Sunday night I drove out to shooting range south of Dalton to a place I had previously camped. A peculiar old guy was standing by a small smoking fire occupying the site. darn. Drive on another 2 miles on single track logging road until i found a place to pull off the road for camp. Way out there but great internet access. I heard trains from Dalton. Slept w/ the door and window open. It is hot and humid night time temps don’t reach 60 degrees.
My plan is to be @ Bear Creek @ 9:00 to shop ride. I made it. I remet Stacy and Jeff, 2 go to shop riders. Together we swept the first part of the Snake Gap race 3 years prior. I rode w/ Shane. Again, everybody on 29ers and mostly hard tails. Our ride was Tanasi trails @ the Occoee white water center, home of the Olympic kayak completion for the Atlanta olympics. Shane knows the trail system quite well and we burned it up. Did a bunch of climbing and traversing that gave us an almost 6 mile descent w/ some small climbs dropping 800 feet culminating on Thunder Mtn. Local knowledge trumps reading a map. Shaved legs crowd. I struggle on the uphills but on the flats and downhills I am right there. So maybe their light weight bikes beat me on the climbs but I can squish over the rough on the downhill. We finished our ride w/ a dip in the Occoee river. Lots of weekenders enjoying the river as picnickers, kayakers, and rafters.
returned to Dalton and 90 degrees. I lingered grocery shopping in the AC.
Plan is to drive over Fort Mountain to Mulberry Gap to ride some more Pinhoti trail. Fort mtn rd topped out @ 3000′ with 76 degree temp. The XG was full as I would have paid to sleep high and cool.
The hwy dropped down to 1600′. During the descent the brake light turned on, something wrong w/ the brakes. Explanation was either fluid loss or electronic. The fluid level was fine. Troubles brewing. How much can i trust my brakes before fixing. I remember Mulberry Gap having a steep climb then descent to their gate. I started up the road w/ the light still on. Decided not to proceed. I backed up and the light went out. I flagged a driver down whom I mistook for Sam from the Hub in Brevard. Instead it was a local guy. I asked if he knew of a place to camp. He said follow me and showed me a slight pull over right on a babbling brook, not quite a river but I had my down by the river camp spot. A hill blacked out XM reception. Cool but still 73 degrees went I went to bed. Just hot.
I have peed so little in the last several days in spite of all the fluids I drink and not all beer. I am taking today as a rest and hydration day after 6 straight days of riding to hang in Ellijay.