggie bowls, she informs us that they are out of hamburger buns and we get toast instead! As son as the food is on the table, every table around us fills up with smokers and we are thoroughly fogged the rest of the meal :puke: All in all, it is a horrible experience. I am now so stopped up from the smoke that I can harldy breathe and have a splitting headache.
:tab After dinner we all gravitate back to the porch area at the hotel. Buzz breaks out the Jeigermeister... I don't take any pictures. We won't want any evidence of things to come... After much beer and other things are consumed, I head out around midnight. We will be getting up early tomorrow. I want to load the bikes now and leave by 7:00am. I get outvoted and we will be loading the bike in the morning, which means we will be getting home late. Oh well...
:tab Monday morning arrives BRIGHT and early. It is incredibly beautiful outside. The view from the hotel blacony (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01875.JPG) is fantastic. We finally get all the bikes loaded (Pic 1 (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01874.JPG) / Pic 2 (http://twtex.com/linkfiles/052804ArkPigTrip/DSC01876.JPG)), fill up with diesel and head out around 10:45am... :-| Leaving town on such a beautiful day is killing us.
:tab We hit Fort Worth about 6:30pm and drop off Greg and Chris. We can see a huge storm brewing to the South in the direction we are heading. Chris's wife informs us that there are severe thunderstorm alerts to the South and wonders if we might want to wait. We are already about four hours behind the schedule I had hoped to make so we push onward. In Ennis, we stop for dinner and it starts to rain. We are still on the edge of the storm and the sun is coming in under the edge of the clouds. It makes two huge full rainbows, very cool looking against the dark and bleak backdrop of the imminent storm.
:tab Fast food in hand, we venture into the looming darkness. Well, it should be dark, and it is between lightning flashes, but the flashes are so many and so frequent, that the sky spends very little time actually dark. For a while, the rain stops and we just get a fantastic lighning show. Paul and Doug are trying to take pictures with their digital cameras set for long exposure times. I am just trying to keep the road in sight as the constant flashing is blinding me! As we get farther South, the rain really starts to come down hard. Cars are pulling over, we are crawling along at about 25mph... WOOSH!!! The freaking 18 wheelers have not slowed down at all!!?? If anything, they seem to be going even faster?!
:tab As we approach Centerville, the lightning has increased and is now really close to us. We see several bolts come down in the nearby woods on the side of the freeway. Then a bolt hits the shoulder of the freeway right in front of us, a few car lengths out. In uinson, we scream like little girls. Chunks of flaming debris fly up into the road right in front of us. We run right over it and pass through a huge cloud of smoke, the smell of ozone permeating the truck. My face and arms are tingling from the intense adrenalin rush. My heart is pounding away. Worst of all, I can't see a thing with my central vision and I'm having to navigate using my peripheral vision until the streak in my eyes fades about ten minutes later. The rain stops... and then the hail begins, pea sized at first and then...
:tab We are sweating bullets. It sounds like there is an army of angry gnomes pounding on the truck with ball peen hammers! This is NOT good. It's hard to imagine that the truck is not taking any damage, and then there are the bikes... :-| I think we all have a sick feeling in our stomachs as we imagine the worst. There are cars crowded under the few overpasses in the area. Some cars are actually stopped in the right lane!! Between the strongwinds and driving on the hail, the truck is weaving back and forth. It is like driving on ball bearings! The road is completely covered.
:tab We spot a rest stop and try to pull under some trees for cover. No good. As we start to pull out, we spot a lone motorcycle rider taking the spot under the tre