Time to MAN UP!

[dgaddis1]

Mark your calendars for the 2011 Snake Creek Gap Time Trials - Jan 8th, Feb 5th, and March 5th.

Can’t say enough good things about this event. NWGA-SORBA does a great job putting this thing on. Did one of the races in ’09 and did all three in ’10, and plan to do all three again in 2011.

You choose between two mileage options – 17 and 34. Both are one way rides, you’ll park at the finish and catch a shuttle to the start line. The 17mile starts at the midpoint of the 34.

Do not underestimate the difficulty of those miles though. For those who have ridden with me, as a point of reference, my best time to date on the 17 mile is 2hrs and 40ish minutes. Mhanna did the 34 last year and it took him a little over 5hrs to finish IIRC. (correct me if I’m wrong). My point – this is a TOUGH course. Lots of climbing, and lots of technical rocky riding. The 17 mile starts with a 2 mile climb that gains 500 or 600 feet. And the last 8 miles is one giant rock garden.

However – it’s a very doable race for most people. It will challenge you, but you can do it. Choose the 17 if you want a challenge but don’t want a complete sufferfest. Choose the 34 if you like hurting yourself.

Often times it's a test in misery - be prepared for crappy weather. The Jan 2010 event was the coldest ride I’ve ever done. When we packed up the truck and headed back to Augusta at 2:00 that afternoon it had warmed up to a balmy 18 degrees. Feb. was wet - I got rained, sleeted, and snowed on all in one ride. March was actually really nice.

Also be prepared to be amazed by some of the riders there. The current course record for the 34 is faster than my best time at the 17.

At the finish line, after a well deserved two mile pave road descent, you’ll be greeted by lots of friendly riders and volunteers and warm chili and peach cobbler (the cobbler is best I’ve ever had). Great time to swap stories around the bonfires.

Good SWAG too. Your 1 entry fee gets you into all three races.

So who’s gonna man up and go to Dalton with me this winter? ;D

EDIT - 'man up' is figurative of course - ladies can man up too

[Ted S.]

All in !!
the pre-ride is Nov 21st and free

Not sure about the race come check out the pre-ride should be fun.

snake.nwgasorba.org/

[seenvic]

Interested in 11/21/10.

1/8/11 is a family birthday. Could be tough.

Feb is tax season, big time for me.

March could be golden.

One at a time with 11/21/10 being the first up.

[mhanna]

Registered and ready to go. Still got a score to settle after the broken CB last March.

In for the pre-ride as well. Planned on going up Saturday evening but guess we could drive up Sunday morning since traffic should be minimal. It's a good 3.5 hour drive on all interstate.

Last year I didn't do the pre-ride because it snowed the night before. Wish I had gone as the pictures looked really cool.

Great event. Tough trail. Unlike anything I have ridden except Pisgah.

MH

[wooglin]

Best singletrack in all of North GA IMO. Remote and rugged.

[azdrawdy]

We're there for the BoD stuff anyway. Extended weekend (Friday - Monday) to add some mtb'ing. Plan on getting in quite a bit of riding. Looking forward to seeing what the weekend brings.

Listening to ya'll, it'll definitely bring sweat and burning quads.

MD

[dgaddis1]

Nov 8, 2010 21:19:28 GMT -5 azdrawdy said:

We're there for the BoD stuff anyway. Extended weekend (Friday - Monday) to add some mtb'ing. Plan on getting in quite a bit of riding. Looking forward to seeing what the weekend brings.

Listening to ya'll, it'll definitely bring sweat and burning quads.

MD

Awesome, you'll enjoy it. You doing the 17 or 34?

I'd love to go to the pre-ride but have a family thing that weekend. It would be great to ride the course in nice warm weather for a change.

[seenvic]

Rode the SCG TT pre ride today. Big thanks to the NWGA Chapter. It was huge. They seemed to put 100+ riders and bikes deep in the woods like it was nothing. Thank you.

We got dropped off at the Dry Creek Trailhead for the 34 mile version. No one really told us anything, gave us direction, or took charge. We just got off the bus, got on the bikes and started rolling a gravel road. It was me, Mark and Ted with a few riders just ahead of us and behind us. The gravel turned to doubletrack, then a right on the Pinhoti trail. This trail is over the fugging top. And what seemed like a rocky, somewhat pitchy (steep) trail in places was just a small sign of what was to come. We rode a decent, but not pushing it pace and did the first 17 miles in a little under 2 hours.

The first 17 miles are a good ride and ends at a crossing of a state hwy and a large parking lot labeled "Pinhoti Trail". This is where the 17 mile version starts. This starts with a big steep climb that was climbable, but steep....for about 2 miles. From there, you ride some doubletrack, but mostly singletrack of the completely sick, rocky, technical variety. I was stunned at the high quality of this 17 miles of riding. Long ridgeline rides where you had stunning views on both sides and the ridge was about 10-30 feet wide. And rocky. As rocky as I have ever ridden, but rideble. At times you'd be climbing the left side of a ridgeline, and the trail would take you up over the top to the right side, then back....time after time. It worked the hell out you.

I walked alot of fall line steep stuff and some rocky stuff that was kinda nutty. But I rode a bunch of stuff because if you walked it, you never get back on. It forced you to ride it and as the ride went on, it got easier.

I didn't eat anything for the first 17 miles and nibbled on something at the break. At mile 20 I felt a bonk coming on. I never stopped riding, but slowed down, and started pouring food into my mouth. I ate a ton of stuff, and after about 30 minutes got my groove back. About the time I started feeling good, I was riding with Mark again. We then hit a section of ridgeline descending with views on both sides that was just spectacular riding.

I was riding alone at one point, and saw the last of the volunteer course "pointers". He said "you got about 5.5 miles to go with some substaintial climbs and rocks." I couldn't believe it as I thought that was what we had been doing for the last 28 miles! About 20 seconds later, I was off the bike pushing up a ridiculously steep mountain side. It went up for a while. Then turned into a couple of miles of climbing, some flat and a little, very little descending of some of the most rocky single I have ever ridden.

It was about mile 25 or so that it hit me that this was a top three ride of my life. And I am not sure what the other 2 in the top 3 are, but this one is in the top three. And I thought it pushing up the steep fall line a few miles later. And I absolutely knew it when we hit that section that was just crazy rocky...it would a "technical trail to hike", and with the bike it was just about the best thing I have ever ridden.

I look forward to going back to the time trials. I am leaning toward starting with the 17 mile version and hit the best sections fresh. Depends on the temperature, probably. I was out for 5:15 today.

[rsmith]

Super ride report.... !

I'll save a week of vacation - to try the 17 mile someday....

[dgaddis1]

Nov 22, 2010 7:16:26 GMT -5 @rsmith said:

Super ride report.... !

+1

I knew you'd enjoy it. Sounds like all of you guys had a good ride. Ted S. sent me a text, said this is one of his top 10 ever rides as well. Mhanna evened the score with the trail and took a bunch of time off his previous best.

I'm really looking forward to going back in January.

[azdrawdy]

BV: Outstanding ride report. We felt the same way this weekend. Over and over this weekend, on so many of these trails up here (we haven't left yet!) I was in absolute awe. This will become a several-times-a-year trip for sure.

MD

[brianW]

MD, I hope you are taking some pictures to share.

[wala]

Sounds like a great trail. I've got it on the calendar now. I probably won't make all 3, but will try. I hope the weather is better this year.

[wooglin]

Was the route from south to north or north to south?

Nov 21, 2010 21:51:23 GMT -5 seenvic said:

It was about mile 25 or so that it hit me that this was a top three ride of my life. And I am not sure what the other 2 in the top 3 are, but this one is in the top three.

Haven't I been saying this for years now?

[azdrawdy]

Nov 22, 2010 9:37:09 GMT -5 brianW said:

MD, I hope you are taking some pictures to share.

Posted under Rider Pictures.

sorbacsra.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=pictures&action=display&thread=2226

[Ted S.]

Registered Today!
Finally

85$(till Dec. 31) for three races is an amazing deal

Definitely hitting the 34 mile version in January. May?? try the 17 at one of the latter dates. I like BV's idea of hitting the best part of the course fresh.

[seenvic]

The Snake 2011
Men 40 and Under 50, 34 Mile
Bill Victor $85.00
T-Shirt Size Large
SORBA Chapter CSRA
SORBA Member# 6417
Team / Sponsor Long Cane Trails, LLC

[dgaddis1]

Dec 30, 2010 9:58:48 GMT -5 seenvic said:

The Snake 2011
Men 40 and Under 50, 34 Mile
Bill Victor $85.00
T-Shirt Size Large
SORBA Chapter CSRA
SORBA Member# 6417
Team / Sponsor Long Cane Trails, LLC

NICE.

T-minus 9 days....current forecast is cloudy high/low 47/27 - that's practically good as it gets! Of course this far out it'll change a few times before then....

[Ted S.]

T minus 24 hrs, getting anxious.