Welcome to the Two Wheeled Texans community! 
Feel free to hang out and lurk as long as you like. However, we would like to encourage you to 
_RG_
Forum Supporter
Some days mysteriously fall together well from the broken pieces of shattered expectations. 
A springtime group ride through 170 miles of beautiful East Texas – complete with blooming Dogwoods and Honeysuckle intercoursing the cool morning air. What could possibly go wrong?
Meet for breakfast at the Waverly restaurant… well, it’s closed… like as in forever. What's the big deal? They can usually fix ptomaine these days. OK, plan B - meet at the SHNF HQ. – Cool! Wait…wait…wait – only one motorcycle in sight and that’s mine.
Nine AM… time to ride.
*Maybe there’s another forest service office here? Maybe everybody else knew which office and I be ignunt (it ain’t that uncommon). Maybe they got fed up waiting on me and took off already. Whatever… I’ll ride fast and catch up somewhere along the track. Stuff happens… so we roll with it and keep on trucking on.
For those westerners who’ve yet to peek beyond the Green Door - to the SHNF HQ – Forester art.
Thought that was Piglet ole Smoky is holding but we’re leaning more towards an adorable wee spotted fawn with wings growing from its head and a tragic past with harsher pharmaceuticals.
*Note the small coons in Smokey’s front pocket…kinky. Hey, I’m open to all kinds of fun but really… just didn’t know stuff like that goes on out in our national forests. Menacing shovel held at the high ready… I’m cool…been to Austin...go for it Smoky. Don’t matter if you’re pitching or catching…so long as you’re in the game. Right?
And then there is this. I had a seagull do that on me once down at the coast while I held a box of bait shrimp. Seagulls can drop quite a load when motivated. Way bigger bird here. Can’t image how P. Bunyun will ever get the stain out… Re-chopping the stool (see ax) seems well intended but marginally effective. Not judging…Just an observation.
Ride the freakin motorcycle, dude!
Made it to the first real dirt…hmmm…no moto tracks here. Couple of MTB tracks but way too skinny and sadly lacking near enough horsepower to come close to the hooligans in our group. Well, ride on! We’ll cross paths eventually.
Made it to some righteous dirt and still not one moto track to be seen. OK…so what’s up with this? Cell signal, yes! Logon to TWT. Hmmm…there’s suddenly a second page to this ride now. OHHHH! Page 2 - Seems rover has come down with uncontrollable bowel syndrome and ride’s been cancelled. Ahhh…oh well. Dog’ll probably make it. The carpet… not so much.
Adventure! (This is by no means the first time I’ve gotten separated, lost, abandoned, banished, or just plain given up for dead by a group). And, it ain’t always such a bad thing…
If you read the book "90 Minutes in Heaven" here's the bridge. Not used anymore.
Much of East Texas is, like the Hill Country, getting paved. It’s pretty much unavoidable. Most of this ride could be done on yo Mama’s Harley… but not all of it.
A section of dirt was closed for burning (intentional). Guy guarding it said they'd probably reopen that evening BUT they'll be burning all around the area so be ready on the GPS.
This is part of John Warren Rd. (see X on attached tracks).
There are water crossings but outside of a little slip on either side - quite solid (nothing like the treacherous Hill Country variety).
The road into and out of Groveton is not Harley friendly. In fact, a mile or so is not friendly at all.
Conditions were perfect today…weather, sand, mud. But, you have to know there are parts of this area that just simply aren’t ever perfect. It’s a soil mapper’s worst nightmare. Truly, it can go from slick mud to deep dry powder and back to mud in less than 20 yards distance. Freaky right? It'll keep you on the pegs and squeezing the tank.
Josserand Rd out of Groveton is a hoot! It’s basically a long hill that seems really popular with the mud bogging crowd after heavy rains. If you’re just now working on off-road skills this is one stretch that might be best avoided. For a group, things will very likely slow down for a while here. If it’s wet… just don’t.
Very pleasant ride. Next time somebody gets it going - saddle up and GO!
A springtime group ride through 170 miles of beautiful East Texas – complete with blooming Dogwoods and Honeysuckle intercoursing the cool morning air. What could possibly go wrong?
Meet for breakfast at the Waverly restaurant… well, it’s closed… like as in forever. What's the big deal? They can usually fix ptomaine these days. OK, plan B - meet at the SHNF HQ. – Cool! Wait…wait…wait – only one motorcycle in sight and that’s mine.
Nine AM… time to ride. *Maybe there’s another forest service office here? Maybe everybody else knew which office and I be ignunt (it ain’t that uncommon). Maybe they got fed up waiting on me and took off already. Whatever… I’ll ride fast and catch up somewhere along the track. Stuff happens… so we roll with it and keep on trucking on.For those westerners who’ve yet to peek beyond the Green Door - to the SHNF HQ – Forester art.
Thought that was Piglet ole Smoky is holding but we’re leaning more towards an adorable wee spotted fawn with wings growing from its head and a tragic past with harsher pharmaceuticals.
*Note the small coons in Smokey’s front pocket…kinky. Hey, I’m open to all kinds of fun but really… just didn’t know stuff like that goes on out in our national forests. Menacing shovel held at the high ready… I’m cool…been to Austin...go for it Smoky. Don’t matter if you’re pitching or catching…so long as you’re in the game. Right?
And then there is this. I had a seagull do that on me once down at the coast while I held a box of bait shrimp. Seagulls can drop quite a load when motivated. Way bigger bird here. Can’t image how P. Bunyun will ever get the stain out… Re-chopping the stool (see ax) seems well intended but marginally effective. Not judging…Just an observation.
Ride the freakin motorcycle, dude!
Made it to the first real dirt…hmmm…no moto tracks here. Couple of MTB tracks but way too skinny and sadly lacking near enough horsepower to come close to the hooligans in our group. Well, ride on! We’ll cross paths eventually.
Made it to some righteous dirt and still not one moto track to be seen. OK…so what’s up with this? Cell signal, yes! Logon to TWT. Hmmm…there’s suddenly a second page to this ride now. OHHHH! Page 2 - Seems rover has come down with uncontrollable bowel syndrome and ride’s been cancelled. Ahhh…oh well. Dog’ll probably make it. The carpet… not so much.
Adventure! (This is by no means the first time I’ve gotten separated, lost, abandoned, banished, or just plain given up for dead by a group). And, it ain’t always such a bad thing…
If you read the book "90 Minutes in Heaven" here's the bridge. Not used anymore.
Much of East Texas is, like the Hill Country, getting paved. It’s pretty much unavoidable. Most of this ride could be done on yo Mama’s Harley… but not all of it.
A section of dirt was closed for burning (intentional). Guy guarding it said they'd probably reopen that evening BUT they'll be burning all around the area so be ready on the GPS.
This is part of John Warren Rd. (see X on attached tracks).There are water crossings but outside of a little slip on either side - quite solid (nothing like the treacherous Hill Country variety).
The road into and out of Groveton is not Harley friendly. In fact, a mile or so is not friendly at all.
Conditions were perfect today…weather, sand, mud. But, you have to know there are parts of this area that just simply aren’t ever perfect. It’s a soil mapper’s worst nightmare. Truly, it can go from slick mud to deep dry powder and back to mud in less than 20 yards distance. Freaky right? It'll keep you on the pegs and squeezing the tank.Josserand Rd out of Groveton is a hoot! It’s basically a long hill that seems really popular with the mud bogging crowd after heavy rains. If you’re just now working on off-road skills this is one stretch that might be best avoided. For a group, things will very likely slow down for a while here. If it’s wet… just don’t.
Very pleasant ride. Next time somebody gets it going - saddle up and GO!
Last edited:
I ended up doing more clean up work Saturday, followed by a big bonfire hangout event next door with a bunch of friends and their kids. I've done my share of solo "group" rides over the years, hehe. I did manage to get out Sunday for about 150 miles of backroads between Huntsville and College Station. I tried to hit Mallett Bro BBQ in Iola. They close at 2:00pm on Sunday. I got there at 2:01... So I headed over toward C&Js in College Station on Hwy 30. They close at 3:00pm. I got there at 3:01...