Ride report: chilly start to 2023

Inaugural dirt ride of 2023

One of the many benefits of living in southeast Missouri is that we are able to ride pretty much year round. Winters here are mild and unless there is snow or ice on the ground, a couple of extra layers is all that is necessary to get out on two wheels. On Wednesday, January 11, I began the new year’s riding season by commuting to work on my R1200RT. That day the weather was in the mid-60’s and I didn’t even have to wear long johns. My first dirt ride, on Saturday, January 14, was another story altogether. Temperatures were cold all weekend long and had only gotten up to 34°F when I set out on the GS from the restored railroad depot that serves as Sikeston’s welcome center.

Missouri’s Bootheel was originally a hundred miles of swampland bordering the Mississippi River. Shortly after World War 1 the swamp was drained by the same engineer who built the Panama Canal. Despite occasional flooding, the area has become some of the most fertile farmland in the world. From a motorcyclist’s perspective, this means that every ride from my home begins with twenty miles of perfectly straight and flat roads. Crowley’s Ridge, an unusual geological formation that stretches from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, to Jonesboro, Arkansas is visible for miles away. It is a line of loess hills that millions of years ago formed the western bluffs of the Mississippi River. Today they are thirty miles away from the water.

Climbing onto the Ridge

The riding got far more interesting after reaching Crowley’s Ridge. While there is no technical single track in the area, there are several gravel and dirt roads winding through the hills. Occasional creek crossings provide a fun opportunity to get the tires wet.

The first destination of the afternoon was the Gravel Hill Cemetery, a pioneer cemetery north of Bloomfield with headstones dating back to at least 1891. The old limestone headstones are heavily eroded and hard to read. The cemetery is far down a winding country lane and despite officiating funerals in the area for nearly a decade I had never before visited. Despite its remote location, it is well maintained and is still an active cemetery.

Bloomfield is the seat of Stoddard County. During the American Civil War it was one of the very few settlements in the area. Its location on Crowley’s Ridge provided strategic high ground above the surrounding swamp. The town changed hands several times during the war and is the original home of the Stars and Stripes military newspaper. Just east of the city is a Civil War cemetery where hundreds of Confederate soldiers still lie buried.

After visiting the cemetery and warming up with a some hot cocoa at the gas station in Bloomfield I headed south towards Dexter. My route took me through the Holly Ridge conservation area. It was the windiest and steepest part of the ride. Because I am relatively new to adventure riding, the hills made for a couple challenging moments and reminded me just how much I still have to learn. Fortunately, they also provide a fun place to practice my skills.

Back down off the hill

One of the serendipitous aspects of owning a GS is that I have been introduced to roads I never experienced before. Normally my commute to church brings me in on 25 miles of four lane divided highway. Since getting a dirt capable motorcycle I am able to sneak into town on one of several gravel roads coming down off the ridge. While it certainly doesn’t get me to the office any faster, riding on gravel always leaves me in a far better mood when I sit down at my computer.

Like Sikeston, Dexter has also turned its old railroad depot into a community welcome center. It also hosts the local history museum. When we first moved to town it was a perfect way to get to know our new home. Although I didn’t tour the museum this afternoon, it makes a handy photography backdrop. I wasn’t the only one taking pictures that day. As I loaded back up to head home, I passed a handful of very cold teenagers taking their senior pictures in summer weight clothes.

The final leg of the trip was twenty miles on ruler straight Bootheel gravel roads. Although it is not as scenic as Crowley’s Ridge, that kind of riding has greatly helped my confidence on lower traction surfaces. 81.2 miles (including 50 miles of dirt) close to home was a perfect way to kick off the riding season. Even though I began to feel a slight chill by the time I pulled into the garage, I did not have to stop and put on my extra layer. While so many of my riding friends are still snowed in at this time of year, I am SOFNGR8FL that I live somewhere it is possible to comfortably get out on two wheels in the middle of January. Not a bad way to start the new year.