- Joined
- Dec 18, 2009
- Messages
- 1,406
- Reaction score
- 58
- Location
- KYLE, TX
- First Name
- Sam
- Last Name
- Crabtree
Okay, we've been home for a little over 24 hrs. now; time to write it up.
Our trip started Thur. morning, leaving about 7:00 am. We first headed to Thorndale to pick up Gravelklr. He was waiting at the driveway, I'm still not sure which of us was more ready to go. We all knew that cooler temps awaited us, even if the rain may not happen.
We arrived in Clarksville about 6:30 pm. JT and Vinny were just returning from a short outing. That was when I realized taking the back roads had cost us riding time. Dinner and back to the room to look over Richard's maps & guide, to try to get an idea of tomorrow's route.
After a good breakfast, unloading the bikes and a riders meeting, Mrs. C, myself and Gravelklr thought some nice dirt roads and a trip to Eureka Springs would be a good first day.
First couple of roads were uneventful, a little loose as Fossil said, but otherwise just nice dirt road.
Next thing you know we ended up in Oark, at 10:30; well, let's have some pie! Gravelklr sat out on the porch and talked to Eugene, a local, he's lived on the mountain for 30 some-odd years. He's been married for 52 years. That's all the conversation that I was privy to. I was there for pie. Fossil was already inside and eating pie.
And Pie Was Consumed.
After leaving Oark, I still had no definite plan. Heading west I saw a sign for 5211, and spotted Fossil heading up that road. I think the maps show this as fs1492. We should try this. What started as a nice graded road for the first 1/4 mile turned into a slight grade, a little loose, and more rocks as it climbed. About a 1/2 mile into it, we found the first of many rocky washouts. Large rocks, rain ruts running across the road. Still not too bad, but we are still climbing. About 3/4 of the way up, we had climbed a few hundred feet. Then things got a little tough. Loose large slate rock, rollie large boulders and rainruts running diagonally across the road, which was looking less like a road. At this point Shirley was having a little traction problem. So I parked the 690 and took her bike up, telling her I was going up to see if it got any worse. I rode up about 250 ft. and it leveled off, so I went about a 1/4 mile down the trail and it was smooth. Now I could go back and let them know it was not any worse. I parked Shirley's bike at the top of the nasty area and was walking down when up she comes; I guess when I didn't come back she figured she might as well go on up. On my walk down to my bike, Gravelklr was just then firing his up. I gave him the info on the rest of the ride up, and told him to stay right. I should have let him pick his own line; this was where the pointy KLR footpeg breaker rock was waiting. As I was walking down, I heard him hit the rock - Loud Thud - I turned and didn't see any oil leaking, so I thought it was ok. When I got to the top, the damage was easy to see - one footpeg bolt broken off, the brake lever bracket snapped off at the lower bolt. No right footpeg; no rear brake. Sorry Mark.
So we are at the top, now what? Can he get down with no rear brake? Not the way we came up! He still wanted to go to Eureka Springs! And so we headed out to Hwy 16, then over to 23 and north to dinner.
Well, as luck would have it, the Italian place that Mark wanted to go was not open till 5:00 pm. So the lady that was there suggested the Local Flare restaurant in old town. It was excellent! I thought a little upscale for the way we were dressed, but they were very pleasant. I recommend it highly. We then went over to a local adventure rider shop to see if Mark could get patched up. No luck.
So we headed south to try to get back before dark. (KTM's are famous for hard seats and lousy headlights). We took off all the way down 23, with just a couple of hairy corners for Mark to negotiate. My hat is off to you, Mark.
We arrived back at the hotel about 6:30. This is the first day, Friday. More to come.
Our trip started Thur. morning, leaving about 7:00 am. We first headed to Thorndale to pick up Gravelklr. He was waiting at the driveway, I'm still not sure which of us was more ready to go. We all knew that cooler temps awaited us, even if the rain may not happen.
We arrived in Clarksville about 6:30 pm. JT and Vinny were just returning from a short outing. That was when I realized taking the back roads had cost us riding time. Dinner and back to the room to look over Richard's maps & guide, to try to get an idea of tomorrow's route.
After a good breakfast, unloading the bikes and a riders meeting, Mrs. C, myself and Gravelklr thought some nice dirt roads and a trip to Eureka Springs would be a good first day.
First couple of roads were uneventful, a little loose as Fossil said, but otherwise just nice dirt road.
Next thing you know we ended up in Oark, at 10:30; well, let's have some pie! Gravelklr sat out on the porch and talked to Eugene, a local, he's lived on the mountain for 30 some-odd years. He's been married for 52 years. That's all the conversation that I was privy to. I was there for pie. Fossil was already inside and eating pie.
And Pie Was Consumed.
After leaving Oark, I still had no definite plan. Heading west I saw a sign for 5211, and spotted Fossil heading up that road. I think the maps show this as fs1492. We should try this. What started as a nice graded road for the first 1/4 mile turned into a slight grade, a little loose, and more rocks as it climbed. About a 1/2 mile into it, we found the first of many rocky washouts. Large rocks, rain ruts running across the road. Still not too bad, but we are still climbing. About 3/4 of the way up, we had climbed a few hundred feet. Then things got a little tough. Loose large slate rock, rollie large boulders and rainruts running diagonally across the road, which was looking less like a road. At this point Shirley was having a little traction problem. So I parked the 690 and took her bike up, telling her I was going up to see if it got any worse. I rode up about 250 ft. and it leveled off, so I went about a 1/4 mile down the trail and it was smooth. Now I could go back and let them know it was not any worse. I parked Shirley's bike at the top of the nasty area and was walking down when up she comes; I guess when I didn't come back she figured she might as well go on up. On my walk down to my bike, Gravelklr was just then firing his up. I gave him the info on the rest of the ride up, and told him to stay right. I should have let him pick his own line; this was where the pointy KLR footpeg breaker rock was waiting. As I was walking down, I heard him hit the rock - Loud Thud - I turned and didn't see any oil leaking, so I thought it was ok. When I got to the top, the damage was easy to see - one footpeg bolt broken off, the brake lever bracket snapped off at the lower bolt. No right footpeg; no rear brake. Sorry Mark.
So we are at the top, now what? Can he get down with no rear brake? Not the way we came up! He still wanted to go to Eureka Springs! And so we headed out to Hwy 16, then over to 23 and north to dinner.
Well, as luck would have it, the Italian place that Mark wanted to go was not open till 5:00 pm. So the lady that was there suggested the Local Flare restaurant in old town. It was excellent! I thought a little upscale for the way we were dressed, but they were very pleasant. I recommend it highly. We then went over to a local adventure rider shop to see if Mark could get patched up. No luck.
So we headed south to try to get back before dark. (KTM's are famous for hard seats and lousy headlights). We took off all the way down 23, with just a couple of hairy corners for Mark to negotiate. My hat is off to you, Mark.
We arrived back at the hotel about 6:30. This is the first day, Friday. More to come.