Sunday, December 11, 2011

Ridge riding

Leg searing climbs? Check. Tunnels of mountain laurel? Check.Gnarly ridge riding with views? Check. No, I didn't head down to North Carolina to ride in the Pisgah National Forest this weekend. We have that kind of riding right here in New England.

I rode a section of trail I haven't been on for at least 10 years, back when it was featured as a hidden gem in Bike magazine. Today, bicycles are less welcome on sections of this trail, so I won't give search bots anything to bring unwelcome attention here.

I set out for a three hour ride on this frigid Sunday afternoon, only to find it took me over three hours just to reach the turn-around point. I barely made it back to my car before the sun set. In those first three hours, I encountered other people only once. Much of the trail is barely-there singletrack, where route following can be challenging and brush is always rubbing against you. No manicured Kingdom Trails material here. Finished with 30 miles, nearly 4000ft of climbing, in 4 hours on the Garmin. I'll leave you with a few photos.





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