- Joined
- Feb 28, 2003
- Messages
- 51,225
- Reaction score
- 8,197
- Location
- Huntsville
- First Name
- Scott
- Last Name
- Friday
Howdy,
So the only people that show up this morning are Bill "Wasabi" Joye and and Bob "BEEMIN" Krogman. Bill trailered his KLR650 down from Arlington this morning and Bob rode his BMW GS Adventure up from Dickinson. The morning starts out soupy but by the time we roll out just after 10:00am, it is clear skies and cool. The damp air makes it feel even colder.
We head out of town on Hwy 19 towards Trinity. Long before we reach Trinity, we head East on a gravel road that runs along pastures on one side and trees on the other. Evidence of the recent rain remains in the form of my old nemesis, mud... Fortunately, the cage traffic has squished out a dry track about 6-8" wide for each tire track. As long as I keep the GS in the dry track, things are good. Whenever I get a little out of the dry track, things get squirmy and exciting. Last night I mounted up my TKC 80 knobbies and now I'm really glad I did (Thanks for the help Snoopster!). Bill is running knobbies on his KLR but Bob is running Dualsport tires on his Adventure...
We run a pretty fast pace, and soon reach Dodge and then continue until we hit US 190 near Oakhurst. My hands are freezing! My heated grips suck and seem to be getting worse!? They barely even get lukewarm now Still, at least I have on the heated vest Once we are back onto the dirt roads, it gets slick and messy in places. I keep seeing piles of what looks like horse poop in the road and it smells fresh!? Then we round a corner and see a truck stopped in the road with an ambulance in front of it and people standing around everywhere. Seems we have stumbled onto a trailride and someone has taken a spill off their horse
Once the lady is loaded up in the ambulance, the trail ride gets back under way. We creep along behind at a distance so we won't spook the horses, of which there are many. But we cannot get around them right away because of this...
We finally get around the vehicles in the line and start passing the horses. Many of the riders are just young kids and they are excited to see the bikes. Everyone is waving and they are quite friendly even though we are obviously making some of the horses nervous.
With the trailride behind us, we set off at a brisk pace, dodging most of the potholes and sliding in the sand. We eventually wind up on Four Notch Road Northeast of New Waverly. We pass by the Women's US Olympic Gymnastics training facility out in the middle of nowhere. This is the one run by Karoli. Soon we reach FM 1375 and run it down into New Waverly, across I-45 over to FM 149. From there we run down through the Forest to have lunch at King's Cafe.
When we arrive at King's the waitress informs us that we are late, everyone else has already left. Then I explain that the other weenies only want to ride on paved roads Seeing the muck on my riding pants she just laughs and takes my order. While hanging out on the back porch a nice looking GS Adventure pulls up with a cruiser in tow. We chat for a while, exchange info and then they are on their way. The day has turned into a spectacular day for riding so I am itching to get back on the bikes. We pay and head out again.
We run up FM 149 to FM 1097 West. This is a fun road that many people never take. If you look on the maps, it is usually shown as coming to a dead end. However, one route takes you over to Dacus on FM 1486 a ways South of Richards and it is paved. The other route takes you to gravel and comes out on FM 149 right where FM 1791 drops out. We run the paved road over to Dacus, up FM 1486 to some county roads that wander back into the woods. A quick stop to disable the ABS system and then we are making dust!
There is a good bit of logging going on back in here and the trucks really tear up the road. The size of the ruts along the shoulder are a little unnerving. Were I to run into them on the GS, getting out would be a real adventure. In many places, the road is still wet from the rain just a few days back, but the local traffic has dried a few thin strips that we needle our way along carefully... well... at least only 50mph... Between the wet stuff and the dry loose gravel, I am having lots of fun spinning the rear tire coming out of the corners. The torque of the GS is addictive
A few turns, some ratty pavement, more gravel and we eventually find ourselves on FM 2819 just East of FM 2562. I usually have a plan for these rides, but often I will change the plan on the fly. I decide to run up FM 2562 towards FM 149. There are several gravel roads up there that are quite fun. Bill has been complaining about all the pavement we've been riding. Seems his mesh jacket is a little chilly when we get up to 70mph He toughs it out though and soon we are back on the loose stuff, Bill right behind me as always. We run CR 217 which makes a nice loop back up from FM 149 to FM 1562 a few miles North of FM 149. It has lots of nice sweeper corners where I can really get on it through the corners. These are great for practicing steering with the throttle!
We drop back out on FM 2562 and head South back down to FM 149 and turn towards Anderson. Maybe a mile or so up the road we head North on a narrow little dirt road that disappears over the nearest hill. At one point the road is no higher than the surrounding ground, which is mostly swampish, and it gets pretty muddy. I try to stay on the gas and hold my line while the bike squirms around under me. After a hundred yards or so it becomes hardpacked again and I check my mirrors. I see Bill's headlight but that is it. A little farther up the road, we come to a tee. When I look back, no one is there, not even Bill...? So I wait a few minutes... Then I start to wonder... Bob is not on knobbies and that was a bit of a mess back there... I decide to head back and have a look. About the time I get turned around and heading the back, I see Bob and Bill coming up, whew! Turns out Bob had to answer the call of nature
Back on track and regrouped, we continue on until we drop out onto Hwy 90 North of Anderson. For a moment I ponder taking the guys down the little road that leads to the crazy cows I encountered a few weeks ago. Then I decide that discretion is the better part of valor and we just head on into Anderson to pick up FM 149 out of town. There are a bunch of great little county roads that criss-cross all around FM 3090. We snake along them, run parts of 3090, stop where Brett Hearne was killed not long ago in a riding accident, and then head down towards Navasota to find more dirt roads.
My favorite dirt road in this area runs along the West side of the old Lignite coal mines. Most everyone in this area probably just knows them as the lakes right before you reach FM 244 on 3090. The mines used to feed coal into the power plant near Carlos on the North side of Hwy 30. There are several nicely graded gravel roads around the mine.
Here's Bill going so fast on his KLR that I almost miss him!
Bob on his relatively new GS Adventure sans knobbies
Here's a little Vid of Bob and Bill in action (15 MB)
http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/010805-DirtRide/MOV03040.MPG
My favorite part of this road is a long level straight. I wick it up to about 75mph, the dust flying everywhere, and the bike feels like it is just floating on air. The road is really wide and smooth with a nice wide shoulder and nothing but fields to either side. Every other telephone pole has a big fat hawk perched atop it scouting for field mice and other snack foods All of them take flight when they hear the GS buzzing up the road towards them. Somewhere back there behind me is Bill and Bob, but I can't make out their headlights through the white cloud of dust trailing behind me. There are a series of nice semibanked ninety degree corners at the end of the straight and then we are right back into a narrow dirt road running through the woods.
I wait up for Bob and Bill at the next intersection and then we make the last little run before dropping out onto Hwy 30 just West of the gas station in Carlos. We stop in for a short break. I need ice cream There are tons of cruisers in the parking lot. They come from a little bar just up FM 244. The gas station would probably go out of business if it weren't for that bar and all the bikes that go there. Unfortunately, it is a regular occurence for riders to leave the bar and crash at the very first corner just up the road... It is getting late in the afternoon and Bob is starting to think about peeling off from the route. He has a long haul to get all the way back down to Dickinson. It is about 3:15pm now. He decides he has not yet had enough so he continues with us.
We head West on Hwy 30 a few miles to a little Shell gas station. It and a few other little buildings are the only thing out here. We turn North on another gravel road. There are numerous trailer homes and a few nice brick homes on large lots. The road is pretty rough in places. It seems that the potholes get much worse after a rain. This is where the soft long travel suspension pays big dividends! We hit Hwy FM 244 in Kieth, a town that consists of a cat, a church and only one house that I can see. We head North a short distance and pick up CR 166 East into the woods.
We run a series of roads that wander in an Easterly direction in a round about way. CR 164 runs kind of North/South. I think if we were to follow it back South, it would take us down the path of the old conveyor belts that used to carry the coal from the mines to the power plant near Carlos. I make a mental note to check that out sometime in the future. Right now, we are heading North. There has not been much traffic on the road to make nice dry paths for us since the rain stopped. Instead there are a lot of wet spots and ruts. It is here that the ability to stay loose on the bars really pays off big time. I settle into a nice 40-45mph groove and just let the bike do its' thing, which it does quite nicely We are soon heading East again, across Hwy 39 and towards Bedias. (pronounced Bee Dize by the locals).
Most of the roads in this area are pretty rough. I am spending most of my time standing up on the pegs looking for the best line through the potholes and ruts. I round a corner and see what looks like a large puddle in the road ahead... Being the fearless leader, it is my job to be the first one through. I reach the other side with no problems and then set up for pics of Bill and Bob coming through.
Here's Bill
And Bob...
Kudos to Bob for doing that slop without knobbies :hail I'd be very reluctant, hehe.
Looking back the way we just came
Then Bill wants me to go back through so he can get pics of me coming through. Sure, what the heck?! I get the GS turned around and head back into the mire... a little faster than I had intended.
The muck comes flying up all over the bike, me, and right into my open visor :rofl Bill has to hear me screaming, hehe. Goopy muck is all inside my BRAND NEW Shoei RF-1000!!! Then I notice that the water on my riding suit is beading up quite nicely and running off... cool! I just hosed it with some Camp-Dry sealer the other night. Nice to see it works so well, unlike the much more expensive "Heavy Duty" Scotchguard. I come to a stop and stomp and shake to get most of the water off of me, then I trun around for the return trip... with the visor down this time
The bike is hosed, again. I am hosed, again. This is entirely too much fun! It takes me back to my younger days when it wasn't a good day of playing outside if there wasn't any mud or fire involved, hehe. Too bad no one shot video of me dancing around on the road shaking off all the water I probably looked like I was having some kind of strange siezure. After I do a little drip drying, we mount up and continue on our way until we reach FM 1696 just West of Bedias. We make another short detour on a dirt road before getting into town and stopping at THE gas station. Bob decides he had better make time to get on home so he heads East on FM 1696 back to Huntsville to pick up I-45. We say our goodbyes and then he's gone. Bill and I hang out for a few minutes while I decide just how much more dirt riding we can get in before we start losing daylight.
It is a little after 4:30pm now. We head East on FM 1696. This is a really nice scenic FM that runs Northwest out of Huntsville (actually, off of US 75 just North of Huntsville). About midway back to Huntsville, I finally make up my mind where we are going next. We turn into the woods on Scales Ranch Rd. and double back to the West for a while in thick piney woods on a packed sandy road. The sun is getting low on the horizon and is coming in through the trees making it hard to see the ruts and potholes. I love this time of day when the shadows get long and everything is bathed in warm glow. The moment is fleeting as the road demands the return of my undivided attention.
Soon Bill and I are generally heading South towards Hwy 30. At one intersection, the road makes a tight Y and we have to make the right leg. The road doubles back at about a 70 degree angle. In the middle of the intersection is some deep loose dirt and I slide a little coming through it trying to make the tight turn. Back on the gas I am now heading for the center of the two track road, not a good place to be right now. The center of the road is deep and wet mud. Sure enough, I slide right through it. The ditch is deep and muddy, nothing Bill and I will be able to drag the GS out of... With a good clinch and fist full of throttlle, I get the bike headed back to the right track and narrowly miss my old nemesis the ditch. I must be getting used to this because my heartbeat scarcely skips a beat, hehe.
A little more wandering and cow spooking and we find our way down to Hwy 30. We cut across the highway and continue on Hoke Rd in a Southerly direction. What has been a relatively smooth road on past rides is now full of huge potholes. A few miles into the woods and it becomes sand with patches of deep gravel that were recently dumped on problem spots. The recent rains have the sand nicely packed so it is no problem. When I last came through here, the sand was very loose and dry which makes for some exciting moments on a heavy bike like the GS, especially on street tires! Today, Bill and I rip through here on a mission. We have maybe another ten to fifteen minutes of good light before we have to get back on the pavement for the final run to the house. About the time the sun drops out of sight, we reach FM 1791 and turn North towards Huntsville. We reach the hosue just before dark to find Paul "Scratch" Massie tweaking his chain on his Sprint RS. He led the street riders out into East Texas today. I am sure they had a great time
Bill loads up his KLR and makes tracks back to DFW. Paul and I kick back and have a few beers while chatting world events and the meaning of life. My bike is in desparate need of a good cleaning! Wonder if I can find a puddle with clear water...?
Adios,
So the only people that show up this morning are Bill "Wasabi" Joye and and Bob "BEEMIN" Krogman. Bill trailered his KLR650 down from Arlington this morning and Bob rode his BMW GS Adventure up from Dickinson. The morning starts out soupy but by the time we roll out just after 10:00am, it is clear skies and cool. The damp air makes it feel even colder.
We head out of town on Hwy 19 towards Trinity. Long before we reach Trinity, we head East on a gravel road that runs along pastures on one side and trees on the other. Evidence of the recent rain remains in the form of my old nemesis, mud... Fortunately, the cage traffic has squished out a dry track about 6-8" wide for each tire track. As long as I keep the GS in the dry track, things are good. Whenever I get a little out of the dry track, things get squirmy and exciting. Last night I mounted up my TKC 80 knobbies and now I'm really glad I did (Thanks for the help Snoopster!). Bill is running knobbies on his KLR but Bob is running Dualsport tires on his Adventure...
We run a pretty fast pace, and soon reach Dodge and then continue until we hit US 190 near Oakhurst. My hands are freezing! My heated grips suck and seem to be getting worse!? They barely even get lukewarm now Still, at least I have on the heated vest Once we are back onto the dirt roads, it gets slick and messy in places. I keep seeing piles of what looks like horse poop in the road and it smells fresh!? Then we round a corner and see a truck stopped in the road with an ambulance in front of it and people standing around everywhere. Seems we have stumbled onto a trailride and someone has taken a spill off their horse
Once the lady is loaded up in the ambulance, the trail ride gets back under way. We creep along behind at a distance so we won't spook the horses, of which there are many. But we cannot get around them right away because of this...
We finally get around the vehicles in the line and start passing the horses. Many of the riders are just young kids and they are excited to see the bikes. Everyone is waving and they are quite friendly even though we are obviously making some of the horses nervous.
With the trailride behind us, we set off at a brisk pace, dodging most of the potholes and sliding in the sand. We eventually wind up on Four Notch Road Northeast of New Waverly. We pass by the Women's US Olympic Gymnastics training facility out in the middle of nowhere. This is the one run by Karoli. Soon we reach FM 1375 and run it down into New Waverly, across I-45 over to FM 149. From there we run down through the Forest to have lunch at King's Cafe.
When we arrive at King's the waitress informs us that we are late, everyone else has already left. Then I explain that the other weenies only want to ride on paved roads Seeing the muck on my riding pants she just laughs and takes my order. While hanging out on the back porch a nice looking GS Adventure pulls up with a cruiser in tow. We chat for a while, exchange info and then they are on their way. The day has turned into a spectacular day for riding so I am itching to get back on the bikes. We pay and head out again.
We run up FM 149 to FM 1097 West. This is a fun road that many people never take. If you look on the maps, it is usually shown as coming to a dead end. However, one route takes you over to Dacus on FM 1486 a ways South of Richards and it is paved. The other route takes you to gravel and comes out on FM 149 right where FM 1791 drops out. We run the paved road over to Dacus, up FM 1486 to some county roads that wander back into the woods. A quick stop to disable the ABS system and then we are making dust!
There is a good bit of logging going on back in here and the trucks really tear up the road. The size of the ruts along the shoulder are a little unnerving. Were I to run into them on the GS, getting out would be a real adventure. In many places, the road is still wet from the rain just a few days back, but the local traffic has dried a few thin strips that we needle our way along carefully... well... at least only 50mph... Between the wet stuff and the dry loose gravel, I am having lots of fun spinning the rear tire coming out of the corners. The torque of the GS is addictive
A few turns, some ratty pavement, more gravel and we eventually find ourselves on FM 2819 just East of FM 2562. I usually have a plan for these rides, but often I will change the plan on the fly. I decide to run up FM 2562 towards FM 149. There are several gravel roads up there that are quite fun. Bill has been complaining about all the pavement we've been riding. Seems his mesh jacket is a little chilly when we get up to 70mph He toughs it out though and soon we are back on the loose stuff, Bill right behind me as always. We run CR 217 which makes a nice loop back up from FM 149 to FM 1562 a few miles North of FM 149. It has lots of nice sweeper corners where I can really get on it through the corners. These are great for practicing steering with the throttle!
We drop back out on FM 2562 and head South back down to FM 149 and turn towards Anderson. Maybe a mile or so up the road we head North on a narrow little dirt road that disappears over the nearest hill. At one point the road is no higher than the surrounding ground, which is mostly swampish, and it gets pretty muddy. I try to stay on the gas and hold my line while the bike squirms around under me. After a hundred yards or so it becomes hardpacked again and I check my mirrors. I see Bill's headlight but that is it. A little farther up the road, we come to a tee. When I look back, no one is there, not even Bill...? So I wait a few minutes... Then I start to wonder... Bob is not on knobbies and that was a bit of a mess back there... I decide to head back and have a look. About the time I get turned around and heading the back, I see Bob and Bill coming up, whew! Turns out Bob had to answer the call of nature
Back on track and regrouped, we continue on until we drop out onto Hwy 90 North of Anderson. For a moment I ponder taking the guys down the little road that leads to the crazy cows I encountered a few weeks ago. Then I decide that discretion is the better part of valor and we just head on into Anderson to pick up FM 149 out of town. There are a bunch of great little county roads that criss-cross all around FM 3090. We snake along them, run parts of 3090, stop where Brett Hearne was killed not long ago in a riding accident, and then head down towards Navasota to find more dirt roads.
My favorite dirt road in this area runs along the West side of the old Lignite coal mines. Most everyone in this area probably just knows them as the lakes right before you reach FM 244 on 3090. The mines used to feed coal into the power plant near Carlos on the North side of Hwy 30. There are several nicely graded gravel roads around the mine.
Here's Bill going so fast on his KLR that I almost miss him!
Bob on his relatively new GS Adventure sans knobbies
Here's a little Vid of Bob and Bill in action (15 MB)
http://www.twtex.com/linkfiles/010805-DirtRide/MOV03040.MPG
My favorite part of this road is a long level straight. I wick it up to about 75mph, the dust flying everywhere, and the bike feels like it is just floating on air. The road is really wide and smooth with a nice wide shoulder and nothing but fields to either side. Every other telephone pole has a big fat hawk perched atop it scouting for field mice and other snack foods All of them take flight when they hear the GS buzzing up the road towards them. Somewhere back there behind me is Bill and Bob, but I can't make out their headlights through the white cloud of dust trailing behind me. There are a series of nice semibanked ninety degree corners at the end of the straight and then we are right back into a narrow dirt road running through the woods.
I wait up for Bob and Bill at the next intersection and then we make the last little run before dropping out onto Hwy 30 just West of the gas station in Carlos. We stop in for a short break. I need ice cream There are tons of cruisers in the parking lot. They come from a little bar just up FM 244. The gas station would probably go out of business if it weren't for that bar and all the bikes that go there. Unfortunately, it is a regular occurence for riders to leave the bar and crash at the very first corner just up the road... It is getting late in the afternoon and Bob is starting to think about peeling off from the route. He has a long haul to get all the way back down to Dickinson. It is about 3:15pm now. He decides he has not yet had enough so he continues with us.
We head West on Hwy 30 a few miles to a little Shell gas station. It and a few other little buildings are the only thing out here. We turn North on another gravel road. There are numerous trailer homes and a few nice brick homes on large lots. The road is pretty rough in places. It seems that the potholes get much worse after a rain. This is where the soft long travel suspension pays big dividends! We hit Hwy FM 244 in Kieth, a town that consists of a cat, a church and only one house that I can see. We head North a short distance and pick up CR 166 East into the woods.
We run a series of roads that wander in an Easterly direction in a round about way. CR 164 runs kind of North/South. I think if we were to follow it back South, it would take us down the path of the old conveyor belts that used to carry the coal from the mines to the power plant near Carlos. I make a mental note to check that out sometime in the future. Right now, we are heading North. There has not been much traffic on the road to make nice dry paths for us since the rain stopped. Instead there are a lot of wet spots and ruts. It is here that the ability to stay loose on the bars really pays off big time. I settle into a nice 40-45mph groove and just let the bike do its' thing, which it does quite nicely We are soon heading East again, across Hwy 39 and towards Bedias. (pronounced Bee Dize by the locals).
Most of the roads in this area are pretty rough. I am spending most of my time standing up on the pegs looking for the best line through the potholes and ruts. I round a corner and see what looks like a large puddle in the road ahead... Being the fearless leader, it is my job to be the first one through. I reach the other side with no problems and then set up for pics of Bill and Bob coming through.
Here's Bill
And Bob...
Kudos to Bob for doing that slop without knobbies :hail I'd be very reluctant, hehe.
Looking back the way we just came
Then Bill wants me to go back through so he can get pics of me coming through. Sure, what the heck?! I get the GS turned around and head back into the mire... a little faster than I had intended.
The muck comes flying up all over the bike, me, and right into my open visor :rofl Bill has to hear me screaming, hehe. Goopy muck is all inside my BRAND NEW Shoei RF-1000!!! Then I notice that the water on my riding suit is beading up quite nicely and running off... cool! I just hosed it with some Camp-Dry sealer the other night. Nice to see it works so well, unlike the much more expensive "Heavy Duty" Scotchguard. I come to a stop and stomp and shake to get most of the water off of me, then I trun around for the return trip... with the visor down this time
The bike is hosed, again. I am hosed, again. This is entirely too much fun! It takes me back to my younger days when it wasn't a good day of playing outside if there wasn't any mud or fire involved, hehe. Too bad no one shot video of me dancing around on the road shaking off all the water I probably looked like I was having some kind of strange siezure. After I do a little drip drying, we mount up and continue on our way until we reach FM 1696 just West of Bedias. We make another short detour on a dirt road before getting into town and stopping at THE gas station. Bob decides he had better make time to get on home so he heads East on FM 1696 back to Huntsville to pick up I-45. We say our goodbyes and then he's gone. Bill and I hang out for a few minutes while I decide just how much more dirt riding we can get in before we start losing daylight.
It is a little after 4:30pm now. We head East on FM 1696. This is a really nice scenic FM that runs Northwest out of Huntsville (actually, off of US 75 just North of Huntsville). About midway back to Huntsville, I finally make up my mind where we are going next. We turn into the woods on Scales Ranch Rd. and double back to the West for a while in thick piney woods on a packed sandy road. The sun is getting low on the horizon and is coming in through the trees making it hard to see the ruts and potholes. I love this time of day when the shadows get long and everything is bathed in warm glow. The moment is fleeting as the road demands the return of my undivided attention.
Soon Bill and I are generally heading South towards Hwy 30. At one intersection, the road makes a tight Y and we have to make the right leg. The road doubles back at about a 70 degree angle. In the middle of the intersection is some deep loose dirt and I slide a little coming through it trying to make the tight turn. Back on the gas I am now heading for the center of the two track road, not a good place to be right now. The center of the road is deep and wet mud. Sure enough, I slide right through it. The ditch is deep and muddy, nothing Bill and I will be able to drag the GS out of... With a good clinch and fist full of throttlle, I get the bike headed back to the right track and narrowly miss my old nemesis the ditch. I must be getting used to this because my heartbeat scarcely skips a beat, hehe.
A little more wandering and cow spooking and we find our way down to Hwy 30. We cut across the highway and continue on Hoke Rd in a Southerly direction. What has been a relatively smooth road on past rides is now full of huge potholes. A few miles into the woods and it becomes sand with patches of deep gravel that were recently dumped on problem spots. The recent rains have the sand nicely packed so it is no problem. When I last came through here, the sand was very loose and dry which makes for some exciting moments on a heavy bike like the GS, especially on street tires! Today, Bill and I rip through here on a mission. We have maybe another ten to fifteen minutes of good light before we have to get back on the pavement for the final run to the house. About the time the sun drops out of sight, we reach FM 1791 and turn North towards Huntsville. We reach the hosue just before dark to find Paul "Scratch" Massie tweaking his chain on his Sprint RS. He led the street riders out into East Texas today. I am sure they had a great time
Bill loads up his KLR and makes tracks back to DFW. Paul and I kick back and have a few beers while chatting world events and the meaning of life. My bike is in desparate need of a good cleaning! Wonder if I can find a puddle with clear water...?
Adios,