Hey guys,
Well a group of us Florida folks are planning a trip to the Asheville area for Memorial Day weekend. We will probably leave South Florida Thursday after work and arrive in the area early Friday morning. So we will ride all day Friday, Saturday & Sunday (maybe something short Monday, but doubtful). I have been to the area many times and know some of the trails, but I am looking for advice on what would be good to ride and in what order. We will be in a group of ~ 14 (intermediate to advanced riders, maybe a begginer thrown-in) and have vehicles to shuttle with. We will be a good mix of riders and would much rather ride Downhill than climb, but we aren't "Downhillers." Below is what we rode last year, so maybe you can kind of figure out the type of riding we liked.
Friday - Thrift and Sycamore Cove, I am very familiar with this figure 8 loop. I knew I wouldn't get anyone lost, and the climbing is kinda easy and the downhill(s) are fun. The faster, fitter people did 2 loops while some of the others had enough after just 1.
Saturday - We went to the N. Mills area and Parked at the Trace Ridge Trail Head. From there we pedaled up the Fire Service road to Spencer Gap, we followed Spencer Gap along the top and then descended down Trace through the trail head and all the way down to the River, Crossed it and then pedaled back up to the Trail head. From there we did Fletcher Creek, and then some of us went back up Trace and came down Spencer.
Sunday- We rode Dupont from the Corn Shoals Trail head.
Ok, this year... I would like to do some more "shuttling" not necessarily all DH type stuff, but maybe to eliminate climbing the Fire roads so much. When I say shuttling I mean leave 1 truck at the bottom and bring the WHOLE group back to the top and riding as long of a trail as possible, not making repeated short runs (but that is a possibility) I need to plan this in a way that we get as much bang for our buck. So the best bet is being able to hit as many trails in one area on a given day.
Some of my thoughts
Kitzuma - I love this trail and would like to take this group here, but what else could I do that same day? I mean I have done 2 loops there, and shuttling is just or almost as fast as riding back up the abandoned Highway. Also I do not know how to get there. Is this trail on the way into Asheville or some where else on the outskirts? If it is on the way into Ashville we could hit it Friday morning as we come into town ( we will be coming up i-26) ride it, then go check into our hotel/cabin whatever and then ride some thing later in the afternoon.
Laurel Mountain - I have ridden this trail as an out and back, up the trail to the top then turned around and took the 7 mile downhill,+ 3miles of gravel road. I have never done the Pilot Cove side. Is this trail good for Shuttling?
Brown Mountain? The pictures I have seen of this trail look like a lot of fun, deep berms, jumps etc, but is it just 1 section that I keep seeing pictures of? Is there enough riding where ever that is for a whole day of riding?
Bent Creek - the climb to the Heinous trails might be right at the limit for this group (not me!). I have done this area twice, one time I had a friend that lived there show me around and it was awsome. The next time we kinda did it on our own, we made it to the Heinous trails no problem, but seemed to miss a bunch of stuff coming down. It wasn't nearly as fun as I remembered, so maybe we missed some stuff? I am not sure.
Help me plan this trip! I have found with a group this big it is MUCH MUCH better to have a good plan laid out and then only modify it if we HAVE to (Bad weather etc) If you don't 1/2 your day will be spent arguing and deciding. I think that is it for now. I know it is a long way away, but it is never too early to plan. Also if anyone is up for riding with us/guiding the beers will be on me after.
Thanks!
Well a group of us Florida folks are planning a trip to the Asheville area for Memorial Day weekend. We will probably leave South Florida Thursday after work and arrive in the area early Friday morning. So we will ride all day Friday, Saturday & Sunday (maybe something short Monday, but doubtful). I have been to the area many times and know some of the trails, but I am looking for advice on what would be good to ride and in what order. We will be in a group of ~ 14 (intermediate to advanced riders, maybe a begginer thrown-in) and have vehicles to shuttle with. We will be a good mix of riders and would much rather ride Downhill than climb, but we aren't "Downhillers." Below is what we rode last year, so maybe you can kind of figure out the type of riding we liked.
Friday - Thrift and Sycamore Cove, I am very familiar with this figure 8 loop. I knew I wouldn't get anyone lost, and the climbing is kinda easy and the downhill(s) are fun. The faster, fitter people did 2 loops while some of the others had enough after just 1.
Saturday - We went to the N. Mills area and Parked at the Trace Ridge Trail Head. From there we pedaled up the Fire Service road to Spencer Gap, we followed Spencer Gap along the top and then descended down Trace through the trail head and all the way down to the River, Crossed it and then pedaled back up to the Trail head. From there we did Fletcher Creek, and then some of us went back up Trace and came down Spencer.
Sunday- We rode Dupont from the Corn Shoals Trail head.
Ok, this year... I would like to do some more "shuttling" not necessarily all DH type stuff, but maybe to eliminate climbing the Fire roads so much. When I say shuttling I mean leave 1 truck at the bottom and bring the WHOLE group back to the top and riding as long of a trail as possible, not making repeated short runs (but that is a possibility) I need to plan this in a way that we get as much bang for our buck. So the best bet is being able to hit as many trails in one area on a given day.
Some of my thoughts
Kitzuma - I love this trail and would like to take this group here, but what else could I do that same day? I mean I have done 2 loops there, and shuttling is just or almost as fast as riding back up the abandoned Highway. Also I do not know how to get there. Is this trail on the way into Asheville or some where else on the outskirts? If it is on the way into Ashville we could hit it Friday morning as we come into town ( we will be coming up i-26) ride it, then go check into our hotel/cabin whatever and then ride some thing later in the afternoon.
Laurel Mountain - I have ridden this trail as an out and back, up the trail to the top then turned around and took the 7 mile downhill,+ 3miles of gravel road. I have never done the Pilot Cove side. Is this trail good for Shuttling?
Brown Mountain? The pictures I have seen of this trail look like a lot of fun, deep berms, jumps etc, but is it just 1 section that I keep seeing pictures of? Is there enough riding where ever that is for a whole day of riding?
Bent Creek - the climb to the Heinous trails might be right at the limit for this group (not me!). I have done this area twice, one time I had a friend that lived there show me around and it was awsome. The next time we kinda did it on our own, we made it to the Heinous trails no problem, but seemed to miss a bunch of stuff coming down. It wasn't nearly as fun as I remembered, so maybe we missed some stuff? I am not sure.
Help me plan this trip! I have found with a group this big it is MUCH MUCH better to have a good plan laid out and then only modify it if we HAVE to (Bad weather etc) If you don't 1/2 your day will be spent arguing and deciding. I think that is it for now. I know it is a long way away, but it is never too early to plan. Also if anyone is up for riding with us/guiding the beers will be on me after.
Thanks!
There will be a good mix of riders so we need to stay away from trails that would require a Big Bike. I am sure a few people will be on XC rigs, I ride a Heckler, and thats all I have 
