I finally got around to pulling the Arkansas Circle Ride pics off of my camera and posting them. (Did I really have that much gear on my bike?) Anyway, as you can see, the trip was a blast. It will be a little cold the next few months for such a long trip, but I’m looking forward to another on-road/off-road ride soon.
The rest of the Circle Arkansas trip was relatively uneventful, as we raced the sun back to Memphis. The sun won, setting about 45 minutes before we rolled back into town, but even passing through some of the flattest country, around Des Arc, the setting sun set the trees turning colors afire, with beautiful explosions of yellows and reds, only rivaling some of the colors we had seen along the ridgelines of the Ozarks earlier in the day.
Big thanks go out to Scottie (I hope you get your bike running again soon), Chris, and Wisch (who kept my front tire aired up long enough for me to limp home).
The route can be seen in some detail here, if you are interested. More photos are pending.
The trip from Oark to Haw Creek Falls was the most exciting of the trip, with a few trips down washed out gullies and across big puddles.
Unfortunately, Scottie had put his bike down in a creek heading to meet us in Oark, so it was out of commission. Chris, Wisch, and I roared up Parker Ridge in time to see the sunset.
This morning, we explored the eastern part of the Ozark National Forest, riding ridgelines until our throttle hands ached.
There wasn’t much rain overnight, but it’s at least 20 degrees cooler today. That’s OK; just throw on the thermals.
We just had lunch at the famous Oark Cafe. Fried mushrooms and a pound of hamburger. Yum!
Wisch and I are near the end of a 350+ mile day through the backroads of Arkansas, as part of a larger 3-day trip circling the state.
One unexpected highlight was a busting, wonderful rib plate at McLaren’s BBQ in Hot Springs.
