Back from Arkansas

Well, I made it back from Arkansas in one piece. The weather let us down the last two days, but the first two didn't disappoint. Here's my story...

I arrived in Lakeville (at Ted's) right around 6:00pm on Tuesday the 25th. There were already about 6 guys milling around, loading stuff into the trailer or the back of Ted's truck. As we stood around deciding what was to go in the back of the Suburban, Ted's truck, or the trailer, most everyone else showed up. Finally Ben got there and the crew was all set. Dan, Shad, and I were in the Suburban, with Ben, Leonard, and Pete in Pete's car, while Ted, Rob, Steve, and Dan B filled up Ted's truck. Leaving Lakeville right around 7:00pm, we headed south.

We pretty much went straight through Iowa (except for gas and nature breaks). We grabbed some snacks from the gas stations. Switching drivers pretty much every chance we got. We got on the wrong road in Des Moines and had to double back. Straight through Kansas City at around 2:00am with no problems and light traffic. Finally into Arkansas and breakfast in Benntonville at 5:30am (IHOP). After a Starbucks stop we continued south and east to Ponca. We pulled up to the cabin right around 8:00am and were able to get right in and start unloading.

Day 1: After getting fairly settled into the cabin, we all starting digging through our bike stuff to decide what to wear. Temps were in the low 50s with overcast skies, damp air, and winds in the 15 range. Once everyone was set, we jumped in the cars and headed for Ponca to launch. The skies cleared for a bit, but then clouded over. And as we got up on top of the mountains, the wind was more crisp (I was under-dressed at this point). But once we got back into the valley it warmed up nicely and we all finished very strong.

Here is the route:



All in all, close to 60 miles and around 5500 feet of climbing. Not bad for little to no sleep for the past 36 hours. Back to the cabin for hot shower, taco lasagna, cold beer, warm campfire, and finally bed.

Day 2: A whole new day with sunny skies and temps in the low 70s. Winds were still in the 15 mph range, but you mostly noticed them up on the tops of the climbs. Today was the Big Ride, 100 miles to St. Paul and back, with well over 9500 feet of climbing. We had a nice 5 mile warmup before the climbing started as we headed toward Kingston. Ben wasn't feeling too well, so he did his own ride in the river valley, then went back to the cabin, he eventually met up with us in the car (which was nice because most of our food stops were closed). Everyone stopped at the Kingston town square for a snack, take pictures, and to feed the local stray dog. As we rolled out of town, one local (maybe I should say loco) townfolk cheered us on. Some of the guys mentioned that shortly after leaving town we passed a pasture, were a mother cow was giving birth as we passed (I missed it somehow). Pretty much followed the river until it was time to turn upwards and out of the valley. We got to St. Paul to find that not much has changed, except the furniture was rearranged a bit, the home-made vhs movie selection was gone, and both bathrooms were out of order. After a quick bite to eat (Shad had the double burger with nothing on it), we headed back out. After a few miles Dan picked up a sharp stone and got a flat in his back tire. About half the group stopped and the other half slow-pedaled. After getting the tire fixed we took off. Steve and I noticed the Dan was struggling to get back on with the group. I went back and Dan was having a hard time just maintaining some kind of momentum. He mentioned that his legs felt heavy. I told Steve to go ahead and that Dan and I would get back on our own. The group waited for us at Fallsville (the little store there was closed, also). There was a faucet to get some fresh drinking water, so we had a snack and refilled bottles. Then the group headed out. Again, Dan was struggling to keep pace, so he and I took our time and worked our way back to Ponca. Ben stopped with the car a couple of times, so we had some Gatorade and bananas. As we arrived in Ponca, everyone was waiting. Rob went to help Dan load his bike, when he noticed the back wheel (the one that had been changed) was not seated correctly and was constantly rubbing on the brake pad. Soooooo, everyone (I mean everyone) let Dan have it. Unfortunately, Dan had done his own repairs so he had no one to blame but himself. Back to the cabin for hot showers, spagetti and meatballs, cold beer, a warm campfire, and lots of fun ribbing Dan.

Here's the route:



Day 3: The weather turned for the worse, with clouds, drizzle, and cooler temps. We bundled up and headed out, but after the first big climb the group was starting to second guess our riding decision. It was decided (or so we thought) that we would ride in the valley and make it a shorter day. As we descended back down to Ponca we noticed only half the group came down. The other half (Ted, Rob, Leonard, Shad, and Bale) had decided to stick it out. So after we waited for them a bit, we decided to do some riding in the valley. The weather actually got worse and then I picked up a sharp stone and flatted. That was all I needed to call it quits. Dan and Ben went back for the truck, while Steve and I waited. In hindsight, I should have just fixed the tire right there and rode back. Anyway we got back to the cabin and showered. We decided we would drive and find those guys. Steve and Pete took his car and Ben, Dan, and I went in the Suburban. We found that those other guys were completing the originally decided route and that the weather on the other side of the mountain was warmer, drier, and had a nice tailwind for most of the route. We met the guys as Leonard was fixing a flat about halfway up the backside of Mt. Sherman. Steve and Pete drove on ahead, while Ben, Dan, and I followed awhile in the truck to snap some photos. AS the group descended the other side of Mt. Sherman, Leonard had his back tire blow out. He somehow managed to ride the flat through a tight corner and on a steep descent and pull to a safe stop on the side of the road. Amazing... We put his bike in the back of the truck and Leonard joined us for the drive home. The others finished shortly and he all headed for the cabin for the hot showers, chicken chili, cold beer, and a soggy but warm campfire.

Day 4: Rain... So we all decided to pack up early and head home. We hit the road right around 10:00am and with our usual stops for gas, nature breaks, food, and fireworks. Then the fun started, we had numerious wrong turns. We got seperated a number of times as one vehicle would miss a turn or make the wrong one. Then the others would pull over and wait only to have the same scenario happen a few hours (or a few miles) later. We eventually made it to Lakeville around 10:30pm. After a quick unload, I headed for Rochester.

Overall, the trip wasn't a 10 (like last year), but still got in some good miles, with great climbs, beautiful scenary, outstanding food, and terrific company. Did I mention the cold beer???

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