Roan Mountain

Me and the wife took the dog on a trail run in the high mountain balds of Roan Mountain. I took a lot more pictures, but accidentaly errased most of them when I was trying to increase the file size.
We started the run at Carvers Gap and went up Round Bald to Jane Bald then turned off the Appalachian Trail and went up to Grassy Ridge Bald. After heading back onto the AT, we made it down to Yellow Mountain where we had lunch at a natural spring. This hike was by far the most beatiful section of trail I have ever laid foot on. It was 57 degrees when we made it back to the car, and 97 degrees back in the low lands.

Broke Off at the Wall

After realizing that I had become "That Guy", the crushing sense of distance from the car set-in. As my mind gripped around the situation, my energy level was zapped from the heat, and over-exertion from pushing a six-inch travel bike through the mountains, without a granny ring (destroyed at PMBAR and overlooked until this point.) The battle ensued within my own will to find the finish.
My role as "That Guy" played out as I was responsible for 4 flat tires, only 3 of which were on my own bike. I ripped off the nozzle of Eric tube, when pumping up the air pressure in his rear tire. Repairing this flat left the group with one tube and 16 miles to go. Sure enough, I used that last tube in the final stretch.
It was a long day in the woods. I found the wall, and pushed through. Thats what big rides are made of.









Long live long rides.

From Dawn...
To dusk.

Blame it on Black Mountain

I've laid off the bike for the last two weeks since PMBAR. However, I made it downtown via bicycle for Sundown in the city, Thursday night. The return trip to Bearden, however, was thwarted by something called White Mule. So we hitched a ride with Jeff and Amy and it was hilarious.
Saturday morning me and the dog made the trip round the hills and ridges of Haw Ridge, and I rode the singlespeed. From the bottom of rainbow, I made a strong push to the top of K2 cleaning the entire singletrack steep climb, which had me gasping for my breath by the time I made it up top. The weather was beautiful, mid 60's with abundent sunshine.




Tomorrow we are going to Pinhoti.

Team Yazoo jerysey's are in!

It's on!!!

I can fly

Headlong into the Final Furlong

Finished 22nd out of 75 teams
Acording to my Eric's GPS, we rode nearly 18,000 ft. vertical in approximately 42 miles.
Ride time: 11 hours and 5 minutes.
Black Mtn->Club Gap->Cantrell Creek->Laurel Creek->Turkeypen->Black Mtn

I'm ready for PMBAR, even if this thing goes late into the night!

Hopefuly my training will pay off.