Lone Star Loop (2,180 DS loop)

Well, this a day late. The wi-fi at my motel wasn't working last night. I enjoyed another great breakfast worthy of any dual-sport adventurer. As I prepared to leave, the lady in the next room was sitting outside with her dog. When the dog started to growl at me she said not to worry it was just that the dog wasn’t used to seeing someone dressed up like Spiderman. I was appropriately insulted but I gave her my most humble smile. I left the Bass Buster Inn at 8:30 heading east into the morning sun. A few miles of RR 255 and I turned north on CR 1105 in an effort to ride a little more SAND (ha!). The good news was that very shortly the road surface got better and I noticed even the forest soil was getting darker and less sandy. The roads through the Sabine National Forest north to Yellowpine were really great due to the undulating and circuitous topography (Sorry, I have to use that phrase at least once in every ride log.) From Yellowpine I rode US 87 to Hemphill then FM 3121 to SH 21. I followed SH 21 to the Sabine River Bridge and went off-route momentarily to ride over Toledo Bend Reservoir to Louisiana. After some photo looking back at Texas I tried to video my ride across the bridge, holding my camera in my left hand. I really wish I would have sprung for a GoPro.

The dirt county road northeast from Pendleton Harbor was a good easy ride with more undulation (sorry). After a few miles I rode north on CR 140, the road that connects to 9 Mile Road. 9 Mile Road became a question mark as I planned the Loop. The word was that the east end of the road near Toledo Bend was closed and no one was sure if it opened up further west. Well, the good news is, it is open from CR 140 west. As I looked east, 9 Mile was open as far as I could see but I didn’t want to take time to see how far it was open.

The rest of the roads through the forest were very good as well and they brought me into the outskirts of Center, my day’s destination. This day was planned as a short day to rest up a bit and do some laundry. I only carry enough changes of clothes for eight days. After a bite of lunch I drove all over town before I found the washateria I was looking for. Center’s street layout is confusing with several highways and FM’s converging from different directions. As I write this I’m doing laundry (yes dear, I separated light and dark).

I’ve been blessed with no rain to speak of so far on the trip. I was concerned I might encounter some mud bogs as I did on the eastern half of the Trans-America Trail. One thing I’ve found unusual about east Texas weather is the absence of the wind … a constant in west Texas ... I mean not even a breeze. It’s been a good day with good roads. The mere 100 miles I rode today was a welcome break.

Day Nine​

Couldn’t find a single café in town so I had my first ever breakfast at Whataburger … pancakes and sausage, not bad really. The temp was in the upper 50’s this morning so I put on my coat for the first time. I got away by 7:45 with my longest day ahead of me. I think every rural house in this part of the state has at least three unchained dogs. I read once that the way to avoid dogs is to slow down and drop a gear then just as they get close you nail it. It throws their timing off and they can’t change direction quick enough. I had plenty of opportunity to try it out this morning and it really works.

A large percentage of the roads today were either bitumen or oiled one lane tracks through the forest. That was really a good thing for me because otherwise there would have been a lot more sand. As it was, I got into the deepest sand yet, once in the morning and once this afternoon. The sand was 10-12 inches deep for long stretches. The ruts were only 3-4 inches deep but the trick was staying in the ruts.

As I rode into Mount Enterprise they were about to start a parade down Main Street. The band was getting ready so they waved me on through. The whole town was lined up at the curb as I passed by. They must have thought I was part of the parade in my “Spider Man” outfit because people started waving as I rode by. I thought about doing a wheelie but figured I’d dump it in front of the whole town.

Got to Beckville about noon and ate a good cheeseburger at the convenience store grill … the only eating establishment in town. One of the things I enjoy is seeing all these small towns and their old buildings and wondering a little about their history. One of the things I’ve noticed is a lot of poverty in east Texas. The shacks and broken down trailers of these folks are scattered up and down these rural roads.

Hot and tired from fighting the sand I just gutted it out until I made it to Naples. I then rode 4 mile west off-route to Omaha where I had a room reserved. I arrived about five at the Cajun Cowboy Motel … a well done combination motel an RV park. It’s owned by a really nice older couple (really not much older than me), the Goforth’s . They also have a restaurant downtown where I enjoyed a good chicken fried steak. So much for my cholesterol … “let’s see now, pancakes, sausage, cheeseburger, onion rings, chicken fried steak, french-fries, key lime pie”. I’m gonna do better tomorrow …

Mileage for the day was 230 and a total of 1,668 miles since I started the Loop, Friday a week ago.

Day Ten​

I was informed that the closest place for breakfast was 4 miles east at Naples so I loaded up and left about seven. Turns out the café in Naples isn’t open on Sunday so I sat down at the convenience store with some coffee and a fritter. An older gentlemen sat down at the next table and wanted to know where I was from and what I was doing. He had lived in Naples for many years and had worked at a local steel foundry for forty years. I didn’t even know they made steel in Texas.

I run out of adjectives to describe the roads on the Loop but they were excellent today … almost all dirt and very little bitumen or sand. Many of the roads were roller-coaster like in the morning but the terrain flattened out as I neared the Red River. One particularly good road was CR 2235 south of Manchester. There were still lots of trees today but they are now oak instead of pine. I had three deer run across my path about 30 yards away early this morning and I played tag with mutts off and on all day.
There’s really no town at Midcity but there is a DQ where I grabbed a bite around 11:30. I looked for gas but there was none to be had at Midcity and none 3 miles north at Arthur City on the Red River. Since I carry a one gallon Rotopax I continued on assuming I would find a station somewhere along my route.

Just south of Elwood I came upon the first road closure of the trip. I Had notice a lot of trees down in the area and after traveling down CR 2105 a short ways it was barricaded and the road was covered with downed trees. I’m sure a tornado came through there, perhaps the one in May that hit Blue, Oklahoma a few miles north. Anyway, I just rode a mile south, a mile west, and a mile north and I was back on track. When I got to the west end of CR 2105 it was clear that they plan on permanently abandoning that section of road. I will change the Loop to correspond.

The afternoon wore on and so did I. It wasn’t as hot today but the continuous dirt roads and the frequent turns were making a slower day and taking a toll on my old body. As I neared 200 miles I still hadn’t found any gas but I decided to push on and use my Rotopax if I ran out. When I finally intersected US 75 Bus and found a station the odometer read 234 miles. My larger tank holds 3.9 gallons and I filled up with 3.82. I believe I was running on fumes.

The motel in Sherman I had planned to stay at was a dump as were three other older motels along 75 Bus. I opted instead for a really nice La Quinta. Mileage for the day was 235.

excellent report


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Day Eleven​

Having missed a traditional breakfast for a couple of days I pigged out at Cracker Barrel. When I left Sherman about 7:45 it was a cool 63° but I elected to wear just a sweat shirt over my armored jersey. A thin ban of clouds obscured the rising sun keeping it in the 60’s until about 10:00. I got chilled at times but didn’t want to take the time to change to my heavy coat. Early morning I saw mostly paved county roads. In the middle of nowhere I was delayed for a bit by a mile long train moving about 15 mph. A few miles further I came to the Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge where I saw a lot of water fowl but little else. As I rode just south of the Red River the terrain became very hilly and thickly forested with primarily oak trees. The scenery and the roads in this region were some of the best I’ve experienced on the Loop. In some ways it resembles the hill country but it is greener and more picturesque. There were many creeks with bridge crossings where the road would wind down to the creek and climb back up. In those rolling hills there were beautiful pasture scenes and then sections of almost continuous tree-tunnels and, thankfully, very little sand.

I made Nocona on US 82 about noon having ridden 110 miles. After a fill up and a quick snack at a convenience store I found an auto parts store where I bought a can of Sea foam and added some to my gas. The DRZ has performed flawlessly except at slower speeds and constant throttle opening it surges a little. After a few miles it seemed better but didn’t go away completely.
After Nocona, I continued to run close to the Red River. I made a couple of vain attempts to actually ride down to the Red River on one of the county roads before I finally succeeded. The land began to flatten out and more and more the trees disappeared giving way to mesquite. I ran into one road that had barricades set up but rode ahead to check it out. A small corner of a little concrete bridge had washed away so I just quite safely rode on across. Another road that showed to be county maintained seemed to change to a private turn-row past the ranch house. I decide the prudent thing was to turn around and go 3 miles north and bypass it.

Most of the roads were smooth gravel and then some blacktop as I passed just north of Wichita Falls. The smooth roads along with the openness of the terrain allowed me to travel much faster and I began to consider skipping Electra where I had a reservation. My thinking was that if I extended my day to Crowell it would allow me to finish the Loop the next day and ride on to Lubbock. I was beginning to “smell the barn”. So when I arrived at Electra after 205 miles I filled up, called my wife to have her cancel my reservation and make a new one at Crowell, and then I hit the road again.
As I neared Crowell I came to the almost deserted town of Thalia. Following the original route between Thalia and Crowell I came to a section of two-track that was little more than a turn-row and deep with sand. I decided it wasn’t worth it so I detoured a mile north and rode into Crowell on US 70. I’m going to change the Loop track to reflect that change along with the other one I mentioned.

I arrived about 5:45 at the Werley Inn which is run by nice young couple who also farm. I was hot, dusty, and tired but I had ridden 280 miles of some really great country. I ate some Pizza and worked on the changes in Mapsource but was too tired to post my day’s ride.

Day Twelve​

I got up at 5:30 and walked a block to Tater’s where I ate breakfast while the local farmers and ranchers sat together drinking coffee and giving each other a hard time. I wanted to get an early start but I wound up waiting a bit for enough light to ride. I pulled out at 7:15 and rode southwest from Crowell on dirt roads lined closely by mesquite and cedar. I rode about 25 mph for a while being a bit concerned about deer and the early light. Sure enough, a little later I encountered deer three different times.

After a few miles the land dropped off into what they call the “breaks” and became much more interesting and scenic riding. The Loop then turned due west and headed across the Lowrance Ranch. The ranch land offers wide open vistas and rugged canyons as it crosses from Knox County into King County. The road eventually makes a “T” and heads south across the J Y Masterson Ranch (Est. 1896) eventually intersecting US 82 between Guthrie and Benjamin. The route across both ranches totals about 50 miles and is a great ride with excellent roads that meander in an out of canyons and across vast prairies.

I turned east on US 82 to the intersection with SH 222 that heads southeast toward Knox City. The route turned south a few miles northwest of there and traversed many miles of oil rich “breaks” in very rugged country. The roads however were very good and as I climbed up high along the shoulder of Kiowa Peak it seemed like I could see forever. I then followed the Salt Branch of the Brazos south for a bit before turning west for the final leg of the Loop toward Jayton.

As I neared Jayton a little after noon I decided to bypass the town for lunch and finish the last few miles of the Loop. About 12:45 I came to the intersection of US 380 and CR 409 where I began my journey twelve days ago. My mileage for the day to that point was 160 miles. My grand total for the Lone Star Loop was 2,344 miles.

I’m truly grateful to the State of Texas for all the great roads and to the Lord for the beautiful land he created.

After a prayer of gratitude for a safe trip, I mounted my trusty steed and rode the 80 miles of asphalt back to Lubbock, anxious to see my wife and family.

Postscript – Lone Star Loop​

As I thought back on the trip I asked myself if there was anything I’d change about the route or my ride. Honestly? Not really. The roads offered a tremendous variety of scenery and ride-ability. The goal of 200 miles per day was reasonable and offered ample time for picture taking. Even the close call with the deer served a good purpose by slowing me down a little before something worse happened. Well, maybe there could be a few more breakfast choices.

For those of you who “rode along” on the forum, I hope you get a chance to ride a portion or even all of the Loop. I think you’ll really enjoy it.

Thanks for the report, it sounds like a great trip. I may have to try the trip.

Indeed! Well done, on both the ride itself and this writeup. Thanks for the effort you put out on both.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

I meant to post the updated GPS files but have been busy and haven't been on the forum. I', attaching the master file and the 3 segment files that are up to date and are 100% verified. Also, I included the .kmz file to view in Google Earth.

Just saw your article on this ride in the July/Aug ADV Moto magazine. Hope to do a portion the ride this fall. Thanks for your efforts.

Jerry, Just read your article in adv moto. It was a good read. Glad you had a good trip. What portion of the route would you say had the highest concentration of challenging / scenic roads? If there was a portion that had a significant combination of those two features.

Hey Brian,
Glad you enjoyed the article. As far as scenery, the eastern section from Huntsville along the Sabine up to Naples. Not particularly challenging except for some deep sand in places.

In terms of technically challenging and scenic I especially liked the section from Brownwood south to Camp Wood. The most challenging portion of that was from west of Llano at Castell to Camp Wood.

Hey Jerry...ditto on the magazine article compliments. I hope to ride some of the loop this fall...after it cools off a little.

Hello Joe;
I saw your post with the routes and tracks for the Lone Star Loop. Would it be possible to get the daily route files from you?

Thanks,
Andy

Hello Jerry;
I just finished reading your article on the Lone Star Loop in the July/August issue of Adventure Motorcycle magazine and really enjoyed it. Great work!
Andy

aajjr645 said:

Hello Joe;
I saw your post with the routes and tracks for the Lone Star Loop. Would it be possible to get the daily route files from you?

Thanks,
Andy

Click to expand...

Andy, my apologies. I had a computer melt down a few months ago and lost some of the details I had stored in a Garmin Basecamp database. That included any more detail then what is contained in post #26. I am still intending on taking off sometime and doing this ride.

Joe;

Thanks for your response. I'll work off of the posted files to create daily routes to ride the Lone Star Loop. It sure looks like fun!

Andy, just now saw your request for my daily ride destinations. I'll attach the spread sheet for my itinerary, hope that's what you need. If not email me as I don't check the post regularly.
Jerry

Thanks Jerry. That will help.

I've done chunks of the route. It is fun!



RB

jerrybo said:

I meant to post the updated GPS files but have been busy and haven't been on the forum. I', attaching the master file and the 3 segment files that are up to date and are 100% verified. Also, I included the .kmz file to view in Google Earth.

Click to expand...

I see your updated loop here but all are in .gdb files. I'm not a Garmin user (my GPS doesn't recognize .gdb) or experienced in BaseCamp. I was able to download and view in BaseCamp but see that the tracks are split up into a couple dozen segments.

How do I get the entire loop into a single continuous track .gpx file? I don't need waypoints, gas, food or hotel markers.

_