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- Joined
- Feb 28, 2003
- Messages
- 52,927
- Reaction score
- 11,895
- Location
- Huntsville
- First Name
- Scott
- Last Name
- Friday
It is too nice today not to get out for a ride! After getting home from church I grab a bite to eat and then gear up for a ride. I have until 6:00pm before I need to be back up at the church for the evening service. Bike of choice today is my 2017 R1200 GS Rallye. It is a bit chilly today compared to yesterday. It has a bigger windscreen and heated hand grips 
I don’t really have a plan other than to work my way Southwest towards Anderson, Tx. There are lots of nice dirt roads between Anderson and Huntsville. I am going to be looking for anything blooming. The rose bush next to my driveway is putting on new growth like crazy and will likely be covered in tons of buds soon. There are some kind of clovers under it and they bloom almost year round, a nice bright pink. There are also multiple kinds of weeds already taking over and blooming. It will be time to fire up the mower and weed eater soon!
When I fire up the bike I realize my son, Daniel, did not fill it up after riding it to night class in Conroe a few days ago. Range remaining shows 25 miles
So first order of business is to top off the bike.
The issue here is that the filler cap release is sticking. BMW designed some silly mechanism that only releases after the ignition is turned off. If it gets dirty, it sticks, preventing me from being able to open the cap normally. I keep a Torx wrench in my tank bag for just this problem. I have to loosen two bolts that hold down the part of the ring around the cap where the latch catches. Given how easy it is to do this, it makes me wonder why they thought a locking gas cap was really even necessary, unless it is some regulatory compliance nonsense…
Anyway, once topped off I head out of town on FM 1791, which kind of heads South towards the Sam Houston NF. In the West Fork San Jacinto River bottoms there is a lot of standing water near the road and there are already a few Spider Lillies blooming! They will eventually get so thick here that it is easy to catch the super sweet smell when riding past them.
Just past the river bottom area I turn off onto Walker Loop, which is gravel, dirt, and sand. It is just a fun side loop that has good elevation changes because it is near the river. There are TONS of blooming Red Bud trees. To my eye, wearing sunglasses that really make colors pop, they look really bright pink/purple. It is hard to get that to show in pictures!
I roll past Ferris Cemetery on FM 1791 and think about my Dad. He passed In March of 2022 at 83 years old. I miss him everyday. I worked with him daily for 30 years before he retired in 2020 and I took over our business. He was my best friend. I consider myself to have won the lottery when it comes to parents. Mom just turned 87 on Feb 3rd., and is doing well. I try to see her several times a week.
Just past the cemetery is Old Deer Camp Rd., (FR 209). It is a fun corner cut between FM 1791 and FM 149. The first half over to Taliaferro Rd., is a dirt/gravel two track through the National Forest. Right now the smoke is thick from controlled burning. If it were dark, there would be many small fires visible burning under stumps and downed tree debris. I’ll be glad when they are done with it for this year as it has been smelling like smoke for a few weeks now. Old burning pine wood kind of stinks…
Taliaferro and the rest of FR 209 is a narrow paved road. In fact, as I reach the end of the dirt section I come upon road construction equipment. Looks like the road is getting a nice new layer of smooth black top!! I do another corner cut on Cedar Hill and Hoke Road that gets me over to Bays Chapel Rd., and a good portion of this has been repaved as well. This is nice because Cedar Hill road had huge cracks and uneven sections that were an inch or two difference in height!! Nasty edge traps for the front wheel of careless riders!
Bays Chapel is also a narrow nicely paved road. There are quite a few very nice homes in this area, mostly ranches with cattle, horses, and sometimes goats. I leave the SHNF and head West and Southwest on CRs 233 and 232 over to FM 1486 about midway between Shiro and Richards. This is a really pretty stretch of countryside. It is rolling hills with a mix of pastures and thick woods.
I head South out of Richards on FM 1486 3-4 miles to the start of CR 212 and begin making my way Southwest, crossing FM 1774 and heading toward Navasota. I am riding into the late afternoon soon and it is lighting up all the branches of the Red Bud trees that are hanging out over the sides of the road, making them glow. I try getting pictures but the phone camera can’t handle looking toward the sun without destroying the exposure on the blossoms.
I end up on CR 406, which climbs to a nice high point where it meets CR 405. This location gives a nice long view looking North out over the woods and pastures. In late March and early April, this area will be covered with Blue Bonnets and Indian Paintbrushes, among other flowers.
I head North on 406 and start making my way toward Anderson. It is already after 4:00 and I need to start working my way back towards Huntsville if I want to make it on time and still ride the fun roads. Hwy 90 runs through Anderson and it is busy today! College Station and Navasota have been growing like crazy and people have been oozing out this way, building homes as they come. So… more traffic. It just seems like this is happening everywhere. All those dang city peeps must be getting tired of the big city life and now they are spreading it. Harummph!
It takes a minute but i am eventually able to turn left off Hwy 90 onto FM 244. I am just hading for CR 180, which makes a cool upside down V loop back over to Hwy 90. Each end is paved, but a large chunk in the middle is gravel. The paved bit on the FM 244 side is really twisty with numerous very tight blind corners. The gravel bit starts out twisty and winds its way down to a low area where there is eventually a large creek and a bridge. It then climbs back up the other side, makes a SHARP turn around a big pipeline compressor station and starts winding South back to Hwy 90, turning to pavement for the last mile or so.
I have to sit and wait a while before I am able to turn left onto Hwy 90. There is what seems like an endless stream of traffic coming North out of Anderson! It is nuts. I used to ride out here not that long ago and there was almost no traffic at all. I head a few hundred yards up the highway and pick up the start of CR 219.
The Southern end of CR 219 is twisty and tunnels through dense Cedar trees and Post Oaks. The evening sun is trickling down through the branches and making the haze from the smoke glow all warm and fuzzy. Fortunately, the sun is now at my back and it doesn’t cause any visibility issues. It just looks cool.
As I get further North, the Cedar and Oak begin to give way to a stand of old pines that cover a very large area. At the peak of a hill there is a pretty cemetery tucked away under the pines. They are tall enough that the sun is able to shine under them and light up all the head stones. I briefly contemplate stopping to just sit and absorb the ambiance for a bit but I don’t have the time right now.
As the road drops down there are several fun “steps” where it drops quite suddenly and I launch the bike off of them, landing nice and smooth for a 600 lb flying pig! As I exit the pine stand the road becomes straight and flat, the pine trees giving way to brown pastures with new homes being built.
At Hwy 30 I head East through Shiro until I reach FM 2620. Here too large properties have been subdivided and are being sold as smaller lots. New homes seem to be popping up almost weekly! A few miles North of 30 I head East on CR 227, a nicely maintained gravel road. There is a cool house that has been out here a long time, built into the ground like a Hobbit house. It is not unusual to see goats and a dog or three standing on the grassy roof. I have no clue who lives here, but I’d love to see the inside and how they set it up. A last tight right corner brings me to Loma Rd.
It heads East a short bit then makes a tight left to the North. It has just received a fresh and deep coat of gravel. It is maybe 2-4” deep and the gravel is anywhere from 1/4” to 1” in size. The crunching noise from the tires is quite loud! I stop for a quick pic and get moving again, the back end sliding around as I get on the throttle and get back up into the standing position. Once standing, I pick up speed and the big GS grinds down the road steady and as composed as can be despite my back tire being pretty much toasted…
When I reach Hopewell Rd., I turn East and run it all the way to FM 1696. The road is rough. What new gravel it had a while back has been scattered by traffic. The recent rain made more pot holes and it doesn’t look like a grader has been through here in quite some time. At the right speed, the inertia of the GS just lets the suspension do its job and I just float over everything like a big 70s Caddy made from lots of American steel!
When I reach FM 1696, I notice I still have 15 minutes to spare
Yeah, wayyy to nice out right now to just toss away 15 minutes of riding!! Instead of going right toward the church, I go left a short bit to the start of Guerrant Road. This is a big wide road with a mix of sand and gravel. It gets more gravel all the time. There are big homes on both sides of the road, most of which sit pretty far back from the road with lots of pines in the yards. Not long ago this was all timber property, so all the trees are closely packed and the same height. There are some fun hills and fast sweepers, especially up near the North end of the road. The shadows are getting long and I can already feel the temperature dropping. It has been very windy all day and never got above 58 F. Now i also really have to watch for the deer!
At Bishop Rd., I hang a right and make best speed toward US 75, racing the lengthening shadows as they claw their way East. At US 75 I head South and it is a quick run down to our church, which is just North of FM 1696. I roll in with a few minutes to spare, grab a Dr. Pepper from my stash, check building doors to make sure they are locked and head inside. Everyone is used to seeing me come in wearing riding gear when the weather is nice
Once things get rolling I make a quick loop to check and lock the remaining doors before returning to the sanctuary for the service.
It is a good message. No matter how screwed up things might appear from our perspective, if we trust God and persevere, He’s always got something working. It might not work out in our lifetime, but it will work out for the greater good. We know how the story ends
Heading home in the dark it gets down around 50F. I have the heated grips on high and my neck gator stuffed inside my jacket collar to keep the wind out. By the time I get home I’ve ridden maybe 140 miles, not a big ride, but definitely a nice ride!! The next 6-8 weeks will be great as everything starts getting lush and green again. All too soon the heat will start building and the lush green will turn to a dull dry green. But hey, at least the days will be longer and it won’t get dark until after 9:00pm
I don’t really have a plan other than to work my way Southwest towards Anderson, Tx. There are lots of nice dirt roads between Anderson and Huntsville. I am going to be looking for anything blooming. The rose bush next to my driveway is putting on new growth like crazy and will likely be covered in tons of buds soon. There are some kind of clovers under it and they bloom almost year round, a nice bright pink. There are also multiple kinds of weeds already taking over and blooming. It will be time to fire up the mower and weed eater soon!
When I fire up the bike I realize my son, Daniel, did not fill it up after riding it to night class in Conroe a few days ago. Range remaining shows 25 miles
So first order of business is to top off the bike. The issue here is that the filler cap release is sticking. BMW designed some silly mechanism that only releases after the ignition is turned off. If it gets dirty, it sticks, preventing me from being able to open the cap normally. I keep a Torx wrench in my tank bag for just this problem. I have to loosen two bolts that hold down the part of the ring around the cap where the latch catches. Given how easy it is to do this, it makes me wonder why they thought a locking gas cap was really even necessary, unless it is some regulatory compliance nonsense…
Anyway, once topped off I head out of town on FM 1791, which kind of heads South towards the Sam Houston NF. In the West Fork San Jacinto River bottoms there is a lot of standing water near the road and there are already a few Spider Lillies blooming! They will eventually get so thick here that it is easy to catch the super sweet smell when riding past them.
Just past the river bottom area I turn off onto Walker Loop, which is gravel, dirt, and sand. It is just a fun side loop that has good elevation changes because it is near the river. There are TONS of blooming Red Bud trees. To my eye, wearing sunglasses that really make colors pop, they look really bright pink/purple. It is hard to get that to show in pictures!
I roll past Ferris Cemetery on FM 1791 and think about my Dad. He passed In March of 2022 at 83 years old. I miss him everyday. I worked with him daily for 30 years before he retired in 2020 and I took over our business. He was my best friend. I consider myself to have won the lottery when it comes to parents. Mom just turned 87 on Feb 3rd., and is doing well. I try to see her several times a week.
Just past the cemetery is Old Deer Camp Rd., (FR 209). It is a fun corner cut between FM 1791 and FM 149. The first half over to Taliaferro Rd., is a dirt/gravel two track through the National Forest. Right now the smoke is thick from controlled burning. If it were dark, there would be many small fires visible burning under stumps and downed tree debris. I’ll be glad when they are done with it for this year as it has been smelling like smoke for a few weeks now. Old burning pine wood kind of stinks…
Taliaferro and the rest of FR 209 is a narrow paved road. In fact, as I reach the end of the dirt section I come upon road construction equipment. Looks like the road is getting a nice new layer of smooth black top!! I do another corner cut on Cedar Hill and Hoke Road that gets me over to Bays Chapel Rd., and a good portion of this has been repaved as well. This is nice because Cedar Hill road had huge cracks and uneven sections that were an inch or two difference in height!! Nasty edge traps for the front wheel of careless riders!
Bays Chapel is also a narrow nicely paved road. There are quite a few very nice homes in this area, mostly ranches with cattle, horses, and sometimes goats. I leave the SHNF and head West and Southwest on CRs 233 and 232 over to FM 1486 about midway between Shiro and Richards. This is a really pretty stretch of countryside. It is rolling hills with a mix of pastures and thick woods.
I head South out of Richards on FM 1486 3-4 miles to the start of CR 212 and begin making my way Southwest, crossing FM 1774 and heading toward Navasota. I am riding into the late afternoon soon and it is lighting up all the branches of the Red Bud trees that are hanging out over the sides of the road, making them glow. I try getting pictures but the phone camera can’t handle looking toward the sun without destroying the exposure on the blossoms.
I end up on CR 406, which climbs to a nice high point where it meets CR 405. This location gives a nice long view looking North out over the woods and pastures. In late March and early April, this area will be covered with Blue Bonnets and Indian Paintbrushes, among other flowers.
I head North on 406 and start making my way toward Anderson. It is already after 4:00 and I need to start working my way back towards Huntsville if I want to make it on time and still ride the fun roads. Hwy 90 runs through Anderson and it is busy today! College Station and Navasota have been growing like crazy and people have been oozing out this way, building homes as they come. So… more traffic. It just seems like this is happening everywhere. All those dang city peeps must be getting tired of the big city life and now they are spreading it. Harummph!
It takes a minute but i am eventually able to turn left off Hwy 90 onto FM 244. I am just hading for CR 180, which makes a cool upside down V loop back over to Hwy 90. Each end is paved, but a large chunk in the middle is gravel. The paved bit on the FM 244 side is really twisty with numerous very tight blind corners. The gravel bit starts out twisty and winds its way down to a low area where there is eventually a large creek and a bridge. It then climbs back up the other side, makes a SHARP turn around a big pipeline compressor station and starts winding South back to Hwy 90, turning to pavement for the last mile or so.
I have to sit and wait a while before I am able to turn left onto Hwy 90. There is what seems like an endless stream of traffic coming North out of Anderson! It is nuts. I used to ride out here not that long ago and there was almost no traffic at all. I head a few hundred yards up the highway and pick up the start of CR 219.
The Southern end of CR 219 is twisty and tunnels through dense Cedar trees and Post Oaks. The evening sun is trickling down through the branches and making the haze from the smoke glow all warm and fuzzy. Fortunately, the sun is now at my back and it doesn’t cause any visibility issues. It just looks cool.
As I get further North, the Cedar and Oak begin to give way to a stand of old pines that cover a very large area. At the peak of a hill there is a pretty cemetery tucked away under the pines. They are tall enough that the sun is able to shine under them and light up all the head stones. I briefly contemplate stopping to just sit and absorb the ambiance for a bit but I don’t have the time right now.
As the road drops down there are several fun “steps” where it drops quite suddenly and I launch the bike off of them, landing nice and smooth for a 600 lb flying pig! As I exit the pine stand the road becomes straight and flat, the pine trees giving way to brown pastures with new homes being built.
At Hwy 30 I head East through Shiro until I reach FM 2620. Here too large properties have been subdivided and are being sold as smaller lots. New homes seem to be popping up almost weekly! A few miles North of 30 I head East on CR 227, a nicely maintained gravel road. There is a cool house that has been out here a long time, built into the ground like a Hobbit house. It is not unusual to see goats and a dog or three standing on the grassy roof. I have no clue who lives here, but I’d love to see the inside and how they set it up. A last tight right corner brings me to Loma Rd.
It heads East a short bit then makes a tight left to the North. It has just received a fresh and deep coat of gravel. It is maybe 2-4” deep and the gravel is anywhere from 1/4” to 1” in size. The crunching noise from the tires is quite loud! I stop for a quick pic and get moving again, the back end sliding around as I get on the throttle and get back up into the standing position. Once standing, I pick up speed and the big GS grinds down the road steady and as composed as can be despite my back tire being pretty much toasted…
When I reach Hopewell Rd., I turn East and run it all the way to FM 1696. The road is rough. What new gravel it had a while back has been scattered by traffic. The recent rain made more pot holes and it doesn’t look like a grader has been through here in quite some time. At the right speed, the inertia of the GS just lets the suspension do its job and I just float over everything like a big 70s Caddy made from lots of American steel!
When I reach FM 1696, I notice I still have 15 minutes to spare
Yeah, wayyy to nice out right now to just toss away 15 minutes of riding!! Instead of going right toward the church, I go left a short bit to the start of Guerrant Road. This is a big wide road with a mix of sand and gravel. It gets more gravel all the time. There are big homes on both sides of the road, most of which sit pretty far back from the road with lots of pines in the yards. Not long ago this was all timber property, so all the trees are closely packed and the same height. There are some fun hills and fast sweepers, especially up near the North end of the road. The shadows are getting long and I can already feel the temperature dropping. It has been very windy all day and never got above 58 F. Now i also really have to watch for the deer! At Bishop Rd., I hang a right and make best speed toward US 75, racing the lengthening shadows as they claw their way East. At US 75 I head South and it is a quick run down to our church, which is just North of FM 1696. I roll in with a few minutes to spare, grab a Dr. Pepper from my stash, check building doors to make sure they are locked and head inside. Everyone is used to seeing me come in wearing riding gear when the weather is nice
Once things get rolling I make a quick loop to check and lock the remaining doors before returning to the sanctuary for the service.It is a good message. No matter how screwed up things might appear from our perspective, if we trust God and persevere, He’s always got something working. It might not work out in our lifetime, but it will work out for the greater good. We know how the story ends
Heading home in the dark it gets down around 50F. I have the heated grips on high and my neck gator stuffed inside my jacket collar to keep the wind out. By the time I get home I’ve ridden maybe 140 miles, not a big ride, but definitely a nice ride!! The next 6-8 weeks will be great as everything starts getting lush and green again. All too soon the heat will start building and the lush green will turn to a dull dry green. But hey, at least the days will be longer and it won’t get dark until after 9:00pm
I just need to ride somewhere like Arkansas or North Carolina where I can spend a LOT more time leaned over to use up the edges when riding pavement...