Curtis in Texas
Adventurer
Hi all! I don't post up much here but thought I'd try to remedy that.
Last week I needed a break from the Rat Race.
Been working Hurricanes all summer and now I needed to burn some vacation. Use it or lose it! As they say. So, I used some, 9 days to be exact, and went early in the week for a little ride (only 1500 miles) from north Central Texas to lower Missouri by way of Oklahoma and Arkansas. I left on Monday. I think I covered every road on the map at least once. Arrived back home last Sunday at sundown. Talk about packing in as much as you can.
I started by riding to Beaver Bend State Park in eastern Oklahoma. Then proceeded to see where the roads went if I rode in a northeasterly direction. I turned around in southern Missouri. But, only because of heavy rain and a nasty cold front.
I met up with some other riders on Thursday evening and we burnt the rest of the week on what we call “The Fall Colors Tour”. Don't let the name fool you. It's not a sit back and relax ride. We ride every dirt and ATV trail we can find. We ride for all we're worth on Class 4 and 5 trails. Stupid me crashed hard the last day. Cracked 2 ribs and earned a BUNCH of bruises.
Here are a few pictures I took of the Adventure. The first half of the ride was solo and the last half of it with my riding friends from DFW.
My KLR somewhere in the Mountains of Lower Missouri.
It’s all in the way you pack it.
Believe it or not, there was still room in the rear box for more stuff.
Here’s my tent in the back ground.
After riding our asses off all week, We decided it was time for some pie. This place is on a gravel road in the middle of nowhere in Northern Arkansas. In fact the whole group decided to stop and We cleaned them out of pie for the day.
I already alluded to this, so you'll understand that with every Adventure, there are some bumps and bruises.
And I don't want to be the one to break the tradition.
Here’s one of the best bruises I got because the trails were wet from the rain earlier in the week.
I even had guards on my shins and knees, but they didn’t help.
BTY, I’m an ATGATT rider. I know I will fall down eventually, so I dress for it.
Here I am in a Hotel on the last day. (Yes, I wussed out) I took the picture Friday afternoon to show the mud I was covered in. Too bad the picture doesn't show the mud I'm covered in. (But, can you tell I'm tired?)
The last ride Saturday ended way after dark. One of our riders broke his ankle and we had to get him to the nearest pavement by ourselves. We rode two up for more than 8 miles of goat trails to get him out, then had to ride two up back into the woods to get the guys bike. I was having a hard enough time just riding the trail solo. But I managed not to fall again with my friend Don on the back of the KLR seat as we wound our way up and down the Mountain ATV trail. I cracked my ribs earlier that day. So falling again was not something I was looking forward to doing. (BTY,our injured rider, He's doing well as I type up this report.) There's a lot more to this part of the story, but I will have to tell that some other time.
Talk about an Adventure!
My shin and knee guards are under my riding pants. The jacket has all the other hard protection.
I did say it was about the Fall Colors didn’t I?
I added a “SPOT” to my equipment this trip and the wife loved it. It gave her comfort knowing where I was, for a change, and that I was safe. I like it for solo riding. Nice to have a way to get help in the middle of nowhere. Cell Phone service was non-exhisant.
Sorry, must have removed the spot before I took the picture.
The rides were all good up until the last day when I crashed. But I was tired and should have never tried that last trail.
Looking forward to going again in the Spring.
Ride Safe!
Curtis in Texas
Last week I needed a break from the Rat Race.
Been working Hurricanes all summer and now I needed to burn some vacation. Use it or lose it! As they say. So, I used some, 9 days to be exact, and went early in the week for a little ride (only 1500 miles) from north Central Texas to lower Missouri by way of Oklahoma and Arkansas. I left on Monday. I think I covered every road on the map at least once. Arrived back home last Sunday at sundown. Talk about packing in as much as you can.
I started by riding to Beaver Bend State Park in eastern Oklahoma. Then proceeded to see where the roads went if I rode in a northeasterly direction. I turned around in southern Missouri. But, only because of heavy rain and a nasty cold front.
I met up with some other riders on Thursday evening and we burnt the rest of the week on what we call “The Fall Colors Tour”. Don't let the name fool you. It's not a sit back and relax ride. We ride every dirt and ATV trail we can find. We ride for all we're worth on Class 4 and 5 trails. Stupid me crashed hard the last day. Cracked 2 ribs and earned a BUNCH of bruises.
Here are a few pictures I took of the Adventure. The first half of the ride was solo and the last half of it with my riding friends from DFW.
My KLR somewhere in the Mountains of Lower Missouri.
It’s all in the way you pack it.
Believe it or not, there was still room in the rear box for more stuff.
Here’s my tent in the back ground.
After riding our asses off all week, We decided it was time for some pie. This place is on a gravel road in the middle of nowhere in Northern Arkansas. In fact the whole group decided to stop and We cleaned them out of pie for the day.
I already alluded to this, so you'll understand that with every Adventure, there are some bumps and bruises.
And I don't want to be the one to break the tradition.
Here’s one of the best bruises I got because the trails were wet from the rain earlier in the week.
I even had guards on my shins and knees, but they didn’t help.
BTY, I’m an ATGATT rider. I know I will fall down eventually, so I dress for it.
Here I am in a Hotel on the last day. (Yes, I wussed out) I took the picture Friday afternoon to show the mud I was covered in. Too bad the picture doesn't show the mud I'm covered in. (But, can you tell I'm tired?)
The last ride Saturday ended way after dark. One of our riders broke his ankle and we had to get him to the nearest pavement by ourselves. We rode two up for more than 8 miles of goat trails to get him out, then had to ride two up back into the woods to get the guys bike. I was having a hard enough time just riding the trail solo. But I managed not to fall again with my friend Don on the back of the KLR seat as we wound our way up and down the Mountain ATV trail. I cracked my ribs earlier that day. So falling again was not something I was looking forward to doing. (BTY,our injured rider, He's doing well as I type up this report.) There's a lot more to this part of the story, but I will have to tell that some other time.
Talk about an Adventure!
My shin and knee guards are under my riding pants. The jacket has all the other hard protection.
I did say it was about the Fall Colors didn’t I?
I added a “SPOT” to my equipment this trip and the wife loved it. It gave her comfort knowing where I was, for a change, and that I was safe. I like it for solo riding. Nice to have a way to get help in the middle of nowhere. Cell Phone service was non-exhisant.
Sorry, must have removed the spot before I took the picture.
The rides were all good up until the last day when I crashed. But I was tired and should have never tried that last trail.
Looking forward to going again in the Spring.
Ride Safe!
Curtis in Texas
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