It's amazing how little things can make a difference on a long trip like this. However, the breakfast was sub-par, so life has its cosmic balances.
Don likes themes to his ride days, and today's theme was two mountains. So after I saddled up "Pepper" we headed south towards Mount Magazine. It's the highest point in Arkansas:
The ride to the mountain was through farm country. On a motorcycle you get the full impact of the smell of farm country - especially the many chicken farms. Low flat barns with vent fans, and signs out front that said things like Tyson.
Anyway, the terrain changed from farm fields to windy roads in the woods:
And the road wound along and up the mountain, with a couple serious switchbacks, where I'm almost doing the "parking lot" turn, with the bike turning under me instead of me leaning all the way over. The feel, timing, and excitement of rapid turns is one of those joys of life - it's total absorption in the moment. And today, the reward was getting great views from the top.
Mount Magazine park has a visitor center, and there's a lot of info about butterflies. And there are lots of butterflies here. Finally got a picture of one:
Then it was down the mountain, more leafy canopied squiggly roads, and some tight turns, and then through sort of a woodsy - small farm area, rather than the larger farms earlier in the morning. And since there's a lot of time to think on a solo ride, I kind of thought about the "zen" of a long ride, which Don has mentioned, and what that means for me.
I find I get into two distinct kinds of modes when I'm riding during this trip. One is the rapid successive turn mode, when I'm looking past the curve to see what the road does next, I have pressure on both handlebars so I can switch countersteer pressure quickly, my butt is back in the seat, I'm leaned forward, kind of like I'm almost leading the bike into the turn. As soon as I see that the turn isn't going to get tighter, or is starting to open up, then I can hit the throttle. It's a very high energy mode, but it is also clean - there's no brain speculation going on, just focus on the job at hand, because it's vital I do it right. And when I do it right there's a euphoric feeling, kind of like what an animal might feel when it avoids a predator and lives another day.
The other mode happens when the road is less immediately demanding. I'm sitting more upright, I have the windshield adjusted to the wind pressure on the helmet is somewhat supportive, and I get more of the wind for cooling. I'm sitting more upright, sometimes doing a little dance in the saddle to music. I'm smelling and noticing the surroundings, and going through my automatic procedures, like check one mirror, check the other, check the map or the GPS. It's not as hard focused but it is also kind of rhythmic, with it's regular motions. And this is more of a general happy, free feeling.
OK, enough of that. I stopped for lunch:
Food was mediocre, but it was air conditioned !!!! Life's little pleasures.
Then on to the Queen Wilhelmina. Another mountain road with twists under forest canopy, but this time there were lots of places to stop and take pictures. To stop, or to enjoy the continual turn zen mode? Well, I handled that by doing it twice! So here are some pics. It's getting late - I won't do much more commentary tonight. But enjoy the Queen Wilhelmina.
And these guys in the lobby - who were reintroduced to Arkansas from Minnesota.
Yawn! Time for bed. If I'm up early tomorrow I'll add some more.
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