Natchez Trace Parkway - Iron Butt Style

[Valueman]

Sorry - the pics are not great. On IB rides I always get focused on the miles and never take enough photos. VM


The idea of doing an Iron Butt Association Saddlesore Ride - 1,000 miles in 24 hours - on the Natchez Trace Parkway first occurred to me about a year ago. I have done other Saddlesore rides, but the routes were dominated by interstate highways where one can chew up miles easily. I was looking for a new twist.

The scenery along the Natchez Trace would make the ride enjoyable. The heavily-enforced 50 mph speed limit would add a new challenge. I adopted a self-imposed rule that earning one of those “performance awards” handed out by federal rangers on the Trace would invalidate the ride.

Summer was slipping away, and it was beginning to look like the ride would not happen, then fate intervened. At our August cub meeting Duke Dunsford shared his tale of riding a Ninja 250 in the Iron Butt Rally. This gave new life to my plans, then I got an unexpected free weekend. The ride was on!!

As with other long distance rides I have done, I started adjusting my sleep cycle early in the week. I gradually got up a little earlier each morning. Friday I was at my office shortly after 4:00 am. I put in a full work day, left around lunchtime, and then went home for some sleep. At 6:00 pm I woke, dressed and did the final check of bike and equipment.

At 6:30 I headed out, but not to start the ride. A local cigar shop was having a cigar tasting event. Smoking a free cigar and hanging out with a few buddies seemed like a good way to get in the right frame of mind. I asked one of friends to sign my witness form to start the ride, and one of the store owners said he would be glad witness the end of my ride. I told him I would see him the next day and hit the road. My official start time was 7:50 pm.



The Trace is “only” 441 miles long. Riding the entire length and back would leave me short of the 1,000 miles needed. So, I hopped on I-40 and rode 60 miles west. I got a gas receipt in Hurricane Mills to document this leg of the trip. It was about 10:00 pm I got on the Trace headed for Natchez, Mississippi.

For the first hour or so I would occasionally see other vehicles. After midnight the traffic became nonexistent. At one stretch I went over 2.5 hours without seeing another vehicle.

Animals, on the other hand were abundant. It seemed like about every twenty minutes or so a raccoon, armadillo, rabbit, opossum, squirrel, fox or some other creature would raise the excitement level by darting into my path of travel. Even more nerve racking were the deer. None of them ever jumped into the road, but the light reflecting out of their large, glassy eyes was a constant reminder that they were abundant in the area.

Between Tupelo and Jackson I pulled over to stretch my legs. As I turned the key off I was amazed at the sense of overwhelming darkness. The moon was no longer out and a small layer of wispy clouds obscured the starlight. The glow from my GPS unit stood out like a fireball.

NTP Sign, Natchez, MS – 7:30 AM



NTP Sign, Nashville, TN – 4:30 PM



While fueling up in Natchez a lady brought her young son over to look at my motorcycle. She asked where I was headed, and was amazed when I told her I was riding up to Nashville. “In one day!?!” she asked. I did not tell her that she literally only knew half the story.

About 70 miles north of Natchez I saw a couple of guys on cruisers, and it occurred to me that these were the first motorcycles I had seen in over 500 miles. I guess that just proves that most riders are not as crazy as I am.

By mid-morning I was dealing with the heat that I knew day would bring. I had begun hydrating through the night, something I learned on previous rides. I had also installed a shorter windshield for improved air flow and packed my Silver Eagle cooling vest. At gas stops I filled my CamelBack with ice from fountain drink machines. The temperature climbed to over 100 degrees, but I stayed very comfortable thanks to having the right gear.

I was back in Nashville by about 4:30 pm, and by 5:00 pm I was enjoying a small cigar with the gentleman who had just signed as a witness for the end of the ride.

[priapismic]

Nice write-up! That's a unique way to score your Iron Butt 1k, staying off the main highways and avoiding the trucks and traffic.

I've been on most of the NTP, very nice, relaxing ride, gentle curves and a nice, flowing rhythm to the road. Riding at night as you did would have scared the bejabbers outta me, though.

What did you do for gas stops while on the parkway? My memory recalls me having to get off the parkway and hunt for gas. That could've been problematic considering the small rural towns that are near the parkway, not likely you'd find many of them open.

[Valueman]

On the Trace you stop for gas when it is available, not when you have to. Gas tank capacity was a major factor in my choosing to do the trip on the FJR rather than my BMW. Riding at "Trace Pace" the FJR gets about 55 mpg, and the tank holds a lot more gas than the 1150. It also a gas gauge.

After filling up in Hurricane Mills (60 miles west of Nashville) I calculated that I could make it to Tupelo on one tank. However, as I rode back to Nashville I got to thinking about how stupid I would feel if I ran out of gas 20 miles short of Tupelo at 1:00 AM So, I topped off the tank at a place about 2 miles from the north end of the Trace.

Looking at the indicated gallons purchased on my gas receipts, I could have made it with about 0.7 gallons to spare. But, the peace of mind was probably worth the stop.

I had scouted Tupelo a bit, so I knew of gas stations just off the Trace. In Jackson the Trace basically runs right through the city now - it actually goes over the interstate - so gas was no problem there.

The more I think about the danger of riding at night on the Trace, the more I convince myself that I would never do this again. In the write up I talk about the spot where it was overwhelmingly dark. What I edited out was the incident right before that stop.

Something jumped out in front me. I gently squeezed the brakes then swerved - the thing swerved - I swerved again. As I focused on trying to avoid the animal in front of me I felt something bounce off my boot. I have no idea what it was, I am just glad I didn't hit it more squarely.

As I stood there at that dark spot I thought about the implications of having a "get off" in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere. This trip was not the smartest thing I have ever done. Still, I am already making plans for my next IB ride.

[GypsyRR]

VM - great write up. I've often wondered about Iron Butt rides. How difficult is it to stay awake - especially if doing it at night? I imagine that would be the biggest barrier for me. What do you think is the biggest challenge in doing an Iron Butt?

[Valueman]

Gypsy,

Everytime I have done a certified IB ride I have left on a Friday night, and have spent the week adjusting my sleep cycle as described in my post. I leave in the evening, but I am leaving after just getting 5 or 6 hours of sleep.

Also, I don't know what it is, but seeing the sunrise just seems to throw a switch and invigorate me. Lots of LD riders have told me they experience the same thing. Using and "out and back" route seems to help as well. There is a mental boost that comes from turning back toward home.

On the Natchez Trace the fact that the road has character and so many curves also helps. You cannot fall into highway mode.

A good IPOD or satellite radio helps too. For the first part of this ride I listened to NFL games. Last fall I rode from Denver to St. Louis and listened to college football virtually the whole way.

The challenge is more mental than physical. I was tired when I got home from the Natchez Trace ride, but not exhausted. I do think it gets easier with experience.

For anyone trying their first Iron Butt ride I would suggest a route entirely on the interstate. Doing that one can leave early in the morning, finish in the evening, and not have to stay up 24 hours. The IBA web site has an Archive of Wisom with lots of good tips

http://www.ironbutt.com/tech/aowprintout.cfm


VM

[RBrider]

V/M

Thanks for the ride report. At 50 mph for 900 miles, that FJR probably was not in a higher gear than 3rd . I imagine you could have done the whole thing in first or second gear.

The Trace is on my list of roads to ride, preferably between sunup & sundown . My Harley FXDX would be perfect for it.(or rather, the Trace would be perfect for the Harley)

Glad you made it safe & sound.

RB