Pisgah

Whirlwind trip to Pisgah yesterday and today. I went to join in on a SORBA group ride sunday (which everyone in the know decided to go to Dupont instead) and hit up a ride with Curtis before he leaves for D.C. later this week. Sunday, I met up with Paul and Tony to ride an area of the forest I have been neglecting...Laurel and Pilot Rock. The 13 mile loop took us a good portion of the day due to mechanical problems, a pretty brutal thunderstorm and, well, the nature of the trails. The climb up Laurel Mountain was (for Pisgah) relatively easy, mostly rideable until the very end hike-a-bike. I knew kind of what to expect from Pilot Rock having seen helmet cam videos and some photos, but nothing can actually prepare you for the trail until you ride it. Here's a few photos:





After the ride, I had some time to kill so I decided to head out to Great Smoky Mountains National Park and get some flyfishing in. Again, no luck, but the stream was beautiful, the mountains earned their name, and I got to see some of the elk that call the park home. Here's a few more photos:



I had intended on camping, but once I got back to the Asheville area, it was late, so I decided to make camp quickly....in a parking lot. Home for the night:


Today, I woke up, made some oatmeal with the Jetboil in the parking lot and headed over to Motion Makers to meet Curtis. We got the bikes set up and made our way to Bent Creek. Having never ridden there, I was excited to check it out. It's like the little, much less hateful brother of Pisgah. Still a lot of elevation change, rocks and roots, but everything seems much less malevolent. Fun in it's own way for sure. AND, ANOTHER photo (and a video):

Untitled from Barry Stevenson on Vimeo.