Biking the Big Dam Bridge 100

Last Saturday, in celebration of my 61st birthday, Sue and I drove to Little Rock to ride the Big Dam Bridge 100.

This charity ride is only four years old, but it has already become the largest cycling event in Arkansas, drawing some 2,000 participants. Sue and I both achieved personal records. On her part, she rode 30 miles at an average speed of 16.5 mph. I took on the 100-mile marathon, cruising along at 18.8 mph.

It was a pleasant trip--nice soft beds in the motel, plenty of friendly fellow cyclists, oodles of lovely bikes to admire!

If you want to get a feel for this event, have a look at the following youtube videos. The first video shows some leisurely riders cruising to a catchy tune. The second gives a better idea of what it is like riding in a pace line.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGF5FVr1QRY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIfZabkEqX4

Dave and Lisa Kayak the North Fork River

In the third weekend of September, David and Lisa came for a brief visit. Basically, they had three days of fairly steady rain, but they were able to squeeze in a kayak trip down the North Fork River. Below the dam the North Fork is very cold and has become a nationally famous trout-fishing stream, so a float down it always includes a chance to see plenty of decked-out fishermen--often in the process of reeling in a big one. Usually one can also see many fish, a few happy herons, and the occasional bald eagle. This fall there were also plenty of wildflowers in bloom--though their names escape me at the moment. The accompanying snapshot shows David and Lisa as they were about to set out on their float.

While they floated the river, Sue and I biked in the area. We both warmed up on River Road, which runs for four miles along the bank of the White River. It's a very pretty ride--both because of the river with its dramatic bluffs and because a couple of the home-owners are enthusiastic and successful gardeners whose yards are always luxuriant and colorful. Sue stayed below in the flatlands while I completed my ride by climbing Matney Mountain. Matney is one of the best climbs in northern Arkansas--two miles uphill culminating on a ridge that provides lovely expansive views of the Ozark National Forest spread out below. The downhill cruise is fast and fun taking me to the 40 mph range that I try to maintain as my upper limit. Any faster and I start to get very scared.

Because of the plentiful rain, the four of us entertained ourselves playing ping pong on the table that I built from plywood siding salvaged from residing sections of our home in Jonesboro. Note the steady red-eye focus as David gets the ping-pong ball perfectly centered on his paddle.

Ordinary Adventures

Not all memorable adventures require extraordinary effort.

Yesterday afternoon Sue and I decided to cartop our kayaks over to nearby Hand Cove Landing. On the brief drive down the lane, we passed two twin fawns, standing on the road's edge, unperturbed by our presence.

After putting our kayaks in the water, we paddled over to Sandy Island. The shores of Norfork Lake are mainly composed of limestone ledges and rocky strands, but near Hand Cove Landing there are several ample stretches of glistening sand which are capable of sustaining the illusion that one is on a Caribbean Isle. Sandy Island is a great place for a quick swim.

After rounding the island, we paddled along Jordan Cliffs. The ledge at the top stands fifteen or twenty feet above deep water and is often used for diving. At one point a hole in the ledge leads to a twisting cave that descends to an opening slightly above the water line. It's a tight squeeze which I, despite some interest in caving, have never tried.

The composition of the rock along this section of the lake is endlessly fascinating. Much of it is stratified shale which often breaks off--here there is a block of a size to be used in constructing Washington's Monument anew, over there one sees a scattering of thin plates suitable for paving stones, dinner plates, or guillotine blades. Then there are sections of the cliff where fist-sized stones seem cemented together by some natural mortar. Finally, there is a column of twisted rock rising from the water, like something formed from molten lava.

In a cove past the edge of the cliffs, we reached a further unusual geological phenomenon. The rocks here are like gigantic weathered blocks, rounded at the corners, but fitted together like massive paving stones. Some of these stones have been eaten away from below and stand on the backs of others like three-legged turtles. Very strange.

From Jordan we paddled across a narrow bay toward another cove with a sandy beach. As we were nearing the beach a flight of geese--perhaps a dozen in all--glided down, not fifteen feet above us, to skid to a stop on the surface of the reflective waters. Then, no more than five minutes later, a mature bald eagle sailed high overhead.

It was a perfect adventure in our ordinary lives.