Alright, back to the ride. Even though I’d only gone like 40 miles so far that morning, my low gas light was on. I was purposely running my 8 gallon tank sparsely, less weight to wrestle in these rougher sections and keeps the weight really low with this tank. Routed by a remote gas station and got a few more gallons. And got the down low on the weather from an older local rancher looking dude wearing a pearl snap shirt….”you better skedaddle south feller, high winds and golf ball sized hail moving into the area in the afternoon.” Copy that big buddy. Ate some crappy gas station sausage biscuits and cut out on back roads, headed further north. Wait, what?
Cruising easier stuff for a while….Fourche La Fave River. I know what you are thinking. Here he goes again. Well, here I go again. It was named for the La Fave family who settled near the mouth of the river. Fourche is French for “fork”. I was hoping for something more exotic. Apologies.
Jumped a state highway and was running around the Dutch Creek Mountain area. There is a creek….a mountain….and apparently some Dutch stuff happened here. Apologies dos.
I was surprised there wasn’t more spring flower blooming stuff, but this plant was doing her thang and it was wonderful hauling the mail through here as there was a lot of it. The path got a little tighter and less traveled, ahh the good stuff.
Still rolling north…ish on backroads and wondering what the rest of the day was going to hold. Started going up, and up….and then spotted this. Hmmmm.
So I threw myself into the breach. Good plan? Probably not, but it had to be done. I got up the worst of it and wanted some pics, but there was no using the kickstand, just laid it over and took a few. A bit steep and soggy. The Super Enduro was handling it. But I can’t say that I wasn’t thinking about my 450 in the rougher stuff.
Enough of that, I’m here and on the bike I’m on. And there is something exhilarating rockin the v twin through it. Got into some thicker forest stuff but was still making my way. The forest floor had a lot leaves and didn’t look traveled much.
Rolling in the Petit Jean Mountain zone. What the heck is a Petit Jean? Here we go again….legend holds that the mountain got its name from the story of a young hot French girl from the 1700s that cut her hair and disguised herself as a cabin boy. Ok that back fired, maybe she wasn’t hot, I might have made that part up. She did this so she could secretly join a company of explorers and accompany her fiancé to the New World. Petit Jean is French for Little John. I didn’t see any hot French chics, moving on. But started thinking about that Rod Stewart song with the girl in the back ground whispering something frenchish. I don’t know why this stuff comes to me, roll with it.
I was making good time for the day, it was about noon and I’d been looking for a place to take a longer break. This wasn’t too bad but I’ll keep looking for a cooler spot.
Well, how’s this look?
I took a decent break and ate my diet fried apple pie over by the cliff.
Back at it, was trying to get into the official OHV trails in this zone, then hit this, denied by a mud slide. I’m stubborn, started walking a possible work around, it was all kinds of bad. Like maybe if you had 2 or 3 guys and were on 500s, you still probably wouldn’t make it? So why am I spending so much time trying to problem solve different options solo on a 950? Ok ok little voice, I’m turning around. Dadgumit.
Well I had already been working Plan B all morning due to the weather. Now for Plan C. I looked at a map and thought I had it figured out. Then hit this defunct bridge. Somebody trying to tell me something? Shrugged it off and decided to try and keep going.
I got through that creek crossing and was bushwhacking and it got worse….and worse. Ok, ok I give. Plan D?
I was eye balling the map for another reroute option that was further than I wanted, I’m not feeling it. I had planned how ever far I made it, was how ever far I happened to make it. Time to follow through with that notion Stevo! Dadgumit. Rolling west, rapidly.
Hit some pavement and got gas again. I could slab it on the state highway back to Mena….or backroad it? Weather was nicer to my south. What do you think happened?
Took the less traveled route and popped out really close to the Oklahoma border and decided to route myself on the Queen Willie road. Even though the weather was a little dreary, it was only a few miles out of my way, why not? Still trying to keep my optimism up.
Hello Oklahoma. I’m not feeling it, I was cold and it was damp. Hello Arkansas, I’m back.
And I was ready for a break. Why not get a cold beer and chill out at the lodge for a bit? Ok, if you say so.
Rolled back through Mena and landed back at base camp after closing in on about 200 miles. Not the exact experience I was hoping for but I did get an adventurous ride in.
Rain was coming, decided to cheat and use a baby grill I had in the truck for this situation. Had some cold ones and did some fajitas up. Rider happy, if he wants to be.