Unicoi Mountain Biking

an adventure is incovenience rightly considered



The Cherokee National Forest is made up of over 640,000 acres. So a person could spend a lifetime exploring the trails within these mountains.
I was most familiar with the Coker Creek portion from driving through it to get to the Ocoee. And I only did that a few times during the road closure on Highway 64 (in the Ocoee gorge.)
The mention of trail in that area was always curious to me. And Brian did a fine job combing the map for a section worth exploring.
Last Sunday, me and Brian set off for Coker Creek with a trail map and a vision of pristine singletrack. What we found was some incredible singletrack followed by some un-rideable trail. The combination of the two made for one big adventure.
We parked at a picnic area along Hwy 68 and headed up forest road 311. We picked up Trail#79/ FS#82 and rode it out-and-back to Unicoi Gap. The trails were amazing. Great bench work along the top of a ridge with a few steep shoots.
We descended all the way back to Hwy 68 and kept going on the other side. We were thrilled-out and followed that trail all the way down to the river. We saw a sign that said 5 miles to Hwy 68, were the car was parked. I had a feeling that we had wandered into the hardest part of the ride, and I was right.
The trail quickly became impassable and climbing back out of there was not an appealing option. So we kept pushing through until we spotted some train tracks on the other side of the river, and decided to give it a go.
The water was low, but it was nearly 200 yards across. We hopped from boulder to boulder and handed bikes across rapids. It was the hardest part of the day, and filled with the same uncertainty as we started the ride with. I was wearing down and running out of water and I love these moments.
We were in a remote part of the mountains and struggling to get across the river to make it onto the train tracks. The question of making it out before dark was only looming around the bend. The tracks were brutal, and we had further to go than we realized. We walked and rode and suffered.
We made it back with plenty of time before dark and sat by the river with a post ride beer or two. But I was wiped out. Too much fun! Next time I want to check out Buck Bald.

50 degrees and sunny at Tanasi

It seems rare that a sunny day falls on a Saturday.
It was a picture perfect day for a foursome and a long ride.
Long Live Long Rides!

Ocoee

Me and Eric rode the Tanasi Trails at the Ocoee Whitewater Center on a beautiful day, dispite of a gloomy outlook.

Unicoi Boy

With a baby on the way, I'll turn my focus to a closer mountain range than Pisgah. Just south of the Smoky Mountains, in Cherokee National Forrest, logging roads and trails traverse Unicoi Mountains. There are several balds in this area and big elevation changes. Nearly perfect for PMBAR training except for a few potential hazards; such as rednecks with guns and a strong dislike for strangers on bicycles. With that in mind, I'll travel in packs, like the dog that I am. So if you want to go explore this region, just an hour south of Knoxville, lets go! Last weekends adventure was inspiring.

In nearly related news, I have been hard at work brewing a few batches of beer lately. Much thanks to my brother for giving me a hand! We have 15 gallons aging in my basement. In a few weeks, post-ride refreshments are gonna get a little fresher!

Winter weather has moved in, and it looks like it's here for the short-run. With snow blowing at the local ski-mountains, I'm looking forward to a few blazing runs down the mountain to prep myself for the big one! Me and Eric are heading out to Colorado for a few days, in February, to play in Gods great party favors: "deep snow and big mountains."

Erin is starting to show; and we are going to know if we are having a boy or a girl in just four weeks!

Frozen Humidity

Moisture in the air was freezing and falling like snow on a clear day in the mountains. Me, Eric and Shawn blazed seven-hours of riding when most of America was watching the play-off teams battle it out in tundra conditions. Brutal temps and the unknown of the trails, made for interesting conditions. I carried 100 oz. of water the whole time, and couldn't drink a sip, since it froze almost instantly. My food froze too, but Bourbon kept my whistle wet.
It took more than twice as long than I thought, to reach the top. Opting for a route change, we headed to Grassy Gap. We made it to the trail and realized there would be sveral creek crossings along the way back down and were forced to back-track and turn our ride to an out and back. I changed a flat and lost all my warmth at the top of the mountain. The descent was incredible. Both beautiful and difficult, I made it back to the car giving everything I had. I was completly destroyed as we cranked the heat and opened some beers.

Flats Mountain

Looking through the trees at Big Fodderstack Mountain


Meadow on Flats Mountain


Unicoi Mountains







Erin is 15 weeks pregnant, and getting in more miles than me. She did a 12 mile run on Saturday, while I rode down to the cycle-cross race. However, I did not make it to the race due to a tear in the sidewall of my rear tire. I patched the flat and made it over to the bike shop. I bought a new tire and ordered a pizza to the shop. I finished the ride with about 12 miles, and a full belly. My calorie intake to output was way out of balance on this one.
Sunday me and the wife took the dog up the Cherohala Skyway to Citico Creek Wilderness in Cherokee National Forest, and hiked around Flats Mountain. It was a great day!

Bald River Falls

Cohutta

The Cohutta 100 went off today, starting at the Ocoee Whitewater Center. Duey and I drove down and ran into several friends along the trail.

Dewey's decision not to race, opened the day up for a fun ride around the race. Although throwing in the towel on the 100 had been done weeks ago, giving up the $140 entry fee had to hurt. Lesson learned: discretionary valor and having a blast on the trails with your friends is "priceless."

I had decided several weeks ago not to race the 100 and didn't want to pay to race the 35, so the beautiful Saturday at the Ocoee was a great way to get a long ride in and enjoy the race scene.

Chris Etough took first in 6:45 and Tinker Juarez was second, about 15 minutes behind.

The last time I made it down to the Ocoee was in the snow.