As previous posts have detailed I spent significant time in Cherokee, NC during my first month at the new job. Cherokee is an hour west of the riding that one conjures up in their head when you talk about North Carolina. I had one last trip to make to Cherokee, on a Monday, out and back. But I'm a schemer. And scheme I did. Brevard is well out of my way, but its still en route. Why not take off Sunday, ride, camp at one of the roadside sites, and make my way to Cherokee in the morn?
Pulling up Avery Creek road, the most popular dirt forest road in the South Pisgah Ranger District, I found most roadside spots were taken. Oh well, I came to ride so lets not worry about camping just yet. I had stopped at The Hub, a famous bike shop at the doorstep of Pisgah complete with beer and cool people. They confirmed my travel plans and thus the seed was planted. I parked at the horse stables to begin my foray into the woods. Well, I didn't so much. I made the charge up the hill and came to the Black turnoff so fast I continued up. I went to the Buckhorn Gap trail. I knew the entire Black Mountain was an epic adventure. I turned down Buckhorn, it flowed, I waited for gnar, I hit gnar, I got happy. Eventually I ended up at Avery Creek, compolete with multiple crossings. I pedaled back up to Avery Creek road and headed back to the stables to reclimb the dirt. Roots opened up the arms a bit and the drops came on fast. I can't remember much expect I was thinking "damn, this is fucking mountain biking". I know in a spot of two I had to dismount because I just couldn't handle the pure awesomeness that is Black Mountain. I do remember that awesome switchback at the top the post. Coming down the roughest of the root drops, there is a few lines that twist between smaller trees, then you have a sharp left to negotiate that leads into contour bench cut flow at its best. | What I failed to realize by parking at the stables versus the ranger station out on the highway was my ride would start with an immediate uphill. Nearly 750 feet up at about 6% average. A good way to get the heart pumping indeed. I was originally just going to head to mid-Black Mountain and swoop down and if I felt good tackle the options at the bottom. Everyone was all "Pisgah is rough bro!", "don't ride Pisgah alone man!", "its so easy to get lost in Pisgah!". Unfortunately most people nowadays are what we call sissies. I love getting lost, but I'm no dumbass, I carry a map, I pay attention to surroundings, I think its very hard to get lost unless you're in the desert or something. So I wanted to take it easy, I wanted to play it safe. I was solidly happy with my choice to add more, I knew the climb now and was warmed up. I caught up to a couple after the turn off, which continued to climb despite me hoping it wouldn't too much. Catching up to and passing folks on my SS on the uphill is a great feeling. Collapsing at the junction of Black Mountain and stuffing my face with black raspberries like a hungry bear is another one. I knew from here it was a hike-a-bike to the top of Hickory Knob. I didn't even try it, I just pushed up. Rehydrating at the top I was disappointed I had zero views the whole ride. But the stoke was running high, he I was about to tackle a section of one of the more infamous Pisgah trails. Off we went, and the fun came fun. It opened up with some flow as I dove straight down the mountain. Then the tech came. |
From here the only real obstacles was a huge root ride that lead into the rock work pictured in the blog, another place I walked. And then a steep bombed out right hand switchback I had to dismount for. Then you let the brakes go until you read the junction with Thrift Cove. Form here I took Black which has been reworked and I was told lost is gnarly character. Now its one of those silly pump track, bmx jump line, "fun" trails the little boys love. Oh well, it was fun, especially after my forearms went numb soaking up bumps and braking hard.
You know me by now, so of course from here I did add on those extra miles. Up Grassy to tackle Sycamore Cove. Fun fact, a cove in WNC speak is a steep valley cut by mountain stream that is heavily vegetated. Sycamore like many WNC trails has the epitomic rhododendron tunnels that only WNC can produce.
Sycamore is a blue rather than black trail and the perfect little warm down. Grassy was a fine climb that was no where near the brutality of my earlier forest road indulgences. Plenty of rooty bumps made for a nice chattering ride without any blown out drops to handle. Popping out below the Ranger station I pedaled the cool down that was the highway back to Avery creek road and my car where I indulged in the world's best recovery snack: sardines.
You know me by now, so of course from here I did add on those extra miles. Up Grassy to tackle Sycamore Cove. Fun fact, a cove in WNC speak is a steep valley cut by mountain stream that is heavily vegetated. Sycamore like many WNC trails has the epitomic rhododendron tunnels that only WNC can produce.
Sycamore is a blue rather than black trail and the perfect little warm down. Grassy was a fine climb that was no where near the brutality of my earlier forest road indulgences. Plenty of rooty bumps made for a nice chattering ride without any blown out drops to handle. Popping out below the Ranger station I pedaled the cool down that was the highway back to Avery creek road and my car where I indulged in the world's best recovery snack: sardines.