Tonight @ Black Rock State Park above Clayton, GA, camped @ 3245′. Temp here was 10 degrees cooler than down below. A series of T-storms have battered the camp ground environs, a middle 1 was so intense dropping hail and more than buckets, flash flooding. I stayed hunkered inside my van, only after the 3rd storm passed did I venture outside learning a sweater was needed did I see the flash flood clearing of leaves in the side ditches. What a doozy. I have electric at the site.

Yesterday I did business in Dawsonville. The PI store called and said that they would replace the shoes, I needed to return to the store. There the associate told me that the erosion of the rubber was wear (my cost) but that they would replace them as warranty. She said she was told to recommend the PI X -Alp Launch, Lopes’ designed shoe which have a better full on bottom tread. The forefoot is less stiff than the Project, my concern will be that hard riding will push the pedal cleat feeling onto my feet. She said the Project was designed for cyclecross however, PI let advertising make it a hike a bike shoe. Any way new different shoes.

I drove out to Bull Mtn TH which is near the southern terminus of the AT. Parking lot all to myself, no internet signal. I leave the XM on all day because when I turn it off I have to call XM for signal refresh. I have been camping w/ no cell coverage which means no Bob Edwards w/ breakfast. Waking me up was a heavy downpour that was coming inside the van via the open door and driver’s window. I shut myself in. Temps dropped such that I finished the night out under my light weight blanket.

Today I will ride from the van, my ride or lack of would be determined by trail condition after the hard rain and days prior. Conditions for the most part were stellar as the tread for most part is down to the hard clay underneath that sheds h20, the mud came from the low spots that the trail required  to go over. Horses, softened road apples. Trails well marked and easy to follow. I loaded the mtbproject ride data, a download of the topo map, and a pic of the trail map taken @ the TH. I encountered 2 other riders startling them. I was climbing to a switchback, they coming down. They pulled over and I pedaled up. Exchanged greetings. My goal was the Jake and Bull mtns epic, 24 miles. I baled @ 14 leaving Bull alone again. Nicely made weathering in machine built trail, classic IMBA as seen by the grade reversals b4 & after switchbacks. I crossed a knee deep creek.

Pisgah ish w/ Rhododendron thickets:

Then i was back @ van, basking in results of georgia sunshine

I drove back to PI store to pick up the custom footbeds in the retuning shoes then to Dahlonega to pick up a prescription. My plan is to drive to Cleveland to shower @ an Anytime fitness then drive a bit further north towards NC and camp @ a GA state park. Picked this one, long steep climb up to a $35 camp spot. Up on the Blue Ridge. Northern GA is mountainous.

Tomorrow is Pisgah.

Monday afternoon I am outside Dahlonega, GA preparing to drive to TH for Bull Mtn IMBA epic. I drove down to a Pearl Izumi factory store to show my defective project 2 shoes. The sales person contacted her contact and they are authorizing a replacement pair. Good news especially after my Terraduro shoes fell apart after just 10 rides during Raccoon mtn ride. Giro is replacing those also. My XM tuner has what XM calls amnesia which is a factory defect. Amnesia is what it means: the tuner can not recall stations. They are replacing it plus paying to install it. And my cell phone has a warranty issue that will be replaced. All will be sent to me to The Hub in Pisgah Forest.

Huntsville was rained out. I hung for 2 days but rain kept falling. I enjoyed spending time w/ Tommy’s boys @ the bike shop. I slept behind the store but still within ear shot of train whistles.

I drove up to Chattanooga to a stereo install shop to have a hard boot done on the XM tuner per the english is second language tech support’s request. No change. The owner told me about a place to camp up off Suck creek that I followed up on… way up there. Whip poorwill talking. Sat I drove up to Raccoon Mtn. I learned that a new trail segment was just opened and I was eager to ride it. New piece left to existing trail. I encountered a left hand turn going over 2 rocks w/ a gap between them. I made the turn at low speed, so slow that the front wheel stalled in the gap which in slow motion dumped me over the left hand bar. Took forever to hit the ground which greeted my left hip and scraped my left forearm and back as I slid down a sapling. My repaired right shoulder was not landed on but was twisted  as I fell to the ground. Ouch! I picked myself up wincing then kept on going. I chose the route that would take me down the carved machine built switchbacks that are a free ride play area. Switchbacks, switchbacks, table tops. At the bottom deep under tree cover wet slippery rocks greeted me. I spared my body of mishaps by walking the sketchy ones. The climb out was paid dues for the downhill. 11.25 mikes in 1 hr 49 mins climbing 1682′. The SE has climbing.

I drove I-24 on Fri during going  home rush hour in Chattanooga which has a VW assembly plant. Busy place. Note to self: stay away from commuter time traffic.

From Raccoon I drove thru Cleveland and up the Ocoee river headed towards the Tanasi trails. I picked the first FS XG which had showers. I also had electric @ the site that I used for my fridge and powering my vaporizer. Rain fell during the night per the forecast. B4 bed I put the cover over the bike. I was laying in bed b4 falling asleep when I heard the first drops drumming off the roof. A satisfied smile in the fact that the bike was covered. Upside down because I closed the door and rolled up the window trapping heat inside.

Sun AM I made my wonderful scratch pancakes, cleaned up, then continued my drive further up the river to the Thunder Rock XG and TH. A mountain bike race was going on. I walked up against the downhill race traffic on Thunder rock trail giving way to the racers. Amazing, every one of them were nice when they passed.

I waited till well after the finish then took off following a GPS track of the ride I did 2 years ago. Some places the trails per the track almost overlapped. Want to see out? Check:

The Ocoee is managed for hydroelectric and apparently recreation on weekends.

The wooly adelgids are wreaking death on the hemlocks which grow in wet spots typically along streams. In just a few more years they will all be dead. The loss of their canopy will open the forest up which will allow sun in which will heat the water. Big ecological changes coming. see below pic.

My ride was 14.1 miles taking 2 hrs 7 mins, I climbed 2031′. Shane’s route yielded a 6 mile downhill except for some punchy climbs. While I was climbing the punches I was thinking my memory of the all downhill was bogus. Ride data:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/517432817.

Sitting here in full sun in shopping center parking lot. Rain continued to be forecasted.

I drove twisty back state highways to here. The road crossed the AT where I stopped and hiked a bit going north seeking a spring I thought I remembered. I was joined by a skinny 21 yo male who had just started his trek to Maine. The bright smiles and big dreams are being weighted down by the reality of daily hiking carrying your stuff on your back. So many start, so few finally finish @ Mt Katadin in Maine.

Last July I spent the month in Sun Valley. I hung @ Sun SUmmit SOuth, Chip’s shop. Bob Burgdahl works there. We spent time, him educating me about middle east religion and heritage. He has grown his beard out as an indication of not making it to Mecca. He was learning out his son’s, Bowe, captors. Hailey road side trees and utility poles, and whatever didn’t move were adorned w/ a single yellow ribbon. He’s back.

It’s 9:16PM in Oak Mountain SP. A thoughtful camp ground registerer set me up w/ a RV site but charged me only for a tent site. Open public spot. $18 w/ senior discount. Alabama state parks seem to have showers.

Sunday I left Blanchard Springs USFS XG that had showers heading East, next stop Lake Lurleen S P outside Tuscaloosa, AL driving thru Mississippi. I drove out of the Ozarks on back country state highways. I Imagine what the fall colors look like. It would be truly wonderful to ride back here late Sept, early Oct, the colors, no humidity, ticks, giggars, poison ivy just vines. Wheels started turning. Hot & humid. I ignore the air conditioner in the van thru neglect on purpose: I live in this what’s outside the door, I do not want to hide inside uninformed to conditions I will be riding in. Window open, I know just how hot and humid my ride will be. So I made it to Oxford, MS and Lake Puskus USFS camp ground, no h20, no money spent updating it. $3.50 using my senior pass. I have been staying in paid places in this hot weather where I can leave to side door open w/ the netting partially deterring insects attracted by the light.

Monday I finished the drive to Lake Lurleen S P w/ showers & h2o at the camp site. $20. Mid afternoon “chilling off” ride presented itself to me. The siren of these trails. OK it’s machine built but aging to a narrowing track w/ roots emerging because of soil erosion. Bill Victor, the spark plug behind the building of the FATS system, said that riders remember the exception rather than the rule. I rode a side trail that was hand built that was a rock garden. What a surprise from the norm. Numerous large parts of oak trees blocked the trail, mostly in the last mile. Powerful windstorm w/ a bit of heavy rain. I rode for enjoyment accelerated by heartily make circles w/ my legs. 16.40 miles in 2 hrs 29 mins climbing 1690′,  84 degrees back @ the van. Shower was much enjoyed.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/513473452         is from the ride. Check out the graphic map and my ride track. How many miles is such a small space. Never felt satuarted, really never saw the other trails and most times not even for great distances the next trail piece. Hooray for engineered trails.

Showers: I like to be clean after every ride. I want a shower, not a rinse off. I will use the solar shower soon as needed. Tomorrow is Huntsville’s Trailhead shop owned by Tommy Reagh. The shop has a shower and I camp behind the store. Keep clean lined up. I have been really sweating while riding, way more than in less humid climes.

Today @ 7:00AM it was 66 degs outside and 73 at the roof of the van and the humidity was comfortable. Quiet night in XG. Then heat rose as did the humidity. I drive to Oak Mountain S P to ride the trails, maintained the most part by BUMP, Birmingham Urban Mountain Peddlers. I parked @ the S trailhead, noticeable mountain bike riders presence. I have not downloaded the ride info about my ride. It was another hard effort day. I rode 2 new to me trails, West Ridge and Jeckyl and Hyde, both had numerous rock gardens. Challenging. Continuing  to refine my bike handling skills. Power is everything, with enough most everything can be over powered. The Rockshox Pike fork really makes a difference.

XM was jiggling w/ my subscription, disallowing access to most choices. I  resent the activation 2separate times, last 2 mornings I missed Bob Edwards and last night’s Mariner’s game w/ The King pitching. Today I fought thru the programed voice messages to a human. She assured me my account was current then talked too fast to comprehend. The signal is back to norm. Nothing that a cell phone call to someone who can make things happen.

May 31 in the Syllamore I saw my first lightning bug, next was a visiting June bug the nest day in Oxford, MS. So far no mosquitoes.

Oak Mtn was an overall great ride over mostly machine built tread. West Ridge was a hiking trail that bikes are allowed on. Jeckyl was hand built up above thru the rocks, down lower it became a pump track machine built tread. Good climbing most climbed on old double track up to mtn top. I liked it. Deep tree cover as are all these forest rides.

I left Arkansas w/ poison ivy blisters on my legs interspersed w/ giggar bites. Numerous tick attachments. Sunday I washed my rain and sweat soaked riding kits in the Peachy Clean laundromat in Mountain View, AR. I had been feeling what was either a scab or a tick on my back that was out of reach for either arm. In the laundromat was a frumpy appearing woman. I needed someone to look @ my naked back and tell me what it is. If it was a tick the next hurdle would be to ask her to extract it w/ my supplied miracle tick extractor tool. She said let me see. I took off my shirt and faced her. Oh, she said, yes it is a tick. Before I could utter my removal request she pinched it off. Later the wound started itching telling me part of it is being attacked by my body. I know because several days b4 I pulled a tick off the back of my left thigh leaving behind some of her mouth bits and the wound bumped up and itched. Giggar bites continue to fester, this year I am more less bothered by them. I did apply a topical itch go away cream which got me thru the itching stage. Local unfriendly stimulations. Somewhere near here copperheads will be in the mix.

Hey, maybe a road trip to the SE is not on your bucket list. Someday. Riding here is deep tree cover, no vistas, natural discomforts, heat and humidity. I like the riding and am able to cope w/ the less desirable distractions. I do enjoy air conditioning.

It’s 10:18, outside temp is 75.