911 miles of Missouri Back Roads

[eemsreno]

Today I hit up some more of Tim's private stock of trails.
I went first to that Lookout TR. that Tim put pictures up of.
I have to disagree with Tim here. He said that he made a NOOB mistake. He couldn't be a NOOB and even consider this trail. Everyone makes the mistake of not turning off the Traction Control once and awhile. This trail was for true off road riders with experience only. Pictures don't do it justice.

This is from the top looking back down. I didn't go back down. Didn't want to push my luck.

Next good trail.

This trail is no longer a through trail for a solo Tenere.
A group of Dual Sports would be ok to ride through.

 

[eemsreno]

I rode this one Tim told me about.
Diamond TR.

At Goldsberry

Some place along the way.

And this turned out to probable be my favorite trail today.
Very remote and never knowing if I could make it through or if it even went through anymore.

Look how much this trail is not used.

The Red Buds where out in color today.

Picture doesn't show it but this is a foot deep trench that I had to hit with speed our I would still be stuck down here.

 

[eemsreno]

And when I came out the west end of this trail there was an old cemetery,

And a Missouri road sign.

 

[Sierra1]

This is motor-porn. Great pictures. I am surprised that it's not greener there. Y'all must still be pretty cool/cold. Our trees have been out for over a month.

 

[eemsreno]

We just had 9 inches of snow 5 days ago.

 

[Sierra1]

We just had 9 inches of snow 5 days ago.

85 +/- today.

 

[timebak]

And when I came out the west end of this trail there was an old cemetery,

And a Missouri road sign.

Ba-Ding! You found it! This is a locally famous sign that was stolen several years ago and after years of being gone the word got out as to who had it. That person was.... ahem.... convinced.... that the right thing to do was to return the sign. It was returned and replanted in 2018 or '19.

Steve, there used to be a beautiful old abandoned home a few hundred yards east of the sign that was all covered in vines. It looked like something out of a horror movie or a Sleeping Beauty type of movie. Did you notice it, or if it is still standing?

I'm glad you got to run those trails! I'm SO ready for this COVID-19 crap to be over so we can ride together again. You were literally right in the wife's family's back yard. And if you had gotten stuck, I could have gotten to you in about 40 minutes or less, from work.

 

[eemsreno]

Tim
I never seen that home.
Now I need to go back and look.

 

[timebak]

Tim
I never seen that home.
Now I need to go back and look.

I'll get you a more exact location, if I can. It was on the north side of the road. However, about 5-6 yrs ago, there was a group of kids that were going around setting fire to old homes in the area, and they torched some really beautiful, big, old empty ones, and they may have gotten that one.

 

[Don in Lodi]

Could the once missing sign have been replanted on a different corner?

 

[eemsreno]

Had a great time down in the Missouri Ozarks riding.


I climbed up this for a good view.


Camped way back in the forest at an old abandoned forest service camp ground. Most of the sites were all grown up in brush but about three sites were usable.




The forest trails are endless and great!




I found this old mill in a very pretty area.

 

[eemsreno]

Some of the water crossings get deep.




I liked this old rock fence.


I set up camp and rode without luggage for the evening.


Along the Jacks Fork River.




I need to go back soon.

 

[Balljoints]

Nice pics! I'm heading to the area from green bay Wisconsin on Saturday for probably a week. Going to be following cannonshot Ozark tour trail see how much I can get done.

 

[Madhatter]

when one lives near a large and growing urban area(Austin Texas) this thread is a great reminder that there is so much of this country that is still green and wild and not much changed in a hundred years . you just have to go take a look for yourself.

 

[eemsreno]

I can get this report going today, I came home a day earlier than Doug because I was supposed to go to Wisconsin with my son but he took off yesterday before I got home. So Doug will be getting home today. He will hopefully put up some of his pictures on this report also.

Doug "rodeoclone" and I had been planning a ride to Arkansas for a few weeks and finally took off Monday morning.
Our first nights destination was a cabin right on the shore of Table Rock Lake. Very pretty.

I slept on the deck facing the lake with the sun coming up right across from us.

Then we rode down to the War Eagle Mill. On the way we seen a classic old store.

The Mill

The funny thing about this Mill is I never recognized it when we looked around but when I showed these pictures to Michelle last night she said we've been there about 35 years ago on the Venture.

We rode some trails on the way to set up camp near Oark and stay camped there a couple days so we could ride without the loads.

It was a Nat. Forest campground with showers but not very good showers.

We ate breakfast here two mornings Great food.

 

[eemsreno]

We rode over to Bike Wash Falls and a good stream crossing.

The falls is right left of Doug but not much water coming down.

Fort Douglas Bridge

Haw Creek Falls

 

[eemsreno]

On the way back to camp that day a Pan American HD. went past in the other direction so we turned around a stopped to talk to him for a while. It was wbrisett from over on ADV Rider.

So we are camped over near Oark so I looked at the Arkansas State Highway map on my tank bag and there is a short cut road between 123 and 21, We looked it up in my Topo Delormre and it shows it as 5550 forest road. We found the road sign and it was marked 5550. So we head west on it. I highlighted in in green.

This is the Flint Store on that road.

The road became more and more remote until it became a jeep road.

When we came to this crossing Doug said It looks like the road ends and we'll have to go back. I had that hand held Garmin with me so I turned it on and told Doug well I have some good news and some bad news, which do you want first? He said give me the good news so I said well it's the same as the bad news just depends on how you take it. My GPS shows the road ending and it turns to a trail. To me that is awesome news but I had to convince Doug we should go for it. Turned into one of the highlights of the trip. Some side by sides had been going through or we probable would not of been able to make it. MUD, Mud holes, Rocks, Creeks, everything a true Adventure needs!

Well we made it through and when we came to highway 21 the road sign said 5550 at that end also. So we were on the correct road the whole time.
Can you imagine grandma in her Buick looking at the State Highway map and tacking off on that road? You have to remember " This Is Arkansas"

 

[eemsreno]

The next day we head for Missouri by way of the Peel Ferry.

Some more good stuff on the way.

Ally Springs Mill.

That evening we set up camp in Ally Springs campground and for $4.00 each had great showers , nice camping!

Thanks for looking at our pictures, See you next time Doug, Great trip!
Steve

 

[Boris]

On the way back to camp that day a Pan American HD. went past in the other direction so we turned around a stopped to talk to him for a while. It was wbrisett from over on ADV Rider.

Looks good in that colour.

 

[patrickg450]

5550 is a good road, there is a lot of good riding around there.