Fri AM i headed over to Jasper, AR to the FS ranger station to learn about the Buffalo river headwaters trail. Kindle said that Mike would be there to answer my questions. It was a Friday afternoon and he was not in. The receptionist kept calling a person in the back office until he showed up. he gave me an idea where the trails were on Cave mtn rd. I drove pavement to cave mtn gravel rd. Crossed the Buffalo river several times while driving in its flood plain. Ozarks. Stubby rounded mtns covered in deciduous green. High humidity because the plants are transpiring moisture from the soil thru their stoma into the air. Nice windy road.

I missed the described TH continuing on the gravel rd until I came upon a community of abandoned vehicles. People were standing out front of a house. Not quite Deliverance situation. I needed instructions and I was willing to expose myself to whatever. An older guy, must have been the father of the younger threatening men gave me proper directions. I missed the TH. I drove back and found it which was a grassed pullout w/ a pile of construction gravel. I found a double track road heading downhill where a fuels reduction fire burned up to. No bike tracks. I walked until the rd just stopped. Not good, no trails.  Walked back.  I rode my bike one way to see if there was another TH. Not there. Turned around then rode the other way. A cluster of mailboxes were roadside, one box had an IMBA sticker on it. Cool. A resident biker. Now, if I could find him. I rode the side road where I thought the houses of the boxes belonged. I rode a ways then decided I would never reach the houses. OK, tomorrow is Saturday, the weekend. I figured the locals would be out to ride and i could glob on for a ride.

I deployed the awning for shade in the 86 degrees and same humidity. A car went by, the first one. I heard it stop and back up then pulled in. Dave is his name and he is a biker and lives further down the road. I tried to get him to guide me on Sat. He needed to work on a house project. He gave me another locals name, How, and his phone number. I had cell reception so i called him. He said sure, when do you want to ride? His box displayed the IMBA stickie.

Sat @ 9:00 I called him b4 leaving. I learned from him that he is quite an activist for land conservation. I shared some comments. I felt comfortable. Then I drove to his house down further the road I rode on previously. The cty road ended @ his gate where a beat up lane continued. How greeted me. I parked my van uphill @ his unfinished guest cabin. I rode downhill to his house down an even rougher drive. Off the grid living. We got along well. he is 60. He started hiking some of the connecting trails to the old homesteads. Once he started mtn biking he made the trails suited for riding. His property abuts the Ozark NF. We rode off joined by his adopted husky dog. Primary ground cover is poison ivy that we walked in while pushing our bikes. Trails really really need brushing back. Places where the ground was moistest the humidity wetted the hidden moss covered sandstone rocks: unseen slipperiness. I caught a handle bar between 2 trees that were spaced closer than my 28″ bars that resulted in a slam down in a bed of poison.

We stopped at a water hole

Long hot humid ride. back @ his house he offered me a shower and some poison ivy begone cleanser. I accepted his invitation to dinner and spend the night. I ate lamb sausage.

Hey Steve and Morgan: I met How and rode some of the same trails you rode.

How told me about Kessler Mtn above Fayetteville. I headed to there this AM. I slept thru the night w/o a poison ivy itch. I missed the Smoke house rd to Kessler. I turned into the next road and backed up to turn around. BANG!!! I backed into a tree. I got out to look. My handle bar was turned sideways, m y bike was crooked in the rack. I dented the box door. I messed up good. I pulled the bike off and checked it out after straightening the bar. Seemed OK. I fixed the rack which now has a lean to it. The door will need professional help. I turned around then drove up the road. A pickup caught up w/ me and flagged me down. He is Frank, a property owner of where I will be riding. He showed me where to park. He hosts gathering of the local mtn bike club of which How belongs. Steve and Morgan have visited here 2X for IMBA trail work. Interconnected mtn bike community.

Kessler mtn is technical w/o poison ivy and slippery rocks. Encountered 3 hikers, one is a mtn biker belonging to the club and knows How. He gave me a route to ride which I did. Hot and sweaty.

I am staying where Frank parked me. I am beside a small pond that is being overgrown providing habitat for numerous frogs which create quite the back beat to the classical music on XM.

Ticks  again.

How suggested going north to UP of MI rides to get away from the heat. I thought about it but decided to continue in the south and save the north until after my July visit to Ohio when i will really want to be away from the heat.

I learned that the fear of hitting an armadillo w/ you rig is that they jump up b4 you hit them.

Not something I see every day

 

OK. You live here/ You live with the high humidity and temps, ticks, and poison ivy. You deal with it. Well, I did a long time ago and left Ohio for a whole lot of other reasons. I lived in Spokane on the dry side of Washington state for 18 years enjoying 17 inches of rain, hardly any poison ivy, and dry. maybe some mosquitoes, horse and deer flies. I could sleep well @ night. I didn’t need a tornado shelter. So, put my big boy pants on and suck it up. I will still make observations.

Last night I stayed up till almost midnight to finish Calico Joe. Didn’t sleep well because of above.

Today after bfast I drove back down Green Mtn rd to hwy 5, turned north and drove to Syllamo TH . I wanted to start my ride w/ a climb to end on a downhill, a great conclusion that wipes out the grunts of the uphills. I chose to ride Scrappy mtn up then split off on Bald Scrappy back to Scrappy to the TH. Ride the trails in the direction the map says which i did. Bald Scrappy was a rideable challenge but i chose to walk several moves. Great route, 10.95 miles in 1 hr 48 mins  climbing 1541′. My rides are around 2 hours now. The humidity saturated my clothes, like sopping wet. Again, lots of poison ivy.

Finished. I rinsed off w/ the remaining h2o in the solar shower.

I drove the 12 miles to Calico Rock. Historic. Again, a dying town. I treated myself to an old fashion black and white malted made by a woman old enough to be my mother (OK, perhaps close to), she has been in the town for 60 years. She heard of Grisham’s book. Several doors down the business  had a large poster of Grisham’s book photo; they sold out of their book supply. Tourist after reading the book might come touristing. Lots of places to sleep.

I drove back to Mountain View. I did my wash. Line drying my non dryables inside my van will take days to dry. Shopped Walmart, found groceries on my list. I walked around downtown. The city lays claim to being the folksong capital of the world.

I had planned on driving to Jasper this afternoon. GPS displayed a 2hr drive of 50 miles. I decided to return to same TH camp spot for internet access and exposure to any breezes.

I’m tired.

Buffalo River is a scenic undammed river flowing 132 miles. Tomorrow I will be in the very upper headwaters.

I am wandering w/o a plan. perhaps my next stop is Alabama. Oak Mtn is an IMBA epic. And there is Huntsville nasty MT Santos park.

I manage a good night’s sleep under a flannel sheet in this hot humid weather. This AM I woke up and as I am scratching myself I discover a small tick belly up in my navel. It took my tweezers to extricate the feaster. Apparently they cling to my riding clothes then “jump” off once inside my van. How they are getting into my bed is unkown. I pull them off w/in 8 hours that lessens the likelihood of transmission of their bad juices. I suppose if I get sick it was because one spit too much.

Today I will ride Bad Branch loop then drive for adult beverages and a shower.

I ride out from Scrappy Mtn TH where i am camped on the jack’s Branch trail past the closed sign that i was told was old and not applicable. I rode around a corner and heard a chain saw and a skidder. Shit. A cutting operation blocking the trail. The sign was correct and the info wrong. What is wrong w/ the FS that they don’t know which foot the shoe is on? I back track out to the road to ride to Bad Branch TH. I spy a FS rig exiting a spur road and i pounce. She is a contract administrator for a road project. I was kind. To me it seems that the FS has contempt for the public. Here is the Syllamo trail system, an IMBA epic and well known and there are timber harvests over the trail, next to the trail, at the trail heads. She said that sales might take years to finally be cut. The trail map was published in 2006.  I wonder if there is conflict between timber and recreation and timber won in this case w/ a cut over the trail. Might stop @ the ranger station tomorrow.

Bad Branch is the easiest of the loops. Flat out fun pedaling. Part of the forest was burned for fuels reduction completed in March. Amazing regrowth except where the fire burned too hot. Even the poison ivy regrew. Parts of the trail needed brushing while some had been brushed. I like the trails here. 91 degrees when i finished w/ above 50% humidity.

Bought filtered h2o @ new establishment. Talked w/ owner. Sophisticated treatment facility and expensive equipment. .25 per gallon.

Drove back to same TH for the night. I set up my chair, poured a shot glass of the ‘shine, deployed the awning, then set down to read Calico Joe. What a jolt: Joe gets his nickname from Calico Rock town which is about 15 miles from here. Tomorrow after my ride I will drive up to the town just to go there.

Tomorrow I will re ride Scrappy mtn because it was so enjoyable. Do laundry in town, then drive over to jasper to check out new trails in the Buffalo River headwaters. The river is a national park but the trails are on FS land.

Ran into one biker @ the TH. He is from Baton Rouge where it is summer time hot already. He said the cotton mouth snakes sun on the trails. They hold their ground when approached. Nasty.

Next up was a drive to Big Flat to Junction Liquor store for beer resupply. Nice drive on RT 14. Drove thru town named 56. Years ago these little towns were communities, today deserted buildings are reminders of their past. Store had 1554 from New Belguim, my current fav. Bought a quart jar of 50% blueberry flavored moonshine.

On way back stopped @ Blanchard springs XG which is closed due to previous flood damage. No poached FS shower again.

John Grisham’s  new book, Calico Joe, is about baseball.  I went seeking it @ local WalMart. Gotta love those stores. The customers are a trip. Scored the book.