Fall 2018

Winter is approaching as I write this----Been awhile since I've wrote about life---and my riding.
Been here and there-----and here and there again.......seems it gets harder to find the time to write about it and
I don't have time to write about all my riding anymore.
But a lot has happened and maybe soon me and my wife may head South in our Motorhome
pulling our toys behind. She says---let's go South for the winter, but even I miss home after being gone
just a few weeks.

Weeks ago I hauled down into Kentucky and Tennessee in my van---took my dirt bike---KTM 350EXC
On the way I camped at Rough River Dam state park in Kentucky.

 

 

 

 

 

Was going to ride with this group in the Daniel Boone National Forest.

 

 

 

I went down with an old friend Gary Warren------ thought me and him were going to ride together.
Turned out it was a group follow the leader ride--------I never ever do that---but off we went.
Our ride leader was toting a big Stihl chain saw---boy this is new to me.
What in the heck had I got myself into.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For many a day before this ride the Midwest was flooded with rain and I wondered about the mud down there.

 

 

 

 

 

We didn't get anywhere and were turned back by a creek that would have been very dangerous to cross.
That's my buddy Gary on his 500EXC. I never rode one ever and he let me ride his and I was very surprised
that it was very manageable for even an ole' fart like me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then comes out the chain saw------a re-occuring theme all day.
Gary was the only one I saw ride over this tree. No way I could have done it.
After cutting the tree out of the way the leader stood up and made a statement.
"Now all you guy can stop making fun of me for carrying a chainsaw"
He had to get it out several times---------it was slow going.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are many natural arches down in this part of the Daniel Boone National Forest and we rode under this one
after climbing a really nasty hill to get up to it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well----------this ride was not very long ride and I didn't take many pictures it seems.
I got sick this day and had to go home.
So on to the video which starts with us on our big bikes and ends with us on our dirt bikes.

 

 

 

After that ride we loaded up our Bicycles and motorcycles and took off for a few days in our motorhome.
Beall Woods our first campspot on the Wabash river near Keensburg, Illinois. This property used to be a
working farm of the Beall family and is now 639 acres of pristine old growth forest. So nice to have a fire
while camping. My lovely wife has to have one in the morning too----and her coffee---------me too.

 

 

She wants a fire bad !!!

 

The cool part about this campground is that Mon--Thur. the camping is free if your over 62.
I said free-----------as in free------spelled FREEEEEEEEEEEEE !!!!
There are no hookups---but we didn't need any with the motorhome.
It's a beautiful place here.

 

 

 

We go for a walk down to the lake and our little doggy DiDi wants to go too.
Didi was my wife's nickname when she was little-------she's still little !!!!

 

 

 

 

 

I did some bicycling here----but they weren't allowed on the trails and we hiked those.

 

 

 

It was Mickey Mouse's 90th birthday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are some huge trees in this forest----the base of this tree kind of looks like a Cypress----but is a Tulip tree.
There are a lot Cypress trees in Southern, Illinois in low lying areas.

 

 

On up to Shakamak State Park in Indiana-----me and all my old riding buddies went to a BMW rally here years ago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lots of great bicycling here -------------and hiking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Debi doesn't bicyle offroad-------but I do.
There were 2 nice trails for bicycling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most of the trails here----------and there are many, aren't suitable for bicycling at all.
I'd be carrying mine mostly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love these stairs---really gets your heart pumping and gives you a good work out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So now we head up to Turkey run state park in Indiana where we had so much fun.
Me and Debi were joined with some of my favorite local sriding buddies---High Five, Dave Stout, Road Dad, Bas3r, Loosenut
Roger Hayes and many others.
High Five had bought my RPod camper a couple of months ago and picked it up while passing thru---so him and his
wife had a comfy place to stay---as it got pretty cold.

 

 

 

 

 

Left to Right my wife Debi, High Five (Scott Williams) and his wife Sheri
We all shared the food and cooking duties (me not so much--I'm just an eater).

 

The first day here we did nothing but have fun, visiting and and a lot of hiking.
It was beautiful here-----the fall colors were better than I ever remember in my entire life.
It was so nice to see a big smile on my wife's face---she hasn't been able to get out much at all these last few years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was a bit spooked climbing these wet slippery steep ladders, but nobody else was.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was like the yellowbrick road in the Wizard Of Oz

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Left--Linda Siegfried also joined on this hike----here Husband George (Sieg) was out riding his motorcycle this day.
Linda has a WR250R and is an excellent rider (better than me). Here and George have ridden in all 50 states
and had just done Hawaii a few days before this ride.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Debi's has started a book---with notes of our travels.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

High Five built this wooden cooking station 30 years ago and still uses it.
Every morning I'd peer out the window of our motorhome and he'd already be out there cookin'
"Tell Debi to get some bisquits going"

 

 

 

 

Left--Dave Stout and Right---Roger Hayes who is a KLIM riding gear poster boy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time to ride----there are over 200 covered bridges in Indiana and over these few days we rode over a lot of them.
They are all on nice backcountry gravel roads.
High Five rode his Husky Terra---Bas3r rode his BMW800 adventure and I rode my
Honda 790 rally !!!!!! Or was it 250 ????

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the little town of Alamo, Indiana------------a very, very small town we came across what looked like to me to be and old Armory.
But I think it was an old school building some said. That tree was magnificent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the Wallace covered bridge I spotted this artesian well out back.
I know of several of these contraptions around the country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stuff we saw

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This house had some historical significance which I can't remember what it was.
It's called the Loudermilk house and is a B&B now---------google it.

 

 

This ride was organized by my good buddy Steve Fritchley-------better known as the infamous Loosenut.
Here he is sneaking one of his Loosenut ride stickers on my bike.

 

 

Well the Loosenut ride was officially over and all the people with jobs (most everybody) left.
Me and Debi stayed---I was going to ride this day---but big rain was expected later in the day and it was
pretty cool out--------we decided to get another hike in before it did and man was it spectacular.

Even High Five left with his new to him camper.

 

 

 

 

 

The coolest thing about todays hike is that the trail actually went right thru an old covered bridge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can see the new bridge on the other side that by-passed the covered bridge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the entrance to an old coal mine in the park. No entry was allowed as to not disturb the bats.
Well curiosity got the better of Debi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you look closely you can see the suspension bridge over Sugar Creek we came over a few days ago from a different trail.

 

 

 

 

All the "Good" pictures on here were taken with High Fives camera expertise.
Thanks for this wall hangar Scott. Heck----it even made me look good !!!!

 

 

Me and Deb meandered towards home making a camping stop back at Shakamak park where there was Free camping.
Yes---------I said FREEEEeeeeeeee! Seems the park service went home for the winter ????
We wanted to stay and hike some more and ride our bicycles but it rained all nite long and made things
pretty messy and we went home.

What a good time we had---those Fall Colors are imbedded in my brain.

But wait---------there's riding Video of course-----here you go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The End