day tripping NC style

This weekend Melinda and I put some miles in, on the road and off. We did a tour of NC landscape both Sat and Sun. Our original plan dictated that we were heading to Wilkesboro Sat. to check out the newly built trails @ Warriors Creek, home of the 6 Hours of Warriors Creek race. Our plans kinda got sidetracked and we pushed our ride back to Sun to spend some family time with Melinda's family over in Asheville, hiking and enjoying some of the areas finest micro brews.
Our first stop was lunch with the hippie crowd @ a little cafe called Sunny Point. Good food and people watching, lots of interesting people with some interesting tattoos (staff & customers).

some Foothills goodness

After lunch we hit a small bike shop, spent to much $$ and headed over to Bent Creek for some hiking with the family and dogs. It was a beautiful day and the local authorities took advantage of it and set-up a check point right at the trailhead writing parking tickets galore and traffic violations. I think they ruined several peoples' weekend, it's a good thing I only had 1 beer with lunch. It was my first time to Bent creek without my bike and it really felt kinda weird. I had a hard time watching people fly past me on their bikes and the look on Melinda's face was saying the same.

I saw this interesting little bike hauler @ the trailhead and I bet these guys have no trouble getting to any trail no matter how far off the beaten path.

After a good hike we headed downtown and sampled a couple more of the areas finest before calling it a day. I think Melinda got a little bored on the way home.

Sunday we got up early adjusted our clocks and realized it wasn't early anymore, ate breakfast and headed to Wilkesboro NC for some singletrack action via the Warriors Creek trails. The whole time we were riding I was trying to think of how to describe the trail system for my soon to be jealous friends back in the Tri, "pumptrack" kept coming to mind over and over and after some blog cruising I can see I wasn't the only one who thought so. The BMCC trail club have built some damn fine trails chock full of sweeping turns, berms, roller coaster dips and a few climbs just to remind you that your riding your mtn bike and not @ a theme park. The trail crew even took the time to decorate the trail with some art work to keep you intrigued when stopping for water.

After mile 5 on the same trail it became apparent that we did not bring enough water along for the trip and the unusually warm temps we taking there toll on our winter acclimated bodies. The trails were smooth fast and a full body workout, always twisting and turning, climbing and descending. After 8+ miles I was actually glad to see a flat straight path but it only lasted a few hundred feet.

more trail side art, one man's trash is another man's treasure

I've been thinking about my goal for the amount of laps I can crank out in 6 hrs at the race. I said I was going to try to get in 4 but I have a feeling that may be tough. The trails at Warriors Creek are similar to the rest of the trails in Wilkesboro but there aren't many places to rest and spin so I'll be happy with achieving a goal of three. I've got a month to get out and get some riding in but a solo effort this early in the season is going to be interesting especially for a first timer like me.

Of course I did take the Hero cam along Sun and shot some footage but there may be another trip in the works this week so I might hold out for more video before I put together another award winning trail movie. Stay tuned for some more action.