More good trails and good company

If you blow up this next picture you can see the Green Knob Observation Tower at the top of the mountain: Right Prong of the South Toe River in the Valley of Dispair, an excellent place to dip your head and soak you feet on a hot day. I chilled' out in the crystal clear water for awhile.

Right after I finished up taking the flower pictures at Right Prong of the South Toe River, Jess and Tal rode up. Recently relocated from Boston, they were riding part of the ORAMM course to get ready for the race next weekend. We decided to ride Heartbreak together. It was their first time and I think they really liked it, I know I did. The trail was in great shape and there was some recent trail maintenance done near the bottom of Heartbreak - excellent job.

Ride details

Distance: 33.7 miles

Elevation gain: 10,551'

Total time: 6:43 Moving time: 4:38 Stopped time: 2:05 (I took a lot of pics)

Average moving speed: 7.3 m.p.h.

Amos' Epics

Back up 181

My first 4 or 5 miles were climbing up the shoulder of 181 and my last mile was as well but the rest was all sweet trail, and mostly single track. It was a great after work ride.

Rock & Roll was good to go. Incredible rock formations and trail texture. Very loamy.

After R&R I dropped Barkhouse then Ripshin. Ripshin was a little overgrown but still very fun and fast. The berms along the last stretch just keep getting better.

Onto the top of Hedleys. I stopped at my little rest area overlooking 181. A good place for a snack and the last little taste of civilization before dropping into more heavy forestation.

After I dropped out at the bottom of Hedleys I decided to ride up the creek a little way. The single track was in great shape there and back.

Road side attraction is the drop below. It used to be runnable at flow but has some nasty runout now due to some rocks in the bottom section of the drop.

The rocks at the bottom of the rapid moved during the floods. The sieve in the right is much larger and the line we used to take around the left side of the bottom boulder doesnt get as much water anymore. The rocks piled in front of the bottom boulder may be part of the problem.

Ride Stats:

Total distance: 20.4 miles

Total time: 3:10 Moving time: 2:28 Stopped time: 42 minutes

Total elevation gain: 5,202'

Average moving speed: 8.3 m.p.h.

Amos' Epics

Kitsuma

I started the ride close to Old Fort to get the feel of the start and end of the ORAMM course and I started too late to add in Star Gap or do Kitsuma twice. It turned out great timing because I met up with Chris O and Matt at the Ridge Crest parking lot. It was a blast riding with them. Those guys are fast and pedal almost constantly which kept me on my toes - a few times literally. Chris O flying down some Kitsuma single track ^

Matt (middle name Amos) ^ sorry about the blurry shot but I think it ended up pretty cool. I look forward to riding with these guys again soon - in Wilson Creek Wilderness and Pisgah.

Onto the Geyser. Just a spurt this evening^

And yes I'm still on the NRS but Clara picked up the SupaLite from Clark's today. I cant wait try it out and to have those disc brakes again.

The story of the geyser:

The creek right behind the geyser:

Another blurry shot but the moon color was too cool not to show:

With all the road riding added I managed to get in 20 miles (actually 19.69 miles but close enough.

Amos' Epics