But internet and cell phone coverage has not met the backwoods.
Friday i rode Douthat SP in VA.Nothing tech but lots of climbing and the resultant downhills. Good trails, low down soem machine cutting replaced the old hiking tread. Above that it was the old slightly rooty hiking trails. Overgrown thru lurel slicks. Crossed a stream and a snake fell out of a tree and slitherede away b4 I could identify it. It was black which is safe. Copperheads like h2o and are very hard to see and make no sound b4 the fangs break the flesh.
The heat and high humidity are beating me.
I am in a laundromat parking lot catching up on posting while the machine does the dirty work. Another week of clean riding clothes.
Monkey butt cleared up back in Brevard using bag balm b4 and after ride. Not needed b4. I have a hard ass.
Today i tried the IMBA epic @ Slaty fork, WVA again. Last night I studied the map and directions. Today i visited Elk River resort and talked w/ Greg, their mtn bike man. I learned that nobody had reported trail conditions. I set out hoping that on a Sat of a 3 day weekend I might hook up w/ other riders. At the TH the overgrown grasses were unbent from vehicle tires. Up @ 4000′. Headed out on old logging / coal hauling / railroad beds that held mud bogs. I suffered about 2 miles when I decided I had enough. I just had no desire to ride in the glop. I drove back down mtn to river and rode the short beginner trail. This area was strip mined long ago and clear cut logged. Broadleaf forest. The strip mines were made by way old machines that just made like road cuts along the mtn side. The high walls are mostly recovered.
Back @ Elk River I spoke some more w/ Greg. Small circle: Rich Edwards of IMBA trail Solutions used to work for Elk River. A guy came up to me and commented about seeing me in the BikeMag article. He got a picture of me at the back of my van. From Cincinnati, made his day.
Heading over to Seneca Rocks ndew IMBA epic and then down to Harrisionburg, VA b4 heading north to state college and another new epic, then Pitsburg area then to Ohio by June 15.
Over & out. Hope to get out of heat by heading east over the divide.