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Post by seenvic on Aug 16, 2010 14:32:39 GMT -5
Rode FATS for the first time since late June yesterday.
FATS needs a break. Don't want to close it.
But it needs a break. If you are even wondering if FATS is too wet to ride, don't go ride there. Ride somewhere else. No where else is ever going to get the critical mass needed to really impact the trail.
FATS does get that critical mass.
Use good sense this week.
__________
As an aside, what I saw at FATS yesterday.....it is primed to hold alot of water this winter. Alot of places been beat down into low spots that won't hold water in the summer, but will in the winter.
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Post by Mark Y on Aug 16, 2010 15:38:07 GMT -5
Yea, I felt a little guilty yesterday. I rode Skinny/BW for the first time in a long time and it was wet in some low spots. I tried to dismount on the wet spots, but sometimes you are on them so fast you just have to hit it. A few spots have definitely been pounded down to needing armoring. I just hope some of those folks who pounded the mudholes show up to plant bricks.....
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Post by wooglin on Aug 16, 2010 15:49:14 GMT -5
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Post by seenvic on Aug 16, 2010 15:58:29 GMT -5
Hope we have a dry Oct/Nov/Dec.
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Post by neal1975 on Aug 16, 2010 21:53:27 GMT -5
I plead guilty as well to riding it wet. It only seems to hurt the dips sections, it tears up the tread and surface of the trail a bit and erodes it some, but . . . probably not that much more than when hundreds of people go over it when its dry. I think there are some key spots that would use some brick armoring in the low dips
I think its aging nicely. Its got some great buttery smooth sections, and some nasty rocky sections. Fats, especially on brown and skinny have several sections that are getting a bit overgrown, i might take some clippers down one day and do some trimming-
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Post by seenvic on Aug 17, 2010 11:02:28 GMT -5
Nasty rocky sections.
At FATS?
Where?
Hundreds are riding it when it's wet too. That is the point of this thread. To remind folks to not be part of the hundreds. Go ride somewhere else that won't see a hundred riders in a week or a month. WINE CREEK NEEDS RIDERS, BIGTIME.
FATS sees hundreds of riders in a day....alot of days.
I thought FATS would be more overgrown than it was. Someone has been doing some trimming as it was worse in late June than it was Sunday.
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Post by wooglin on Aug 17, 2010 11:11:07 GMT -5
Nasty rocky sections. At FATS? Where? Lol. That was my thought too.
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Post by Mark Y on Aug 17, 2010 12:08:09 GMT -5
Someone has been doing some trimming as it was worse in late June than it was Sunday. Did you ride BW? It was kinda bushy in some spots. I picked up a touch of poison ivy somewhere along the way.
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Post by seenvic on Aug 17, 2010 12:22:18 GMT -5
Someone has been doing some trimming as it was worse in late June than it was Sunday. Did you ride BW? It was kinda bushy in some spots. I picked up a touch of poison ivy somewhere along the way. I rode all 6 Sunday. I don't get down to BW much. I was more comparing the top 3 that I ride more regularily. I expected there to be more vegetation hitting me than there was, I suppose.
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Post by nitro on Aug 17, 2010 12:29:45 GMT -5
Its got some great buttery smooth sections, and some nasty rocky sections. I recently rode a trail that was 10 miles of this (and this was about as smooth as it got). The views from the trail were worth the grind. Now if you really want to see nasty, try Pisgah... The more I ride, the more I appreciate nasty. Still loves FATS, but there isn't anything nasty about it.
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Post by seenvic on Aug 17, 2010 12:59:59 GMT -5
Farlow and Black Mtn?
That looks great.
I think I've walked that rooty looking section on Black Mtn (or something that looks an awful lot like it).
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Post by dgaddis1 on Aug 17, 2010 13:16:38 GMT -5
I recently rode a trail that was 10 miles of this (and this was about as smooth as it got). Come do the Snake Creek Gap TT up in Dalton this winter. It's like that, but the rocks are bigger. Oh, and it's cold. Really cold. This year's January race it never got above 20 degrees ;D It was great!
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Post by seenvic on Aug 17, 2010 13:54:20 GMT -5
Come do the Snake Creek Gap TT up in Dalton this winter. It's like that, but the rocks are bigger. Oh, and it's cold. Really cold. This year's January race it never got above 20 degrees ;D It was great! I think I saw on main SORBA forum a pre-ride at the BOD meeting in November. I'd like to go do that. SORBA BOD meetings are fun if you skip the boring parts. I had a good time with good peeps at NOC this summer. But the draw of riding the Pinhoti is strong. Let's go.
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Post by nitro on Aug 17, 2010 13:55:29 GMT -5
Farlow and Black Mtn? That looks great. I think I've walked that rooty looking section on Black Mtn (or something that looks an awful lot like it). Good eye Bill. Yep, the roots are from Black Mountain. It had rained the night before so the roots were slick as snot. I walked a lot. The first trail is Flat Laurel Creek. Its right off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Graveyards Fields. The cool thing about this trail is that it is entirely above 5,000 feet elevation. Awesome views and water crossings, but absolutely no flow -- just a chunky grind.
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Post by dgaddis1 on Aug 17, 2010 14:09:09 GMT -5
I saw that too. Depending on the date, I may be able to do that. Although, without the bitter cold/rain/sleet/snow, it just wont be the same haha.
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Post by nitro on Aug 17, 2010 14:14:10 GMT -5
I saw that too. Depending on the date, I may be able to do that. Although, without the bitter cold/rain/sleet/snow, it just wont be the same haha. Sounds interesting. I may be in if the timing is right.
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Post by seenvic on Aug 17, 2010 14:26:05 GMT -5
[ The first trail is Flat Laurel Creek. Its right off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Graveyards Fields. The cool thing about this trail is that it is entirely about 5,000 feet elevation. Awesome views and water crossings, but absolutely no flow -- just a chunky grind. You go up that? Wow. What do you come down?
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Post by nitro on Aug 17, 2010 15:13:27 GMT -5
You go up that? Wow. What do you come down? The same thing. Its an out-and-back, 5 miles one way. There is another 3.5 mile out-and-back that can be added to this trail (which is actually some pretty smooth singletrack). This page talks about the this part of the trail: www.mtbikewnc.com/bestrides/brflat.html
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Post by wooglin on Aug 17, 2010 15:50:28 GMT -5
Although, without the bitter cold/rain/sleet/snow, it just wont be the same haha. Never fear, its also fun in the fall when the leaves are down and you can't see a damn thing.
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Post by seenvic on Aug 19, 2010 10:22:29 GMT -5
More rain on FATS yesterday afternoon. 5 cars in lot at 6:15 last night. Talk to people. Educate them. It is your trail, educate others to not fug it up for you.
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