Week in Review .. a Week to Renew

Skip showed up late Sunday night and he and I damn near welcomed daylight getting caught up. I believe it was 5 AM when we finally shut down.

Monday was spent playing with the tractor and a chainsaw. I had started a trail through the property early last fall, but the project was short-lived. I didn't think the chainsaw I had would take down a tree that laid across the path I was trying to blaze.

Skip made short work of that tree. The path needs to be about 8' wide so I can get the tractor through. Where the path crosses this tree was about 15' from the roots and had branched out by this point. There were quite a few branches to cut down to forge a path. Most being about 15" + in diameter.

We finished up before daylight expired and retired to the house to fix up dinner and sip a few excellent beers. This is how the rest of the night went -- although we didn't come close to 5 AM this time!

Tuesday's agenda was to spoon a rear and front tire on the KLR then head over to Asheville to hit a beer store. Like we needed more beer! Meh! you can never have too much beer!    ; )

The front tire came off rather easily, but we were struggling to get the valve tube inserted in place. After a quick look on the internet, we found a clue to make it easier. If you inflate the tire a little bit, it will help provide enough stiffness that it will go into the hole easier (I TRIED to find a NON-sexual way to word that, but failed so went back to this).  Besides the easier insertion, if it is aired a bit, it is less likely to get pinched as you slip on the rubber. (okay, that's all the sex references)

The rear tire also came off rather easily. Having searched the web earlier, we also found what seemed an easier approach to mounting, so the installation of the tire went easier than the front tire did. After the tires were mounted on the wheels and the wheels back on the bike, we headed towards Asheville.

We managed to find both places we were going to without complication, which is a feat for me. I have never been to Asheville when I didn't get misdirected at some point. Once the beer was obtained, we were headed back to the house to .... drink more beer!    ; )

Wednesday's forecast was for clear skies and 50* temperatures. It's time to see what these tires can do. They are billed as a 60/40 (60% on-road and 40% off-road) tire.

We are cruising along TN-32 which is an immensely fun stretch of freshly paved road that eventually turns to gravel. However, there were many white patches within the curves and IN the lane of travel. They looked like salt, but when you get closer sometimes it was salt, sometimes it was just discolored pavement (maybe from salt).

I had a problem distinguishing between the two and took a more cautious approach. Hey! I've crashed *enough*! ... and I'm with Skip, so we are doubling our chances for something to happen.

From there it would be forest roads and goat paths. The tires did fine on the asphalt. Although, off-road ... they were less successful. They are not knobbies and the KLR is a heavy, sluggish pig. Those two factors added together can be limiting.

We came to a trail and took it. We were scooting along fine until we came across this.

The picture doesn't do the steepness of the hill justice, nor can you see how rocky it is about halfway up.

Skip was able to take his KLX right up it without issue. I got stuck about 3/4 of the way up. I turned around and headed back down as I was getting no traction in the rocky/muddy substrate that halted my progress.

After getting back down and catching a breath, I decided to give it another go. I got to about the same spot, hit the same rock, and got the same result.

I turned back around again, and Skip suggested we abandon this trail and go find another. I was willing to try or to let him and see if it was just the rider, but he insisted we go find somewhere else to explore. So, that's what we did.

It didn't take too long to find another path and we are getting along it rather well. We get to the crest of a hill and it starts a long, steady descent. The trail is not super slick but it is a little "soft". Skip asks "Do you think you can get back up this if we have to?"

Since there was no rock to slow me down, I tell him I may throw it down, but believe I can get back up. Cool! off we go!

We followed this trail until we had no alternative but to turn around. There were logs (well, okay, a fallen tree or two) strewn across the path and there was no visible way around them ... at least not for my bike and it's limitations (not to mention the rider's limitations).

It's hard to see, but the sign down there by the highway is the "Tennessee Welcomes You" sign on westbound I-40

We hung out here briefly and chatted and then it was decided turning back would be our best option.





When we took off, Skip told me to take the lead. The logic was that if he had to help, then he was behind me and wouldn't have to come back down, just to go back up. I think he just wanted to see me throw my bike on the ground. Being the obliging fool that I am, that is just what I did.

The very first "whoop" I came to, I managed to drop it ... HARD! I am not sure how I did it.

I recall putting my feet down because I hadn't carried enough momentum to counter the muck. It was thicker than I had planned. I had my feet down. the bike started to tip, I had saved it, then ... BAM! down me and the bike go.

I couldn't get it righted being on an incline, so Skip had to help me. We decide we will see how much is rider and how much is bike by switching rides.

HOLY CRAP! I jumped on his bike and just eased on up the hill. If I needed to power through, it was there, ready and able. His KLX is so much lighter and more nimble than that pig of a KLR is. Riding up that hill was ... effortless!

I got up there much quicker than he did so brought out the camera and got a few shots of him coming up the hill ...

Again the picture doesn't do the slope justice

We kept on trying to find new territory to explore that the KLR and I could handle. Once again, a short piece down the "road" we found more. We came to an old homesite with nothing but the chimney remaining and stopped once again.

The sun (hidden by clouds now) was getting low on the horizon. We needed to come up with an "exit strategy" to find pavement before it got dark.

On our way back to "civilization" we found this little roadside waterfall. 

We stopped and Skip played with the camera for a bit. 

Skip called it Smiley Falls ... here's why ...

Just hangin' out while Skip plays with the camera

This road put us back on TN-32 and we were a short half hour from the house. Once again, I was rather timid (probably too much so) as I couldn't determine what was salt in the road and what was discoloration. Either way, we got back to the house, fixed dinner, and polished off the night with some more excellent beers.

Thursday was spent at the house. We had intended to go caving, but that didn't pan out. No worries, we hadn't played on the lathe yet, and there is no shortage of material to turn here.  ; )   We went back down to the tree we had cut on Monday and snagged up a couple pieces of that. We cut and treated what we weren't going to use right now, and processed a piece so that Skip could turn a bowl out of it. Here he is workin' it ...

After we finished in the garage, the rest of the night was spent .... you guessed it, sippin' on some good barley, malt, and hops. 

It's always a great time when Skip and I get together. This one seems to be even moreso. Maybe because it's fresher on my mind, I don't know, but it just seems that this visit was not just appreciated, but needed. I have a renewed feeling. 

It is so easy to get into a rut here. I think this break was beneficial for me, plus we discussed some stuff that gave me something to think about.