Re: [St] Ozark tip, Day 2, Long

["Joel Ashman" <ashmite@xxxxxxxxx>]

Ah Jack,

If only I could talk Mother Raytheon into shipping my bike with me on my
jaunts out to visit the Garland compound!

Sounds like a great time!

--Joel
State Collage, PA

On Tue, May 20, 2008 at 2:51 PM, Jack Hays <rude@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>
> Saturday, May 17.
>      What a spectacular morning, and it lasted all day!
> The morning started off about sixty degrees and never got out of the high
> seventies with crisp blue skies.
>      Steve "Donut" Duncan was leaving the Dallas area this morning in hope
> of catching up with us at some point on the ride.
>      We had gave him our route and suggested he ride it in reverse and we
> would meet at some point.
>      We had gassed the bikes earlier except for Walker's Foggy and we
> found the gas station on the route north closed so we hopped Foggy Dawg
> could make Turner Bend about twenty miles up the Pig Trail.
>      Bird Dawg led us out followed by Foggy Dawg and then myself riding
> tail gunner.
>      As we cleared town the traffic was light but we caught three cars and
> trucks right as we got to the Pig Trail that were quickly dispatched before
> the good stuff.
>      The Pig Trail, aka Highway 23, is a great ride with no high speed
> turns, tons of medium turns, a few 10 MPH turns thrown in, heavily covered
> with a dark green foliage canopy throughout.
>      The tail gunner position was great as Bird Dawg set a nice pace and I
> could watch the lime green Guzzi and red-white-green Foggy lean into and
> out of the turns while popping in and out of sight on the many sharp rises.
>      Great stuff in stereo with fantastic sounds from the three machines
> and frosted by some of the best weather we have seen.
>      We twisted and turned letting the bikes pull down with their
> compression into the turns, bent them over, neutral throttle, and then
> rolled on the power near the apex to come out while straightening up the
> bike or pulling them from one lean angle to another on the close
> switchbacks.
>      I could do this all day and have often wished it were closer to home
> but then again we saw some great roads getting here. Now if they could just
> do something about that ninety mile stretch of Highway getting to
> Stringtown!
>      On most trips up and down the Pig Trail we run up behind and pass
> lots of bikes but today we only encountered less than a dozen as we make
> our way north.
>      Approximately twelve miles into the Pig Trail we pull into the Turner
> Bend store, gas stop, camping, and canoe rental on the banks of the
> Mulberry River.
>      Foggy get fueled as we wonder among several sport riders and bikes
> who happen to be from Texas and members of the Texas Sport Riders
> Association
>      While talking to them we are told that they saw us at the Queen
> Wilhelmina Lodge as they were having lunch and we then get to ask some
> question about the Buell among other things.
>      One of the shots I took here of the front ends of the various bikes
> looks like a swarm of angry hornets with the pointed noses and angled
> headlights in various colors.
>      Throughout this trip we will run across this group another six or
> seven times.
>      The other riders pull out and head north and we finish our shopping
> by picking up some new "Pig Trail" decals that have now. I guess they got
> to match the Deals Gap sales plan.
>      Once more Bird Dawg leads us out, Foggy Dawg, and then myself aboard
> Merlin.
>      This is the best section of the Pig Trail as far as I'm concerned and
> it just ROCKS!
>      What a great way to relax while pumping up the heart with all the
> sensations.
>      We climb and fall as we bend the bikes back and forth through the top
> part of the Pig Trail through Aurora and then turn right on Highway 74
> toward Kingston.
>      Highway 74 is another great road that twists through farm country
> with little traffic and great country views as you blast from one curve to
> another.
>      About three miles outside of Kingston there is a road side park we
> usually stop at and take a break but today we pull over and when Bird Dawg
> ask if I want to stop I just say 'Let's go on and keep riding".
>      The day is just too good and with no traffic I just don't want to
> stop.
>      We top some nice rises and dips and pull onto the Kingston square and
> park beside the small square gazebo.
>      There is a local flower sale going on and we briefly talk with the
> ladies selling the flowers, see three of the Texas riders, mount up and
> head off east on 74.
>      We are usually riding 74 east of Kingston early in the morning after
> spending the night at the Kingston bed and breakfast as the morning breaks.
>      It is a great warm up with nice views on both sides as it winds its
> way out of Kingston staying on top of the ridge for several miles.
>      Today is as good as morning and I really enjoy the ride and
> isolation.
>      Soon we reach the point where 74 starts falling into the Lost Valley
> and we descend into the valley with tight turns that require some braking,
> then just compression braking, lean, and go type stuff.
>      Man it's awful having to ride roads like this and I'm grinning ear to
> ear just trying to get over it.
>      Down at the valley base we turn and stay on Highway 74 north to
> Boxley and the old cabin across from the Buffalo River.
>      We turn back right on Highway 74, cross the Buffalo, and see several
> canoes below ready to take that float trip or shoot the Arkansas rapids.
>      Now we are climbing like tree snakes as this section of 74 is tight
> and steep and a blast to get into the flow on as we climb up Mount Sherman.
>      No brakes required here as the elevation changes make the bike stop
> in a hurry when off throttle.
>      We twist our way up hill for several miles until we get to Highway
> 327 outside of Jasper.
>      We turn south on 327 and ride a nice quite twisting road to the
> Parthenon General Store and stop at the small isolated store for a few
> minutes.
>      I take a few more shots here including the great Arkansas road
> direction signs.
>      The road turns to gravel around the next left hander and I take a
> shot of the turn from the store with a bright yellow left turn arrow on the
> left side of the road.
>      The issue is that on the right side of the road there is another
> bright yellow sign with a black arrow pointing right.
>      So here is this turn to the left with two signs. One shows left, one
> shows right.
>      BTW, if you turn right you pull into a drive way!
>      We load back up and re-trace 327 back to 74, turn right on Highway 7
> and enter Jasper where we find the first station only has regular gas.
>      Once more we see some of the Texas riders and they tell us the Conoco
> leaving town has premium so we saddle back up and hit the Conoco.
>      Once gassed up we travel south on Highway 7 until we get to the Cliff
> House Inn and restaurant about ten minute away.
>      We pull into the parking lot and I notice that for a Saturday at
> 12:30 it sure has open parking spaces.
>      We walk in and Bird Dawg is telling the owner that we need a table
> for four when Mike looks up and shouts "Rude Dog" and we greet each other.
>      Mike seats us next to the windows and we look out over the Grand
> Canyon of the Ozarks as we enjoy our dinner. I can recommend the pork
> cutlet sandwich which was very tasty washed down with good sweet iced tea.
>      Afterward we relax on the patio and soak in some of the scenery.
>      I leave and get the camera and take several shots of the valley and
> several of the flowers in full bloom.
>      Mike and I have several talks while we were there and when I asked
> him how business was he replied that it is about half of normal because no
> one's driving.
>      The price of gas is hitting a lot of folks hard indirectly and will
> eventually hurt our economy more than most realize.
>      I think that is why there has been so little traffic on the Talimena,
> Mount Magazine, and the Pig Trail.
>      We are ready to go and head back north on Highway 7 until we get to
> Highway 374 and turn right and down into the valley to Vendor.
>      What can I say except one more nice twisty, elevation changing road?
>      At Vendor we take Highway 123 south for a great rollicking treat.
>      Man would I love to see some open road races on this thing as it too
> ROCKS!
>      After a very great ride we turn back on Highway 7 to Highway 16 which
> is another favorite and ride through another dang twisting treat of a road
> through Deer and Swain until we get to Highway 21 and then head east.
>      We took a short break at a pull out to rest and as Bird Dawg said
> "Give Duncan time to meet us".
>      It was close to here that I got another good shot of an Esso gas pump
> sitting by itself in a field.
>      It was somewhere on Highway 16 between the two towns that I rounded a
> fast sweeper to see a silver ST coming at me with the riders hands straight
> up in the air.
>      Donut!
>      We meet each other out here as we figured we would, pulled over,
> shook hands, and talked little as we saddled back up and rode on.
>      The road speaks volumes and we all know it. We can talk later.
>      Highway 21 is great and then we turn right on Highway 16 at
> Fallsville and rock and roll on it for several miles to the Pig Trail.
>      Donut is leading followed by Fogy, Bird Dawg, and I as we race across
> 16 with creeks to our left and deep foliage and a hill on our right.
>      At the turn off onto the Pig Trail Donut and Foggy go straight.
>      Bird Dawg and I stop a wit a little but figure they wanted to go
> somewhere else so we head south on the Pig Trail and have another great
> ride twisting through the top part of the trail and then the bottom part I
> lead until we get to I40 at Ozark where I pull over.
>      Bird Dawg pulls up and ask if I were going into the store to buy beer
> but I reply "Let's do it again".
>      He ask what and I repeat and we take back off up the Pig Trail
> enjoying every minute of it and stop at Turner Bend for a drink and to
> watch others riders going by and/or stopping.
>      The weather is great and we share a bag of mixed nuts on the front
> porch watching the light traffic for this time of day.
>      After about fifteen minutes we head back south on the Pig Trail and
> pull into the parking lot of the Oxford Inn for the night.
>      Soon Donut and Foggy pull up and they had missed the turn but it's
> OK.
>      We clean up and then I hear those dreaded words from the boys "hey
> Jack, your rear tire looks flat".
>      It was and after Donut brings over his stripped air pump we find a
> small puncture in the middle of the tire with a slow leak.
>      I figure I must have picked it up within the last five miles as
> Merlin handled great on the Pig Trail.
>      We decide to fix it later and the owners pull out the Cadillac and
> take us to the Riverside BBQ and leave us for pick up later.
>      The food was great and in abundance and we all left with full
> bellies.
>      We were picked up quickly after we called and went into the room to
> relax.
>      Then Bird Dawg offered to go to Wally World and buy a bottle of
> sealant to see if that fixed the leak.
>      He rode to Wal-Mart and returned with a bottle of Slime to try and
> repair my rear tire leak.
>      He was saying he almost bought the kit that had a small compressor in
> it as the kit was only ten dollars more than the bottle of Slime.
>      We talked and he rode back to Wal-Mart and exchanged the bottle of
> Slime for the Slime Smart Spair kit.
>      Now that a ridding buddy!
>      We decided to wait until morning to attempt the repair as we could
> get on the road and distribute the Slime inside the tire carcass.
>      We had picked up some beer and settled into our room to watch the
> great classic movie "the people that time forgot".
>      I started making wise cracks and everybody else joined in and I
> remarked that this reminded me of Mystery Science Theatre 2000 with the
> robot shadows making wise cracks to bad sci-fi or horror movies.
>      Great fun but then it was time for bad.
>      Tomorrow is a day of great anticipation and I hope that Slime works.
>
>
>
>
> Jack "Rude Dog" Hays
> 972-952-5065
> "I'll see you on the dark side of the Moon"
> 4 - 8 - 15 - 16 - 23 - 42
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