Ramblin' On...

Off Road Assault on Mt Mitchell

ORAMM: 63 miles with 11,000 feet of climbing.
The starting line? Thanks to Johnny Calhoun for taking all the pictures. Dude, I hope I didnt get you in trouble, ha ha.

Glen Alpine Epic Adventures

I'm happy with my results: 14th in the Masters class, 83rd out of 450 overall. 6 hours 58 minutes per Bob Highs stop watch.

Shout out to the people I met and people I already know that were there to race and to offer support.

At the starting line it was good to see Caleb, Beth and the guys that recognized my bike from the blog or MTBreviews. Welcome back from France Beth, it sounds like the riding over there really paid off - congrats on smashing your time from last year. We'll paddle soon Caleb, the Watagua has to run eventually.

Bob High killin it on Kitsuma first time through. He finished in 6 hours and 48 minutes after just recovering from rocky mtn spotted fever! Man you are a killer! I'm glad I wasnt between him and the finish line, I'd have tire tracks up my back today.

Hanging loose:

BrothaMan riding into the second rest station.

Second rest station. Thats James back there searching for lube to hook up the Orange Crush. Thanks for the help James, you were right on time and the bike did great! You rule!

Finally a shot of MH (the side of her head and her eye brow anyway), thanks Johnny. Thanks MH for getting my sandwich and HOORAH out of my dry bag, I've got the shot from Green Knob at the bottom of the blog now. Hopefully we can get plenty more pics in the future. Thanks to Sarah King for all the help and support as well. HOORAH!!

Thanks Sarah for the extra pics. I think I recognize that guy from a river somewhere.

Big thanks also to Gaston and Layla for coming out. It was most excellent to have good friends to hang with after the ride.

Congrats to Brad for an awesome finish time. Good to see Curtis again and congrats as well. The promoters of the race did an excellent job. It went off like clock work.

A good time was had by all.

One last training ride before ORAMM

Glen Alpine Epic Adventures

Kevin and Dave from PA came by early and we proceeded to start packing up and set shuttle. Thanks to Clara for helping out with the shuttle. We started off with Raidercamp and all enjoyed the berms.

Surveying the creek crossing:

Goin' for it:

After Raspberry we rode Barkhouse, Ripshin, and Hedleys. A good day before pre-ride for the Off Road Assault on Mount Mitchell tomorrow. Not too much but enough.

McDowell County MTB

Glen Alpine Epic Adventures
Gaston and I met up with G just off of Hwy221 Wednesday evening for some good after work riding. It was a good day: great temps, no rain, and perfect trail conditions. Gaston showing how to drop it smooth for a creek crossing. This would be a boof in boating terms.

Proper log crossing technique by Gaston Gagne:

How not to cross the log aka the dab:

Another very nice boof/air time creek crossing. Gaston has got some sic tech skilz. I love this shot except for the branch in front of Gastons face. Note the big root ball on left.

Nice climb out of the creek. Check the spin on that back tire.

The rest of the ride was good to go. I had one nice over the handle bars after my front tire got stalled while attempting to ride down some steps but I carried back up and rode back down with no ill effects. Another excellent evening ride. 3 more days to ORAMM!

Good training ride.

Glen Alpine Epic Adventures

One week before ORAMM... I parked at the geyser and rode up Star Gap, Jareds Creek, Curtis Creek, 5 miles on the Parkway, down Heartbreak Ridge and back down Star Gap to the Geyser. The weather stared out pretty nice like this shot from Jareds Creek.

Of course the black snake sighting.

The further up Curtis Creek I went the more overcast it got. It was sprinkling close to the top/ Parkway. Cool flower growing on the side of Curtis Creek Rd.

This was a trail I found close to the top. It has some potential. Great place for a sandwich.

One of the very overcast overlooks.

I decided to ride Heartbreak/Star Gap trail straight through without stopping to take pictures. Just go with the flow and get in the groove of the trail. I cant rememer the last time I rode it without stopping, if ever, there are some incredibly tempting viewing spots along the way. Heartbreak was a little wet for the first mile or two but got dryer and dryer after that. What a great ride! I estimate about 32 - 34 miles.

Another Guerrilla Ride with consequences

Glen Alpine Epic Adventures

I goofed around most of the day so about 6:30 I decided to go for a covert ride from the house and pedal some of the double track close by. I took the NRS since it has a computer and both wheels were already assembled. Some sweet downhill double track jumping. One place I was riding had a field along the double track and I counted 7 deer blasting through the corn rows - very cool seeing them bounce through the corn. At mile 10 I was flying down some hard pack dirt along some power lines, bouncing the suspension and jumping over little erosion gulleys when KAPOW! The derailleur hanger broke. Thanks to Phil, B-Rad, Chris, and Obie for the times I've witnessed each one of them fix a broken chain and or set up a single speed to limp out.

Of course the extra hanger I had in my pack was for the Santa Cruz (the extra NRS hanger was back at the house, in the trunk of my car). Luckily I did have my chain tool with me and a SRAM quick link on my chain. I made it a single speed and was able to ride back the 3 miles to the house. It worked fine on the road but when I hit the riverside trail the suspension kicked the chain out of gear, otherwise it was a good little 13 mile ride. My 1 speed:

Another Kitsuma After Work Double - Deuce

Glen Alpine Epic Adventures

Another awesome trail day with good temps, awesome views, and screaming mountain biking. I managed to get out of work on time and get in a solo Kitsuma loop and still have time to meet up with G for a second. Kitsuma was in great shape. No pictures on my first loop but I made up for it on the second. I managed about 21 miles.

I've been waiting for a train out of the tunnel shot since the first time I passed this way with Gaston a couple of years ago when we lucked out and saw a train (my only other siteing).

This eveing we got to the top and G heard the train. I blasted back down to this viewing spot while he pumped up his slowly leaking tire. I waited and waited figuring the train had either gone a different route or was traveling in the other direction. After a while I started riding back up and made it all the way to the "barrier" when G blasted past me saying the train had "started moving again". He was right and it was worth the wait. Thanks G for waiting. Train, Train...

Train kept a rollin'...

The train tracks from above - Ridgecrest looking back down.

Up and on towards the switch backs. Here is G making it to the top.

Now for the fun part. It is steeper than it looks. G rolled right through it.

Double time:

After a little more excitement at the last drop which will require a new helmet for G,

we spilled out at the picnic area. While cleaning up the Orange Crush, JC dropped by and chatted for a while. On my way back up I40 I saw an awesome sunset in my rear view. I stopped at the Dysartsville exit and got these shots. This was the real colors, I added some contrast and maybe sharpened one but no other effects.

Another awesome day!

Wednesday evening MTB with Gaston

Big Congrats out to Johnny Calhoun for finishing the Great Divide Race on Monday, July 9, 2007 after 23 days, 13 hours and 3 minutes of some of the most incredible riding I can even imagine. You are an inspiration to all of us and I for one am proud to ride with you and call you a brother! Keep up the good work.

Glen Alpine Epic Adventures
I mowed then I rode. It was good to get back out to some of the 181 stuff.

The temperature was incredible. Views were spectacular. Trail conditions were prime.

Gaston catching some air.