Just Ride.

Should this ride thread be just a.... well, thread? Or should there be a dedicated Forum topic?

  • Yes, it's own topic in the Forums

    Votes: 19 90.5%
  • Nah... threads good enough.

    Votes: 2 9.5%

  • Total voters
    21
  • Poll closed .
Pedal type riding. The first federally funded rails to trails bike path opened in 1967, Elroy Sparta trail, 32 miles. Passes through three tunnels 1500 to 3500' long.

Smooth hard packed limestone gravel, much of it shaded. Pleasant pedaling even with temps in low 80s. Only 60 miles from home but first time we've done the trail.
camped about the middle went to one end Thursday to the other two tunnels today.
The middle length tunnel. the dot mid right is the other end.
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Pedal type riding. The first federally funded rails to trails bike path opened in 1967, Elroy Sparta trail, 32 miles. Passes through three tunnels 1500 to 3500' long.

Smooth hard packed limestone gravel, much of it shaded. Pleasant pedaling even with temps in low 80s. Only 60 miles from home but first time we've done the trail.
camped about the middle went to one end Thursday to the other two tunnels today.
The middle length tunnel. the dot mid right is the other end.
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Do I spy an electric assist bike?
 
Do I spy an electric assist bike?
Nope you spy TWO electric assist bikes. about 25 miles yesterday and about the same today.
I didn't use the assist till about 6 miles from the end today.
Had to get back home and put up two racks, 190 small square bales, of hay. I started cheating there too, about 10 years ago, now use an electric elevator to get the bales from the wagon up into the loft.:thumbsup:
 
Nope you spy TWO electric assist bikes. about 25 miles yesterday and about the same today.
I didn't use the assist till about 6 miles from the end today.
Had to get back home and put up two racks, 190 small square bales, of hay. I started cheating there too, about 10 years ago, now use an electric elevator to get the bales from the wagon up into the loft.:thumbsup:
Hay for horses?, cattle?
 
Pedal type riding. The first federally funded rails to trails bike path opened in 1967, Elroy Sparta trail, 32 miles. Passes through three tunnels 1500 to 3500' long.

Smooth hard packed limestone gravel, much of it shaded. Pleasant pedaling even with temps in low 80s. Only 60 miles from home but first time we've done the trail.
camped about the middle went to one end Thursday to the other two tunnels today.
The middle length tunnel. the dot mid right is the other end.
View attachment 224684View attachment 224685

We’ve done the Elroy Sparta every year Labor Day weekend for the last 25 years or so, absolutely fantastic ride and best time of year to do it. We used to stay at the Tunnel Trail campground, not sure if that’s where you hunkered down at, but now we stay in Mauston at the property.

One of my best memories as a kid was hiking up to the train tunnels at night with a few of our friends and family members. We went about half way through the tunnel and all of a sudden we see this huge spotlight from the other end and this train whistle starts blaring through the tunnel. We ran like hell thinking this damn ghost train is coming down the tunnel, falling into the water on the sides of the tunnel. My dad and his best friend finally emerge laughing their asses off shortly after, good times.
 
Yup tunnel trail CG very nice
The whistle and spot light, a great one!

Yeah hay is for the horsies

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With horses, how do you find time for motorcycles? Horses, now that's commitment, or maybe you should be committed. Beautiful animals, but my goodness, what a lot of work.
 
Passes through three tunnels 1500 to 3500' long . . . the dot mid right is the other end . . .
Reminds me of passing through the Foulridge tunnel on the Leeds & Liverpool canal on a narrow boat. It's nearly a mile long and as you enter the tunnel the far end is just a wee dot of light. A lot darker in reality than this photo of the tunnel:

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In 1912, a cow called Buttercup (!) fell into the canal at one end of the tunnel and unable to get out, she swam all the way through the tunnel - she was rescued at the other end. Must be a world record for a cow tunnel swimming?
 
Pics from along the trail
A creamery with an owner trying to renovate it, dancing with a demolition order, the smoke stack was orange taped off, will have to go.
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the Stone Flume, a water, dirt, rock diversion channel for the longest tunnel, about 15' wide, walls up to 10' tall. maybe 1500' long?
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Remarkable condition for being built 150 years ago.... Someone must spend a lot of time keeping it cleaned out.
We finished up the hay just as the rain started Saturday morning, 460 bales in the barn, 3 horses will stay well fed this winter.
 
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Middle Daughter (photog buff) came in from college, so we ventured about the "old part of town" taking bike pics. This is one of mine with the cell phone. I can't wait to see her's (railroad bridge, B&O train cars & Underground Railroad Mansion)
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Middle Daughter (photog buff) came in from college, so we ventured about the "old part of town" taking bike pics. I can't wait to see her's (railroad bridge, B&O train cars & Underground Railroad Mansion)
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Yeah, me too! Your bike is very photogenic and you live in some scenic countryside! Remember to save some good photos for Shawn to put in the calendar! 😉
 
I was revisiting some past photo folders on the PC today and ran across the photos from the last road trip my son and I took to Arkansas a couple of years ago. There were some pretty decent pics in there, so I decided to share a few. We took a long weekend in mid-September and loaded up our XVS1300s, pointed them in a southeasterly direction, and set out with Eureka Springs as our destination. The weather was, for the most part, cooperative, though the daytime highs were kinda hot. The return trip home was on a 90-plus degree day with only light winds which meant a major insect slaughter-fest. Ugh! The bike cleanup afterwards was rather unpleasant, but I suppose that's a small price to pay for a great long weekend of riding.

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Baxter Springs, Kansas on old Route 66. This vintage Phillips 66 station serves now as the Route 66 visitor center in the town. The front silver bike belongs to my son - red one is mine.
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Waylan's Ku Ku in Miami, Oklahoma on Route 66. It's the only remaining one left of a once thriving chain of hamburger joints in the midwest.
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Our motel in Eureka Springs - Edelweiss Inn - reasonably priced with a great Italian restaurant across the parking lot.

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Low Gap Cafe - a really great place to eat between Jasper and Ponca - kind of in the middle of nowhere.

The next few images are from Withrow Springs State Park - on our way back to Eureka Springs from Low Gap.
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On a 90 something degree afternoon, a splash of cold spring water felt really good - Mike took advantage of it.

The next day's journey would take us on a round-about route to War Eagle Mill. The first stop was in Berryville, at the historic town square.
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From Berryville, our route headed south toward AR412 - then west to state route 63 - the back way into War Eagle. Going this way, one has to cross the bridge over War Eagle Creek to get to the mill.
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The mill itself is a working stone burr grist mill that produces a wide variety of stone ground products available at the mill, numerous stores in the area, and online - good stuff!
We had a great trip - great places to eat - overall decent weather - and the roads and scenery of NW Arkansas are fantastic. I managed to scrape the floorboards a few times - opportunities we do not often get here in south central Kansas.
 
I was revisiting some past photo folders on the PC today and ran across the photos from the last road trip my son and I took to Arkansas a couple of years ago. There were some pretty decent pics in there, so I decided to share a few. We took a long weekend in mid-September and loaded up our XVS1300s, pointed them in a southeasterly direction, and set out with Eureka Springs as our destination. The weather was, for the most part, cooperative, though the daytime highs were kinda hot. The return trip home was on a 90-plus degree day with only light winds which meant a major insect slaughter-fest. Ugh! The bike cleanup afterwards was rather unpleasant, but I suppose that's a small price to pay for a great long weekend of riding.

View attachment 225483Baxter Springs, Kansas on old Route 66. This vintage Phillips 66 station serves now as the Route 66 visitor center in the town. The front silver bike belongs to my son - red one is mine.View attachment 225484View attachment 225485
Waylan's Ku Ku in Miami, Oklahoma on Route 66. It's the only remaining one left of a once thriving chain of hamburger joints in the midwest. View attachment 225486
Our motel in Eureka Springs - Edelweiss Inn - reasonably priced with a great Italian restaurant across the parking lot.

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Low Gap Cafe - a really great place to eat between Jasper and Ponca - kind of in the middle of nowhere.

The next few images are from Withrow Springs State Park - on our way back to Eureka Springs from Low Gap.
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On a 90 something degree afternoon, a splash of cold spring water felt really good - Mike took advantage of it.

The next day's journey would take us on a round-about route to War Eagle Mill. The first stop was in Berryville, at the historic town square.
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From Berryville, our route headed south toward AR412 - then west to state route 63 - the back way into War Eagle. Going this way, one has to cross the bridge over War Eagle Creek to get to the mill.
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The mill itself is a working stone burr grist mill that produces a wide variety of stone ground products available at the mill, numerous stores in the area, and online - good stuff!
We had a great trip - great places to eat - overall decent weather - and the roads and scenery of NW Arkansas are fantastic. I managed to scrape the floorboards a few times - opportunities we do not often get here in south central Kansas.
Awesome trip and photos's. People who ride interstates miss out on the good stuff. Thanks for sharing.
 
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