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The Arkansas Super Enduro Itch

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KsTeveM

KsTeveM

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Dec 8, 2014
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Location
San Marcos, Texas
First Name
Steve
Last Name
Pylant
Getting twitchy. I was able to get a good snort full of some desert about 2 months ago on an Arizona ride, so I thought I would go somewhere green for spring and sniff around. For us poor weary Texans with no public land to speak of, Arkansas scratches that itch. Last year at this time I tried to get up Arkansas way and ride with a buddy that lives up there but had to cancel the trip due to the flooding they had. It was so soggy his horses hooves were having issues, I didn’t know that was a thing. It’s called thrush, here’s me I thought that was a muffler. Anyways, Super Enduros don’t have that issue and I’ve never walked into the garage and found him with his legs in the air. This year, talked to the same buddy, he immediately replied he was in. Then a few days later he was out…..stupid offshore gig. Heck with it, I’m still going, it’s been 5 years since I rode up that way. I played with some different options on my routing and bike choice but settled on a quick trip, being slightly nomadic and camping. When the forecast showed good weather several weeks ago, I thought the Clydesdale would be a good choice for this run vs. my Arabian. Been getting the steed ready….withers look right, saddle cinched proper, hooves are freshly shod, teeth look good, tail is braided tight.

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Will update this post when I can, I’m in route. Smell ya later!!!

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May your horse never stumble,
Your spurs never rust,
Your guts never grumble,
And your cinch never bust.

May your boots never pinch,
Your crops never fail,
May you eat lots of beans,
And stay out of jail.
 
Can't wait to see how this one turns out. I see you are carrying a tad more than the usual two cell phone cases. I guess you gotta be ready for the weather in Arkansas, something you don't have to worry so much about in the desert.
 
:thumbd: That view is horrible...Way to many rock and lush green trees.



:duck:

Ride on Stevo... The view from my desk is terrible and that Arkansas trail looks really nice.
 
Weather system moving in, they are expecting high winds and golf ball sized hail. I would say Plan B is in effect, but I think I’m on C or D at this point. Adjusted my entire day and plan around this, decided to run light, no camping gear. So this allowed me to mount my cell phone side cases and hit some harder stuff. That happened, will blab more about that later, for now I'm safe and ready to hunker down. Been an interesting day. I leave you with this:

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Looking good. Hope the weather situation improves.
 
Be careful out there, a bigfoot might get you!

When we lived on Table Rock there were a bunch of teenagers that came down to their parents cabin which was below our house and fairly close. You could hear them around the fire at night. They would talk about bigfoot and sometimes beat on a tree with a big stick and howl. So, I found me a big stick and anxiously waited until they came back. A few weeks later they showed up and I sat on the deck waiting, About 10:00 that night one of them howled like he thought a bigfoot would sound. I had all the lights off and in the hills it is hard to tell where the sound comes from, waited just a bit and let out a big howl. Things got real quiet down there around the fire. Then I went out to the side lawn and beat on a big oak with my stick and howled a few more times. Which happened to put me a bit closer to them. Wife thought I was being mean but she could not stop laughing. Within about 10 minutes everyone around the fire below went in the house. Might have felt a bit bad as I never heard them howl again.
 
Wylie E. stopped by for coffee this morning. He wanted to talk rockets as he is headed south to discuss an upcoming project with Elon at space x. He was most interested in the forgotten technology of the Super Enduro. So I let him know you were out in the wild with yours. He was interested in heading your way to gather data until I told him of the weather situation. He decided to just keep drifting south to meet up with Elon. I gave him the link to your report, but he mumbled something about his acme dial up connection so I’m not sure he will follow. Either way the rest of us are waiting on an update.:coffee:
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Ok, I have time to blab in more detail about this little run. The first day was spent in the truck to make time and get my heinie a good chunk north. But I couldn’t help but break up the monotony with some smaller secondary roads. Slower going than just shooting up interstate 35, but worth it to me. I hates the 35. Made a few stops along the way, nothing overly exciting. Stuff like this, Camp of The Army of The Republic of Texas.

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If you want a deeper dive than the marker, this link was full of interesting stuff that could take you down a lot of rabbit holes.
https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/army-of-the-republic-of-texas

Daydreamed about a Texas Republic for a while, I don’t know why, never happen. I think it was more of a what if we were never annexed in the first place daydream. But we were, in order to form a more perfect union? Enough, clear the mechanism, stopped for a break in Talco Texas. If you’ve been through here, you are asking yourself why would anyone stop there? But this little sleepy town holds some significance to my family. My Mom and Dad ran a general store/meat market here in the early 70s. Here is what is left of the store, an empty field.

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Depressing, like a lot of these small towns that dry up over time. I looked around and thought about a story I remembered hearing. Some thug type guys were doing thuggish stuff at the store in the parking lot, in front of women and children. My Dad goes out to tell them to cool it…..and be cool. They had other plans and tried to explain thug life to my Dad, two of them holding my Dad while #3 tries to beat him up. Dad was lucky and landed a kick in the right place, then grabbed some thug hair and commenced to tipping the scales back in his favor. I think my teenage Uncle, @ConejoDon, also came out from behind the meat counter and helped dissuade them from wanting to be on the premises. My Dad was upset he got blood on his Levi’s and his blue jean shirt got ripped….that my Mom embroidered some butterflies or some such 70s stuff. Thug #3 was probably mad when he left, cause my Dad still had a fist full of his hair in his hand. My Dad passed away over 10 years ago. As life goes, Thug #3 is probably still alive. But I bet he is bald. I smiled as I headed out of town. For whatever reason I sniffed out some dirt. I wondered if my Dad rode his bike out of town on this same road as I crossed the Sulphur River and on through Cuthand Tx. My spidy senses said he was on two wheels right in here. And dang, had to put it in 4wheel drive on this “county” road.

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Cuthand Texas….oh boy, here I go again, apologies. Named after a creek of the same name in the area….the creek got its name from a Delaware Indian chief that came here from Indiana in 1823. The chief had lost three fingers from a saber slash in his younger days and because of his disfigurement, he was forever known as Cut Hand. The creek was named by General Thomas J. Rusk of Nacogdoches, a close friend of the chief. That Rusk guy got around! I’ve stayed at the KOA camp in Rusk a couple times when I made a loop out of the East Texas “500” bike route….never thought about the name of the town before. Crazy how much Texas history is all around us and we just go on about our way.

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I went on about my way and daydreamed some more. This general area is where my offroad heritage started. My Dad riding scramblers/dual sports around North East Texas and the Broken Bow Oklahoma area. Pic below of one of his first bikes, per the back of the pic it was taken in April of 1973 BS, Before Stevo. Anybody know what bike that is? I think maybe a 1970 or so Honda CL Scrambler, guessing a 350?

1713620552705.jpeg


The below pic was my first “ride” on a bike. You can tell I’m not happy about it, bike is overloaded with my sisters and my Dad, we can’t run light ha ha. This looks to be a different bike but still a scrambler style? He was still learning what worked and what didn’t….that also jived with his pocket book. I remember him telling me stories of venturing down fire roads amongst the pine trees up here on these scramblers and seeing other guys doing crazy hill climbs and creek crossing submersible games. He saw the light. Just had to find a way to get to it.

image002.png


This next one looks like a year or so later, me with Dad on a different bike. You can tell the learning curve was improving. Looks to me like that is a whole ‘nother animal? Cylinder looks big and I look decently happy, must be a 500 ha ha.

image003.png


I can’t ask him what bike that was, dadgumit. @Canejodon might know….and speaking of him, below is a pic of that hippy, along with me, sitting on their bikes pre-ride. The scene hasn’t changed much, I still get excited sitting on bikes and @ConejoDon usually is sporting a mischievous grin…..about to say something clever no doubt 😊.

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I reluctantly moved on from this zone, crossed into Oklahoma, Choctaw for red people. People (okla) Red (humma). How do you say toothless white people in Choctaw? I believe okienoflossie. Rolled through Broken Bow. Another area “the boys” road when I was a baby, Cucumber Creek area. Always bothered me I didn’t get to experience this with them. But I’m up in the middle of it now. Made a couple stops to stretch.

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Rolled into Arkansas and landed at my digs at a campground and got situated. When I picked my dates several weeks back, the weather forecast was sunny and nice and I was going to just tent camp it. Last week the forecast changed and showed intermittent rain, some storms even. I decided before I left from home, oh well I’m going, it will be an adventure either way? But….I cheated and upgraded my tent spot to one of these little A frame guys. I had a camp site reserved for the following night at Mount Magazine to camp off the bike….decisions need to be made….rain in the forecast for tomorrow in that zone. Not as much fun riding in the rain, let alone setting up in it at the end of the day. Will make up my mind in the morning, truck stays here either way.

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But for now, did what I do best. Grill some meat and suck down some cold ones. Step 1, give the potatoes a head start.

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Step 2 Prep the sacrifice.

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Step 3 let the ribeye catch up.

1713622088205.jpeg


Step 4 eat your heart out. Night night, watch your top knot.

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KsTeveM said:
Ok, I have time to blab in more detail about this little run. The first day was spent in the truck to make time and get my heinie a good chunk north. But I couldn’t help but break up the monotony with some smaller secondary roads. Slower going than just shooting up interstate 35, but worth it to me. I hates the 35. Made a few stops along the way, nothing overly exciting. Stuff like this, Camp of The Army of The Republic of Texas.

View attachment 379134

View attachment 379136

If you want a deeper dive than the marker, this link was full of interesting stuff that could take you down a lot of rabbit holes.
https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/army-of-the-republic-of-texas

Daydreamed about a Texas Republic for a while, I don’t know why, never happen. I think it was more of a what if we were never annexed in the first place daydream. But we were, in order to form a more perfect union? Enough, clear the mechanism, stopped for a break in Talco Texas. If you’ve been through here, you are asking yourself why would anyone stop there? But this little sleepy town holds some significance to my family. My Mom and Dad ran a general store/meat market here in the early 70s. Here is what is left of the store, an empty field.

View attachment 379137

View attachment 379138

Depressing, like a lot of these small towns that dry up over time. I looked around and thought about a story I remembered hearing. Some thug type guys were doing thuggish stuff at the store in the parking lot, in front of women and children. My Dad goes out to tell them to cool it…..and be cool. They had other plans and tried to explain thug life to my Dad, two of them holding my Dad while #3 tries to beat him up. Dad was lucky and landed a kick in the right place, then grabbed some thug hair and commenced to tipping the scales back in his favor. I think my teenage Uncle, @ConejoDon, also came out from behind the meat counter and helped dissuade them from wanting to be on the premises. My Dad was upset he got blood on his Levi’s and his blue jean shirt got ripped….that my Mom embroidered some butterflies or some such 70s stuff. Thug #3 was probably mad when he left, cause my Dad still had a fist full of his hair in his hand. My Dad passed away over 10 years ago. As life goes, Thug #3 is probably still alive. But I bet he is bald. I smiled as I headed out of town. For whatever reason I sniffed out some dirt. I wondered if my Dad rode his bike out of town on this same road as I crossed the Sulphur River and on through Cuthand Tx. My spidy senses said he was on two wheels right in here. And dang, had to put it in 4wheel drive on this “county” road.

View attachment 379139

View attachment 379140

View attachment 379141

Cuthand Texas….oh boy, here I go again, apologies. Named after a creek of the same name in the area….the creek got its name from a Delaware Indian chief that came here from Indiana in 1823. The chief had lost three fingers from a saber slash in his younger days and because of his disfigurement, he was forever known as Cut Hand. The creek was named by General Thomas J. Rusk of Nacogdoches, a close friend of the chief. That Rusk guy got around! I’ve stayed at the KOA camp in Rusk a couple times when I made a loop out of the East Texas “500” bike route….never thought about the name of the town before. Crazy how much Texas history is all around us and we just go on about our way.

View attachment 379143

View attachment 379144

View attachment 379146

I went on about my way and daydreamed some more. This general area is where my offroad heritage started. My Dad riding scramblers/dual sports around North East Texas and the Broken Bow Oklahoma area. Pic below of one of his first bikes, per the back of the pic it was taken in April of 1973 BS, Before Stevo. Anybody know what bike that is? I think maybe a 1970 or so Honda CL Scrambler, guessing a 350?

View attachment 379130

The below pic was my first “ride” on a bike. You can tell I’m not happy about it, bike is overloaded with my sisters and my Dad, we can’t run light ha ha. This looks to be a different bike but still a scrambler style? He was still learning what worked and what didn’t….that also jived with his pocket book. I remember him telling me stories of venturing down fire roads amongst the pine trees up here on these scramblers and seeing other guys doing crazy hill climbs and creek crossing submersible games. He saw the light. Just had to find a way to get to it.

View attachment 379131

This next one looks like a year or so later, me with Dad on a different bike. You can tell the learning curve was improving. Looks to me like that is a whole ‘nother animal? Cylinder looks big and I look decently happy, must be a 500 ha ha.

View attachment 379132

I can’t ask him what bike that was, dadgumit. @Canejodon might know….and speaking of him, below is a pic of that hippy, along with me, sitting on their bikes pre-ride. The scene hasn’t changed much, I still get excited sitting on bikes and @ConejoDon usually is sporting a mischievous grin…..about to say something clever no doubt 😊.

View attachment 379133

I reluctantly moved on from this zone, crossed into Oklahoma, Choctaw for red people. People (okla) Red (humma). How do you say toothless white people in Choctaw? I believe okienoflossie. Rolled through Broken Bow. Another area “the boys” road when I was a baby, Cucumber Creek area. Always bothered me I didn’t get to experience this with them. But I’m up in the middle of it now. Made a couple stops to stretch.

View attachment 379147

View attachment 379148

View attachment 379149

View attachment 379151

View attachment 379152

View attachment 379155

View attachment 379156

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View attachment 379158

Rolled into Arkansas and landed at my digs at a campground and got situated. When I picked my dates several weeks back, the weather forecast was sunny and nice and I was going to just tent camp it. Last week the forecast changed and showed intermittent rain, some storms even. I decided before I left from home, oh well I’m going, it will be an adventure either way? But….I cheated and upgraded my tent spot to one of these little A frame guys. I had a camp site reserved for the following night at Mount Magazine to camp off the bike….decisions need to be made….rain in the forecast for tomorrow in that zone. Not as much fun riding in the rain, let alone setting up in it at the end of the day. Will make up my mind in the morning, truck stays here either way.

View attachment 379159

But for now, did what I do best. Grill some meat and suck down some cold ones. Step 1, give the potatoes a head start.

View attachment 379160

Step 2 Prep the sacrifice.

View attachment 379163

Step 3 let the ribeye catch up.

View attachment 379162

Step 4 eat your heart out. Night night, watch your top knot.

View attachment 379164
Click to expand...
Loved the story!!! Been through the areas a few times over the years. NE Texas/Ark/OK and even SW MO have some very interesting places. Plan on going this summer again...Eureka Springs'ish base camp. Last summer we were there for nearly 6 weeks...it was a tad cooler than here in Texas that time.
 
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