Traversing The TAT (Trans-America Trail) Chapter 8

A narrow gravel road greeted us shortly after we got back on the TAT.  Sunlight beamed through the trees and lit a sparkling path before us.  It was like nature was putting on a little light show for us, egging us on to go further and faster along the TAT.  The beauty and the excitement got the best of all of us but Tracy and I were the first to succumb to the enticing TAT.  It sparkled our eyes and whispered to us sweetly. Enjoy this as much as you can for it may not be here forever.

For a short while, Tracy and I apparently lost our minds and we raced along, dust rising in our trail with the sun flashing through the green canopy like a golden strobe light.  It was a mesmerizing environment and somehow time stopped.  We had become as one with our surroundings.  I knew we were moving at a rapid pace but the sense of speed was gone.  The feel from my fishtailing bike in the soft gravel only made me feel more part of the environment.  As the bike slowly swayed back and forth beneath me, I imagined being part of a school of fish.  I followed the swaying tail of the bike in front of me, and sped forward trying to keep up with my fellow school member on a stream of gravel,  not water.    I knew something was propelling me.  It was not fins, but the fire from within the bike as well as the fire inside me.  Ultimately we came to a “T” in the road where we were forced to stop and the magic moments were no more.  But we both exchanged knowing smiles, we both knew that we had been enchanted by this particular section of the TAT.  The ladies of our group, apparently much smarter than us, caught up to us at the T junction.  Tracy and I just smiled but I know the ladies knew we had been enchanted and our little escapade was a joyous event for Tracy and I.  We sat at the junction for a brief time and told MaryLee and Kim how much fun we had just had.

By the way, if you don’t know, click on any one of the pictures in the gallery below and it will open that picture into a full size picture and then you can click your way through the remainder of the pictures in either direction in full size.

Our little jaunt over, it was time to get going.  As we rode the narrow gravel, we started seeing the first signs of water crossings.  Small slabs of concrete had been poured over narrow creek beds.  Most were less than 100 feet wide with a one inch deep flow of water lazily crossing half the width of the concrete.  We straight lined most of them and before long, we got cocky.  Once again, we started enjoying ourselves and Tracy and MaryLee quickly vanished into the distance while Kim and I dawdled along enjoying the green canopy that surrounded us.

I had almost forgotten about the our travelling companions when we rounded a corner and started down an incline.  There in front of us lay Tracy’s bike on its side.  A downtrodden looking couple stood and gazed down at the machine which seemed to be taking a nap in the very shallow water.  It was a sorry sight.  They both stood there for a while, a bit dazed about the whole event.

Tracy, a veteran rider of more than 30 years fell off his bike in less than an inch of water?  How could that happen?  I quickly got my answer as I stopped and dismounted my bike to assist.  As I hurried over to them, I stepped into the tiny stream and almost ended on my backside.  This was no ordinary water crossing.  This water crossing was over a layer of stone, not concrete.  An on that stone was an almost invisible very slippery and slimy algae.  No wonder Tracy fell off!  I have walked on skating rinks in my shoes before and I can honestly say that this rock was far more slippery.

Now the three of us stared at Tracy’s stricken machine while Kim stood at the side of the crossing taking pictures.  For posterity!  Surely three of us could easily pick up a 650cc motorcycle!  But it was not to be.  Each time we reached down to pick it up, we started scrambling for footing.  This algae was slimy!  So in a concerted and coordinated manner we proceeded to pick the bike up.  After a couple of tries, we were able to get it back on two wheels.  Now all we had to do was push it across the water crossing.

Very carefully, the three of us slowly pushed the bike to the opposite side of the water crossing.  We decided that we had better get the other three bikes across as well.  So Tracy and I agreed that we would take the ladies’ bikes across the water crossing ourselves.  It wasn’t that the ladies were not good riders, it was the thought of either of them going down on this slippery rock would not be pleasant.  But how to do it?

Riding with legs outstretched like outriggers, Tracy slowly rode MaryLee’s bike across.  Then it was my turn, first Kim’s machine and then mine.  But it must have been a real sight watching two middle aged men taking the bikes across the crossing.  With only an inch of water, we must have looked like we were 4 year old beginners.  It was not a difficult task, but it sure was a slow one.

When we had all four bikes across, it was time to inspect Tracy’s bike for damage.  His right pannier was damaged significantly.  It was bent backwards and downwards and its perfect rectangular shape was now a very interesting trapezoid.  The lid lay hanging at the side of the pannier but it had retained its shape.  Once we flipped the lid over the top of the pannier, two separate gaping isosceles triangles appeared under the lid leaving the contents of the pannier in the elements.

We would have to make a field fix if Tracy was to be able to use his pannier for the remainder of the trip.  I got out my toolkit, but there wasn’t really anything that would help this mangled pannier.  So we’d have to improvise and improvise we did.  We roamed the area and found a fist size rock.  That ought to do the trick I thought as Tracy prepared to do his best McGyver impersonation.

With a little pounding and tugging, we were able to get the pannier to be rectangular enough to be able to close the lid with the assistance of some good old duct tape.  That stuff is great for everything!

After about an hour at and on the side of the trail, Tracy’s pannier was sealed and we were once again on the TAT motoring towards the evenings destination.  Little did we know it but we were to have another challenge that day and let me say that this challenge was no bull!