Hard Lessons, Big Miles, Bigger Smiles

Trans America Trail – Days 8 – 16

Repairs, heat waves, and the run-up to the Rockies

Day 8 – Back in the Mountains (179 miles)
We left Greg’s cabin on Day Eight and headed straight into the mountains. About an hour in, we were turned around by a washout and had to backtrack through some gnarly terrain in the rain for nearly an hour. To get back on track, we had to slab it for 50 miles.

We stopped for a break and chatted with a fellow rider doing the SEBDR. That’s when Greg noticed I was missing the subframe bolt on the left side of my bike. We checked his, and sure enough, he had the same issue. We’d been beating these bikes up and down mountains, and they were quite literally starting to fall apart.

We navigated to the nearest Home Depot for another round of parking lot repairs. After getting the bikes patched up, we needed to find a place to camp and ended up at Jones Creek Campground, south of Dalton. We scored a free dispersed camping spot right on the river. We had a nice fire and racked out early.

Day 9 – Three States in One Day (192 miles)
Day Nine started in Georgia, dipped into Alabama for about 10 miles, and then crossed into Tennessee. Unfortunately, most of the day was on asphalt, and we weren’t too impressed with how much road riding we were doing.

We had a tough time finding a campsite and ended up about 15 miles off-trail at David Crockett State Park, west of Pulaski, Tennessee. It turned out to be a great stop—with a good fire, clean bathhouse, and solid amenities.

Day 10 – Tennessee Wins Us Over (222 miles)
Day Ten changed our minds about Tennessee. We spent most of the day on gravel, although it was fresh and felt like riding on marbles—slow going, but beautiful.

We dipped back into Alabama, where I had the best cheeseburger I’ve eaten in decades at a hole-in-the-wall general store in Waterloo. Only locals went there, and we quickly saw why—the food, service, and prices were all incredible.

We ended the day just inside Mississippi, near Corinth, staying at Cross City RV. The owner let us pitch our tents outside a rental cabin, and we had access to a bathroom and a patio where we hung out and discussed the day.

Day 11 – Mississippi Gravel and Tacos (201 miles)
The weather had been beautiful, and Day Eleven was no different as we wound through Mississippi. The “terrorist gravel,” as we now call it, persisted.

We’d had tacos on our minds since the beginning of the trip, so we detoured a dozen miles off-trail to a taco truck outside a gas station in Oxford—home of Ole Miss. Worth it.

We crossed the mighty Mississippi River at the end of the day and found a hidden gem: Storm Creek State Park in Helena, Arkansas. We had the place to ourselves, except for another TAT enthusiast overlanding in a Jeep LJ. We slept well—except for a 2AM raccoon that refused to leave our picnic table.

Day 12 – The TAT Shack (189 miles)
We were excited for Day Twelve because we were aiming for the TAT Shack. It’s a single-wide trailer set aside for riders by a gentleman named Pete, who built a house for himself in the back. What he’s doing for the TAT community is amazing—AC, cots, a working restroom, and even a few beers in the fridge. All he asks for is donations to keep the place running. Highly recommend—and please donate!

Earlier that day, we met Percy at his TAT Stop—a small roadside attraction full of antiques and knickknacks. He sits out front every day and chats with riders. We signed the TAT log that goes back decades and had a great conversation with this legend.

The ride through the Ozark National Forest was one of my favorites so far, with most of the day spent off-road.

Day 13 – Pies We Should Have Tried (239 miles)
Day Thirteen started with some mild off-road riding before we rolled into Oark, Arkansas, and the Oark General Store. The breakfast was incredible, served by some of the most hospitable folks we’ve met. They had tons of pies on display, but we were too full to try any.

The rest of Arkansas was a great 50/50 mix of pavement and gravel through farmland, gentle hills, and valleys. We made it about an hour into Oklahoma and stayed at Lake Hudson RV Park, where we were told to pitch our tents anywhere. We chose a spot by the lake, under a full moon, with perfect weather.

We skipped the rain flies due to the heat—despite a 2% chance of rain—and regretted it when a downpour hit at 4AM.

Day 14 – Oklahoma Heat (282 miles)
We packed up a semi-wet camp and started Day Fourteen with breakfast burritos. I’d never had chips and salsa for breakfast before—highly recommend.

We jumped back on the gravel and quickly found ourselves in the monotonous farmlands of Oklahoma. It’s a beautiful region, and being from Kansas, it felt nostalgic for me—but the 110°F heat index and a 35mph crosswind made us reconsider. We made a unified decision to slab it through Oklahoma and save a day for a side adventure later.

We ended the day at a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers campground at Fort Supply, Oklahoma. For just $9, it was a fantastic stay.

Day 15 – Long Miles, Big Smiles (319 miles)
Our longest—and surprisingly most fun—day of the trip. We aimed to make it all the way to Trinidad, CO, where I used to live and where my former boss runs an RV park.

We slabbed it to Boise City, then jumped back on the trail and were in New Mexico within 25 miles. The riding in New Mexico and Colorado was the best yet. The gravel was well-packed, allowing for near-highway speeds—far better than the “terrorist gravel” we’d endured.

We pulled into Trinidad around 3 PM after gaining an hour with the time change. We were greeted by my former employer and great friends, who welcomed us with burgers, wings, and a fantastic night of conversation and reminiscing.

Day 16 – Rest Day / Repairs
We spent Day Sixteen as a full down day to tackle a multi-page repair list. We replaced headlights, changed oil, and cleaned all our gear and bikes.

We ended the day with an amazing steak dinner. Huge thanks to Mike and Rhonda of Raton Pass RV Park for their generosity and hospitality.

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Takeaways from the First Half of the TAT:
Stay flexible. Don’t chain yourself to a rigid schedule or the full mileage. Make it your trip.

Accept mistakes. You’ll miss turns, break gear, forget things, and drop your bike. It’s part of the adventure.

Soak it in. The ride is incredible, but so is the scenery, the people, and the culture along the way.

With the eastern half of the U.S. behind us, we were ready for what lay ahead: the mighty Rockies.