[ST] Ozark trip, day 4, the Final

[Jack Hays <rude@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Monday, May 02.
      We were up early this morning and set off without breakfast in order
to arrive at the Queen Wilhelmina Lodge for lunch.
      We headed south on Highway 309 back through Paris and then climbed
the north side of Magazine Mountain. This is great ride up and down from
either direction. We paused at the top and then I lead us downhill being
careful of the leaves from two days before. It appeared that the storm a
few nights ago had cleared the roadway and we descended without incident
while having a great time again.
      At Havana we went left on into Danville, caught Highway 10 to Olda,
and then turned back west to cross Mountain Ida. This road is way steep and
with a couple of nasty switchbacks when your down to around 10 MPH.
Rewarding if you do it right and we all succeeded.
      Now Highway 314 along the Fourche River into Onyx and right on
Highway 27 to Rover. A great ride with the river winding next to us and
several small bridges to cross.
      At Rover we went left on Highway 28 to Briggsville on yet another
nice sweeping curved road. At Briggsville we took the short 307 loop that
is just fantastic. I stopped and take a picture of a field full of yellow
wildflowers and then blasted off and catch Bird and Joe in minutes. Great
fun on these desolate roads early in the morning. This road is another
truly lost gem in the Ozarks.
      Now left on Highway 28 again and we sweep westward back to Highway 16
and head south to Y City. A great road again that has a varying degree of
turns and nice elevation changes.  I always like to slow and look at what
was once  a house next to the road where now only stands a chimney and the
outhouse.
      At Y City we stop for a rest and talk to three local highway surfers
with bikes from new condition to the German speaking guy who had every
color plastic imaginable on his Honda. And yes, you could tell by talking
with him why that was. We mount up and head on south through Acorn into
Mena.
      Once in Mena we stop at the same gas station we always do and refuel
the thirsty bikes for the run across the Talimena Parkway.
      Bird lead us out of town and we start climbing up the parkway in
clear skies. The road is especially twisty here and we stop to let Joe take
a picture where you can see about six turns back to back. As he is stopped
I go surfing by with the tachometer spinning between six to nine thousand
as I sweep through the turns. I then turn around and come back by. Later at
the lodge Joe made the comment about the bike singing as it swept through
the arcs.
      The valley was pretty clear as we dismounted to lunch but while we
were sitting there I made the comment that the valley was getting socked in
and hoped it would pass.
      A nice lunch and we watched the weather channel in the lobby to see
thunderstorms west of us if we went across Highway 43 as planned. We then
decided to run the parkway until Highway 259 came down about half way
across.
      We had to ride pretty slow with heavy clouds and rain as the
temperature dropped to 37 degrees. Once down off the parkway we headed
south toward Broken Bow and home. But the temperature was back up to the
low seventies.
      This part of the road has very fast sweepers which were not a lot of
fun in the rain. For once on the trip the cages could keep up with and pass
us. At least the go fast cage did.
      We crossed the Red River back into Texas and I gave the Red my
natural right handed salute as we re-entered home territory.
      Now it was just droning along on Highway 82 to Paris and then to
Bonham. In Bonham we caught Highway 121 and settled in for the boring ride
back to McKinney where we broke apart from Joe as he headed to Plano and
Bird and I headed to the Colony. The road is OK on the way up but after
playing in the Ozarks with it's elevation changes and mixed variety of
turns anything is just plain boring.
      Outside of The Colony we pulled up behind Montey Carrico and talked
to him before Bird broke off at Boyd Road and I home.
      I got home and unloaded the bags and washed my gear and started the
drying process.
      The last leg was 400 miles for a trip total of 1,255 miles.
      A nice trip that the rain did not hurt us all that much. And, we now
have a new Dawg in the kennel. I have to christen Joe Pankow as "Kow Dawg".


Jack Hays
972-952-5065
"I'll see you on the dark side of the Moon"
Que Lastima

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