The Big M

After last weekend I decided I had enough of playing on the road bike so yesterday morning I woke up early and headed for Pisgah for a quick little before work ride. My plan was to just do Sycamore Cove but when I pulled up at the Black Mtn. trail head just after sunrise I realized it was too nice of a morning for just Sycamore so instead I opted for Maxwell > Black. It had been so long since I had ridden my mountain bike it took me awhile to get it all figured out but by the time I started up Clawhammer it was just like old times.

Mornings are my favorite part of the day, especially when I am alone and in the woods and this one didn't disappoint. Maxwell Cove Rd. is mainly shady but I could tell that the sun was out there somewhere and that it was going to be a great ride. When I got to the gap the sun was bright and warm and winter seemed like it was an eternity ago.



But the short little climb up to Hickory Knob is a North slope and immediately I was hit with six inches of snow on the ground. Dropping down Black the trail was free of snow and ice and was in surprisingly good shape. Until of course icey spots popped up without warning.



When I got to the intersection with Thrift Cove I decided the bottom of Black was going to be too wet so I took a left on Thrift. Two more left turns onto Grass and Sycamore and the ride was done. Nothing like the Big M to start a day!