tshelfer
0
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2009
- Messages
- 13,488
- Reaction score
- 2,860
- Location
- Centennial, CO
- First Name
- Tim
- Last Name
- Shelfer
My buddy Brian & I spent three days, two nights, riding the Talimena Highway. We left Sunday and got back Tuesday. Sadly, the leaves hadn't really started changing color yet (last time I went, I was late). But the riding was great.
We got off right after church.
Our route north was around the Metroplex & out I-30 to Greenville, then up through Paris & Commerce. Beautiful country, and a relaxing drive. Even the I-30 part wasn’t bad, except for the exploding truck tire.
Dinner at El Rancho (I forgot to take a picture there) was good, although reflux kept me up all night afterwards. We met a married couple from Ft Worth who told us somebody had asked them “Do you know the Ebola people?”
Monday morning, we hit the highway.
Nice view from the top.
Brian motoring along the ridgeline. Behind the camera, I'm sitting on the bike on a downslope, keeping my right foot on the rear brake, and trying to get the shot off before a car came over the hill crest behind me. Riding is safe. Photography ---- depends.
At the Winding Stair NF Campground. Sadly, the well ran dry a few years ago, so camping there is a bit inconvenient these days.
Had to get shots of the bikes in action. Not the most photogenic curve, but hey…..
After gassing up in Mena, we headed north & east, through Mount Ida, then south to Glenwood. Then we took county roads back to Mena. Here’s a shot of the Ouachita River.
Here’s the route we followed.
Unfortunately, Brian’s crazy Fayetteville relatives found out he was in Arkansas and couldn’t stand the fact that he was having a good time. So they created a family crisis, and Brian was forced to break camp Monday evening and go pay a visit.
Lonely camp with only one bike, one tent, this evening.
I got up in the morning, broke camp, and took the “fast” route home – west, along Lake Sardis, and out to Hwy 69. I did hit an unusual detour. A crew was laying a pipe under the two-lane highway, and had bulldozed a path down an embankment, around the work area, and back up – and all through slippery, wet red clay. No mishap, but it was slick as snot. Once on 69, it was a straight shot south back to DFW.
Sardis Lake. I had to rush this picture because I was sitting on a causeway. And my Nikon's autofocus picked that moment to go nuts. So the focus is off. Sure was pretty, though.
The new Wee ran and handled beautifully. Gas mileage was around 47 mpg with panniers and a load of gear tied to the tail, and 52 mpg when we were out sightseeing.
We got off right after church.
Our route north was around the Metroplex & out I-30 to Greenville, then up through Paris & Commerce. Beautiful country, and a relaxing drive. Even the I-30 part wasn’t bad, except for the exploding truck tire.
Dinner at El Rancho (I forgot to take a picture there) was good, although reflux kept me up all night afterwards. We met a married couple from Ft Worth who told us somebody had asked them “Do you know the Ebola people?”
Monday morning, we hit the highway.
Nice view from the top.
Brian motoring along the ridgeline. Behind the camera, I'm sitting on the bike on a downslope, keeping my right foot on the rear brake, and trying to get the shot off before a car came over the hill crest behind me. Riding is safe. Photography ---- depends.
At the Winding Stair NF Campground. Sadly, the well ran dry a few years ago, so camping there is a bit inconvenient these days.
Had to get shots of the bikes in action. Not the most photogenic curve, but hey…..
After gassing up in Mena, we headed north & east, through Mount Ida, then south to Glenwood. Then we took county roads back to Mena. Here’s a shot of the Ouachita River.
Here’s the route we followed.
Unfortunately, Brian’s crazy Fayetteville relatives found out he was in Arkansas and couldn’t stand the fact that he was having a good time. So they created a family crisis, and Brian was forced to break camp Monday evening and go pay a visit.
Lonely camp with only one bike, one tent, this evening.
I got up in the morning, broke camp, and took the “fast” route home – west, along Lake Sardis, and out to Hwy 69. I did hit an unusual detour. A crew was laying a pipe under the two-lane highway, and had bulldozed a path down an embankment, around the work area, and back up – and all through slippery, wet red clay. No mishap, but it was slick as snot. Once on 69, it was a straight shot south back to DFW.
Sardis Lake. I had to rush this picture because I was sitting on a causeway. And my Nikon's autofocus picked that moment to go nuts. So the focus is off. Sure was pretty, though.
The new Wee ran and handled beautifully. Gas mileage was around 47 mpg with panniers and a load of gear tied to the tail, and 52 mpg when we were out sightseeing.