Slept again behind Shane’s shop, pretty quiet, down blanket cool @ bed time.
Today Shane drove us up into mtns on same road as Mulberry Gap to his family’s cabin. Fort Mtn is somewhere near 2400′, Dalton is 551 or there abouts. Big mtn climb out of flat land. Shane rides a hard tail 29er geared. Me, I’m on my squishy 5 1/2″ travel 26 er. Stayed w/ him. Trails are mostly old logging roads, some older and decomposed than others. 26 miles. My EDGE battery discharged b4 start of ride rendering no data. Shane’s route gave us a wonderful smooth downhill weaving among trees. Trails are not tech and are rideable climbing. Broadleaf forest, forest floor is mostly open meaning the canopy years ago killed off the less shade tolerant understory. We stayed on it. We kept up a Craig conversation on the climbs. I rode mot of today’s ride when i was here last spring.
I like riding new trails, sort of. I also like riding familiar trails, sort of. On this trip I am revisiting most of same places and people. testament to quality of experience. The paradox of old vs new. I really have enjoyed almost everyone I have met and remet. The Southeast, what they call The South is exotic to me. i like it. You can’t be a Yankee here. If you slow down & be flexible this place can grow on you. The guys in Huntsville were just so crazy in their native way, the humor , choice of words & delivery make for clever conversation. Bought a hand crafted beer from Miss called Slow Magnolia made w/ roasted pecans. Next year I envisioned wintering in Sedona and snow birding it back up North out west. The South will be hard to not include, maybe my path will be a triangle rather than this year’s rectangle thru the mid west. Prolly (Bill Victor’s Kentucky way of saying “probably”). Shit, I keep meeting people along the way my route grows albeit not New England.
I followed Shane. His tires would part the puddles creating 2 high walls of muddy water. If I were close enough and if the puddle had more dirt in it making the waves stiffer I could almost ride thru his parted puddles like what, Moses & the Red Sea?
Back to town & shop to hang for a while. Then back to busy fitness center for shower.
The magazines selection says something about buying public. I notice in the South that there are few, if any, mags dealing w/ physical activity not counting hunting or firearms mags. Krogers is big here w/ health food section. Also have bulk filtered water.
Plan tomorrow is to drive out to mid point of Snake Creek Pinhoti & ride to or from the start out & back. I need to be in Augusta this Wed afternoon.
East Coast time zone.
As the Drive-By Truckers said “A Southern man tells better jokes”. Glad you’re experiencing the South as it really is. You normally don’t like my music recommendations, but maybe you’ll believe NPR: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5586939
Not including New England in your future travel plans? Was the riding to hard for you up here? Craig I hope you are having a great time on the road and the trail. Let me know if you swing back up this way…some day. Take care.
Hi Mikey,
I liked Grayville, Case Mtn was weak. It was that there are to many people and little public land to squat on. Several other New Englanders have made challenging statements regarding your neck of the country. I like the west w/ dry heat & cold and less dense population, longer trails, and I spent 28 years there. Feels more like home to me.
What happened to the house across the street?
Oh, ride Sedona for hardness.
Keep spinning,
Craig