Tourmeister
05-12-2003, 04:28 PM
Howdy,
:tab I have been wanting to explore the area within about a 50 mile radius of Hamilton for some time now. The lines on my maps make the roads look like they should be fun for the most part. I've long since discovered that there is no such thing as a weekend that works for everybody, so being the guy putting things together, I just pick a weekend that is good for me ;-) This particular weekend is Mother's day, hehe. My Mom is the understanding type and knows how bad I've got the riding bug. Others are not so lucky.
:tab I decide to take off from work early on Friday so I can do a nice liesurely ride out to Gatesville, our base of operations for the weekend. I head by the house for some last minute items and to say goodbye to Beth, she'll be driving up later in the evening after she gets off work. I get away about 4:15pm. It is a sweltering 93 F. Even with the Joe Rocket Phoenix mesh jacket on I am pretty toasty.
:tab I decide to explore some new roads on my way out. I start by just cruising up I-45 to Madisonville and then heading West on Hwy 21 a few miles to the start of FM 1452. The road is nothing special, but the countryside is very nice. It is rolling hills, pastures and forests. There are some very nice looking ranch spreads out here! Seeing all the open pasture with ponds, creeks and hills makes me want to get on a dirtbike and get after it! I make a quick dogleg on FM 39 and then keep West on FM 1452 until I reach the Old Spanish Road, also known as the King's Highway. It was a major travel route in the days prior to Texas attainment of statehood.
:tab I head West on the OSR and pick up the start of FM 1940. Out here on the tops of the hills with nothing to block the wind, it is really blasting! The wind is steady out of the South and has to be blowing a good 20mph and gusting even higher. The trees are just whipping all over the place. However, the sky is just a constand dullish brown haze, smoke blowing up from the slash and burn land clearings in Mexico. Depressing.
:tab I pick up the start of FM 2446 and run it to Franklin. It is nothing special, just a nice relaxing run, up and down, up and down, a bend here and a bend there. When I reach Franklin, I get to watch a bust go down in a convenience store parking lot. The Texas DPS have a van pulled over and the occupants are being cuffed. The van and its passengers remind me of Spiccoli from Fast Times at Ridgemont High, remember that movie? Spiccoli opens the sliding door in the side of the van and clouds of pot smoke come billowing out... :brainsnap Dejavu...
:tab Relieved to know that the DPS have something besides me to occupy them, I head through town and pick up FM 1644 to Calvert. About half way to Calvert I crest a nice hill and see expansive pastures covered in bright yellow flowers. When I crest the next hill and see the same thing again, I have to stop and take pictures:
FM 1644-01 (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/HOT-050903/DSC01335.JPG) / FM 1644-02 (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/HOT-050903/DSC01336.JPG) / FM 1644-03 (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/HOT-050903/DSC01337.JPG) / FM 1644-04 (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/HOT-050903/DSC01338.JPG) / FM 1644-05 (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/HOT-050903/DSC01339.JPG)
:tab When I reach Calvert, I spot some really cool looking old homes off to one side of the road. What the heck, I have time to spare, I'm gonna check them out. I have always been very fond of the architecture of the late 1800's and early 1900's. Houses now seem so bland in comparison. There are about twelve or so really big houses in various states of repair. Most have massive live oak trees in the yards, their broad thick branches covering everything and hiding the house in a cloak of shade. It makes it nearly impossible to get pictures of any of the houses.
:tab One odd looking house (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/HOT-050903/DSC01340.JPG) appears to be a duplex and is exposed, it's the only one I can get a good shot of from the road. I'd hate to be the one responsible for painting the exterior! The roads in the neighborhood are nothing but patched potholes on top of patched potholes. After a few minutes of teeth chattering exploration, I get back on the main road and continue on my way.
:tab From Calvert, I run West on FM 979 to FM 2027 and then turn North to follow the Western edge of the Brazos river valley. There's not a whole lot out here, just farming and ranching, and lots of wind! Although, the wind is at my tail now so it is not as bad as before. FM 2027 is mostly straight with some gentle bends, rather boring, but there is no traffic at all, well except for the occasional big tractor in the road :eek:
:tab In short order I reach Hwy 320 and head towards Marlin to pick up Hwy 7 to continue West. Now I am really in drone mode. However, I am making really good time :angel: When I reach US 35, Hwy 7 ends. For some reason I have it in my head that I need to go north a few exits to pick up the start of the next road... wrong! I get as far as Lorena and realize I am totally confused. I stop to get gas but none of the pay at the pump credit card slots are working!! Grr... So I head West on FM 2837 a few miles and then cut back South on FM 2113 to get back on track with FM 107.
:tab While stopped in Moody for gas, I get into a chat with a Harley fellow. He thinks I am nuts for riding 200 miles in one day, buwahahaha! So after I finish my fudge bomb ice cream and say goodbye to the nice fellow, I get back on the road. When I came into town, I was at a light with the local LEO in the opposing lane, looking me over. As I am leaving town, I start to pick up speed and then notice a car on the side of the road. The LEO has pulled off onto the shoulder in some really high weeds and under some overhanging tree branches just around a corner, the perfect hiding spot!! I cruise by nice and legal, thinking that the next guy that comes around that corner is probably gonna get nailed. Bummer :|
:tab It is near 7:00pm and I'm hoping to be at the hotel around 7:30pm to meet with anyone else coming in this evening. This section of FM 107 is mostly straight, but once I get passed Hwy 236 on the North end of Belton Lake the road begins to twist and curve around some low hills. It is a nice relaxing ride. I never have to let off the throttle and can just roll through all of the curves.
:tab There is a hint of Cedar sap in the air and the humidity has finally dropped off to what you'd expect out here. The evening is getting cool and dry. I spent my formative years at Copperas Cove, a small military town on the edge of Fort Hood. The feeling in the air is making me flash back to the summer evenings spent in my treehouse with the cool dry air rustling through the leaves. What I wouldn't give to have that treehouse now! Simply sitting up in a tree is excellent therapy :)
:tab FM 107 drops out on the South side of Gatesville on Hwy 36. I cruise into town to find the hotel. I ride past the Hill Country BBQ and all of a sudden I'm extremely hungry! When I get to the hotel, I find John Morin in the lobby and a very confused counter person. My arrival just adds to the confusion. Despite our having booked our rooms well in advance, the counter person is all mixed up about what rooms we have, for how long, whether they are together or at opposite ends of the complex... This is unreal. Apparently, right before I arrived, John went off on the people :roll: So now they are flustered as well as confused. We think we've finally got it straight, I am on the opposite side of the complex, but we are just happy to be out of the office away from the staff.
:tab We head to our rooms to unload. I give Beth a call to let her know our room number. John heads over so we can decide what to do about dinner. No sooner than I hang up the cell phone, the office lady drives over from the other side of the parking lot to tell me they have me in the wrong room and that I am actually next door to John. So... I have to go back to the office and recheck in, then call Beth again. While I am there the lady tells me they only checked John in for one night and I need to tell him to come back so they can check him in for an additional night... Will it ever end!?
:tab John and I hang out a bit and then decide to head back to the BBQ place I passed coming into town. No one else has shown up yet. Paul Massie (scratch) left a note at the front desk to let us know he had to attend an unexpected funeral and would not be able to make it. I've no idea if anyone else is coming in tonight, we'll wait and see. Dinner is great! We both wind up having fried Catfish and it is excellent! We hit the liquor store before heading back to the hotel, about five minutes too late!!! So we grab a twelve pack of brewski's and head back. Beth shows up while we are hanging out by the pool enjoying the cold brews. Around midnight, we knock off since we have to be up at the crack of dawn :|
:tab I asked the front desk for an 8:30am wake up call. It never came. :x John calls us at 9:00am wanting to know what we are doing for breakfast. I can't think about things like this until I at least have a shower :? While I'm getting ready to roll, Will Bird pulls up on his Trophy 1200, right on time. We head up the road to a local place called Andy's and get a decent breakfast. It is already after 10:00am, the start time for the ride. I'm wondering if anyone else might be at the hotel? We head by before leaving and no one else has arrived. 10:40am, we hit the road.
:tab We head North on Hwy 36 a few miles to the start of FM 929. Right away 929 starts into some really nice smooth and fast sweepers. This is definitely a great way to start a day of riding. But it soon gives way to a more open terrain, rolling hills and green pastures. All of the homes seem to be built on the hilltops. The road follows the outlines of the properties. It is straight from one hill to the next, then a nice curve at the top of each hill and then we zoom off to the next hilltop curve. We peel off on to FM 185 and head West to Hwy 317 at Crawford. It is just more of the same.
:tab We head north on Hwy 317 to Valley Mills. Even here on a semi-major highway, there is very little traffic. When we reach Valley Mills we head back out onto the backroads via FM 56. The hilltops are a little higher than before and the sweepers faster, but otherwise it is similar to what we have been riding. I glance down at the dash and note that it is already after 11:00am and a mild 84 F. The dull haze is still quite prevalent. I wonder if Brian Duelm will still be waiting on us in Clifton? He had mentioned coming down to meet up with us.
:tab We pick up FM 708 and head back West toward Clifton. The last few miles of 708 are really fun. It gets down into the woods and has some really nice curves where it crosses over the North Bosque River before hitting FM 219. We head on into Clifton on FM 219. As we reach the intersection at Hwy 6, I spot Brian's VFR on a corner at a gas station and he's walking towards it as if he's getting ready to leave! We pull in and stop to chat. Seems he has been waiting here for nearly an hour!! :oops: Well, he did get here a little early, but we are running a little late too. We mount up and under the watchful eye of the local LEO, we head out of town very slowly and well behaved.
:tab We head North on Hwy 6 a few miles until reaching the turn off for FM 2136. It is still incredibly windy. I was hoping that would drop off as the day wears on. No such luck as of yet. When we turn off onto FM 2136, it looks a little bland. But up ahead I see some hills and hopefully the road will go through them instead of around them. Sure enough, the pavement begins to climb and arc around the hills. Great! It is excellent pavement and the curves have fantastic sight lines, we are smoking through here. I'm riding two up with Beth on the back and the VFR is doing it's thang! I notice the rear is a little bouncy and make a mental note to be sure the damping is cranked up to max at the next stop. It's nothing serious and does not impede our progress. I just have to hang loose and let the bike have it's head.
:tab Entirely too soon, the fun is over and we reach Hwy 22. Let the droning begin. It is short lived and we head North on FM 219 at Cranfills Gap, almost a town, no Dairy Queen though so not quite :P A short run up 219 brings us to the start of FM 1238. Now this is a fun road! The pavement looks almost brand new and it oozes traction. With the new Race Tech suspension upgrades to the front and the new Pilot Road rear tire on the back, the VFR feels like it is on rails. The TBR pipe is howling a glorious song into the countryside. Roadside doves scatter as we approach. I've got goose bumps! Roll off, blip a down shift or two, engine brake to 8K rpm, lean in, and rollll onnn to 10500, catch an upshift and head for the next one! I could do this all day!
:tab after one set of really nice esses, I have to stop for some pictures. To good of an opportunity! I send John, Will and Brian back up the road and get out the camera. Fortunately, they are smart enough to wait for my sorry out of shape self to run back to the corner to get in range for the shots before they come ripping back through the corners.
FM 1238-01 John on the BMZilla R1150GS! (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/HOT-050903/DSC01341.JPG)
FM 1238-02 Will ripping on the Trophy 1200 (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/HOT-050903/DSC01342.JPG)
FM 1238-03 Brian on the liquid smooth VFR 750! (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/HOT-050903/DSC01343.JPG)
FM 1238-04 The full esse, one of many!! (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/HOT-050903/DSC01344.JPG)
:tab After taking the pics, I kick myself for not shooting some video! :x My camera will do 320 X 200 video for up to 60 seconds. I should have sent them back but by the time it occurs to me, we are already down the road and back in the groove. Like many of these roads, it is too short! Soon we are in Iredell trying to figure out which way to turn to find FM 927. The map makes it look like we should go right, Brian says we should go left. He's been here before so we go with his recommendation. He proves right and we are heading back out into the middle of nowhere moments later, another one dog town fading behind us in the distance.
:tab No excitement on FM 927, at least until the last few miles before we reach Walnut Springs. Brian mentioned earlier that this town has gas and I'm down to about 1/5th of a tank and only at about 140 miles!! Hmmm... Romping two up and revving out the motor seems to suck it down pretty good. Normally, Beth's 98 will go about 185 before I start worring about gas. Ah well, it is worth it. We gas up at a local station. As we pull into the parking lot, the local Officer and Sheriff's Deputy are checking out the bikes. The Police station is next door to the gas station.
:tab After gassing up, I head inside to grab some drinks and a fudge bomb. While trying top juggle everything in my hand to get at my wallet, my Gatorade falls out of my grasp and smashes into the floor... right on the corner of the cap, which immediately blows off dumping sticky Gatorade all over the floor. The bottle is rolling away from me while emptying its contents all over the place! Opps! :oops: The nice young man behind the counter assures me it is no big deal and grabs a mop to clean up after me. I sheepishly grab another and head for the checkout, and I almost drop this one too!!! It is so freaking humid that as soon as I pull them out of the frig, they sweat up instantly making them slick as fresh snot! (the silicon tire lubricating kind ;-)) Refreshed and full of gas (the bikes) we head back out, once again under a watchful eye, hehe.
:tab We head out of town on Hwy 144 to FM 203. Not expecting the turn off so soon, I whiz right by it before realizing I should be braking! John and Brian make the turn when they see me pointing at it, Will and I have to make a u-turn and head back. There is tons of loose gravel at the intersection, something not uncommon out here. FM 203 is another one of those roads that starts out looking like a sleeper. However, as we get a little ways into it, it starts to get very nice and curvy.
:tab If you really like sweepers, this part of Texas is right up your alley. You can rail through here with great confidence in both the road and your visibility through the curves. The only thing limiting us is the amount of bounce in the suspension when we hit the occasional hump in the road. While we were stopped, I used Brian's Leatherman to crank up the damping on my rear shock, what an amazing difference!! No more pogoing through the corners. But some of the humps are still serious attention grabbers!
:tab When we reach US 67, I ask Brian to take the lead. There is a scenic overlook just beyond FM 51 that I want to check out but I've never been there and he has. So he leads the way. Once there I can see why it is a popular place to stop. If it were clear today, we could see for miles and miles over beautiful rolling countryside. Today we just see lots of nasty haze. (Pic one (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/HOT-050903/DSC01345.JPG) / Pic two (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/HOT-050903/DSC01346.JPG)). Brian has a very cool little tripod for the camera, incredibly compact. I must have one!
:tab The obligatory group shot out of the way, we head for FM 51. Brian gives some good warnings about the presence of gravel in some of the low speed corners. I'm leading the way. This is a great stretch of road. The pavement is not the best, and it is quite narrow, but it has some really great back to back series of 25mph curves with really fun elevation changes. The woods on the side of the road come right up to the pavement so it feels like we are riding in a maze for motorcycles, very cool. Slow in, rip out! With the passenger and GIVI bag on the back, I really have to be careful not to loft the front wheel coming out of the corners. :shock: It doesn't take much!
:tab Again, in too short a time period, the fun is over and we are on FM 205 heading for Stephenville. Looking at the map, it looks like it would be more fun to head East toward Glen Rose. Fm 205 heading West is nothing special, just cruising and wearing down the precious center of the new rear tire :( When we reach town, we stop for lunch at a local Mexican restaurant, Pulido's. Ugghh... Nasty. Overcooked and very dry chicken fajita meet, good chips though :lol: We park next to a single Blackbird XX in the parking lot, but we never see the rider when we get inside. I can't resist leaving a TWT card on his tankbag :angel: He's gone when we come out.
Pic one (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/HOT-050903/DSC01347.JPG) / Pic two (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/HOT-050903/DSC01348.JPG) / Steve (left) and John (right) (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/HOT-050903/DSC01349.JPG)
:tab After lunch, Brian has to head home :( Too bad, I enjoy riding with him. He does a great job of keeping his tentacles tucked up inside his jacket and stays out of trouble :wink: The rest of us head South on US 67 to look for the start of FM 914. Sitting at a stop light, John and I get into a cool exhaust sound competition. Realizing he has no chance he reaches over and whacks my kill switch!! Pathetic hehe. Laughing inside my helmet I thumb the starter and pull away from the light, poor guy hehe. Even the guy in the truck next to us at the light was laughing!
:tab We fid the turn for FM 914 and begin our trek Southward, coming ever so close to Dublin, Tx., the home of the Dr. Pepper still made with Cane sugar instead of corn syrup. It really does make a difference in the taste! But with no time to lose, we pass it by in our quest to consume pavement and waste rubber! FM 914 is much like the stuff we started out on earlier in the day, racing from hilltop to hilltop. We make quick work of FM 914, take a short dog leg on FM 1744 to run into Carlton and pick up FM 219. A mere hop, skip and a shift and we are on US 281 heading South to Hamilton.
:tab As we are cruising through Hamilton, I notice the local cemetery. It is HUGE!!! No wonder this is a small town, apparently everyone has died off! Weird. The cemetery behind us, I start focusing on checking out the local hotels, what there is. The pickings are slim and not much to talk about. :| I had hoped there would be something here that I did not find on the internet. This town is so nicely centrally located among some good roads, that it would be an ideal base for a weekend of riding. None of the hotels look as if they have been built in the last 50 years :shock: Supply and demand I guess. :shrug:
:tab We stop at a gas station in town so I can flip my direction sheet over to the backside for the rest of the day's route. Then we head South out of town on Us 281. I'm expecting to see a sign anytime now for FM 932 or FM 1241, but as we get farther and farther down the road, I start to get that funny feeling one gets upon realizing we're lost!? We pull over and John checks his GPS. He spots a dirt road that will get us where we are supposed to be. Being the adventure tourer type, he is all ready to roll. The streetbikers are not so keen to take off down an unknown gravel road. We decide to backtrack to FM 221 and hit FM 2005, dropping the FM 932/1241 loop off the route. We are way behind schedule so this will save time and get us back to the hotel a little quicker.
:tab We backtrack and find the turn off and head West to FM 2205. The last time I was out here it was last November and it was thick fog and rain. I had left Mena, Ar., about 9:00am, operating on Plan B after a failed trip North, and was heading to Kerrville for the annual HSTA Hill Country Rally in search of warmer and nicer weather. When I left Mena, it was 45 F and raining. When I reached Kerrville 550 miles and 11 hours later, it was 50 F and still raining :angryfir: Whoopee! At least I had company now! Today, it is much warmer but still the visibilty is not much improved. It is a nice ride to US 84 and we head into Goldwaithe. It is about 4:30pm and we still have quite a way to go, even after chopping a bit of the route.
:tab We stop for gas and a stretch. Butts are starting to get sore. Most of us have not done any really long rides this year. I've done a few 400+ mile rides into East Texas, but that is it. John, Will and Beth have not. Beth even decides to ride with John on the BMZilla for a while just to have a seat that puts the pressure on different points for a while. I readily agree, looking forward to some solo strafing, but forgetting to reset the rear damping...
:tab We head South on Hwy 16 to San Saba. Then we turn East on US 190 to find the North end of FM 581. Now here is a road worthy of a major detour to get too! It runs near the Colorado River and is a sheer joy to ride. It has really nice consistent pavement. None of the curves are nasty. It runs down under the trees and hugs the hills. I neglect to get pictures :oops: Once again, I am so into the groove that it slips my mind. Then once I think about it, I hate to stop the group and double back for pics. I always feel like I am annoying everyone. I take the best pics when I am on the road alone.
:tab FM 581 eventually drops out onto FM 580 in a teeny town called, ironically enough, Bend. Yes you guessed it. There is a huge bend in the river right here! Real original huh? So we pick up FM 580 and run East. It is more of the same, so much so that as I come around a corner and spot the turn off where FM 581 peels off and heads North, I have to get on the binders and really test out the new EBC HH pads; besides, I like having my wife pushing up against my back :twisted: As we head North away from the river valley, the countryside reverts back to gentle rolling hills with the corresponding lazy curves. If only the Highway Department would make a road that follows the banks of the river!! :dude: I can dream right?
:tab So it does not take us long to reach Lometa. We get to the center of town and are sitting at a light. Apparently, the sensors can't detect three freaking bikes at the light :x We finally have to run the light, something I am loathe to do because you never know when a local LEO will spot you and not listen to your pleas of frustration. We get lucky this time and disappear into the countryside. About half way between Lometa and Adamsville, FM 581 starts following the countours carved by some local creeks and gets a little more interesting. A few miles past Adamsville, we hit FM 1690 and head North.
:tab FM 1690 is fun. It has some really nice esses. Every corner I catch a glance in the mirror and see John right behind me, the Zilla eating up the road even two up! I just hope he is not scaring Beth to death! The real excitement starts as we enter a quick set of esses just South of Pearl. The road has just been tarred and gravelled and we are coming in hot. I look for the gravel clear path while stomping on the brakes! I'm bleeding off speed like I've seldom done before and the new pads are rocking!! I look for my last moment lean in point and nail it, rolling on the throttle while looking for the clear gravel free path through the curve. John just romps on in, gravel is nothing to the mighty BMZilla and he grinds his way through the curve almost as if without a care in the world. Go figure. The next mile or so we really drop off the pace due to the gravel.
:tab We soon come to a stop on FM 183. The front porch of a house is facing us and the occupants are hanging out in their rockers, looking at us like we just landed a spaceship and hopped out to take over the planet. With a quick nod of the helmet to them and a wave, we lean into the tight 25 mph curve that heads out of "town", gravel free! There are some really fun tight curves in this short section of road. Almost as soon as the fun starts, we are at US 84 and begin the drone back to Gatesville. Now it is just straight while leaning over to fight the stiff wind.
:tab We make Gatesville about 6:00pm. I have the wild idea that maybe, just maybe, the hotel will let us out of our rooms and we can crusie back to Austin for the night. We can hang out at Will's place, listen to good music on his awesome stereo and sip old whiskey. No dice. Understandably, they want their money :( Next time we'll stuff everything in the car and leave it in the parking lot and check out. Live and learn. After a quick shower and a nice break, we head out for dinner. Burgers at a local steak house fit the bill nicely. Then we are off to the liquor store before 9:00pm and then head back to the hotel to hang out by the pool.
:tab It has been a great day of riding. We only knocked out about 360 miles but still had a great time. I will definitely be doing some more riding out in this area. We drop off around midnight.
:tab John and Will are long gone by the time Beth and I roll out at an eye torturing 11:30am. John leaves his goodbye on our car windows with his fingers :pound: Smart ***! We pack up, check out and hit the road. I've decided to take the fast way home and just follow Beth down Hwy 36 all the way to Caldwell. Big mistake. It is nothing but solid traffic most of the way and quite straight. BORING. It is only 180 miles or so compared to the 220 I did on the way out, but my outbound route was a lot more fun.
:tab We finally get back to Huntsville about 4:30pm. I've missed the MotoGP races, but they are scheduled to replay them at 7:00pm, cool! I catch the 250cc race, amazing is an understatement. But they don't show the 4 stroke race!!?? It shows on the guide that it is next, but instead they are playing a fooking 10 year old F1 car race. :angryfir: Hopefully, they will replay the race Tuesday because I missed the supposed replay late at night.
:tab Well, it was still a great weekend of riding. The ride home was a little cool at first because of the cold front that came through Sunday. However, I did not get into any rain so no biggie. I'm sure I will be trying to put together another group ride out into this area again this year. The roads were really fun and there was next to no traffic almost the entire route. Good stuff.
:tab I have been wanting to explore the area within about a 50 mile radius of Hamilton for some time now. The lines on my maps make the roads look like they should be fun for the most part. I've long since discovered that there is no such thing as a weekend that works for everybody, so being the guy putting things together, I just pick a weekend that is good for me ;-) This particular weekend is Mother's day, hehe. My Mom is the understanding type and knows how bad I've got the riding bug. Others are not so lucky.
:tab I decide to take off from work early on Friday so I can do a nice liesurely ride out to Gatesville, our base of operations for the weekend. I head by the house for some last minute items and to say goodbye to Beth, she'll be driving up later in the evening after she gets off work. I get away about 4:15pm. It is a sweltering 93 F. Even with the Joe Rocket Phoenix mesh jacket on I am pretty toasty.
:tab I decide to explore some new roads on my way out. I start by just cruising up I-45 to Madisonville and then heading West on Hwy 21 a few miles to the start of FM 1452. The road is nothing special, but the countryside is very nice. It is rolling hills, pastures and forests. There are some very nice looking ranch spreads out here! Seeing all the open pasture with ponds, creeks and hills makes me want to get on a dirtbike and get after it! I make a quick dogleg on FM 39 and then keep West on FM 1452 until I reach the Old Spanish Road, also known as the King's Highway. It was a major travel route in the days prior to Texas attainment of statehood.
:tab I head West on the OSR and pick up the start of FM 1940. Out here on the tops of the hills with nothing to block the wind, it is really blasting! The wind is steady out of the South and has to be blowing a good 20mph and gusting even higher. The trees are just whipping all over the place. However, the sky is just a constand dullish brown haze, smoke blowing up from the slash and burn land clearings in Mexico. Depressing.
:tab I pick up the start of FM 2446 and run it to Franklin. It is nothing special, just a nice relaxing run, up and down, up and down, a bend here and a bend there. When I reach Franklin, I get to watch a bust go down in a convenience store parking lot. The Texas DPS have a van pulled over and the occupants are being cuffed. The van and its passengers remind me of Spiccoli from Fast Times at Ridgemont High, remember that movie? Spiccoli opens the sliding door in the side of the van and clouds of pot smoke come billowing out... :brainsnap Dejavu...
:tab Relieved to know that the DPS have something besides me to occupy them, I head through town and pick up FM 1644 to Calvert. About half way to Calvert I crest a nice hill and see expansive pastures covered in bright yellow flowers. When I crest the next hill and see the same thing again, I have to stop and take pictures:
FM 1644-01 (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/HOT-050903/DSC01335.JPG) / FM 1644-02 (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/HOT-050903/DSC01336.JPG) / FM 1644-03 (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/HOT-050903/DSC01337.JPG) / FM 1644-04 (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/HOT-050903/DSC01338.JPG) / FM 1644-05 (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/HOT-050903/DSC01339.JPG)
:tab When I reach Calvert, I spot some really cool looking old homes off to one side of the road. What the heck, I have time to spare, I'm gonna check them out. I have always been very fond of the architecture of the late 1800's and early 1900's. Houses now seem so bland in comparison. There are about twelve or so really big houses in various states of repair. Most have massive live oak trees in the yards, their broad thick branches covering everything and hiding the house in a cloak of shade. It makes it nearly impossible to get pictures of any of the houses.
:tab One odd looking house (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/HOT-050903/DSC01340.JPG) appears to be a duplex and is exposed, it's the only one I can get a good shot of from the road. I'd hate to be the one responsible for painting the exterior! The roads in the neighborhood are nothing but patched potholes on top of patched potholes. After a few minutes of teeth chattering exploration, I get back on the main road and continue on my way.
:tab From Calvert, I run West on FM 979 to FM 2027 and then turn North to follow the Western edge of the Brazos river valley. There's not a whole lot out here, just farming and ranching, and lots of wind! Although, the wind is at my tail now so it is not as bad as before. FM 2027 is mostly straight with some gentle bends, rather boring, but there is no traffic at all, well except for the occasional big tractor in the road :eek:
:tab In short order I reach Hwy 320 and head towards Marlin to pick up Hwy 7 to continue West. Now I am really in drone mode. However, I am making really good time :angel: When I reach US 35, Hwy 7 ends. For some reason I have it in my head that I need to go north a few exits to pick up the start of the next road... wrong! I get as far as Lorena and realize I am totally confused. I stop to get gas but none of the pay at the pump credit card slots are working!! Grr... So I head West on FM 2837 a few miles and then cut back South on FM 2113 to get back on track with FM 107.
:tab While stopped in Moody for gas, I get into a chat with a Harley fellow. He thinks I am nuts for riding 200 miles in one day, buwahahaha! So after I finish my fudge bomb ice cream and say goodbye to the nice fellow, I get back on the road. When I came into town, I was at a light with the local LEO in the opposing lane, looking me over. As I am leaving town, I start to pick up speed and then notice a car on the side of the road. The LEO has pulled off onto the shoulder in some really high weeds and under some overhanging tree branches just around a corner, the perfect hiding spot!! I cruise by nice and legal, thinking that the next guy that comes around that corner is probably gonna get nailed. Bummer :|
:tab It is near 7:00pm and I'm hoping to be at the hotel around 7:30pm to meet with anyone else coming in this evening. This section of FM 107 is mostly straight, but once I get passed Hwy 236 on the North end of Belton Lake the road begins to twist and curve around some low hills. It is a nice relaxing ride. I never have to let off the throttle and can just roll through all of the curves.
:tab There is a hint of Cedar sap in the air and the humidity has finally dropped off to what you'd expect out here. The evening is getting cool and dry. I spent my formative years at Copperas Cove, a small military town on the edge of Fort Hood. The feeling in the air is making me flash back to the summer evenings spent in my treehouse with the cool dry air rustling through the leaves. What I wouldn't give to have that treehouse now! Simply sitting up in a tree is excellent therapy :)
:tab FM 107 drops out on the South side of Gatesville on Hwy 36. I cruise into town to find the hotel. I ride past the Hill Country BBQ and all of a sudden I'm extremely hungry! When I get to the hotel, I find John Morin in the lobby and a very confused counter person. My arrival just adds to the confusion. Despite our having booked our rooms well in advance, the counter person is all mixed up about what rooms we have, for how long, whether they are together or at opposite ends of the complex... This is unreal. Apparently, right before I arrived, John went off on the people :roll: So now they are flustered as well as confused. We think we've finally got it straight, I am on the opposite side of the complex, but we are just happy to be out of the office away from the staff.
:tab We head to our rooms to unload. I give Beth a call to let her know our room number. John heads over so we can decide what to do about dinner. No sooner than I hang up the cell phone, the office lady drives over from the other side of the parking lot to tell me they have me in the wrong room and that I am actually next door to John. So... I have to go back to the office and recheck in, then call Beth again. While I am there the lady tells me they only checked John in for one night and I need to tell him to come back so they can check him in for an additional night... Will it ever end!?
:tab John and I hang out a bit and then decide to head back to the BBQ place I passed coming into town. No one else has shown up yet. Paul Massie (scratch) left a note at the front desk to let us know he had to attend an unexpected funeral and would not be able to make it. I've no idea if anyone else is coming in tonight, we'll wait and see. Dinner is great! We both wind up having fried Catfish and it is excellent! We hit the liquor store before heading back to the hotel, about five minutes too late!!! So we grab a twelve pack of brewski's and head back. Beth shows up while we are hanging out by the pool enjoying the cold brews. Around midnight, we knock off since we have to be up at the crack of dawn :|
:tab I asked the front desk for an 8:30am wake up call. It never came. :x John calls us at 9:00am wanting to know what we are doing for breakfast. I can't think about things like this until I at least have a shower :? While I'm getting ready to roll, Will Bird pulls up on his Trophy 1200, right on time. We head up the road to a local place called Andy's and get a decent breakfast. It is already after 10:00am, the start time for the ride. I'm wondering if anyone else might be at the hotel? We head by before leaving and no one else has arrived. 10:40am, we hit the road.
:tab We head North on Hwy 36 a few miles to the start of FM 929. Right away 929 starts into some really nice smooth and fast sweepers. This is definitely a great way to start a day of riding. But it soon gives way to a more open terrain, rolling hills and green pastures. All of the homes seem to be built on the hilltops. The road follows the outlines of the properties. It is straight from one hill to the next, then a nice curve at the top of each hill and then we zoom off to the next hilltop curve. We peel off on to FM 185 and head West to Hwy 317 at Crawford. It is just more of the same.
:tab We head north on Hwy 317 to Valley Mills. Even here on a semi-major highway, there is very little traffic. When we reach Valley Mills we head back out onto the backroads via FM 56. The hilltops are a little higher than before and the sweepers faster, but otherwise it is similar to what we have been riding. I glance down at the dash and note that it is already after 11:00am and a mild 84 F. The dull haze is still quite prevalent. I wonder if Brian Duelm will still be waiting on us in Clifton? He had mentioned coming down to meet up with us.
:tab We pick up FM 708 and head back West toward Clifton. The last few miles of 708 are really fun. It gets down into the woods and has some really nice curves where it crosses over the North Bosque River before hitting FM 219. We head on into Clifton on FM 219. As we reach the intersection at Hwy 6, I spot Brian's VFR on a corner at a gas station and he's walking towards it as if he's getting ready to leave! We pull in and stop to chat. Seems he has been waiting here for nearly an hour!! :oops: Well, he did get here a little early, but we are running a little late too. We mount up and under the watchful eye of the local LEO, we head out of town very slowly and well behaved.
:tab We head North on Hwy 6 a few miles until reaching the turn off for FM 2136. It is still incredibly windy. I was hoping that would drop off as the day wears on. No such luck as of yet. When we turn off onto FM 2136, it looks a little bland. But up ahead I see some hills and hopefully the road will go through them instead of around them. Sure enough, the pavement begins to climb and arc around the hills. Great! It is excellent pavement and the curves have fantastic sight lines, we are smoking through here. I'm riding two up with Beth on the back and the VFR is doing it's thang! I notice the rear is a little bouncy and make a mental note to be sure the damping is cranked up to max at the next stop. It's nothing serious and does not impede our progress. I just have to hang loose and let the bike have it's head.
:tab Entirely too soon, the fun is over and we reach Hwy 22. Let the droning begin. It is short lived and we head North on FM 219 at Cranfills Gap, almost a town, no Dairy Queen though so not quite :P A short run up 219 brings us to the start of FM 1238. Now this is a fun road! The pavement looks almost brand new and it oozes traction. With the new Race Tech suspension upgrades to the front and the new Pilot Road rear tire on the back, the VFR feels like it is on rails. The TBR pipe is howling a glorious song into the countryside. Roadside doves scatter as we approach. I've got goose bumps! Roll off, blip a down shift or two, engine brake to 8K rpm, lean in, and rollll onnn to 10500, catch an upshift and head for the next one! I could do this all day!
:tab after one set of really nice esses, I have to stop for some pictures. To good of an opportunity! I send John, Will and Brian back up the road and get out the camera. Fortunately, they are smart enough to wait for my sorry out of shape self to run back to the corner to get in range for the shots before they come ripping back through the corners.
FM 1238-01 John on the BMZilla R1150GS! (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/HOT-050903/DSC01341.JPG)
FM 1238-02 Will ripping on the Trophy 1200 (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/HOT-050903/DSC01342.JPG)
FM 1238-03 Brian on the liquid smooth VFR 750! (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/HOT-050903/DSC01343.JPG)
FM 1238-04 The full esse, one of many!! (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/HOT-050903/DSC01344.JPG)
:tab After taking the pics, I kick myself for not shooting some video! :x My camera will do 320 X 200 video for up to 60 seconds. I should have sent them back but by the time it occurs to me, we are already down the road and back in the groove. Like many of these roads, it is too short! Soon we are in Iredell trying to figure out which way to turn to find FM 927. The map makes it look like we should go right, Brian says we should go left. He's been here before so we go with his recommendation. He proves right and we are heading back out into the middle of nowhere moments later, another one dog town fading behind us in the distance.
:tab No excitement on FM 927, at least until the last few miles before we reach Walnut Springs. Brian mentioned earlier that this town has gas and I'm down to about 1/5th of a tank and only at about 140 miles!! Hmmm... Romping two up and revving out the motor seems to suck it down pretty good. Normally, Beth's 98 will go about 185 before I start worring about gas. Ah well, it is worth it. We gas up at a local station. As we pull into the parking lot, the local Officer and Sheriff's Deputy are checking out the bikes. The Police station is next door to the gas station.
:tab After gassing up, I head inside to grab some drinks and a fudge bomb. While trying top juggle everything in my hand to get at my wallet, my Gatorade falls out of my grasp and smashes into the floor... right on the corner of the cap, which immediately blows off dumping sticky Gatorade all over the floor. The bottle is rolling away from me while emptying its contents all over the place! Opps! :oops: The nice young man behind the counter assures me it is no big deal and grabs a mop to clean up after me. I sheepishly grab another and head for the checkout, and I almost drop this one too!!! It is so freaking humid that as soon as I pull them out of the frig, they sweat up instantly making them slick as fresh snot! (the silicon tire lubricating kind ;-)) Refreshed and full of gas (the bikes) we head back out, once again under a watchful eye, hehe.
:tab We head out of town on Hwy 144 to FM 203. Not expecting the turn off so soon, I whiz right by it before realizing I should be braking! John and Brian make the turn when they see me pointing at it, Will and I have to make a u-turn and head back. There is tons of loose gravel at the intersection, something not uncommon out here. FM 203 is another one of those roads that starts out looking like a sleeper. However, as we get a little ways into it, it starts to get very nice and curvy.
:tab If you really like sweepers, this part of Texas is right up your alley. You can rail through here with great confidence in both the road and your visibility through the curves. The only thing limiting us is the amount of bounce in the suspension when we hit the occasional hump in the road. While we were stopped, I used Brian's Leatherman to crank up the damping on my rear shock, what an amazing difference!! No more pogoing through the corners. But some of the humps are still serious attention grabbers!
:tab When we reach US 67, I ask Brian to take the lead. There is a scenic overlook just beyond FM 51 that I want to check out but I've never been there and he has. So he leads the way. Once there I can see why it is a popular place to stop. If it were clear today, we could see for miles and miles over beautiful rolling countryside. Today we just see lots of nasty haze. (Pic one (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/HOT-050903/DSC01345.JPG) / Pic two (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/HOT-050903/DSC01346.JPG)). Brian has a very cool little tripod for the camera, incredibly compact. I must have one!
:tab The obligatory group shot out of the way, we head for FM 51. Brian gives some good warnings about the presence of gravel in some of the low speed corners. I'm leading the way. This is a great stretch of road. The pavement is not the best, and it is quite narrow, but it has some really great back to back series of 25mph curves with really fun elevation changes. The woods on the side of the road come right up to the pavement so it feels like we are riding in a maze for motorcycles, very cool. Slow in, rip out! With the passenger and GIVI bag on the back, I really have to be careful not to loft the front wheel coming out of the corners. :shock: It doesn't take much!
:tab Again, in too short a time period, the fun is over and we are on FM 205 heading for Stephenville. Looking at the map, it looks like it would be more fun to head East toward Glen Rose. Fm 205 heading West is nothing special, just cruising and wearing down the precious center of the new rear tire :( When we reach town, we stop for lunch at a local Mexican restaurant, Pulido's. Ugghh... Nasty. Overcooked and very dry chicken fajita meet, good chips though :lol: We park next to a single Blackbird XX in the parking lot, but we never see the rider when we get inside. I can't resist leaving a TWT card on his tankbag :angel: He's gone when we come out.
Pic one (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/HOT-050903/DSC01347.JPG) / Pic two (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/HOT-050903/DSC01348.JPG) / Steve (left) and John (right) (http://sfriday.com/twtpics/HOT-050903/DSC01349.JPG)
:tab After lunch, Brian has to head home :( Too bad, I enjoy riding with him. He does a great job of keeping his tentacles tucked up inside his jacket and stays out of trouble :wink: The rest of us head South on US 67 to look for the start of FM 914. Sitting at a stop light, John and I get into a cool exhaust sound competition. Realizing he has no chance he reaches over and whacks my kill switch!! Pathetic hehe. Laughing inside my helmet I thumb the starter and pull away from the light, poor guy hehe. Even the guy in the truck next to us at the light was laughing!
:tab We fid the turn for FM 914 and begin our trek Southward, coming ever so close to Dublin, Tx., the home of the Dr. Pepper still made with Cane sugar instead of corn syrup. It really does make a difference in the taste! But with no time to lose, we pass it by in our quest to consume pavement and waste rubber! FM 914 is much like the stuff we started out on earlier in the day, racing from hilltop to hilltop. We make quick work of FM 914, take a short dog leg on FM 1744 to run into Carlton and pick up FM 219. A mere hop, skip and a shift and we are on US 281 heading South to Hamilton.
:tab As we are cruising through Hamilton, I notice the local cemetery. It is HUGE!!! No wonder this is a small town, apparently everyone has died off! Weird. The cemetery behind us, I start focusing on checking out the local hotels, what there is. The pickings are slim and not much to talk about. :| I had hoped there would be something here that I did not find on the internet. This town is so nicely centrally located among some good roads, that it would be an ideal base for a weekend of riding. None of the hotels look as if they have been built in the last 50 years :shock: Supply and demand I guess. :shrug:
:tab We stop at a gas station in town so I can flip my direction sheet over to the backside for the rest of the day's route. Then we head South out of town on Us 281. I'm expecting to see a sign anytime now for FM 932 or FM 1241, but as we get farther and farther down the road, I start to get that funny feeling one gets upon realizing we're lost!? We pull over and John checks his GPS. He spots a dirt road that will get us where we are supposed to be. Being the adventure tourer type, he is all ready to roll. The streetbikers are not so keen to take off down an unknown gravel road. We decide to backtrack to FM 221 and hit FM 2005, dropping the FM 932/1241 loop off the route. We are way behind schedule so this will save time and get us back to the hotel a little quicker.
:tab We backtrack and find the turn off and head West to FM 2205. The last time I was out here it was last November and it was thick fog and rain. I had left Mena, Ar., about 9:00am, operating on Plan B after a failed trip North, and was heading to Kerrville for the annual HSTA Hill Country Rally in search of warmer and nicer weather. When I left Mena, it was 45 F and raining. When I reached Kerrville 550 miles and 11 hours later, it was 50 F and still raining :angryfir: Whoopee! At least I had company now! Today, it is much warmer but still the visibilty is not much improved. It is a nice ride to US 84 and we head into Goldwaithe. It is about 4:30pm and we still have quite a way to go, even after chopping a bit of the route.
:tab We stop for gas and a stretch. Butts are starting to get sore. Most of us have not done any really long rides this year. I've done a few 400+ mile rides into East Texas, but that is it. John, Will and Beth have not. Beth even decides to ride with John on the BMZilla for a while just to have a seat that puts the pressure on different points for a while. I readily agree, looking forward to some solo strafing, but forgetting to reset the rear damping...
:tab We head South on Hwy 16 to San Saba. Then we turn East on US 190 to find the North end of FM 581. Now here is a road worthy of a major detour to get too! It runs near the Colorado River and is a sheer joy to ride. It has really nice consistent pavement. None of the curves are nasty. It runs down under the trees and hugs the hills. I neglect to get pictures :oops: Once again, I am so into the groove that it slips my mind. Then once I think about it, I hate to stop the group and double back for pics. I always feel like I am annoying everyone. I take the best pics when I am on the road alone.
:tab FM 581 eventually drops out onto FM 580 in a teeny town called, ironically enough, Bend. Yes you guessed it. There is a huge bend in the river right here! Real original huh? So we pick up FM 580 and run East. It is more of the same, so much so that as I come around a corner and spot the turn off where FM 581 peels off and heads North, I have to get on the binders and really test out the new EBC HH pads; besides, I like having my wife pushing up against my back :twisted: As we head North away from the river valley, the countryside reverts back to gentle rolling hills with the corresponding lazy curves. If only the Highway Department would make a road that follows the banks of the river!! :dude: I can dream right?
:tab So it does not take us long to reach Lometa. We get to the center of town and are sitting at a light. Apparently, the sensors can't detect three freaking bikes at the light :x We finally have to run the light, something I am loathe to do because you never know when a local LEO will spot you and not listen to your pleas of frustration. We get lucky this time and disappear into the countryside. About half way between Lometa and Adamsville, FM 581 starts following the countours carved by some local creeks and gets a little more interesting. A few miles past Adamsville, we hit FM 1690 and head North.
:tab FM 1690 is fun. It has some really nice esses. Every corner I catch a glance in the mirror and see John right behind me, the Zilla eating up the road even two up! I just hope he is not scaring Beth to death! The real excitement starts as we enter a quick set of esses just South of Pearl. The road has just been tarred and gravelled and we are coming in hot. I look for the gravel clear path while stomping on the brakes! I'm bleeding off speed like I've seldom done before and the new pads are rocking!! I look for my last moment lean in point and nail it, rolling on the throttle while looking for the clear gravel free path through the curve. John just romps on in, gravel is nothing to the mighty BMZilla and he grinds his way through the curve almost as if without a care in the world. Go figure. The next mile or so we really drop off the pace due to the gravel.
:tab We soon come to a stop on FM 183. The front porch of a house is facing us and the occupants are hanging out in their rockers, looking at us like we just landed a spaceship and hopped out to take over the planet. With a quick nod of the helmet to them and a wave, we lean into the tight 25 mph curve that heads out of "town", gravel free! There are some really fun tight curves in this short section of road. Almost as soon as the fun starts, we are at US 84 and begin the drone back to Gatesville. Now it is just straight while leaning over to fight the stiff wind.
:tab We make Gatesville about 6:00pm. I have the wild idea that maybe, just maybe, the hotel will let us out of our rooms and we can crusie back to Austin for the night. We can hang out at Will's place, listen to good music on his awesome stereo and sip old whiskey. No dice. Understandably, they want their money :( Next time we'll stuff everything in the car and leave it in the parking lot and check out. Live and learn. After a quick shower and a nice break, we head out for dinner. Burgers at a local steak house fit the bill nicely. Then we are off to the liquor store before 9:00pm and then head back to the hotel to hang out by the pool.
:tab It has been a great day of riding. We only knocked out about 360 miles but still had a great time. I will definitely be doing some more riding out in this area. We drop off around midnight.
:tab John and Will are long gone by the time Beth and I roll out at an eye torturing 11:30am. John leaves his goodbye on our car windows with his fingers :pound: Smart ***! We pack up, check out and hit the road. I've decided to take the fast way home and just follow Beth down Hwy 36 all the way to Caldwell. Big mistake. It is nothing but solid traffic most of the way and quite straight. BORING. It is only 180 miles or so compared to the 220 I did on the way out, but my outbound route was a lot more fun.
:tab We finally get back to Huntsville about 4:30pm. I've missed the MotoGP races, but they are scheduled to replay them at 7:00pm, cool! I catch the 250cc race, amazing is an understatement. But they don't show the 4 stroke race!!?? It shows on the guide that it is next, but instead they are playing a fooking 10 year old F1 car race. :angryfir: Hopefully, they will replay the race Tuesday because I missed the supposed replay late at night.
:tab Well, it was still a great weekend of riding. The ride home was a little cool at first because of the cold front that came through Sunday. However, I did not get into any rain so no biggie. I'm sure I will be trying to put together another group ride out into this area again this year. The roads were really fun and there was next to no traffic almost the entire route. Good stuff.