My first impression arriving in Mena, Arkansas was how close it was to Longview. Just a short 3½ hours directly up highway 259 and there we were.  The Talimena Scenic Drive provides spectacular views, breathtaking vistas and a challenge for drivers who dare to challenge the direction arrows.

As we arrived at the Queen Wilhelmina Lodge I was taken first by the beauty, next by the winding roads and lastly by the dramatic drop in temperature since we left Texas.  I was soon to learn that this was just a sample of things to come….

Friday’s ride took us on a short 30-mile jaunt through a snaking canyon that warmed up the legs quickly.  In usual Mark Lane style, a section of the ride required us to traverse what in hindsight we believed to be a wood-plank bridge, but at the time of the crossing it appeared to be a bundle of sticks that filled a gap between two sides of a stream. Why I let Mark lead my loving wife and me on these rides is beyond me, but I never find his guidance dull.  In addition to this harrowing experience, the ride also took us by some of local domestic wildlife.

The particular critter that introduced himself to us this day I aptly named “STEALTH” as I did not know he was there until I could hear his throat-churning growl and could see his gnashing teeth at my heals.  I typically have an automatic alarm for all dogs within a 200-foot radius of my bike that is set off by Nancy’s "Robbie Mcewen" style sprint away from the pack, but alas this day she was willing to sacrifice her better half by keeping herself between me and Stealth. 

In spite of ourselves, we made it back to Mena in time to see Mena High School prom attendees at the public park for what appeared to be a yearly tradition of pre-dance picture taking.  Mark asked one of the couples where the party was and for a minute I actually thought he might get a date, but regrettably, he was forced to settle for Really Great Pizza with us (which in reality was only pretty good pizza). That evening Mark and I were treated to another wildlife lesson, this time from Nancy, that Arkansas bats will eat a rock when thrown close to a bright light…who knew?

Saturday’s ride was to start from Mena, but due to some early morning rain and a quick trip to Hot Springs we started from the Lodge and climbed up and up and up. If you look at the hill in the background of the picture you will notice an abrupt gradient and it is as steep as it looks.  The descent on the other hand was the polar opposite of the climb.  I closed by eyes when my speed reached 46 mph and Mark was ahead of me…yikes!!!

The route took us off the Talimena Scenic Drive and onto highway 259 and then on to 270 where we passed the last chance for alcohol before riding back into Arkansas at what was a somewhat questionable roadside local haunt named by Nancy as the No-No-No bar. Needless to say, our journey did not enable us to stop and we continued back to the base of our final assent.

Before the final climb, Nancy and I were able to take in some local art and were lucky enough to have it captured on film and provided here for your enjoyment. I am the one in the overalls and rippling muscles!

There is a saying in cycling that it is best to know your limits, and this is one of the cases where I found the cliché to be true.  The climb from The Rich Mountain Store started as innocent as all climbs but quickly made one enjoy low gears.

Mark did a little research on the climb and found that the climb averaged 8.5% with the maximum grade of 21%. While that doesn’t sound like a pitch of woe I found that after a half mile at these grades - it is in fact steep.  It makes for an excellent picture but I assure you when officials take the time to make a sign that says "Crooked and Steep" take it seriously.

Sunday came early and we made quick preparations for a ride before the noon checkout time. The weather was moist, cloudy and temperatures in the 50s.

Mark mapped out a 30-mile route that took us down the hill we had climbed the previous day, through Mena and back up Rich Mountain.

With 3-hours to start and finish this ride I believed that we would have no trouble averaging 10 mph even with the climbing. Rich Mountain however, gave us all the challenge we needed.  The temperature from Mena to the non-vertical sections plummeted.  The fog dropped in and we feared that the rains would start, but Mother Nature cooperated with us that morning and a good chill was the only real weather confrontation we faced on our way back to the Lodge.

Again, Mark’s research showed the last 10-miles of the ride provided grades as high as 17% with many assents 13-14%. Yes, there were grades of 5-6%, but you tend to forget these when 15% is around the next bend. I believe that Mark put our collective climbing experiences into acute perspective:

“Frankly, I still stand by my initial assessment that the climb on Saturday evening was roughly 73.1% for 89 miles and the climb on Sunday was slightly easier at 69.4% for 212 miles.  But those are just rough numbers.”

We made it back to the Queen Wilhelmina Lodge in time for a quick hot shower and to load up the truck for the trip back to Longview.  On the way back we stopped at the Rich Mountain Store to take in lunch and some local culture from the proprietor Steve (no relation) who told us stories and showed us various rope tricks, mind benders and the whoo-whoo stick. A good time was had by all.

Mena was everything expected and more.  The cycling, food, views and the good times were well worth the short ride up highway 259.

We are planning on visiting Mena again this fall over the October 20-22 weekend to capture the fall colors - so mark your calendars!