Yesterday was a day long drive from Stillwater to Amarillo, TX and subject location. 19 degrees this AM, 48 inside. My down blanket even doubled over did not sufficiently retain my heat. Furnace circulates inside air thru a heat exchanger. 6000 BTU output can’t keep up w/ heat loss.

Drove down canyon to find empty camp spot of which I had my pick of an empty xg.  This morn I walked 4 miles mostly uphill to entrance booth to pay for another day. Forecast is for 47 degrees tomorrow but high winds. I hope to ride here which will make 25 states ridden in since new years. Half of the states.

Typing this in entrance booth on my phone as Internet reachedy device.

Zags destroyed UW last night as I listened to the first half on xm while sort of warm under the covers.

I have a Feathered Friends 20 degree quilt sleeping bag that I might deploy tonight.

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Today I  left Bentonville and drove to Stillwater, OK and Lake McMurtry. I’m staying in the buttoned down for the winter campground. The shower and inside plumbing are closed and conveniences are port a potties. All alone dodging a $125 fine for alcohol. Empty moonshine bottle disguised in the trash.

I enjoyed socializing while in B ville. Friday night I helped close down Peddlers Pub. Slept at Loren’s gated patch. He has a weathered 6′ high wooden fence around he says is 5 acres in the city. Off the street and away from noise.

Sat was a rest day from riding as the weather forecast called for afternoon rain which fell. I was in a local grocery store parking lot and watched a guy walk over to his rig that had a  bike on it. Conversation ensued. He told me about a new trail system, Colar, just down the road. I drove down to check it out. Massive machine built flow trail park. Walton Foundation. I sat in my van.

Friday night when I pulled up to Loren’s gate and got out to open it I noticed that my left front headlight was only partially lit. I had been driving for several nights only seeing out of 1 eye so to speak. I drove to a NAPA store to buy a bulb and ask for it to be installed as my thumbs don’t work to squeeze and my shoulder wouldn’t raise my arm to get my hands to the light fitting. A guy successfully gave my vision back.

I watched football and the Zags game at Peddlers. Zags are looking very tough, nationally they are ranked 8th. i stopped at Scotch and Soda downtown beside the bike shop for a night cap. Heather was working. I sipped a smokey laphroag. She had just been given a mountain bike and wanted to ride w/ me. We made plans for Sunday noon.

Sunday she arrived almost to the minute on time at the parking lot of the bike shop. Her bike is from the past. She pedaled it w/ excitement. We wandered around Slaughter Pen. She separated from the bike just a couple of times, each time jumping up w/ a smile. She rode a big G out 3 times. Something to see a newby experiencing speed on a mountain bike. She treated me to lunch then we went our own ways.

Sunday the pedllers was closed as were several other alcohol serving football watching establishments. I wanted to watch the Seahawks, unfortunately the game was later than I wanted to hang around to watch. back at Loren’s for the night.

Monday I went to a body shop to ask for help pulling the carrier out. Very helpful. Guy hooked a  chain to the carrier and the other end to a big pick up bumper. The first pull gave a little. The metal has taken a set and was not having anything with returning to per blueprint. He gave another pull that broke his power tire loose. The box is more square now.

From there I headed out to Bella Vista and Blowing Springs to ride some of the Back 40 again.

MTBP has some of the trails, no ride data for the entire loop.

Machine built. Excellent riding system. Some places massive effort was required to bench cut the trail in the steep hillside.

The trail skirted this patch of white speckled leaves. I slowed to look at it then my nose joined the solution.

Above there were many buzzards. I was not bombed.

The ride really worked me.

I drove back to Phat tire bike shop to have the dropper post cable shortened and adjusted. Mike fixed me up. A shower. Peddlers is closed on Mondays also.

I spent 1 day short of a month in Arkansas. I rode 250 miles on 19 rides.

The weather forecast calls for teens and possibly snow on Wed. I decided to leave today which brings me to the present.

I rode Lake McMurty on a previous trip. I picked it again from a small selection of OK rides and it was also a drive bike camp day. I pedaled off just after 3. Land is mostly dead flat with short steep rolls. Turning around the trees on loose leaves. Chilly clear day. I rode the red trail returning to the van with enough time to squeeze in the yellow trail before sundown. The yellow is the most tech of the system. I walked places. All hand built or ridden in.

Oklahoma is the 24th state I have ridden in this year.

I had first pick of a campsite in the empty campground. Furnace running for warmth.

Next stop is Palo Duro canyon near Amarilla, TX. Wed and Thurs call for teen temps. Friday warms back up sort of.

Turning pages of Hiaasen’s new book, Razor Girl. 10PM time to curl under the covers for more entertainment.

But first there was more of the Womble, all of Ben Bergen and Devils Den.

Riding from my bedroom  is soo cool. Having a chilled recovery drink in the kitchen upon return is a suitable conclusion.

Today I headed west towards that end of the Womble. All by myself. Brisk day, strong winds moving the trees which kept ahold of the nasty big stuff but let go falling leaf storms.

Actually I drove into MT Ida before ride start to grocery shop and wait for sun to warm things up. I did return to same start spot.

I stopped at last road crossing before the lake then retraced my path. What was down was now up and vice versa.15.9 miles climbing 2054′ needing 2 hrs 21 mins of pedaling. In and out of drainages, no sustained climbs to settle into.

Back at the van and out of the damp riding clothes I headed North towards FT Smith. Plan was to find FS ranger station to find a primitive sleep spot as close to said city. GPS did not recognize east or west of the hwy. I called the RS and asked for directions. Between our knowledge we found a common way to get me to the RS. She gave me a map and pointed out Poteau Mtn. I still can not pronounce the mtn. I found a short pull out way back the road and hunkered down for the night.

Clear skies only sometimes bothered by military aircraft.

Yesterday I completed the drive into FT Smith and the Ben Geren mtn bike trail system. Again wonderful letting MTBP be my guide putting a ride together. Small area with lots of trails. At one point I glimpsed a rider thru the trees pretty close to me. I paid sharp attention to the corners and bends I rode expecting to encounter the rider head on. Never did meet that rider. However, I did meet 4 of these critters, this one was completely fearless of me as it almost rooted up my leg.

11.32 miles climbing 673′ making it one of my flatter rides. It is what it was. A place to ride a mtn bike close in to the city w/ military aircraft flying overhead, mostly C130s’.

My inverter said I am out of here and I needed to replace it. I picked Best Buy. Big shopping center, big box stores. A Verizon store was in the complex. I visited and bought additional memory for my phone. Best Buy had a lesser powerful inverter but it does charge my stuff. Thursday being laundry day I did Google research mated to my road map to select a laundromat on my travel path. I have clean clothes and out of the way miles.

Next was a night time drive down to Devil’s Den state park for the night and another from the bedroom ride. Came upon only my second accident of my travels. I picked rt 74 to the park. Nasty switchbacks that made me use bike riding english to make the turns. I stopped at the visitor center to register as the sign said. Closed. A ranger drove up. He said he would stop by later and write me a registration slip to make me legal. He sent me to area A which was barren of the RV amenities and RVS. I fixed a late dinner then walked to the restroom for a hot shower in a heated building. Chilly night. I turned the furnace thermostat way down low and pulled the doubled down blanket up to my chin. The furnace ran all night. 29 degrees this AM. Battery power held.

This morning I rode the Devil’s Den loop. Beautiful clear blue sky. Again. all by myself. I stopped one place and just listened to no sound. I did see a pileated woodpecker and several raptors. Many places the tread had been turned up reshuffling the leaves hiding what nasties underneath.

 

The other side.

Short ride. Another shower. Pay the $10 camp fee then took a more manageable road back to the interstate to drive to Bentonville.

rain is forecast this weekend. I will prolly leave mid week heading west. Need to pay attention to weather now as snow might be the reality. Report is no snow at Hurricane.

I can watch football here and enjoy beer here better than Hurricane, UT Mormon rules. Here in B-ville the Baptists finally lost their control of others’ desire for alcohol.

I think if I can connect chain to the hitch carrier to a stationary object I can drive forward to pull the carrier towards where it belongs. Just a chain, no whips.

I will be staying in town at Loren’s big city lot. I can stay out late knowing that I have a saved sleep spot.