Three Rides, Three States, One Day
Brand ambassador Leslie Kehmeier takes you through her journey of riding in Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma all in one day.
I like goals and big ideas. I also like travel and adventure so you can imagine how those two things go together for me.
On a recent trip to Northwest Arkansas I came up with a crazy plan to ride in three different states (Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma) in one day. It certainly wasn’t the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but it was an idea that was available and worthy.
Sometimes my crazy ideas are accompanied by actual planning. For this day, I set up a schedule including drive times, coffee breaks and of course, riding. Here’s what it looked like:
Sunrise in Bentonville 6:42
6:45 - 7:30 - Ride Slaughter Pen (Arkansas)
7:30 - 8:00 - Coffee at Onyx
8:00 - 9:45 - Drive to Two Rivers
10:15 - 11:45 - Ride Two Rivers (Missouri)
12:00 - 3:00 - Drive to Turkey Mountain (lunch on the way)
3:15 - 4:15 - Ride Turkey Mountain (Oklahoma)
4:15 - 4:45 - Pack Bike
4:45 - 6:54 - Eat, Coffee, Drive to Tulsa Airport
And here’s what played out.......
Hit the snooze a couple of times (that was planned too), stumble out of bed, drink hotel coffee (necessary to function) and then drive to Bentonville, Arkansas. Pedal across the square and into the Slaughter Pen trails. Have a lovely time doing laps in the ‘Play Pen’ area, railing berms and catching little bits of air off the rollers as the sun filters through big trees. Pedal back into town and directly to Onyx Coffee for my go-to caffeination, the Americano. Jump into the car for phase two of the day.
Planning the route for a full day of riding while enjoying the experience at Onyx Coffee Lab
Drive northeast and cross the state line into Missouri checking #45 of the list of states that have experienced my mountain bike tracks (now I’m down to a handful of states in the middle and Rhode Island). Arrive at Two Rivers Mountain Bike Park and begin ride number two of the day. Enjoy a combination of the West Loop and Bluffline trails, part of the Two Rivers Bike Park, located south of Springfield, an awesome place that has both traditional singletrack and gravity-minded trails.
Checking another state of the list. Only five more to go! 
Trail friends at Two Rivers Mountain Bike Park
Check the time (only 30 minutes behind schedule), get back into the car, and head cross-country toward Interstate 44 that will take me south into Oklahoma. Stop for a sandwich at Subway (don’t judge, it’s easy and cheap). Cross another state line a few hours later and start living on Tulsa time, getting stoked for a ride at Turkey Mountain. Park the car and re-tie the shoes for a rugged and remote loop in the city’s urban wilderness area. Journey to the backside of the trail network for unrefined experience (totally old-school) with lots of encroaching vegetation and narrow singletrack. Have a close encounter with a Copperhead snake, before coasting back to the car. Pack bike and drive to the Tulsa airport for the flight home to Colorado.
Making good use of the GoPro for a riding selfie on the Bluffline trail at Two Rivers 
Parking lot packing session after completing the goal - three rides, three states, one day.
Mission complete!
