Last night I slept at a Womble TH parking lot. This morning once I converted my bedroom into my kitchen then cleaned it up then got dressed in biking clothing in my great room adding a long underwear top under my long sleeved orange jersey, I stepped out to greet the foggy day. Before I pedaled away 2 rigs pulled in and parked beside me. A mother and father and 2 sons decked out in matching bright lemon lime don’t shoot me jackets and a sister in law dressed in white. Oh, that’s trouble w/ white tail deer hunters. She rode in the middle of the pack. I followed a bunch of minutes later. Chilly day needing knickers and knee socks. Still wearing summer gloves and hat.
This might be my fourth time riding the Womble including starting from here. The trail is an old hiking trail that rdies like a purpose built trail. My goal was rt 27 bridge over the Ouachita river. I pedaled at a very brisk effort catching up to the family at the Bluff overlook.
Back at my van before the start the sister in law recognized me from a facebook posting from Larry whom I me 2 days before. He used a posed pic of us. Today I challenged the family to take a pic of me actually riding should they post. They would have a real action pic,
The bluff is a cliff face above the river. A long free fall to splash down.
One hour 21 mins non stop pedal hump to the bluff. As the trail neared the bluff the width shrunk to maybe 12″ wide bench cut with exposure. Slippery leaves, a mistake would have been a long slide out slope,
My previous visits were during the green growth time thus hiding the out slope. Today the very real awareness of the consequences of stepping off my bike on the outslope side was seen. I kept the rubber on the leave covered tread.
Another hump of one hour 15 mins of solid pedaling returned me to the van.
Fog and low clouds were the rule of the day. I drove thru MT Ida to a federal campground where I had stayed previously for a shower and maybe spend the night. It was closed. I motored on to another rec area to an opened XG. I walked into the shower room that was actually heated very hot. The water ran really hot also. I was under and cleaned in short time. I left the XG and parked at a LOViT TH just down the way. In this forest you can primitive camp anywhere unless it is signed prohibited.
Forecast for tomorrow is another heavy rain event. 1 to 2 inches possible. Tomorrow is another rest day. The trails are over broken rock and drains really quickly.
I’m planning on hunkering down tomorrow during the rain. Weather is dry on Tuesday for a ride on some more of the Womble. Just pedaling, hardly a front wheel lift.
I will head west towards Mena, AR. Eagle Rock ride is north of town. My first year here I rode that loop. I remember it being very rugged and way out there lonely and crossing several creeks and the Little Missouri. No recent rain fall. Flash floods are the expected norm as the rain runs off steep slopes very quickly into a narrow water course. Years ago such a flood hit late at night and swept like 15 people to their deaths. The heavy rain forecast for tomorrow might flash flood and will certainly raise the water levels. I have a reason to pass this ride up like I did 2 years ago, not because of high water but because of all the challenges it presents and I will be by myself during the week. I have been tempering my ambitions to more cautious choices.
49 degrees at 10:18PM.
Zags won the tournament. The Cougs and Seahawks both lost.
Today I rode by a place where I stayed during the summer. Today hunters occupied the spot. The lesson is available primitive spots would be hunter camped. Trailheads don’t attract their crowd.
I really like this year’s travel as I avoided the heat, humidity, ticks, chiggars, poison ivy, nettles, tornadoes and thunderstorms. I will repeat this rotation.