Oklahoma Mud Versus TransAmerica Trail Motorcyclists

Mud is devious. A rocky Colorado pass atop a two thousand foot drop is only rideable if and when that traction thing is working with you.

Mud does not work with you.

A few miles west of the Mississippi, hospitable elder Percy Kale manages a friendly TransAmerica Trail stop in Trenton, Arkansas,(sign-in with cold water and cookies). He warned of an Arkansas stretch where, post-rain, a TAT rider had to have his motorcycle extracted by a tractor.

The effects of our stern Kansas storm followed us back into Oklahoma. We traversed a sinuous farm road where the juicy moistness of mud nestled in the low points. We negotiated several of them until one put the A-Twin and me on our side.
Layover 1.

By mid-day it was 96-degrees, and we rumbled past endless cornfields for miles until we came to a segment appearing crusty on top. What lies beneath? The essence of non-traction. The Twin slithered to the right and down, pinning my right boot into the earth. It hurt.
Layover 2.

I requested aid via my Sena intercom, reminding the boys to photograph first. Thank God for Nate Wagner’s motocross boots. And thank Nate if you see him in Santa Barbara. With lesser boots, this story might include a broken foot. (TAT pro-tip: be hot, uncomfortable and wear gear.)

The boys assisted in picking up the Twin, which sadly lacks many grab points. Grab the seat and it pops loose at the front. I mudded forward. The bike twitched and flopped on its side. In fairness, adventure bikes give liberty to swerve off the asphalt but they're not 300 lb. dirt bikes. (See Motorcyclist's ADV bike/motocross experiment.) The TAT is mostly ADV bike territory, but it has many unpredictable stretches where the lighter bikes rule the path.
Layover 3.

Caleb decided to try the north side of the road with its thick ridges of mud marinating in brown water. He was a spectacle of flying mud chunks and minimal forward motion. His bike tipped over when he ran to help me, which was also a spectacle.
Layover 4.

We achieved dry land after a good hour. Hot Yoga; forget it—this was a workout. We celebrated the mid-point of the TAT with Caleb’s Arkansas firecrackers.

Next entry: A bit more mud.