About the Natchez Trace


Although now known as the Natchez Trace Parkway, the "Old Trace" dates back, by some accounts, over 9000 years. With its origins as a trail for wildlife seeking the salt licks of the middle Tennessee area, the Trace has at various periods been best known as an Indian trail, then a Boatman's trail used by crews of Mississippi rivermen returning north from selling their wares (even their boats) in the towns of the Great River. Nowadays it's a national park that covers 444 miles beginning in Mississippi and traveling through Alabama towards its terminus in Tennessee.

My goal is to traverse this unique ribbon-like national parkway during a week in October, 2013 with a few friends. We'll spend a grueling day on the westbound interstate to get to our starting point of Natchez, Mississippi and then take a more leisurely two days to cover the parkway itself. From its terminus near Nashville, Tennessee we'll beeline it back to our hometown in south Atlanta.

So it will be an interesting mid-autumn motorcycle tour. We'll camp each night to keep expenses down and to better enjoy the natural surroundings. But we'll take most of our meals at local restaurants so that we can sample all that the area has to offer. Should be a great trip - visit our blog often!

Gear Choices



Any motorcycle tour requires some specialized gear, especially one that involves camping. Here's my particular selection. Your choices might be a bit different, but overall the selections have been made with a goal of high quality, dependability, and light weight. Comfort matters too, so I don't get obsessive about keeping the list short. When touring, just as in any vacation, you want to minimize the possibilities of undesirable modifications to your plans due to equipment malfunction, so my choices are made from over three decades (!) of backpacking, camping, and motorcycling.

My Motorcycle:
- 2011 Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic  (the consummate touring bike)
 - HD touring mufflers and recalibrated ECM (extra power for heavy loads)
- HD Wind Splitter touring windshield (maximizes coverage and comfort)
 - HD Sundowner seat (firmer and more roomy than stock seat) - Garmin Zumo GPS system (I get lost easily)
- Tour-Pak luggage system w/rack (carries more gear)
- Saddlebag and Tour-Pak liners (ease of packing and carrying)
- Small tool kit and tire repair kit (never used, but just in case)

My Camping Gear:
- Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight tent (small, but very light; pitches fast)
- North Face Polarguard sleeping bag (very warm, very light)
- ThermaRest sleeping pad (2" thick inflatable insulated pad)
- Jet-Boil camp stove (butane, self-contained, small)
- French press coffemaker (everyone deserves a small indulgence!)
- Stainless steel thermos (keeps that 2nd cup warm in the saddlebag)
- REI LED flashlights (and extra batteries)
- Nalgene water bottle (doesn't leave a plastic taste to water)
- Insulated cup, plastic utensils
- Quick-dry camp and personal towel (one for the windshield, one for me)

My Riding Gear:
- Shoei X11 full-face helmet w/ clear & tinted visors
- Olympia AST weatherproof jacket (absolutely waterproof & windproof)
- Olympia AST insulated weatherproof overpants (removable insulated liner)
- Harley-Davidson Gore-Tex boots (wet feet make a trip miserable)
- Gerbing's electric gloves and jacket liner (makes 25* weather tolerable)
- North Face & Patagonia insulated undergarments (warm, comfortable)
- Earplugs (reduce fatigue from wind noise while riding)

Other Noteworthy Furnishings:
- Only one pair of trousers and light sweater for town
- A pair of light sneakers for around camp and town
- Plenty of books & movies on the tablet (gets dark early in the winter)
- Recharger for phone & tablet (plugs into power port on bike)
- Windshield and helmet visor cleaning fluid
- Emergency contact card in wallet and on bike

Traveling light means that I don't carry a lot of extra clothing since my goal is to ride most of the day. I wear the insulated undergarments under my riding clothes and carry a set for each day on the road. Just one pair of light trousers and a sweater will suffice for a trip into town at the end of the day. Since I'll be eating most of my meals in restaurants or carry-out, cooking tasks are minimal - just something to prepare coffee in the morning. I depend on my phone and tablet for entertainment in camp and to keep track of weather, email, etc.

This is The Week!


So I've let this blog lay idle for the past month as we have been making plans, watching the weather, and wrestling over gear choices. I upgraded my gear over the past couple of months by replacing my old Therma-Rest mattress with one that is a half inch thicker and five inches wider. It adds a little weight, and takes up a bit more room, but will probably be more comfortable. I also bought a new French Press coffee maker. This one, made by Thermos/Nissan is insulated and will keep coffee hot for longer while in camp. My old glass press, while quite nice, required immediate transfer of the coffee into a thermos during the winter so as to keep that second cup warm enough to drink. So the new press effectively consolidates two appliances into one, saving space and weight. And I finally tossed my old insulated plastic mug in favor of one of the new titanium double-walled mugs that cost a fortune but are light as a feather and apparently do a good job of retaining heat. We'll see...

I'm watching the weather closely. It looks improbable that I will make the entire week without rain, but the first day and last two days look like they will be dry and of mild temperatures. I have been in contact with the various campgrounds I will use to ensure that they will be open - many campgrounds close for the winter months, and we don't want any surprises at the end of a long day of travel. My first stop is Roosevelt State Park near Jackson, Mississippi after 400 miles of interstate. So it's a fairly boring ride the first day.

Itinerary



Here's the itinerary for the trip as we now see it. Subject to change based on personal whim and weather... You can click on the image for a larger, more legible version. I'm trying to not box myself in but since I'm the "tour guide" for five other riders, I want to be sure that I take out as many variables as possible without being too rigid.