Wheels kept moving and bucks into my fuel tank. Been driving, biking, and sleeping out of e3lectronic connection. Pick up some of experiences and musings.

Friday early morning sprinkles started then the gulley washers fell. Staying leak free. The road out from Jake appears to be a hardened all weather road able to shed the torrents. I lingered leaving past the last of the hard rain, I walked a piece of the road to learn how firm it would be. Hardened. Drove out without incident. Drove all day going back into TN. No riding as too much rain, no idea if the trails at either Raccoon mtn or Tsali would resist tire damage. Drove across TN picking Pickwick SP for the night. Attendant called me Mr. Craig and gave me a senior discount. Down wind from a pulp mill. Left early the next morning bound for Syllamo trails outside Mountain View, AR. Google routed me down into Mississippi on a 4 lane. Lots of liter, either few lifters or that is the way people live.

Been using Google for navigation, I preview the route to assure that it starts where I am and ends up where I intend to be. Interesting to put my trust in someone else’s route selection. Sometimes it chooses roads that I can’t find on my road atlas. I followed route as it bypassed busy city streets. Just trust and try to verify. I attach my phone to my dash to where I can read the route shape w/o putting my corrective lenses on. Shows shape of road ahead.

So I made Green mtn rd leading to Syllamo trails. I picked the mid TH to ride from and spend the night. daily user fee pays for trail upkeep. 2 guys just returned to their rig after their ride. One guy was wearing the Arkansas IMBA summit jersey like I have. A kiosk displayed info. A 4 page FS supervisor missive read all the you shall nots, included any alcohol was illegal. Seems to be common to AR.

I rode Jacks branch which is color coded yellow. Memory recalls every trail intersection had appropriate signs. Not only that, much of the trail had been brushed out. I started after 3 on a 2 hour ride bumping up against sundown. No time to really linger for concern of being caught after dark not at my van. Just kept my head down and pedaled.

Colors are turning as seen at few viewsheds.

I only yelled at my phone once about navigation. 12 miles climbing 1178′ pedaling almost non stop for 1 hr 55 mins arriving back at the van in twilight.  spooked a wild pig that bolted up the steep mtn side.

Quiet night.

Plan on Sunday was to ride Scrappy mtn loop before leaving. Ride started right from same TH.

 

This trail was more technical and many places not brushed out. I rode it in the recommended direction instead of the other way I had previously ridden it. Much easier rolling down what I had previously hiked up. Riding at elevations between 581′ and 881′. 10.4 miles climbing 1542′ beating me for 1 hr 56 mins.  Chunky tread and punchy climbs have put a strain on both shoulders.

Rinsed off sweat and dirt and dried blood from thorn scratches. Next stop planned was Buffalo River headwaters way out further in the wilds of Arkansas. Asked Google to navigate me to the TH, Just a beautiful day for fall colors and twisty steep up and downs. Just beautiful on these little used state highways. Google directed me to turn onto a dirt county road. Huh? Don’t chose dirt roads. I asked for a different route which to avoid the 9 miles of dirt would take 2 hours. dark approaching, tummy growling, OK start on the road. Shortly it climbed steeply over bumps created by tires churning up the road for traction. And countless vehicles coming down. WTF? are these people following the same google from the other direction? Bumpy road constantly seeking smooth line over graded over bed rock. Turned out there must have been some kind of leaf peeper hike that attracted all the rigs as once past no more cars and nobody was following. Kept going, turned on headlights. No internet to confirm my route. The first year here I had driven past the undeveloped TH stopping at the first house past which was a ways down the road to ask for directions. This house was my bench mark to validate I was where I needed to be and getting close. Yep, passed the house, on the right road. Pulled into the now improved trail head parking. Fixed a late dinner. In the morning I checked out the info kiosk to read no alcohol permitted. What’s up with USFS prohibiting adult beverages in the state of Arkansas?

This trail system is way out there. Both of my shoulders were talking to me. remoteness and body issues caused me to drive away.

Drove to Eureka Springs, AR to seek out a contact for possible moonshine. During another exciting drive on no shoulder 2 lane roads a pickup behind me flashed his lights. WTF. If a cop he was unmarked. I pulled over. he got out and told me my Jobox door was open. Hmmm? Never unlatched by itself. I remembered sounds last night from something against the van. My surmise now was a 2 legged person attempting to open the latch. Not overly concerned about locking the box. A sheriff had ridden my bumper earlier and never notified me of the open door which might not have been opened at that time. Second time the door was opened, first was outside Munising, MI when I hiked from a secluded TH.

So, to see Eureka Springs town which is built into steep hillsides, roads were too steep for me to trust my brakes on. Seems it became a tourist attraction for the numerous springs. Still a tourist attraction with tourist stores. Don’t know if the springs are an attraction. Just something to absorb. Did buy locally roasted coffee beans and a sixer.

Going out to Lake Leatherwood park for the night and make my body perform on the trails there tomorrow. Ummm, going to apply cbd cream.

Bought Grisham’s new book, the Reckoning, at the Mountain View Walmart.

Evenings with no internet. Posted up at Pickwick XG in Tennessee down wind from a pulp mill. Senior discount down to $18. And a shower, first in 10 days. Considered a special wash off the crust but leave the skin slick. New CXT facility with a shower.

So, I’ve been around. Catch up.

I wore out my 510 free rider pros by forcing pedal pins thru the sole into the footbed. Like 205 rides in 11 months. Initiation ride was rooty muddy Butter gap. On the road climb up I ran into Sam and his wife Jordan. They out climbed me. They did lead me to the top of Butter gap descent and that was the last I saw of them. Just rooty and muddy. How to ride the root masses? New shoes were needed for walking what I need to to negotiate the mud puddles. Rhody thickets, fast flowing small stream dropping over rocks for pretty waterfalls. Water is clear.

Moved into Central time zone, gained an hour. Today was long drive from Dahlonaga in drizzle. Course is now Westward. Working on driving east to west thru Tennessee. I am fatigued.

Yesterday was a late afternoon ride of part of Jake Mountain loop outside above named town. Forecast called for incoming rain getting more probable after 3. Heavy rain after that. More later.

On wed I drove down to Marietta, SC to where Shrimper is building trail with a night ride with the Wed night drinking club. Riding with lights, used my light for the first time. It is different riding with a head lamp vs the big light in the sky. Spent the night there. Drive from Brevard drops down about 2,000′ down tight turning steep paved state highway. Drive these roads and then say the west has tough roads.

Did wash on Thurs in Clemson, SC at the same laundromat I used when thru here before. Stumbled upon it.

Sealing of roof joints with that tape has kept me dry.

world Series on XM.

New seat swivel installed which works so much better than the replaced one. So much more happy with this performance. Able to rotate the seat on the swivel with the adjustable seat in many positions meaning I don’t have to adjust the seat because of the way that swivel swiveled.

More some time later. Pictures not importing.

Going to bed.

 

After closing the previous post I drove over to the south side of Du Pont on Cornmill Shoals rd and namesake TH. This ride will take me across Little River. Clouds were giving way to smatterings of blue sky. Followed an MTBProject loop to solve route picking. Rode Burnt mtn, I am still unwilling to roll the drop or roll steep piece. A misread of the digital data caused me to reride a piece to get back on route. Came to Little River crossing. Friend Tom who is a trout fisherman told me to wear wool socks when crossing underwater slippery rocks. I carried a pair. At the crossing I removed my bike shoes and socks then slipped on the wool socks. Worked like a charm, no slithers. I watched several riders cross anticipating a slippery out but they all crossed upright.

As i neared an intersection a large group of guys were completing a downhill and they were celebrating their great time. One guy exclaimed he had lost his phone. Several riders pedaled back up followed by me. My speed was faster as his phone was his problem. I found his phone which was on vibrate only. I called back down my finding. Phone back in the guy’s hands.

Route picked up trail from other ride. MTBP on a small screen provides info but is hard to see big scale. Also the direction arrow requires me putting on glasses. I misread the direction it points. I bought a new holder which snugly holds my phone on my right side handlebar. I also carried the map. I finally gave up trying to read the small screen and switched to the map and replanned my route. I would have been directed up Cedar Rock anyway. Climb had patches of bare rock

 

Then the descent. Sure enjoy my suspension as the tread has many roots and drops. Back at the van for a 15.5 mile rdie climbing 2238′ in  2hr 24mins.

Note on my door from Gary who used to be a wrench at Dirty Finger at Hood River. Ran into him as he was leaving at the Hub.

Stayed for a beer then drove into Brevard to Irish Pub again hoping that the Coug game would be shown. No luck. I watched first half of the OSU game and part of the baseball game while watching my phone coverage of the Coug game. Quite diverted. Spent night in parking lot.

days prior Shrimper and I connected. Lingered at the Hub after hours. He said he would pull together a ride at PantherTown where he took me 4 years ago. Sunday meet at 9:30 out of town.2 other guys joined. Drove twisty narrow no shoulder roads up to TH at 4,000′.  These trails are not your grandmother’s. Not as bad as my Pisgah ride. Deep tree cover mixed in with rhodie tunnels and water crossings.

Colors were more pronounced up high. We lingered at several vistas.

Map names this Blue Ridge mtns.

Leisurely pace pedaling 9.58 miles climbing 1706′. My shoes are wet.

This area is very pretty to me with the dense vegetation, water, rooty trails. You who have never been here for whatever reason is OK. Just saying riding here in the Brevard area is worth putting it on your bucket list then coming to ride here.

This Sat late afternoon parking lot

Anyway, it is Sunday Eve. Tomorrow AM I drove back towards Asheville to a service garage for an oil change. Wed eve I have been invited to join the Wednesday evening drinking club for a ride across the state line in SC. Figure on leaving here on Thurs heading west. Need to plan that route.

Frost warning tonight. Furnace is running.

On Thurs I ran into Logan and Virginia of Pedaling Nowhere. I spent the night at their house. We spent quite some time discussing shared views of the current state of affairs. Nicely decorated house.

Friday was the DR day. He approved a new med however insurance has it held up. Costs like $875 for a month without insurance.