Slept late. Today I was going to rest, do laundry, and other chores.

I stopped at the Visitor center to visit w/ Fred. As i left the bldg I spied a rig w/ 2 bikes on it and the riders looked to be about my age. So, I ask what they are going to ride and got a good feeling. What happened to rest? They had a big route planned but it had to be truncated because of land closure by USFS to protect public from a possible booby trapped campsite. The ride we did was a good enough 1.

The riders: Steve, a little fly weight of 100lbs, and Kenny more my size. All of us in our 50s. Steve hardly compresses his bike’s suspension but he can climb beyond description. He would challenge Kellie. They are from Asheville. Their bikes looked like they just left show room but they rode way beyond a credibility issue. We enjoyed our company.

We parked at the horse stable up past where I have been camping. Rode back down road to Bennett Gap trail and rode it up, intersected gravel rd, continued to Club Gap, and joined Black Mtn trail end to end. Software crunches different data; I picked the data point I have been using: 15.92 miles, 3393′ climb, 3 hrs ride time, total time 5 1/2 hours total. Calorie burn: 2607. Black Mtn end to end. Finished @ 5:00. Big day. Trail in places muddy & slippery. Wet roots. Heads up riding. I cut a right switchback too close and spilled, slow roller fall. Wore shorts w/ knee warmers just in case but short sleeve jersey & gloves.

Vista:

What was somewhat rideable:

Short beer end ride conversation and I dashed into laundromat for shower & laundry. Didn’t eat “dinner” until 8:00 hanging @ Dollies’ gravel parking lot like usual.

Have PT appointment tomorrow @ 9:00. priority is left knee. I know nothing about this PT, she was on insurance list. I called and she returned my call.

Spokane received 20″ snow in record time.

Received an invite to ride next week from the MTBR.com forum. The ride idea is about as demanding as what we did today plus extra.

I will stay down here till maybe Christmas before moving on. I have not planned where. Lesser from Big mag emailed me a bushel of ride ideas & contacts to follow up on.

Another night warm enough to not need heater. Slept in.

Stopped @ USFS visitor center & visited w/ Fred. His wife works in a shoe store in Brevard. She said she was talking to a mountain biker while in the store about this guy doing this mountain biking trip. he said yea, he knew.

Called insurance company to learn coverage issues for PT. Drove to urgent Care for PT referral. original DR not in until Fri so only way to get script was to be seen again by a different DR. Got script. Now finding a PT is the next go.

Bent Creek is near the Urgent Care so I drove over. Again, my navigation skills are nil. I blundered into a parking lot, found myself on the map and headed up a gated road searching for ST. First road intersection wasn’t on map ( I maintain) and I stopped, pulled out the map, & put on my reading glasses. A group of slightly younger men mtn bikers went by. The last one hollered to join in if I wanted. I hollered Yes but apparently not loud enough. I quickly put my stuff away and sprinted to catch them. they had too much of a head start, that’s my story. At the first ST I found I dropped in.

Learning about new tires and what they will allow me to do. They run cleaner w/ less mud build up. Shifting needs some fine adjustment.

At a road intersection I again pulled out my map. As I was learning my whereabouts a group of elderly hikers engaged me in conversation. They asked me where I was try to go to and I said South Carolina. We all laughed. They left, I chose another trail. Later I ran into them at the end of their hike and I was still trying to find my van. I was riding the road when a car passed me and a woman hollered that I was almost in SC.

I used the navigation feature on the EDGE to find my way back to TH. Late afternoon ride.

Rode in shorts, short sleeve jersey, & short gloves. Temp was around 65 degrees.

What I rode in Bent Creek was less than technical. Rhody thickets. 12.92 miles & 1694′.

Drove back to Brevard & showered at laundromat. The owner is away and another man is filling in. The fill in’s demeanor struck me like it was the owner. Turns out they are brothers and together they started the laundromat.

People can be fun where ever. Still, the less enlightened are the grocery clerks.

At Haw Ridge in TN I met Drew, who last summer worked as an intern for BikeMagazine. He said he would speak w/ the mag about my trip. Today I received an email from the staff. I have been using the mag’s article on Fifty Rides as research material. I rode some of their rides;  they were responsible for the Jim Thorpe junk ride. (Whoa, that’s 2 shots of moonshine talking).

Forecast is for more rain.

Pisgah is big. I have been uneager to ride it myself much beyond the front country. the rain has helped my decision. DuPont is smaller and not as wild and more comfortable to ride. Although it has a myriad of trails and a greater potential for getting lost. Pisgah has way fewer trails and once I get on 1 it lasts a long while until the next decision.

Zysk sent my web site to Paul Turner of The Slice column.

Mono is a Springsteen fan.

Back to Avery Creek set down. Last night I drove between 2 trucks that looked like hunting dog rigs. Once I parked and opened the door i heard the barking of dogs. I hoped it wasn’t a bear because I thought we were all in a bear sanctuary. I learned today that it is coon season and there is no sanctuary for them. The bear hunting is also done in daylight

Attended shop party @ Looking Glass. Partiers were all less than 30, (3) couples, rock climbers. Get any sport specific group and they get full of themselves and their subject matter is a steep bell shaped curve. Not that I wanted to talk mtn bike and didn’t understand or couldn’t relate to their sport and focus but life is full of other things to broaden your perspective on life.

Back out @ Avery Creek XG site. Previous interlopers were rained out. Yea, XM radio reception.

Started raining during the night. Forecast for forecast horizon is for precipitation (no Snow). Slept in.

Plan today is to mount new tires and get a ride in between showers. Parked @ Visitor Center for growler & bike work.  Started raining. Moved tire changing operation under a tree on dirt.  Mismounted 2nd tire that caused me to remount. Luckily for me as I found leaf matter inside the tire from shuffling it on dirt. Found out also that the rear brake pads were just about at the backing plates. The Formula K24 brakes did not fail like your Shimanos did, Randy. Put new pads on & seated them in the parking lot.

Rear derailleur was not shifting cleanly no matter how I played with cable tension. I figured on riding & stopping @ Sycamore for their ministrations in place of them mounting my tires that I did.

Drove down again to Southern end of DuPont in light drizzle. Empty parking lot. Darn EDGE was discharged meaning no computer to record ride and also no navigation aid. Folded up map in map case velcroed to handle bar that vibrates when i ride making a sound like something is loose on bike.

Trails wet but not clingy mud. Eskimos have like 40 words to describe snow, mtn bikers need more descriptive words for mud we ride in. New tires ran clean shedding mud. Conditions were loose making an evaluation of tires slippery @ best. Didn’t fall so they were not worse than the Velociraptors.

Rode up Burnt Mtn. climbed Cedar rock on slick rock and rode Burnt mtn backwards. A few slight showers kept me water cooled.

Hemlocks are being killed by a parasite that attacks at the base of the leaf. Trees don’t turn brown like Pine beetle, they just shed their needles ove time just like my hair falls out. There is a natural predator like Knapweed enemy. Like Knapweed a large concentration of hemlock is required to satiate the killer.

Back @ Sycamore I washed the Turner. The rear derailleur shifting was addressed and it was discovered that I bent the derailleur hanger, probably on a WVA rock garden fall. The wrench put his back into the straigtening tool and all is better. I do have a spare hanger but as long as it doesn’t break during straightening, keep using the bent 1.

Shower @ laundromat. Dinner @ gravel parking lot. Raining. A bit more internet work & back out to Avery Creek.

Tomorrow I am seeking a PT script for my foot. Get my knee checked also.