The 'Coon

Decided to head out East this past weekend and went to Chattanooga, TN.  I was informed by the local SORBA guys that they would be doing some trail work and riding, so I gladly joined them in a little maintenance. After gently sloping a blazing fast downhill so it could get proper drainage, we moseyed over to a blistering corner that needed a little more dirt on it's berm. Following the work we were provided with some chili 'n cornbread. It was finally time to ride. Does it get any better? Rhetorical question, of course it doesn't. 

A wicked, wicked line.

Maybe not the prettiest part of the trail, but gorgeous none the less. I wasn't gonna stop every five feet for photos you know.

    Being a flat lander I was pretty amazed at this.

This was nasty. And I mean that in 

good way.

Followed that up on Sunday with another full day of riding. Raccoon mountain has some amazing trails. That's all I can say about that. I'm thinking about going Thoreau on your butts and live in the mountains. All I need is my bike. Taxes are lame anyways. 

Update

Here's my papa making the last turn out of the trails.

I had to bust out the Superfly for this vicious switchback. It only got gnarlier after the first turn. As always, pics will do no justice.

I heard of some deforestation back in KS. Maybe we can transplant a few of these trees.

Not much happened throughout the week. I went to work, rode my bike after work, and then repeated. This weekend I plan on going and watching the TN state CX championships. I should probably race, but it's $40 and I have no cross training in me. Besides, I haven't even got to be a spectator in a long while. I'll just hang and take some photos of the Memphis fellas riding. Next weekend I've changed the plans a bit. The Syllamos trails are a little closer and just as sweet (So I hear). So, I'll be punishing myself in Arkansas next weekend. That's it for now. Check you later.

To work, or not to work? That is the question.

Shouldn't I be working? Oh well, checking out IMBA instead. Mostly because I intend on riding my first IMBA Epic trail this weekend out past Chattanooga. Mmm...sweet singletrack. Don't care if I have to drive 5 hours to get there. Gas is cheap and I need a fix for my craving! I also happened to stumble across this little bit of info that we all may need reminded of. (Straight off IMBA's Website)

Don't just train, maintain. Help your local mountain bike club maintain trails. If there isn't a volunteer effort already in progress in your region, start one. Focus your trail work on problem areas, such as steep switchbacks or low-lying areas that have poor drainage (Does this sound like someplace we know!). Aside from doing good work for trails and assuring continued mountain bike access, your rake and shovel work is excellent cross-training! (Yes, yes it is.)

Share the joy. Introduce someone to the wonders of mountain biking. Teach the sport to a friend.

Keep off! When trails are muddy, partially frozen, or severely rutted, consider alternatives to riding them. - Huge thanks to Heartland Sports Promotions for not only maintaining the best races in the midwest, but also being trail-consciuos and protecting the places we love to ride!

Couldn't help but share that with you all. If we plan on riding, we need to do our part to maintain the trails we love. I almost forgot, my papa came down for a weekend visit. We had some delicious dry rub ribs and some beautiful riding in MS. I got to ride the ol' SS again and he conquered the climbs on the Superfly. One lap was enough to do us in. I will try and get the good pics posted on here later.

Mousetail

I made my first venture further into Tennessee yesterday. And I must say, I found exactly what I was looking for. Chris Irving and I drove the couple hours to Mousetail Landing State Park. I knew I was in trouble when we first entered the park. Beautiful fall colors and ridiculous climbs. One 7 mile lap gave us 1,200 feet of climbing. Or 1,200 feet of shreddin' fast downhillin' from my point of view. But, unfortunately you have to climb up to come back down. I was quite humored by the guys when they were trying to describe a 'rocky' section. When we got to it I couldn't help but laugh. I would love to introduce them to the RIM job at Landahl! But, I do admit I have been loving the rock free, fast-flowing single track down here. There is rarely even a pebble on these trails. After the ride we managed to find this little mom and pop BBQ joint which was just fabulous. A perfect day in my book. Ridin' 'n BBQ. The weather was a perfect 75 degrees. Well, I could go on and on about how perfect it was, but that would just be rubbing it in.