Missouri Adventure Riders Thread

[robotsthrowingrocks]

I've had about 100 yards worth of sand experience on the Lost Creek ride and I received the sage advice of "the trick to sand, is to avoid it" (paraphrased).

[Oh2RideMore]

Rode lost creek last year, and that is definitely the hardest part of the ride. Deep gravel, sand, and water. The rest is back wood riding. I would not want to ride the slag piles at st joe though without a paddle tire.

[ThumperDRZ]

Originally Posted by Oh2RideMore

Rode lost creek last year, and that is definitely the hardest part of the ride. Deep gravel, sand, and water. The rest is back wood riding. I would not want to ride the slag piles at st joe though without a paddle tire.

The sand at St. Joe's gets you up into the woods.....with a paddle tire you would be stuck on the bottoms. A good knobbie does fine in the sand there. I went on a Thursday once - there were 5 cars in the parking lot

[BigDogAdventures.com]

I sent an invite out to all Missouri adventure riders to ride with me last weekend--nobody showed up.

The weather was so nice last weekend---I loaded up the KLR with full camping and cooking gear and headed to Missouri to find some more springs. I've got a wad of them loaded in my gps. Not the big ones in the state parks---the little ones that no one knows about and the ones great grandpa knew where they were---but he's dead.

So I avoided the big towns--the big springs--the big roads---that's the way I seem to navigate anymore---avoiding places ---rather than going to them. You'll find neat stuff. So I did navigate the smaller places.

ON the way I had to have breakfast in Pincnkeyville, Illinois.



And as I putted thru Chestor Missouri I knew I'd see Popeye---but had never noticed Brutus before----he looks brand new---pretty neat.



I wasn't far into Missouri---and I saw a spring waypoint nearby.
I navigated to "Lithium Spring".










Not far away I say waypoint BlueSpring----there are about 5 springs in Missouri called Blue Spring--so my waypoint said BlueSpring5.

I may have trespassed about 200 ft.--but no signs as I rode thru the dirt to the bluff.




So here it is--just off the road---you would have never know it was there if not for the gps navigation. After checking it out---I rode up the hill and talked to an older lady (my age ) and asked her about the history of the spring-----"what spring she said" ??? She'd live about 400 yards from it all here life and didn't know it was there. she said her husband was gone and i told her when he got home to walk down the hill and go to the right before the creek and there it would be. I don't know if she believed me or not.




This spring I didn't find---it was off the road quite a bit on private property and I didn't trespass---but was hoping to find someone and get permission to see it-----I didn't know how lucky the weekend was going to be for me. I've tried to find a lot of these before and had bad luck with private property.



This is not a spring---it's an artesian well---if these people didn't have that hose over the well---water would be squirting up into the air---they used this for their drinking water.



Navigating to my next spring----I hiked from this point to it. It was just a small little water hole---I may have deleted the picture.



Cox Spring----was down a dead end narrow dirt road---you would have overlooked it without the gps.



I was a tiny thing---but beautiful--and I was overwhelmed I even found it.




Evidently the locals knew it was there----nearby was a little fire ring and a superb place to remote camp. I am dead set on camping there someday.




I ran into a long time friend Tom Huff--he was on his absolutely spotless brand new looking 1200GS BMW----I told him not to get to close to my KLR as it hadn't been washed in over a year.



This spring was right beside the road on private ground---but again you would have never know what it was driving by as it looked like a empty swimming pool. I never ventured any closer---but off in the distance I could see the overflowing spring going over a small dam and running into this pool--which then made a creek. Really neat----how would you like to have that in your yard



There was no way around this mudhole-----luckily it had a bottom .



There was no one out----the RV's still had anti-freeze in their water system----the bikes with no mufflers were still under $250 winter storage at the bike shop---no hunters--no fisherman----not on this lonely road.



I made it to loggers lake campground about one hour before sunset and set up my tent and got ready to cook dinner.







Much More To Come
Tomorrow would bring many more springs and 50 creek and river crossings

[BigDogAdventures.com]

The gps file to follow along.

[Oh2RideMore]

Camped there last year, a very nice secluded campground in national forest land. The storms before I went had dropped lots of trees, and the ranger said anyone could cut as much wood laying on the ground as they wanted. So much nicer than the state parks where it stays where it fell or else. Did you have the place to your self?

[BigDogAdventures.com]

I had a magnificent beef stew mountain house meal last night courtesy of my jet-boil-------------who needs women. I can boil water just fine.

It was a beautiful night sleeping--and "Big Anges" kept me plenty warm. She's a big fat girl--but keeps you warm. She don't like be all cramped up in the compression bag and was glad to stretch out and do her thing.
Big Agnes--is my sleeping bag by the way

I was up at 5 AM cooking breakfast in the dark.





My new Sea To Summit collapsible cup



Presto------who needs women ????



I'm glad I didn't run into this guy----it wasn't the fact that he had a gun and was willing to use it--and had a big dog that would bite !!!

But the fact he had a gun and was willing to use it---had a big dog that would bite----and was illiterate-------a dangerous combination.



Not far at all from the last picture I find this spring down the hill-----I could see the spring---but considering I wasn't far from a guy with a gun that couldn't spell-----and the 10 barking hound dogs in this picture (look close)-------I got a quick pic and putted on down the dirt road.




The big gravel road went to the left---and the little dirt road went to the right---------I didn't care where it went---I was going down it.




I'm not going to post every creek and river I crossed---it would get old--but most were like this. I swear I crossed more creeks then Massas Creek and Lost Creek put together.



This road was not traveled much and I would find out why.



So very few get to see this spring.




I was ecstatic over this find.




This road went on for miles and was mostly muddy water crossings instead of the usual creek crossings---it deteriorated into not much---and I smelled a rat.




This crossing and bluff reminded me of Suttons Bluff in Missouri.




I was pretty deep I could see.




And on the other side it was a pretty muddy lip you had to climb up with no momentum to carry you up---and besides that--the bottom wasn't the usual rocky bottom--it was like sand--quick sand---and my KLR sunk deep but I powered out of it and made it across.




This river here I didn't attempt---oh I thought about it. I could see it was at least 4 ft. deep------looks can be deceiving I knew and I figure it was probably actually deeper. I calculated a 98% chance of filling my motor full of water----I was alone---in the middle of nowhere and found a way out----I wouldn't have tried that creek on a smaller bike.



You can see my navigation to my next spring in the area------I was so close on my bike--but the gps said it was 200ft. away---and I'd have to hike across to creeks and up a hill to get to it----I'm not much of a hiker---but I had worked hard getting here and crossed a dozen creeks.



There are 2 creeks to cross in front of my bike---I hiked across them--got my feet wetter than they already were and found the spring.



See the water coming out of the pipe ???
The actual spring was up the cliff a bit.





Taken from up the cliff--my bike is across that creek.



The actual spring





When I got back to the bike-----I noticed 2 concrete pourings--with bolts sticking up----an old pump maybe ?????? Nothing was around here---nothing ???



I rode passed this one 3 times before I spied it in the woods.







No house----no nothing no where ???? Sure wish I knew the history of this one. I hadn't seen a soul all morning----but nothing but a jeep, dirt bike or 4-wheeler could get where I had been.







More to come

[BigDogAdventures.com]

This Spring here really had me going----I rode the bike farther than I was suppose to---then started hiking carrying the gps---crossed a creek and couldn't find it. I gave up a started back but noticed a really small hiking path that I don't think anybody had walked on all year--they probably gave up looking for the spring---one of the best finds that weekend.





The discharge of the spring made a pond and then went into the creek.

I had endeavored to persevere as the Indian "Lone Watey" said---in Josey Wales.






I can't remember if I found this one or not.




I ended up down a dead end road at the current river.
It was such a great day---the wind got to be horrible near home---but out in the woods it was no bother.



I could not believe I saw these wild horses running around---they caught sight of my KLR and took off----I went after them and finally got zoomed in enough with my camera to get a good shot of them.






I'll go spring hunting again----when you get the call --you better go---I got over 100 more to find. Bring toilet paper---food, water and a tent.

[BigDogAdventures.com]

If you can't read my license plate-----it's

DL SPRT 7


Dual sport 7 of course. I used to have 1,2,3,4,5,6 but sold those bikes and never transfered the license numbers. My wife has DL SPT 2 on her car.

BigDog

[BigDogAdventures.com]

Originally Posted by Oh2RideMore

Camped there last year, a very nice secluded campground in national forest land. The storms before I went had dropped lots of trees, and the ranger said anyone could cut as much wood laying on the ground as they wanted. So much nicer than the state parks where it stays where it fell or else. Did you have the place to your self?

There was one other fellow there in a jeep---all by himself and he had been camping there for a couple days. We talked a bit---but kept our camping distance so we'd each have a nice night of solitude.

There was firewood everywhere---all cut up and in big piles---I had a great fire---I'm sure it was from all the downed trees from the storm.

I don't think there is a fee to camp there.

The story I hear is that loggers lake was built to flood the creek when they wanted to-----so they could float timber down the creek---that was probably back in the 50's ?????

[bash3r]

Thanks for sharing BigDog.. looks like you had a great time out there exploring! That ole KLR still kick up the mud

[DRZ Charlie]

Loved the report Mark. Must have been cool finding those places. Thanks for posting this. I got the .gpx file saved, maybe one day soon.

[BigDogAdventures.com]

Originally Posted by bash3r

Thanks for sharing BigDog.. looks like you had a great time out there exploring! That ole KLR still kick up the mud

Yeh----the ole' KLR is like me------bout wore out

If it dies before me--I'll make a mailbox out of it.
My wife would love that---------"NOT"

It did finally get a bath that weekend

BigDog

[BigDogAdventures.com]

Originally Posted by DRZ Charlie

Loved the report Mark. Must have been cool finding those places. Thanks for posting this. I got the .gpx file saved, maybe one day soon.

HI DRZ Charlie

The gps tracks are almost 100% safe to follow and keep from trespassing---just a couple little itty bitty teeny weeny places--but they're obvious. There were a few dead end turn arounds--but they were fun too. I didn't edit anything out. I'm gonna bet almost none of this would be do-able after a rain. I was surprised at the mud----and it had been so dry there were forest fire danger warnings posted. I was actually afraid to build a fire at loggers lake. The wind settled and I did.

Glad you enjoyed it.

Mark

[DingWeed]

I had endeavored to persevere as the Indian "Lone Watey" said---in Josey Wales.














I'll go spring hunting again----when you get the call --you better go---I got over 100 more to find. Bring toilet paper---food, water and a tent.
[/QUOTE]
Great pics and RR, Mark!

Spring hunting looks like a good time!!!........Maybe next year I will make it

out Missoura way!! Ill have plenty of TP and Jetboil and ol Big Agnes for

sure!!

Thanks for sharing

Scott