hurronnicane Posted July 28, 2022 Share Posted July 28, 2022 We left Central Texas a little over a week ago hoping to escape the heat. We are heading for North Carolina ultimately via New Orleans and Pensacola Beach. The first few nights we stayed in my sisters house followed by a couple of B&Bs. Our van only has AC when we are driving so it was critical that we get some elevation so we could sleep in the van at night and play without suffering too much during the days. We made it as far as Fort Mountain State Park in Georgia (elevation 2850) where a couple of day stay has turned into four as we sort out some van issues (worn tire, ball joint replacement, alignment). We have seen bears in the campground but yesterday evening while bombing down a trail, a bear exploded out of the thick underbrush right beside me going the opposite direction. It took a few minutes to relax after that and I found myself hollering out periodically to warn the bears that I was coming. In two fairly short rides distance-wise yesterday I climbed just under three thousand feet. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAF Posted July 28, 2022 Share Posted July 28, 2022 Doing something similar, but in a different direction. Currently in Angel Fire for a few days, then Ouray/Telluride, and eventually Salida. Taking advantage of many of the XC trails and downhill parks along the way. Hopefully no bears! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATXZJ Posted July 28, 2022 Share Posted July 28, 2022 8 hours ago, hurronnicane said: We left Central Texas a little over a week ago hoping to escape the heat. We are heading for North Carolina ultimately via New Orleans and Pensacola Beach. The first few nights we stayed in my sisters house followed by a couple of B&Bs. Our van only has AC when we are driving so it was critical that we get some elevation so we could sleep in the van at night and play without suffering too much during the days. We made it as far as Fort Mountain State Park in Georgia (elevation 2850) where a couple of day stay has turned into four as we sort out some van issues (worn tire, ball joint replacement, alignment). We have seen bears in the campground but yesterday evening while bombing down a trail, a bear exploded out of the thick underbrush right beside me going the opposite direction. It took a few minutes to relax after that and I found myself hollering out periodically to warn the bears that I was coming. In two fairly short rides distance-wise yesterday I climbed just under three thousand feet. Did some riding in NW Georgia a couple years ago. Was pretty impressed. Pensacola is a bad ass beach for the distance/money. Blows away the cancer coast that is texas. 3 hours ago, TAF said: Doing something similar, but in a different direction. Currently in Angel Fire for a few days, then Ouray/Telluride, and eventually Salida. Taking advantage of many of the XC trails and downhill parks along the way. Hopefully no bears! Dude, congrats. Telluride is so bad ass. Enjoy!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hurronnicane Posted August 5, 2022 Author Share Posted August 5, 2022 Well it is demonstrably cooler than Central Texas and it has been comfortable enough to sleep in the van at night without air conditioning, so that has been a successful move on our part. We have seen a ton of rain, and the humidity continues to amaze me. From talking to the locals, Fall is the time of the year to be here. But it is beautiful, lush and quite mountainous. Riding has taken a backseat to hiking though I hope to find more riding opportunities in the next few weeks. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hurronnicane Posted August 9, 2022 Author Share Posted August 9, 2022 Finally we have found really fun purpose-built mountain bike trails! We are camping at Jackrabbit Mountain Campground near Hayesville, North Carolina and there are some really fun trails right out of our campsite. Rode with Sharell yesterday for 8 miles that included a mid ride swim. Then she peeled off and I did another four or five mile loop that had crazy steep and long climbs rewarded with great fun downs! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AustinBike Posted August 11, 2022 Share Posted August 11, 2022 Thanks for sharing, I’m living vicariously through this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hurronnicane Posted August 16, 2022 Author Share Posted August 16, 2022 Our meandering survey of the area had us in Brevard a few days ago. I had a fun ride at DuPont riding with Sharell for awhile before she rolled down to the van, then continued on my loop. Really fun riding! Then a little live music and called it a night. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntonioGG Posted August 16, 2022 Share Posted August 16, 2022 Bridal Veil? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hurronnicane Posted August 16, 2022 Author Share Posted August 16, 2022 1 hour ago, AntonioGG said: Bridal Veil? Grassy Creek Falls. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chongo Loco Posted August 16, 2022 Share Posted August 16, 2022 Gorgeous area to ride. Need to get back there for some riding and paddling too. Some the best areas in the country to see by boat/raft. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntonioGG Posted August 16, 2022 Share Posted August 16, 2022 21 minutes ago, Chongo Loco said: Gorgeous area to ride. Need to get back there for some riding and paddling too. Some the best areas in the country to see by boat/raft. This is an interesting thing to bring-up. In the Davidson river as it goes under US-64, there is at least one rope across the river with "PRIVATE PROPERTY NO TRESPASSING" sign on it. You can definitely navigate the Davidson and plenty of people were doing that on rafts or tubes upstream. But I wondered about who dared post that up there since navigable rivers/creeks + easement are public. The map seems to indicate this ROW along the river. I'm going back to also do some fly-fishing which I've always wanted to try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chongo Loco Posted August 16, 2022 Share Posted August 16, 2022 3 hours ago, AntonioGG said: This is an interesting thing to bring-up. In the Davidson river as it goes under US-64, there is at least one rope across the river with "PRIVATE PROPERTY NO TRESPASSING" sign on it. You can definitely navigate the Davidson and plenty of people were doing that on rafts or tubes upstream. But I wondered about who dared post that up there since navigable rivers/creeks + easement are public. The map seems to indicate this ROW along the river. I'm going back to also do some fly-fishing which I've always wanted to try. Yeah, lots of that on some rivers in some areas. You have to stay IN the river not unlike tubing the Guadalupe. And remember they filmed Deliverance on the Chatooga just south of there! 😜 That’s actually my favorite river. It’s the only one that’s “wild and scenic” in that area. I.e. no dams and no development along the river. The French broad right there in Brevard is a bit tamer. And there’s tons of spots along the road to access the Nantahala for paddling or fishing. The NOC will shuttle you up and you float back to there. I imagine they do fishing kayaks a lot now. Back in the 90’s we used to ride Tsali and Pisgah every spring and fall then run the Nantahala and sometimes raft the Chatooga if we had time. Fall in the smokies is cool to see. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAF Posted August 17, 2022 Share Posted August 17, 2022 Realized I hadn’t given an update in a while. Been in Salida the last couple of weeks, some lovely rides up on the Crest. Put on a big Indian food cookout at Absolute Bikes this evening - nice to run into Hill Abell! We just booked a rental in Colorado Springs for next week - doing our damndest to stay away from the furnace …. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hurronnicane Posted August 26, 2022 Author Share Posted August 26, 2022 After a lengthy hiatus from riding and camping (visiting friends and family) we ended up camping on Fontana Lake near Bryson City. The Tsali Campground has four fun trails that depart from the campground. The riding was fun, the trails fantastic, and the temperatures great. I did one ride with Sharell and it ended up being 10.5 miles and 2600 feet of elevation gain, well beyond her comfort range, though it did include a mid ride swim. The next day I rode solo and rode 14.7 miles with 3,866 feet of elevation gain. Not much gnar to report but the temperatures, the swoopy descents, and long climbs were perfect for this quasi senior citizen. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chongo Loco Posted August 27, 2022 Share Posted August 27, 2022 The old chimney still there on left branch? Tsali was the first real mountain trail I ever rode in the early 90’s. This with my old mtb club from Baton Rouge from the top of Thompson loop back in 96 aboard my trusty Proflex 856! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hurronnicane Posted August 30, 2022 Author Share Posted August 30, 2022 On 8/26/2022 at 8:49 PM, Chongo Loco said: The old chimney still there on left branch? Tsali was the first real mountain trail I ever rode in the early 90’s. This with my old mtb club from Baton Rouge from the top of Thompson loop back in 96 aboard my trusty Proflex 856! I didn’t see the chimney. I rode here once back in the mid-90s. I was on a work related trip in Kentucky and after it ended drove my rental car to Bryson City and rented a bike. One aspect that I find interesting is that the four trails here alternate between horses and mountain bikes. Two trails each day are open to bikes and two are open to horses. The next day they flip. And horseback users and bike riders have separate trailheads/parking lots. The trails were in great shape, fairly minimal horse poop, and they have a really nice bike washing station so you don’t have to take your bike in the bathrooms to shower them off! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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