April 3-6, 2008: April Fool's Ride in Arkansas!

[troy]

Some of you were asking for more specific directions to the lodge. I updated the first post with a couple Google Map links that show you exactly where the lodge is.
http://www.rideforum.net/viewtopic.php?p=3889#p3889

[Harvey Mushman]

Troy, due to some family matters that I need to manage in the upcoming days/weeks I'm not going to be able to make the ride next weekend. Since you are short on beds this may help some. Take care and ride safe guys.

-Harvey

'98 RXCe620
'02 EXC300
'89 FXRS-1340

[MoRidin]

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE!!!
READ READ READ!!!
MAP LINKS BELOW!!!

For those with a GPS...please download the new file found on the very first post of this thread, here:

http://www.rideforum.net/gps/Arkansas/c ... _final.gdb

The routes are the same as the old version, but these are waypoint free and you can load the whole thing at once. PLUS, I have added waypoints for all gas locations in case you run low and have to bail. There is also a new route called GAS that will be used on Day 2. If you cannot go 70 miles on a tank, then this stop is for you.

If you have any GPS issues, just bring your GPS...I can load any Garmin USB GPS and will bring my laptop.

I organized the routes by day and of course folks are free to ride what they want. I simply tried to pick them to what fit the schedule the best.

Day 1 (Thursday) will be the "Shakedown Run". This is a mix of Mill Creek and old logging and forest roads. Many of the roads would have been tame/boring but due to the amount of rain, many may be slower going than originally planned. It is close to camp, so bailouts are easy... This is a welcome to the Ozarks ride. Most plan on starting this ride around 1-2 pm.

Day 2 (Friday) should be interesting. A good mix of trail and old logging roads/forest roads. Lots of water crossings, but they should be passable. Expect some dead ends as this is a long day and a long route. This is the route with a gas option about 45 miles in...we may all want to take it. Our food stop is actually about 80% through the route so we never wind up eating before 2. After lunch, it is just a short scamper home. Folks can clean up and wrench, or head out for some "local led single track" by one of our resident locals. We should be on the bikes by 9-10.

Day 3 (Saturday) is a great ride and spends most of the day covering all of the Mill Creek system and forest roads surrounding it. There is some new stuff here too and the lunch stop is pretty much in the middle of the day. Lots of options while in the White Rock for single track...you just have to watch for it. The enduro was today, so there will be some well beat in routes, though they are not 100% legit for our use. We should be on the bikes by 9-10.

Day 4 (Sunday) is made to be ridden early and back by 1-2. We ride hard for 60 miles easy of camp and finish up in Oark for gas and chow. After that, there is some trail option to return, or just motard it back for 20ish miles on one of the most beautiful motorcycle roads in the country (AR 215). This is a pretty proen route, so dead ends should be minor. We should be on the bikes by 8:30-9.

BTW, the weather looks GREAT!!!

http://www.accuweather.com/forecast-15d ... 9&metric=0

Map Links:

Please download and print these...two copies would be ideal. Never hurts to have an actual map. Many "roads" we will be on are legit and open and just not represented here because of scale:

http://www.fs.fed.us/oonf/ozark/recreat ... %20Map.pdf

http://www.fs.fed.us/oonf/ozark/recreat ... 07_000.pdf

http://www.fs.fed.us/oonf/ozark/recreat ... 07_001.pdf

[devro]

Saturday I would like to ride Mill Creek because I don't know that area very well. jeffro and maybe a couple others should be riding the Enduro today. jeffro has a fantastic trail memory and should be able to lead us around a lot of the "enduro only" single track, that's what I'm hoping for anyway.

If anyone would like to take a 100+ mile ride Friday and go east of Oark disco and I will be happy to lead. It's a long ride with lunch (if it's quick) and gas at Oark. We will have to be on the bikes about 0800 to do this ride and get back before all the BBQ is gone! (And this is if we can fjord all the creeks)
I'm sure we can talk this over around the campfires.

We've had a LOT of rain yesterday and today so I hope the creek crossing levels go back down before the rides.

I will have my laptop with me and can download my sketchy tracks to Garmin units.

Can't friggin' wait to get going!,
devro

[Hank Moody]

Does anyone have a connector cable (between the GPS and the computer) for a Garmin V? Some how mine magically disappeared If not it is no big deal, I will just follow the leader.

TBM

[tom reiner]

BTW, the weather looks GREAT!!!

I'm glad you think so, the weather channel was making me nervious last night.

BTW,
Give me a call so we can talk about if I'm picking you up or not.

Does anyone have a connector cable (between the GPS and the computer) for a Garmin V? Some how mine magically disappeared If not it is no big deal, I will just follow the leader.

TBM

Hank,
1350cfm has one, I'll borrow it from him

[troy]

Troy, due to some family matters that I need to manage in the upcoming days/weeks I'm not going to be able to make the ride next weekend. Since you are short on beds this may help some. Take care and ride safe guys.

Are you sure?! Because you are gonna miss out on some fantastic trails! Looking through my PayPal receipts, I don't see your name, so I assume you mailed me a check. I'll send a refund check if you'll PM your address to me.

By the way, Michael, the guy who bought your LC4, is a coworker and friend of mine. Rode the Perry Lake trails with him on Saturday, and your LC4 is a great running machine. Thanks for selling it!

[troy]

Does anyone have a connector cable (between the GPS and the computer) for a Garmin V? Some how mine magically disappeared If not it is no big deal, I will just follow the leader.

Actually, as big a group as we have, I'm hoping we can split into at least 4 rider groups. I'd like to have at least 2 people in each group with GPS. The leader and sweep should both have GPS if possible. This way, if anybody falls behind, they have somebody who knows where to go to catch up with the leader. Also, we want GPS redundancy. My GPS has started acting a little weird--sometimes shuts off by itself. It would be comforting to know there is at least one other GPS in the group.

Of course, if GPS fails, you can just ride any trails down there--none of them are boring. Eventually, you'll dead end and backtrack out or dump onto a forest or logging road...then make your way back to the lodge.

[MoRidin]

Daryl:

I do have the 5 cable, but my laptop does not have a serial port...so if you have a laptop, I have the goods. You can have it if yu like...trade for a beer or two.

[devro]

Hank Moody wrote:
Does anyone have a connector cable (between the GPS and the computer) for a Garmin V? Some how mine magically disappeared If not it is no big deal, I will just follow the leader.

TBM

I have the connecter cable for a Garmin 60 and will be bringing it along with my laptop - if that is any help.

devro

[Hank Moody]

Daryl:

I do have the 5 cable, but my laptop does not have a serial port...so if you have a laptop, I have the goods. You can have it if yu like...trade for a beer or two.

Go ahead and bring it Sean, I hope someone has a serial port on their computer so I can download the routes. On the one that was lost it had a serial to USB adapter on it.

[slimtrader]

Link to 10 day weather forecast, looks like a 50% chance or less each day. Does anyone have any idea if we will be able to do the water crossings? I don't want to be blocked off the trails.

http://www.weather.com/outlook/driving/ ... av_driving

I'm hoping for an upbeat week, just got back from my dad's funeral and hit a deer on the way home! I'm going to stick with the less agressive group as I haven't been riding in a while and don't need any more crap to deal with.

[troy]

Link to 10 day weather forecast, looks like a 50% chance or less each day. Does anyone have any idea if we will be able to do the water crossings? I don't want to be blocked off the trails.

Mike, sorry to hear about the crap. Sounds like you need to ride.

I spoke to the Mulberry Mountain Lodge this morning. They told me that Enduro scheduled for yesterday was cancelled by the 2nd checkpoint due to flooded bikes. However, they also agreed with me that the area drains very quickly, so if it will just stop raining for a couple days. It's been said before, but remember, the area is a thin layer of dirt on top of rock. So yes there will be some monster mudholes and the creeks may be higher, but most of the trails should be very ridable. The problem with the Enduro is that it reportedly poured rain Fri, Sat, & Sun!

We'll go a little slower and enjoy the adventure! I do not plan to drown my brand new 2008 Husky TE450, so I'll be the biggest wuss at the water-crossings. For some reason, I only hesitated about 30 seconds before drowning my DR350! I'm just not so confident about the EFI surviving the submersion...maybe it would do better?!

If you ask Sean, he says "weather looks great!".

To ease the confusion about lodging I'm working on lodging assignments today. I'll publish later tonight or tomorrow in the first post. This way, when you arrive, you'll know which property to go to. Remember to keep reading the first post for up-to-date information. We have a bed for everyone and the food will be great!

[devro]

It's your fault Troy, we all know it is:
Current weather: Oark, Arkansas: Flash Flood Watch in effect until 6 am CDT Tuesday...
Tornado Watch 149 in effect until 11 PM CDT this evening...

We will still be able to ride but the only way one is going to stay dry is to wear duck hunting chest waiters!
Fri, Sat 'n Sun look pretty good weather wise.
I'm sure there will be many creek crossing that will be attempted only by the brave at heart and many no one will mess with at all. But that just gives us reason to go do more exploring and find ways around, right?

How about waterfalls? They are going to be picture perfect. I know we can get to the falls on Mountain Creek which is 10 minutes from the lodge (if the lodge will let us use the closed road in the back of the property). There is a really cool falls between Fly Gap and White Rock that I've been to a couple of times with the Toyota Club, I just have to figure out how to get there.
Falls will be everywhere and Rangers will not.

We will also have the option to forgo bikes for canoes and take a ride down the White R or the Mulberry. Now that would be pretty friggin' harry!

devro

[devro]

The WR Enduro was not called because of rain and water, just the last 10 miles cut.

jeffro (jgas) finished on a KLR 650! If you haven't met this lunitic you will later this week!

ADVR: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=326947


RVDRS: http://rvdrs.com/index.php/forum/2/406.html

[MoRidin]

Dang it!

I guess my big tank wont make it it time!!!

What kind of bad weather is UPS talking about??

COMMERCE CITY,
CO, US 03/31/2008 3:00 P.M. ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS

[troy]

The WR Enduro was not called because of rain and water, just the last 10 miles cut.

jeffro (jgas) finished on a KLR 650! If you haven't met this lunitic you will later this week!

ADVR: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=326947


RVDRS: http://rvdrs.com/index.php/forum/2/406.html

Wow. Of course he made it <g>--the KLR's air-intake is at least 6" higher than those race bikes. (And 240 lbs heavier!) I read Jeffro's report on rvdrs.com. Sounds like the weather was not the only thing conspiring against the racers.

The guy I spoke to at Mulberry Mountain Ranch told me "the race was cancelled by the 2nd checkpoint because too many bikes were flooding". I guess I fell victim to the rumor game.

Lodging assignments coming up....stay tuned.

[troy]

Lodging assignments are now posted in the rider list in the first post.

Everybody who paid for lodging has a bed. You do not need to bring a sleeping bag or any bedding.

All of the lodging is very nice, but not all are the same. There are advantages and disadvantages of each. I tried to place people as best I could to keep buddies together, group-size, etc.

For those staying in the Sears House with David Hemphill, you'll be glad to know that the Sears House is kind of a big place with a separate bedroom you can put David in....not that he ever snores.

If any of you want to trade lodging--do whatever you want. All I ask is that you don't make me the middleman.

[Hank Moody]

Everybody can rest easy now, I found my GPS cable under my son's bed?????? The only excuse I got was that his sister did it Thanks for all of the offers to assist.

TBM

[devro]

Why, Why, Why?
Flash Flood Watch in effect from Thursday morning through Friday evening...

Depending on which weather station one looks at there is somewhere between 1 to 5 inches of rain forcasted for Oark, Ar. on Thursday.

Now that ought to turn on the waterfalls!