Saturday, May 25, 2013

Migraine VS Magazine Mountain

Wednesday evening I was exhausted. Went to bed recognizing the first sign of a migraine, but hoping it would not develop.  By 3:00 AM I was sick and by 7:00 was in full migraine status with spasms in my shoulders, upper back and neck, pounding head, sensitivity to light and rolling stomach.  Max always knows when I’m sick and was loving on me.


Thursday was to be the first day of our bike ride into Arkansas to visit Magazine Mountain.  We wanted to make this trip before the holiday weekend crowd hit the highway, so postponing it wasn’t an option.  Chuck Morris and Derrill Wood had made plans and were excited to hit the road. 

Do I stay home and allow this migraine to keep me in bed for three days letting the guys have all the fun….or do I suck it up, take a bunch of pills with me and hit the road hoping for a great trip???  Let’s do this thing!

Many of you are riders.  But how many are passengers on bikes?  Let me give you some perspective from us “back seaters”. 

First, we have no frontal view to see what lies ahead.  If we lean to either side to see around you, we tip the bike/increase wind resistance/lower gas mileage/increase wind bufferage, etc.    We can’t turn around and see behind us (same causations).  We do have peripheral vision and what we can see in the side mirrors.

Second, the sensation as a passenger is like a roller coaster & small boat combined, but with no locked safety bars!  Drivers hold the handle bars and know exactly how the road twists and turns and what path you intend to take.  Passengers are along for the ride, trusting in your driving ability and strength to control it regardless of the terrain with our added weight and wind drag.  We lean when you do (rocking of the small boat) with no idea of upcoming curves, rough roads, hills or valleys (roller coaster), etc.  Are you beginning to get the idea?

Many senses are heightened with a migraine.  Smell is especially keen.  Some migraine sufferers find just the faintest perfume can increase nausea.  On a bike, one is able to easily discern surroundings through smell.  This time of year, so many options are available for enjoyment on a trip like this.  Everything is green and growing…freshly mown hay….just cut grass…fragrant lilacs…sweet honeysuckle…. Pine trees… a saw mill with newly cut logs… feed lots….chicken and turkey houses…. Hog farm… (I will NOT throw up in my helmet!  I can NOT throw up in my helmet!  If I raise my face shield and throw up… NO! it will fly back and hit Chuck!  There is no place to pull over!  Swallow. Swallow… Oh heck!  My ears just popped!  I can hear again!  I did not throw up!) Again, the sweet smell of honeysuckle….

We stopped on the way down about every hour and a half, stretched our legs, took off our helmets and got a snack or drink (I took more pills every 3 hours).  (A helmet gets very heavy on a head and neck with a migraine.) 

The scenery is absolutely breath taking!  We were all three surprised at the scope of the mountains in Arkansas.  We expected more like Southern Missouri.  Not so!  We took Arkansas Highway 7 between Harrison and Russellville and stopped at some turnouts with unbelievable views!  The photos do not do the scenery justice!


Thursday, we left our house at 8:30 AM and checked into the hotel in Russellville, AR about 6:00 PM.  We had supper at Cracker Barrel, came back to the hotel and watched some TV and hit the hay around 10:30 PM. (I fed fish, of course!)  I took extra pills so I could sleep, and hopefully wake a new woman.

A car alarm outside our window woke us before our scheduled wakeup call Friday.  (Migraine Day 2.) We left the hotel at 8:30 AM.  Today’s destination is Mount Magazine, the highest mountain in Arkansas at an elevation of 2,753 feet above sea level.  The sun on our back feels great as the temp was 65 degrees.  We began to climb the mountain on Arkansas 309.  (Refer back to passenger paragraphs.)  The curves and switchbacks were numerous and close together.  Suggested speed limits on the curves ranged from 30 mph down to 10 mph.  After several miles of this, we hit the first of several signs that read “Steep incline and sharp curves next 3 miles”.  REALLY??  What had we been on???  (On a good day I’m very susceptible to motion sickness, and this is far from a good day.)  Again, we stopped at turnouts with unbelievable panoramic views!  Rivers, lakes, farms, as far as the eye could see below us (and we were standing still while we looked).

We stopped at Magazine Mountain visitor’s center with super educational information about the history and local plant and wildlife.  (I took in a few displays, then found a couch that was just too inviting.  Leaned back, closed my eyes and tried to convince my body I felt great!) 



Back on the bikes for the final climb to see the fantastic Lodge and Cabins at the top!  We arrived and walked around enjoying God’s handiwork!  Stepped out to the very edge of “Hang Glider’s Take Off Point” and contemplated what it must feel like to gear up, take a wild run down that hill and jump out into space trusting you would soar like a bird!

The guys decided to hike the ½ mile trail to “Signal Hill”, the highest point on Mount Magazine.  I volunteered to stay with the bikes.  (As soon as they left, I stretched out on a picnic table and prayed for death!  With eyes closed, I sensed changes of dark and light.  Three huge vultures were soaring in a circle above me.  Did they know something I didn’t?)

Heading back down the mountain we enjoyed beautiful scenery and wonderful outdoor smells.  Pine trees were abundant and healthy and filled the air with their scent! We saw horses of every color and size, mules, donkeys, turkeys, chickens, cows, both sheared and full coated sheep, goats, cats, dogs, but the most unusual was a heard of one hump Camels! 

The temperature changes were very noticeable.  The higher elevation and narrow roads completely shaded by trees were quite cool.  Bridges over lakes and streams were open, sunny and warm.  Roads cut through hills were surrounded by rock that had been warmed by the sun and held the heat into the evening.  By the time we hit the Missouri line we put our jackets on and were wishing for more layers.

At our last stop, my right leg felt the pain from my seat and nearly refused to swing over the bike one more time.  We pulled into our driveway after 9:30 PM.  Friday we had been on the road over 13 hours. 

We had traveled 612 miles in two days conquering some of the most winding roads with more extreme switchbacks than I had ever seen.  It was a great trip, with fantastic scenery shared with my wonderful husband and his best friend.  I can’t wait for the next trip. (Well maybe I can wait at least a day or so!)


2 comments:

  1. Dottie you are a trooper! I'm glad you enjoyed your trip in spite of your migraine.

    Carol Hollomon

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  2. I love your writing..... This one really gave me a "Chuck-le" ! Thank you for taking the time to do this and sharing it with all of us. Keep it up!

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