Southern Culture on the Skids

Mad Tea Party opened up. They should be called the Happy Tea Party as much as the singer/ukulele player smiles. I was guilty of a lot of smiling as well. Smiling is inevitable at a SCOTs show. I left the venue with sore facial muscles from my 3 hour perma-grin.

SCOTS on stage with a few of their friends.

The Southern Culture on the Skids Crew: JJ, Gerhard, and Hans.

Amos' Epics

Thursday Afterwork kayaking excursion at Wilson Creek

I got in one soul-o run at 2" before Johnny Calhoun showed up. We ran shuttle then did a twilight run that ended with a hike out in the dark from below Screaming Right Turn. It was a good evening at the creek. I'm glad JC changed his mind about making the drive down from A-ville.
Amos' Epics

Afterwork Kitsuma with Johnny Calhoun

It's only a 10 mile loop but it's perfect for an afterwork ride. I always feel like I've acomplished something at the end of a weekday Kitsuma.

Johnny Calhoun post ride:

Sunday: Another Amazing Hike into and out of Linville Gorge

Felix is running up the trail in the shot above ^

Amos' Epics

Big O to a section of trail I have been wanting to explore for a long time, then finish with Sinkhole

21.4 mile mountain bike ride and I managed not to get shot by any overzealous hunters. Actually there were plently of hunters out but the ones I saw were all on the forest service roads. It seems like most of them just drive around all day. Birthday Knob Instead of taking the right on The Big O (towards Pine Ridge on Pine Gap Trail) which would drop out behind the Visitors Center, I kept straight towards the west end of the Pine Gap Trail. I had followed the trail in this direction a mile or so one day a couple of years ago but I had turned around. I was determined to follow it to the end this time. I have tried to find where the trail drops out and wasn't sure if it would be onto Raidercamp or Brown Mountain Beach Road. Today I found it drops onto Raidercamp right at the big campsite just before the Harper Creek crossing. The trail crosses a small creek right behind the campsite. At this point, the trail connection is very obscure. Harper Creek ended up being a wet foot crossing today but the water wasn't too cold and I kept moving which kept me warm.

These shots were from the "new" section of the Big O trail.

It was a little tight in a few sections but good to go for the most part.

This is where it started to get a little too steep and wet to ride. The creek started following a creek with some nice slides and falls. There was some downfall and hike a bike right before the trail dropped down to Raiderscamp/Harper Creek.I was so close I couldnt help myself, Harper Creek had some flow today:

The view of Grandfather Mountain on the climb up to the top of Sinkhole/Goat Trail:

Sinkhole:Leaves galore on

Goat Trail:

The red trail is the route I took today. The blue route shows the standard Big O dropping out behind the Visitors Center.

Ride details and specs:

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Big O to something new then Sinkhole
Amos' Epics

Thanksgiving Morning Ride in Pisgah with Obie

I got up early for a ride to build up some appetite for what was waiting at home:

I met up with Obie at the Farmers Mkt, we moved got a move on and were in Pisgah in no time. We tried a new route up for an abreviated Black Mountain ride. What was waiting up top was well worth the little bit of pushing we had to endure.

Log crossing over a long slide:

And then there was downhill, and it was good:

For the rest of the ride I saw this:

And then there was this:

Clara Ann broke out the fine china!

Three Runs on the Watagua makes for a big day. Thats a lot of boofs!

I met up with Johnny Calhoun and Dennis at 10:00. Over the entire day I think there were more people around the put in and take out than I have ever seen at the Watagua but the river was not crowded at all besides a big group scouting at Hydro the second and third runs. I thought the level felt like 350 with the extra water pumping in. The gage was reading about 4" at 1pm. It was not dropping fast.

Amos' Epics

Two after work runs on Wilson Creek with Gaston

I think this was the best Friday the 13th I've ever had. Good news at work combined with two runs on Wilson Creek at a little above 0, it doesn't get much better.

Forgot the camera but I wouldn't have had much time to take pictures and managed to make two runs. It was dark when we took off of the river, again.

After Work Wilson Creek with Johnny Calhoun. We managed to get in two runs at an exceptional level.

We met at 4:15 at the gage and proceeded to knock out the first run quickly catching only the obligatory eddies. The level was about 4". We pretty much bombed the second run. We took out on the first run at the regular takeout but on the 2nd run we paddled all the way down to Screaming Right Turn and got a few awesome surfs in the dark. The wave was off the hook.
We never saw anyone else on the creek but did see RB at the takeout after our first run.

Wednesday after work Upper Creek Soulo

I ran into Dennis Huntly and Alex on my way down the Forest Rd to Upper Creek. The report was that it was low but runnable. I hiked up to where the double track turns to single track and I had just enough day light to paddle back to the van. It was good to be back out there.

Sitting Bear and Devils Hole, Linville Gorge

He likes to look over the edge:

Onto the Brown Mountain Overlook on 181Amos' Epics