looks like i'll be hitting the climbing gym by myself tonight
***Monday GMT***
- Thread starter Pesqueeb
- Start date
Appreciate the advice--I had a great time. They had received a little rain which I think helped keep the dust down. I was on the big bike and really enjoyed the hand built trails. Steep, off camber, ruts, rocks, what's not to like? Will def be back there and was glad to see the parking lot literally completely full.
glad you made it. hope it was as described!
Client phrase of the week (so far) - three in one conversation:
1. Fed needs to increase LIBOR rate
2. Regime change (enough said)
3. After a market collapse, I'll be ble to buy back in to lower commodity prices.
1. Fed needs to increase LIBOR rate
2. Regime change (enough said)
3. After a market collapse, I'll be ble to buy back in to lower commodity prices.
Fish tacos for lunch were neat. We'll see if a ride is reasonable tonight, it's been raining quite a bit today.
hot as balls outside ... no ride for this guy today.
you should tell him to convert all his assets into goldClient phrase of the week (so far) - three in one conversation:
1. Fed needs to increase LIBOR rate
2. Regime change (enough said)
3. After a market collapse, I'll be ble to buy back in to lower commodity prices.
he should tell him, "cash rules everything around me. cream. get the money. dolla dolla bill, y'all"
I remember this. C.R.E.A.M.
Looks like I might get to do both.
Though to be completely honest, I'd rather go riding with her. 
Squeezed in a short hour ride after work, somehow. The weather here is PERFECT.
I'm considering revising my plans for the Brevard trip next week. In particular, for political reasons, I'm thinking about minimizing my time in NC. Go to the burial in Brevard that triggered the trip, then maybe Banner Hill, TN, Douthat, Raystown, maybe add something in Cooper's gap area, then make my way home.
Morning, have me some sirloin tip ready to hit the grill shortly. Will be serving it up with grilled squash, zucchini and onion. Hearty salad on the side as well. Work tonight and have a new Officer to train over the next six weeks.... good times
Multiple Moab trips on the horizon. 
Also, Monday night, go Bears.
Also, Monday night, go Bears.
effing hot here today
on the good news front i seem to have resurrected the rainfly on my favorite tent. Stripped the old turned to goo urethane coating off with ammonia and hot water. put seam sealer on all the seams then did three coats of urethane on the flysheet ( still had some weeps after the first two coats). Hit it with the hose spray for ten solid minutes this afternoon and when i looked inside it was completely dry inside. Tent is rated to 65mph and weighs just over five pounds
on the good news front i seem to have resurrected the rainfly on my favorite tent. Stripped the old turned to goo urethane coating off with ammonia and hot water. put seam sealer on all the seams then did three coats of urethane on the flysheet ( still had some weeps after the first two coats). Hit it with the hose spray for ten solid minutes this afternoon and when i looked inside it was completely dry inside. Tent is rated to 65mph and weighs just over five pounds
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Short ride earlier tonight - a short one because I am not a fan of wet slippery night rides in fog. Bike feels good.
For work?Multiple Moab trips on the horizon.
Not sure about getting a trailer in there but it's a pretty cool campground at high elevation. It's a bit of haul and out of the way from the goods though.
Set a record tonight for most skin ripped off my hand by a single climbing hold. Oops. Beer time.
Black mountain is still über chunky and way more eroded since I lived up hear ten years ago.
Hopped on the greenway and road it into Pisgah to to start my ride. Nice little warm up before grinding up some gravel.
You can ride from town into Pisgah. How cool is that ?
Hopped on the greenway and road it into Pisgah to to start my ride. Nice little warm up before grinding up some gravel.
You can ride from town into Pisgah. How cool is that ?
My friend Emily has passed. She was from Alameda CA and a complete badass!
there's always (and currently) a debate over on emptybeer about how middle black needs to be rerouted/is too eroded, etc. there's no need to even respond unless you enjoy getting the frothers all worked up but it's always fun to read. The reroute of lower black, while fun in a swoopy, jumpy sort of way, definitely changed the character of the trail significantly - even a few years in, I'd say still for the worse. Esp since it's faster now and there are always people hiking around down there. Been enjoying Sycamore (both upper and lower) as a fun tack-on at the end recently.
If you want a fun route, ride up to middle black, then take a left up the stairs and hike a bike/ride to the top, go down the back side and over to bennett. for a quick ride, hit farlow/daniel . . . laurel/pilot are always fun, as are spencer/trace/etc if you want to head up that way.
dang. need me some pisgah (or some wilsons) SOON.
@jstuhlman, agreed that lower black has nothing to do with Black Mountain trail, it's that different from Upper B.
I admit I walked a few spots. Some of the root ledges into ruts were hard to read in low light. Would definitely ride them if more familiar or not solo.
Compared to my local trails where the singletrack gets widened because people go around roots more than an inch tall, Middle Black looks like a DH track. It would make their heads explode.
I admit I walked a few spots. Some of the root ledges into ruts were hard to read in low light. Would definitely ride them if more familiar or not solo.
Compared to my local trails where the singletrack gets widened because people go around roots more than an inch tall, Middle Black looks like a DH track. It would make their heads explode.
Possible routes:
From Fish Hatchery or Daniel lot up to Glocester gap and left up to Butter, left on Longbranch, left back up to Gloucester then up to Farlow, then Daniel Ridge.
Squirrel gap epic loop or as an out and back. Optimum would be getting someone to shuttle me from Turkey Pen to the ranger station or the horse stables and head up Clawhammer to Buckhorn, etc, Squirrel.
From Fish Hatchery or Daniel lot up to Glocester gap and left up to Butter, left on Longbranch, left back up to Gloucester then up to Farlow, then Daniel Ridge.
Squirrel gap epic loop or as an out and back. Optimum would be getting someone to shuttle me from Turkey Pen to the ranger station or the horse stables and head up Clawhammer to Buckhorn, etc, Squirrel.
If you start at Turkey Pen it's "only" about 8 miles of road riding to the Ranger Station . . . I may be wrong, but I think it's mostly downhill (although 5 miles of it is on 280) . . . 
whatever you do, it's gonna be great!
whatever you do, it's gonna be great!
this....
Yeah, clocked 280 from TP to the intersection at 4.6 miles and no shoulder to ride on. Nuh uh !If you start at Turkey Pen it's "only" about 8 miles of road riding to the Ranger Station . . . I may be wrong, but I think it's mostly downhill (although 5 miles of it is on 280) . . .
whatever you do, it's gonna be great!
Squirrel out and back might be a good break between rides with lots of gravel climbs since it's all singletrack, I believe.
the no shoulder was the reason for the
(plus tacking 8 miles onto an already epic ride) - I wouldn't do it either!some of my friends have been digging squirrel as an out and back recently. i haven't done it in years.
True... I have no idea what the fuck I will actually do. We'll see what happens, I really do want to ride all of Black Mountain... Time to drag out the maps again...
Edit: Not that the maps are useful - maps say one thing, trail signs say another, and locals describe everything a third way...