Kate and I live in Fayetteville, Arkansas and since this was our first adventure ride, we didn't want to go too far until we were more comfortable on the new bike. So, West Fork sounded like a good option for the trial run. West Fork is a small town that's been around since the 1880's and is nestled along the White River in the picturesque Ozark Mountains. We took Highway 71 South out of town, quickly leaving Fayetteville in our rear view mirrors, excited to start exploring a town we'd never visited before. Turning off the highway onto Woolsey Road/35 we crossed over the river on a really cool trestle type bridge. Kate wanted to stop there and take some pictures but we decided to go down the road a ways to find a good place to turn around. We found a good spot to pull over next to this beautiful old barn.
Our plan was to ride back down to the bridge for the pictures but the road ahead of us beckoned so we continued down Woolsey until it turned into McKnight Avenue, a nice little residential area. Kate and I weren't looking for residential that day so we turned around and headed back down Woolsey until it became WinnCreek road.
Initially the road looked like this.............................But quickly turned into this.............................
We rode on dirt and gravel roads through places called Gum Spring Hollow, past Riley Creek and on past Weaver and Porter Hollows. It was great fun but I have to admit to being a little nervous since this was my first time going off pavement on the big BMW. The skies were looking a little menacing but as I mentioned earlier, the storms weren't supposed to start for another couple of hours.
That being said we turned north on Bethlehem Road, back in the direction of home in case the storms weren't working on the weathermen's schedule. I decided to stop one last time to take the picture we're using for the header on this blog when a loud thunderclap exploded directly over our heads. We packed up our camera gear and were back on the bike as the first raindrops began to fall. My biggest concern at this point wasn't getting hit by lightning, which seemed to be striking a little too close for comfort, but the dirt roads turning to mud, causing us to bog down and get stuck. I was thrilled when we came upon County Road 224, also called Union Star Road and saw that it actually was road. Wonderful asphalt tarmac.
By this time the rain was really coming down and I was thankful for several things. Namely my riding jacket that kept my upper body dry and warm and my full face helmet. Kate felt the same on the back. Except for our legs and feet, we were dry and toasty. I was also thankful for BMW's riding modes and traction control which helped the Adventure handle flawlessly in the pouring rain.
Working our way through downtown West Fork we turned north on Highway 71 for the ride home. Heading north put us our ahead of the storm and the rain slackened up the closer we got to home. Within 15 minutes of pulling into the garage and changing into some dry clothes, the storm caught up with us and soaked the entire neighborhood. It was raining so hard we couldn't see our neighbor's house across the street. I guess timing really is everything.
Kate and I both really enjoyed our first time out on the bike and getting caught in the rain just added to the adventure. We plan on returning to West Fork to finish up where we left off. I'm sure there's much more to see but we'll be sure to pick a sunny day for our return to the little town along the White River in the Ozark Mountains.
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