Lost Creek Road.

I have been lurking on ADVRider.com for awhile and I've seen Lost Creek Road mentioned a few times on the Missouri Thread. Here is a quote from one of the post's about Lost Creek Road "..you should probably take someone familiar for your first ride down there.." - ThumperDRZ

I found out a couple of days ago I would have Saturday morning to my self, so a plan was hatched...

The Plan: Head west from home to Washington, MO and cross over to the north side of the Missouri River. Then start a series of north then south gravel roads inter-connected with tarmac. Once (if) the gravel roads have been completed I would cross to the south side of the Missouri river at Herman, MO and work my east to home.

The first gravel road was Charette Creek Rd. Lots of thick lose gravel was the theme of the day. Charette Creek Rd. had several low water crossings and if memory serves me a couple of small rocky crossings.

Charette Creek Rd.

Next was Dry Fork Rd, Howards Branch Rd, and Sellen Schutter Rd, all pretty mild.

Lost Creek Rd. the road the above quote referes to was next.

Lost Creek looks pretty tame on the GPS.

Lost Creek looks OK from this view also.

The Creek is no longer Lost. The Road is really over there somewhere.
Should I or shouldn't I?

I did it.

After I conquered Lost Creek it was a breeze down Massas Creek Rd.

Massas Creek Rd.

At the end of the day I made it home unscathed, but very tired. I don't believe I have ever worked so hard riding a motorcycle before. I did learn a few things though.

1. The road on the other side of the creek will never be the same. Hard packed gravel on one side and 12 inch's of sand the other.
2. If it's hunting season there will be hunters on 4-wheelers using both sides of the road.
3. The narrower the road the more likely you will meet someone in the largest possible truck.
4. Knobbie's are in my future.
5. I need a stronger skid plate. I didn't bottom out, but did have plenty of large rocks strike my plastic skid plate.

See You on the road.
GAW

Another weekend...

Another weekend, another sausage festival. Mostly paved, but lightly sprinkled with a couple of gravel roads.

North Klondike Rd in Randolph County, IL.

County Rd 950 in Perry County, MO

See you on the road.
GAW

Does this motorcycle make me look fast?

That's what I thought too. Is a Buell motorcycle in my future? I'm not sure, but I can certainly see the appeal in one. Maybe I should have said I can FEEL the appeal in a Buell. Today I took the pictured Firebolt XB12R for a short test ride, courtesy of the fine folks a Mid-America HD in Columbia, MO. (Thanks for moving half dozen bikes just so I could ride the 1200). I was hoping to find a Lightning or a Ulysses but they seem to be in short supply. The Firebolt has a tucked in sport riding position, that can get tiring in a very short time. When I got back on my bike I felt like I was sitting in a BarkaLounger. Though the riding position doesn't suit me, the The torque produced by the 1200cc engine does.

A few years ago on some motorcycle TV special a woman said that "Harley's don't vibrate, they throb". This Buell is no different, start it up and it throbs so much it can give you motion sickness, but give it some gas and that throb changes into a big smile on your face. Yes I had a grin from ear to ear on my big fat head when I got back from my ride.

I have been interested in the Buell line of bikes for a few years, but just never made it into a dealer to look at them. Now that I have test rode one I have got that new bike lust again. What terrible feeling...

See you on the road.
GAW

250 miles and Taco Johns for lunch

250 miles for Taco Johns? I know what your are thinking. Why spend half a day and 7 gallons of gas to eat at Taco Johns, Why? The short answer, for the same reason I ate the middle of a chocolate cake for supper, because I can (it doesn't hurt that my girls are on extended travel). This whole affair is wrought with questions. First why in the world would I chose to eat at Taco Johns? Because the nearest Taco Tico is a 500+ mile round trip and I didn't decide to go out for lunch until 11:30 a.m. I know, I know I still didn't answer your question, why Taco Johns or Taco Tico for that matter?

As a young impressionable child I would go with my aunt, uncle, cousins and a van load of people to Taco Tico in Columbia, MO (long since gone) we would get a trays of tacos stacked a foot high, really. Later Taco Johns became more accessible and satiated my craving. To this day I have a couple of brain cells buried way down deep in the noodle that do nothing but chant one of two things: "We want Taco Tico" or "We want Taco Johns"..."We want Taco Johns"..."We want Taco Johns"..."We want Taco Johns"..."We want Taco Johns" over and over and over...

The ride. It has been a few years since I last traveled up Missouri Highway 79, and that was in the car chasing trains, so I had forgotten how straight and flat it is up to Louisiana. I saw lots of biker types (Harley's, Metric cruisers) but not much else on two wheels. The only time I leaned the bike was to avoid the vast amount of roadkill. There are better, more enjoyable roads to travel but I was hungry. I crossed the Mississippi River at Louisiana and had another flat and straight 30 miles up 54 to Pittsfield, Il. I arrived at the Shell gas station/Taco Johns at 1 p.m. I had 2 tacos, a burrito and a diet Coke. I thought about getting a bag of taco's for supper but in my rush to leave home I didn't put my sidecases on the bike, and as much as I like Taco Johns I didn't want to leave my cameras in Pittsfield. Leaving I took Illinois 106 northwest through Hull to I-72 and crossed the Mississippi into Hannibal, MO so that I could ride the more motorcycle friendly part of MO 79. The ride south from Hannibal wasn't as pleasing as I remembered. The road was fairly rough with lots of tar snakes. I did stop at one of the scenic overlooks to snap a photo.

Taco Johns was perfect, or as perfect as it can get. It felt good to put a few miles on the bike in one sitting, most of my riding these days consist of my 50-a-day commute, but the path I choose was less than perfect.

I think I will do lunch at Taco Tico next time. St Louis, MO to Louisville, KY isn't to far for lunch, it it?

GAW