A Woman on the Trans America Trail
By Anke Irmscher
August, 2003

When I started riding a motorcycle years ago in Germany, you would take any bike on any road surface -pavement, dirt, gravel sand, cobble stones, you name it. Now everything is very specialized. If you have a street bike you ride on paved roads, if you have a dirt bike, you put in on your truck and drive to the motocross track to ride. And then there are the so-called dual sport motorcycles that supposedly can do it all. But where do you ride them?

In the summer of 2003 I wanted to ride my motorcycle across the country-from New York City to Southern California-on dirt roads, trails and back roads. I think I'm a strong intermediate rider, and felt that I had the necessary skills and would be challenged by the experience. Reading a dual sport magazine, REV, I came across a report about Sam Correro's Trans America Trail. This trail sounded perfect-exactly what I had been looking for. I went on Sam's website to get more information, and I have to admit that some of the reports by riders that had been on the trail scared me a little. They were talking about mud, rain, washed out bridges, falls…maybe I was not experienced enough to do this! In fact from the reports the Trail seemed to be a man's territory. So I decided to call Sam (e-mails had already been exchanged) and when I called, he seemed surprised that he found himself talking to a woman. He graciously answered all my questions regarding hotels, cell phone service, tires, etc., and assured me that the sections in the East are fairly easy and can be done on a big dual sport bike like my Kawasaki KLR 650 with dual sport tires (no knobbys needed). I decided to ride the trail for two or three days. Sam suggested Arkansas Ozarks and Eastern Oklahoma, and even offered to accompany me for a while.

I met Sam on Friday, August 8, 2003 in Clinton, AR. There had been a small change in the motorcycle I was riding - a few days before I was scheduled to depart New York City, I came home one night to find the rear tire still chained and the rest of the bike gone. Luckily, one of the local dealers had just gotten in a 1999 Suzuki DR650. It had a lot of extras, like a four gallon gas tank (which is a must for the Trail), and was much better equipped for riding in the dirt than the KLR. After a pleasant evening talking about the Trail and what to expect and making final preparations to my bike, I went to bed around 9:00 p.m., but was too excited to get to sleep easily! We started the next morning around 7:00a.m. Sam had already explained the roll charts and maps to me, so I was ready to go. Sam was following in a truck, but would not get involved in navigating the Trail. This was my job! I had been a little worried that keeping on top of the roll charts would required all my attention, leaving little time to enjoy the ride. But the roll charts are really easy to read, and I quickly relaxed. I realized that my odometer was a little slower than Sam's, so whenever I got to the mileage stated on the roll chart and had not made my turn yet, I knew I had just missed it. In some sections, the roll charts also have GPS coordinates, which is an additional benefit. For riding the Trail you don't need a GPS, but it gave me a feeling of additional security, and you always know where you are and where you came from. These little gadgets are great! For long distance off-road rides I would recommend mounting a GPS to the handlebars of your bike and connecting it to an external power source through a cigarette lighter. The vibration is just too great for battery use, and you are constantly running out of power. I used a GPS (Magellan Meridian Platinum) for the first time on this trip, and aside from the Trail, it enabled me to go on small roads and dirt trails that are not on most maps. However, Sam's Trail maps are very good and detailed. I consulted the map every 10 to 20 miles just to make sure I was where I was supposed to be.

The Trail through the Arkansas Ozark National Forest is beautiful and easy to ride. Generally, it's a gentle mountain ride, with thick forest on both sides of the mostly dirt or gravel road, wide enough for cars to go on. On the motorcycle you can go 40-50 miles/hour - in dry conditions that is. In rain these roads can be quite treacherous, I believe. There are also some stretches on pavement. There are a few sections were the Trail is a little more challenging, but I was always able to enjoy the beautiful countryside. (Except for one two-mile stretch that I will get to later.) During the ride I saw a black bear cub, lots of deer, wild turkeys and various other birds.

At lunchtime about 100 miles away from our starting point in Clinton, we came to Oark, where we could get food and gas. The place we stopped is called the "Oark General Stone & Café." They have only three items on the menu, and it was still hard to decide what to order. I had fried catfish and Sam had ribs and pie for dessert, and we shared an appetizer order of frog legs. Everything was delicious and plenty of it! It was impossible to eat it all. Our waiter remembered other Trail riders that had stopped in, and reassured us that they are always open (even Sundays) and always have gas. In front of the Café are two gas pumps that look like they have not been used in years - but indeed are in working order.

Our next stop was about 40 miles later at the White Rock Mt. Scenic outlook. To get there, you have to get off the Trail and ride up the mountain for about one-mile. The view is quite spectacular, and after enjoying it all I had to do was go back and pick up the Trail where I had left it. This is where I made a mistake that cost me 45 minutes. By that point I was so confident and navigating with such ease that I didn't clearly notice where I had left the Trail. Instead of going back one mile, I turned much sooner and was now going in the wrong direction. According to the roll charge the next turn was in 2.09 miles. Luckily, there was no turn after 2.09 miles; otherwise I would have gotten further lost. So I rode back to the scenic viewpoint - twice - before I consulted the map and checked the GPS coordinates. Forty-five minutes later, I was back on the Trail. Sam was already on his bike and looking for me, because we wanted to ride the last section together. Sam had mentioned that this would be the "fun part" with mud holes and stuff, where the truck could not go.

So we rode off on War Loop Road, me in front. It was the same type of dirt road I had been riding on all day. Gradually the road got narrower, and there were a few puddles. It didn't register to me that they were there even though it had not rained in days, perhaps weeks, and that the rest of the trail had been dusty and dry. So sure enough, I got stuck in the first big - what I though was a puddle - but in fact, turned out to be a deep mud hole.

The bike just got stuck and fell over, burying me underneath in the stinky mud. I managed to get myself up from under the bike and Sam helped me pick it up. (I think I could have picked it up by myself, but mud is so heavy and sticky it would have been a real challenge.) To my surprise the bike started right away, and I was able to pull it out of the mud. Five minutes later - me still shaking from the fall - I found myself on a somewhat steep, rocky downhill trail. It had started easy, and by the time I realized that my skill level was not quite up to master this gracefully, it was too late (meaning impossible) to turn around. I survived without falling, but it could have gone either way…

All this could have been avoided. There was a little bypass at the mud hole, and if you read the maps carefully, you can always find a way around sections that are too difficult. But after a full day of pleasant and easy trail riding, it just didn't occur to me that the terrain would suddenly change. Once I realized that I couldn't turn back, I took several deep breaths and I concentrated on the five feet in front of me all the way to the bottom. I was exhilarated at finishing without a fall, but aware that overconfidence can be more dangerous than a treacherous road! I learned to expect the unexpected, and to respect that this was not a smooth paved road for cars - terrain changes might come about suddenly and to be as prepared as possible for them.

We spent the night in Alma, AR. Fortunately, the motel had laundry facilities and I was able to wash my one and only riding outfit. We had a light salad dinner and no wine or beer - since we were still full from lunch and because we were in a dry country, like most of Arkansas - at a restaurant next to the motel.

The next day Sam and I would both ride our bikes, which meant that I had to carry my luggage on my bike. I tried to pack very light: two T-shirts, a couple of pairs of underwear and socks, one pair of pants, a pair of shoes and flip flops in addition to my riding gear. I also brought a tiny laptop computer, digital camera, cell phone, the GPS, and all the cables for these, maps, some tools and a spare tube for the bike, a small wash bag and a little towel. Packing light is crucial. You don't need a lot on the road/trail, and can always ship additional clothing and items to your destination.

The next morning we started around 7:00 a.m. again - with the new roll charts loaded. The Trail continued through the magnificent Ozarks much like the day before, with rolling mountains and beautiful forest. Sam followed behind me for the first 50 miles. Then he had to turn around and go back to the truck and drive home. A few miles before the first gas stop in Lincoln, AR it was time to say goodbye to Sam. His expertise on the Trail and his passion for the off road experience was greatly appreciated.

I was on my own now. In nearby Lincoln I got gas and something to eat. About 75 miles after the starting point in Alma, I reached the Oklahoma State line. The next 70 miles were still curvy with a few hills. I enjoyed the ride very much and navigation was easy. No washed out bridges or obstacles in my way. The next gas, water and snack stop was Salina, OK. At the gas station I discovered a hug nail in my rear tire. Luckily, it had just gone through two knobbys on the side on the tire and did not puncture the tire. I had to borrow a hammer to get it out. I carried all the stuff to fix a flat but only have experience on bicycles so far…

After Salina the countryside changes quite a bit. Now the land is flat and the dirt roads straight. But at least they are dirt roads! Oklahoma has plenty of them. In the afternoon it rained for about an hour - which made my bike even muddier. Since most of Oklahoma is mapped on a grid of one-mile square, it is pretty hard to get lost. I might have gotten off the Trail once or twice for a few miles, but did not have to backtrack like the day before. Consulting the Trail maps made it easy to get back on track. After about 240 miles I came to Bartlesville, OK and found a Super 8 Motel right where the trail left off. A fun weekend on the Trans America Trail had ended. I wished I had maps and roll charts for a few more days.

I'll admit that I was a bit nervous to tackle the Trans America Trail. But research into what the Trail was like from other riders and from Sam convinced me to accept the challenge. Now that I know that I can this and enjoy it, I would prefer to ride with at least one other person, so that we can help each other in case something happens. But one day I will ride the entire trail - with an accomplice or not!

On the balance of my trip I had to find my own dirt roads and trails. This surprisingly, with the help of a GPS, is possible. Nevertheless, many times I ended up in people's front yards or at a dead end, and had to backtrack. It is much easier on the Trail with Sam's roll charts and detailed maps that always show where the next gas station or a motel can be found. Additionally, I spent about one hour each night looking for a motel and another hour to plan the route for the next day. I also checked in quickly at home when I took a break for gas or food, and called every night by 7:00 p.m. with my exact location and next day's planned route. In this way, someone always knew where I was, and what my approximate route would be in case of an accident.

All in all, I have a profound feeling of accomplishment for having taken this trip, and traveling on the Trail was one of the highlights. While I only rode the Arkansas-Oklahoma portion of the Trail, I believe the easier sections of the Trail could be navigated by a confident beginner with some off road experience, but perhaps are more suited to be least an intermediate rider. Experts will love the more challenging sections and won't have to navigate around steeper or rockier sections. The detailed maps that Sam provides make it easy to determine how to get around obstacles or sections that might be beyond your skill level.

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