Mardi Gras in the Mud

Mardi Gras is BACK! So I left the city. This is the short story of what happened.

Nine years ago I was first introduced to the Mississippi Hill Country Loop. The loop starts in Gluckstadt, MS (just north of Jackson), and ends in Batesville, MS. Northbound is 244 miles, and Southbound is 261 miles. It was created by the group that made the TransAmericaTrail (https://www.transamtrail.com/).

Honestly, I have never ridden the entire trail, but I’ve done different sections with my longest riding mate, Eric. What we rode on, had me believing, would be easy enough to complete solo. Some gravel trails, uphill, and a little bit of mud- nothing dire. Spoiler alert, it was not easy, and I still haven’t completed the entire loop.

Northbound: The night before it rained. The majority of the day the temperature did not rise above 42F. The roads were slick, and not well maintained. There were random spots of gravel on poorly paved roads. This lasted about 2 hours. The first bit of off-road I hit was slick mud. It was probably a half inch thick in some spots. Trying to shake off the cobwebs, I leaned back, gave it gas, and just slid around. I felt like Paikea praying to the goddess Moakuramanu in hopes that my blue whale would take me home safely. Alas, the mud got the better of me, and down I went. I say it all the time: having the boxer engine provides a certain amount of ready leverage when picking up a 600lbs motorcycle. I made it through without any more falls, but it was sketchy riding that at some points I padded with my feet.

After that initial mud fest, I continued on and found the next few roads to be closer to the fire roads I remember in the past. However, I came to a point where roads were being washed out. Some were very washed out and required slow skills and a bit of luck to get through them. Yet, I became very stuck. I was going uphill and had just passed some difficult and deep ruts. I got caught in a lesser one but was slick and thick with mud. I only had so much room to go back. First, I had to slide the front end into the rut, stand the motorcycle up, let it slide back a little ways, and hope that I had enough speed to get myself out of it. It took several tries, but with the powerful torque of the BMW (and a touch of luck), I was able to get out. I had removed all my gear from my body and luggage off the rack to lessen the weight. I had expended a lot of energy, and decided it was time to take the interstate to Batesville, MS. I had nothing to prove, and the idea of continuing to lift my motorcycle alone was not appealing to me, and I had learned that without notice the roads could be treacherous.

Southbound: Now the cobwebs were removed with a hearty shake, I was determined to make my way all the way southbound. I found the beginning of gravel roads shortly after departure. The air was warmer and sunny. Spots that had less shade were more slick, but overall fun riding. I was finding my groove. I found some small water crossings that were cleaning the caked of mud from the previous day off the belly of my motorcycle. I was smiling so big, I’m sure you could see it even with my helmet on.

I really wish I had gotten a picture of a sight I did not expect deep in Mississippi rural country: a middle aged woman in a Land Rover going through some muddy off road. We were coming from different directions, and both stopped as there was a water crossing (I call it a water crossing, but it was really a large area submerged in water). I went first no problem. I stopped, turned around, and she was going through no problem. Some of the sights you do not expect to see!

The trouble started when I turned down a road (I believe it was CR555). It looked rough and as though it had not been traveled in some time. I was right to be worried. It was a road that was washed out in many areas with large ruts. It was difficult terrain with few passages that my motorcycle was capable of handling. I had gotten past a couple of uphill challenges. I was proud that I had conquered it. I dropped the bike in some weird angles that required some problem solving and strength (major thanks to Kelcy, my trainer, in these spots). At one point, the road completely dropped off. Luckily the landowner on the side had created a path around. My map was telling me I was close to the end of this road and trying to navigate back through the previous terrain seemed daunting. I persevered.

However, I floundered on a bit of uphill, and got stuck. Really stuck. It was 1pm. I had plenty of water, food, and an extra bag of gas. I told myself, “You are not allowed to panic until 3:30 PM.”  I worked the problem. I used rope, ratchet straps, and a pulley. I was able to get the bike out, slide it down a little, and get through the terrain. I drove it the rest of the way uphill. It took an hour and a half. I wish I would have taken pictures of this endeavor, but I was so focused on the problem, the idea of documenting it did not enter my mind.

Once again, caked in mud, I decided it was better to head to Jackson, MS, and into a hotel. A shower, bath, shower was a much needed reprieve for my muscles.

A couple of things I learned. At 41 years old, I’m done riding solo off-road (this might not be entirely true, but at this exact moment it is). This ride would have been easier with another person to help push and lift with me. There were a couple of moments where I just needed a little extra push, and doing it solo took a little more out of me. Also, I needed a slightly nobbier tire. I’m riding on the Dunlop Trail Mission Max. Once in the mud, they become more street tires due to the less than nobby design. They are good tires that can handle a lot of street time. I think the MotoZ GPS Tracinator would have served me a little better in this muddy Mississippi adventure with having the 50/50 versatility of street performance. I don’t think I needed to go all the way to Contiental’s TKC 80 or Michelin’s Anakee Wild. Although I plan on riding this loop again this year, with at least one other person, I will still be using the Dunlops.