Catoosa Adventure

Tuesday morning, temps in the lower 50s, sky blue, no rain and going to get to about 80 or so.  Biker friend Paul called the night before to see if I wanted to go do some adventure riding.  I said yes so we agreed on a 8:30 a.m. meet up at the Seymour McDonalds.  I got dressed in layers because as it warms you start peeling off layers of clothing.  I left the house just before 8 so I could stop next door at Wiegel's and top off the gas tank.  Then I putted over to McDs and grabbed a cup of coffee, still 20 min. before take off time.  Just as I finished my coffee and started putting my gear back on Paul rode up.  Three minutes later we were on our way. 

We took some of the familiar roads toward Maryville, then a turn here and a turn there to by-pass this and get over to there, sort of route.

This would take us by some great farms, some up-scale housing sites and away from major business places so that we could enjoy this lovely day and scenery.

We would go over by Wurtburg, TN which is southwest of Knoxville to get to our destination where the real adventure would start.

The rivers and lakes we crossed were almost mirror smooth this morning.  On some you could barely see a ripple.

The fresh green grass just fit the pallet of the farm animals too.  And if they needed a sip of water to wash it down, it was right there by them.

This ride would take us over the Plateau which means you climb, climb, climb then flatten out for a bit before you start to drop, drop, drop.

They were making this road even better as they were straightening out some of the sharp curves making it more like sweepers.  Now when they construct a retaining wall here in TN, they don't mean some 3 or 4 ft. block wall, they mean 20 or 30 ft. of heavy construction block.

Slow and easy.  Don't want any speeding fines in this area.  Would lose a lot of gas money by getting a fine.

Love these country roads.  Just have to keep remembering they are two way traffic so can't go crazy, just stay in your lane.

After a bit we came by Potter's Falls.  If you're not looking you will drive past it and miss out on a nice scenic place.  This picture is looking up river from the falls.  I'm standing on a bridge with lots of graffiti on the guard rails.

Here's a couple more pics of the water heading to the falls.

On the down river side of the bridge are the falls.  That ledge seen here drops about 30' or more to a large pool and then runs off down the mountain.  Know what that yellow streak in the middle of the picture is for?

Little Hoss parked near Paul's white rafter (inside joke) across the road from the falls.  A good place to take our first short brake of the day.

Back on the road we are now on the Plateau.  Rolling hills and large farms.  And the weather is jusssst right.

We soon turn in a different direction and pick up a nice road toward our destination.  This was just a long curvy grade up and then a curvy grade down.

The old Nemo Bridge.  Now replaced by a newer concrete bridge.  This area was devastated many years ago when the river flooded.  Now you can just walk across but no vehicles.

Yes, it does mean what it shows.  In this direction, you're turning sharply to the left and going up hill all at the same time.  Later, you're hoping the road turns before the you hit the house.

We're getting closer now.  The road narrows and heads deeper into the woods.  No banjos playing yet.

And now the adventure begins.  Or we thought so but then today starts turkey hunting season, only hunters can enter.  So we ponder a bit.  Talk it over between us and decide, the road to the right has a sign to stay out but the road to the left doesn't.  So I guess that means we can go to the left.  So we did.

And away we go, like any good adventurer would, slow and easy, reading the signs of the road, looking for pot holes and other things that could cause one to have an upset.

We come to a bridge and Paul stops in the middle of it.  Pondering again, I wonder if we should keep going.  Yeah, why not.  All they can do is tell us to get out.

So off we go heading deeper into the woods.  This is the Catoosa Wildlife Management Area.  Mega acres of woodlands, creeks and who know what else.

Paul waiting at the edge of one of several large mud puddles we would cross today.  I told him I'd cross so he could see how deep it was.  My bike has more ground clearance.

We crossed another like this but it was a bit deeper and had deep ruts in it that you could not see.  I went across first, rear end slipped and I almost went down but gassed it quickly enough that I was able to put a foot down on dry ground and not in the muddy water.  Paul was behind me and watching my path.  He decided to take a slightly different direction across the mud hole.  Error.

He hit the rut with his front wheel and layed himself and his bike down in the mud hole.  It was about a foot deep.  His whole left side was wet and muddy along with the same side of his bike, his camera and his left saddle bag and its contents.  

Before all of that happened we met a turkey hunter who told us where we would have to turn and that the road a few years ago had cars that traveled it but that it was rougher than the one we were on.  He also said if we didn't have a special permit it would cost us $200 fine for being on the road anytime in that preserve.  Not good news to hear.  Paul navigating another mud hole with deep ruts.

After a while we hit a good stretch of gravel that was taking us all the way out to highway 299.  Somewhat of a relief because this was the hardest and worst road I have ever biked on.

It was so much smoother than where we had come that it almost felt like we were on an interstate.  Well, not really but you get the idea.

Paul navigating a fallen tree across the road.  Wouldn't want to be riding in here at night.  That tree would be like running into a clothesline.

We finally arrived back to a paved road that would take us to 299.  And what a relief.  I was working so hard on that rough road that I eventually was down to my T-shirt and riding jacket and still sweating.

Now we could crank it up a bit and cool off.  It was near lunch time and I was getting hungry.

We rode into the town of Oakdale.  That red roof building to the left is the Oakdale Methodist Church.  This is a small community, more like a mining town.

From Oakdale we wound around to Harriman and a Hardee's for a much needed Thick Burger.  Two for one.  So we split it.  Use coupons when we can allows for more gasoline.  I took this parting shot of Paul and his now dusty dirty bike and body.  It was a good day, even with the mishap.  Paul strained his shoulder when we were picking up his bike so hope that doesn't cause loss of riding in the future.

It's days like this that go down in the cells of memory to ponder over for years or days to come.  Neither of us is a young buck, his buck is older than my buck.  But we do have some fun.  Now I know this is not everyone's cup of tea and I wouldn't want to do it every day, but I can handle it at least once a week.  Besides, if we're out in the woods somewhere, we're not getting into trouble at the house.

Whatever it is that allows you rejuvenating time, do it.  We all need to refresh our batteries sometimes and we all don't have to do the same thing to get refreshed.  So in the coming day, do something involving fun.  You're never to old to love life.  Until the next adventure, stay safe, be nice.