Pisgah Time

What’s up: I posted the below today, Tues. I will add more stuff today.

 

All alone and no internet. Will type this in Word then paste to the blog later.

Continuing to enjoy wonderful fall albeit very warm temps for the time. The days of heat don’t etch into my memory, it is what it is. But this morn when I checked the temp hit 31 degrees when I awoke to the dying throb of the furnace. The furnace has 2 distinct running sounds: when the control tells it to start the first sound is the blower which runs maybe 30 secs. Next is an ignite sound then the furnace starts and runs which is a different sound. Chilly last night, I covered the driver’s window and the windshield to create dead air. I was under tree cover. About 6:30 I heard the furnace blower turn on, I lay under the covers waiting for the ignite. Didn’t happen. Red light on the panel turned on indicating failure. Shit. Not good. I opened the stove cover and turned on a burner and stuck the lighter at the burner. Nothing. OK, problem is I just ran out of propane. I was still warm from last furnace burn. My camp spot was way up a mountain road above Unicoi, TN on a dead end logging road backed into a pull out. Lumpy bumpy getting into the spot. This morn I was faced w/ turning around in the dark. I waited till light was starting to show then 4 point turned around. The drive was downhill dropping about 1,500’. Going down does not generate engine heat to make hot air. Once down and on the pavement the engine warmed up and produced heat. Right in Unicoi there is a hardware store with propane refill service. I looked at the front of the store to learn of their Sunday hours. No sign. I googled then to learn they are closed on Sunday. OK. Next move is to drive back to Johnson City, TN. In town I drove past a Perkins pancake, a Uhaul store that posted a sign saying propane. Opens at 9:00. It is like 8:05. Tractor Supply further along also opened at 9. I was hungry. I drove back to Perkins for a big bfast and passed time till 9 then I drove to the nearby U-Haul and bought propane.

There, that’s how my day started. An issue arose and I dealt with it.

Sufficiently fueled up I drove up then down to Asheville, NC and on to Bent Creek ride location. I arrived about 10:30 to overflowing parking lots. Beautiful Sunday AM and the public was out enjoying what we pay for. I scored a parking space.

My first year here I tried Bent Creek but was confused by all the trails, maybe unsigned. Today I had MTBP and a sunny day. Chilly, I wore a long sleeve wool underwear top. I fired up the MTBP on my smartphone placed on the carrier on the handlebar. Loop ride was sort of a cherry stem. I had trouble comprehending the direction arrows. What I rode were mostly old logging roads. Beatup but single track. Beautiful day. Lots of riders. None of them really yielded to me pedaling uphill. Don’t ride a popular place on a beautiful sunny day.

From Bent Creek I drove down to Brevard. My plan was to pay for a spot at FS XG. I turned onto the Davidson River road that goes past the XG then up to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Traffic was backed up maybe a half mile being held up by stoplight where I just turned. No way was I going to put up being stuck in that back up. I continued past the XG then turned up Avery Creek road which has several dispersed camp spots. My first year I stayed out this way. I found my past spot empty then dropped anchor. No alcohol is allowed on this road per FS. Closest to town fee camping must have contributed to past misbehavior.

Avery creek camp spot
Avery creek camp spot

Beautiful sunny afternoon. I walked up the creek road planning on checking out past beaver tree cutting. But then the trail junction to Daniel ridge appeared on my left. I hiked up the trail for a ways, I climbed almost 500’ when I turned around. On the way down I studied the lines ridden in. Almost at the bottom a couple rode by. I was able to get off the trail before the guy went by. We greeted each other. Short a woman went by. I made the road then turned back to my spot. The two riders were at the white Sprinter parked alongside the road. Shawn remembered meeting me in Sedona. The woman just started working at I9. We chatted about living on the road etc till I became too chilled then walked back to my van. They had I9 wheelsets.

Some of Bennett gap
Some of Bennett gap

I9, formally Industry 9, in Asheville, makes great hubs, the free wheel because of the 3 degrees of engagement make a loud distinct sound. You just know it is an I9 hub. Locally this is the most commonly heard freewheel. My wheels are at home. OK friends Steve in Sun Valley and Phil in Indiana ride I9 hubs.

Rain fell into the morning of the 23rd when I was camped above Damascus, VA. My ride plan of Iron Mountain was rained out. Route 58 followed a drainage down hill, twisting and winding. Fallen leaves rain soaked paved the road. I was concerned for slipperiness in the corners, made for a slow drive. The AT uses a part of Main street. No hikers around today. I enjoyed a coffee and roll at a café.

rain and wind the death of fall colors
rain and wind the death of fall colors

I have been doing the research, drive, ride, attend to living matters, find a camp spot, and sleep. I need internet for some data. MTBP and a road Atlas provide data.

I considered a round about way to get to Kerr Scott near Boone,VA. I googled the trail and learned that everything was closed except for hunting. Scratch that location. Next I found a ride at Sugar Hollow SP right near Bristol, VA. I drove into the XG and paid $18 for an electric site and a hot shower. I geared up again using MTBP. Small area with lots of user created trails in addition to the ones on MTBP. Between MTBP and my phone the data gets screwy. The high density of trails caused confusion. I did get a ride in. And a hot shower. Rooty trails.

Yesterday I drove into TN to ride Warriors Path, another MTBP trail. This trail network is on 150 acres, lots of miles crammed in. However there were no user created trails and the intersections were marked.

it's how I saw it
it’s how I saw it

First time I’ve seen this:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Here in the Pisgah the wooly adelgids(sp) have killed their host tree, hemlock, which prefers wet locations. The trees here have been dead long enough for fungus to grow on the tree trunks. Sometime in the future these trees will start falling which will be dangerous.

Heather has invited me to her wedding this Sat. I will stay here for that.

My mail in ballot has not hit my mail box yet. I will prolly stay here to receive it before heading out. I now have 17 days to make Bentonville with still other places to visit and ride.

New news:

My ballot hit my mailbox yesterday. Today I ordered my mail to be shipped 2 day to Brevard to arrive before i leave allowing me to vote.

Yesterday I made the rounds of Sycamore Cycle and The Hub bike shops in Brevard.

Beautiful too warm day I enjoyed during my ride out at DuPont SF following a MTBP track that turned out to use miles of abandoned double track w/ pieces of single track mixed in. The track solved my route finding.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAPatches of rhododendrons. Deep tree cover blocks viewsheds, seeing tree trunks is the normal view.

Good grunt of a ride. Garmin gps tracking continues to under record the time and distance covered as compared to my wheel computer.

The bike shops are actually in Pisgah Forest not Brevard which is just down the road a piece.

I visited the Hub at their new owner built new store. I enjoyed 2 recovery drinks at the bar. I made arrangements to have the Raceface Turbine post to be installed today. I bought the Absolute Black 32T oval chain ring that friend Steve speaks well of.

Yesterday Cashion and Eva of the bike farm invited me out and gave me a place to sleep. Great people who have their gig on. Their business is selling camp spots, guiding, and skills training. The are on 400 acres contiguous with the Pisgah NF. We sat around last night visiting and learning. The Bike Farm started a weekly Farm ride to bring in riders from the bike shop posses, the idea worked for a while then riders went back to their posses. Their business is succeeding. They gave me the furthest out empty camp spot. What a gravel road climb it was for the van. Outdoor shower in the dark. I used my headlamp hung on a hook for light. Open roof. Hard to turn the hot water off to dry off.

Today I am at the Hub in town typing this. Side door is opened. A red pickup starts pulling in beside me: It’s Shrimper. So great to connect with him. He broke only 1 leg very badly 2 years ago and is now back on both legs.

Raceface Turbine saga continues: When the original post failed I cut the cable to remove thru the stealth hole in the frame. I put the cable with the dropper lever and the attachment hardware in the box and shipped the shooting match to the repair shop. The replacement post finally caught up to me. I made install appointment at the Hub. Today we opened the box to check the lever out. WTF: only the post is in the box. No hardware. WTF.

So that’s where I am. Beautiful day. Avoiding writing this as I visited w/ Shrimper.

This weekend is the Pisgah Mtn Bike festival co put on by the Bike Farm and Oscar Blues. Costs too much $ just to get into the venue,

Going for a ride.

 

 

 

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