Pleasant AM wake up, slept late in quiet woods.

Plan is to round trip Snake Gap to Dug Gap & back via road. Short drive to TH. Bit below freezing. In parking lot but what do my homesick eyes behold but a CXT outhouse.  (Actually I’m not homesick but the phrase was appealing). This ride is the shorter of the 2 time trials of just 17 miles. It is rated as the most technical of the Pinhoti trail. Headed out insulated for cold weather. Good ST like a hiking trail w/ roots & rocks. Made turn onto ridge & it got really rocky, like PA rocks w/ some WVA thrown in. Better at riding them but still walked some questionable moves. Noticed a tree across trail @ 1.9 miles. Front brake worked @ first & then failed and squealed. I moved the pad adjustment lever in and brake reappeared. Don’t know if it is really repaired. Changed out of heavy gloves & hat to sweat cap & regular long fingered gloves. Did sweat up. Higher heart rate than usual. Trail crossed a creek several times going downhill and wetted bottom bracket. Not sure if bracket is among the still functioning gear list. Will check later.

Trail dumps out on dead end road @ telecommunication towers, thought ST should continue. Bit perplexed, didn’t want to ride down hill to learn that i missed the trail. Found a sketchy ST dropping off road, walked down it a ways checking for traffic signs. Hardly used so it was back on the road. Big down hill on pavement, kept using front brake as test & appeared to stop the front wheel. Found trail marker & Pinhoti trail sign right @ gated road @ bottom of hill. Turned left per map and dropped into steep pavement downhill, assumed aerodynamic shape and drifted the corners on knobby tires. The road flattened out and then it was just a pleasant grunt back to TH.

I was inside van w/ door closed. I looked outside and there was a car w/ a bike on top. Guy was getting ready to ride. Struck up conversation and learned his name, Rick, and his role, VP of NWGA SORBA and an official for this weekend’s last Time trial and he was going to ride this section of trail & clear whatever. I shared the tree and that it needed a chain saw not the small hand saw he was going to carry. Rick said that he needed to drive back to his house & pick up his chain saw. We chatted for a while, I asked him if he knew of a place to get a shower. He said I could shower @ his house as he didn’t live too far away. I volunteered to walk in and help him cut the tree in return for enjoying the club’s work on the trail and the shower. Upon Rick’s return he told me he made some phone calls and learned about me from other SORBA contacts. getting around.

We hiked the 2 miles in & cut the tree and hiked out just before dark. I learned that the sketchy trail I checked out ended up in his back yard and he had several other secret stashes.

I followed him to his house retracing my road ride and then into Dalton crossing I-75. I wondered how those trails could be @ his house. Answer: his house butts up against Dug Gap, he rides up a gated gravel road to ride down hills.

I met his wife Cindy who was recovering from a injured ankle incurred in her exuberance to obtain Atlanta Braves baseball players autographs. After my shower I met Gennie & Gay from the local chapter & participated in an impromptu club meeting. Rick grilled a deer steak that I enjoyed.

I camped in the cul de sac in front of their house.

Today they left for work and I left for more riding. Planning on returning to Chattanooga to ride Raccoon mtn.

Rick offered me the sweep rider function for the time trial. I could ride the trail and not have to ride the road back saving 8 miles after hard 17 miles. Big production this time trial. The club has done well with enlisting various community groups to support. Just might hang for participation and another go @ trail. Good trail.

Rick is on board of Pinhoti trail assoc representing mtn bikers. Trail is well constructed and challenging. Worth the hard effort to ride again.

N. GA is down out of mountains. Snake Gap is on West edge of Appalachian Valley. The Pinhoti, whose logo is a turkey foot, connects with another trail and then joins the AT @ southern terminus. AT design was to continue in AL but the valley lacked public land. The Pinhoti and the other trail named after the spark plug of the AT solved that but is not considered part of AT.

Finding creative beer here is a challenge, usually unsuccessful.

Off to ride.

7:45PM update

Ran numbers on chain to learn I had 397 miles, 100 more than I like, to only replace chain & not cluster. Called Bear Creek Bicycles asking about chain & possible cluster. GPS would not recognize Park Drive but person on phone gave me directions.

Made shop location. Person on phone was Shane, the owner. And the cash register started ringing. New chain for sure and the cluster is shot. I bought top of line SRAM because. The bottom bracket was also toast. Ka-ching: sprung for Chris King BB hopefully be the last 1 in long time as his components are. Shane called attention to my almost wafer thin rear brake rotor. Ka- ching. He then wrestled w/ a shifting problem. I am good to go until I replace the chain rings or possible front brake. Shane helped me out, I called back to tell him he didn’t charge me w/ everything. He forgot the rotor. I will pay him before I move on.

I spent all afternoon in shop. Got to play w/ his Lab and loosened up a few handfuls of hair from her. Let me pet someones dog and loose hair follows. When my dog, Chase was with me my house had a patinia white Lab hair but his coat was so silky.

A shop groupie visited. He said he is country southern. He said the difference between a red neck & a good ol boy is the good ol boy throws his beer cans in the back of the pick up, the red neck throws them out the window.

Enjoyed some intellectual exchange w/ Shane.

No ride today which is my definition of OK after yesterday’s ride. I will sweep after the race on Sat to get a shuttle to start of Snake Gap to ride it again. There is a 34 and 17 mile time trial. i rode the 17 miler. Rick offered to let me ride the 34. The longer course starts upstream of Snake Gap and is much less technical than the last 8 rocky miles on Snake but if you ride too fast on first part you will deplete energy for toughest miles to come. I’d like to ride a few more of the rocks on the Snake and have energy for the post race party and zanny activity to follow. Bruce says that it is international Cougar day celebrated to Chattanooga.

So Shane offered me a sleep spot behind the shop. Right now I am downtown in old Dalton parked next to the tracks. Downtown Main Street: no parking meters. New town is out by I-5 & usual big box stores.

My comment: America is filled w/ wonderful people shaped by local lifestyle and they are all good. The country side is worthy of enjoying. I have been east of the Rockies since Labor Day. N Georgia is pleasant, a back woods cabin on a mountain side w/ a flowing pure year round creek for drinking & electric & call me off the grid. Shane’s family is from here. They have a cabin on road to Mulberry Gap Inn. A road in the area is named “Shake Rag” because an old woman sat on her porch and when shine was available and the coast was clear she would wave a rag. If bad times she would just wave. He said that the hills were prime location for stills.

Just slowing down and enjoying company of people I meet. And that’s my story.

Rained mostly all night long. No riding today. Slow moving.

Drove to dawsonville about 10 miles over searching for like an Ingles chain grocery store. Found one. Learned that the store is pretty close to Dahlonega via a 4 lane and then 4 miles of highway. Found diesel there for $2.09.

Back into D. to Wheelworks. Smiles on Zak’s face that the shipment made it and that the part sent is the correct replacement part. Zak redid the brake assy to restore the brake lever return snap, replaced the broken part, & rebled the brake. Took it for a spin and applied the brakes and did it squeal. Next project:

1) filed the pads & abraded the rotor = squeal

2)replaced slightly worn brake pads = squeal

3) reset caliper= squeal

4) tried a wheel w/ a new rotor = silence

5) bought a new rotor removed from a for sale bike = brake that works silently and lighter in the pocket.

Took shower @ health club & drove back to Post Office above shop to do internet stuff. The PO did scan the package.

Just raining all day. 3rd day in row w/ no ride.

Drove back out to Jack Mtn XG which is on way to Ellijay for tomorrow. Forecast is calling for snow maybe tonight and into tomorrow. I took the forecast into xonsideration by not parking at the end of the XG road making a shorter distance to hard road however there are 2 short steep hills on gravel. If it snows and I get stuck back here I have what I need to stay until Monday when the sun comes out & temp climbs back into 50s.

“it is as it is” is an apt description of whatever. Applies to trails. 3 things make up a trail: The land it is on, the land manager, and the local volunteers. These things come together as it is for a trail. You dance w/ who brung ya. The mountains here are small but for a rider from Atlanta they are big. The soil is mostly the mucky red clay that turns greasey w/ addition of h2o. No local bike club to work trail access issues or improvements. Jon said the horse people organize the work parties.

Foggy night @ XG. After dinner in dark I put my led headlamp on my brimmed hat & went for a walk. Way foggy. Turned around to van & turned on light inside to guide me back in case. Walked to end of road to turn around for horse trailers. Big open area w/ no land marks. I decided not to tempt fate of getting lost in featureless open space. Light in van shown thru fog better than led.

Jon gave me his gift bottle of Scotch because he is not a Scotch drinker & I told him I was. He was purging his stuff and if I keep my consumption in check I won’t be doing the same. Bruichladdich pronounced Bruce Laddy, good stuf, passed on the shine.

Skies cleared by AM, weather forecast is calling for below freeze temps, high winds, & snow, how much & where was to be determined, stay tuned to your weather source. Have supplies and desire to ride overwhelmed prudence.

Followed written directions to Bear Creek TH. Rig w/ 4 guys changing out of riding clothes. Travis, he said his name was, remembered seeing me @ Chicopee last weekend. Temp dropping, darkening skies, & winds. They said the trails were not muddy and their bikes showed that to be true. One rider described the route to me but like most things for me, it went right thru me but didn’t lodge in short term memory. Said ride clockwise. First intersection was for Bear Creek to right or Pinhoti to the left clockwise. I turned left soon to pass any fresh tracks on trail. Where were their tracks? Nice single track, up down, & around finally to an in service FS logging road. I was lost. Safest choice was to out & back what I just rode. Snow flakes fell during my ride, nothing made the ground as it was wet & warm. If it were rain it would have been a weak sprinkle. Good  riding ST as it is a hiking trail.

Back @ intersection I reinterpretted the direction arrows and said, “opps”. Or something like that.

2 mile gravel road back to TH. Getting colder. Loaded up & headed West to Mulberry Gap Inn that Bruce spoke highly of.  They are 1.5 miles further down the road after the pavement stopped. Piece of road it was.

Both gates were shut & appeared to be chained shut. Sign said open year round. Got out & checked gate to see that it was unlocked but the wind had blown the gate halves closed. Opened the main gate open & as I drove thru the wind banged it against the side of my van in spite of my evasive moves. Steep uphill on pavement to registration. Guy comes out weearing shorts & I am shivering from my ride. Gave me the scoop. Parked @ primitive spot right along side small stream. Backed in I did. Wind was howling & snow flurries were being blown around. Concern about getting snowed in. Just an inch would have given me fits to drive out.

Diane drove down to say hello & collect $10 fee. I didn’t do a good job networking how I found her place.

Hooked up electric cord to 120 V circuit in van and ran the fridge & lap top. Watched last disc of Ken Burn’s Civil War.

Crawled under covers & hoped for clear roads & skies for tomorrow.

Daylight: just cold clear blue skies. Ground was same as when the sun went down.

Bfast & drive out back to Bear Creek to ride it. 25 degrees in the sun when I headed out. Ride can start from the pavement & ride 2 miles mostly up to TH. Ice on puddles & some frozen mud on road. Made the TH and rode up the trail which is on an old logging road right along Bear Creek. Made intersection and made Bear Creek turn. ST coursed along creek and then switchbacked out of drainage to become more old logging road to newer closed logging road to finally a steep  descent down a closed off skidder road to creek. Short ST lead to challenging creek crossing. Too wide to step across on rocks, mid calf high w/ force. Bottom bracket soaking deep. I slithered along vertical creek bank a few feet to position my bike next to a boulder and angled across stream. Trick will be to push off boulder, catch a pedal stroke & clip in the other foot and pedal 8 feet before toppling over in the h2o. Dry feet but wet BB which aren’t sealed and immersing them is bad for their health.

Back @ van, temp is 40 in sun.

Drove West on 52 to Chatsworth. Stopped @ Ace Hardware to ask for directions to laundromat. Found it & washed clothes.

Found Chatahoochee NF ranger station outside of dalton. Guy answered my questions, he even copied the map portion I needed to save me $4.00. Recommeded a primitive campsite right near Snake Gap for tomorrow’s ride.

Hit Kroger’s for groceries. Drove interstate S to route 136. Followed map to FS road. First possible spot had 3 unburied dead dogs. Drove further back to find a spot. Nearby there are 3 old computer monitors.

Cold tonight. Clear skies, faint internet connection