Ramblin' On... : January 2009

Heartbreak Ridge with some of the Asheville Crew

Total mileage: 27.7 miles
Total time: 5:21 moving time: 3:58 stopped time: 1:22 # of stops: 17
Average moving speed: 7.0 mph
Minimum elevation: 1,482' Maximum elevation: 5,078'
Ride start time: 12:24 end time: 5:46

Next 7 shots, the "pay to play: today:

The crew, Johnny Calhoun, Kyle, Garvin, and Joel:

Views from the Fire Tower, Table Rock and Hawksbill off in the distance:

Kyle rolling into Star Gap:

Joel at Star Gap:

Garvin dropping the last single track before dropping out onto Jareds Creek Rd:

The bottom of Heartbreak Ridge and the start of our ride on Jareds Creek.

I slid into third coming down Jareds Creek Rd. I was blastin' down in my big ring up front and my little ring in the back.

Amos' Epics

After Work Play on the Hwy 181 Corridor, How Sweet It Is! If this is the "same old thing" I am fortunate.

Total mileage: 14.1 sweet miles
Total time: 1:58 Moving time: 1:44 stopped time: 14 min # of stops: 6
Start time: 4:32 p.m. end time: 6:31
Max elevation: 3,243' Min elevation: 1,312'
I climbed the first 5 miles on the shoulder of 181 then it was all "off road", mostly sweet single track down hill. Some Forest Service Rd uphill then I ended it off with about a mile back up 181 to where I parked at my spot on Shady Point. Trails: one I wont name in fear of bodily harm from people I wont mention, Bark House, Ripshin Ridge, and Hedleys.

Brown Mountain from the overlook right off of 181:

WORD! From the guard rail at the Brown Mtn lights overlook ^

Table Rock and Hawksbill from 181:

Grandfather from Ripshin Ridge:

Amos' Epics

Big Sunday 38 mile MTB ride in Wilson Creek Wilderness

The only people I saw on the trails were 2 men and a boy riding four wheelers on the Raidercamp offshoot trail to the falls.
Total distance ridden: 38 miles
Total time: 5:39 Moving time: 4:27 Stopped time: 1:11 # of stops: 14
One broken chain
Ride start time: 9:27 a.m. finish time: 3:06 p.m.
Average moving speed: 8.5 mph
Minimum elevation: 1,180" Maximum elevation: 2,852'

Most of the ice had melted around Wilson Creek but there was still some on the Upper Harper Creek Falls:

All the trails were in great shape and the temperature was in the 40s all day, an excellent winder day of riding.

After I finished riding Raidercamp to Harper Creek autobahn, I decided to pedal through Mortimer and Edgemont to start the second big climb of the day toward Upper Wilson Ridge.

The guy in the picture below followed me up the FS road from the last bridge at Edgemont. I yelled at him and told him to go home. He decided to tag along with me anyway. I tried to leave him behind by out running him but he was too fast, I dint stand a chance. On the trail and the road, he almost always stayed ahead of me except on the steepest down hills. He seemed to be aware of when he should let me pass and we never had any issues on Upper Wilson Ridge or Schoolhouse, I dont think this was his first rodeo. No cars passed me between Mortimer and the Upper Wilson Ridge trail head but it seemed like he knew his way around the back roads of Edgement / Globe.

He was ready for some single track:

Onto Schoolhouse:

This campsite right above the drop below is the first place of the day I lowered my seat. For good reason too, it is the 29 mile point on the elevation graph where it drops out quickly.

One of the nice views from Schoolhouse Ridge:

My buddy followed me all the way back to the Mortimer campsite. Luckily two couples were walking out of the woods toward their vehicle at the same time we showed up. They had a dog and my buddy and their dog were just starting to get acquainted so I left him in their capable hands. He had started following me just down the road and I had to go in the opposite direction. I'm a little worried about him but dont know what else I could have done. I'll try to go back and ride a similar route Saturday and see if he is around.