A Sultry Summer Ride by Don West Well it’s the dog days of summer.  I look at my mountain bike with disdain.  I would rather be riding my road bike, but my mountain bike hangs on its rack in the garage looking lonely and neglected. So when a got a call the other weekend to ride at Wedington with Rachel, I almost said no.  But how can I turn down a ride with one of the best junior mountain bikers in the state. After meeting at the Arvest Bank in Fayetteville, we car pooled over to the trailhead just 12 miles west of town.  Temperatures were all ready hovering around 88 degrees at 10am. “It’s gonna be a hot one today,” I said as we suited up for the ride. Rachel didn’t seem to be bothered by the heat, but I had my doubts.  We took off up the first climb from the parking lot.  Not 50 feet up the trail I felt the sweet accumulating on my forehead and streaming down my legs.  The second climb was completely washed out and required a quick dismount and run up the hill. Back on the ridge top we got back into the groove.  I love the feel of the bike as I bank it into the turns, rolling smoothly through each of the sweeping corners.  The new section of singletrack flows effortlessly.  Coming up to the big log jump, I stand up in anticipation.  On approach, I push down, pull up and feel myself defying gravity for a moment as I clear the obstacle.  Sweet!  I love when I do that.  We climb and descend several more times before popping out on the dirt road.  I push the bike up through the rock obstacle course to the flatter start and begin the rock crawl slowly up the ridge. I struggle to maintain my balance through the more technical sections. Coming up on the rock crevasse, I make my way all the way to the steep approach to the ridge top before dismounting and walking up.  The ridge top is merciless. Small baby heads collaborate to push me of the trail, but I resist and spin my way through the rock maze.  My speed slowly increases as I approach the overlook.  The dense tree foliage blocks the view all the way to Siloam Springs, but I know it’s there from my many other fall and winter visits.  Rachel sticks tenaciously to my wheel as we drop down the other side, and cross the road.  The trail dips and rises on my favorite piece of trail down past the power lines and into a quite valley.  We climb all the way up to the first of the twin knobs and ride the fast ridge between the two hills. At the next intersection a series of trees had fallen across the trail from spring thunderstorms.  “This looks like a good place to turn around,” I said. BY this time the temperatures soared into the mid-to-upper 90’s. My gloves were becoming soaked in my own sweat.  Attempts to wipe spider webs away from my face only smeared my own sweat into my eyes.  My eyes squinted and closed briefly in a protective response.  I swerve and feel my front wheel bounce off rocks along the side of the trail. Crossing the power lines on the way back going uphill, I felt like a was riding through an oven. Skipping the technical ridgeline ride, Rachel and I opt for the more docile dirt road section back to the singletrack.  We share our love for the sport in a brief discussion as we get a chance to ride side by side for a short time.  Turning back on the trail, we blast down the descent and maintain the flow all the way back to the truck.  My negative thoughts of riding earlier in the day melt in the glow of the after ride buzz. We laugh and recap our ride as we return to town.  I guess that summer ride wasn’t so bad after all. First Snow Ride of 2006 I've been looking forward to riding at the Buffalo Headwaters for more than a month. Today was finally the day to make the hour drive to Red Star to meet my fellow mountain bikers. Cold temperatures kept several of my friends in Fayetteville, but I wasn't going to let a little snow and cold keep me from a great day for a ride. I was pleased to see a few new faces at Red Star. Dale, Pat, Clayton, and Kevin joined the normal crew of How, Kate, Linden, and myself. We started out the ride with a swift descent down an old logging road to the Buffalo River. The snow made cornering an exercise of intense concentration. Turning with the handlebars sharply was a recipe for a crash, so you had to adjust your position on the bike just so. The snow cover covered all the obstacles so you to have a little faith in choosing the right line. We climbed up a new section of trail to the south bench. How managed to pick up a small tack on the descent. He had never changed his wheel before. The wheel has attached to the frame without a quick release so you had to undo a bolt and pull the axle out torepair a puncture. After we got the bike back together, we took off. Hickory Flats was a blast. How and I traded bikes half way through. He had got a brand new Santa Cruz with mucho suspensiono. Very plush. We made our way up the Azalea Falls trail and topped out on an old logging trail to make the connection with the Highline Trail. We stopped at How's pad to warm our toes and grab a bite to eat. How was gracious enough to have fixed a cornbread bean and rice cassarole for the whole group. Well done How! We even enjoyed a few glasses of hot tea, before heading back out into the cold. Temperatures were rising making the snow a little slushy, making it easier to stick to the bike and everything else. The front derailleur was becoming useless. I still managed to clean most of the technical sections of trail. We finished off the ride with a wicked descent down Wildcat Hollow. Riders were dropping like flies. Some of the riders opted to fnish the ride at How's the rest all managed to gets flats on the descent. The climb up the Hwy 16 really took a toll. The road was getting muddy now and the snow was slowing the wheel in the rear. Just like riding with your brakes slightly engaged. No fun. I was short on time, so I made a quick retreat back to Red Star to finish a great day on the bike. Headwaters Challenge 2005 At around 9AM on Saturday November 26th 16 hardcore mountain bikers rode away from Headwaters School in Red Star and began the 1st annual OHC. The ride started with about ½ mile of hwy followed by a fast and technical descent into the Big Buffalo Creek watershed. A couple of miles of creek bottom doubletrack were followed by 9 miles of technical and flowing and technical and flowing singletrack snaking along the ridges and benches of the Buffalo National River Headwaters. After a food and beverage stop, the riders continued down FR1476 to technical creek bottom doubletrack leading eventually to the Hailstone kayak launch at the edge of the Upper Buffalo Wilderness Area. The course climbed up FR1463, crossed Hwy 16 and followed homestead trails around the ridges surrounding the West Fork of Piney Creek. At the end of the ridge the riders began a heinous descent down an old horse trail to Piney Creek. Singletrack running down the creek connected to a long hard doubletrack climb followed by miles and miles of sweet flowing singletrack finally descending the infamous switchback maze to Piney Creek bottoms. A warm fire, hot food and Fat Tire Ale washed away the day. Thanks to everyone who helped make this a success for all. And on a rather curious side note… A lot of energy sweat and pain were harnessed raking leaves off singletrack trails prior to the Challenge. We were looking forward to using these clean trails through the year. But alas about 90% is leaf covered again. I wondered how had this happened? Turkeys? Armadillos? Wind? Deer? But none of the above! Had I not seen this with my own eyes I would not have believed it. A flock of thousands of robins visited the area recently. And they really loved the ribbon of bare ground running through the forest. So much so that they dug and kicked leaves from the sides of the trail back on top. Aargh… Oh well you know what they say about the best-laid plans of man!