Day 2: Natchez Trace Self Contained Ride

My first night on the Trace at the National Park Service (NPS) Rocky Springs was a bit cool. I packed a three season sleeping bag and sleeping bag liner. This combination of sleeping gear provided a range of comfort for unpredictable fall weather patterns. I also had a full body ThermalRest sleeping mat. My pillow was a stuff bag with a fleece liner that I filled with a small inflatable pillow and my other clothing. Overall this equipment provided comfort with only minimal carry weight.

I was up around 7:00am. Before breakfast, I walked up the hill to the location of the now long-gone town of Rocky Springs for which this campsite is named. The only remains of this city are two old, rusting metal safes (sans doors), a few water cisterns and a Methodist Church. The church had been active up until a few years ago. Now it stands as a silent guardian over the souls buried in the nearby graveyard.

The history of the Trace contains abundant evidence of the impact of passing time has on lives. As foot and commercial traffic patterns changed and as technology such as the steamboat became commonplace, towns along the Trace flourished and then ebbed out of existence. To those of us with memories of “I like Ike” (1950’s) , there was a similar eclipse of small town motels and businesses as the interstate highway system wound its way in all directions across America. The “internets,” as former president George Bush would note, drove yet another transformation of traffic. I suspect all is just the natural order of things adjusting and re-adjusting.

All these thoughts flooded me as I walked back to my campsite along an original part of the Natchez Trace. I was walking the same ground that so many Kaintucks had trod more than two centuries earlier. Sometimes letting one’s imagination have free rein is the natural order of the day.

Back at camp, I made my breakfast using my Whisper Lite to heat water for oatmeal and coffee. I found later in the week that my “normal” portion of oatmeal was insufficient for the day’s ride. Note to self: double breakfast intake.

Based on my riding experience from the previous day, I re-configured my bike packing. My Trek 5500 is a carbon fiber road bike without grommets for panniers. I had attached to my seat post a small rack on which I secured my sleeping bag with a elastic net that I had purchased from REI. A second net was used to secure my water proof bag to the BOB (vs. the cross cords provided with the BOB). These REI-purchased nets were an excellent addition to my riding gear. Light weight, easily reconfigurable to lash things to either bike or BOB, they offered a simple mechanism for storing things such as food, water or clothing in an easy-to-reach fashion. Highly recommended.

I attached my red flashing light to the net holding my sleeping bag to the seat post rack and was on the road by 9:00am. The next planned stop was Clinton, 34+ miles away. It was a 68 mile day, so I rode a pretty steady pace in the morning, but still stopped at historic markers along the way - Choctaw Boundary, Dean Stand, Battle of Raymond. These stops offered a mini history of the Trace and a chance to allow newly consumed information to swirl and mix with my thoughts as I rode. A Trace ride, in my humble opinion, would be incomplete without such fare.

This is on the only section of the Trace where traffic is a problem. Between mile 80 and 105 there is a fair amount of local traffic. In this stretch, the Trace has access to I-16/I-55. Locals from Jackson and Clinton use the Trace for their daily commute route. Caution and a flashing rear light are recommended.

Mile 89: Pulled off the Trace into Clinton and stopped at Lenny’s Sub Shop for a lunch break. Following lunch was a visit to the welcoming Clinton Visitor Center.

The visitor center has some very nice displays of local history items and lots of “stuff” for sale. The visitor center, which attracts a great deal of auto traffic from the Trace, also has signage reminding motorists of the state law to maintain a three foot clearance from cyclists; a nice touch.

Day cyclists were abundant on Trace this weekend day. A multi-use trail near the Trace also was filled with walkers, runners and other cyclists. I took a “purist” position and opted to stay on the actual Trace rather than ride this parallel path.

Back on the Trace, I rode with a steady flow of traffic for 13 miles to MS 51. I exited the Trace at MS 51 and headed for a large supermarket .3 mile from the Trace as indicated in Wanner’s guidebook. My evening campsite was a private campground (Ratliff Ferry) that advertised a store and restaurant, but I suspected the "restaurant" would be no more than a burgerand beer depot for fishermen launching their boats. My re-supply list included fresh fruit and carrots.

Again, Wanner’s off-Trace directions were difficult to follow. After exiting, the Trace directions indicated I should “head south toward Jackson.” There was no signage and as far as I could determine, the road ran east-west. But this trip was an adventure, so I turned left at the first traffic light, School St., and Mac’s Fresh Market and a small shopping center were found, supplies acquired and I was back on the Trace.

Traffic started to thin as the Trace hugged the rim of the huge Ross Barnett reservoir. The sky was a clear blue, road smooth, pleasant weather….a perfect postcard day for a ride.

Mile 122: The last tourist stop of the day was the Cypress Swamp. The swamp is a look back into a more primordial time with languid waters gently lapping against sprawling root systems of ancient cypresses. I strolled the wooden walkway around the swamp preparing to venture a bit deeper into the interior of the swamp when a local noted if I were “lucky” I may be able to see the gators that call this swamp home. Hmmm… I snapped a few more photos from the security of the wooden walkway and proceeded down the Trace to Ratliff Ferry campground.

Mile 123: The signage to Ratliff Ferry campground was quite visible from the Trace. The campground is located at the very end of the road adjacent to the parking lot where a boat launch ramp is located. The restaurant/store is located off the parking lot as well. My expectation that it was a burger/beer depot proved correct. I arrived just before closing time of 6:00pm, paid my five dollar camping fee and bought a beer. When in Rome...

As I left the store, a dozen Harley hogs were pulling out of the parking lot that stirred the air within my lungs with their deep-throated engine roar. I was not sorry to see them leave.

The primitive campsite is just an open patch of land adjacent to the parking lot. There were trees for shade, a picnic table for dinner and large white 50 gallon plastic trash container with the re-assuring message in block lettering “NO FISH GUTS.” Life could not be better.

Separate restroom and shower facilities were available. The restroom adjacent to the campsite/parking lot was pretty clean. It had a reliable source for drinking water and provided a safe haven for my food bag in the evening. The showers had hot water, but the whole shower experience was pretty primitive.

The shower room was located a very short walk in a nearby complex that offered long term single and double wide trailer placement. Here, flags with the US stars and stripes flew proudly with flags of the Confederate stars and bars. Burgers, beer, Harleys…what else would one expect?

The evening settled on the water way and I settled into my dinner and journal writing.
Total mileage: 75.5 / avg 12.9 mph