Post by kconner on Sept 30, 2012 1:36:52 GMT -5
Headed up to Anniston, Alabama this weekend for a wedding, so I loaded up the bikes and met a buddy of mine from Virginia to hit up this trail that I've heard so much hype about. Arrived in town, checked into the hotel and had the wife drop us at the trailhead. After talking to a local, I found out that only the first phase (10 miles) of a 5+ phase master plan has been completed (60-70 miles total, depending on your source). From what I saw and rode, they better be thinking about expanding their parking lot
The tread is sandy and rocky throughout the trail with some nice rock gardens, but it's buttery smooth at the same time. You are welcomed with a ~1 mile downhill, followed by a nice ~3 mile climb. Nothing too steep, but a good cardio workout. After turning off an old roadbed (the trail only follows it for a few hundred feet), hold on! ~3 miles of flow full of berms, rock drops, whoops, rock gardens and awesome views! You can tell a lot of thought was put into this trail....all obstacles are built to last and anything remotely technical has a second line, even though the harder line flows well and is very low risk. You literally don't have to pedal for 3 miles....any uphill on this section is easily pumped through. After the downhill, you have an easy ~1 mile climb, followed by a nice ~1 mile downhill, with a ~1 mile climb out to the trailhead.
Talked to some more locals, one of which gave directions to the local bike shop (we had a spoke pop on my bike that I loaned to my buddy), then blasted down the paved access road to wait for the wife to pick us up.
Now for the good stuff:
Lots of nice little rocks like this spread throughout the trail. I think they're meant to be used as choke points, but they're also sweet little jumps and drops!
Several nice rock gardens. All have some length and contain different size rocks, some loose (makes it fun!!)
The climb up
Hitting a nice drop leading into a massive swooping berm
Steve "That's Dope" Cover hitting the big side of a drop, a little after the massive berm:
I took the smaller side of the same drop. There's also a sweet double berm (like a tight switchback) that serves as an alternate line for this advanced line:
Steve railing another berm. Note the roostertail:
Approaching a SWEET bermed overlook:
Stellar views at the overlook:
Taking it all in:
Steve nailing another berm:
Lots of fun lines:
Lots of speed and twists on the paved descent from the trailhead:
The parking lot is actually located up the hill at the trailhead, but if you have someone dropping you off, you might as well save them some gas and meet them at the bottom of the hill...make sure your brakes work!
The tread is sandy and rocky throughout the trail with some nice rock gardens, but it's buttery smooth at the same time. You are welcomed with a ~1 mile downhill, followed by a nice ~3 mile climb. Nothing too steep, but a good cardio workout. After turning off an old roadbed (the trail only follows it for a few hundred feet), hold on! ~3 miles of flow full of berms, rock drops, whoops, rock gardens and awesome views! You can tell a lot of thought was put into this trail....all obstacles are built to last and anything remotely technical has a second line, even though the harder line flows well and is very low risk. You literally don't have to pedal for 3 miles....any uphill on this section is easily pumped through. After the downhill, you have an easy ~1 mile climb, followed by a nice ~1 mile downhill, with a ~1 mile climb out to the trailhead.
Talked to some more locals, one of which gave directions to the local bike shop (we had a spoke pop on my bike that I loaned to my buddy), then blasted down the paved access road to wait for the wife to pick us up.
Now for the good stuff:
Lots of nice little rocks like this spread throughout the trail. I think they're meant to be used as choke points, but they're also sweet little jumps and drops!
Several nice rock gardens. All have some length and contain different size rocks, some loose (makes it fun!!)
The climb up
Hitting a nice drop leading into a massive swooping berm
Steve "That's Dope" Cover hitting the big side of a drop, a little after the massive berm:
I took the smaller side of the same drop. There's also a sweet double berm (like a tight switchback) that serves as an alternate line for this advanced line:
Steve railing another berm. Note the roostertail:
Approaching a SWEET bermed overlook:
Stellar views at the overlook:
Taking it all in:
Steve nailing another berm:
Lots of fun lines:
Lots of speed and twists on the paved descent from the trailhead:
The parking lot is actually located up the hill at the trailhead, but if you have someone dropping you off, you might as well save them some gas and meet them at the bottom of the hill...make sure your brakes work!