Day one Barbara and I spent driving to Tennessee and gorging on thanksgiving dinner and beer. Our friends Mike and Luanne are the caretakers of the Ocoee YMCA summer camp in Ocoee and since it was winter there was nothing for Mike to do but cater to my mountain biking needs. 

Day two Mike and I drove to the Ocoee white water center outside Ocoee where the Olympic kayaking was held. It’s an incredible area with a suspension bridge going over the river. We crossed the river and climbed about a mile on single track and jeep trail, did a loop and then rocketed back down. Watch those hikers! It was about seven wet and foggy miles. There were some guys doing trials on the large rocks surrounding the river. Pretty neat. We left there and went to another trail not far away. I can’t remember if it was Clemmer or Chilhowee but the trail had some sweet jumps and a waterfall. It was another cold wet ride. We went home where we ate leftovers drank more beer and slept well. 

Day three took us to Pigeon Mountain near Chatsworth. The drive to the top of the mountain was treacherous which was a hint at what the trail was like. The fog was thick, about 100 feet of visibility, so it was lucky I brought my GPS. The first part of the trail was downhill in the middle of a rock littered stream. No dabbing! The rest of the trail was very ridable with long slow climbs and great downhills. One stream crossing was over knee deep and the water was freezing. We rode about 14 miles finishing up in an even thicker fog. The GPS and a map of the trail saved us hours of wandering around. We weighed our bikes at the bottom of the mountain at the check in station. Mike’s bike weighed 10lbs more than mine so I quit teasing him about how slow he was on the climbs. A quick stop at the local convenience store/head shop (they sold milk, beer, and other accessories) for a beer and we headed home. 

Day four Barbara and I left Mike and Luanne and took a road trip to the Ellijay area. I met with the guys at the Cartacay bike shop in Ellijay. Super nice guys with a great shop. They hooked me up with a ride the next day at Fort Mountain State Park west of Ellijay. 

Day five at Fort Mountain was another wet day. Lots of fog and a light rain. I rode with two guys whose names I can’t remember. One fellow rode a Moots Frame and the other guy had few teeth and rode a James Dakar. Both of them rode me into the ground several times over. The trail is awesome. Incredibly long and difficult climbs consisting of miles of single track and fire roads. My granny gear was used more on one climb than the  whole time I’ve owned the bike. The downhills were plentiful and long. One was so steep and scary I got cramps in my forearms from braking so hard. The view of Chatsworth and the Talc Mines were worth the effort. I hear they used to mine sequins there for all the old Nashville country stars. 

Day six I rode part of Bull Mountain and Jakes Mountain. Another killer trail and easier than Fort Mountain. Lots of jumps and easier climbs. I got lost trying to follow the map and the trail signs. One didn’t agree with the other. The GPS saved me again. I got back just as Barbara was going to look for me. 

Day seven we started heading for home. We stopped at the Conyers Horse Park and I rode the trail there. I think for $5 they could afford to put up trail signs. It’s a cool trail with wicked climbs and downhills but they are short so it’s a good warm-up for the actual mountains farther north. I think they are going to sell the park to developers so go visit soon. All my trail maps I got from Mountain Biking In North Georgia. It will be in the Duellman wing of the PORC Library. The guys at Cartacay Bike Shop are even better at recommending which trails to ride than the book. When they say there is a three-mile climb they are not kidding! Also beware of hunters and which days are hunting days. Wear lots of orange and carry enough food, tool and supplies to get you back. Try to leave an itinerary with someone, too. A GPS is also a good idea because there are miles of jeep trails that go god knows where. Use new batteries for each ride as they discharge fast..

Tsali- MTBMecca Of The Southeast

If you have plenty of gas and about 10 hours to spare for the drive, then consider making a road trip to Tsali, North Carolina. This place is a mountain biking Mecca with miles & miles of well manicured trails which meander around an Appalachian Mountain Lake like an endless roller-coaster ride. It’s best to allow two full days of riding, because the trail use alternates between equestrian and mountain bikers. As a result, if you can only ride for one day, you will miss out on 50% of the trails. Camping at the trail head is primitive, but adequate. Showers, bathrooms, and water are available within the campground. If you attempt to shower in the late afternoon, however, expect to wait because everyone wants a shower after the long ride and there is only a couple of showers for the entire campground.

There is no lighting, and at night the campground gets as dark as…, well, let’s just say you can’t see your hand in front of your face so be sure to bring a flashlight with fresh batteries. Also, try to get there before the weekend, or you may not find a camping site because during the peak season the place fills-up fast. In case you don’t care to sleep in a tent, there are some nice cabins in the area too. Check out the Internet for more information. 

Another great thing about Tsali is the white water sports which are nearby along the Nantahala River. For $25 bucks you can rent a "ducky" (inflatable ayak) and ride the white-water river at your leisure. While you are there, be sure to visit the Nantahala Outdoor Center (www.noc.com) which sells all kinds of outdoor equipment, including lots mountain biking stuff at surprisingly reasonable prices.

Before you make the trip, however, be sure to go to the "Members Only" section of the club’s website (www.porc.org) and print out our map(s)  of the Tsali Trails. 

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Student Baptist Center "Gets a Piece of the Rock" - - Trail.

The location of the new Student Baptist Center ended up on a wooded plot just south of the UWF water tower along University Drive which just happened to be the portal to UWF’s trails for many area riders. 

Entrance to the Rock Trail must now be diverted along University Parkway to the infrequent openings to the trail, or along the power easement to the south of the Rock Trail, sometimes referred to as "Church bell Alley". 

This comes on the heels of another recent trail loss east of University Parkway due to the construction of the new UWF Dorms about two years ago.

"We are losing more and more", states one PORC Member during a recent meeting. 

This belief seems to be strong among many area off-road cyclists. 

While it is true that campus expansion will continue, the pace will be moderate, at best. Furthermore, with continued support and healthy attendance during PORCs trail maintenance events, there should be adequate means to resurrect overgrown trails which will help to compensate for the ones which are sacrificed for development.

We all like to ride our mountain bikes. Sure some of us like to ride more than others, and most of us wish that we could ride more often then we do. How many miles do you get to ride per week? 

Personally, if I am real lucky, I might get in 40 or 50 miles. Usually, however, I am lucky to get out once a week for a grand total of 10 to 15 miles. Sure some of you may think that is an exceptional amount of mileage, but for me, it sucks. That being said, I would like to now get to the point, Ididaride 2001. At this point you are probably wondering what in the hell I am talking about. Good, keep reading. Each year the Suwannee Bike Association (SBA) hosts a 50 mile off-road challenge ride (not race) in beautiful White Springs, Florida, affectionately referred to as the Ididaride. This year was no exception, as the Ididaride V kicked off on January 20, 2001. 

The ride has a 200 rider limit and this year there was a full house. The weather was pretty cold and wet, but the trails were still in great shape. The course consisted of lots of single track, and lots of dual track jeep trails, and some paved roads. The paved roads and dual track were about what you would expect, but the single track was pretty awesome. The topography in this area is basically flat and the single track sections are very fast and hard-packed. Pretty sweet stuff. The ride kicked off with a Continental breakfast. There was a hot lunch, at about the half way point with soup, crackers and other snacks. At the ride conclusion, there was a BBQ dinner. 

There were also sag stops at 18 miles and 40 miles, complete with snacks, water, and Gatorade. The sag stop at 40 miles had wine and cheese. Let me just say, that for me the only thing that got me to 40 miles was the thought of wine and cheese, and after about 45 minutes of wine and cheese, the last ten miles were a piece of cake. All of this for a modest $40.  PORC was well represented with a total of 6 members in attendance, all of which finished I might add. Post race activities were pretty low key, as most of the PORC crew was sluggish, but we still managed to wreak havoc on a local Mexican restaurant. Next year we hope to see you at the Ididaride VI.

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