Family trip to Arkansas before Easter for some riding!

[Tourmeister]

I don't recall exactly when the thought hit me, but I remember seeing a post about an Easter ride at the Wilderness Rider Buffalo Ranch and OHV Park in Arkansas, owned and operated by Donny "Wildernessrider" Stuart, a TWT member. It has been quite a few years (2010) since I had ridden in Arkansas and the urge to get back up there is strong. This time though, the plan is to bring the whole family and all our bikes, my 2007 BMW R1200GS, my 2010 KTM 530 EXC, and the kid's bikes, a 2008 Honda CRF50F, a 2003 Honda XR80R, a 2013 Honda CRF110F and a 2008 Yamaha TTR50E. I'd try to get in a few days of riding two up on the 1200 GS with Sarah and Daniel, then we'd head to the OHV park and everyone would do some much needed dirt riding and exploring.

I floated the idea to my wife, Beth, and my Dad, because we work together and any time off has to jive with his plans as well. Eventually things start falling into place and the trip is put on the calendar! All the bikes have been sitting a long time over the winter. It will take some serious work to get them all ready and then I need a way to get them there... That last part can wait. After checking the bikes, it is obvious I need to start doing some parts shopping!

As with many projects, once I get into it I start finding more issues. It seems like I spend the next few weeks ordering one or ten things or another every couple of days. For several weeks, I am getting packages every couple of days. All the kid's bikes need new air filters. Then I need new oil, which is cheap on Amazon. And on it goes...

The first thing I do is roll out the bikes and see if they'll start and run right. Most don't, except the CRF50 and the CRF110. The XR80R's carb has been leaking by the float valve so I figure I will just tear all the carbs down, replace all the gaskets, and give everything a real good cleaning. It does run though, and while out busting around the yard on it, the chain comes off the sprockets! I get to looking at the other little bikes and they all have worn chains as well. I am pretty sure they are all original as I have never changed them and I don't think the previous owners had done so either. So... add chains and sprocket to the list...

The CRF50F goes first

The carb gets an ultrasonic bath in Pine-Sol and water

Several years ago, a cousin of mine was riding the CRF50F at a family gather and he ran into the trailer! I did not realize it at the time, but he actually bent the right fork pretty bad. The plastic fork "protector" hid the bend from casual observation so it went unnoticed until now. So... I have to order an entire new fork assembly because it is a single unit. Fortunately, they are only around $75. And... I might as well get new protectors while I am at it because the old one has a pretty good gouge taken out of it.

Next comes the TTR50E

New gaskets for the TTR50E's carb

The TTR50E has been having serious idle issues, even after cleaning the carb. I end up buying a new idle jet for it. Problem solved. Now to tackle the XR80R.

The XR80R was a gift from a fellow TWT member some years back. His peeps outgrew it and it needed someone to ride it. The only condition was that I post pics of the kids riding it, which I have done over the intervening years. Daniel loves it because it is fast and loud. Sarah has different feelings about it after a whiskey throttle incident a few years ago

XR80R on the operating table

Carb and floats getting a good cleaning

The KTM 530 EXC waits patiently while the young upstarts get their attention...

You can just see the CRF110F in the foreground. The 800 GS in the background belongs to Snoopster. She keeps it at our place since she does not have garage. That is my GS on the right.

The two fiddies finished. Daniel helped me with the chains and sprockets. Both run great now.

The GS nice and clean, but I got a wee bit too close with the pressure sprayer and stripped the clear coat and paint on the beak!! First time I've ever had that happen on any of my bikes in over 18 years. Maybe I'll just use that as an excuse to repaint all the red to blue...

So over the course of January, February, and March, I eventually get all the parts I need... mostly. But, I still need a means of transporting so many bikes. Dad's little 6 X 12 enclosed trailer isn't gonna get it done. So one day I am sitting at work, shopping for trailers online when Dad walks in and sees what I am doing. He then offers to sell his trailer and pay half of mine if I will let him use it on the rare occasion when he actually needs a trailer! Have I mentioned that I have one of the coolest dads ever? It's true. I have been blessed to live and work closely with him for 23 years. So after a bit more shopping, I finally find a deal I like. Beth and the kids decide they want to come along.

The trailer place is in Terrell, WacoBill's trailer sales. Nice folks. I found a 7 X 16 enclosed trailer with a double axle rated for 7500 lbs all up. The trailer is about 2500 lbs empty, so I should be good for as many bikes as I can stuff in it. It also has electric brakes on both axles, something I will come to appreciate in the not too distant future...

My 2014 RAM 1500 with an included tow package and brake controller.

Flow through air vent up top to clear out gas fumes from bikes and gas cans. 24" high stone guard across front, another thing I will come to appreciate...

Wide side door that the small bikes can fit through. 36" deep V nose. 6" of extra height to avoid head knocking. Cam locks on door and both sides of rear ramp.

On the drive home, we take a small detour through a town called Crandall. This is the first place of which I have any personal memories. My family lived here when I was around two years old. Dad was attending Perkins Seminary at SMU in Dallas and was also pastor at a TINY Methodist church in town. We lived in the parsonage across the street. I recall playing in a field by the house, the church across the street, an elderly lady across the street that often baby sat me, playing in some cotton collection trailers (those with the chicken wire walls), and a nearby gas station. That was the entirety of my universe. I had not been here since maybe 1969, just after the first moon landing, which I actually do remember watching on a B&W TV. With a few hints from Mom via the cell phone, I am actually able to find the spot where the house and church had been, but both had been demolished and replaced with new structures. It is still the same Methodist church though and it still has this old cast iron bell out front in the lawn that I remember ringing on Sunday mornings. As we drive around, memories come flooding back that I have not recalled since leaving. The kids get a real kick out of seeing the place. They have a hard time imaging me ever having been a kid myself

We leave town and start the run back toward I-45. The back roads are somewhat bumpy and uneven with a good number of curves. Minutes after leaving town, the weather starts taking a turn for the worse and getting rather windy. So right off the bat, I get to find out how the truck handles with the trailer. Granted, it is empty, but the truck has no issues at all pulling the trailer and keeping it under control despite the roads, rain, wind, even running at 75mph on I-45 back to Huntsville.

Painting the interior

I use a KILZ sealer/primer and do several coats on walls and floors before installing E-Track rails on the floor and walls. I also add a no skid grit to the floor and ramp coatings that works really well.

With all the kid's bikes taken care of for the most part, I turn my attention to the KTM. I had already gone through the carb before starting the kid's bikes, but never really got the chance to give it a good ride. The last time I had, it seemed to be running a bit lean. So I decide to replace the idle jet and double check the size of the main and the needle clip settings. When putting the main jet back in, the body of the jet snaps off from the threaded section as I snug it in the bottom of the carb I was BARELY even twisting on it when it went!! So... I have to go buy an extractor so I can remove the threaded section from the carb It comes out without issue, but now I need a new main jet!! It is 4:30pm and CycleShack North in Conroe closes at 6:00pm. I call to confirm that they have the jet I need, leave Daniel with the neighbors, and HAUL down to Conroe, arriving minutes before they lock the doors. While there, I snag several new idle jets and another main.

Once back together, it runs great! Except... the clutch has NO friction zone. It is all nothing and then fully engaged. Some asking around and... I order a Tusk replacement kit of new plates and springs.

Meanwhile, while changing the chain and sprockets on the XR80R, I notice that the tires are starting to get small cracks in the side walls. These are the tires that were on it when I got it, so I have no idea how old they are. Off to the internet to look for tires...

The tires arrive a few days later which gives me an excuse to call Phil Kiser. He has a sweet Coats tire machine. It usually takes only 10-15 minutes to change the tires and then we sit around chewing the fat for a few hours We both enjoy it. Daniel comes along for this one so he can see how it is done. Then it is back to the garage so we can get the bike put back together.

Several weeks before we are scheduled to leave for Arkansas, I start nagging the kids to go through all their gear to make sure they can find all of it, that everything still fits, and to get it all in one place so we can make sure it gets packed. Sarah informs me that the Shoei helmet she's been wearing for street riding and her dirt helmet are both getting uncomfortably tight. Her dirt pants are too tight now. The padded foot ball pants she wears under the dirt pants are too tight now. Great... Daniel's googles are so scratched up, he can barely see through them. So he needs a new shield. Rachel seems to be the only one good to go. So... I am gonna go broke before we even leave for this trip!!

We make yet another run down to CycleShack in Conroe. I don't like buying helmets for the kids online. I want to make sure they fit. I also like to support CycleShack for keeping stuff in stock so we can do this. Steve (parts guy with white hair and beard) has always done an excellent job of helping us find gear for the kids. So, I like to buy from them even if I can find a slightly better price online. We find a nice HJC full face helmet that fits Sarah and Daniel. We find some nice dirt pants on clearance for Sarah. They don't have the replacement screens for Daniel's goggles, which are five years old, so I just get him a new pair as the others are starting to wear out anyway. I eyeball the 2017 KTM 500 EXC on the way out the door...

Someone is excited about a new helmet...

My new clutch kit comes in a few days later. I rush home after work to swap it out. It is supposed to be a simple direct swap with the new plates for the old ones. No one said anything about a special friction plate or different thickness steel plate... until after I was done

New friction plates soaking before installation

The clutch basket shows no signs of notching or wear. There is this little round metal ring at the bottom of the basket and that has worn a noticeable groove in the first steel plate that rested against it. The new steel plates all look exactly the same thickness as the originals. I don't put a caliper to the plates to see if they are out of spec. The Tusk replacement kit was only like $50 for the whole kit with new springs. So I just pull out the old ones, stick in the new ones, and button it all back up.

I have some help...

Later that night, Justin (TWT member and fellow pumpkin head) mentions on FB something about a "judder spring" and a special sized friction ring that is supposed to go over this thing... He wants to know if I have checked that. Uh... NO!! Some poking around on the 530 EXC thread on AdvRider confirms that there is indeed a special friction ring that has a different inner diameter than all the others, allowing it to sit over the judder spring. I did not notice this when installing them. Oh great.

The next day I pull it all apart again and very carefully look at all the plates as I pull them out. It turns out that the last friction plate to come out does indeed have a larger inside diameter. I had simply gotten lucky and installed it in the right order without realizing it! Still, I am glad to be sure. A quick rip around the yard reveals that the new plates make a HUGE difference!!

The XR80R with new rubber and ready for action!

The E-Track for the trailer comes in and I spend a few days with the kids screwing tracks to the floor and walls of the trailer. I got 30 of the eyelet style anchors for attaching bike straps. I also got some board hanger attachments that let me sling 2 X 4's across the width of the trailer from wall to wall. When loaded with bikes, one on the low tracks serves as a "bumper" for the front wheels of all the bikes. The wheels are strapped to this board to keep them from turning left or right while being towed. The other 2 X 4's go on the high set of rails above the bikes. This lets me carry the plywood to be used for the bed platform when the bikes are out of the trailer and all the 2 X 4's are spanning between the low tracks. I can also carry a table and pit tent on the boards when they are set above the bikes. They also serve as hanging places for helmets, jackets, pants, and other items using hooks that slip over the top of the 2 X 4's.

So we are now a few days from departure. It is Friday and we leave early Sunday morning. For a few weeks now, Phil Kiser has had a little TTR110E for sale. He bought it used, fixed it up, and is trying to make a few bucks on it. I was eye balling it while we were doing the tires for the XR80R. Right now, both Daniel and Sarah have outgrown the 50s. I really only need one for Rachel. Daniel and Sarah are not yet real comfortable with the clutch on the XR80R. Sarah's CRF110F is a four speed without a clutch. The TTR110E Phil has is essentially identical to the CRF110F except that it is blue. Both bikes are electric and kick start. I shoot Phil a text asking if he would be interested in trading the CRF50F plus some cash for his TTR110E.

It is in pristine shape and has just been through a major service!

Phil responds, "Let me think about it."

"Sounds good. But we leave Sunday morning and I'd like to have the 110 for the trip for Daniel to ride." "Oh, we are also grilling burgers if you are hungry."

"I'll be there in about 30-40 minutes."

He arrives and scopes out the bike. It does not take him long to decide this is a good deal for him. He grabs a burger and visits a while before heading home. He'll be back tomorrow, Saturday, with the 110. Daniel is pretty stoked!

I continue packing the trailer, with a little help from Sarah.

Notice my GS on the left, the TTR50 backward in the center, and the KTM 530 on the right. The CRF110F, XR80R, and the new to us TTR 110E are in the front of the trailer facing the other bikes. The 2 X 4 is between the front and rear set of bikes. All front tires are tied to the 2 X 4. The rear tires of each small bike are held down with one of those heavy rubber bungees like the truckers use just to keep them from bouncing around. The front ends are strapped down with ratchet straps. The two big bikes are tied down at four corners with ratchet straps. All the gear and most of our luggage goes into the trailer between the bikes as needed to keep the load balanced front to rear.

You can see the upper 2 X 4's and hangers here

That is the TTR110E on the left facing my KTM

It works great if I load the rear bikes first and get them secured then put the small bikes in through the side door and secure them last.

The kids have a HARD time resisting the urge to climb around inside the trailer while I am loading!! Notice those grey things on the ceiling struts on either side of the wood?

Here's a close up

So the roof material is only secured to the cross members with screws on each side of that wood panel. Leaving it loose between the wood and sides of the trailer keeps the wind buffeting from ripping the panels and screws apart. However, this means that ANY movement of the trailer results in that sheet metal bouncing up and down against the struts, making an awful racket and also potentially leading to wear from contact in the future. I grabbed a bit of the rubber shower liner from Home Depot, cut them in strips, and zip tied them to the struts. It works perfect! No amount of shaking makes any noise now and hopefully the lack of metal on metal contact will prevent wearing of the sheet metal over time.

I eventually get everything loaded in the truck and trailer. I have been working on all this for the last three months. I am exhausted. I head inside to do a few last minute items before trying to head to bed. The plan is to get up and leave the house by 7:00am, which should put us at our destination before dark. We are heading just South of Mountain Home to stay in a cabin on the White River, owned by a TWT member. He rents it out when not using it. We'll stay there a few days and then in the middle of the week, we'll head over to the OHV park for a few days of riding and camping.

Off to bed now... The adventure starts tomorrow

 

[SwampFox]

Re: Family trip to Arkansas before Easter

 

[bwdmax]

Re: Family trip to Arkansas before Easter

I'm in. I'll get the kids to follow along also.

While we didn't make the trip to Arkansas this time, I have planted the seed for a future trip.

We did make it out to Hidden Falls for the day on Good Friday. I had to clean the carb on Emily's 110 also. She has also outgrown her pants and Colton's are coming apart on one knee.

 

[Tourmeister]

As usual when I have to get up really early, I don't sleep well the night before. I toss and turn until I eventually hear Daniel and Beth moving about. I keep waiting for my alarm to go off, but it never does. I'm wondering why on earth they would be up so early before my alarm, and then I check my alarm... I forgot to set it Let's hope this is not a sign of how the trip will be going all week...

We get the kids moving and herd everyone into the truck, pulling out of the driveway at 7:10am. Not bad. We head into East Texas to make out way up US 59 (or 69?) to Texarkana. WE made this same drive last December on the way to St. Louis, Mo., but it was POURING rain from the moment we left until only an hour or so from St. Louis. Today it is MUCH nicer and the drive is pleasant.

Spotted in Hope, Ar., at a gas stop - Triumph I think?

I did not get to speak with the owner

We head North up into the Ozarks on US 65 from Little Rock until we reach Clinton and veer off to the Northeast on Hwy 9 toward Mountain View. Hwy 9 is fun on a bike. Amazingly, it is still fun in a truck hauling a big trailer! The dogwood are blooming like crazy and the views are just wonderful. After a quick stop in Mountain View to grab some food and other supplies, we make our way up to Calico Rock on Hwy 5. There, we cross the White River and then make our way back South along the river until we reach the cabin where we will be staying the next few days.

A few miles outside of Calico Rock, the road turns to gravel. It is relatively smooth and no big deal other than a few really sharp blind turns going under the railroad. We eventually another tight turn which takes us away from the river and up the end of a ridge line. The road gets steep but is still well graded and no problem. Things change a bit once we reach Sadieville Rd., the one that takes us the last bit to reach the cabin. It starts with a short curving climb that is fairly steep and loose. I get the truck up without any problem and then the road levels out. It gets narrow and kind of sandy, winding a short way through the woods until it reaches a sharp left turn.

Here we stop to ponder...

Once we make this left turn, there won't be any turning back. The road drops away quite steeply. It doesn't look too bad from where we are sitting, but we can't really see real far down the hill. I had been told this road was steep, but that if I had good weight over the rear axle, I should be okay. So we make the turn...

We don't get very far before it becomes obvious that getting to the bottom without problem is going to be a real challenge. The truck immediately starts picking up speed and I get on the brakes to keep it sane. The wheels lock and we start sliding When I let off the brakes to regain steering control we start picking up serious speed again! I manage to get the truck stopped and sit to think about things for a moment... There's no way I am backing up the hill, even if I wanted to. The brakes look so easily in the loose gravel that controlling my direction is difficult. I reach over and use the brake controller for the trailer to manually apply those brakes independent of the truck brakes. This lets me use the trailer to try to control our speed while keeping the truck wheels turning so I have steering control. It's touch and go for a few minutes, but I get close to the next corner, a ninety degree turn. I have to make this or it gets ugly. We reach the point where I can see through the turn enough to realize that just beyond the turn the road is in much better condition and no where near as steep. I let every thing go and just flow through the corner to the good spot and bring everything back to a stop so we can catch our breath. Beth and the kids were a little tense on the way down, hehe. Can't say I blame them!

The rest of the way down is no problem. At the bottom of the hill the road crosses the railroad tracks again and then turns to follow them along a shelf area between the base of the mountain and the banks of the river. There are multiple homes here and the cabin is down at the end. The road becomes more of a pasture track here, but it is firm and passable. We soon turn into the cabin and get parked.

Lots of room to get turned around

Despite me telling the kids we had stuff that HAD to get done before they ran all over the place to explore, they immediately wanted to head down to the river's edge. I manage to get them to help with the unloading and then we all go down to the river. The walk down is quite steep and we have to really watch our step. There is an upper deck and a lower deck down near the water.

The only place where we can get cell service is at the edge of the dock

I take advantage of the one bar of cell service on the dock to call the rental agency to see what our options might be for getting out of here in a few days. I let the lady at the agency know that there is simply no way my truck will get back up that hill pulling our trailer. She graciously offers to have her husband come out Wednesday morning to meet us when we want to leave and to use his 4WD drive truck to haul the trailer up for us. Then we can reconnect it to our truck and be on our way. We've been seeing dire weather predictions for a few days and I am concerned about what the road might be like if we get a good rain, 4WD or not...

Nothing to do now but hang out and enjoy the evening...

and let the kids play

Just a few feet out it gets deep and the water is moving fast, so no one comes down alone and no one goes in.

It's been a long day. We settle in for dinner and then relax a while before the kids head off to bed. Tomorrow, the girls and Beth will be heading North to Mansfield, Mo., to check out the Little House On The Prairie Museum while Daniel and I head out on the 1200 GS to do some back road exploring.

 

[Tourmeister]

Monday morning... The girls are heading out to do their girl stuff and Daniel and I are going riding. The plan is to do a mix of dirt and paved roads, if the weather holds out. Apparently, there are some nasty storms moving through the area and people have been warning us to be careful. It is overcast outside, but no rain yet. With no cell service in the cabin, I can't check the radar. We'll just deal with it if the need arises.

We say good bye to the girls and then gear up. The first order of business is climbing back up the road to the ridge above the cabin. I've got a TKC 80 on the front of the GS and a Shinko 805 on the rear. This has been a good combination for other adventure riding, so I am confident it will do here. When we turn the corner that leads to the steep section, the road surface is immediately rougher, covered with large loose rocks. I set my eyes to the top of the hill, stand up, and stay on the gas. The rear spins a few times here and there, but overall the climb is no big deal and we quickly reach the top and make our way back to the main road (Boswell Road).

I had planned to do a dirt loop back up toward Calico Rock and then over to Melbourne, but I fail to look at the GPS and head South on Boswell instead of North. I am a little distracted because something doesn't seem "right" but I can't put my finger on what it is... A mile or so down the road, it hits me! I typically hang my sunglasses on the lanyard string on my GPS, which I loop around the mount in case the GPS falls out of the mount. I remember hanging them there before we left, but I don't remember putting them on and they are not hanging there now I turn around and tell Daniel to keep his eyes peeled for my sunglasses laying in the road or the ditch. It is kind of annoying because they are brand new, not even a week old. We get back to Sadieville Road and before we reach the corner where the steep section starts... it hits me like a ton of bricks...

I'M WEARING THE STUPID THINGS!!

My old ones had become so scratched and I had become so used to those blurs in my field of view that the blurs not being there totally messed with my head. I stop for a moment and marvel at how clear my view is with the new glasses. Even the frames do not intrude into my peripheral vision. Daniel and I have a good laugh at my expense and I make him promise not to tell Beth and the girls (which I know he can't/won't keep ). We head back to the main road and continue South on Boswell.

Boswell Road is a really nice ride. It is wide and well graded. There are lots of elevation changes and fun corners. All throughout the woods, the dogwood trees are still blooming. About two thirds of the way toward Hwy 9, the road becomes a nice narrow ribbon of twisting asphalt. We hit Hwy 9 and head Southwest back toward Hwy 5. Many years ago I rode this section of highway on my VFR 800. I remember it being fun, but somehow the years dimmed the memory compared to the reality. The pavement is perfect and the curves fantastic. It is definitely a road that demands the attention of a rider lest bad things happen Daniel REALLY enjoys the smooth braking and crisp acceleration of the GS as we wind our way through the mountains.

At Hwy 5, we turn South and head toward Mountain View. I want to top off with gas before we head out into parts unknown. From there, we head Northwest on Hwy 87 toward Fifty-Six. 87 is another superb road with fast banked corners and rapid elevation changes. It doesn't take long to reach Hwy 14. My plan is to ride through Blanchard Springs Park and run Blanchard Springs Road up to Green Mountain Road in the National Forest. Then we'll make a meandering loop up toward the North end of Push Mountain Road, also known as Hwy 341 and sometimes as the Deal's Gap of Arkansas.

Hwy 14 is also the Sylamore Scenic Byway, all of which is a great ride!

The ride into and through Blanchard Springs park is really nice. The road is paved and twists along a high ridge before eventually dropping down into the North Sylamore creek valley. Once again, I fail to pay attention to the GPS and I ride right past my turn. We quickly come to a concrete water crossing and I decide to stop. Even as I put my foot down upon stopping, my boot starts to slide on the algae! I manage to get the kickstand down and we dismount to survey the situation. Daniel is of course all for attempting the crossing. He has no experience with these kinds of crossings. I walk out into the water, which is only a few inches deep, but is quick moving. The algae is extremely slick. While poking around we also notice there are thousands upon thousands of little black snails all over the down stream side of the concrete and rocks.

It doesn't look all that bad, but looks can be deceiving...

I check the GPS to see if there is an alternate route and then realize that we had just missed our turn. It seems this is just a dead end into a camping area. So there really isn't any reason to risk this crossing. Daniel helps me turn the bike around by pulling on the back while I hold it upright and try not to slip. Once pointed in the right direction, we head up the road a few hundred yards and find that the road we want is gated and locked. Judging by the condition of the road that I can see, it is probably just as well. It looks quite rough and like it has not seen any traffic in many years. Not being familiar with it, I am reluctant to drag Daniel out into the woods where cell service is likely non-existent. A quick check of the GPS shows that there might be an alternate route just West of us. So we head back out of the park toward Hwy 14, stopping along the way for a few pics.

This is typical of the road surface quality in the parks and on the state highways. Most excellent!

He'd rather be piloting his own ride, but he's stoked to be here regardless!

A SMALL sampling of the amount of Dogwood that is blooming all over the place!

There has been quite a bit of the controlled burning all around the area

We get back to Hwy 14 and head West toward Fifty-Six. Just beyond, we find the turn for Gunner Pool Recreational Area and head North into the park. Again, the road is wonderfully paved. In the park itself, there is a neat little over flow dam that has created Gunner Pool Lake. There are some nice camping areas around it and there are several people fishing. The creek feeds right into the North Sylamore Creek. The road crosses the creek down stream of the dam, affording a nice view back up the creek, which I failed to capture with a picture Just beyond the bridge, the road turns North and starts to climb out of the creek valley. This is Gunner Pool Road on the maps. It soon hits Green Road and we turn East, heading toward the spot where we would have come out had we been able to take the road out of the Blanchard Spring Park as intended. Looking down that road, it looks to be in great condition, so perhaps that rough section didn't last very long.

From that intersection, we take Sandy Flat Road in a somewhat Northeast direction and start dropping rapidly down into another creek valley, or more commonly called in these parts, a hollow. This particular one is called Big Spring Hollow and there is a bit of water flowing. It doesn't look too bad though so we will cross it.

The crossing is deeper than it looks in the picture. The water comes almost to the top of my front tire, so maybe 17" or so. Daniel gets a real kick out of it even though it is over in a moment. He kicks his feet up to keep his boots clear as they are not water proof. I had already warned him that getting soggy feet early in the day on a long ride is not much fun...

We climb back out of the hollow to the top of another ridge. Many of these descents and climbs fall or rise around 500-700 feet in the space of maybe a quarter of a mile, so they can get pretty steep. There are times where I am gingerly feathering the back brake, occasionally sliding, and trying to just keep the front end rolling. Daniel loves it, especially the climbs where I am having to really get on the power and the bike is kicking around as we make our way to the top. Sandy Flat Road hits Bear Road and continues North. Bear Road soon heads West along another ridge line until it meets Gunner Pool Road just North of where we left Gunner Pool earlier.

We head West to McGowan Road, when starts out heading North and shortly after becomes CR 75 and McGowan, continuing Northwest. This is a great stretch of road with lots of twisty bits as it runs along a ridge line. I settle into a nice pace generally running about 30-40 mph. There is often a good bit of recently laid gravel, especially in the corners, so I do have to pay attention, especially since I have Daniel on board. Just beyond Grassy Hollow, CR 75 splits off to the Northeast and McGowan continues West (now also called CR 74).

CR 75 immediately starts dropping down off the ridge towards Mill Creek and the "town" of Culp. We tee into CR 73, known locally as Culp Road, and head Northwest, climbing over a low ridge and crossing Sneeds Creek before arriving in the "town" of McPhearson. Along the way we pass a few logging operations, stopping to speak with one of the guys to make sure we will eventually come out onto Hwy 341. He assures us that we are on the right track and the road is good from here to the highway.

A nice smooth section along a ridge on CR 73.

CR 73 turns West and soon drops us out onto Hwy 341, where the real fun begins!!

 

[Ed dirt]

I'm predicting a photo with a giant yellow warning sign. I have done that road as part of a 1 day loop from my house. In fact I'm taking Scott Craig and Paul on it on Monday. Love living in the Ozarks.

 

[Tourmeister]

As is often the case when the riding gets fun, the photos become few. Daniel and I head South on 341 back toward Hwy 14. You really just have to come ride this road to appreciate it. There are very few side roads or driveways. The curves are banked and smooth. I don't recall a single decreasing radius curve. As we are zipping along, Daniel and I are discussing cornering technique, delayed apexes, sight lines, braking, etc,... The GS is just so good for smooth quick riding. He loves accelerating out of the corners! We never see anyone else the entire way to Hwy 14.

Once back on 14, we head West through Big Flat, an ironically named tiny town. Just outside the West edge of town, there is a gas station where Hwy 263 cuts South. Daniel has recently entered the eat everything in sight stage and is complaining of being hungry. I'm thinking we might grab a snack to tide him over until we can find a place to eat. However, once inside he spies those little personal pizzas found in so many gas stations now. So we grab a few and settle in to eat lunch. This place is obviously the local social hub. We visit with an older guy that is curious about where we are from, where we are going, what we are wearing, what we are riding, etc,... He's really a nice guy, but I have to practically shout for him to be able to hear me.

With bellies mostly full, we get back on 14 and head toward Harriet, yet another TINY town. The most I have ever seen of this town is a little corner store where Hwy 27 dead ends into 14. Here 14 heads North toward Yellville and becomes exceptionally fun. 341 earlier is more of a real fast sweeping road. Here, 14 is just a seemingly endless series of banked corners that rise and fall in quick succession. There are almost no straight sections between corners so the bike is just being tossed from side to side almost immediately upon exiting the corners. One has to be VERY careful to pay attention to ALL clues about which way the road may go when coming over blind crests. Power lines and trees are not always reliable indicators!

I decide to go ahead and run on up into Yellville to fill up with gas. The section of the route coming up has very few towns and I can't recall there being any gas stations out there. I like to top off when I can because the thought of either pushing or abandoning the GS is not a pleasant one... After topping off, we head back South on 14 to Mc 5041. The "Mc" stands for Madison county. I'm wondering if this means there might be a bunch of bridges in the area... Mc 5041 quickly tees into Mc 5045 and we head South. This soon becomes Mc 5026 and continues South. Somewhere along the way the narrow pavement gives way to gravel and we are once again creating a nice plume of dust as we zip along through the woods, passing many nice homes, farms, and ranches.

We turn West on Mc 5016, which is just more twisty goodness. Here and there we do a few short and shallow water crossings, nothing too exciting, but Daniel still gets a kick out of them. We hit Mc 5020, Mc 5019, and Mc 5008, continuing mostly South by Southwest. Upon reaching the "town" of Tomahawk, which is basically just a little church at an intersection of county roads, we take Tomahawk Rd (CR 28) across Tomahawk Creek. Here it becomes AR 374 and runs on into St. Joe at US 65.

We head South on US 65 and cross the Buffalo River. Just beyond the river, we head West on Tyler Bend Road, into the national forest that runs with the river. A minute or two later, I realize I have once again missed a turn. Daniel tells me he saw a turn just a short way back. I am thinking he's referring to the park maintenance area where it looks like there might be ranger living quarters, but once we get turned around, there is indeed a nice little dirt road that heads down the mountain into the woods.

After reaching the bottom of the mountain, we round a corner and see a ranger truck sitting on the side of the road. Then I spot the ranger. She is short and looks to be in her late 50s maybe. We stop and I ask her about the road ahead and whether or not it goes all the way through to the town of Snowball. She looks a bit surprised to see us out here, but she assures us that the road does go through. However, there are a few water crossings that we will have to contend with if we continue on that direction. We thank her and keep going. As we are leaving Daniel asks me if I noticed how heavily armed she was. She had some kind of magazine holder on her belt that held four fully loaded magazines (9mm I think). I did not get a good look at the pistol. I assured Daniel that it was also very likely that she had a good rifle in her truck with a hefty supply of rounds for it as well. One never knows what a ranger might encounter in this area when dealing with hunters, legal or otherwise, or perhaps stumbling upon a Meth lab.

Not far beyond where we encountered the ranger, the road bed turns to a large and deep gravel aggregate. The nearby creek flows into the road and they become one for a hundred yards or so. We ride through without any issues. Then the road opens into a large flat area that would be great for camping. The road circles around the edge and then makes a sharp turn toward Calf Creek.

Daniel is all for attempting it...

The entrance is muddy, but it might be possible to get down the left side to where Daniel is standing in the shot above. What the picture fails to show is that it is a fairly steep entrance. Also, immediately after entering the water, I'd have to make a sharp right turn to avoid a deep section and to get lined up for the exit, which is down stream a bit. I decide to walk out into the water to get a better feel for the bottom conditions.

Mostly smallish loose gravel. That is the exit on the other side.

As I walk out into the water, I can feel the loose gravel crunching away from my boots, allowing me to sink in a little bit. There doesn't appear to be much mud in the actual base of the creek, but my concern is the rear tire digging into the loose gravel and killing our forward momentum. I have had that happen on other similar crossings and it makes getting across a good bit of work with a high chance of dropping the bike. Also, the water looks like it gets fairly deep out near the middle, probably 18-24" easily. With just me and Daniel here, with it being somewhat late in the day, and with the fact that there is ZERO cell service here, I am thinking that caution is the best course of action for now. Were we here with a group of other riders, I would definitely be up for the challenge. Daniel is disappointed, but I think he understands.

He is dying to walk out with me, but his boots are not water proof and I don't want to sit around wasting time while he strips down just to wade in

So for now, we have to backtrack. I will check the GPS for an alternate route that might get us back on course. As we get back to the section of road where it and the creek become one, I get a phone call on my Sena. I try to answer it but it disconnects for some reason, likely poor cell service signal strength. I pull over to remove my helmet and just use the phone directly. Checking the call log, I see that it is Beth trying to reach us.

The water is almost irresistible to Daniel. If he can't get in it, then he is going to kick and throw anything he can find into it. He's bad about "accidentally" falling into water...

I do eventually reach Beth on the phone. She lets me know they are in Mountain Home getting Mexican food for dinner. They will be bringing us dinner and will meet us back at the cabin in few hours. My goal is to reach the Falling Water Creek Falls down where Hwy 16 makes a V shape. I had hoped to follow Peter Cave Rd and River Rd over to Snowball at Hwy 74. Instead, we get back on US 65 a bit and then take Silver Hill Rd and Burr Oak Rd over to 74 and on into Snowball. This is a nice ride and no river/creek crossings!

Now Snowball is a big town. It has a stop sign! There is also what appears to be a "down town" or at least a main square. There are 3-4 old and run down wood frame buildings around the intersection of Hwy 74 and 377. I can't help but wonder what this place must have been like in its prime... assuming it ever really had a prime. It's also hard to imagine what it must have been like living out here even 80-100 years ago. Even now it is fairly remote, but they do have electricity.

Depending on which maps you look at and how old they are, you might see Hwy 74 leaving the West side of Snowball, crossing Richland Creek, making its way down to Dickey Junction, then heading West and North over Cave Creek, before rounding Round Mountain and dropping into Mt Judea. (pronounced "Judy" by the locals). Your maps might even make you think this is a paved highway, like it is when it gets West of Jasper. It is not paved. It is a wonderful gravel road with numerous tree formed tunnels. It curves around the North side of a series of mountains that sit between Snowball and Richland Creek...

There is a crossing at Richland Creek, but no bridge. The creek is VERY wide here, perhaps 50 yards or more. It doesn't look too deep from where we are sitting. However, the creek bed is composed of LARGE rocks and countless "baby head boulders". There is also a great deal of tree debris hung up in the rocks. I go out on the approach a bit to get a better look, but even this quickly gets rough. Once again, I make the call to turn around. This time Daniel doesn't really question the decision. I think even he is a little intimidated by this one. As were are turning around he mentions having seen another road off to the side and wants to see if that goes across. I humor him by agreeing even though I doubt it will.

We get back to the side road which is a pretty sharp turn because it goes back the other direction and up hill. The first bit is not too bad. It is quickly obvious to me that this is NOT the main road. We come to a long climb that looks pretty steep and kind of rough. I stop to examine it and then ask him if he's ready. He assures me he's good to go. I take off, stand up, and try to build some momentum before we hit the worst part of the climb. We're bouncing around pretty good as I stay on the gas. The rear spins a few times, kicking out some large chunks of rock, but we keep going. We reach the top without too much trouble and find a locked gate not far down the road. We turn around and have to make the descent now. I stand up again and take us over the ledge. It is steep and the bike wants to pick up a LOT of speed really quick. I work the back brake and use engine braking to control our speed. The rear slides a few times but comes back in line when I ease off the brake and let it roll more. We are soon back at the bottom and we agree that we may just have to hit the highway as we are losing too much time and are still pretty far from the cabin.

The ride back into Snowball is pleasant and quick. We reach the stop sign in the center of town just as a truck pulls up on the left side of the intersection. The driver waves us through. I give him a wave back and we take off down Hwy 377 at a brisk pace. The road quickly climbs up onto a ridge line, almost 1000 feet in about a mile and a half. Then it snakes along the top of the ridge. I settle into a fun pace and then notice that the truck is hanging in there with us! I'm guessing he must be a local and really knows the road. Even after a series of pretty sharp corners, he is still back there! I think he's just having fun because he never tries to crowd us or follow too close. When we reach Witts Springs, he continues South as we head East on Hwy 16/27. I've given up on reaching the water fall and am now just focused on getting us back East toward the Cabin as it is getting late in the day.

If you have never ridden Hwy 16/27 heading up toward the town of Marshall, you should. Much of it runs along a series of ridges and is very twisty. The pavement, like so many other roads in Arkansas, is very good. Just past the town of Welcome Home, it jogs West down off the ridge to run along Bear Creek for a bit and circles West of several mountains before turning and heading on into Marshall. It is very scenic and just a lot of fun to ride.

Rather than following 27 when it turns toward Bear Creek, we stay up on the ridge and follow Star Mountain Road. It is a wonderful gravel road with some really great views. It's got twisty bits and long straight bits. It eventually hits AR 333 and then runs on into 27 again just a few miles outside of Marshall. Heading into Marshall the road continues twisting along through some really nice pasture land with very nice homes. Marshall is more of a proper town. It has a few churches, a few small restaurants, a few SMALL motels, a grocery store, and a gas station. Beth and I stayed here about 10 years ago on a bike trip we took a few months after Daniel was born. Some of you might remember that it was on the return from this trip that we had an accident out in East Texas on the way home.

Moving on...

Just outside of town, Hwy 74 reappears, branching off of Hwy 27 and heading mostly East. This is another of my favorite sections of highway. There is rarely any traffic on it. It is excellent quality pavement. The curves are just fantastic. In many places it follows several different creeks and it just really twisty. I first ran it over 15 years ago on my VFR 800 and it was once of those "become one with the bike" rides. I think I wound up turning around and running it several more times on that trip before moving on to other roads. It does not disappoint today! Daniel really enjoys the rapid transitions from one curve to the next.

We drop out onto Hwy 66 and head East on into Mountain View. It is a nice "come down" ride after Hwy 74. We stop for gas in Mountain View and also grab an ice cream sandwich for a snack. I check in with Beth to let her know when to expect us. They aren't at the cabin yet, so there is an outside chance we'll get there first. We head North out of town on Hwy 5. Just outside of town there is a little Go-Kart place that Daniel spotted earlier. He REALLY wants to ride them! I tell him we'll give it some thought as something to do tomorrow when we run around with the whole family.

When we reach Hwy 9, we head Northeast to enjoy the incredible twisties. It is getting on in the evening and as we come around a corner, I spot a deer standing in the road a few hundred feet in front of us. It quickly leaps into the woods and down the steep mountainside. It is a good reminder of how quickly things can go from good to bad in a hurry if I don't pay close attention!! We soon reach the start of Boswell Rd and turn North. I miss the turn for the spot where Boswell becomes gravel and go a little bit beyond it on Mt. Olive Rd. We pass a really nice cabin and I notice that it too has a Mt. Olive rental sign out front, which is the same company handling the cabin we are staying in now. Mental note: MUCH easier access even though it is not on the river. It is also for sale...

We loop back and get on Boswell to continue the last few miles back to the cabin. We make short work of the steep section of the road and pull up into the yard to find the girls are back. We head inside for dinner and then Daniel wants to get in some fishing before it gets dark.

There are storm clouds brewing to the West and we hear some occasional thunder, but it never rains. Once the sun sets, it gets dark quickly and we head inside. Daniel knocks off pretty fast once the kids head to bed. It was a great day of riding and I really should have stopped for more pictures, but we were just having so much fun riding!!

For the GPX track of our ride, right click and save as here

 

[SpiritAtBay]

 

[Buellboy]

Ed dirt just took Paul and I on a 280 mile
Loop from Springield down to mountain home
on a bunch of crazy beautiful roads. Just like
you said, 341 is as nice a curvy road as I
have ever ridden on. Thanks Ed for the tour!

 

[Ed dirt]

FYI- it is locally referred to as " The Sidewinder". They even sell a sticker for it

 

[Tourmeister]

FYI- it is locally referred to as " The Sidewinder". They even sell a sticker for it

I have also heard it called the "Deal's Gap of Arkansas", which is a serious exaggeration. I don't know if they are still doing it, but at one time there was someone out there doing photographs similar to the people doing it on Deal's Gap. If they were out on a day you were riding, you could go to their website and find shots of yourself to purchase. The road is awesome, no doubt. I even like it more than Deal's Gap. However, the two roads are NOTHING alike! The old local name for it is Push Mountain Road. If you talk with the old timers in the cafes, that is how they know it. Speaking of old timers in cafes, they are a great source for info on roads in the area! We got some really good advice regarding a nice road to ride on the GS to get from Calico Rock over to Push Mountain Road. But that is yet to come...

Also, MO 125 running North from Peel's Ferry at Bull Shoals Lake all the way up to Oldfield is even better! Then there is H, T , Dd, Ff, Aa, 95, 14, 76,... Sheesh! There are so many awesome roads up there!!

 

[Buellboy]

Rode the Sidewinder 6 times yesterday. Stopped at The 341 Market
And got a sticker for my bike also. Unbelievable road...

 

[Tourmeister]

Today, Tuesday, is going to be a run around with the whole family day with no riding. We get a bit of a late start but eventually we head out in the truck. The plan is to go back to the Blanchard Springs Cavern park. After that, we'll check out the Go-Kart place Daniel spotted yesterday. But first, a few shots of the cabin area before we load up and hit the road.

The water level is up about 18" since last night!! Must have been some good rains upstream.

Look at the hill in the background, that just about matches the steepness of the road if you follow those trees up on the left

Perched right above the river, a nice spot to relax

Had we wanted, there is plenty of space for the kids to have ridden their dirt bikes around the yard or up and down the "street"

We slowly make our way toward to start of the steep section of the road. I try to get as much momentum as I can before turning the corner and hitting the steep section. We get up without too much trouble, but the tires are spitting out rocks and spinning all the way. We head up Boswell to Calico Rock and then get on Hwy 5 to run back down to Mountain View. I plan on turning West on Hwy 14, but get involved in a conversation and drive right by the turn without realizing my mistake until we are all the way into Mountain View! No worries though, we'll just run up Hwy 87 like we did yesterday. Even in the truck it is a really fun road and the girls really enjoy the scenery. It also drops us out right where we want to be.

As we head down into the park, we decide to check out the park headquarters because Sarah says she needs a restroom. There are little 8-1/2 X 11 paper signs here and there but the print it too small to easily read while driving by them. We get parked in front of the HQ and start to walk up to the front doors, which have the same signs, which inform us the HQ is closed for renovations No worries, we'll head down the rest of the way into the creek valley where there is a camping area with restrooms.

There is a really cool cliff with a cave at the bottom where the camp sites are located. On the other side of the road and across a bridge, there is a large structure that looks like it might have offices. It turns out to be a large restroom/bath house for swimmers. The creek makes a cool curve at the base of a cliff as it comes out from under the bridge, creating a fantastic swimming hole. There is a nice wide rocky beach with a gentle slope into the water. The bottom is a mix of silt and smooth rocks.

Deeper area in the bend

Looking back upstream to the bridge - The blue spot is Sarah

The road grade cuts left to right just above the swimming hole

The remains of an old concrete crossing used before the bridge was built

Beth spotted the butterflies clumping together on the beach. There were also many more just flying around the area

Barely two minutes after exiting the truck, he's in water that is filling his rubber boots

Looking downstream toward the swimming area

Sarah, the more conservative kid in the bunch

Rachel at least removed her socks before going in deep

She's the one that is not always wild about having her picture taken

Socks for every day of the week, but not necessarily on the right day...

Daniel came prepared to play in water since we mentioned we'd be staying on a river!

Notice the skipping rock in his right hand... The Force is strong with this one

These guys were about the size of a half dollar, not including the tail!!

The sediment settles in the deeper slow moving swimming hole section, so not as rocky a bottom here and the beach is more sand than rock as well.

You get ONE guess on who tossed that stick so close to Sarah...

Yeah, not a tough guess...

Cool spots to sit in the water and get out of the sun while soaking

Look how clear the water is. We're definitely NOT in East Texas anymore!!

Sarah supervises the sand castle building... a foreshadowing of her future maybe?

Here you can see part of the very nice and clean restroom/bath house. Seriously, this place could give Buccee's a run for their money in that regard!

If you look closely in the above pic, just off center left on the road grade, you can see part of the cave I mentioned that is by the camping area. Just off center right you can see an arch under the road where run off water from the camping area joins the creek. The camping is back behind the arch. There is a shower/restroom building over there as well.

On the way down to the swimming hole, we had turned off on a different road that had a sign for Blanchard Spring. We drove down it to check it out and it looked really cool. We made a mental not to come back after visiting the restroom and the swimming hole area. On the way in there is a dam on the creek that creates another great spot for either swimming or fishing. There is a nice boardwalk along the same side as the road, starting near the dam and running upstream a few hundred feet. It hangs out over the water and there are quite a few people fishing and just hanging out on it. Beyond this, the road comes to a cul-de-sac where there is limited parking. A creek runs directly under the parking area via several neat stone arches. A walk way wanders back into the woods in the direction from which the stream flows.

Looking upstream from the first arch

CAN I CLIMB THIS!!?? The world is one giant climbing facility in the eyes of Daniel...

A rare shot of all three kids smiling and their eyes open!

Daniel got a walking stick from a nice elderly lady that was on the way back to the parking area

Even where it flows fast, it is always clear and enticing...

And here is the actual source of the spring, a bat cave! The sign warns not to drink the water because of the bat poo/whiz...

I don't know what the actual flow rate is, but it is substantial and makes a nice roar!

Another sign prohibits climbing out into the spring, much to Daniel's dismay (not that I would have let him anyway because I am a mean old dad bent on making my kid's lives BORING!! )

There are trails that lead further upstream of the spring to yet another water fall, but with much less water flowing from it. These look heavily traveled so I consent to exploring them. Daniel is gone in a flash!

Many of the rocks in this area look like they were placed by hand years ago.

The "serious" picture...

The not so serious picture...

The water fall found after a little bit of climbing

Old stone building overlooking the water fall (behind the building here)

The view from the top of the water fall back toward the spring, MUCH steeper than it looks here!

Heading back to the parking area, still unhappy about not being allowed to climb here...

By the time we get back to the truck, we realize it is getting pretty late in the afternoon and we're all getting hungry. We decide to run Hwy 87 back to Mountain View and grab some lunch. Once in Mountain View, we stumble onto a neat place where there are folks sitting around having an informal jam session with guitars, fiddles, clarinets, home made upright bases, and more. We end up at Kin Folk BBQ and there is another jam session going on right outside.

These folks are actually really good players and singers!

The pulled pork, beans and roll I get are most excellent!! The fresh baked apple turnover is I convince the kids it is terrible but that I feel compelled to eat it since I paid for it. Sarah doesn't fall for it, but Daniel and Rachel are easy marks Still, it is so huge that I can only eat about 2/3 of it before risking a monster sugar coma... After eating, we move outside to a porch to listen to the music while Beth checks out some kind of curio shop next door. Sitting here in the warm afternoon sun, listening to the music, my eye lids start getting really heavy... very heavy...

Beth eventually comes back and we gather everyone up to head on over to the Go-Kart track. As we pull into the parking area at the Go-Kart place, I start to get the feeling we won't be riding any go-karts. I can't find anyone. The place looks pretty run down. The track is littered with branches and leaves. Most of the karts look like they have not run in quite some time. The sign in the window of the "office" informs us that if they aren't here we should look for them down the road at Wal-Mart... as if we'd have any clue who we should be looking for at the Wal-Mart Daniel is NOT happy when I tell him it's a no go. It comes as a shock to him when I inform him that I am just as disappointed because I was looking forward to lapping him! "You were going to ride with us!?" "You think I would let you guys have all the fun without me!?" "Oh... I guess not..." hehe...

We decide to just head back to the cabin, via the scenic route, and let the kids wander around there or do some fishing. Rather than run back up Hwy 5 to Calico Rock, we take the Hwy 9 cutoff and make the run back up Boswell from the South. I want to show Beth the cabin we came across yesterday when I missed the turn for Boswell where the gravel starts. The girls and Beth really enjoy the twisty curves and great views on Hwy 9 before we reach the start of Boswell Rd. Once we reach the cabin, I pull over to grab one of the For Sale flyers in a box out in front of the cabin. Beth likes what she sees until she spots the purchase price of $175K for a 750 sq ft cabin!! So... we turn around and head up Boswell on the gravel to the cabin. The descent down the side of the mountain is not so bad without the trailer pushing us down the hill!

Another nice evening despite dire predictions of horrible weather

Watch your step!!

The handrail looks like 3/8 or 1/2 steel cable threaded through 3/4 galvanized pipe caps. It actually works fairly well if you try to use it, which the kids NEVER do

Daniel "mining" by using two rail road track spikes to break up the rock

Determined to catch something... anything...!

Finally back in a good mood after getting over the no go-kart thing

Rachel and Daniel want to do some exploring. So I agree to wander over by the rail road tracks with them. We've not heard a single train yet. However, when we reach the tracks I run a finger over the top of a rail and notice that there is virtually no pollen on them even though my truck and bike are covered in it since getting here. I keep a close eye on the kids and strain my ears for any hint of the sounds of an approaching train.

The track is littered with old spikes, which the kids cannot resist collecting

The sun is already getting low on the horizon

These are scattered about up hill from the track a few yards

Just the beginning...

Just over 150 at the final counting. I make them move the pile away from the rails before leaving.

Daniel can't resist the temptation and I am tired of saying no...

Rachel snags the camera from my hands. If you look closely at my eye, you can see her reflection behind the circle of the lens

Anyway, back to Spiderman...

Sooooo proud of himself (as am I, but I don't want to feed the animal too much ).

Time to come down

The sun slips down further and the bugs start coming out in force. We make our way back over to the cabin and have dinner. Earlier I had called the rental office to discuss how we might get out of here in the morning and there had been some mention of using an "emergency" road that skirts around the base of the mountain and reconnects with Boswell without having to go up and over the mountain. It cuts through private property and we had to okay it with the owner first. However, after speaking with a neighbor that lives down here full time, I found out that the road has several trees down over it due to recent storms and also that there is a cattle guard gate that will be too narrow for the trailer to fit through. I call the rental office again to let them know this new info and also to confirm what time we'll be leaving in the morning. They readily agree to meet us with a 4WD truck to haul the trailer out for us. Randy will be here at 10:00am. I make the kids get all the gear and luggage rounded up so we can have everything packed and ready to roll before he gets here in the morning. I don't want him having to sit around waiting on us when he's going out of his way to come help us. Then we settle in for a relaxing evening before heading to bed.

 

[Tourmeister]

Rode the Sidewinder 6 times yesterday. Stopped at The 341 Market
And got a sticker for my bike also. Unbelievable road...

Is this market on the North end of 341? I don't recall there being much of anything on the South end where it hits Hwy 14. I sure hate to see this road start getting the Deal's Gap marketing done to it. It is really fun now and not crowded or super heavily patrolled like Deal's Gap.

 

[Tourmeister]

Wednesday morning arrives and we start loading everything into the truck and trailer. Randy shows up with his 4WD F150 right on time. We get the trailer hooked up and ready to roll. Beth heads out in our truck to lead the way. Sarah and I are on my GS and we follow Randy. My thinking is that if he can't make it, Beth will be able to go for help and if needed I can get around him on the GS. So he carefully and slowly makes his way back across the train tracks, around the first few corners, and then approaches THAT corner...

I stop a ways back and we watch as Randy tries to get up some speed before starting the climb. He makes the corner and almost immediately the tires start spinning and he loses all his momentum, coming to a stop not far from the corner. We continue watching as he starts trying to back down around the corner for a second attempt. As he is backing up, his tires are sliding and he's having trouble steering. Amazingly though, he does manage to get it backed through the corner and back down toward us!

I can hear the motor revving higher than before and he takes the corner at a pretty good speed. Unfortunately, he makes it scarcely another 20 feet before he begins losing momentum. I can hear the tires spinning and grinding in the rocks before he finally comes to a halt, sliding backward a bit before managing to get the truck completely stopped. At this point, it becomes apparent that he will not be able to get to the top. I pull around and take the GS up to the top to park it, then hike back down to confer with Randy.

Daniel heading back up after watching the second attempt

He's got the brakes locked and asks us to find large rocks to put behind all the tires on the truck and the trailer to keep him from sliding any further. Daniel came down with me and he helps me find the biggest rocks we can to get the truck secure. Once the tires are blocked in, Randy sets the parking brake and gently eases off the brake pedal. The truck and trailer creak and groan as they settle back onto the rocks. The rocks hold, much to the relief of everyone!

You can see where the rear tire had been spinning before rolling back

The back right tire had been smoking pretty good and the smell is still quite strong!

I don't know how much tread there was before the start of this adventure, but it is not looking good now!

No clean line without lots of gravel and ruts, plus that sharp corner...

Shows the steepness fairly well...

Even better...

So, sitting here on the side of the mountain, Randy and I both have one bar of cell signal. He calls his wife to get the number for Skeeter's towing service out of Melbourne. I call Beth to let her know we're not budging. The neighbor that I had spoken with yesterday soon drives up behind us to find that he is not going to be able to get around us. Randy gets a hold of Skeeter and he's 45 minutes to an hour away, but he's coming. There's nothing to do now but hang out. The neighbor eventually heads back down to his house. Daniel heads into the woods a short ways to a massive rock formation and commences to scare the wits out of Randy while climbing all over it. Randy and I enjoy a nice visit in which he tells me that this is only the second time he's ever needed to be towed since living in the area. The first time involved a nasty ice storm. Even he is amazed that he's unable to get up the hill given that he's towed a trailer this size with a tractor up the hill without any issues. However, before leaving the neighbor did tell us that the county had recently been out to "improve the road with some grading and new aggregate. That apparently removed the clean tire tracks that existed before and killed any chance of getting decent traction.

Skeeter shows up around an hour or so after we called

He backs about half way down, stopping before it gets really loose and rough

Another shot that shows the steepness pretty well, and the rocks in the background where Daniel went climbing

Skeeter runs out the tow cable and connects to the front of the truck

Daniel heads back up the hill to wait with Beth. Skeeter takes the slack out of the tow cable while I hide behind a tree... Once the cable is taught, he pulls just enough to take the weight off the rocks behind the tires while I remove them. In the process, despite being as careful as I can, I still manage to get the tip of my left thumb pinched between a rock and tire hard enough to bruise it and cause a blood blister just under the end of the nail. Once all the rocks are removed, I join Randy in the cab of the truck just to get some AC on me. Also, I figure if he's going over the edge, I might as well go with him

On Skeeter's signal, Randy releases the brakes and starts to ease into the throttle. Immediately the tires are spinning to throwing rocks, the truck shaking and bumping as the winch strains to pull the truck up the incline. Another 40-50 feet and I can feel the truck finally start to get traction again, but Skeeter continues pulling until we are directly behind his truck. Randy sets the brakes again and Skeeter disconnects the cable. We don't slide backward and are able to follow Skeeter to the top of the hill.

Once safely at the top, I talk with Randy and Skeeter about settling up the bill, especially with regard to the rear tire that took such a beating. Randy won't hear of me paying for his tire. Skeeter only charges us slightly over $100!! Turns out, he's also a AAA registered company and we have AAA! So we'll get reimbursed for the towing! We thank him and he leaves. Randy tells us he'll go ahead and pull the trailer the rest of the way into Calico Rock and then we'll swap out trucks. He also points out a great little cafe where we can grab lunch. I offer to buy him lunch, but he tells us he's got other commitments for the afternoon and needs to get going since this took us so long. With a firm handshake, we thank him and part ways. He really is a nice guy.

It is already well past noon and we head on over to the cafe after first gassing up the truck and my GS. They apparently to not have a grill because they lack the necessary fire suppression system. So it is soups, salads, and sandwiches. My BLT is awesome! Since it is so late already, I am trying to figure out how I might change my route plans for today so that Sarah and I can get over to Donny Stuart's Wilderness Ranch before dark. Beth is going to take the main highways to just "get there". Not being sure about a few of the roads in the area and whether or not they can get me across the Buffalo River, I check with the waitress and a few of the other staff. They have no clue However... there is a nice little old couple over in the corner that were born and raised in the area.

I introduce myself and Sarah to the couple and tell them we are trying to find a road that will cut over from Calico Rock to Push Mountain Road. They warn me that all the roads are gravel and I let them know that is what we are hoping for! They then tell me about Culp road which cuts over once I get South of the Buffalo River on Hwy 5 just outside of town. That sounds perfect! We thank them and head outside to don our gear. We say goodbye to Beth, Daniel, and Rachel, then head South out of town to look for Culp road. It's already after 2:00pm. We'll have to really cut back on the unpaved riding I had planned to do and stick to more pavement if we are to have any hope of reaching the ranch before dark.

 

[Buellboy]

The 341 Market is 3/4 down from the top of the
Push Mountain. The owner is marketing it very
heavily as a alternative to "deals gap" and that
is why he is printing the stickers. His store is
where the freshly graded pavement was laid
less than a month ago. Your right this ride is
to good to be true. Guy at the store said 6 guys
from Canada on Gixers came last week and rode
every day at a "brisk pace". Loaded up their van
and went home. If someone opens a hotel nearby
this place will be very popular very soon. Amazing.

 

[Tourmeister]

I bet I know those Canadians! I met them at Deals Gap a few years back and they were doing the same thing there. I could not believe they spent the whole week doing nothing but riding one road!

 

[FCBH]

Scott,

Always a pleasure reading your reports. What a caravan you had! I can't believe all the bikes fit into the small trailer. You are truly blessed with such a wonderful family.

I am really amazed at the clarity of the river. It is literally crystal clear.

RB

 

[Tourmeister]

I can't believe all the bikes fit into the small trailer.

It is a 7 X 16 plus another 36" in the V nose. The bikes fit easily and we still had quite a bit of room for luggage, ice chests, sleeping bags, tents, lawn chairs, etc,... The real trick is to keep the load balanced so there's not too much tongue weight. We ended up putting some of the luggage back behind the bikes and that was enough to get it done. What would be really cool is having axles that could be moved back and forth, like you see on the rear of some heavy haul 18 wheeler trailers. Also, one of the options I could have bought with the truck was suspension that auto levels when you get weight on the tongue. 4WD might have been nice as well. But, all that would have added a hefty chunk to the price tag and as nice as it would be, I really would not use them that often.

As it was, the trailer hauled quite nicely, even in the twisty mountain roads. For the entire trip, interstate and mountains combined, I averaged almost 11mpg. That was running 75mph on the interstates and typically around 50-60mph in the mountains. I was expecting it to be a bit lower so I am happy with that. I guess if I hauled heavy loads all the time, I would likely get a bigger truck. However, even when I have used my Dad's former truck, a RAM 2500 with the big Cummins diesel, I rarely got above 13-14mpg pulling an 18 ft open trailer with 6-7 bikes on it. The biggest difference is that it had heavy duty suspension and monster torque. Even hauling a big trailer I'd hardly even notice the trailer. My 5.7L engine puts out 410 ft-lbs but has to rev higher than the diesel. I generally accelerated between 3000-4000 rpm. Dad's truck would do it from about 2500-3500 rpm.

I should be able to easily haul four full sized adventure bikes in this trailer or six smaller 650 or less sized bikes. The cross bars that I put up above the bikes worked perfect for hanging helmets, jackets, and pants. Even on the really nasty bumpy sections of dirt roads, nothing ever fell or even moved. I also hang stuff on the higher set of E-tracks on the walls.

 

[Buellboy]

Those Canadians appear to be very focused....

 

[Tourmeister]

Those Canadians appear to be very focused....

They had some kind of delivery truck/van and had six bikes crammed in the back of it. Two sat up front in the seats and the other four sat on the bikes with luggage tossed on top and in between them. I causally asked them what other roads they had been riding and they were like, "What other roads are there?" I almost fell over... Then I got out my maps and proceeded to show them how many better roads there were in the area!

 

[Buellboy]

Wow! While we were in the area we road Hwy 14,
Hwy 9 and did a loop that brought us back to Norfolk

 

[Kidder]

Push Mountain is my favorite road in AR.

 

[Tourmeister]

With lunch out of the way, Beth and the other kids on their way, and armed with directions from the pleasant couple at the cafe, Sarah and I head South across the Buffalo River to look for Culp Road. After crossing the river, Hwy 5 has some sweepers around some hills and then makes a sharp turn to the South. We find Culp road right at that corner. It is gravel and well maintained. We were told to look for City Rock Bluff because it is a neat overlook point on the river, but I never see any signs for it.

Culp Road eventually runs into CR 73, which we take over to the "town" of Culp. The town appears to be a few homes near the intersection of CR 73 and 74. I had originally planned to head up 73, which is the same way I had taken Daniel a few days ago, but I think that will take too much time. Also, having already been that way, I kind of want to check out a different road just to see what's there... because... you know... that's the fun of riding dual sport bikes! So we head West on CR 74 and it turns into a great twisting and winding gravel road, with fairly deep new gravel in some places that require paying extra attention to what I am doing! Sarah is not usually wild about deep loose gravel, but she is getting more comfortable with it now that she's been with me in it quite a few times in the last 6-8 months.

CR 74 climbs Pretty Hill just outside Culp and then climbs even more up on to a long ridge line. From Culp to the ridge is a climb of about 500-600 feet, parts of which are quite steep but not a problem. At the top, CR 74 runs into McGowan Rd., and they then run together West all the way to Push Mountain Rd. (Hwy 341). This stretch is really nice! It is just great scenery, the occasional nice ranch home, some rolling pastures, and the road just has a great flow to it. It seems to take very little time to reach Hwy 341. As we pull up to the stop sign at the highway, a local LEO drives by going North. In recent years 341 has been getting more attention in the national riding community and the result has been a more frequent and heavier LEO presence on the road, especially on weekends. We give him a friendly wave as he goes by and he waves back, then we head South to enjoy the incredible pavement and curves. As with Daniel a few days ago, Sarah and I are talking about cornering technique as we also admire the scenery.

At Hwy 14, we turn West toward Big Flat and stop at the same gas station where Daniel and I had lunch on Monday. This time we are just stopping for a quick break and a drink. Sarah makes friends with the local watch dog, King.

Getting a little warm, so she enjoys a cold Gatorade

So I want Sarah to also experience the twisty joy of Hwy 74 East of Marshall. To do that, we head South from here down Hwy 263 to Round Mountain Road. this is another excellent gravel road through beautiful country! We veer off on Rogers Rd., and Thola Loop Rd., heading down toward where 74 meets 66. Once at 74, we turn back North and settle into a brisk pace that really makes the most of the smooth banked corners. This is the kind of riding that Sarah really likes!! It almost feels like down hill skiing with the fast transitions from side to side. It takes little time to reach Marshall.

I had planned to head NW from Marshall and try to do the same route Daniel and I had attempted Monday. In light of the deep and wide water crossings, I instead opt to just head SW out of Marshall on 27 and backtrack the route Daniel and I had done all the way to Witts Springs at Hwy 377. Just outside of Marshall, we run Star Mountain Rd., up and over the mountains instead of following 27 along Bear Creek. Once we reach Witts Springs, we turn South and start looking for Richland Creek Rd. I ride right past it without realizing it until I look at the GPS again. We turn around and Sarah mentions having seen a road, but I totally missed it. It turns out that it was behind a fence in a corner and I was busy looking through the corner instead of to the outside.

The road is gravel and heads straight out along a ridge toward the creek. About a mile or so out, it starts dropping pretty fast down into the creek valley, from just over 1800 feet to 1200 feet in about a half mile. There are some nice switchbacks where we can see the roads and creek down below. Given my track record with creek crossings so far, I am hoping this one is not bad. When we reach the bottom, the road follows the creek South a short way and then comes to a crossing. Much to my, and Sarah's, relief, it is a concrete crossing over the water.

You can see the sun is already getting over on the horizon. I think it is close to 5:00pm or so by now.

Looking down stream, this is actually Falling Water Creek

We cross the creek and head South on Falling Water Rd. Some years back I lead a dual sport group North up this road from Hwy 16 but we were turned back by some massive land slides that head wiped out the road and made it impassible. That was probably 11-12 years ago, so hopefully the forest service has taken care of that by now... It turns out they did! With no issues we soon reach the Falling Water Falls (no doubt named by a local genius...)

The hillside on the far side of the falls is usually covered with tents as this is a very popular camping and swimming spot. We are the only ones here today!

Given the recent rains, I was expecting a bit more flow

Here you can see the boards nailed to the tree by the falls. This is where people climb out after jumping from the falls into the swimming hole. There is also a swinging rope for launching out into the water.

We spend a few minutes checking out the water fall and then discuss the fact that we are running out of day time. If we want to reach the Wilderness Ranch before dark, we've got to get hustling. We mount up and head for Hwy 16. From here, Hwy 16 runs along a climbing ridge that eventually gets up around 2100 ft before reaching Hwy 7. It is a fantastic stretch of road and we really enjoy it. While cruising along, I try to call Beth to let her know where we are and when to expect us. At the falls I had noticed I only had about 3% battery left on my phone, so I am hoping to place this call before it finally dies. She does not answer, but I am able to leave a message. The phone dies right near the end of my message, but I get in enough so that she shouldn't be worried about us. I am hoping we will arrive about 7:30pm so that it will still be light. This means totally abandoning all remaining plans for any dirt roads between here and there.

Upon reaching Hwy 7, I notice that Hankin's General Store is closed down. That's kind of a bummer. We often stopped there for a break and to enjoy some ice cream when riding up Hwy 123 from Clarksville to Mt. Judea. I had wanted to take Sarah up 123 to Mt. Judea because it is an incredible ride, but there simply isn't time. Instead we head up Hwy 7 to Hwy 16 and run through Deer over toward Hwy 21. As we pass through Deer, I notice that the Deer Cafe is closed, but I am not sure if it is completely closed for business or just closed for the day. If only for the day, it seems a bit early to be closed because it is dinner time now. This is another spot where we'd often have lunch when out doing dual sport rides from Clarksville. The food was typically quite good, but trying to keep a business open in this area has to be tough because of the sparse population.

Between Hwy 7 and Hwy 21, 16 runs along a ridge that stays pretty close to 2100 ft. If you are ever in this area, I highly recommend riding all of Hwy 16 between Hwy 23 (The Pig Trail) and Clinton at Hwy 9. Like so many roads in this area, it is excellent! Seriously, it is hard to pick a bad road out here and they are all great, paved or otherwise. At Hwy 21, we turn North on 21 and head toward the Buffalo River. We should be getting close to the dirt road that leads to the ranch. It is just after the bridge where 21 crosses the river.

This section of 21 is really fun. There are sections of the pavement though that aren't real great, which is kind of unusual for these roads as most have really good pavement. The GS has no problems soaking up the irregularities, but I do need to watch for potential edge traps that might cause problems. As we accelerate out of a nice corner and I bring the bike back upright, I hear a loud POP and feel a jolt to the front end of the bike!

The bike doesn't do anything weird in terms of handling so I slow and pull over. I want to make sure nothing has happened to the tires or the underside of the bike. Everything appears to be fine, but there is an odd white mark on the tread of the front tire. I decide to loop back and look in the road to see if I can find anything where it happened. Sure enough, we find a large piece of hard white plastic with some steel in it. The road surface is a pale grey asphalt and the plastic just blended right in with it. Looking at the remains of the piece, I am VERY thankful it did not cut or slice the tire. I have plugs for punctures, but nothing to handle a cut. Relieved that things are fine, we continue on our way, dropping down into the river valley from 2200 ft to around 1200 feet in just over a mile. We reach the bridge, cross over, and find CR 9560. It is getting late and the sun is very low now. There is still light to see, but that won't be lasting long.

As we head down the gravel road, we soon come to a steep and fairly rough climb. It reminds me a LOT of the road from this morning when leaving the cabin. I don't know yet if Beth has already found the park or is still on her way. Either way, she is NOT going to be happy about pulling the trailer up this road! According to my GPS, it climbs almost 1000 ft in about a half mile! We start up the climb in first gear and I am dodging some pretty big chunks of rocks when I spot some head lights through the woods of a vehicle coming slowly down the mountain. I round a corner and to my surprise, it is Beth!

As I pull up alongside the truck and the window comes down, I see a look on her face that lets me know she's in no mood for any joking. She tells me she's been up the mountain and down the road and has NOT been able to find anything that even remotely looks like it might be the property we are looking for. She was NOT happy about having drive up the road, then having to find a place to get the truck and trailer turned around, then coming back down. She did NOT want to have to drive up it again! I'm trying to process what she is telling me, to figure out where the ranch might be, and why we are having so much trouble finding it. I tell her that Sarah and I will ride on up and look for it. She should wait here. If we find it, I'll get someone to bring me back and I will drive the truck up so she won't have to. Then Sarah and I take off to complete the climb to the top of the mountain.

Once at the top, the road just runs along the top of a ridge running generally SW toward the town of Red Star on Hwy 16. It is actually a really nice ride and we are really enjoying it, but I never see anything that even remotely looks like what we are looking for. I stop a suburban that is heading back toward Beth and ask the couple inside if they know anything about an OHV park out here. They've got no clue. They mention having seen some people camping further up the road near a church. Before leaving, I ask them to stop and let Beth know we talked with them and should be back soon. Then Sarah and I take off again.

The little church is Cave Mountain Church. It is in the middle of nowhere. However, just off the edge of the parking lot in the woods there are some folks with tents set up and a nice fire burning. We stop to talk with them and they have no idea what I am talking about. So obviously this is not the place. We decide to head down the road a little further and just before reaching CR 9100, we decide to turn back. It's been awhile since we saw Beth and she's bound to be getting worried, especially now that the last of the light is fading.

While turning around I notice that the rock guard on one of my big PIAA driving lights has fallen off somewhere since we talked with the guys at the church (where I last remember seeing it). The light bar mount has been a bit loose, allowing the lights to swing down so that they don't light up the road as they should. I had tried adjusting the right one with my foot while stopped talking with the guys and apparently, I loosened it enough for it to fall off. the light still works and I stop to adjust their aim, then we head off into the darkness hoping to get lucky and spot the guard laying somewhere along the road. Fortunately, just a few miles back up the road, I do indeed spot it laying in the sand along the side of the road and we stop to grab it.

With the guard remounted, we take off at a fun but cautious pace. We reach the section where the road turns and starts to head down the mountain and find Beth coming up with the trailer! She apparently started getting concerned and she did not see the couple we spoke with earlier. I tell her that we must be on the wrong road but I have no idea where the right road might be at this point. With no cell service I can't check the Ranch's website to verify its location. With darkness upon us and it being after 8:00pm already, we make the decision to abandon the search and just head for Huntsville, a small town on Hwy 23 about 25 miles away. Hopefully, we'll be able to find a place to stay and somewhere to get dinner. We'll worry about finding the Ranch in the morning.

Beth has to continue on up the hill. By now, she seems considerably more collected mentally and assures me that she has a perfect spot for getting turned around now that she has done it a few times! Sarah and I head on down to wait for her at the highway and she arrives about ten minutes later. The bats and lightning bugs are zipping all over the place while we wait. When she arrives, I inform her that I have maybe 20 miles before I hit empty. I had not planned on having to ride any further once reaching the ranch. Fortunately, I do have gas in the trailer. So we head up the highway for Kingston where we plan to stop on the square where we'll have room to open up the trailer and I can fill my bike.

The ride up to Kingston is nice. I lead the way just in case and Beth follows in the truck. I run a slow pace so she can stay up with us since she has no idea where we are going. Along the way I see several deer and a nice big black lab right in the middle of the road! So it is a good thing we are running slow! At Kingston, we stop and I put a few gallons in the GS to make sure we'll make it to Huntsville. Then we are on our way again.

When we arrive in Huntsville, I spot a little Motel on the right as we come into town. It looks to have maybe 10-15 rooms, and most importantly, it has enough room in the parking lot to get in/out with the truck and trailer. We drive on by and head for a Shell gas station where I've often stopped to refill bikes on prior trips. While there we ask a few locals about places to eat and stay. It looks like the Sonic next door to the Shell station and that little Motel are our only choices. It is already 9:30pm so we don't have many options. While eating at the Sonic, they accidentally turn off the outside lights while closing down because they forget we were out there! They apologized and turned them back on for us after they realized what they had done. No biggie though. Having worked fast food as a kid, I understand the desire to get out of there as fast as possible at closing time!

After dinner we head over to the little Motel. There's no one in the office, but there is a number. I call and get the owner. She informs me that there is a manager on site, but she just happens to be out of the office at the moment. She will call the manager and have her come up to the office to meet us. A few minutes later Beth gets a call from the manager to let us know she's in the office and I head over to check on rooms. It turns out that this is the first night on the job for the young lady working as the manager and she's kind of nervous. No problem. I wait patiently as the owner walks her through the check in procedure. It's around $130 for two rooms.

Once checked in, we start unloading and check out the rooms. They are old, but they are nice and clean. Best of all, the shower has great water pressure and the water gets HOT! Daniel hits the sack and fades pretty quick. After a good hot shower, I spend a few minutes looking at the GPS and the website for the ranch and quickly figure out why we couldn't find it. We weren't on the right road!

The Ranch website shows the property being off CR 9, which runs South from 21 about midway between Kingston and the Hwy 21/43 intersection near the Buffalo River. It runs mostly South and then has a turn to the West. The property entrance is right at that turn. When I went from the map on the website (Google) to the map on my GPS (Garmin) the road numbers are not the same!! I had 9 on the brain, saw CR 9560, saw that it too had a place where it turned West not far from the highway, and it was close the Buffalo River. I had it in my head that the Ranch actually fronted the river itself. So when I looked at the Garmin map, I thought I had the right road. It turns out, that we were on the far side of valley. I could see the property from the top of the ridge when Sarah and I were riding looking for it, but did not realize we were on the wrong ridge Satisfied now that I know for sure where we need to be, I turn out the lights and call it a day...

 

[Tourmeister]

Here is the GPX track for the ride with Sarah.

the Road we thought the Ranch was on is called Cave Mountain Rd. It shows as CR 5 on the Google maps, but as CR 9560 on the Garmin maps. It turns out that the CR signs on the actual roads match the Garmin maps and NOT Google maps! CR 9 is actually CR 3260.

Here are the GPS coordinates for the park: N35 57.630 W93 27.349