A top 20 ride

[old2soon]

       Ya ever have a day where if it wuz any better it would be beyond perfect? My ridin friend-J T-and I managed one yesterday. We met up at Twin Bridges here in Missouri-Jct of Mo. 181 and Mo. 14-just before 1300 hrs local went K S U with J T in the lead-otherwise I twist her tail too cursed hard-and stayed with Mo. 181 til it ends at U S 160 in Gainesville Mo. Stopped at a handy mart in gnsvl and J T said he were hungry and I sez lets roll down into Mt. Home Ar. so we got back on 160 W to 5 S and on into Mt. Home and found the Popeyes chicken jernt-again-and started plans fer maybe gittin back home da long way. Little gal that took our order was able to give us directions to Norfolk dam just outside Salesville Ar. so went K S U and headed out. We were at the E end of Bus 62 where it ties back into the bypass and needed to git on 5 S. Now in her defense she did say the first time at the top of the ramp go R BUT she corrected herself and said L onto 5 S. J T wuz lead and started to go R and I laid on the air horn and he made a slightly illegal L turn from the R lane. Anywho 5 S to 177 E and around some twists and turns we stopped in a wide spot just before te dam.After a few minutes an Arkansas State Trooper pulled in behind us. Kaka. I walked back and asked wuz we O K parked here fer a bit and he said yes. Thanked me for my service and I told him I had his back and he also mentioned this wuz his Favorite radar spot. Walked back to J T and maybe a minute later i hear tires grabbin fer grip and the sound of that Police Interceptor Hemi givin everything it's got. A cage had effed up comin off the bridge. K S U again cross the dam 177 to 223 N and headed back to Missouri. Somewhere in the twistys on 223-J T-still lead a Dodge dually with a long trailer decided he wanted more of our lane than his. I was in a left lean when i saw left front tire and a good bit of grill headed right at me. I was forced up against the white line on the outside of my lane. Figured out later it were a goodly drop thru trees to the bottom had either one of us gone over. Crossed into Missouri stopped at South Fork and rolled into West Plains fueled and went home. J T wuz sposed to call me after he got home-maybe 20-25 minutes. Hour and a half later i call him straight to voice mail! Damn. 20 minutes after that he calls me. He had left his phone at South Fork and had to jump into his pickup and retrieve his phone, It wuz EXACTLY where he left on top of the ice machine. I wadded up 186 miles high 60s low 70s All day clear sun shiny skys and i have a good case of racoon eyes.  So-How wuz yer day?  RIDE SAFE.

[Willow]

Nice riding area.  My brother lives in Salesville.  There are a couple of nice alternatives to straight down 5.  Over to 126 south out of Sparta down to the ferry and on to Yellville.  Another is Z south off 60 and across to Ada on 14 (or is it 16?).  Nice rides.  Even more down into Arkansas.   

[old2soon]

Nice riding area.  My brother lives in Salesville.  There are a couple of nice alternatives to straight down 5.  Over to 126 south out of Sparta down to the ferry and on to Yellville.  Another is Z south off 60 and across to Ada on 14 (or is it 16?).  Nice rides.  Even more down into Arkansas.   

          Thanks Carl. Have ta keep that in mind. Does your Brother ride? And if yes-What do he ride? Curious mind and likea dat. RIDE SAFE.

[Willow]

      Thanks Carl. Have ta keep that in mind. Does your Brother ride? And if yes-What do he ride? Curious mind and likea dat. RIDE SAFE.

He did but hasn't for several years now.  His latest was a Yamaha cruiser.  I ride down to visit from time to time.  I've taken friends through that area on rides.

[DDT (12)]

Dennis,

Sounds like a great day in the saddle! Glad that 'Bear' was friendly after all, and that JT was able to retrieve his phone OK. I assume you forgave him for the start his not answering gave you!

DDT

[old2soon]

Dennis,

Sounds like a great day in the saddle! Glad that 'Bear' was friendly after all, and that JT was able to retrieve his phone OK. I assume you forgave him for the start his not answering gave you!

DDT

             Yeah-we both had a bit of a chuckle over the phone thingy. The roads to his casa are tree lined and at a bit after 1800 hrs the sun Is lower in the sky with a Lot of strobing. He IS Very aware of the lighting BUT you never Know til you hear from someone who is Extremely reliable bout returning phone calls. I waited til after he called me back for that after ride beer case I had to go lookin fer what I feared. Thank GOD that weren't the situation. Other than the phone glitch thingy as the O P stated the ride the day the company were bout near on close to perfection as one could hope. When I walked into his corner of the shop today soon as we saw each other we started laughing right out loud.  We KNOW we Will continue to ride together when we can. RIDE SAFE.

[Black Pearl's Captain]

Willow took me down a top 5 road in that area once. I've road it many times since then. Push mountain road, hwy 341 south from Norfork. It has gone down in pavement quality as of last fall but is still a great 60 mph curvy road.

Continue on west on 16 to Sand Gap and then north on 7 to 123 for a top 3 ride someday.