Road Less Traveled - A Documentary by James Beatty

Day-6

July 12th, 2006

Good ol' Sparta hospitality...

Today we were awaked by the aroma of fresh coffee and breakfast prepared by Cameron and his parents. We all had a good nights sleep. Although we had planned for a reasonably early morning departure, the hospitality of the Farris family was too much to pass up. After enjoying a spread of their homemade zucchini bread, blueberry jelly and homemade honey, we got to work plotting out the day’s trek. But once again the charm and draw of life at the Farris residence created a slight diversion from our plan. After breakfast, Nathan (Cameron’s cousin) was more than happy to show-off some of his four-wheeler tricks riding his "supped-up" (and very loud) ATV. He rides it with authority and he had us all entertained with his wheelies as he zoomed around the homemade dirt track in the field next to the Farris’ house. Nathan had planned to try for a World Record four-mile wheelie on his ATV while we filmed, however due to a warped axel rod, he was unable to attempt the stunt for us this morning. Good luck to you Nathan, sorry we missed it!

Prior to the departure of our three riders, they were given a tour of the Farris family cabin, located on a hill overlooking their 30+ acre property. It was only a brief hike but in the humid Tennessee heat and carrying camera equipment, it seemed much longer. At the top of the hill stood the old cabin with a beautiful view of the valley below making our side adventure well worth it. Cameron told us stories of camping and hunting and how his family has enjoyed their treasure for many generations.

While the riders enjoyed the tour of the cabin, the chase vehicle had taken off early due to a necessary equipment stop in Murfreesboro Tennessee. Concerned about getting on the trail themselves, the riders said their good bye’s to the Farris clan thanking them for their warmth and hospitality. Hitting the trail, the riders knew they needed to make up some time.

Along the trail came the terrible black moss. This stuff is slicker than snot and slipperier than ice! James, leading the way, was the first to encounter the evil substance that coats the smooth rock bed creek crossings. After falling down in the middle of the creek, it took both James and Steven about 20 minutes just to pick up the Honda and then push it to the other side of the creek. It’s so slippery that you loose your footing every time you try to lift the bike up! While the brothers were working hard at getting the bike safely to the other side, Michael was steadfast in his camera duty's while biting his lip to help curb his laughter at the sight of the brothers sliding around with the bike.

Once past that fiasco, a fast-paced ride through the beautiful wilderness of the Tennessee Valley, James, Steven and Michael made it into Columbia Tennessee around 10pm to find that Chris and Mathew had booked them a great, vintage Motel called the Polk Motel. The Motel was very accommodating in helping us get what we needed for the night. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, the only food place open at this time of night was the local Taco Bell. The food was great, but five guys in a room after a Taco Bell run could spell disaster! A good night’s sleep is exactly what we need now, for tomorrow is a long day with a lot to see. Good night!

Photography Copyright © 2006 Motorrad Media and Chris Rankin. All Rights Reserved.

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