Thunder Roads Magazine of Oklahoma/Arkansas TRMOK AR May 2017_Web | Page 23

FEATURES
performance of our motors over the winding roads afforded
us so much enjoyment that we stayed longer than we’d
intended and missed seeing the Choctaw Indian museum
near Wilburton.
We set out the next day for Talahina, where Charlie
replaced a broken headlight lens incurred on the brindle path and asked the natives about roads. We heard of an
abandoned fire trail leading right across the top of Winding Stair Mountains and Skyline Drive. After one fellow
advised against it, saying it was impassible in his car we were determined to take it.
Up Highway 271, we rode it for about nine miles, then we stopped at a small grocery and bought provisions.
Then, above the rocks and dirt pushed aside from the highway construction, we could see the faint trail – just
two tracks. Except for the two ranger stations, we saw neither house nor sign of habitation from the time
we left Highway 271 until we reached Highway 270. We climbed both lookout towers.
On all sides for distances as far away as 25-35 miles (we learned later from the map) we could see endless
mountains covered with green, dotted here and there with lighter patches, until they faded out of sight into the
hazy blue horizon.
Those first few miles before we reached the
ranger stations were really a challenge to both
rider and machine. Rocks, steep hil s, and unex-
pected turns all acted to keep us alert every
minute.. The road, at the first ranger station
became slightly wider and less difficult to
Thunder Roads Magazine of OK/AR
23