Knee Troubles

Back in September, I was riding my new Yamaha 250 dirtbike near Athens Georgia. I was having a great day of trail riding and exploring the 1200 acre Broad River ATV park, I was riding wide dirt roads to tight twisty singletrack. Having a blasty blast!
I stopped for lunch for around noon, my only real break during the day. I was parked near two motocross tracks, one very large for experinced riders, unlike myself. The other track was a youth track, 15 and under. I rode the track slowly to learn the jumps and just get a feel for how the bike handles on small jumps. I rode many laps over and over with no problems. There was one jump I avoided each time knowing it was not one I wanted to tackle. On my last lap of the day about to head to the truck, I decided to try the one jump that I had gone around all day. I approched with a fair amount of speed, but had to give it a little more to clear the the whole thing. When I came off the top, I was leaning a little to the left. When I came down to the ground I still had my left leg out a little, my leg caught the ground and pulled me off the side. I rolled several times while my bike did a ghost ride about 20 feet away before it stopped.
I was laying on the ground holding my left knee in my hands trying to determine what was injured and how bad. The only pain I felt was in my knee and my left big toe. After catching my breath I slowly stood up and very slowly put some pressure on my left side. With both hands holding the knee I leaned to the left.....POP!!!! goes my ACL I fell to the ground again due to the pain and brief shock. I rose again and hopped on my good leg over to where my bike was laying on the ground. I picked up the 250lb machine, remounted and rode about 100 feet to where my truck wass parked. I was able to change and get everything packed up, but not able to load my bike into the truck. I called the guys who own the land to come help do the heavy stuff. The guys showed up on their ATVs and helped out with everything. They even got me a big bag of ice to take home with me.

So long story a little bit shorter... I tore my left ACL, torn minuscus cartledge, and a broked big toe. Surgery has been done and rehab has started. I am now walking around fine and riding my bicycle with no problems. Bending is not a proble either. I should be in rehab for another four months or so untill I am able to jog and twist. But untill then I will need to move carefully and protect my knee for any more damage. The knee is still very weak and will be healing for a while.

Crossroads and Bluesville

Thursday and Friday of this week myself and four others headed west into the Mississippi Delta. Clarksdale Miss. was our final stop. We stayed at Morgan Freeman's blues club called Ground Zero Blues Club.

We consummed beer and had a steak dinner cooked by the security guard, on a grill made to look like a pigs face.
The asst. manager Phillip played some fantistic blues through the night. We slept upstairs from the club in rooms where they used to sort cotton by hand.

The next morning we got up early and got on the road late. We headed south to Greenville Miss. to eat at one of the resturants the Bobby worked on during Feasting on Asphalt 2 just a coupple of months ago. The food was great and we were treated to some old time stories from a man Shine.



He told us stores of his days of old.

We puhed on after breakfast to get a view of the Mississippi River itself.
After riding across the river into Arkansaw, we said good buy to two of out wester bound ridding mates. Then the trip back home began. We drove across Mississippi with flat farmland as far as the eye could see. Corn and cotton forever.



We drove across two states and half way across Georgia to get home. But not before some rain and heavy wind just as we were entering Atlanta. No problems just glad to be home after 1000+ miles in two days.

First post

This will be the place to see photos and get updates on how my trips are going. I will try to update it daily while on the road.

I look foward to posting pictures of the world for you.

Curtis Bonds Baker