The ride started casually enough with the climb up 1206 and a right turn onto Slate Rock Creek. This is a great little trail that I've really been enjoying recently. We stopped at the waterfall for a quick rest and then worked our way up to the rock. We were having fun and I was feeling good and was trying to ride everything - a far cry from my pathetic performance with Cook a few weeks back!
We stopped at the rock for yet another break and I took a vote as to what everyone wanted to ride. Zach and myself were pushing for Squirrel but the other three all said up Pilot Rock to Big Creek so I agreed to go with the group while Zach headed for Squirrel.
A thick wet fog hovered over the mountains and we knew the rain was coming but the question was when. Would we have enough time to make it up Pilot and down Big Creek before it hit?
When we went to leave I headed down the trail with Yuri and Zach but for some unknown reason Jonathon and J decided to push back up Pilot Cove Loop before heading down to the connector. That way is much longer and much harder and never even occurred to me as you have a decent hike a bike before you start going down and you miss one of the best downhills in the forest. I figured it was no big deal as we were sure to beat them to Pilot Rock.
Yuri and I made it to the connector on Pilot Rock in just a few minutes and hung out awhile waiting before starting our walk to the top. We went slow up, stopping to take pictures and eat blueberries, giving Jonathon and J a chance of catching up.
I wonder what this bear had been eating?
I found this note at the intersection with Thompson Creek. I didn't read it all but saw it was dated to be left until 7/25 so I just read the Haiku and stuffed it in my sack before throwing it away at the Pisgah Store.
I hadn't been on the top section of Pilot Rock in a long while and as always found myself wondering why. I fear the answer is that we just have too many trails to chose from here and hitting them all regularly is virtually impossible!
Jonathon had really wanted to go to the Parkway and as we hit it I had to wonder if he was somewhere down below us and if we would ever see him alive again.
Rain was imminent but Mt. Pisgah was looming right in front of us. Yuri pointed out that it was just right there and I agreed so we headed to the other end of the parking lot and started up the trail.
We only took our bikes up a little way before finding a suitable spot to hide them. Without a bike there was no reason not to run so that is what we did.
Right as I reached the summit it started raining so we snapped a quick picture and started the run back down.
When we got back down to the parkway it was pouring and we had to make a decision - Big Creek in a storm or bail out down the Parkway? We decided on the bail out option. I dug my $4 tyvek emergency rain jacket out of my pack and we headed down the road. It was raining had and I was having a really hard time seeing so I took it nice and slow. No need to do anything foolish.
So yeah, we bailed all the way down the Parkway to Wash Creek Rd. bypassing several trails in the process. They would have all been streams anyway and not much fun. My rain jacket worked well but on the drive home I was cranking the heat in my truck on the last day of July!
Our route:
1206 > Slate Rock Creek > Pilot Cove Loop > 1206 > Pilot Rock > Mountains to Sea (hike!) > BRP > Mt. Pisgah > BRP > 5000 > 1206
Sunday I slept in and had a huge breakfast before heading out to Turkey Pen with the dog for a quick jog. We headed up Mullinax and quickly caught up to Mike Brown and crew who were out for a ride. We fell in behind Mike and chatted for a bit on the way up. He was riding and I was running and we were moving right at the same pace. They paused at the first switchback and me and Duma went on up the trail. Duma had already bonded with Mike and his dog though and was not interested in leaving members of our pack behind. This is one if Duma's most curious behaviors. When I'm out in the woods with someone he does not like to leave them behind. In fact he has left me behind before to catch up to someone else. I was able to get him moving again though and after a quick water stop at Pea Branch we made the turn onto Squirrel Gap. The climb up to Laurel Gap came surprising easy, much easier than on a silly bicycle, and right as I announced that it was 'downhill from here' to Duma it started raining. When we hit Cantrell it was pouring but I couldn't help but take a 5 minute break to share one of my favorite spots in the forest with my dog!
Cantrell was a creek and I took it nice and easy. A few years ago I crashed hard on Cantrell. I was alone and came to seeing stars with pain shooting through my hand. I puked twice, knew my hand was broken and walked back to the parking lot. So me and Cantrell have a history. This trip down it was incident free and I found this note at the intersection with Horse Cove.
This sparked my interest and I was wishing I still had the note from Pilot Rock. They were written by the same people but dated two days apart. Who are these people and what kind of crazy things are they doing in these woods? How did they get from Pilot to Cantrell and where are they going from here?
The stretch up South Mills River seemed to go on forever but I couldn't resist taking 66 Jumps to get just a little more mileage. Longest run yet!
Sunday afternoon I got out the bike to go to the store for two tall boys and a Snickers bar but managed to have a crazy crash at the bottom of my driveway. I had just pumped up my tires and jumped on the bike. I must have take the turn too sharp or something because I went down hard right in front my neighbors. I'm not exactly sure how this happened.
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