Happy Holidays

Tour de Lights

Last nights Tour de Lights was a huge success! A group of over 150 riders gathered at Market Square, ready to ride. I rolled into the square with enough time to catch a few beers at Preservation Pub before the mass left out. I ran into Bill and the Tennessee Valley Bike entourage; and ended up riding out with them.
Heading through downtown with a group the size of two foolball fields was hillarious. People came decked out in holliday lights and santa outfits. I ran into a few others friends and rode with Harpers guys until my first flat! In the middle of this huge crowd I heard the flat a watched the mass roll by, and I just shook my head. I had everything I needed, and started fixing it, when the TVB crew rolled up and hung out with me (an excuse to stop and drink a few beers, although Bill had a drink holder mounted to the front of his handle bars for drinking and riding.) By the time I finished the crowd was gone and we were standing on a street corner wondering which way we should go.
After heading back out, my brakes were rubbing badly, eventually diagnosing and fixing, but not before another stop. I felt bad at this point for holding these guys up with all my bike problems.
But a few minutes later, I had yet another flat. We all stopped and I cussed. Someone went to go get another 6-pack. This fixing of the flat was epic. We sat under the street lights and drank a few more beers. The neigbors came out and offered help, which was very nice, but we had it under control since I borrowed a tube. A few beers later we would just head back into market square, dead f'n last.
Being dead last isn't as bad as you would think.

Picture of the day:

Everybody must get...

Picture of the day:

An unexpected bright morning, on a day when winter was incorrectly forecasted to bring a mix of cold and moisture to the region. It ended up becoming a cold but fairly dry day. I rode early and hung around the house afterwords.

Country Roads

I took a country drive on some old familiar road riding routes in south Knoxville. The first is Burnett Creek Rd., and the spring is on Porterfield Gap. I have always wanted to photograph this ribon of road, and today was my oportuntiy while driving on business.

Deeds done cheap

Recently, I have let the pictures tell the story of the ride, without much commentary. But, I'll take a minute during the Colts v Ravens game (which is just background noise and a reason to have a beer), to tell you about our recent uneventful trip to the mountains.
After last weeks ride at Franklin County State Forrest, Eric was determined to stay on the trail and and avoid getting lost (last weeks mis-hap could have been worse but worked out fine for all).
So after setting up camp we began the rally up the mountain, and Eric took off killing it! He kept going clear to the top, about 30 minutes past the turn we planned to take (although that plan was not well verbalized.) I tried to real him in, but his I-pod was shuffling through the hits. By the time I cought up, he was waiting at the gap.
After the chase, we (Me, Eric and Hank) made the call to continue on over the mountain to Avery Creek and meet up with Jeff and Brian back at camp, which left them waiting at the trail for far too long. Sorry, but I didn't know the trail they were heading into (we had no map), and I figured they would have gone on by the time we made it back.
We met back at camp, and found out that they waited for a while, yet continued on eventually having some bike trouble. So Brian, with a trashed rear wheel, offered a shuttle to the top of Bennet Gap. It was a fun run with a few casualties. Jeff's big crash on the devils staircase left him bruised for the rest of the weekend, and eventually would be the reason they bagged Dupont.
Sunday morning we broke down camp swiftly, and headed into town about the time the rain started. Taking our time in town, we eventually got on the way to the trail, when Jeff and Brian used the rain as a reason to call-it, and head back to Knoxville. Eric, Hank and myself kept on driving through the rain to Dupont.
We parked at Fawn Lake, starting right into the good stuff, with Reasonover Creek. The rain eased off, and the day was beautiful! We had a great ride, at a great pace, hitting all the high points.


Pisgah Forest

Bennet Gap

Jeff Murray






Dupont State Forest








We had to change our route upon realizing Hank was not gonna cross the scary creek.

Franklin County State Forest

Full blown.

This week blew by like the cold air of the recent evening night rides. The Smokies shown bright through the crisp sky, a short distance away, yet too far to go play. Staying close, I hit the local favorites, with the best of company.



Hamilton Creek, from last week.

photog

Sunrise.


Bearden.



Gone riding.