SaddleSore 2000 Ride Report: The First 24 Hours - Texas to Kentucky (1086 miles)

I was anxious as I checked the bike over one last time before donning my chaps, jacket, reflective vest, helmet, and gloves.  The time for planning and preparing was over.  It was time to ride and ride hard.  I kissed my wife, told her I’d be careful then eased back on the throttle, and pulled out of the garage to clear skies and bright stars.  At 12:50 a.m., my 2000-mile 48-hour Iron Butt adventure was officially underway.

Sunrise in Sulphur Springs, Texas

I stopped at a station about 3 miles from home to top off my tank and get a time/date stamped business receipt to document my start, then made my way to the Interstate.  Unlike most of the day, I-35 was almost empty.  It was as if I had the entire Interstate to myself. I enjoyed the quiet solitude and cool fresh air.  As I neared Austin, traffic began to pick-up and I was surprised at how many cars were on the road at 1:40 in the morning.  I was on high alert for drunk drivers as I made my way through downtown Austin.  My mom always said, “nothing good ever happens after midnight” so I imagined there were a few cars being driven by folks that may have partied a little too hard.  I kept my distance just in case.

Traffic thinned out after passing through Georgetown and I was once again alone.  There’s something peaceful yet slightly unsettling about riding the freeway at night.  I enjoyed the stillness, but was on edge thinking about animals lurking just outside the reach of my high beams.  I was torn between taking advantage of the open road and making the best time possible and riding more conservatively.  My fear of an undesired animal encounter won out and I kept my speed down accordingly. 

Somewhere between Austin and Temple, I realized I was getting cold.  Prolonged exposure to the cool air was having a chilling effect and was beginning to make me uncomfortable.  I kicked myself for not wearing an additional layer but was thankful I had packed my heated jacket liner.  I wouldn’t be cold for long.  I pulled into the Smart Stop in Waco at 3:37 a.m., right on schedule.  I got gas, completed my log entry, and put my heated liner on under my leather jacket.  I was back on the road in less than 15 minutes.

My heated liner kept me toasty warm as I made my way through Dallas and beyond.  I felt good.  As the sky began to lighten, I was overcome by a sense of reverence.  I thanked God for the opportunity to experience the ride and for the promise of a new day.  No matter how dark the night, we can always take comfort in knowing the sun will rise to light our way.  Within minutes of my 6:26 a.m. fuel stop in Sulphur Springs the sun fully broke the horizon…it was glorious.  With a renewed spirit, I twisted the throttle hard for my final push out of Texas.

The sign at the Arkansas state line was a welcome sight.  There’s something mentally refreshing about
entering a new state. You feel closer to your destination and it gives you a boost of energy.  Unfortunately, my exuberance didn’t last long.  Shortly after stopping in Prescott for gas, the state rolled out the real “Welcome to Arkansas” sign--road construction ahead.  Mile-after-mile of one-lane only, time-killing construction.   I thought I was in purgatory as I crept along in a line of traffic moving 55-60 miles per hour.  I was on the clock and needed to average at least 63 mph to complete the ride on time. After what seemed like an eternity, the road opened up and I pressed hard to get through Little Rock and on to Wheatley as quickly as possible.

Arkansas Road Construction

I pulled into the MAPCO in Wheatly at 11:20 a.m., 35 minutes ahead of my planned arrival time.  I was pleased with my time but starting to feel the effects of the last 650 miles.  The backsides of my legs where they contact the saddle were starting to get a little tender. It was time to take a break.  I gassed-up, completed my log, pulled a Gatorade out of the cooler in my large Viking Bag, and went inside for something to eat.  They had a nice variety of everything, as long as it was chicken.  I ordered two chicken strips and two biscuits.  I must have been hungry because I thought they were the best chicken strips I ever tasted.  After an extended 45+ minute break, I felt rejuvenated.  I geared-up and pressed toward my next stop, Jackson Tennessee.

Sadly, Arkansas wasn’t finished with me.  Shortly after leaving Wheatley, the entire eastbound side of I-40 was shut down with one lane of traffic being diverted to the westbound side.  For almost two miles, traffic inched along before folks fully made the transition and began moving at 50-55 miles per hour.  The construction zone ended about 15 miles east of Memphis.  I twisted the throttle to make-up some time.  I was going 70-75 when I hit a poorly filled pothole and my cell phone popped out of its RAM mount on my left handlebar.  I watched in terror as it fell behind me.

My first thought was “my phone is gone and I need to keep going”, but my second thought was “what if I find it and it still works”.  Being the eternal optimist, I pulled over as quickly as I could and began my walk of shame.  I had no idea exactly where it fell off and wasn’t sure that it might not have been run over by an 18-wheeler.  I kept walking.  After what seemed like a quarter mile, I was ready to give up but at that moment saw it lying screen down on the shoulder. I picked it up. The screen was shattered and its body was mangled.  I had little hope that it would still work but gently pressed the home button.  To my amazement, the screen lit up and everything appeared to work.  Hallelujah!  I made my way back to the bike, put the phone back in the RAM mount, double checked to see if it was secure, and merged back onto the Interstate.

Finally, I'm leaving Arkansas!

The Mississippi River and Memphis were a welcomed sight.  Arkansas hadn’t been very nice to me and I was happy to see it in my rear view mirror.  Traffic in Memphis was light and I quickly made my way through the city.  I was a little distraught when I heard a woman’s voice in my helmet say, “low battery, goodbye”. With my nether regions becoming more tender with each passing hour, I couldn’t imagine five more hours on the road without some form of entertainment to distract me. Not to mention what my wife would start to think when her calls went to voicemail.  Although I didn’t want to lose any saddle time, I decided I’d look for a micro-USB/USB cable in Jackson so I could run power to my Bluetooth headset.

After about an hour and a half of silence, which really wasn’t bad, I lucked upon a Wal-Mart just off the Interstate in Jackson.  Getting in and out of the parking lot took forever but I found what I needed and reestablished my communications and entertainment capability.  I rode another five miles up the Interstate to my designated fuel stop and filled-up. Even after searching for my phone and my Wal-Mart detour, I was about 5 minutes ahead of my plan.  I was thankful I had been able to run 70-75 miles an hour for most of the trip. Barring any additional delays, I calculated I’d get to my dad’s by nightfall.

Although there was some road construction and moderate traffic, my ride from Jackson through Nashville was uneventful.  I was able to maintain a good speed and the weather was perfect.  As I rode through Nashville, I remembered at one time there was an Oscar Mayer plant just off I-65.  I watched for it but never saw it.  I guess it has long since closed but thinking about it put a smile on my face as I sang the Oscar Mayer Bologna song from my childhood.  I’m glad I have a full-face helmet, otherwise people would’ve thought I was crazy.

Shadow Rider

I crossed the Kentucky state line at approximately 5:35 p.m. with a renewed sense of energy.  It felt good knowing that I only had a couple of hours left on the bike.  It had become almost impossible to find a comfortable spot to sit in the saddle or place my feet on the pegs.  I was happy to take a short fuel break in Franklin.  I stretched and ate a little jerky after filling my tank.  After drinking a quick bottle of Gatorade, I mounted the bike and rode knowing my next stop would be it for the night.

Making my way up I-65 I couldn’t help but be impressed by the green pastures and smell of fresh air. 
Kentucky is a scenic place and the ride to Louisville was proving to be quite enjoyable.  As the sun moved lower on the horizon, it was peaceful watching the landscape change colors and the shadows come out to play.  I snapped several photos of the shadow rider riding next to me.  Shortly after crossing into the Eastern Time zone, I called my dad to discuss dinner plans.  He told me dinner was waiting for me.  I pulled into my dad’s driveway just as the last bit of daylight was consumed by darkness. I pulled into the garage and slowly got off the bike.  It had been a long day.  I covered 1086 miles 18 hours and 55 minutes. In just about 9 hours I’d be doing it all over again.  It was time to eat and go to bed...

It fell off the bike at 70 mph and still works!

Riding with the shadows in Kentucky

Who is this guy and why is he following me?

Changing landscape as sun goes down

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Coming Soon…Saddlesore 2000 Ride Report: The Long Ride Home – Kentucky to Texas (1086 miles).