The forecast for Sun night into Mon was for a serious rain event. Just after dark rain fell and fell and then fell harder. All snug as a bug in a rug. I even put the rain cover over the bike before rain started. Rain continued into daylight hours then lessened then quit and the sun came out like the forecast said it would. Almost an inch fell.

Monday was a rest day. I drove back thru MT Ida. I started a quest for pulling out my bent carrier. I drove out to nearest body shop out by Fishing Village and a Womble crossing. Guy came out of the house and said it would be mid next week for him to get after it. Hmmm. Drove away.

The Womble crosses Ouachita River just down the way passing under the Bluff where I was on Sunday. I planned on knibbling on the eastern end of the Womble maybe from here. I continued down the hwy to the houses in Washita and turned on rt 88. The Womble crosses this highway and a TH is off the road. I checked it out, not suitable. I continued down the road then turned onto the first right hand turn onto a FS road. Parallel rd to Deer rd where I found a nicer turnout off a gravel road. Dirt seems to be fractured rock w/ no organic on top. I went for a road walk looking for the trail I would ride today. I walked right by the exit off the road, never seeing it. I walked the dirt road turning around at Cripple Owl Nest rd. I found the trail crossing just beyond where I parked. I walked the trail a ways to check on the trail tread condition. Rain just left wet leaves as it let gravity pull it down ward. One small puddle was trapped in a dip. The trail could be ridden in the rain.

This morning fog lay upon the land. I looked outside seeing these whitish objects attached to the short bushes. They were spider webs and were only visible because of the trapped vapor.

When I returned from my ride hours later they all had “disappeared”.

The puddle was no longer there. The trail stayed up on the hillsides except when it crossed the small streams then climbed out. The first time I rode the Womble I was full of pent up desire to just pedal after spending the winter negotiating the chunk of Sedona. I parked near the Bluff. late spring, heat and humidity. I took off like a shot riding to the eastern end of the trail then turned around riding just as hard. The heat finally caught me. I stopped at a stream crossing to soak and warm the water. This was the spot:

I rode past where the Womble connects to the Ouachita Rec trail following the end point on MTBP. Trail was inside a selective harvest done by feller bunchers

A faint trail justified copious painted white blazes to stay on the trail

Bitch of an out and back is just that. I rode 13.66 miles climbing 2264′ pedal time of 2 hrs 8 mins. Pretty chunky climbing. Bit of a hump up and down. All by myself. Just ridden in tread over the wet leaves.

Back at the van the spider webs were gone. I changed out of my sweated kit and drove to MT Ida. I pulled into a national chain propane supply dock to what appeared to be a dark store however the sign in the door said I was there during business hours. In the past I found that this company did not fill tanks of drive ups. I opened the door and there were 2 women inside. One said she would fill me up.I told her of my last week’s propane frustration. She told me that Tractor Supply can’t keep help that are licensed in the state to fill tanks. Instead of saying they don’t have help to pump they say they are sold out. This is consistent with what I learned in Russellville. The tank took 5.4 gals, just .2 gals short of empty. I didn’t think I was near that close.

I stopped at a local gas station and helped myself to their spigot water to put in my tank. Another tank that was lower than I believed it should be.

I drove out to where I camped on Sat night. Tomorrow I will ride a bit more of the Womble heading west.

On my 2 previous visits in the heat I rode the entire 35 miles in 2 days as out and backs meaning like 30 mile days. Time has settled in on me as this time I will spend 3 days on the trail and not ride it all. The trail is just a pedaling trail, my bike is beyond over kill, a 29 hard tail with a short travel fork is the cat’s meow.

I have an in town base in Bentonville. Going back. I will ride 2 rides near Ft Smith then hit Bentonville. I looked at the weather forecast for Hurricane, UT that showed snow and night temp below freezing creating freeze thaw mud. I am planning on staying around here as the riding is still good.

What a difference there is between full on green and full on fall: visibility. Leafed out nature hides with greenery, in the fall it’s like she is undressed.

Dry county. 2 beers left.

Still wearing shorts and sandals which are amazing hiking foot protection.

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.

 

Thanksgiving morning was just like a regular day. I fixed bfast and did the clean up, Next up was dressing comfortably for 50ish temps in the fog. Oh and hunting season I wore my orange vest. I would soon learn of damage to my bike from hitting the tree. I pulled the bike off and gave it a stress test, everything passed. The struck tree left a bit of bark at point of contact. Amazing in that all bike parts were not touched. I did shear off a bolt holding the jobox onto the carrier and moved the box away from the van. I will find a car body shop and asked them to pull the carrier straight.

Today’s ride is to be the end of the LOViT at Crystal Springs. I looked at the elevatgion profile on MTBP which showed a big change. It appears that the ride was ridden from the down up to where I am. Means a grunt uphill finish. I picked hte trail up which started dropping almost immediately. There were enough steep sections that I would have a bitch of a time pushing my bike uphill. Maybe there is an option. I dropped down a creek drainage till the grade lessened and slight uphills were mixed in while negotiating the turns thru the trees. I hit the trail end  then turned around. As I pedaled up the stuff I coasted down I was amazed at what I was able to climb. I studied MTBP to see if I could ride a road uphill. One was shown. The info I had was it climbed to the top of Hickorynut Ridge and back to the van. The road climbed, perhaps a Subaru could have climbed it. I stuck at it. I continue to be amazed at the pedal power I have with the flats and the Absolute Black oval chain ring. What a hump. The ride was 14.07 miles climbing 2316′

back at the van and changed into dry street clothes. I drove into Hot Springs planning on doing my wash at the laundromat I had previously used. Closed. A shower at anytime. Next up was driving to the western end of the Ouachita National rec trail for a ride tomorrow. Drive went thru Hot Springs  which is part of the National park. Tight driving on crowded streets. Once out of town the road climbed. I passed the TH for tomorrow’s ride and turned right on the first gravel road. I was seeking a pull off for the night. About 2 miles in I finally found a just off the shoulder of the lane and half all weather gravel road. Several I suspect hunter rigs made noise passing. Chilly night.

The Rec trail is the longest hike in the state, bikes are allowed on a piece starting from hwy 7 TH. I pedaled away and up. The tread is a hiking trail that rode well. Up around, down, around up, around down, then I turned around. The ride was planned to be an out and back.

I encountered an older than me solo male backpacker. We talked about the election result.

Back at the van. I watched a large RV trailer being pulled by a pickup in full effort climbing. Within a few minutes it drove back downhill and into the parking lot. Guy gets out and greets me as his hero. We have never met. He read about me and wants to do my gig. Friendly conversation. I have an invite for future local ride.

I discovered that I broke the headband in my Giro helmet. I google bike shops. There is only 1 in the area and it is in Hot Springs. Today is Friday. I drive back thru Hot Springs to the bike shop. WTF? it’s closed.

A shower at anytime then a fast drive heading south to Arkadelphia and the Iron Mtn trails. I picked a state park on the north side of the lake for the night. I arrived after dinner time. Place was packed, I found the second to the last open spot. I ran my fridge on shore power. The fridge cycles sometimes by warming up. Usually the electric stays cold. Not last night. The blueberries are soft.

I followed MTBP directions to the TH. The road crosses the dam that creates the lake. A sign before the dam said that entering this facility you accept being searched: Patriot Act rule. I passed w/o seeing who would search me. What we have been taken away from for fear.

I used the MTBP to keep me on the loop as submitted. I focus on the riding, pedal the trail keeping an eye on my icon on the smart phone screen. Just a lot of joyful pedaling in a small area. 17.26 miles climbing 1663. I chatted with a rider who was wearing the same shoes as mine.

Today is the big rivalry football game between Ohio State and Michigan. I had hoped to find a place to watch it. Instead I caught the second half on XM while driving. My concentration was definitely divided. The Bucks won in second OT.

Last night the Zags played. Not on XM. I “watched” the game on the ESPN gamecast while under the covers. They won a squeaker. They play on Sunday in the tournament final.

I stopped at a coffee shop in downtown Arkadelphia to buy local roast beans. Locale is not into craft coffee.

I drove back to MT Ida and out of town to park at a Womble TH for tomorrow’s ride. weather forecast calls for precip on Monday and just clouds tomorrow. I’ll ride north as an out and back unless riders show up and offer a shuttle. I figure that I will spend Monday night at an army corps of engineers campground for a shower.