[manimal]

heading up to sky valley for the week of thanksgiving w/ my dad. i know there was a dh course a few years back...is there still anything shuttle-able in that area?

my brother and i rode some tough xc stuff nearby back in the late 90's but i haven't been back, with a bike, since.

 

[bizutch]

I was told the old DH course now has houses on it, but I'm sure you're told stuff daily you shouldn't believe. It started up inside the homesites anyway and went down to tie into the ski slope, which was about 300 vertical feet (the ski slope part). That last part was super fun and had a bunch of little step downs. If there hasn't been a house or two dropped into it, it's really easy to find the top entrance.

Only BIG issue is that it finishes in the parking lot of the ski lodge/golf pro shop. So yeah, plan on anything but that.

 

[manimal]

I was told the old DH course now has houses on it, but I'm sure you're told stuff daily you shouldn't believe. It started up inside the homesites anyway and went down to tie into the ski slope, which was about 300 vertical feet (the ski slope part). That last part was super fun and had a bunch of little step downs. If there hasn't been a house or two dropped into it, it's really easy to find the top entrance.

Only BIG issue is that it finishes in the parking lot of the ski lodge/golf pro shop. So yeah, plan on anything but that.

past experience tells me that i can outrun a golf cart

 

[bizutch]

past experience tells me that i can outrun a golf cart

would love to hear that story. While I know you're not serious, Sky Valley's finish is in a hole and all roads lead up from the senior citizens cart brigade of death.

 

[manimal]

i know, have time share there and used to go every thanksgiving as a teen. i melted a lot of shoes coming down those hills butt down on my skateboard i've ridden the golf courses,(usually closed this time of year)...i was just hoping some semi-locals might have the hook-up on some shuttle ready trails nearby.

and yes, i really have outrun golf carts...grew up in golf course community and golfers didn't take kindly to me making a rhythm section out of the sand traps

 

[OffCamber]

Just wear you uniform and follow Noah. They'll think your a guard chasing some juve.

 

[bizutch]

...

and yes, i really have outrun golf carts...grew up in golf course community and golfers didn't take kindly to me making a rhythm section out of the sand traps

Did you know that you allllmosttttttt table top the tee box in a E250 box van if you hit it a slight angle?

 

[MTB_Rob_NC]

Just wear you uniform and follow Noah. They'll think your a guard chasing some juve.

You cant really argue with that logic.

 

[manimal]

Just wear you uniform and follow Noah. They'll think your a guard chasing some juve.

ok, i found the DH course and it's still there in it's entirety...but needs some serious TLC.

i have the contact info for the firm that currently owns the land there. sky valley is in deep financial trouble and almost closed the golf course down. they're on a month by month lease right now and are hurting for some fundage; a mtb race could be pitched as a revenue generating event. i obviously can't head up this effort to get a race going there because it's 4 hours away from me but the semi-locals, jeff, jeremy, cecil...etc....i think they'd be open to having a race, especially if you can provide insurance.
pics of the lower half of the course at the bottom of this post.

on a side note, and in reference to the quoted section...the sky valley PD are dicks.

noah and i were riding down the mountain road to 441 on our way out saturday (i do it every time i go there, super fun 10% grade with a bunch of sharp turns where a bike is way faster than the cars)
noah did it the first day there and had a blast so he wanted to do it again with me on our way down for the last time.
we make it all the way to where the sharp curves start and get pulled over by a sky valley pd officer. he says that noah, "looks to small" to ride down the mountain. i ask the officer if this road is a highway, he says no. so i explain that bikes are considered vehicles and are allowed on the road, regardless of age and that noah has already ridden down before. he says it's not safe and won't allow noah to go down. i tell him that i'm a cop and a police mtn bike instructor to boot. he says, "then you should know better!". i'm furious! i tell him that where i come from, we have to enforce existing laws, not make up our own arbitrary ones on the spot. he gets pissed and says, "that boy ain't going down this mountain on his bike." not wanting to get arrested for resisting, i oblige and walk noah across the 4 lanes to a parking lot. i ride down, tell my wife (waiting at the bottom for us) that noah is in a parking lot up top. she gets there to load him up, the cop pulls in and waits for her to leave, ensuring that noah doesn't ride down the mountain.
i'm definitely writing a letter to that PD...friggin overstepping their boundaries.

rant over

the upper section of the dh course is really steep (at least i'm pretty sure that's the trail i found, everything was really grown over but it had to be...so sick!)
this is the lower section from what i could tell
small drop after a sweeping turn. very tech, between 2 trees and has a 90 degree right hand turn as soon as you land

natural left hand berm after above drop, leading to exit onto the slope

very tech off-camber exit drop onto the slope

from the slope looking up at exit drop

sorry for the crappy quality of the pics...my cell phone camera is the suck and i was on a pt session, running up the slope, when i took these pics...didn't really want to hoof around a full size camera.

the pics are of the lower half of the 2nd part of the course. i wasn't sure which way the middle went because the leaves were so thick and i forgot to snap pics of the upper section. but anyway, there is a paved road that leads to the top and it appears to have enough room for a large shuttle truck to turn around. should/could be a decent dh venue for N. Ga.

pm me for contact info on the owner.

 

[bizutch]

so you saw the two AWESOME fall away jumps between that hard 90 and the bottom? Easily the two best things on that course. Top few turns are straight goat trail. So if all that was still there, you didn't find the step downs on the left side of the slope if you're looking down the hill and the berm at the exit to them?

 

[bizutch]

...

and yes, i really have outrun golf carts...grew up in golf course community and golfers didn't take kindly to me making a rhythm section out of the sand traps

this statement now has a bit of irony in hindsight. Apparently Sky Valley PD was alerted by it's forum monitors of you in advance and adapted....

 

[Peete]

Damn, I'm going to be in Braselton this saturday. It's sorta right down the road from SV. I'm heading up to see what the deal is. Thanks Tubby for scouting out the trail. I think everyone in GA was under the assumption that Sky Valley put up houses on the trail.

 

[Jeremy R]

That would be a good spot for the Georgia guys to promote races at.
I bet that course could be cleared and ready in half a day of work.
It was a fun course.

Ha, at the last race there, I said, "Hey, where is the 4X course?"

Answer = Oh, it got washed away.

 

[bizutch]

That would be a good spot for the Georgia guys to promote races at.
I bet that course could be cleared and ready in half a day of work.
It was a fun course.

Ha, at the last race there, I said, "Hey, where is the 4X course?"

Answer = Oh, it got washed away.

Only old schoolers would get that joke I think. is that the race I showed up at where Cecil gave you guys part of a shock for me to use so I just had to go home or is this the one where Mike McCoy won in the souths only race specific monsoon?

Now if a resort ever wanted to take advantage of it's existing facilities 9-10 months out of the year, it would be them. They could build a concrete luge and permanent slalom, 4x, dirt jump area there served by that little lift and do just fine.

 

[drkenan]

How completely ironic is it that Manimal got hassled by the Po-Po?!?

 

[FCLinder]

Manimal, that trail was super fun to ride after it got made. Chris Warren (770-866-6525) had a lot to do with that trail. He is in ATL and I bet would love to hear your story due to him getting back into riding and racing. He has changed a lot from his old ways and think he would be great for this. I can’t at this time due to working on bigger things right now that will be taking up a lot of my time. I do feel it would be a great place for a race. The upper part of the trail was the best by far, due to the rocks and drops it had. Hard to go super fast on it and stay on your bike. About mid way down in the woods there was this one drop that you could send so far on. It had a great run out on it. Glad to hear people going back to some old spots and looking into helping get it back.

Hope the family is doing good man and still glad to see pics of Noah on the web riding his bike.

Cecil

 

[MTB_Rob_NC]

so out of curiosity, where is Sky Valley?

 

[bizutch]

Just across the NC/GA state line off 441, not too far away from Franklin, NC

http://maps.google.com/maps?daddr=1+Sky+Valley,+Sky+Valley,+GA+30537-2569+(Sky+Valley:+Golf+Shop)&geocode=CVPHxXwFrU6sFc7uFQIdXaAI-yHnam-e156iAA&dirflg=&saddr=franklin+nc&f=d&gl=us&hl=en&dq=sky+valley+golf+club+loc:+ga&sll=34.991822,-83.320739&sspn=0.006295,0.006295&ie=UTF8&ll=35.076651,-83.359451&spn=0.334916,0.361862&z=11

 

[bizutch]

FYI, there's also a neat little ski area at another identical to it between Brevard and Cashiers on Hwy 64 called Sapphire Valley. Tiny little skil lift with a 5-10 minute hike to the top of it with more elevation and woods above and beyond the slope.

 

[manimal]

yeah, sapphire valley is pretty cool too...have some timeshares there as well. too bad i wasn't riding DH as a teen when we'd go there every year.

 

[Peete]

That would be a good spot for the Georgia guys to promote races at.
I bet that course could be cleared and ready in half a day of work.
It was a fun course.

Ha, at the last race there, I said, "Hey, where is the 4X course?"

Answer = Oh, it got washed away.

I was thinking we could get away with a leaf blowing to get the trail going again. I'll put on my Jeff Dein signature mullet wig and best flannel shirt before approaching the new owner about riding and eventual racing.

That place was supposed to have an awesome 4X track but I think the guys building it had a lengthy "Cheech and Chong" break before picking the spot.

 

[FCLinder]

I think the guys building it had a lengthy "Cheech and Chong" break before picking the spot.

Ha Ha!!!!! The old days!!!!! I remember some of those guys taking a "Cheech and Chong" break after every 5mins of riding. I think those guys have changed up a bit by now. I know some of them would like to help out. Call Chris up and he will be glad to help when he has the time.

Cecil

 

[BKQuill]

How cool would that be, another DH spot in the SE. Now I just need to get my DAMN BIKE BUILT!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

 

[Metal Dude]

I was thinking we could get away with a leaf blowing to get the trail going again. I'll put on my Jeff Dein signature mullet wig and best flannel shirt before approaching the new owner about riding and eventual racing.

That place was supposed to have an awesome 4X track but I think the guys building it had a lengthy "Cheech and Chong" break before picking the spot.

It was a SLALOM and that was spot we were allowed to build it. The slope could've had a bad azz 4x or slalom though. Def. could have been a cool event.
Cheech and Chong were there though, they had either shishka berry or chocolate.
The Rain fell like buckets that day and we could have raced slalom canoes.

I would say you boys got a lot of high hopes going on here considering this place
was shut down over someone parking in this one spot of grass that was in nobodies way
the golfers fussed a little and that was the end of bikers there. It does sound
like they are desperate, but whoever takes the challenge on of talking to them
I hope is a real good liar if they can make it sound like mtbikers will bring them lots of money to save their hill.

 

[bizutch]

Here's the elevation profile of it. What's truly hilarious is that you can still see the giant bare spot and swamp HOLE the bros tried to make the dual course go through on the Satellite on the lift side of the slope!!!
In all fairness though, it flooded a 24 hour old course...the equivalent of trying to race a brand new BMX track the day after it was made.

sky valley ga - Google Maps

Here's the terrain profile. Course starts at Carlos Celler Lane & Alex Mountain Dr & ends at the bottom of the hill into the paved parking lot on Sky Valley Way at those round roofs. Elevation is borderline 500 feet, but it's pretty steep.
sky valley ga - Google Maps

 

[Peete]

Hey, If I get shot down by the owner all I wasted was gas and time.

From what I remember we got shut down because the grump pot in the golf pro shop got into it with someone over where the shuttle was parked(blocking the golf cart wash rack) at the race. Appearantly it was too much trouble to concede and move the shuttle truck than to get into an arguement and loose a great riding spot.
Like I said, I'll walk the course, snap some photos and try to track down the owner for a little chat.

 

[FCLinder]

Hey, If I get shot down by the owner all I wasted was gas and time.

From what I remember we got shut down because the grump pot in the golf pro shop got into it with someone over where the shuttle was parked(blocking the golf cart wash rack) at the race. Appearantly it was too much trouble to concede and move the shuttle truck than to get into an arguement and loose a great riding spot.
Like I said, I'll walk the course, snap some photos and try to track down the owner for a little chat.

Good luck!!!

 

[Metal Dude]

Hey, If I get shot down by the owner all I wasted was gas and time.

From what I remember we got shut down because the grump pot in the golf pro shop got into it with someone over where the shuttle was parked(blocking the golf cart wash rack) at the race. Appearantly it was too much trouble to concede and move the shuttle truck than to get into an arguement and loose a great riding spot.
Like I said, I'll walk the course, snap some photos and try to track down the owner for a little chat.

Yeah, something like that but, I think someone was parked there and moved soon after being asked. Whatever happened it was a small incident that should
have been nothing, I was standing nearby when it went down and couldn't believe
it was cause for shutdown!
At any route you are right axking can't hurt a soul, and I would love to see something in GA well technically I guess it's NC by a few feet.