honky tonkin'

August 30, 2018 — Arkansas → Oklahoma

I changed the oil this morning at a Walmart parking lot. All went smoothly. It had rained overnight, and the woman at the motel desk said I should prepare for mud. I hoped she was wrong, and she was. It was misty as I got out into the hills, and the riding was much better than yesterday on wide, nicely graded gravel, with fun switchbacks and climbs. The sun came out after an hour or so and burned off the mist.

I stopped for lunch and gas at the Oark Cafe. They do a pretty perfect burger and pie. A few miles before I reached the cafe, I was pulled over to check where I was and swear I could smell the scent of pies baking in the air.

After lunch, the roads got a bit tighter, with more single lane dirt heading up White Rock Mountain where there is a spectacular view of the Ozarks. Not too long after that I made a right onto Warloop Road and knew I was in for some fun. It's probably the most technical section of the TAT, so far but I slipped the clutch, picked my lines, and got through with no issues. I tried to get a good photo, but it's hard to capture how steep and rocky it is. At some points you're basically riding down a set of rock stairs. I wouldn't want to have to go back the way I came.

The winds picked up and skies darkened around 5pm, but the rain mostly skirted around my path. I rode the farm roads out of Arkansas and into Tahlequah OK, where I've stopped for the night.