BigDog/HighFive--Fall Colors In Missouri

[BigDogAdventures.com]

I've been making my annual pilgrimage to Potosi, Missouri to the Falling Leaf BMW rally for I don't know
how many years-------20 or more ???? I rode BMW's for probably 15 years but that was way before BigDogAdventures.

This time would be very different---as I met up with a friend Scott Williams from Oklahoma----he's better known as
"HighFive On AdvRider". And we would leave the rally and poke around Southern Missouri for the weekend looking at the scenery, finding some springs and run across so much interesting stuff.

Here is me and Scott---Scott's on his one year old BMW 800GS which he bought at the rally last year.
It's so funny---he took it for a 3 hour test ride and when he came back the dealer said "well I guess you know you bought that bike" !!! He replied with "I guess you know you just traded for a KLR" ????? Pretty funny sale I thought.

I was on my 2005 KTM 950 Adventure which I bought new in 2005.

Stay tuned as me and Scott tell of our travels for the weekend as we stopped a lot to
"Smell The Roses"

[firemanswilson61]

Another BigDog RR, Hell yes I'm in!!!!!

[Lycan1]

Sounds like fun to me. I'll stay tuned.

[cyborg]

IN

[kimzx1000r]

Wouldn't miss it.

[MCRIDER1959]

I wished I had rode my KLR to the rally and went with you guys dual sportin'.
Roger

[scout_rod79]

That 800 sure is a fine lookin' scooter!

[studad]

Big Dog:
The man
The myth
The legend!

[GSteve]

Me 2.

[HighFive]

Originally Posted by scout_rod79

That 800 sure is a fine lookin' scooter!

She's Mobile....Agile....& Hostile!

HF

[rhino_adv]

[BigDogAdventures.com]

Welcome aboard people----it's just a weekend ride ---but the fall colors, great weather and finding the stuff we did made it a stellar weekend.

Hey---Studad---thanks for putting us up---and the Brats were awesome.

On the way from my home in Southern Illinois I was on the T road West out of Perryville, Missouri.
A road I've ridden before that has almost no traffic and has not subcumbed to road straightening or
flattening out of the road---it follows the hilly terrain and is awesome.

I can't believe I'd ridden down this road so many times and didn't see this covered bridge by the road.
It was a pre-face of stopping and smelling the roses that would last the weekend.

I would meet meet many old friends at the rally and then me and Scott would head out on our
own and head farther West.
I would also be on a quest to find some more springs I have marked in my gps in Missouri.



This creek and waterfalls were right before the covered bridge.





This is the same creek that runs under the covered bridge---but across the road.



The weather was better than ever at the rally and Me and Scott camped there for one night
and headed out the next morning as the GS ride headed out with about 40 riders running nose to tail
eating each others dust----we really didn't want any part of that.
Me and Scott wanted to ride----and we both came to terms with stopping to smell the roses the next 2 days.

It really took me awhile to get accustomed to riding my 950 again----I had just returned from riding my Yamaha WR250R to Alaska and back---so it was a different world.
The biggest thing I have to get used is stopping the bigger heavier bike----the WR stops on a dime offroad--the 950 stops on a half dollar !!!!!

[HighFive]

My trip to Postosi started a little earlier than BigDog's.....I departed Rancho Highfive Thursday morning. But reckon, it really started a full year earlier. When, I explored my way up there on my KLR and somehow came home on a BMW. Here's the moment I was switching my gear over.





Say what you want, but I loved my KLR. We had been through an awful lot together....thick & thin, fast & slow, deep & wide, far & near. I put a lot of glorious miles on that bike, and had no intentions whatsoever of letting it go. I really just came to the rally to hook up with the BigDog for our first ride together. I had broken Momma's rules and talked to a stranger on the internet......that's how BD & I become acquainted. But, I had never yet met The Man, The Myth, The Legend in person. He we were circling & sniffing each other out in 2010:





However, the ride never happened. I kind of stood Mark up. Not intentionally, mind you, duty called. I was actually standing next to my KLR, ready to roll bright and early, parked next to Gateway BMW. That's when Honz shows up (the dealer) to get bikes ready for the day. And he says, "why don't you take this F800 out and get it dirty for me!" Not wanting to be a KLR snob at a BMW rally, I simply had to oblige.....figured I could squeeze in 15 minutes or so (never ridden one before).

It was love at first ride. I just kept going and going and going. The world stopped turning and I lost all sense of time. Put that demo through the paces in the paved twisties, dirt roads, two track, and even some muddy single track. I definitely brought it back dirty a LOT later. And, you know the rest of the story.

So, here's my friend & I this year, somewhere in Arkansas, "winging it" on Thursday.....while the BigDog was still at home in the recliner scratching JoJo.





Kevin rode up with me last year on his Ducati Monster, and discovered he just couldn't keep up with my KLR! He couldn't do dirt roads. So, he came better prepared on a new Multistrada this year. It is a VERY cool bike! We stopped in Fayetteville for the sacred lunch at AQ Chicken House, where my college son was able to join us between classes.





Then, we chased some forgotten, heavenly twisty road into a dark canyon for a long ways. Until Kevin says, "hey stupid, do you know we've been going Southeast for the last hour? We were supposed to be going North!" I just shrugged my shoulders and said, "Aaahh....who cares!" I'd never seen this road, and it was really good, and better yet, went to absolutely nowhere important. I never even turned on my GPS all day. Besides, we had two days to get to Potosi.....with No Plan, No Route, & No Schedule!

Eventually....because of my "No Plan" plan......we had to find somewhere to camp in the dark. We stumbled upon a campsite on some dirt road hilltop in the forest. Wasn't till the next day, we figured out it was somewhere important (I guess).








Man, do I ever sleep good in my hammock. Most comfortable thing I've ever slept in. Takes a little getting used to at first, but sweet dreams after that.

Here is the wonderful sunrise view we enjoyed! This is the moment Sir Kevin stopped doubting my internal compass forever.





Get your boots on cowboy, its time to ride! You can see a hammock makes a great chair too.



And, here is why he needs a Multistrada with 150hp: nuff said




We're out of here:





Next stop....Potosi or bust!

HF

[BigDogAdventures.com]

Originally Posted by HighFive

My trip to Postosi started a little earlier than BigDog's.....I departed Rancho Highfive Thursday morning. But reckon, it really started a full year earlier. When, I explored my way up there on my KLR and somehow came home on a BMW. Here's the moment I was switching my gear over.

Dang it----I'm still wishin' I bought your KLR instead of letting you trade it in. My ole' KLR is very tattered---high miles and it's been thru hell. But for me it's one of the best bikes ever made---and best I've ever owned.
Oh well----it still does run like a top---and like one guy on AdvRider says----------
"After the world ends---only 2 things will be moving---KLR's and cockroaches.

[BigDogAdventures.com]

My old group I hang with at the rally was devastated when we got there.
Our campsite had been molested--the one we had for 20 years----completely gone.
Our old firepit was gone and they cut down the huge trees right by it and we wandered around
like blind people trying to find a place to camp----------it just wasn't the same.
I hate change (Grumpy Old Men)

I had decided to take off in the morning and leave the rally the next morning and do some riding West of Potosi and informed my old riding buddies that was what I was going to do.
But that was a new one--we always rode around there and stayed at the rally---and no one wanted to join me.

So--the next morning me and High Five roared off West---just the 2 of us.



For you people who have never ridden in Southern Missouri----I'm telling you it is pure heaven. Stay South of I-44 and you are good to go. So many dirt and gravel roads--and nice paved ones that follow the natural terrain. It is very hilly and they are literally hundreds----I guess thousands of creeks crossings and fords to be made.
I've also ridden dirt bikes over here since the early 70's---and know lots of trails and even quite a bit of single track the quadtards hadn't found yet.



I had my gps navigating to an old railroad culvert that I had seen picture of and heard about on AdvRider----we meandered all
over the place following every dirt and gravel road we could find that led kind of toward the culvert----kind of !!!!
I don't really let a gps tell me where to go---but take suggestions.--sometimes.

It's located Here:

N37 50.704
W91 10.548

I recommend yo don't go down the road going North of the Culvert----it's a dead end---there are some really nice people living at the end---and I bet they are getting tired of bikes coming down there.







This old railroad tressel is just West of the Culvert at a low water crossing.



And this is the river going under it.

We didn't really know where we end up tonight---but it was awesome.
I had an invite to camp at StuDad's (Stuart) ranch---we'd didn't know if we'd get there or not as
we were wandering around so much.