Eric's Ride Log

Who ARE we right now?

2012-01-29T11:36:00.002-05:00

Icycle 2012. What can I say? The Icycle is officially the one event that I've been to more than any other (strictly as a participant). I think my first time up there was in '98 or '99 back when Claude and Jason ran things. The Icycle is best described as a midwinter party where a race breaks out every now and again. Cross Country during the day and downhill race at night. I arrived at Fontana at 9:30AM and settled into my room then rode over to the rec center and for some reason or another signed up for both the cross country and downhill races. My first cross country race in 10 years started at 11AM and it took just over 90 minutes for me to complete the three laps. I don't know how I did but I felt great so that's all that really matters. Well, I only lost one place during the first lap and two during the third and I made hairball passes on the downhill every time.
The 'special test' at Icycle is then to not start partying too hard before the downhill race starts at dark:30. Hanging with Shrimper and his bugle at the bottom of the downhill during the expert/SS race made that test especially hard, too. I tore myself away from the constant laughs and Mike R., Jody F., Tomato, and I were on the shuttle truck by 2PM to start our practice runs. The first few times chasing Mike down the hill were maybe the fastest I've ever dropped the Turkey Chute. We were on fire. My first run in the lead was punctuated by a spectacular high speed crash by yours truly. Mike was obviously very surprised and relieved that I wasn't injured. I figure I got in a total of 15 or so runs down the .5 mile 500' drop course before my 'light test' run and my one timed run. By the time my start came around it was cold as hell and I was a bit fatigued by the day's events so I didn't try to be a hero, I just rode the course one more time. I don't know my place but if I recall correctly my timed run came in at 1:48.
Then, everything became a bit blurry. Icycle. Too many funny moments to try to recall. Too many good friends to try to list. Oh, and bike racing. You should be there next year.

View 2012-01-28 10:59 in a larger map

Embarassed with failure I try to reverse the course that my tread has already traversed

2012-01-27T12:03:00.000-05:00

View 2012-01-26 09:49 in a larger map

And he dragged his weary shit-ass up the mountain!

2012-01-25T18:47:00.000-05:00

View 2012-01-25 15:34 in a larger map

It doesn't get easier.

2012-01-20T15:27:00.000-05:00

I just walked in from what is known around my house as the 3 hour ride. Starting at Bent Creek Gap-> Blue Ridge Parkway-> NC276-> FS1206-> FS5000 back to Bent Creek Gap.

Today's stats: Total Distance: 32.7 mi Total Time: 3:16:02 Moving Time: 2:50:14 Average Speed: 10.0 mi/h Average Moving Speed: 11.5 mi/h Max Speed: 41.5 mi/h Min Elevation: 2340 ft Max Elevation: 4972 ft Elevation Gain: 4630 ft

I was on the bike just before 11AM after a relaxing morning. Zoe was at childcare and Erinna and I both had the morning off. My motivation level was near zero but I knew today was my only chance to ride. I was pleasantly surprised by the warmish temperatures at the start. I didn't need to bring have the gear I had packed. Matter 'o fact as soon as I got started I had to strip off a thermal layer. The warm-up was viciously hard. I've been a bit sick for the past week and hadn't been on my bike in two weeks so getting my heartrate up was a painful task.

I decided there was no shame in stopping at nearly every beautiful overlook along the way to ease that pain. Once I was warmed up the miles started clicking by steadily and I reached most landmarks before I thought they should be there.

I stopped again at the Pisgah Inn for photos then really started to find a groove heading to NC276.

There I saw a guy taking photos so I asked if he would take a shot of me then I did the same for him.

The 276 descent was next and awesome. I was trying to find the pothole that took out Wes D. and managed at reach my max speed of 41.5 along the way. I turned on 1206 and, feeling pretty good, hammered. Well that lasted until the creepy pine stand. All that hammering made it so I needed a break. I felt like I just may be starting to bonk.

I felt great once I had a little food in me and 1206 started to go by quickly. I was starting to ride that line between pushing just hard enough and too hard. The strangest things got me. The flats after Pilot took forever. The strangest things felt awesome. The climb out of Bradley Creek was over before I expected. I stopped and gave a guy directions at the Laurel Mountain trailhead, put the Pisgah jersey back on at Yellow Gap, and absolutely hammered the 3 miles down the North Mills River. I had to remind myself to be cautious, that I didn't want to become a hood ornament, but still hung it out pretty far and reached 32mph on gravel. The turn up 5000 marked the final leg of the ride and the switch really flipped. As soon as the hill pointed upward I was hurting. bad. The climb back to the parkway was as hard as I've ever experienced it. I just kept my head down, stared at my bottom bracket, and pedaled. Even though I was starting to see stars the first gate appeared, then the second at Spencer. Up the steep then the third gate. Home free.

View 2012-01-20 10:55 in a larger map

2012 PMBAR registration is now CLOSED

2012-01-09T06:40:00.002-05:00

Hey Everybody! Thanks for the amazing response. We sold every team spot for the 2012 Pisgah Mountain Bike Adventure Race in less than one week.

Ladies and Gentlemen... Welcome... to the Enduro Lounge

2012-01-08T14:50:00.001-05:00

Great ride today on new trails and old with new friends and old.

2012 PMBAR Registration OPEN!

2012-01-04T20:19:00.002-05:00

Hey Everybody, Sorry about the lack of updates on the website. Pisgah Productions is indeed up and running for 2012. Registration for the 10th annual Pisgah Mountain Bike Adventure Race (PMBAR) opened today. We will update the website ASAP. Thanks for your patience!

http://www.active.com/mountain-biking/pisgah-forest-nc/pisgah-mountain-bike-adventure-race-2012

On the wind and underwater....

2011-12-28T17:19:00.001-05:00

Yes, it's easy to figure out what I've been listening to while riding lately. Today's ride: Mike B was at my house at 8:15ish and we were at Yellow Gap at 9:15ish. There we met Scott from Indy and Jeff from Birmingham. Our route: 5015->Laurel Creek->Squirrel Gap->South Mills River->479->1206 back to Yellow Gap.

View 2011-12-28 09:54 in a larger map

The trick was to surrender to the flow.

2011-12-26T17:23:00.001-05:00

Two. Yes, two great rides were had today. Last night Evan (my brother-in-law) and I made plans to ride at some arbitrary time after 12:00. I decided, after looking at the weather.com, that today was the best day to ride this week and got out for a ride before the ride. My choice: Young's Ridge->Lookout Point a.k.a. Kitsuma.

View 2011-12-26 11:32 in a larger map
View 2011-12-26 11:32 in a larger map

Evan called just as I was headed up the switchbacks. The call came in about a half hour earlier than expected so it really put a fire under my ass and I did a hot lap in just over 1:10. I cleaned all the way to the top, noticed the new signs for the first time, cleaned the 2nd switchbacks, and hauled ass all the way to the bottom. On my way back up the pavement I was pleasantly surprised by how many hikers were moseying up and down. I was back at the Jeep in great time and immediately was headed back to pick up Evan for today's ride part 2.

After 15 minutes of trying on riding clothes, switching pedals, and a quick stop at ProBikes for a loaner helmet we were on our way. The route: 5000->BRP->Trace->Spencer->5000. More later.

View 2011-12-26 14:32 in a larger map

An asteroid crashed and nothing burned

2011-12-24T20:54:00.001-05:00

Pisgah Productions is proud to announce:

2011-12-15T12:44:00.002-05:00

The Pisgah 100K Mountain Bike Race.
On May 19, 2012 (permit pending) racers will have the opportunity to compete on the very best trails Pisgah has to offer. This race was conceived by the late Jeff Papenfus with my guidance in the areas of permits, route selection, etc. We have decided to run the race, in his honor, with all proceeds going to his widow. This race is going to kick ass. There will be CASH prizes, arrows to follow, stocked support stations, and a big meal at the end. Everything you have come to expect in a world-class set-course MTB race.
Entry will be $120 per racer. Registration opens the day we get the permit from the U.S. Forest Service.

In other news, it must be the slow season at my real job, I actually got out for three hours of Pisgah this morning. Zoe was at childcare until 11:30 (and that was a strict curfew) so I started at the first gate on 5000, a great place to start because of the different loops that are possible out there.

I started with 5000->Spencer and once I shed all the unneeded layers I was rolling pretty good. I had to walk the steep pitch but I was OK with that. With my mind on the Pisgah 100 I rolled right through the gap and was headed down the other side of Spencer. I wasn't really 'feeling it' and I got a little paranoid about being by myself on a weekday on a seldom traveled trail and took it easy all the way to NER.

Mike B had told me about a great ride he had done the other day so I tried to follow that route but made a navigational error along the way. I had just been thinking how beautiful the trail was when I suddenly realized I hadn't gone the right way at all. I decided to really mix things up a bit at that point by climbing Big Creek to Big Ridge to Upper Middle Fork.

I had no idea how long it would take and with the strict curfew I had to keep the pace high. I was surprised by how quickly I was on Middle Fork->NER though. I looked at the Droid for the time and it was dead so I didn't really know how long it had taken to get there. Turn on Fletcher? The short-but-annoying climb, plus the Res Rd. climb would be after. I decided to stay on the Never Ending Road and it lived up to it's name.

It took what felt like forever to get back to the Trace parking lot and the climb to 5000. When I got to 5000 I was ready for it and hammered the last few miles back to the Jeep. When I got there it was 11:00 on the dot. It takes 30 minutes to get from the first gate on 5000 to Zoe care so.... perfect. Total time out: 2:50. All other stats? unknown.

Beautiful Mountains and Curvaceus Ridgelines

2011-12-10T15:42:00.001-05:00

5 minute write up: Today I got out to Bent Creek for just under two hours of trails. I started at the new parking lot then up the gravel and then up to Sidehill. I took a quick break and a photo then continued up to 5 points. I cleaned all the way to the top on the 1x6 which felt good. Next was Tony Michaels to Green Slick. I took a quick breather there then this guy showed up:

Bert from Saint Louis. He told me about his adventure trips and when I donned my Pisgah wool jersey he asked 'When you say Pisgah, where exactly do you mean?' We talked about the trails for a moment before hitting Greenslick. I was just able to drop him on the descent but he was at every checkup within SECONDS. It was a great run to the bottom and Bert was all smiles when we got there. The driod says I got going 24mph, it had to be on that trail. Next was Sidehill to Hickory Top. I took off ahead but was caught quick. We pressed on to 5 points in great time then descended Ingles Field etc. all the way to Rice Pinnacle. Bert led out that descent and hit the waterbar jumps at the bottom like a pro. He also was taken by the spectacular sights along the way (hence the title of this post) and I gave him directions to Squirrel Gap before I had to take off. 11.9 miles, 3118' gain, 1:46 total time, 24.1 max, 8.0 avg moving. Great to meet you Bert.

View 2011-12-10 10:00 in a larger map

Late edit: and of course, later that evening was the Warren Haynes XMas Jam... The show didn't end until 3AM!!!

Patton->Webb->Peel

2011-12-10T08:05:00.001-05:00

Last night a little after 6PM I was on the allroad bike and heading for Patton Mountain Road. Erinna had given me very good directions on how to get there (for some reason I had not learned) and I was also taking her advise: 'Take your time, have fun, be careful' and I was just putzing up the mountain. Well, that changed about half way up. I got the text I was half waiting for. Erinna and I suddenly had passes to get into the Warren Haynes X-Mas PreJam at the Orange Peel. I decided to continue with my original route idea though and made my way up to Town Mountain, up to the parkway, then down Webb Cove. The best part of the ride was that I did not stop once from the top of Town Mountain all the way back to West Asheville. I got every green light on Merrimon, WT Weaver, and Broadway. I big ringed up the river road and even up Waynesville Hill. The Droid died about half way through the ride so I don't have stats. I was out for just under two hours. Then we were on our way to the Peel where we caught Los Lobos, Gov't Mule, and Phil and Friends. Sweet!

Spectacular!

2011-12-03T18:24:00.001-05:00

9AM on Saturday morning came early for me and I sent out a text to Mike R. 'Running 10 minutes late' I said. A minute later the reply came back 'No Rush'. Excellent. That was going to be the theme of the day. I arrived at Yellow Gap at 10 after in frigid conditions to a fun crew assembling: Mike R., New Guy Chris, Eric C., and Jared C. We were on our way by 9:30 but as soon as we hit the woods we took our first break, we were all overdressed, the temps were rising quickly.
Mike C and Eric C. took the lead for the climb with me following. There WAS a bit of a time constraint on us though, no rush was not quite true, so we didn't regroup again until the meeting log. Jared was the last to the log and had pretty much decided by then that he was only going for the first leg (Laurel->Pilot) of the ride. After the meeting log I could hardly hold sight of Mike and Eric and for a great part of the time it felt like I was riding by myself, or with ghosts. We regrouped and took an extended break just before the steeps though and I was able to hold on after that.

The group arrived at the Pilot connector together so we just continued on to Pilot for the next break. By this time I was really missing my granny gear (I was on the 1x6 Green Machine) and watched as Mike and eric both almost cleaned all the way to the next intersection. Great climbing fellas. Just as we were finishing our first lunch break Mike P. arrived on the scene. I had facebooked with Katie M about the ride and Mike picked up the chatter and decided to hop onto our ride. He had started at the bottom at 9AM and caught us at Pilot. I warned him that the pace may be a bit slow for his liking but if you know Mike then you know his answer: 'That's allright, I'm just looking to have some fun'.
As we lined up for the downhill something strange happened. Mike R did NOT take the lead position, He ceded his normal place in line to New Guy Chris! OK NGC, let's see whatcha got! Well, what he's got is downhill skills. Following Mike R following NGC was a hoot. We were absolutely FLYING down that mountain. We slowed at the triple switchback but didn't stop until the big overlook down below. It was a spectacular run.

We regrouped (holy hell Mike P was next in line on a full rigid!), took a few photos of the view, then railed to the bottom. Eric C had gone ahead to get photos from the Hum-Vee section and caught me floundering through it but that was probably my only 'Off' line of the day. I was feeling pretty good at that point. Three switchbacks and a few long straights later we were filtering water out of the creek at the bottom.

We bid adieu to Jared there. He took 1206 back to Yellow Gap, we went the other direction: 1206->Horse Camp->5018. I was surprised to find that none of the group had been on Horse Camp as it's a great little singletrack that cuts off probably a mile of gravel road but now they know. Mike P. (as the only singlespeeder) hopped out front for the 5018 climb. It didn't take long before I was trying my best to hold on and he was my rabbit for the entire climb. We stopped for a regroup at the overlook but otherwise pressed on in great time to the top.

Mike P. was just soft peddling, too. He would look back, smile, then come up with conversation that was just him talking and me grunting. Thanks for the Yes or No questions Mike! My head would have exploded if I had to form a sentence.

New Guy Chris was starting to really feel the miles at the top of 5018 so we took an extended break there. Mike R. and I explained that what was next though was one of the very best ribbons of singletrack in the ENTIRE UNIVERSE and spirits remained high.

Squirrel Gap did not disappoint. I was in the lead position from Horse to Cantrell and the Green Machine was riding like a dream. It STILL is my favorite bike at the moment. Mike led out after Cantrell with the pledge of 'no dabs til the gap' and we tried our best. Two dabs later (and a total time warp for me as Phish was noodling away in my right ear and I followed every line Mike R took) we arrived at the gap. After a quick regroup and a few Hell Yeah!s we were headed to Laurel Creek. When we stopped briefly at Pounding Jill NGC looked like he had just had an epiphany, had seen baby Jesus, and maybe dropped some acid. 'Wow! That is the best singletrack I've ever been on!'
Yes Chris, Yes. Yes it is.

Mike was first down Laurel Creek, I was second, NGC was third. Even though Chris was starting to bonk good it was impossible to shake him. Did I mention his downhilling skills? Well we regrouped for the final time at 5015 and the guys were settling in for another extended break.

Chris asked about the time and was floored when he heard 3PM. Talk about a time warp, when pressed he said yeah, I figured it was about Noon or so. Well, I had a 4PMish curfew so it was time for me to get going. I wasn't looking forward to climbing out of there by myself so was happy to see Mike P cranking along about 10 seconds behind. I told him that my legs were shot and if he wanted to just get out of there I understood, there was no reason to wait for me. After a moment of consideration he said 'No, It's more fun to ride WITH people... and I'm just out to have fun'. Spectacular. 5015 was then very similar to the 5018 climb. Mike talking, me grunting. He was my rabbit to chase and even with me dead legs we were at 1206 in just over 30 minutes, one of my fastest climbs out.
Thanks for the great ride everybody. Perfect company, perfect trails, perfect day to be in the woods.

The Green Machine is my current favorite bike

2011-12-01T15:05:00.001-05:00

The green Waltworks is my current favorite bike. I changed out from SS to 1x6 a couple of weeks ago and it's been like getting in touch with an old friend. Today I had to work a split shift so I decided to get out during my middle of the day break from work. I couldn't go too far away though so I decided the Biltmore trails would be a good idea. 90 minutes or so of (relative to my usual rides) flat terrain. My route: Blue->Arbor Trace->Black.
Blue was a great warm-up, Arbor Trace went by slower than anticipated, and Black really got my heartrate up and through the roof. I'm feeling WAY out of shape these days so getting out today was exactly what I needed... and I almost puked when I got back to the Jeep.

Total Distance: 19.16 km (11.9 mi) Total Time: 1:26:45 Moving Time: 1:19:50 Average Speed: 13.25 km/h (8.2 mi/h) Average Moving Speed: 14.39 km/h (8.9 mi/h) Max Speed: 35.00 km/h (21.7 mi/h) Elevation Gain: 440 m (1443 ft)

View 2011-12-01 13:29 in a larger map

Dicky messes up compasses

2011-11-26T15:29:00.001-05:00

(Press Earth)

View 2011-11-26 09:53 in a larger map

Urban Gravel

2011-11-21T12:29:00.001-05:00

Today I went on a fun little ride that included Webb Cove and Patton Mountain roads, the closest to town gravel roads that I know of. Highlights: 1. Catching all the green lights all the way to Beaverdam. I didn't have to stop once until I chose to, to take a photo at the end of the pavement on Webb Cove.

2. The descent of Patton Mountain. I was really pushing it into the corners like I was deep in the forest without worry about cars around the blind turns. Luckily I was the only vehicle on the road. 3. Catching every single light back to West Asheville. That's not really a highlight except it made me stop, catch my breath, and observe the every day beautiful things that I would have otherwise missed. Oh, it was a perfect day to be on the bike. Temps in the low to mid 60's (but it felt much warmer) and mostly cloudy.

View 2011-11-21 10:31 in a larger map

Out to Marshall and back

2011-11-11T16:07:00.001-05:00

I just walked in from an excellent day on the bike with non other than the fresh-back-on-the-bike-after-surgery Mike B.! We went all the way out to Marshall via the river road, ate lunch, then doubled back.
It was a beautiful Veteran's Day afternoon. Highs in the 40's, bright blue skies, and steady winds.
The Droid died on the way so I don't have any stats. Oh well. Let's just say it was further out to Marshall than I remembered, and it took less time to get back than it did to get out there.

Mike B. chillin' at the court house in Marshall

The roses are in full bloom in front of the courthouse

Shrine at the cafe' where we ate lunch

Mike B. on the river road

Attack!Attack!Attack!

2011-11-06T19:39:00.002-05:00

Oh, no, wait a second, that right there is rather pretty. I think I need a photo....

That's how this evening's ride went. 24.6 mi., 3795' gain, 13.33 avg, 41.5 max.
I just got in from a great little road ride. The classic up Town Mountain down Elk Mountain loop. Let's see, while the sweat is still drying and my ears are burning from the temperature change... a few notes: The warm-up up Town Mountain was over very quickly. After stopping a few times in downtown it was time to push a little.

Whenever I saw an opportunity for a photo I did not pass it up though.

It was getting cold and dark by the time I hit the top and I had the overlook on the parkway to myself.

I stopped briefly a bunch of times for the view, to adjust gear, whatever up until the Elk descent.

I almost blew the first turn even with all lights full on then with no less caution hammered through the switchbacks. I lost my rear wheel once and was a bit gunshy through the corners after that. Half way through the straight to Beaverdam I gave up and lifted my head, whatever speed I had attained was fast enough (droid says 41.5mph).

Over to Merrimon then into the college (where I should have yielded to that car in the roundabout) then past the Bywater and up into Westville to finish. I was feeling strong at the finish and burst into the house to find Zoe asleep and Erinna looking not far behind. She had her own adventure this weekend... so, take-out sushi and an early bedtime? Sounds like the plan...

View 2011-11-06 16:47 in a larger map

Inner Loop. Backwards.

2011-11-01T15:13:00.000-04:00

Today I got out for a fun little ride. I started at the first way into the inner loop, took the gravel to the second way up, then went clockwise.
more later.

Shuttlecocks

2011-11-01T15:09:00.003-04:00

During the second day of Double Dare I got out for exactly what I needed, a ride in Pisgah with a special twist. That twist? Broussard shuttled Clay F. and I to the top of Pilot Mountain Road. Farlow without the climb? Yes, please.

As soon as we were on the bikes I was having a great time. After just a short climb we were at the gap and talking with Shane, the Double Dare checkpoint volunteer.

Clay and I each took turns shooting the bb gun and hitting the target before heading down Farlow.

The Farlow descent was great fun. Clay had ridden all day the day before, had stayed up until sunrise directly afterwards, and was on the ride with me right after that. Needless to say it was easy to drop him so I would stop and take photos whenever I thought it would be a good idea.

I almost cleaned the rock garden and felt like I was flying all the way to the bottom. I almost went down two times along the way, too. I guess that happens when you're flying down Farlow. Daniel Ridge to 475 was next. Then just before we turned back into Cove Creek campground we ran into Yuri E., the other checkpoint volunteer from the day before. Awesome. Thanks for getting out Clay. Thanks for manning the CPs Shane and Yuri!

TNDC

2011-10-26T07:29:00.000-04:00

Last night I got out for the weekly TNDC ride. A small group this time but a fun one no doubt. Clint 'I9 Honcho' S., Mike R., and I arrived at North Mills right at 7PM and were on the bikes by 7:30. We kept up a spirited pace, to say the least, and were back at the vehicles right about 10:30. Droid stats: 16.5 miles, 4147' climbing, 3:01 total time out, 5.5 average speed. 21.5 max.

We need to learn how to have a good time.

2011-10-15T10:54:00.003-04:00

View 2011-10-14 18:38 in a larger map

My wife rides Pisgah. 'Nuf said.

2011-10-09T19:54:00.001-04:00

This morning Mona took Zoe and Erinna and I got out for an excellent Pisgah adventure. For now: Photos. Later maybe: words.

View 2011-10-09 11:47 in a larger map

Today Samford the Pisgah Gnome and I went on a tour of North Mills River.

2011-10-07T18:42:00.001-04:00

From Trace Ridge parking lot->Lower Trace->North Mills->Yellow Gap->5051->1206->Fisherman's->Lower Trace->Wash Creek->5000->5001->Bear Branch->5000->Spencer Gap->Trace Ridge->Never Ending Road->Fletcher Creek->Reservoir Road->back to the Jeep.

What's this all about? Well the mtbr nc forum has a picture game going where you find this guy where the last rider stashed him, take him on a ride, take a photo where you stash him next, then report back where he is now. Simple.

Well, yesterday I picked up the gnome at the swinging bridge over North Mills River and we went for a ride. I had no real plan of action for once I had him on my back though. How about a few loops around the North Mills River area then? Perfect. First was North Mills->Yellow Gap->5051. A great warm-up. I then took Fisherman's, crossed the river (saw a family I would run into three or four times for the first time), then climbed Lower Trace to Wash Creek.

At the first big horse-hole on Wash I saw 4 hourses parked right in the trail. I stopped then called forward 'Hello?' and these two steadied the beasts as I walked by. I got a heart-felt 'Thank You' for knowing how to deal with horses in the woods then we struck up a conversation. I had just met the head of the local equestrian trail club, ladies and gentlemen, Mr Tom Thomas:

He was very keen to the idea that equestrians and cyclists stay out of a pissing match. 'If we start closing trails to horses, or to bikes, we all lose.' No truer words have been spoken Tom. Thanks for taking a moment to talk. (I should have had them pose with the gnome...)Next was 5001->Bear Branch.

I love the Bear Branch loop and don't do it often enough. The climb slowing ascends through an old pine stand and the descent is a fast, wide, and ummm..... FAST! The Stage Race had obviously been routed through making it exceptionally fast, too. I got to the bottom, saw the family again, then turned onto 5000 heading to Spencer.

Even with the 3-5 pound concrete buddy on my back I cleaned ALL of Spencer for the first time in forever. I tried to find someplace along the way to drop him off but no place seemed right so Trace was next. Trace is in HORRIBLE shape at the top and I almost went down hard when, at high speed, I couldn't get out of a runoff rut. Well, I pulled it off and flew all the way to the parking lot.

I saw the family again (I should have taken a photo with then and the gnome at this point), stopped by the Jeep for some food and drink, then was headed up the Never Ending Road to Fletcher. I cannot recall the last time I climbed NER and it took MUCH longer than I had expected to get to Spencer/Fletcher.

At the top I tried again to find a suitable home for Samford the Gnome but was unsuccessful. Fletcher was next and is in the best shape I've ever seen it. The brand new trail work has made it super fast and flowy almost like a back-woods Greenslick!

When I got to the Spencer/Fletcher/Middle Fork intersection I knew it was time to drop the gnome. My next stop was to be the Jeep so he had to find a new home. Just past the intersection I noticed a beautiful fern field that was turning bright gold. About 25 feet off the trail I saw this unique stump and decided it was a perfect place for him to hang out until the next person takes him on an adventure.

There were small birds chirping and flying in all directions, squirrels darting about, chipmunks sprinting, and all sorts of other Disney-like woodland creatures doing their thing. Samford is in good company at his new residence. Thanks for getting out Samford! Great ride! Oh yeah, next was the short but annoying climb, the vastly improved high-speed rocket ride to the reservoir road, and the climb back to the Jeep. The droid malfunctioned so I don't have mileage/altitude stats but I'm guessing about 20 miles. A fun day in the woods for sure!

Big Ivy / Coleman Boundary!

2011-10-02T07:15:00.004-04:00

Jody F. and I got out for another excellent ride last night. When I say excellent and Jody in the same sentence it usually means one of a few things: 1. We went on some sort of adventure where we were on the verge of being totally lost 2. There was a mechanical failure. 3. Speeds WAY beyond safe were attained. Well, last night had all three.

One of the only views

We started with the 8 mile mostly climb on the road to Douglas Falls. Along the way I was having a hard warm-up but Jody was happy to hang back with me and talk about all sorts of god knows what.

Jody, wait until I get the camera out so I can catch you falling!

When we hit 7.8 miles we found ourselves at a left turn and we didn't know for sure if we were on course so I broke out the Droid and called Jut Rut. He had the info we needed and a bit of a warning : 'You're going to navigate Big Ivy at night? Be careful, there are big trees down and the trail is a mess. Good luck finding the next Left.' and with the sun steadily setting we were off and climbing that grassy road of death.

Water Fall along the way

The correct turn

It had been over 5 years since I had been back there and a similar amount of time for Jody. The area was starting to look familiar though and I was keeping an eye out for the Left. We rounded a corner after a few miles and there it was, an unmarked Left that dropped straight off the mountain we had been working so hard to climb. Jody was unconvinced though. He thought the turn was much more defined. After a bit of hemming and hawing we continued on the grassy road of death until Jody just stopped and declared we should go back and check out the first Left again. We backtracked, found an orange blaze on the Left, committed, and rolled it.

Grassy Road of Death

The top of the descent was fun but nerve wracking. The trail had a super fun flow and it was easy to get going WAY too fast. Following Jody is a blast. The mechanical showed up right then though, my rear brake line must have air in it as I had to set the lever ALL the way out so it wouldn't hit the bar when applied. Not having enough brakes was not the way I wanted to run one of the biggest fastest descents in Pisgah (if we were even on it). The worst part was not knowing if we were going the right way or not. It was pitch black and windy with the temp steadily falling. The weather channel said to expect a low of 36* and the last thing I wanted to do was cuddle with Jody until sun up.
Jody arrived at a landmark he recognized from the Enduro and let out a huge 'Whoop!'. I was 50 yards back and knew by the sound of his voice we were on the right track.

The jump from the Enduro

We took a long breather once the anxiety had faded away then railed into the real reason to go to Big Ivy / Coleman Boundary, Bear Pen to Stair Creek. That descent is like two Farlow Gaps in a row. Stomach on the saddle, just on the edge of control, big fun. Stair Creek drops out just above the parking lot so the ride was done. 10 miles of climbing for 3 miles of descent. That right there probably sums it up the best. Great ride Jody. Thanks for getting out!

A fine afternoon on the Biltmore trails

2011-09-28T16:29:00.002-04:00

I just walked in from a fun (until the very end) ride at the Biltmore Estate. Arbor Trace->Black->Blue. I had planned on getting out into Pisgah but after being called into work a second time I decided it would be best to just stay close by, like, on property.

Arbor Trace has a nice warm-up along the river and gets into some fun rolling singletrack after it crosses the Winery Road. I stopped for a few photos, gave directions, and was on the back of the out and back quickly. Black was next.

Black has the hardest little grunt climbs but over in a flash. The longest singletrack on the Estate is Blue. It's not as tech as Black but has a flow that only Woody built trails have. It meets up with the Land Rover Experience trails and passes by the front of the Inn before diving back into the woods for the final few hundred yards of trail.

Little Buddy on Black Diamond Trail

Well, just as I was about to turn into the field in front of the hotel I had yellowjackets attacking me. One landed on my lower lip and as I went to spfft! spit it away it stung the inside of my lip and the tip of my tongue! Holy Hell!

Obviously not the attackers, just someone hanging out at the Jeep when I got back.

I'll try to remember to take a picture when the swelling is at it's worst. Hopefully that's not much greater than right now because.... already I don't think dinner or drinks without a straw are in tonight's plans....

OK, here's a shot from 1 hour after the ride.... and my lip is STILL swelling....

View 2011-09-28 13:50 in a larger map

Dude. I was on this ride and like, a HIKE broke out!

2011-09-25T17:07:00.000-04:00

Today was awesome. Totally F'ing awesome. Jody F. showed up at my house at 8:00 and we met Tomato and J at NMRC. We were on our bikes around 9:30 or so, rendezvoused with Erinna and Zoe at the top of Mount Pisgah at 1:00, and were back at the cars at 3:30. Our route: NMRC->1206->Laurel->Gnome->*walk* M2C->*walk* to the Mt Pisgah Summit and back->BRP->Big Creek->Reservoir Rd->Lower Trace.

Kitsuma on the SS on a Monday

2011-09-19T17:04:00.000-04:00

View 2011-09-19 14:03 in a larger map

Where's that confounded gnome?

2011-09-12T10:15:00.004-04:00

Jody F and I got out last night for a ride in Turkey Pen. The idea struck us on the way out to try to locate the gnome down in the bowels of Turkey Pen since soon enough it'll be too cold and the water will be too high to get down there until next Spring.

Well, damn that gnome. Damn that gnome to Hell! Every time I go after it something unexpected happens including an adventure ride. We started slow on not-Vinyard and looped back around to the parking lot as a warm-up loop and just as we arrived the rain started to fall. Up Vinyard followed and the rain slowed then stopped, just after turning every root into a snotty-slick mess.

I hit the deck pretty hard then almost immediately had a crazy mechanical. A thick stick got caught up in my rear triangle, somehow broke the valve stem off without breaking a spoke, and actually forced the tire off the bead. Crazy. I was wondering if I was in for a repeat of the shortest ride ever because my front tire was also loosing air. Anyway, we BOMBED down Vinyard to Riverside. The descent was incredible. Slimy roots were sending my wheels in all sorts of unintended directions and my foot was off acting like a rudder on more than one occasion. We crossed the river and I made the fateful decision to go Left on Riverside, thinking that it was the shorter and dryer route.

I was wrong. After what felt like 10 crossings we ran into a problem.

We could not find where the trail exited the river at one especially wide crossing. New trees were down and we scrambled among the crowns trying to find a blaze. After literally a dozen times crossing back and forth trying to find the trail I finally spotted the yellow blaze we were looking for.

A half hour had passed where we were wading in thigh deep, fast moving, river water and the temps were steadily falling. I was feeling rather chilled and was happy to be moving again. We missed the turn to Pea Gap and were at the swinging bridge shortly thereafter. We decided that you know, it was already 10 PM, it was probably best to head back to the parking lot. We took the singletrack back up to the vehicle then enjoyed a couple post ride beers. We talked and laughed and told stories for probably an hour but just before we turned onto the highway was a moment to remember: A huge flying insect had entered the car and by the time Jody got it out I was laughing so hard I was crying. You had to be there. Great ride Jody. Even if it took us 2.5 hours to cover less than 8 miles!

48 mph

2011-09-07T14:25:00.002-04:00

30.6 miles, 2646' gain, 2:17 total time, 14.8 mph moving average, 48 mph max!
Town Mountain->BRP->Ox Creek->Reams Creek->Merrimon->WT Weaver->Riverside->Craven->Waynesville

View 2011-09-07 11:48 in a larger map

The shortest ride ever!

2011-09-05T07:18:00.004-04:00

Erinna, Sophiedog, and I had to bail on a ride yesterday. We started at Turkey Pen parking lot at 9am and were headed down the singletrack just a few minutes after arriving. We were out for a shakedown ride for Erinna. Her tiny pink WaltWorks bike received a refresh after 6 years of faithful service. A new fork, new wheels, and new drivetrain bits needed to be seated in. On the way down the hill I noticed two things: 1. the trail has been recently worked on and the numerous grade reversals have been sculpted into perfect jumps. 2. my rear tire felt soft. We stopped and I pumped up the tire and asked if everything felt good for Erinna then we continued to the bottom of the hill. I got off to the side to take a few photos as Erinna arrived and must have stepped right on a yellow jacket nest. As soon as I snapped the photo:
I felt the first sting, then the next. I started yelling RUNRUNRUNRUN!!!! and we hauled ass. I dropped my bike at the horse ford and ran across the river. That took care of the rest that were attached to me. We stopped, got the remaining few out of my backpack, took a breather, and were ready to get going again when I noticed something odd: Somewhere along the 1.5 miles I had DOUBLE flatted. crap.
We then realized that If I used the two tubes we had with us we would be spare-tube-less for a ride in Turkey Pen. That and Erinna's spare was actually a road tube. Uugh. The decision was made to just walk back up to the Jeep. The three of us had a pleasant walk back up the hill then cracked open the after ride beers. That was good enough, it had been a stressful week, it was time to chill out, let grandmona take care of Zoe for a few more hours, and have a nice relaxing morning at home. I love my wife!

Lazy and with lead weights for legs.

2011-09-02T14:44:00.004-04:00

29.4 miles, 2675' gain, 2:18 total time out, 13.9 moving average, 39.2 max

From West Asheville->Kimberly->Beaverdam->Webb Cove->BRP->Biltmore Forest->Meadow->Amboy->State.
I finally was out and on the bike at 12:15 after what felt like 100 unexpected phone calls and emails that had to be answered. The temps were already near 90* but lucky for me that was the high for the day. Severe thunderstorms were arriving just as I finished and the temps had dropped nearly 10* over the course of the ride.
I stopped often as the hot warm-up was especially tough and mediocre photo opportunities were calling me. I was happy to stop every time. The climb up Webb Cove was very dusty and every vehicle that passed made it especially so. The descent to the Folk Art Center was a welcome breath of fresh air and my legs were finally working correctly.

Once my legs, lungs, and heart were all on the same page I was able to pick up the pace. The rollers to Biltmore Forest were tough but smile inducing. I was on top of the gear and moving quick. I blew through the stop sign right in front of a Biltmore Forest cop and thought for sure I was getting a ticket but I guess it was my lucky day. Once on Meadow I was standing and hammering and made every green light back to State. Up the hill and home took just a minute and I knew I had salvaged the ride.

2011-08-30T23:39:00.003-04:00

Jody F arrived at my house promptly at 6PM this evening for a night ride even though that's about as far ahead as we had planned. A route was discussed on the way and at the last possible moment we were headed to Bent Creek Gap. We actually started at Spencer and the warm-up was a bit over my head. I had to ask Jody to stop a couple of times but we were at the gap very quickly. We talked about the route a bit more then started the descent of Spencer Branch. We rode that section of trail as fast as I've ever ridden it before. We were borderline dangerous but made it the NER unscathed, with huge smiles, and whooping and laughing like we had just gotten away with murder (or our lives). Up NER to Middle Fork->Big Creek followed. Swoopy fun. Once we made it to the reservoir the route was again up for discussion and Jody suggested an out and back on Fletcher. I was game, I hadn't seen the new work yet, so we climbed all the way back up to the NER. Jody's lights were signaling their eminent demise so we decided the fastest way back to the Jeep would be, rather than descending Fletcher to the res rd and back up 5000.... You guessed it, we climbed back up Spencer Branch to the gap then descended Spencer Gap to 5000 (above the Jeep). The climb up Spencer went by much more quickly than I had anticipated and was punctuated by some sort of HUGE yellow jacket type thing that was harassing me. Right as it (they?) were getting aggressive I decided to just turn out the lights. It worked, they left me alone, and I continued to granny gear/hike all the way back to the gap. The descent to 5000 was again right on the edge of dangerous and really dangerous and Jody was able to keep a 50' lead all the way down to the road. Great ride Jody, thanks for getting out there.

Enka?!?!? How the F did we end up in ENKA?!?!?

2011-08-27T12:29:00.010-04:00

It was all the gnomes fault. I met up with Jody F. and Ben W. this morning for a ride that was not to be. The plan was to park at Bent Creek, grab the gnome, head over to Trace/Middle Fork/Big Creek area then make it home by 12:30 so all three of us could relieve those in charge of childcare duties. Well, we got the gnome then decided to try to navigate Tony Michaels to the Parkway. We followed the past Greenslick, past Betty, past Mo', and beyond following the blue blazes. We made a navigational decision and continued on Blue but soon the blazes were gone and we were nearly bushwacking. We were following the forest boundary, made it to a peak, then had the most hairball descent I've been on in a loooong time. When we reached a T intersection with a doubletrack it was Jody that mentioned, I think we're headed to Candler. I pulled out the phone, checked the GPS and yes, we were. More later.

View 2011-08-27 08:15 in a larger map

I can hear Coach Jamie now....

2011-08-21T18:38:00.007-04:00

Pffftttt. A REAL man would have climbed it twice.
or.... 18 minutes? You could have done it in 13 if you didn't stop and take all those pansy-ass photos...
Thanks Jamie. That sucked. Next time I'll do it faster.... and twice.
Oh, it was a beautiful day to be on the bike today. Temps in the low 80's and the threat of storms at any minute. My route for the day: Clingman->Kimberly->Beaverdam->Wolfe Cove->Bartram's Walk->Town Mountain->Webb Cove->Beaverdam->WT Weaver->Riverside->Waynesville. 23.4 mi, 2937' gain, 14mph avg moving, 37 max, 1:39 moving, 1:55 total time out. I got out at 4:30PM after 2/3 of the visitors were on their way home.

Quick light test

2011-08-19T21:12:00.003-04:00

I got out this evening for a quick little ride around town. 13.8 mi 1138' climbing 37mph max 13mph avg moving. My real goals were to get just a bit passed warmed-up so tomorrow's ride won't be painful due to lack of work and to test the new lights Jay at Amoeba sent. I didn't really have a plan but my front tire took me down Clingman and over to Kennilworth. I missed my turn a couple times and ended up on Tunnel Rd so I took the automobile way over to Beaucatcher. I was feeling that warmed up feeling I was looking for then and the sun was just about set so I turned the lights on, too. I wound through the neighborhoods and again, with no plan, ended up in Montford and then by the Bywater. Up Waynesville and back home in just over an hour. How did the lights perform? They are bright but too floody for the road. Without my triclops on I could outrun the new mega. Oh well. Let's see what Jay comes up with next.

Exploring.

2011-08-15T16:49:00.003-04:00

TIL that you can get from here:

to here:
to HERE:
Sweet.

13.2 miles, 2815' climbing, 2:10 total time out, 1:41 moving, 7.8mph avg moving.

Inner Loop with The Pony

2011-08-15T06:33:00.007-04:00

Last night Ian L. and I got out for an excellent ride, Slate Rock/Pilot Cove loop.

We started at Bradley Creek at 7:30 with different physical maladies, Ian had not been on the bike since PMBAR and my legs were tight and the rest of me was dehydrated from riding just the night before. We took it easy up the gravel and took our time warming up on the singletrack. I was warmed up about 5 minutes before Ian and was starting to wonder what kind of pace he was going to be able to manage. Well, Ian answered in the steep technical climbing, the pace was to be as high as I wanted.
I kept it comfortably quick and Ian held my wheel all the way to the turn. I could drop him when the trail really pitched upward but that was it. It had turned into a beautiful evening, too. Temps in the low 70's/high60's and humidity at 200%. The sky was blue with thunderheads all around but the sun was setting fast. We had to really boogy if we wanted to make it to the overlook by sundown. We both made a heroic effort to make it but we missed sundown by 20 minutes or so.

We took an extended breather/photoshoot/eating break at the rock then with lights full-on headed down the nasty back to the gravel. This was Ian's first night ride in YEARS and he nailed it. I would wait up after every serious tech downhill move and he was there in seconds every time.

The downhill was over in a flash and the gravel road descent was all that separated us from the Jeep. Ian wanted to see how fast he had to go to outrun the Amoeba light he was borrowing and found that speed just before we closed our loop. We reached almost 30 mph in those final stretches as we raced each other back to the Jeep. We arrived just over 2 hours after we started, not a bad time at all. Great ride Ian, thanks for getting out there.

Untitled from pisgahproductions on Vimeo.

That was painful.

2011-08-13T21:43:00.009-04:00

I just got in from a little ass kicker of a ride. Starting at 7:30PM Clingman->Hilliard->Biltmore->College->Town Mountain->Blue Ridge Parkway->Elk Mountain->Beaverdam->Merrimon->WTWeaver->Riverside->Craven->Waynesville
There are just a few things I want to note about this ride. I had zero motivation going into it after a day of Zoe care, I saw a very cheerful Michael M. as I started the ride, downtown was packed,
The first plateau on Town Mountain was where I finally warmed up,
The rising moon on the parkway was incredible,

Buzzard Rock was packed,

and the Elk Mountain descent was crazy fun. I chased a car through the switchbacks and slowly reeled him in. He knew I was on his tail and kept going faster and faster, taking more and more risks. His tires were squealing around the corners and he would punch it in the straights. I latched on as he blew right through the stop sign and I held his draft all the way to Beaverdam. When the car came to a stop at the bottom I rolled up and it was a teenage girl behind the wheel. Her boyfriend in the passenger seat and they both had on the biggest shit-eating grins. 'You were hauling ass!' she said. 'Thanks for the draft' I told them. 'I hope I wasn't holding you up' ' No, we must have been going what? 40?' The boyfriend replied, no, closer to 50.' Awesome.

View 2011-08-13 19:25 in a larger map

Hanging out at the V and Dime.

2011-08-08T06:51:00.008-04:00

Last night I got out for one hell of a good ride. Erinna dropped me off at Rt215 at the Blue Ridge Parkway then I rode home via 215->Indian Creek->Shoal Creek->475->Davidson River->475->475B->276->1206->5000->479->Campground Connector->Bent Creek Rd->191->Greenway->State->Hanover. 55 miles (the vast majority being gravel) 6450' climbing, 7910' descending!!!! starting at 8PM.

View 2011-08-07 19:52 in a larger map

Riding with a gnome on my back

2011-08-06T10:57:00.006-04:00

I got out EARLY this morning for an interesting ride, to say the least. The Pisgah picture game is going strong and there's an added feature now, a 3+ pound 12" tall garden gnome. Well, of course, I had to go get that gnome. I started early with Clawhammer first.

View 2011-08-06 06:17 in a larger map

It was just first light when I left. If I had started 15 minutes earlier I would have needed a light. The right turn for Maxwell came soooo much quicker than expected that I just hammered around the corner and headed to Pressley Gap. On the way up I noticed a few things: The woods are completely silent at first light. The bloodsucking flies come out about 20 minutes after first light. Flying insects of all sorts were out and about buzzing along. I kept the tempo high and blew right past the chimney, I didn't even see it, even though I was looking to stop there for my first break of the day. I was at Pressley, again, before I thought I was due, so I turned onto Black without a break.
The climb up Black will surely either have made me stronger or taken years off my life, I'm not sure which. The deer/horse flies were unbearable. I got bit on my arms, head, face, ankle, and calf within minutes. Welts that pulsed with dull sting all over. I was not going to be discouraged though, that gnome was fucking MINE!!!! and I ran every time I was off the bike during the hikes and hammering like mad every time I was on. I also found that if I was running with my bike in one hand and violently swinging my helmet with the other hand I could fend them off. I must have been quite the sight. When I found the gnome hidden a few yards down Turkey Pen trail I snapped a few photos,
got bit by more horseflies, strapped the thing to my back, and was out of there. Immediately I started to feel a bit of a bonk coming on so I slowed the pace a little and relaxed during the descent. If I can't come to a stop and rest because of the flies, I gotta catch my breath somewhere.... I took it easy on the tech switchbacks, didn't stop at the overlooks (there was nothing to see but thick fog anyway) and was headed to the shelter quicker than I could have imagined. My planned route was to head to Avery Creek but that wasn't going to happen. Even though I felt a little hungry and I was starting to itch from the bites my legs felt strong. I was standing and hammering to the shelter. What happened then? As I was passing the shelter two spokes broke in my rear wheel
and whenever I put pressure down the tire would rub the frame. Oh, and I didn't have a spoke wrench. So the gnome's new home was now going to be behind the shelter. It was an easy decision. I took a few photos for the game,
stashed the gnome,
ate, and otherwise took a long breather before coasting back down Black to the gap, then down Clawhammer all the way back to the Jeep. Funny enough, just as I got there I ran into BrouSSard. Guess what he was up to. Yup, out to get that gnome! I told him where it was now and we parted ways. Thanks for coming up with the game Maida! Thanks for adding that heavy as hell gnome The Hub!

Somber mood. Excellent ride.

2011-07-31T13:43:00.005-04:00

Erinna, Sophiedog, and I just got in from an excellent ride. The somber part is hard to talk about, a buddy died from injuries sustained in Pisgah yesterday but there we were riding in Pisgah, enjoying this beautiful day that was upon us. I think he would have asked us to do just that.

Farlow @ Night.

2011-07-27T05:57:00.008-04:00

Mike R. and I got out last night for, to the best of my recollection, a first for me: Farlow Gap at night. To make it even better we took the long way up (5003/140A). We met at Mr. Pete's at 6:30pm but were not on the bikes until minutes before 9:00. Why? Well as we were just about ready to hit the trail from Daniel Ridge parking lot I came to the sinking realization that my front wheel was in my Jeep.... at Mr. Pete's. Dammit. Well fortunately for me Mike does not seem to have buttons that can be pushed. No matter what the situation may hold Mike does not get flustered. Cool.... So when we got back to the Jeep and I said 'F*ck it, I say we head back out there' I was hardly surprised when he said 'Hell yeah, that'll make a better story anyway'

So at 8:55 we were on the bikes and headed to Gloucester Gap. Mike led out for the climb and I was having a good warm-up. I just about held his wheel all the way to the gap. We were there in great time, too. We took a quick breather but were headed up 5003 after just a couple minutes of a break. There's a thread going on mtbr right now that I wanted to participate in so our first destination was the intersection of 5003/140A. Points are awarded for the number of bikes, helmets, people, fun/odd photo features, and difficulty (remote location, night ride, etc.). The last folks left the game to be picked up there so off we went.
5003 also went by very quickly. I had taken the lead at some point and was feeling good. Mike wasn't rubbing my rear wheel either so the pace was set. With lights blazing, cutting through the cool humid air, it was like I was dancing with my bike. Every moment with full attention to detail but confident, cautious, and strong. I could stand and hammer, sit and spin, whatever the terrain demanded. Of course, when you're feeling like that it only takes a flash until you're at the next turn. We took the photos for the game and ate and talked and generally took our time getting out of there before heading up the much more tech, much more steep section that followed, 140A. Oh, I almost forgot, I saw a BOBCAT on 5003. It ran about 50 feet ahead of me for what seemed like 10 seconds.
140A can destroy momentum and exuberance. I knew that going into it. I immediately switched to granny gear and started to climb. Well, that only lasted for a few moments before I was back in the middle with Mike in chase. We attacked every steep climb and honestly, almost cleaned the entire way to Farlow. We were both on fire and unwilling to submiss. What a great feeling to be able to stay on the bike on a trail that has had me off the bike and whimpering in the past. I started to lose Mike somewhere around Kissee Creek but knowing Farlow was just ahead I hung my head low and continued to hammer. When Mike arrived at the gap 2 minutes after me it was time for a longish break.
Ahead was the reason to climb the 9 miles to that point: Farlow Gap. Farlow is easily the most technical bike legal descent in Pisgah. The rock garden at the top is the stuff of legends and along the way there are sections so steep and ever changing that no one could say I can clean Farlow every time. This time Mike and I got through the rock garden with one dab each, flew through the mica covered camp, and absolutely cleaned the super steep rooty section before the waterfall.
Following Mike was a trip. He is so fast and smooth it was like he could do no wrong. That changed once we were in the less steep/tech stuff. First we had a perfect 10 point dismount off the log bridge but next was the switchback steps of dooooom. He didn't realize exactly where we were, I did. He went full speed ahead around the turn and into the steps and I was following. Maybe he knew something I didn't I thought. Well.... no. The tone in his voice went from 'Oh Shit' to 'I'M GOING TO DIE' in an instant and he catapulted off the side. Since he did not get hurt all I can really say was it was a spectacular sight.

more later (I hope)

View 2011-07-26 20:55 in a larger map

HAMMER TIL YA PUKE!

2011-07-17T06:37:00.011-04:00

Then hammer some more!!!

Last night I got out on a fast paced (for me) ride. BRP->276->1206->5000 in 3:01, starting at 8PM.
When I left I told Erinna that my plan was to take it easy and to be at Mt. Pisgah for some sunset photos. Well, I got onto the parkway and took a few photos at every overlook along the way. A perfect way to warm up in my opinion.

Well, the photo project wrapped up as I approached rt151 because I had climbed directly into the clouds, there were no more views to be had. I was feeling pretty good at that point also so I changed the intent of the ride and picked up the pace.

Now would be a good time to mention that I was about as dehydrated as one could be while still functioning, see, last week I had a bout of food poisoning and a sinus infection... well, let's just say I hadn't fully recovered.

Every single mile clicked by with incredible slowness and every time I saw a mile marker I'm sure I let out an audible 'uuuugh' as ONLY one more mile had passed. I had told Erinna that if I wasn't feeling it I would turn around at Mt. Pisgah and just do an out and back. Well, I was feeling good enough that I thought, maybe I'll turn around at 276. My stomach was churning and my heart rate felt like it was at a steady 200 but my legs felt fine.

My head was still in the game so without the slightest pause I hammered through the stop sign and started the descent into Pisgah proper. With lights now full on I didn't take a moment of rest and the droid says I got going 43.5mph along the way. The turn onto 1206 was next and again without a break at a usual stop I hammered onto the gravel. I knew it was 5 miles of relatively flat gravel road to the next intersection and the plan was to stop there. With my head down, eyes forward, legs spinning FAST, heart rate still WAY too high, and a little drool hanging from my lips I had the sudden urge to well, stop, and without a moment of hesitation I had the remains of a BLT sandwich on my foot. That's right, hammer til ya puke! I could hear Phil Ligget commentating: 'Poor Chap, Looks like he's having a rough go of it now, doesn't he?' and with a laugh and a drink of water I resumed the hammer. I was at my furthest point from the car, I had to just keep going. I was concerned. I was mad. I was having a great time.
I kept the pace as high as I could and the landmarks clicked by with ease. Pilot Rock, Slate Rock, Pilot Cove, Bradley Creek, and even the climb to Yellow Gap. I took my only rest of the evening there then after less than 5 minutes I was on my way to NMRC. Along the way every camp was full and the smell of campfires permeated the woods. It had become a beautiful night with temps in the mid 60's, high humidity, and a huge rising moon.

I turned onto 5000 and my final climb was upon me. At the top of the pavement I got a big cheer from some campers. I was again reminded of 'Le Tour'. Fist pumping fans at the top of the climb yelling encouragements. I don't know if they were cyclists or not but they sure did know how to cheer one on. I was rejuvenated with a big smile by the ridiculousness of it all. The climb to Trace parking took longer than expected but the rest of the climb went by in a flash. The first gate, Spencer, the third gate..... and back to the car. I quickly took out the droid for the first time to stop the timer and was happy with what I saw: 3:01 total time out which is right in line with my best time for this ride. Other stats: 32.5 miles, 4068' elevation gain, 43.5mph max speed, 11.9mph average moving speed. Not bad.

View 2011-07-16 19:50 in a larger map

Trace Ridge before 7AM

2011-07-13T09:01:00.004-04:00

I got out for what turned into a fast paced ride this morning starting at 6:45. I started at Bent Creek Gap->Blue Ridge Parkway->Trace Ridge->5000 back to Bent Creek Gap. Total time out was 1:07 but the amazing part is the 49 minute moving time. I stopped and took a bunch of photos at the overlook, walked down to the Trace Ridge sign, ran up to the top of the decent, stopped for a breather after the run, took it relatively easy on the descent (Trace is in BAD shape right now), and HAMMERED up 5000.
A couple of other notes: 1. I bottomed out my P.O.S. fork on one of the new water runoff ruts and nearly went over the bars. 2. 'Normal' handlebars make my hands go numb. 3. Singlespeeding up 5000 is faster than riding gears. 4. I sure am glad I got out early today because now, at 9:15 am, it is already HOT.

Allroad on a Tuesday

2011-07-05T14:19:00.005-04:00

Mike B. and I got out for a swift paced ride today. We kept it on the roads but by no means stayed on pavement. Our route for the day: From Sandy Bottom picnic area->N.C. Arboretum->? gravel->North Boundary (479M)->Bent Creek Gap Rd(479)->Blue Ridge Parkway->back to Sandy Bottom.

View 2011-07-05 11:05 in a larger map

Double Up!

2011-07-04T06:37:00.005-04:00

Last evening I decided I wasn't quite done with riding for the day and got out on rarest of rare rides, a SECOND ride in one day. I started by heading down to the new greenway then rt.191. I must have spaced out and forgotten just how far it is to the parkway because when I arrived there I was not looking forward to the return trip. I made the decision then to just head North on the parkway then turn at Biltmore Forest then head on home. I caught glimpses of the city firework display on the return trip and was home just after I really broke a sweat. I kept the pace as high as possible for the entire ride.... well, except for the couple times I stopped for photos. 20.7 miles, 1631' elevation gain, 1:24 moving time, 14.7 mph average, 34.3 mph max.

View 2011-07-03 20:13 in a larger map

The two hour ride

2011-07-03T13:10:00.005-04:00

View 2011-07-03 09:43 in a larger map

There's just something about Tuesday nights...

2011-06-29T00:03:00.006-04:00

8 second exposure at Slate Rock. 10:30PM 28June11

or...

Up? Down?..... Up? Down? Up. Up?

or...

This is just about the best thing ever!

or...

I feel like I'm getting away with something, like, if they knew what we were actually doing out here, they wouldn't allow it.

Yes, tonight's ride was filled with memorable quotes. It was almost like one of those parties where every moment is filled with a friend making the funniest joke you've ever heard, or pulling off a stunt or prank that no one saw coming, and you find yourself caught up right in the moment of it all thinking, wow, this sure is fun... I sure am glad I'm right here, right now.

Thanks for getting out there Mike R. and Jody F.

Jody went down in spectacular fashion, as usual

I hit the deck pretty hard myself...

Mountain bikers in the age of personal communication devices:

21.6 miles of Asheville roads

2011-06-26T17:55:00.005-04:00

Gandhi graffiti

with Mike and Kassi. I tried to get out earlier in the day but bad weather was moving in fast. I mowed the lawn instead and the rain started to really come down just as I finished up. This isn't a lawn maintenance log though, it's a ride log.... About two hours after the storm passed Mike B. called asking if I was up for a ride. Erinna gave me the thumbs-up so off I went starting at 3:40PM.

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As I mentioned, there were storms passing through so the humidity was 100% greater than yesterday but the temperature was just about the same, hovering in the mid 80's. We started with Meadow to A.B Tech because of a train passing through

Mr. and Mrs. BrownDay

but were otherwise right back on course, headed through Kennilworth to Beaucatcher.

The Beaucatcher bridge

After those as-close-to-urban-asheville-as-you-can-get-rural-feeling-roads we crossed Charlotte street and were directly on more rural feeling roads, up Sunset to Town Mountain.

Sunset Rd

Asheville from Sunset Mountain

After a short bit of TMR we were readying ourselves for that stupid road I went down Monday night, Bartram's Walk to Wolf Cove to Beaverdam. The Droid stats say I got going 45.3 mph on that descent... (min grade 20%!) and when we got to the bottom I joked that we should ride back up, but there were no takers and really, we were all ready to head home at that point. Beaverdam to Merrimon was next, and I lost Mike and Kassi at Merrimon as I got the green light at the Ingles and they did not then they had different plans (they were heading to the Bywater) so when I saw them take a right a block before and 200' downhill from where I was I decided to just head on home. I picked up the pace once I was a solo rider and hammered to WT Weaver, through the college, past the Bywater, over the tracks, over the Craven bridge, up Waynesville(where I passed a commuter like he was standing still) and home to Westville. Great ride y'all! Thanks for getting out! Thanks for the invite!

4 rides in one week!

2011-06-25T16:33:00.010-04:00

Sophiedog and I got out today for a chiiiilllllllll paced ride. The inner loop, counter-clockwise.
We started in the early afternoon and there were trail users around every turn. Campers, hikers, fishermen, and riders were all out enjoying this gorgeous early Summer day. Temps were in the mid 80's with no perceivable humidity. Perfect conditions.
The climb was going by quickly when I ran into the first group of riders I knew. They told me their plans for the day and just as we were parting ways Mr Bill G. came riding up. This man taught me more of Pisgah than anyone else.
He is responsible for showing me the light, for showing me that Yes, 5, 6, even 7 or 12 hours of Pisgah is not only possible but fun. After a long breather with Bill we parted ways and my climb continued.
I had forgotten just how tech the inner loop climb can be and relished every moment of it.

Bill had told me that he saw a huge rattlesnake out on the rock and so, of course, as soon as I got there I went looking for it. Well, all I found was the beautiful view that awaits every time.

The descent was great fun even though my fork needs some adjusting and I didn't have a pump. The steeps were steeper than I remembered and the fast sections were every bit as fast as I remembered.... so we were at the road again very quickly.
The last section of the ride, the gravel to close the loop, went by very slowly. Sophiedog the Brave was pretty whooped so I had to take it v e r y easy back to the Jeep.

Oh yeah, On the way down the gravel road a black bear came trotting across. Sweet.... my first bear sighting of 2011!

View 2011-06-25 13:14 in a larger map

A cautionary tale

2011-06-23T22:50:00.009-04:00

When the universe is telling you to slow the f down, the best course of action is to do just that. I got out for a quick ride this evening over at Trace Ridge and around every corner I was reminded to slow down and enjoy, don't rush. I started at Bent Creek Gap and took the parkway to the top of Trace. I walked down to the sign and then let the newly refurbished SS rip. I attacked the first climb and the wheel slipped to one side as soon as I pushed hard.... I guess one side wasn't tightened well enough... then, on the first descent, I immediately knew I need to switch out the tires that are currently on... but I didn't listen to myself and I went down hard. I brushed myself off and hopped back on without a rest and continued the descent only to break a stick that was hanging in the trail with my face. Uuugh.
I picked my way down the singletrack and decided to try to turn the ride around on the climb. It was there that the SS did its job because I was immersed in total silence, at least as total as it can be for me. The single speed felt so.... right... like I was gliding up the hill.... also, just like that, I was at the first gate, Spencer, the third gate, then the top. 1:03 moving time, 1:18 total, including photo stops, bike adjustments, and dragging my ass out from the underbrush.

View 2011-06-23 20:58 in a larger map

I love my wife!

2011-06-21T15:09:00.014-04:00

Erinna and I got out for a great ride today. Of course it was great, we got to ride together. The original plan was to go to Heartbreak Ridge but after the over-the-top-tough-feeling warm-up of going up Old 70 made us reconsider. After my ride just yesterday and after Erinna not riding mountain bikes much at all lately we decided Heartbreak may take longer than we had time for. We had to pick up Zoe eventually. The route we chose for the day was interesting and hard as hell. From Old Fort picnic area->Old 70->Ridgecrest->Paved Road of Death->Adventure Trail->Rattlesnake->Ridgecrest->Kitsuma->back to OFPA.

View 2011-06-21 10:08 in a larger map

The view from the Old 70 overlook. Yes, it was a hot and humid day.

Erinna and our Waltworks bikes at the Adventure trail overlook

The Rhodos are in full bloom at just the right elevation....

Adventure trail is much harder than this photo suggests...

Mr Toad, when will this wild climb be done?

Rattlesnake down!

The happy couple

Erinna wasn't the only one wearing pink today

Kitsuma has climbs?!?!?

The trailwork on Kitsuma has bedded in and it actually has a nice flow. The rocks are coming back out on the climb and the bike-eaters are about gone. A number of old-school tech features are history though....

Thanks for getting out on a ride with me Erinna! Thanks for taking care of Zoe, Dawn! Thanks for taking care of Biltmore, Andy! What a great day.

Jamie, that road is stupid.

2011-06-20T18:18:00.005-04:00

Jamie at ProBikes told me about a road a couple of months ago and has been bugging me since: 'Have you done that road yet? Have you climbed that road yet? When ya gonna ride that road?' Well today, I rode the road. From West Asheville->Clingman->Hilliard->Biltmore->College->Town Mountain->Bartram's Walk (the road)->Wolf's Cove->Beaverdam->Webb Cove->Blue Ridge Parkway->Elk Mountain Scenic Highway->Beaverdam->Merrimon->WT Weaver->Riverside->Craven->Waynesville->back to Westville. The droid powered down along the way so I don't have maps or stats but.. I do have a few photos.... more on the ride later... maybe...

the end of the (paved) road

Day Lilies on Webb Cove

yes, a big smile for getting out on a Monday

speechless at Buzzard Rock...

Deep in the heart of Pisgah....

2011-06-18T11:52:00.007-04:00

....the squirrels are white

I got out this morning with Sophiedog the Brave for a fun dog-friendly Pisgah loop: South Mills->Cantrell->Squirrel->Bradley-> back to Turkey Pen parking.

Sophie and I got started just after 8AM after I changed the ride plan en-route. I decided that a bit of deep Pisgah was a better choice than the inner-loop, for Sophie's sake. The singletrack down to the bridge was a great bike/confidence check and the flattish 5K or so of South Mills River was an enjoyable warm-up for the both of us. We took a quick break/photoshoot at the Lodge then proceeded up Cantrell.

If you've never done Cantrell up you're missing out. The trail never gets too steep but it is tech tech tech all the way to Squirrel. The water was surprisingly low so I even smashed my way across a few of the creek crossings. It was turning into a beautiful last weekend of Spring day. Temps rising out of the 70's, a bright blue sky, and the sun was still at at lower angle than I'm used to seeing in the woods since it was only 9:15 or so when I hit Squirrel.

The stretch of Squirrel from Cantrell to Laurel Gap is one of my favorite. Classic Pisgah at it's best, even after the trail work. Some of the tech features are gone but the flow is out of this world.... and it's still beautiful and tech.
Sophie was starting to feel the lack of rides somewhere around Poundingmill and I had to let her catch up again and again. At least she's not the type of dog that runs until she absolutely collapses, she slow to a trot, shows up with a smile, and soldiers on to the end. Good dog.
At Pea Gap I decided to head down Squirrel rather than Mullinax just to get to the river more quickly for Sophie and when we arrived she was grateful.

A slow spin on Bradley was followed by my best attempt at climbing the singletrack back to the parkinglot that I've accomplished in a looong time. I almost cleaned it. The sweat was pouring off me when we arrived at the Jeep and whattayaknow, Kris and Ariane K. were just starting a ride of their own. Did you just go swimming? Kris asked. Nope, just finished an awesome ride.

View 2011-06-18 08:02 in a larger map

Birthday Ride!

2011-06-14T15:43:00.005-04:00

Happy Birthday to me! I just got in from a great two hour road ride. I don't know the names of the roads or really how to describe where I was because I just followed the Wheel Ride for Food route from West Asheville, out to almost Marshall, and back on the river road.

View 2011-06-14 13:33 in a larger map

After this past weekend's festivities I needed just a little something to shake the cobwebs out of my legs and the dust from my lungs. Oh, and speaking of that little festival I went to, I might as mention this: I tracked my wanderings on Friday and I walked a total of 12 miles. Multiply that by four days and that's actually ride log worthy as a work out!

A few photos from this past weekend:

An Incident in progress

Home sweet home

Late night hooping!

The dusty masses

photo from flickr.com. I can see my camp on the left edge of the photo, center.

Trace Ridge, on an early Wednesday afternoon, in 56 minutes.

2011-06-01T14:48:00.011-04:00

I got out for a great little ride this afternoon. After a few hours at work this a.m. I decided it was time to play hooky and hit Trace Ridge. I started at the first gate on 5000 at 1:15 and was headed to Spencer. It's been an unusually hot last couple of days and the temps were hovering right around 90 when I decided to walk through the steep field. I got into a good rhythm after that though and was pleased with my time to Trace.
One thing that kept the pace high today was my mind was hardly on the ride. As I left the Jeep one of the powered windows decided to stop working while it was still down. What's a guy to do? Pull the plug because of a little material goods insecurity? No way. Well I was second guessing myself the whole time and blazed over the top and down the ridge. I kept seeing beautiful flowers along the way and had to convince myself to stop. I had to say to say to myself more than once, 'stop. enjoy the scenery.' before I actually did.
Anyway, I otherwise didn't stop and kept a speedy but not over the top pace down the hill. Oh, I realized when I got out the camera that I didn't have a tube with me.... so, as I was saying, not over the top speeds all the way to the parking lot. I said thanks for getting me to the bottom without crashes or flats and was immediately on the way up 5000 to the jeep.
When I arrived everything was just as I had left it, of course, but the little fire under the ass got me through the loop in 56 minutes. Not bad for me.

Makin' time

2011-05-29T00:46:00.008-04:00

Starting at 8:30 PM at Spencer. 5000->Blue Ridge Parkway->276->1206->5000

View 2011-05-28 20:18 in a larger map

Created by My Tracks on Android.

Total Distance: 52.87 km (32.9 mi)
Total Time: 3:34:23
Moving Time: 3:03:55
Average Speed: 14.80 km/h (9.2 mi/h)
Average Moving Speed: 17.25 km/h (10.7 mi/h)
Max Speed: 65.19 km/h (40.5 mi/h)
Min Elevation: 712 m (2334 ft)
Max Elevation: 1513 m (4965 ft)
Elevation Gain: 1513 m (4966 ft)
Max Grade: 21 %
Min Grade: -14 %

Run Club

2011-05-26T11:46:00.001-04:00

1.8 miles, 175' elevation gain, 18 minutes. 82* and muggy.
That's not a bad start.
Let's see if I can walk (much less run!) tomorrow.

Late Spring road riding in Asheville.

2011-05-22T15:44:00.005-04:00

Riders around every other bend, car tourists, perfect road conditions, bears, and big views.
Mike B. and I got out for a fun paced road ride today. Mike is just recovering from a bad elbow injury so his choice of bikes was interesting, his go-to cross country mountainbike. It made since though because the reach isn't as far as the road bike. It was, however, still a surprise to see him pull up on a 29er with 2.3 tires.
Our route for the day: Craven->Depot->Victoria->Biltmore->Wyoming->Kennilworth->Beaucatcher->Town Mountain->?->Sunset->Patton Mountain (gravel)->Town Mountain->Webb Cove (gravel)->Beaverdam->Merrimon->Weaver->Riverside

The temps were in the mid 80's with a UV index of 1000%. The warm-up was tough for both of us but for different reasons. Mike has been doing intense P.T. for his elbow and has added to it a bunch of small bike rides and good sized hikes. I've not done anything involving increasing my heart rate in a week.
Once we were through Kennilworth we climbed Beaucatcher, a first for me. I had been back in that neighborhood years ago for a party at Fred's chalet, but other than that it was all new to me. It was a fun ride through that area. We stopped at the spooky bridge but otherwise kept moving at a fair clip.
Next we made our way over to the other set of one lane mountain roads with a spectacular view of the city, Sunset Mountain. The climbing is fun and easy over there and we ran into a memorable scene along the way: A guy was out of his car, SLR camera in hand shooting away on one knee. He saw us coming, raised one hand silently, asking us to stop. We complied then noticed what he had in his sights: A mother bear and three cubs about 50' to our left.

After the bears went on their way we exchanged WOW!'s and Mike and I were then on the closest to Asheville gravel road that I know of. Up Patton Mountain and up Town Mountain were fun as we kept a easy pace and talked just about the whole way about god knows what.
The descent down Webb Cove was also something to remember. Who is faster on a gravel road descent? A 700x38 road bike with mechanical discs or a 700x60 mountain bike with 100mm fork and hydraulic discs? The answer in this case? The road bike by a hair. I took off from the top and cranked into the first set of switchbacks with confidence. By the third one or so I could hear Mike trying to race and pass me on the left so I hammered out of the turn and took off into the straight. This happened two or three more times as Mike has FAR faster in the turns and I was FAR faster in the straights. At one point I blew a corner and did the full-lane-drift and got the loud 'NO WRECKING' warning from Mike. Like, he was commanding that I do not wreck. Well, it worked, we both made it to the bottom with the rubber side staying down.

View 2011-05-22 12:46 in a larger map

The rest of the ride was the usual... drivers scared to pass, green lights all the way down Merrimon, a bit of greenway through the university, then Riverside back to Richmond Hill for Mike and Westville for me. Great ride Mike. Thanks for getting out there.

Heartbreaker with Teamdicky.

2011-05-15T12:36:00.019-04:00

Droid stats: 20.5 miles, 5365' elevation gain, 2:53 moving time, 4:05 total time, 7 mph! average moving speed, 24.5 max.

I was on the road at 6:55 this morning to meet up with Rich at the Kitsuma parking lot at 7:15. Our plan for the day: HEARTBREAKER!!!! We were on the bikes at 7:30 and right away I was feeling the lack of big rides in the past few weeks. We climbed through ridgecrest and at the ballfields I thought, I think I can follow the hardest nine miles in town route from here, you know, as a change-up. We climbed the paved road of death

photo by Rich:

to Adventure trail and after a quick call to Mike B. to verify directions, and a quick photoshoot at the overlook we were on our way to the helipad.
From there the route was classic Heartbreak Ridge. On our way up Old Toll we talked about all sorts of things: Old friends, the bike industry, PMBAR, The Boy, proxy servers, cycling teams, new friends, bike parts.... and Rich kept a perfect 6 foot distance in front of me, no matter how fast or slow I could go at the moment. When I was feeling good it was like having a tractor-beam, or an adventure racing bungee, holding me to his rear wheel. Of course he could have pulled away at any instant but this was not one of those types of rides. It was casual, it was fun, we stopped and took photos of flowers:
and we took a lunch break at the overlook which came right on time for me.

My knees were hurting from the lack of fitness and the 60something degree temps and I hadn't had a bite to eat all day. I guess that's why that 'tractor-beam' feeling was suddenly starting to fade. Well, after the longish break I was feeling great again and Rich pulled me all the way to the trailers which were upon us before I expected them.

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2011 Pisgah Mountain Bike Adventure Race RESULTS!

2011-05-12T15:58:00.000-04:00

2011 PMBAR RESULTS here!

New fork shakedown ride #3

2011-05-05T19:01:00.004-04:00

125 top and bottom to start. Not quite as compliant on the small stuff as I'd like so I let a pshhht of air out of the top and the fork started acting rather nice. Enough travel on the small stuff and not too much once I was headed downhill.

New fork shakedown ride #2

2011-05-04T17:10:00.004-04:00

115 top, 100 bottom. Excellent in the small stuff but it dove through the travel once I was pointed downhill

New fork shakedown ride

2011-05-01T12:04:00.005-04:00

Starting at 9PM. Out and back on Laurel. Fork settings? Who knows. Whatever it was straight out of the box, plus some fiddling, plus a front flat.

Two rides in two days?!?!? What could be better than that?!?!?

2011-04-25T15:45:00.009-04:00

Alternate title: Riding in Pisgah with my wife?!?!?!? What could be better than that?!?!?

My beautiful wife at the Wash Creek bridge:

Erinna and I got out for an over-the-top smile-producing most-excellent mountain-bike ride today. A few pictures for now, A ride description later.

Irises:

Erinna at the swinging bridge on North Mills River trail:

Erinna on Spencer Gap trail:

and at the top of the climb on Trace Ridge trail:

A Stan's flat? No way!

Jimminy Cricket!

2011-04-24T22:39:00.006-04:00

I just had my ass handed to me. Thank you very much Greg C.
After a beautiful Easter day of hanging out with the family plus Katie, Greg, and Dahlia, Greg and I decided it would be a great idea to get on the road bikes starting at about 8PM. We hit the road at 8:30 without a solid plan other than to climb Webb Cove. Our ultimate route Waynesville->Riverside->Elk Mountain->Lakeside->Osborne->Beaverdam->Webb Cove->Blue Ridge Parkway->Town Mountain->College->Heywood->Chicken Hill->Waynesville.

Droid Stats: 24.2 miles, 2570' elevation gain, 1:39 moving, 14.5 average, 44mph max. Kick ass.

Greg set the pace early and after a couple insane passes by motorists I decided to push and hold his wheel to get that nasty stretch of pavement over with and it was done in a flash. I was seeing stars and doing my best to not need to stop for the climb through Woodfin and finally had to warn Greg that the climb up Beaverdam was NOT going to go by as quickly as the last few miles had, for me at least. He slowed just enough that I was able to catch my breath and get into a comfortable spin. Exactly what I needed I guess because the climb to Webb Cove wasn't that bad and by the time we were at the gravel I was feeling damn spry. We were both out of the saddle and hammering when, lickity split, we were at the parkway. Hell. Yes.
The Town Mountain descent really got the lactic acid building in my legs. They were on FIRE as I pushed but I still pushed as. hard. as. I. could. I was able to drop Greg in the chicanes but he easily reeled me back in on the straight-aways. I was absolutely flying at the final turn headed into downtown and Greg was only seconds behind. EXCELLENT. EXCELLENT. EXCELLENT.
We took the fun twisty way back to West Asheville and parted ways less than two hours after starting. Awesome ride Greg. Thanks for getting out. Happy Easter everyone!

First group ride since October!

2011-04-20T06:51:00.018-04:00

Last night I got out for an excellent ride. I met up with Mike R. and Eric C. at the bridge at North Mills River Campground at 6:30pm. Our plan: Fisherman's->North Mills->Yellow Gap trail->5051->1206->Yellow Gap where we would meet up with the ANDC and continue with the most classic of Pisgah rides, Laurel->Pilot.

Our prologue loop was tons of fun for me because Eric and Mike were whooped from a huge day in Pisgah just days before. I could warm-up the way I like to: Slow at first, short sprints to get the heartrate up, and frequent stops to catch my breath. Jody and Ben passed us while climbing 1206 and I told them we'd be there in a half hour. Well, about 25 minutes later we arrived at Yellow Gap, right as everyone else (Jody F., Ben W., Than ?, and Clint ?)was just ready to go.
The pace up Laurel was much higher than I expected but the breathers were frequent. Everyone took their turn (even me!) in the lead pulling the group but generally Jody and Ben were out front, Mike, Eric, Than, and I traded places again and again, and Clint was off the back. LAurel was in great shape. The soil was dry but every water source was flowing like back-in-the-day, before the droughts. This made for fast going when we were going but the stops were frequent and long.
It was a beautiful night to be in the woods with temps in the 60's and a strong warmish wind. The skies were clear and stars were visible in the millions. Perfect for the tempo of the ride: Hammer to every gap. Stop at every gap to regroup. Not the best way to keep the flow going but a great way to enjoy a splendid evening.
The $2000 climb was notable this evening because of the pace. My calves were on FIRE just trying to not get runover by Ben W.
The descent down Pilot Rock will be marked as one of the finest in recent memory. More about that after the break. Wait Wait... I've got to mention Jody's spectacular crash in the HumVee section. Again, more after the break.... It's just that.... that crash was spectacular! Another late edit: I just remembered a conversation from last night. Mike, Jody, and I were waiting up on the downhill and I mentioned it was Erinna's and my anniversary tomorrow. Jody then told me he had just had his 13th anniversary. 'Know what the best part of the 13th anniversary is?' 'No Jody, what' 'It's the lace anniversary...'

Yes, that orange ball is the rising moon.

OK, last edit: The downhill was one to remember. It was spectacular. It was incredible. It was the type of descent that brought me to Asheville in the first place. No one was particularly looking to take the lead from the top so I took my turn off the top of the hill. I led out the group as fast as I could and had sooooo much fun. The switchbacks were coming with ease and I felt 'ON' like I've not felt in a while. Mike and Jody were in the chase and Ben was next when we arrived at the upper overlook. We had seen glimpses of the moon on our way down but we were now able to see the full panorama view. An orange ball rising, orange city lights, white riding lights flashing on the side of the mountain... Anyway, after the breather Mike took the lead and I had to let Jody by before we hit the HumVee. My forearms were getting rather fatigued. Mike took off like a bat out of hell as I followed Jody. The wreck he had moments later was unbelievably awesome since he didn't get hurt. It was like he hit a landmine. Bike flipping off in one direction, Jody flipping through the air..... .... ... .. . Two thoughts I had during the .75 seconds that it took for the wreck to occur: 1. 'Isn't that bike made of aluminum?' 2. As soon as he hit 'Cheezy Rice was that hit chin that just made that smack noise?' (that what I thought I had seen). Luckily bike and chin made it unscathed. I took up second place again after that all the way to 1206. Mike, by the way, was flying at this point. I couldn't hold him.
At 1206 we had a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG wait for the rest of the rest to show up then the hammer was down for the descent to Bradley Creek. 20 minutes of climbing after that we were at Yellow Gap and minutes later Mike Eric, and I were at NMRC. Awesome ride guys. Thanks for getting out there.

1st ride in the new PMBAR jersey

2011-04-10T22:43:00.003-04:00

From West Asheville->Carrier Park->Hominy Creek Park->191->Blue Ridge Parkway to Bent Creek Gap->479->Bent Creek Ranch->Pole Creaseman->191->Hominy Creek->Carrier->back to Westville. 30.1 miles, 2680' elevation gain, 2:24 moving time, 12.5 mph average, 37.8 mph max. starting at 8:15 PM!

Just what I needed...

2011-04-03T14:32:00.017-04:00

A serving of the Extra Large Nasty.
From PMBAR start/finish->Thrift Cove->Black Mountain->Buckwheat Knob->Bennett Gap->477->Clawhammer->Maxwell->Black back to the PMBAR start/finish.

Droid stats: 19.25 miles, 5935' elevation gain, 20.3 max speed, 5.9 avg speed.

What an awesome day in the woods that was. After being off the bike for two weeks because of work, weather, and getting used to Erinna's new night shift schedule I decided that the way to shake the cobwebs out of my legs was by hitting Pisgah with a ride that would make most beginners and out-of-towners whimper.
I started at just about 7:30 at the PMBAR start/finish and decided to change things up a little bit. I had 4.5 hours to spend so why not start with Thrift Cove? I was surprised by 1. how steep Thrift is in places and 2. How quickly I was at the turn to Black Mountain. I also overshot a little here-to-there on the one descent and decided to take it easy rather than let it all hang out for the rest of the day. I gave the middle section of Black my all but was off the bike for just about everything past Pressley Gap to Turkey Pen. The entire way though my eyes were looking forward and I kept up a steady 1..2 1..2 1..2 pace. Over the top and through the serious switchbacks and even past the overlooks went by with resolve, I was on the bike headed downhill like a man on a mission. I even went right through Buckhorn Gap without a break. I did decide, however, to stop at the shelter for a breather and half a sandwich:
I thought to myself: 'I'm feeling good. No reason to stay any longer than necessary' and kept on keepin' on... The best part about that is I really started to feel good at that point. Not fast,mind you, but good. I cleaned everything but the steps all the way to Club Gap. No rest at the gap but I did have to get off the bike a couple of times before Buckwheat Knob. The descent to Bennett Gap was cautious but again I cleaned everything (and that's saying something since I haven't cleaned the top in the last few tries). Once on Bennett I realized my time was getting tight and Ikept moving forward without a break.... well, until the overlook. I had to stop this time:
The Bennett downhill went like most solo Bennett downhills: Q-bert rock? Nope. Thread the needle? Nope. Highspeed serious downhill pitch loghops and rootballs? Absolutely. I nailed them all. No stop at Coontree, just hammer through, then I took a nice rest on lower Bennett when I ran into Fusco, Curtis, and their two friends who's names I've forgotten already. At 477 it was 11:00 and I was to meet Erinna so she could go on her own ride at Noon at the PMBAR start/finish. 1 hour. I texted Erinna and told her my plan: at horse stables clawhammer maxwell black next one hour will be hard but ill try my hardest. Well, I tried my hardest but my legs were toast. When I got to the top I was surprised by how quickly Clawhammer/Maxwell had gone by since my legs were feeling so bad but that strange space/time/fatigue thing must have been in full force because when I looked at my timepiece at the top I only had 18 minutes to make it back... Fast? Slow? I wasn't sure. The climb from Pressley was the hardest of the day and by the time I was descending Black back to the Jeep my ears were whistling MUCH louder than usual, and I was starting to feel lightheaded, but my resolve was still clear. FINISH BY HIGH NOON. Well, here's a photo of what I came upon right at 12:07.
Erinna and Zoe, happy as can be, hanging out on a beautiful early Spring, 70 degree sunny day. About 20 minutes later Erinna was out on her own Pisgah ride and Zoe and I were headed back to Asheville. What a great way to spend the day.
Oh, a couple more things, along the way I conceptualized some hideous PMBAR special tests and saw a large bird of great significance. Yes, this was exactly what I needed.

Richmond Hill with The Pony and Mrs. BrownDay

2011-03-20T17:22:00.007-04:00

A truely awesome weekend!

2011-03-14T08:50:00.004-04:00

This past weekend was near perfect. On Saturday the temps were in the high 60's without a cloud in the sky. Erinna purchased a bike trailer for little Miss Zoe last week so we decided it was the day to try it out. Zoe's first ride: From West Asheville->Haywood->Beverly->Riverview->Dog Park->Carrier Park->New greenway->Short Michigan->Hanover->back home. We stopped along the way and played in the grass at the park

and decided to go home once Zoe was no longer enjoying the experience. It was a great hour or two out with the family.

That night I met Mr. and Mrs. BrownDay for Menomena at the Orange Peel. Nothing quite like feeling like the oldest person in the room but anyway, it was a pretty good show. The openers (whoever they were) really were rocking out.

Then on Sunday Erinna got out for a good 30 mile road ride with Melissa G. They actually saw a cow being born! She took a couple photos but I don't think I'll post them..... it's pretty gross.

Once Erinna was home and ready to take over baby duties I loaded up for a quick ride around the inner-loop with Sophiedog the Brave. more later.

road ridin' with my sweetie

2011-02-27T14:57:00.007-05:00

Erinna and I (!) just walked in from an excellent day on the road bikes. Droid stats: 26.2 miles, 2955', 12 mph average, 42.3 mph max, 2:10 moving time. The neighbors took Zoe for the time it took for us to knock out from West Asheville->Clingman->Coxe->Haywood->

Charlotte->Macon->Old Toll->
Bent Tree->Town Mountain->Blue Ridge Parkway->

Elk Mountain Scenic Hwy->

Beaverdam->Merrimon->WTWeaver->Riverside->Craven->Waynesville. Highlights: One that stands above the rest, Erinna and I were riding together. Thanks for getting out there sweetie. I love you!

City gravel/pavement loop

2011-02-25T07:11:00.009-05:00

I got out last night for a fun mix of pavement and gravel. Starting at 8PM from West Asheville->Clingman->Hilliard->brief stop at city/county plaza->Charlotte->Macon->Sunset->Patton Mountain->Town Mountain->Webb Cove->Beaverdam->Merrimon->WT Weaver->Riverside->Craven->Waynesville.
The ride started in temps in the low 50's and with a slow pace. It had been nearly a week since I had done anything to get my heartrate up so a warm-up pace was definitely necessary. Once I had taken a few photos at the plaza, however, I was ready to turn the pedals over. Up Macon to Sunset was next, a route I'm not very familiar with, and I was surprised at how quickly the road felt like a rural lane and how quickly I was gaining elevation. The city lights below were gorgeous. The closest to West Asheville gravel (that I know about) was next, Patton Mountain, and with music blasting in one ear I was thrilled when I looked up and was already at the water tower at the top.
I had both Amoeba lights blazing and started to hammer up the second half of Town Mountain to Bull Gap and Webb Cove Road. I took a quick breather at the top then continued to hammer down the 2nd closest gravel road to West Asheville (that I know about) but almost immediately had to stop because my bike mounted light came loose from it's velcro attachment and suddenly I had 900 lumens staring me in the face. I couldn't see a thing so an emergency stop was absolutely necessary. Luckily I had some duct tape with me to reattach the lamp. Why did I have duct tape with me on a road ride? Don't ask. As I was descending I thought about the old book of half truths where he mentioned climbing 5000 to Soencer/Trace. He said something like, just before the top you'll start to wonder if the descent is worth this hellish climb, believe me, it is. Well, the same can be said about any climb to Webb Cove. Webb Cove is worth it. Hairpin turns, washboard surface, smooth as glass gravel straight aways, the Droid says I got going 40.2 mph at some point during the ride, that must have been where.
Once on Beaverdam and headed back into carland I had a very skeeered driver tailgate me for almost a mile. She wouldn't pass no matter how many times I waved her around. I had to actually get off the pavement and ride in the shoulder before she would go around. I swear, I know she was just trying to be safe... but in reality she just didn't know how to pass a cyclist and she made the situation much more dangerous than need be. Why don't they teach how to pass cyclists in driver's ed.? Anyway, she got around and I took Merrimon to UNCA down to the river and my legs felt great. I had all the power I could ask for, every time I asked. Past Richmond Hill, past the cattle market, and up Waynesville went by like a flash. I pulled in to the house just before 10pm. 1:56 total time out. 1:44 moving. Not bad!

Crosseyed and (not) Painless

2011-02-19T19:03:00.010-05:00

Ok, I'll cut to the exciting bit right away this time. This morning I climbed Trace Ridge and had planned on descending Spencer to the never-ending-road then to further points unknown. Well that didn't happen. On the descent to Spencer Gap I went down h-a-r-d. I saw the first little here-to-there jump and hit it, then immediately another followed. When I landed the second time I was lined up directly for a log that was laying parallel to the trail and I speared it with my front wheel. I highsided at highspeed, had just enough time to think 'oh shit', flipped over, and landed on the back of my head first then the small of my back off the side of the trail. It took me a moment to sit up and start assessing the damage. I took my helmet off and checked, yes, it was very broken. Uuugh and that my lower back was jacked.... and... uugh... is my molar chipped? I then stood up and noticed things didn't really look right, like, my depth perception was off, and thought to text Erinna. 'I just broke my helmet, I think I'm ok.' In retrospect I should have waited until I could be a little more definitive about the Ok or not Ok part.... Anyway, I took a photo from where I landed

then started moving forward to the gap. Right as I got there Capt. Morgan, Tim H., and Russell ? had just arrived. I told Jason what had happened and he offered an escort out of the woods, but I declined. My vision was funky but I could make it out. He accepted the relief of responsibility but would look to make sure my vehicle was gone when they made it to the campground. I could tell he was concerned.Thanks for looking out Jason. I then descended Spencer vvvvveeeerrrrryyyyy carefully and then 5000 back to the Jeep. When I got there Scott from Indy was just about to start what was supposed to be the second leg of the ride but you know, I wasn't game, it was time to hit the road. I called Erinna as soon as I was in range to let her know I had made it out.
I didn't think much about the head hit again (since my vision seemed to go binocular again after a while) until I went to drop off my bike at ProBikes to buy a new helmet and to get the front wheel trued back up. I told Jamie the story. 'How long were you out?' He asked. 'No, I didn't even see a white flash like usual' I told him. 'Did you see a black flash?' I thought about it and had to admit, 'yes'. 'HA! You don't even know how long you were out then!' Oh shit.
The rest of the day was spent with my beautiful family and being thankful for them, my health, and my good since to wear a helmet every time I ride a bike.

Late edit: I didn't mention earlier that I also lost my keys on this ride. I had held onto the same keyset for 12 years or so until then. How do I know? My keys have had this Thomson keyfob:
that the Pony gave me while we were both still living in Charlotte. No matter how many different keys have rotated through (4 front doors, 3 cars, 2 significant others, and 1 job) this fob has hung on. Well, somewhere after the crash I lost them. I posted on the mtbr.com NC forum, on a long shot, that I had lost my keys and for folks to keep an eye out. Well, tallpaul actually found them while he was out riding today (Why else would I have a picture of my keys?). How cool is that?

Heartbreak Ridge at night and in the snow!

2011-02-13T07:20:00.012-05:00

Scott from Indy arrived at my house in the ICS Shuttle right at the scheduled time yesterday, at 1:30PM. We were quickly packed up and headed North for a day of Rattlesnake->Old Toll->Heartbreak Ridge. What a fantastic day in the woods it became. The parking lot at Kitsuma was packed to the gills and folks were complaining about how awful of shape that trail is in right now. Well that seals that, no prelude lap today. As we got started the weather was perfect: High 30's/Low 40's without a cloud in the sky.
The climb up through Ridgecrest and Rattlesnake went by quickly and I felt good about my efforts as I cleaned all of Rattlesnake. We took a quick detour to the peak
that Mike B had shown me just a week prior then pushed on towards Old Toll. We ran into a surly cast of characters:
at the intersection and after a quick breather we were all headed up the road. Well it took about 2.5 seconds and Scott and I were riding by ourselves again.
Old Toll Road is so much fun. The tread is constantly changing from smooth doubletrack to hell pave' to downright riding on all rock and back around again.
There are also tremendous views of the distant mountains looming to the right for the entire climb.

There are also dreadlocked hikers with dogs, hardcore runners, and occasionally another cyclist or two. Scott and I had different tempos for the climb so we yo-yo'd the entire way to the top. One item of note, there was much more snow up there than either of us had anticipated. Every time the trail went to the North side of the mountain we were riding on solid ice with a fresh coat of one inch of powder on top of it.

As we climbed the ice and snow got thicker and thicker and the temperature kept dropping. By the time we made it to the trailers I had become a bit concerned. The sun was just about to set and I already had on every bit of clothing I had with me.... and I was still cold.... and we had a high speed descent ahead of us. It was time to get down off that hill ASAP.
The stretch of trail between the trailers and the field hightened that since of concern as we were suddenly postholing through 5-8" of ice topped snow, slowly pushing our bikes just below the highest peak East of the Mississippi as the sun set and the temps dropped. I guess I was visibly cold at the field because Scott offered the only piece of extra clothing he had along to me. I gladly accepted the balaclava before we started the reason for climbing the 11 miles to that point, the Heartbreak Ridge descent.
more later.

We started the Heartbreak descent with caution for a couple of reasons. First Scott was expecting to pull his helmet light out of his bag at the top but what he found when he opened it up was his bar light. 'Dammit! I need to see on this trail' was his first reaction. Then, just after the right turn I nearly lost it. 'WooHoo! Just put your leg out if y'r goin down!' Scott yelled forward. OK, just because the Icycle was going on right then and folks else where were being heros, the same should not apply to two guys descending Heartbreak in the snow at night. We cautiosly picked our way down without any super-high-speeds or big moves, just smile inducing flowy descending all the way down. The temps were rising as we descended, too. That made me more comfortable, to say the least. Despite our cautions we both hit the deck once during the descent. Scott went down harder than I had ever witnessed. After the second climb his bars clipped a tree and the resulting crash I heard above the iPod that was blasting Black Keys in one ear. I stopped, looked back, and saw Scott laying flat on his stomach. 'Are you OK?' No answer. I dropped the bike and started towards him when he got up holding his wrist. A few moments later we were rolling again, he was fine. Then, at the very very bottom just before the camp I came into the final turn too hot. I lost it on the rootball and highsided. Luckily I had reduced my speed to almost zero just before it happened, and I was also OK.
The climb up Mill Creek Rd was no more tough than usual and we kept together until the big switchback. We regrouped at the pavement and were back at the ICS Shuttle moments later. Great ride Scott. Thanks for getting out there late in the day!

Dear God, Thank you...

2011-02-07T21:58:00.005-05:00

for allowing me to bring the bike back under control and guiding me through that turn and not over that cliff.

Town Mountain->BRP->Elk Mountain Highway->Merrimon->WTWeaver->Riverside->Waynesville.

The hardest 9 mile ride in town

2011-02-06T16:54:00.016-05:00

Rainbow->Old Toll->Rattlesnake->Royal Gorge->Adventure to the Helipad-> Old Toll->Rainbow.

Untitled from pisgahproductions on Vimeo.

Mike B. and I got out today for a fun and hard ride outside of Montreat. Droid stats: 8.95 miles, 2875' climbing, 2:10 moving time, 23.9 mph max. This time I'll mention the grades too: -24.7% min (!!!), +12.7% max. Not bad.

28 degrees, windy, and pitch black dark.

2011-02-02T22:59:00.005-05:00

I just walked in (11:00PM) from a great ride with Mike R. Our route: Classic Trace starting from the gate. The warmup was absolutely painful and it took everything I had to keep Mike within 100' or so. He motored through the steep field, I floundered. He rolled the new log hops, I fumbled. I tried my best to get on my game though and by the time we reached Trace I saw steam coming from my helmet, I was no longer seeing stars, I was warmed up and ready. We took a very quick and cold break at the top then after agreeing that tonight was not the night for heros, we cranked into the downhill. I;ve got to mention here my new light setup. The amoeba lights by Jay B. rock. I was able to hold Mike's wheel at night for the first time in a long long while. We hit the 22 mph mark on the way down so, I guess we didn't go for hero status but we didn't slouch either. After the 'whoops' and 'yeeeahs' and 'great run mannnn!s' were done Mike snuck in a great little bit of extra trail with brand spankin' new blazes. Two climbs and three descents later we were on 5000 and headed back up the mountain towards the parkway. We both were feeling warm and fast at that point so we stood and hammered, then sat and talked, stood and hammered, sat and talked some more, and were back at the vehicles in 1:19 total time out. 1:02 moving. 22.25 max, 6.7 average. Great ride Mike. Thanks for coming out.

Oooph! That's gonna hurt.

2011-01-31T05:32:00.008-05:00

and yes, now it certainly does. Yesterday afternoon I got out for a little dose of Pisgah. Sophiedog the Brave and I arrived at the Turkey Pen parking lot at 4:45 with the plan of an out-and-back on Squirrel. I was hoping to catch sunset at the furthest out point so I had lights along. Just after the bridge on South Mills River I knew the ride was going to be interesting since there was a sheet of ice making it nearly impossible to even make it even to South Mills. I knew then that the ride was going to filled with ice or mud every foot of the way. Up Mullinax was a great warm-up despite the thick mud I had to slowly churn through.

I turned onto Squirrel with the intention of scoping out the trail redo but immediately found that I had to concentrate of every dip, turn, climb, or trail obstacle along the way. The trail work was hardly noticable but what I did see was that I probably shouldn't have been out there. The trail still needs to recover from the snow. There was either a ribbon of ice or two inch deep mud covering the majority of the trail. It was slow going and the landmarks took forever to reach. I wasn't feeling very motivated but decided that at a minimum I was going to Cantrell Creek. Well, to my surprise after Laurel Gap the trail was in much better shape and I was happy with the choice to soldier on. The trail work became more apparent and I wholeheartedly approve. Good work guys.
When I arrived at Cantrell

the sun had set and it was time to light up and turn around. With hardly a break Sophie and I were headed the way we came but within a minute my light turned off. Wha? Click Click.... nothing. Well, I had put both batteries I had with me on the charger at the same time and both batteries blinked their happy green light saying 'yeah! I'm charged' so when the main battery died a moment after it turned on, I panicked. Will the second battery do the same thing? How much time do I have on full burn with that tiny battery anyway? I quickly decided that retracing my steps was not going to be a good idea and that I needed to get off the hill IMMEDIATELY so I turned around and before even trying the backup battery I was descending Cantrell Creek. At the first creek crossing

I could no longer see so after a quick prayer I turned the small light on with the small battery. I was shocked at how bright that little thing seemed deep in the woods. I needed to get out of there though so with a new since of a fire under my ass I put the pedals down and hammered down that rocky, wet, down tree covered, deep DEEP in the heart of Pisgah trail. I knew that if I made it to South Mills I was home free, that I'd hardly even need a light once I was down there. Well, I made it off the hill (and across the 5 wide creek crossings) without another light issue and after a quick photo of the lodge I was rolling back towards the Jeep.

It took me a minute to start to smile and think about what I had just done, Cantrell Creek is a blast, even when in a panic mode. It was no longer a time to panic though, it was a time to reflect. As I was making my way back on South Mills I caught a glimpse of what I first thought was a huge rising orange moon. No, what is that?? Someone had a HUGE campfire roaring up on the hill where I don't know of there even being a trail. I was looking up the hill at the fire to my right, not paying attention when suddenly it felt like I had been kicked in the leg by a horse and I was laying flat on my chest with my bike on top of me. Moving at no faster than 5mph I had run directly into a cut off branch of a downed tree and it stopped me dead in my tracks. I got up and thought about the folks up the hill camping and what they must have just seen. A single light moving steadily along and then an audible OOOMPH! and the light stopped. Anyway, I quickly got up and started to hammer. Sophie was game and I just wanted to get out of there before the pain really set it.

I ended the ride by climbing the singletrack rather than 66 jumps and was headed home2 hours and 32 minutes after I started. I texted Erinna to let her know I was out of the woods and that ended up being a great idea on my part, she had a delicious dinner ready and waiting the moment I got in. Awesome. Thanks for pushing me out the door Erinna. I needed an adventure like that. I needed that ride. Droid Stats: 11.29 miles, 2933' climbing, 2:02 moving time, 2:32 total time, 5.5 mph average moving speed, 16mph max. (hmmm... interesting, when I load the gpx file into Topo I get different stats. 10.9 miles, 1680' climbing. I wonder which is more accurate.)

1 hour

2011-01-22T18:01:00.007-05:00

Downtown Asheville from Bent Creek

Zoe decided last night was the night to stay up all night and scream so at 6:15 this morning I called Mike B. and canceled the morning's 7AM rally plan. The day was then spent trying to keep Zoe awake so maybe she'll sleep tonight. Erinna let me off the hook for going to another one year old's birthday party so... I hit the trails for the first time in over a month. From the new parking lot at Bent Creek->gravel road->old sidehill now gravel road->
Ingles Field connector-> Ingles Field. The plan was to do the classic Betty Heinous loop but from the viewpoint of 5 points Tony Micheal's was covered in snow and ice.... and Little Hickory was not. So, Little Hickory->past the old Left Technical->Left onto the doubletrack whatever that's called->Left onto the gravel road-> climb past Ingles Field connector->back down the gravel to the new parking lot. I didn't have the Droid collecting data but I was out for less time than it took to listen to the current band crush's album all the way through. That was a fun and fast ride. I felt like I was on top of the gear from the first pedal to last.