Riding the South TR

Well, a random trip with the wifey while she's at a medical conference in Nashville, and I have a chance to check out some parts of the country I've never visited, and ride some new and different trails.

We stopped to visit her grandmother in Cleveland; after we left I figured out that Cleveland is a MTB hotspost...apparently there are tons of trails leaving right from town, including a supposedly great trail network at the Whitewater center on the Ocoee River, where the Olympics were held. So, I'm probably going to have to get back down there at some point while we're living in Ohio.

Then it was on to Nashville yesterday, where we landed at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Hotel. Wow. This place is like Vegas, but not. Interesting place, I'm still not really sure how to describe it. I might have a better idea after we attend the Grand Ole Opry tonight :eek:

Anyway, the wife is in conferences all weekend so this weekend is when I'll really get out and do some riding/exploring. Going to try to hit a trail south of town so I can swing by Jack Daniels in Lynchburg on the way back :) Wasn't there a TR on that somewhere on TGR?

Today I was able to sneak out at lunch (I'm working from the hotel here) and ride the local Nashville trail network, called Hamilton Creek. It consists of 2 loops, the first a 3.3 mile loop, the second a loop that connects to it that's about 6-7 miles long. It's fairly hilly, rolling, and surprisingly tech. The ground here is pretty much solid rock; any roadcut and you see it all exposed. So the trail consisted of roots and rock gardens, with lots of ledgy climbs and mini diving board drops (maxing out at about 3 feet). Similar forest riding to Ohio, but very different. Faster, rockier soil, but much more tech and tiring. High humidity and July temps wore me out faster than I was expecting. Good times though...always fun to ride something different.

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/a...1&d=1185569031

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/a...1&d=1185569031

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Post ride feet in the lake cool-down.
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/a...1&d=1185569031

Been years since I've done this...especially riding clipless. Front wheel stalled on a tech climb, slip, quick backpedal to shin smash. Sweet!
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/a...1&d=1185569031


I'll add onto this thread as I ride more trails this weekend...

You were 15 miles from Chilhowee. Great place. And about 40 miles from Tanasi, another good place. If you ever get back down this way get in touch with me. Cleveland is about 3 hours from my house and Pisgah is about 65 miles from me.

Looks like you have found some pretty good stuff to ride. Check out The Stage (I think is the name of the place) and Twin Fiddles while you are in Nashville. Good music won't be hard to find.

At least your flops can open beer.

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Originally Posted by SKISC

You were 15 miles from Chilhowee. Great place. And about 40 miles from Tanasi, another good place. If you ever get back down this way get in touch with me. Cleveland is about 3 hours from my house and Pisgah is about 65 miles from me.

Looks like you have found some pretty good stuff to ride. Check out The Stage (I think is the name of the place) and Twin Fiddles while you are in Nashville. Good music won't be hard to find.

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Yeah...I'll be lookin ya up, if not this summer...definitely next. Doh!

Conundrum, those beer openers have come in handy for many many post-ride beers :)

Yep, Twoplanker: Jack Daniels

Buy some as it is a dry county and can't consume on premisis.

Nice TR. Reminds my of WV trails a good bit. Nice sock tan.

Thanks Buzz. Yeah I find most of the trails out east pretty much look a lot alike...singletrack in dense forest. It makes taking great photos really tough, and is super difficult to give any perspective of terrain.

So Saturday I found a local MTB group online and met up with a guy who turned out to be a music recording guy (audio engineer), super cool guy and solid rider. Anyway, he gave me a tour of a metro trail here just outside Nashville called Lock 4. Pretty much the opposite of Hamilton, the first trail I rode...Lock 4 was super flowy, fast, swoopy, and fun. We did 2 loops of 8.2 miles each...so 16.4 miles total. It was the most humid day I've ever experienced. When we got done with one lap, I realized how soaked I was. When we got done with both, I just couldn't believe how nasty it was outside. Helmet, gloves, jersey, shorts, socks, shoes...everything was literally dripping with sweat and humidity. It was one of the most disgusting things I've ever experienced. ;) But it was still a good, fun ride.

Here's one pic from a little section of whoopdy jumps:
http://tetongravity.com/forums/attac...1&d=1185751963

Then on Sunday, I was lazy getting going and finally came up with a plan to head south and ride outside a town called Monteagle, where there is some real topography, and after the ride swing over to Lynchburg - which was about 30 miles away from Monteagle - to visit Jack.

Unfortunately my ride time got away from me, and by the time I was on the road, it was too late to make it to Lynchburg. I wanted to do the tour, but they don't sell bottles on Sundays, so I wasn't totally heartbroken. We'll be back though - my wife and I definitely want to get back down to KY to tour the so-called bourbon trail :cool:

This trail was rugged, remote, poorly marked...pure adventure riding. I had no guide, just some internet ramblings and a mental image of a poor map at the ranger's cabin trailhead. It took me almost an hour of riding to actually find the trail I was looking for, which was the West Rim Trail at Franklin State Forest. I wandered around several singletracks, following horse hoofprints which left massive deep imprints and nasty bogs. The trail was terribly maintained, with tons of leaves and the occasional logfall. I did a bit of trailwork along the way, hauling logs off the trail. I eventually did find the rim trail and did an out and back a few miles that way. The whole ride was 3 hours and probably only a total of 6-8 miles...but really fun and I got the topography and views I was hoping for. Here are some photos:

On one of my excursions on a wrong trail, I came across this pretty cool pond:
http://tetongravity.com/forums/attac...1&d=1185752714

hunting for the right trail...
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found it!
http://tetongravity.com/forums/attac...1&d=1185752714

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SAC-whore!

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/a...1&d=1185569031
;)

Glad you had fun in the South, gonna hit WV on your way back?

first views of the rim and valley below:
http://tetongravity.com/forums/attac...1&d=1185753006

I was just riding along, then looked down and saw a 100 foot cliff just feet from my wheels...greenery hides everything well:
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A slightly better view of the ege:
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Then the trail dropped down into a gorge off the rim, with mini waterfalls and super tech rock gardens:
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Cool view from the waterfall crossing:
http://tetongravity.com/forums/attac...1&d=1185753376

lunch break spot:
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and a first sign of fall to come...
http://tetongravity.com/forums/attac...1&d=1185753045

Looks like my trails but wider ;)

Wow sweet pictures. Tennessee looks awesome.

Sweet stoke from an area I have never explored.

Thanks all.

MarsB - SAC whore, you called it. But you would know ;) As far as WV, not this trip. Hopefully I can swing a Snowshoe trip this fall, since August is pretty well booked already. Would be stoked to ride out your way.

I forgot to upload a photo of this crazy mushroom/fungus/thing...pretty cool I thought:

http://tetongravity.com/forums/attac...1&d=1185761756

I really dig this motion photo-

http://tetongravity.com/forums/attac...1&d=1185752714