Saturday Matt and I drove south to find rideable trails (rocky, not dry). The plan was kinda lolipop shaped, 7mile (each way) out and back with an 8 mile loop in the middle. We arrived a bit later than planned and got rideing about 2pm. Right from the trail head we went down, and I couldn't help but thik that the return trip in 4ish hours would be no fun. the trail quickly went from 4' wide gravel w/ an occasional jump to loose, rocky singletrack, still going down. Did I mention the nearly solid blanket of leaves yet? Yep, can't see the trail surface hardly at all, except for the bigger rocks poking out of the yellow and redish carpet, we can see those. Slightly sketchily we make it to the bottom of this rather long downhill to find a somewhat significant stream crossing. Wet feet 10mins into a 4 hr ride? Really?
With wet feet we begin to try and winch ourselves up the other side. Randy and Matt, meet your Granny! That worked for a while, next act in this comedy of errors is pushing. Ugh. Hill climbed and flatter ground found, but it's kinda wet and pretty soft, not really easy going yet. But it's a 50+ degree day the sun is shining and we're both having a good time riding our bikes so on we press!
Another loose, rocky, rooty, damp and leaf covered descent with a stream at the bottom followed by a granny slog (often invloving some pushing) back up the top followed by some slighly mellower terrain brings us to an encounter with two shotgun toting hunters. Is it shotgun season? Not where I come from (same state, different county, who makes those rules?)! We decide not to raise that question but we do ask if we are onthe right path as Matt who planned this trip left the trail map on the coffee table at home. The hunters aren't sure what trail we are trying to ride as what they cal it isn't what the mtb'ers call it, but they do offer directions that seem to be slightly reassuring. Now, since this is the first I know of Matt not being 100% sure of where we are and where we're going, I begin to have thoughts of getting totally lost in BFE! You'll notice I haven't mentioned any other bikers! We have however seen bike tracks in the soft surface so we start watching for those a bit more. More tough ups and sketchy downs follow.
Soon the canopy clears and we come to (wish I knew how to put a pic in the middle of the text) the lake we were asking the hunters about and we have ride across about 80-100 feet of water flowing over a huge flat rock! Most if it you're able to see the rock through the water, BUT, there are 2 or 3 spots where all you see is moving water and your front tire rolling into it. On the other side the trail almost immediately goes up. Its not exactly singletrack here. 8' wide grass growing up through loosish gravel. But this granny ring slog goes on and on and on, crosses two huge puddles (pits really, 10-12" deep!) but there is no pushing. 1st climb with no pushing! This is the point where we really settle in and are feeling completel;y comfortable for the first time. We've gotten used to the surface conditions, finally confident (after about 1 1/2 hours) of being on the right trail, and we've also climbed a hill ON our bikes 100%. Things are really looking up!
More of similar singletrack gets up to the head of the lolipop. Here the trail gets a little MORE technical. There are two spots that while pushing up I expressing concern about riding down (even thogh I have leg armor along). We continue on until the clock and concerns of fading daylight force us to cut our route short by a few miles and head back. So when we get to the first of the two oh shit spots I put on my armor. Matt who spent 3 weeks riding in Peru 6-8 weeks ago shares a tip or two from his guide that helped his riding and down he goes around a rock switchback with 3 rock steps 10-12" high about a bike length apart. (pics at the bottom) He's not happy with how he rode it and comes back to do it again, this time he cleans it easily. My turn. I ride it flawlessly 1st try. Nice confidence boost and it's down trail to th emore difficult of the two spots. This spot has a nasty rock at the high point above it where we want to re-mount, after scoping it out again. Then theres just a few feet before the baby heads 12-15 feet of them with an end table sized flat rock at end to drop off of. Matt rides it great his first shot but doesn't ride the rock at the end. My turn, I do ride the whole thing including the rock but come off that rock slightly awkardly and am pointed at a tree. I get stopped but am just over center off a front wheely and have to put a hand on the ground as I swing a leg down. Not a graceful exit, but not a crash either.
Back to the return trip on the stick (lolipop remember) and there are two tales of note. The first is that long 8' wide gravel climb with the two big water holes. Boy howdy did we FLY down this thing. Probably the fastest I've gone on my MTB! Lift the front over the water holes (or die I suspect!) and try not to wash out in the sweeping corners. WHOOOOHOOOOO! Eyes appropriately teared up from the wind we reach the bottom with huge grins. The second tale is also of an extended descent. This one is singletrack, also pretty fast, kinda loose but fairly smooth. Round a bend and all of a sudden the trail surface has flipped to rutted out gnarl, and we're flying! NO time for thought, only reaction. At the bottom, both on our bikes and in one piece we're both cackleing like madmen at having survived that brutally exciting turn of events.
Tech climbs, gnarly descents and stream crossings bring us back to that slog up to the car. As predicted, it isn't that much fun grinding up in my lowest gear, but i'm smiling!
