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Central Tex '06 - The Search for Forgotten Roads and Old Stuff

Joined
May 13, 2004
Messages
3,983
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23
Location
Burnet-ish, Tx
First Name
Casey
Last Name
Fry
Since the Arizona trip fell through, I had a week off that I had to do something with. I had planned a trip to New Mexico to visit a friend, but said friend had to cancel for that week when he found out his folks were coming from New York to visit. Not having enough time remaining to reschedule my vacation to NM, I opted to do something more local, and of a shorter duration. The plan was to make a big leisurely loop, taking lots of time for stops and photos, poking around old barns, etc… and this time I’d do it all solo. It’s been a long time since I went out to enjoy my solitude; something I did nearly every weekend that I was in Arizona, and I miss it.

Since I'm trying to break my hotlinking habit, ride photos are on dedicated pages on my website, there’ll be a link for each day of the report. One of these days I’ll post the more artistic photos (still to be processed) in my ‘deviantArt’ gallery.

The ‘Roads of Texas’ atlas was used almost exclusively for this ride, so if you have it, follow along…

If you want to read the report with the images, start here: http://www.clfry.com/adv/centex0506/centexday1.html

Day1 - Sunday,
Leander to Junction, 210 miles


Pictures here

Got up early this morning, but not quite as early as I wanted to. While doing last minute packing, noticed it was a bit chilly, 55 degrees to be exact…I hope it isn’t this chilly tonight, I didn’t pack for this! Pretty much forgot breakfast, and hit the road a little after 7. My plan was to skip to the stuff I haven’t seen, and ride 29 to Llano. I’d fuel up there.

While filling my 5 gallon tank I observed a young man, I’d say 19 or 20, walking down the sidewalk…He was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and some worn, gray cargo pants that were too long, and very tattered at the cuff. He wasn’t wearing shoes, only socks. He crossed the street and continued East down 29...

I topped off the tank and reset the odometer. I headed down town to 152, then headed west for Castell. When I reached CR102 I turned North. This was a paved road, although barely…The first river crossing was a mess! The “paved” crossing consisted of broken, shifted and patched concrete, like a concrete MX track. I feel for anyone who tries to drive a passenger car across this thing…When I reached 104 I took a left and headed west again. This was a fun little bladed earth road, badly eroded by recent rains. I stopped at an old building, probably a school house, to take some pictures. After about ½ hour of hanging out, I loaded up and straddled the bike. I reached for the key already in the ignition - and already on… a sinking feeling came over me as my thumb went for the go button…The starter groaned…then clicked. I knew the time would someday come when I’d have to push-start a loaded-down bike on a soft dirt road…I just hoped it would be when I had a partner! This part of the road I was on was at a slight incline, so I backed it up the hill, and swung my leg over…only to send the bike down on it’s right side. I stepped over and lifted it upright. No damage to the right box, so I turned my attention back to starting it. I got it rolling but couldn’t get much speed on the soft road. I hopped on and dumped the clutch - the motor spat and sputtered, then the back tire slid to a halt. I got off and started to walk the bike. After walking about a mile, a fellow pulled up beside me, “need a ride?” he asked, “no,” I replied, “dead battery, just need to find a hill to bump-start it.” He said “okay”, and didn’t offer a push, so I didn’t press it. I pushed on, and finally came to a creek crossing with a nice hill leading down to it. As I approached, I noticed an old school bus hiding in the bushes off to my right. I decided to take a rest and get a few shots of the bus.

The decline into the creek was a fairly steep one, as was the climb out…I had to make this count! I suited up and shoved off. Once over the cattle guard at the break of the hill, I picked up speed…dumped the clutch…we have ignition! The motor had other ideas though, and struggled to stay running. About ¾ of the way up the steep incline, it made one last cough, then died. I mustered the strength to push it to the top, turned around, and made haste down the other direction. It started again, then died just as I made it up and over the cattle guard. I turned it around again for a 3rd try, this time giving a little choke, once it started again I whacked the throttle, which resulted in a wheelie up the incline…a wheelie on a dirt bike fully loaded with camping gear is a bit unnerving, to say the least! Once at the top I kept the RPM’s up for a little while until it would run on it’s own, backed off the choke, and after my multi-hour “break”, was on my way.

Once through Castell, I made my way south on CR105, another dirt road, where I encounter an enormous bull standing right in the middle of the road, just looking at me. He wasn’t about to move…I slowly approached and made my way by, about 2’ from him. He didn’t budge.

At the next intersection, I made a right then left on CR109, then eventually another right on CR110. These roads thus far have turned out to provide a beautiful trip through the country, as well as provide some entertaining riding due to their eroded nature. I arrived at another broken-up water crossing, splashed through a few spots, then, before the last, I came to a screeching halt…This was not good. The recent rains had muddied the usually clear water, but I could tell that the concrete bottom was split into 3 tracks, about 24” in width and about 8” apart. Beyond the first few feet the water was too cloudy to see through. Those deep grooves were just waiting to grab a wheel should slime send me in an unwanted trajectory. I opted to cross to the right of the road, through the mud and grass. After a bit of bouncing and mud roosting, I was on my way.

I made a short stop for photos at Loyal Valley, then made my way north on Hwy 87 to find some old buildings I had seen a while back while passing through. After searching for some time, I never found them and finally gave up, and headed south on Hwy 783 to Salt Branch Loop, then west. This was a rough and rocky little road, but entertaining, no less. As I was thumping along, enjoying my ride, I rounded a bend, only to be greeted by a Ford Super Duty towing a 5th wheel! On this road?! Why? How?! I was moving too briskly to use the brakes on these loose rocks, so I had no choice but to surf the deep pile of loose rocks that had built up on the shoulder. Once I was clear I slowed to a crawl to let my heart return to it’s normal state… Later, I turned right again at Salt Branch Rd which turned out to be another rough, but scenic route. I then turned left on CR430 to Hwy 385, then took a right. I wasn’t looking forward to slabbing a few miles on this hwy, but it turned out to be very nice, and visually stimulating.

I turned left on CR420, which was signed another name that I forgot (sorry), and enjoyed another great part of the route. The storms had taken their toll on this one as well, in fact I narrowly missed a very deep hole (more like canyon!) in the white rock road at one point. I finally came upon KC470 (Kimble County uses “KC” instead of “CR” or “CO”) and headed west on this forgotten, badly deteriorated road. This “road” quickly became more of a “trail”, then led me to a closed gate. It wasn’t locked, and it wasn’t posted, but there was a sign on it that said “Member Texas Farm Bureau, Arthur & Wanda“… I don’t know who Aurther and Wanda are, and I hope I don’t meet them, because I’ll be danged if I’m turning back! I closed the gate behind me, and the trail got pretty good (or bad, depending on how you look at it)… At this point it was pretty much a jeep trail…After about a mile I came to another gate, with the same sign on the other side. A little while later I came to a cool home-made bump gate; basically 2 gates wide, with a big pole in the middle that they swiveled on. I bumped my way through, then proceeded to play “goat herder” with a herd of goats in the road ahead. At this point I was really kicking myself for not bringing the helmet cam! This was the funniest part of the day! It would have made some hilarious video… I arrived at another gate, this time an old bump gate like the past, but broken, with a regular gate in it’s place. As I passed through a 4x4 drove by on the trail that forked into the one I was on, but they didn’t stop, so neither did I…

I dropped into a canyon, and the character of the trail changed, as it followed and crossed a dry creek bed, with big, lush trees and rock cliffs on either side; absolutely beautiful… The trail changed from rock to soil, and the trees provided some appreciated relief from the sun. Again, I wanted to kick myself for not bringing the cam! I came to an old stone house, obviously still occupied, and wondered how great it would be to be able to live here… Of course the vehicles parked here were all 4WD J . I finally came to the intersection at Holden Hollow and turned left to climb out of this gem of a trail…

Once I reached Hwy 2169 again, a very nice, scenic highway, I headed for Junction. After a dead-end dirt road at a park boundary gate with about 6 locks on it, I backtracked into Junction, turned south on Hwy 377, and approached the park via the proper entrance. I unloaded and pitched the tent. Since it was just after 4 pm, I opted to hike the longer trail to the river for a dip, after my multi-mile hike and a swim, I head for town for some food and a cell signal to call the better half, then back to the camp for a shower and shut-eye…

Day 2 - Monday
Junction to Brady, 230 miles


Pictures here

It was a pretty rough night, mainly because of the noise the birds made all night! I’ve never heard such annoying racket from nature! I finally began to sleep about the time the sun came up, so it was difficult to get myself moving… and despite the fact that I got up about a ¼ till 7, once I packed up, fueled and ate, it was 9 am before I was on the road.

I started the day with a quick jaunt down I10 to 2291, then north to CR210, where I stopped for some shots of an old abandoned store/post office for the forgotten ghost town of Cleo. I looked through a broken window, and observed a calendar on the wall dated 1974 (a good year for me). Once on my way I noticed some small patches of pavement on the otherwise rough road surface… It’s not often you see progress in reverse, but then I guess that isn’t progress… Anyway, this was another great route, with lots of natural water crossings and nice scenery. At one point I rode by a rattle snake in the road, but when I returned for some pictures, he was nowhere to be found. About a mile from the end, workers were in the process of paving with chip-seal, and with the largest aggregate I’ve ever seen; gravel the size of quarters! Once I reached the highway, I headed back south for the freeway, where I’d make a quick jump to my target road for the day (unmarked on the map, but found it marked CR261 elsewhere). According to the map, this road looked to be nearly a jeep trail, complete with dotted gaps which usually indicates rough sections, usually at water crossings.

As I made my way down hwy 1674, I noticed a county road to the right labeled “2612”. It wasn’t on the map, but I just had that feeling it was a short cut to my target road… the next thing I know, I’m bouncing down this rugged trail, and enjoying every minute. I rolled up to a bump gate like the one mentioned yesterday, and *BAM!* It didn’t budge, and the motor went dead. I got off and pushed on it, nothing. Upon closer inspection, I saw that it was disabled, with the right side fixed, and the left side converted to a standard gate. Once through, things got really rough as the “road” became a trail. Things became more fun, and I found myself on the throttle and standing as I picked my lines through the rugged trail. Eventually I came to another gate, this time behind someone’s old house. A decaying 50’s Caddy stood guard on the other side. As I made my way through, I saw and old man working, off to my left. He stood and watched as I motored by, but made no sound or gesture as I made my way to the bump gate ahead, next to his house. The old road made a bend to the right, with a rocky cliff along the left side. I eventually came to an intersection, and my hunch was right; here lied CR261. I headed north on the fairly well maintained road, waiting for it to turn ugly, only to find…pavement?! And good pavement at that…oh well, it was still a fun ride.

I continued right on Hwy 2597, then west on hwy 864, north on Hwy 2596 then east on CR245, a nice high speed dirt road to Fort McKavett, where I stopped for about an hour. After my break, I headed out Hwy 190 to look for my next target, a CR without a name (on the map). I turned on a road that I believed to be it, it even followed the same curves on the map. After several miles, the good road became a bad road, then a good trail, then a bad trail, once it got to the point that it was a barely discernable 4WD trail, I knew something was wrong. I turned on the GPS to see if I could get it to stay on long enough to see if I had any options… According to Mapsource topo, there was no road where I was, but there was one to the east, about 1/8 of a mile away. Unfortunately, there was a fence that kept me from it. After exploring the “trails” for another 45 minutes looking for another out (I’m obsessive that way), I began to realize that I now had 2 new pressing issues; time and fuel. I was at 120 miles on this tank, I wasn’t sure I could make it to San Angelo now, and I wasn’t sure where the nearest station was. I figured my best bet would be to head back to the Fort, as I remembered seeing a general store with a pump. I kicked it into race mode (which was fun) back to the CR that I thought I was on originally, and made haste to the highway. Once I was back on the CR, I noticed a lesser road that headed west… Could that be? Well, if it’s not, it could really screw me up, so on to the Fort.

The store with the pump was closed, and I was now at 140 miles, that leaves me 60 miles that I can depend on. Out came the maps; it’s time for a route change. It appeared that Christovall was my closest bet at about 30 miles…I hope it has gas… I headed north on “Toenail Trail” to 190, then east, then north on CR339, which would join Hwy 2084 directly to Christovall. CR339 turned out to be a great dirt road, and hwy 2084 was nice as well.

Christovall was a really neat place, I can’t believe I didn’t take any pictures, but I hope to return one day… Anyway, I saw a black Honda Accord parked on a low water crossing below the bridge over the Concho River, and a guy was walking around it, splashing water on the car. I rolled down to the river to ask where a gas station was. He told me, and his son told me how cool my bike was. I thanked him and made haste for the Exxon. I had gas J and again was on my way to San Angelo.

In San Angelo I stopped for some Gatorade and Chapstick. It was hot, very near 100 degrees, because the moving air got hotter the faster I went. I hopped on 87 to look for some old abandoned houses that I had marked on a map about 6 years ago. This turned out to be a waste of time because they weren’t there…well, I may have found one of them, but it was a roof sitting atop a pile of rubble. Disappointed, I continued down 87 for Eden. This was among the most miserable things I’ve ever done. To make matters worse, I had an incredible cross wind from the south. I must have looked funny to other drivers, as I was leaning about 10 degrees from vertical down the highway.

Finally, just past Eden, I’d had enough. I stopped to shoot an old house, even though the sun was in a horrible position. While stopped, I found a dirt road on the map that paralleled 87 for some distance, until 87 turned southward. This was an interesting road, fast and straight, but still enjoyable. A couple of times I crossed some railroad ties embedded in the road, as if there were once train tracks there. Shortly before I reached the end of the road, I noticed a definite line across the road… I stood up and studied it…is that a ?… *WHAM!* Yes it was; a 4” high concrete slab protruding from the dirt that I hit at 50 MPH…

Back on 87 I finally made it to Brady, called Dawn, then went to look for a place to pitch the tent on the lake. As I prepared my site at the Lake Brady Park, I observed some ominous clouds in the distance…could that be…*lightning*…yes, it was. I called Dawn again and asked her to check; 30% chance of scattered storms, with possible hail… As I write, the wind is picking up - at least it’s making it more difficult to hear the Guns-N-Roses being blasted by the kids further down the bank…

Day 3 - Tuesday
Brady to Leander, 200 miles


Pictures here

Last night was a long night. It began with teenagers down the shoreline partying to Guns-n-Roses (who still does that?), among other music that did little to help me sleep. The winds began to pick up, which helped drown them out. I awoke at about 2AM to the violent thrashing of the tent, trees and waves from the now extremely heavy winds… probably the worst I’ve ever camped in. The wind speed was constant, no gusts, and by 5AM I was beginning to get concerned; I could just imagine the bike, which was parked right next to the tent, falling on top of me. Oddly enough, the wind was still entertaining. I made myself get up at about 7:30, and was on my way to shell out my $2.50 for the campsite, then to McD’s for some breakfast and to go over the maps for the coming day.

I had meant to poke around Brady, to take some photo’s around the train tracks, but didn’t. I made my way out Hwy 190 to CR412, a nice dirt road through the country that sure beat the highway, then back onto 190 for the duration to Richland Springs. While on 412, I did discover a neat old bridge that had been bypassed.

On my approach to Richland Springs, I was looking for CR234 heading south, but saw nothing but CR360 about where 234 should have been, so I turned around and took my chance. It appears that the county roads have been re-numbered, and unfortunately I didn’t take the time to write them down, so the following route description could be slightly off… CR360 began with rough pavement, then after the first cattle guard, turned to dirt. The scenery was beautiful, and the surface just right. My plan was to continue south on an unimproved road that the map numbered 261, however, when I reached the intersection of what the map called 233 (350 now, I believe), the road that I wanted to take was signed ‘Dead End‘. Not feeling up to figuring out why and where it ended, I made a left on 350. I quickly found out that I wouldn’t be sorry! This was a beautiful ride, with some gorgeous views of the country. It eventually came out at Hwy 2732, where I took a left, then right on 346, then left on 362... Then right on 310… hmmm… I think. Anyway, heading south on 310 (what the map labels 228), I continued across Hwy 501, where the dirt changed from white to red…

At ‘Field Creek’ community, I turned east on Hwy 71 to Spring Valley, where I turned left on one of the 408’s - there are 4; 408A,B,C and D. I don’t know which was which, I just followed my nose… I eventually took a right on what may have been ‘D’, which according to the map, would take me to 414, then on to Hwy 16... but about half way down this wonderful trail I came to a big iron gate, make that a locked big iron gate… um, with a zebra on the other side? Well, so much for that part of my route! I made my way back to the main 408, then headed north (right). According to the map, this would become 221 into Cherokee. Just north of Cherokee, I turned right (east) on 209, which, once it crossed the river, turned out to be another gem… the only problem, as well as with some of the others today, it was freshly rocked and graded; the surface was deep with golf-ball sized gravel. Needless to say, I was snaking and drifting all over the place, it felt like I was riding on flat tires. 209 ended at Hwy 1031, which became CR190 shortly after I turned right. This was another beautiful ride, ending at Hwy 501.

I have to say, while this trip may have been focused on the roads less traveled, highways 501 and 580 through Bend are absolutely gorgeous… I will return to explore further! I thoroughly enjoyed 580, all the way to Lampasas, where my trip basically ended; from here I took roads back to Leander that I had already been on. While passing through the bustling metropolis of Bertram, one of Bertram’s finest brought it to my attention that I didn’t come to a complete stop with both feet on the ground at stop sign, and presented me with the corresponding award; what a way to end a perfect trip!

I thumped into the driveway by about 3, where Dawn was surprised to see me that early. Time for a much needed hot shower…
 
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It's places like this that I'd like to take my metal detector to...
DSC_0875.jpg


As to the noise, the current issue of Rider Magazine has an article on camping and wearing ear plugs to bed is one of their recommendations.
 
I like the pics embedded with the text personally. Makes it easier to follow the story and tie them together. Or atleast link to the pic within the text.

Looks like fun. How'd the luggage do?
 
Texas T said:
It's places like this that I'd like to take my metal detector to...
Yeah, but they're usually, well, always on private property... I don't have a problem poking around them, but I wouldn't take anything. Unless of course, you do a 'detect and release' ;)
Texas T said:
As to the noise, the current issue of Rider Magazine has an article on camping and wearing ear plugs to bed is one of their recommendations.
That's what I had planned, I usually take some along anyway, just forgot them this time. The last time I camped at Enchanted Rock, there was a huge group pre-teens :shock: , I mean busses full... plugs came in really handy then...
 
Tourmeister said:
I like the pics embedded with the text personally. Makes it easier to follow the story and tie them together. Or atleast link to the pic within the text.
I would have done that, except I discovered my web server doesn't allow hotlinking, which I've been doing for years now... since I've already gotten warnings for other rules I've broken, I figured I'd better not rock the boat... I didn't think about providing links, but I know when I look at others ride reports, I usually don't click the links to individual images; I'm usually pressed for time and would rather let a group of them load while I do something else.

I actually started to do the whole report on the website, might still.

Tourmeister said:
Looks like fun. How'd the luggage do?
Did awesome. Very convenient, and of course, dry! Rain and deep, splashing crossings, no problem. I even drop-tested them once, although not moving...
 
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gotdurt said:
Yeah, but they're usually, well, always on private property... I don't have a problem poking around them, but I wouldn't take anything. Unless of course, you do a 'detect and release' ;)
Yeah, it's not a quick process for locations like that.
1. Find the place
2. Find the owner(s)
3. Get written permission
4. Go back out to the place
5. Hope you find something after all that effort ;-)
 
Texas T said:
Yeah, it's not a quick process for locations like that.
1. Find the place
2. Find the owner(s)
3. Get written permission
4. Go back out to the place
5. Hope you find something after all that effort ;-)
How do you go about finding the owner of such a place?
 
Casey,

Here's a little accessory from Harbor Freight that might be handy in those embarassing moments:


50W SOLAR PANEL


Water resistant panel maintains and charges 12V automotive, RV and boat batteries.
Rugged aluminum frame with shockproof (hail resistant) glass
Monocrystalline cells outlast standard solar cells
Terminal strip and water resistant connection box
12V, 50 watts peak power, 2.8 amps; Charging voltage: 17.5V; Temperature range: -40° to +60°C

ITEM 40086-2VGA

$349.99
 
gotdurt said:
How do you go about finding the owner of such a place?
County property tax records would be the first step. If the owner is local you can go knock on their door and explain what it is you want to do and how you go about it (fill in all holes for example), and get them to sign a written release. If they are out of state you have to mail a letter, include the release and a SSAE and hope they respond.

I've hunted very few personal properties, the most notable being the Issac Conroe home in Conroe. I pulled a fair condition Coca-Cola watch fob that dates to about 1905-1915 out of the back yard, and Brenda and I got a lot of iron hits that we did not dig. I'd like to go back again but I haven't spoken to the owner in years. He was my Cisco CCNA instructor.

cokefront.jpg


cokeback.jpg



The easier places are public property because you don't have to ask permission. Here's some finds from the Reagan HS neighborhood. They tore down about 2 blocks of Craftsman style homes from the late 1800's to early 1900's to make room for a sports field. The best find was a mesh purse that was buried next to a tree.
040702.jpg


The best find so far has been an 1883 nickel that I took out of a downtown Houston street when they were tearing everything up and re-doing it prior to the Super Bowl. They removed all the concrete, asphalt, original bricks and went down to the bare dirt that hadn't seen the light of day in over 100 years. This nickel was only down maybe 1-2 inches in the dirt.
1883-nickel.jpg
 
DANNYROTH said:
Casey,

Here's a little accessory from Harbor Freight that might be handy in those embarassing moments:


50W SOLAR PANEL


Water resistant panel maintains and charges 12V automotive, RV and boat batteries.
Rugged aluminum frame with shockproof (hail resistant) glass
Monocrystalline cells outlast standard solar cells
Terminal strip and water resistant connection box
12V, 50 watts peak power, 2.8 amps; Charging voltage: 17.5V; Temperature range: -40° to +60°C

ITEM 40086-2VGA

$349.99

Haha, I think a kick start would be a little more practical...
 
Casey,

Great report and pics.

CR 2612, the hidden surprise, is listed as a private road in the latest edition of the Roads of Texas atlas. My Kimble County map shows it to be a regular road. I'd like to ride it the next time I'm in the area (and I'm just looking for any little 'ol excuse to be in the area :trust: ) but don't want to trespass. Did you ever see any signs that indicated this was a private road?
 
:tab The two feet on the ground thing blows. I don't recall ever seeing any requirement that both feet be on the ground. All that is required is that you come to a complete stop behind the line. In fact MSF teachs right foot on the rear brake and left foot down. IF you actually did stop and this is the only reason you got the ticket, I'd fight it. I'm guessing though that you did not come to a complete stop though ;-)
 
Richard_ said:
Casey,

Great report and pics.

CR 2612, the hidden surprise, is listed as a private road in the latest edition of the Roads of Texas atlas. My Kimble County map shows it to be a regular road. I'd like to ride it the next time I'm in the area (and I'm just looking for any little 'ol excuse to be in the area :trust: ) but don't want to trespass. Did you ever see any signs that indicated this was a private road?
Nope, no postings anywhere that I saw. It was signed KC2612 at both ends. I didn't look for posted signs from the other direction though, could have been at the entrance by the house, but I never thought to look back.
 
I think it would be clearly marked as a private road or the gate would be locked. At least that's my experience with every other private road I've seen in Texas.

Did you happen to note or ride on Kimble County Road 214? My atlas says it is a shortcut from 210 over to 1674, but labels it as a private road too.
 
Tourmeister said:
:tab The two feet on the ground thing blows. I don't recall ever seeing any requirement that both feet be on the ground. All that is required is that you come to a complete stop behind the line. In fact MSF teachs right foot on the rear brake and left foot down. IF you actually did stop and this is the only reason you got the ticket, I'd fight it. I'm guessing though that you did not come to a complete stop though ;-)
I've been pulled over for the same thing twice, the first time was about 8 years ago, in Huntsville. Both feet on the ground according to him too. I don't know if they're just looking for a reason to pull me over... the first guy got me for no license :roll: , didn't ticket me for the 'stop', this guy... I'm not sure what his deal was. I don't think he thought my bike was legal at first. When he pulled me over, he didn't say anything, just asked for my info, then looked the bike over with a fine tooth comb, then went on a mad search looking for the vin to compare to the ins card (!); I had to ask what he was looking for, he told me, and I just pointed at the head tube... after about 10 minutes, I finally asked why he pulled me over... he said "disregard for a stop sign, you're supposed to put both feet down when you come to a complete stop". I didn't even remember the situation, I just know that I don't usually put my feet down, unless I have to wait for a car, then it's only one foot. Doesn't matter though, the citation was for "disregard for a stop sign", there's no way to argue it, unless there was a whitness or a camera, his word against mine.
 
Richard_ said:
I think it would be clearly marked as a private road or the gate would be locked. At least that's my experience with every other private road I've seen in Texas.

Did you happen to note or ride on Kimble County Road 214? My atlas says it is a shortcut from 210 over to 1674, but labels it as a private road too.

I always looked very closely for clearly marked postings, and they are usually accompanied by a lock... it's hard to tell sometimes if the road is private or not if the property is posted but the gate isn't locked. If there is no sign on the gate itself, and it's unlocked, I continue. I'm sure you've seen the roads where the land owner puts posted signs all around the entrance to a road, trying to confuse people, such as CR341 on 1431 near Marble Falls. As I understand it, as long as you don't get off of the road, you're okay. I the case of 2612 though, approached from the east, there were no posted signs at all.

Anyway, no on 214. It isn't labeled on my map, but there is a private road shown heading south, between 215 and 213, so I guess that's it. It doesn't show it going all the way through though.
 
So much for "presumed innocent" :lol2: What a joke... :suicide:
 
Thanks Casey. Yeah, I've run across the "no trespassing" signs posted all over the place where the owner is trying to make you believe the road is private. Unless I see a sign that says "private road" or hit a locked gate, I figure it's a public road.

That sounds like 214. My atlas shows it going all the way through but has the little "P" marker indicating a private road.
 
Richard_ said:
Thanks Casey. Yeah, I've run across the "no trespassing" signs posted all over the place where the owner is trying to make you believe the road is private. Unless I see a sign that says "private road" or hit a locked gate, I figure it's a public road.

That sounds like 214. My atlas shows it going all the way through but has the little "P" marker indicating a private road.
In that particular area of 210, there were some houses... might have been one at the end of 214 as well. I had decided, when I planned this ride, that if I came to a posted gate and there was a house, that I would ask for permission to pass through... what's the worst that can happen, they say, "no"? It's worth a try; I figure I was going to turn around anyway.... If I were the owner, and someone politely asked me if they could pass through, and seemed like a responsible person, I'd be ecstatic they even asked (instead of doing it anyway). Now, if it were some teenagers on quads, it would be a different story ;)
 
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