Asheville, North Carolina

I've been meaning to come to Asheville for years given its reputation as a mountain biking destination. Now that I've actually been there,  Asheville, North Carolina, is officially my favourite American city. It's obvious that it's a city that embraces active and healthy living, it's got a vibrant downtown, people are very friendly, and the mountain biking is insanely good. About the last two: Never have I been anywhere before where on seeing my bike, random people come up to me in supermarket parking lots with unsolicited advice on which trails to ride. I got this advice in the hostel and at bike shops, but that was to be expected. In a parking lot while putting away my groceries? Not so much. It was greatly appreciated though, and I think it speaks to the character of this mountain town. Of course mountain biking isn't absolutely everything there is to this place: in the downtown area there are art galleries, ample selection of cafes and restaurants serving locally sourced yummies, numerous brewpubs, and more massage therapists and yoga instructors per capita than I've seen outside of Ottawa's Westboro neighbourhood.

Now about that biking...  I rode here for three days, and barely scratched the surface of what area surrounding Asheville has to offer.

On day 1, I rode the Laurel Mountain loop in Pisgah National Forest. If your thing is epic rides, this is the place for you. Once you get on a trail, it's miles and miles and miles before you have to look at your map. You don't have to think about which turn to take (they are few and far between) only about climbing over the next rise, cleaning the stream crossing, walking up the crazy steep slope, hike-a-biking over the jagged rocks on the off-camber turn with serious exposure, spinning the pedals as you go up, up, up.... Do you see a theme here?  I'll admit, I was not prepared for the relentless and seemingly endless uphill. I should've clued in when the guy at the bike shop started describing the route: "Well, you climb for six miles..." There's nothing to compare to this in New Jersey and I suffered appropriately. And the payoff? Going *down*. Bouncing over rocks, dropping off ledges, railing (or walking!) insanely tight switchbacks, and then rolling out to a sweet, flowing singletrack descent. Of course, the gorgeous vistas and the mystery of riding through tunnels of mountain laurel only add to the experience.

Day 2 was a vastly different ride. Needing an easy day I hit the much milder DuPont State Forest. I was frankly quite disappointed with these trails. With rolling hills and a mix of wide singletrack and fire roads, it seemed that this trail system is well-suited for someone looking to put in miles without the heart-attack-inducing steeps of the Pisgah National Forest. This day was redeemed by the wicked BMX track fun of the  Ridgeline Trail, and by views of several waterfalls.

Day 3 in the Asheville environs was spent taking a bit longer at the waterfalls in DuPont State Park, this time with the actual intent of taking pictures. No mountain biking this day, but instead I focused on exploring the possibilities of multiple-exposure shots like panoramas and HDR. Looks like I have a lot to learn here...

Triple Falls upper sections - panorama

Triple Falls middle section - HDR

On Day 4 I finally got around to heading to Bent Creek, just 15 minutes from downtown Asheville. Man, to have a wicked trail system like this so close and readily available is awesome! Apparently all the locals think so too, since prior to riding here I was asked again and again if I'd been here yet. And, more to the point, it is obviously busy and well-used, and the parking lot at the trailhead was full of bike-rack-bearing vehicles shortly after noon on a Wednesday afternoon. Once I was out on the trails, I could see the reason for its popularity. Not technically challenging by any means, the trails are a cross-country rider's dream, all full of ups and downs and flow and general fun. Best of all, it featured a kick-ass, white-knuckle, whoopin' and hollerin', grin-inducing downhill, the likes of which I have not experienced since leaving BC. With jumps, bermed corners, and just enough obstacles to keep things interesting, I had a great old time going down this rollercoaster of a trail. (Note: I'd *love* to take a 1st person video coming down this thing. If someone wants to get me a GoPro Hero 3 or Contour 2+ or something along those lines for Christmas, I'd be a very happy camper!)

As I said earlier, I just barely scratched the surface of what Asheville has to offer. Will I be back? Oh yes!

Bent Creek parking lot shortly after noon on a Wednesday in late November

White Clay Creek State Park - Check!

As I mentioned in my previous post, I'd been meaning to check out White Clay Creek State Park in Delaware. Well, I finally made it. What a blast! The trails are fun, fast, and flowy, and there's even a few surprises. With very little in the way of obstacles and elevation change, this would be an ideal park to ride a singlespeed cross-country rocket. No derailleurs, no slapping chain, no shock squishiness... Sadly, today I had to make do with my Blur LT, a somewhat long-legged trail bike that was serious overkill for the terrain, and on my first trip up, I was on my crippled Giant Anthem with its rear shock so far gone the bottom bracket was practically scraping the ground. Yes, that's right, I've been there twice, two Sundays in a row. Despite the drive (it's about a two hour trip one way), I was entertained enough the first time around that I immediately made plans for a return. I'm so glad I did! On my first go-around I missed the southern portion of the trail system, so that's where I dove right in today.

Straight out of the parking lot is  a long, flowy (you're gonna hear that word a lot), nearly pedal-free, singletrack decent. Wheee! Then a bit of a climb, then a whole series of log piles, like someone had left their firewood to season in the middle of the trail. Fun! Then a decision, left down Snow Goose, or right on Mountain Goat. Mountain Goat looks like it's a little less-traveled, might be interesting. Rounding a corner I realize that the trail is aptly named as it hugs an almost-sheer drop around the bend. The exposure is not anywhere near as bad or consequential as in Colorado or around Moab, but you definitely notice it. Dropping (litterally - the trail is near-vertical) down into a ditch and soaring up the other side brings me to another decision point. This time the trail called "Corkscrew" beckons me forward. I figured with a name like that it's got to have the goods, and yup, it delivers them in a whoop-de-do-filled package. Down, up, turn, down, up, turn, lather, rinse, repeat... Like a half-pipe for cross-country bikes, going weightless at the apex of each turn. Wheeee!!!! (If you've ever ridden the Sidewinder or Tap-and-Die trails in Vermont's Kingdom Trails, or the bottom of the Mount 7 trail in Golden, BC, you'll know what I'm talking about.) Well, *that* was unexpected. More flowing singletrack goodness brings me back to the car, where, after a bite and putting on another layer (it's getting cold!) I'm off to explore new trails, but return to Mountain Goat and Corkscrew to finish off the day on a high.

The trails in this area are extremely well-built and -maintained, and traverse scenic valleys and fields, and offer lots of views of beautiful bubbling brooks. It could very well be that autumn brings out the best out of these trails, but more than a few times I stopped to just soak in the scenery. Or maybe 6 weeks of minimal riding took its toll on my cardio and I just needed extra breaks.  ;)

Unfortunately I have no pics of this adventure. I brought my camera on my 1st trip and carried it for several miles in my backpack. I saw an opportunity, took it out for a quick snap... "No Card" blinking on the LCD. Crap. On my second ride I made a conscious decision not to bring the camera. I just wanted to ride! You're just gonna have to use your imagination for this one.

Updated Trails List

I've just finished a four-day run of mountain biking. That's more riding than I've done in a long, long, time, and I can't even remember the last time I did that many days in a row. Mind you, day three almost doesn't count: daytime temperature in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania was 41 degrees Celsius, so after an hour of riding, I just said, "screw this!" and went to the bar. Much cooler there, what with the air conditioning and a pint of wheat beer.

Today's ride on a new-to-me set of trails in the Western side of Allamuchy Mountain State Park in Northern New Jersey, which was on top of rides around Raystown Lake and Rothrock State Forest in Pennsylvania, got me to thinking about where I've been on my bike. Just out of curiosity I tried to remember all the places I've gone mountain biking and put them down on my trails list. I actually surprised myself with the length of the list! Despite all I've ridden, I've definitely got more on my to-do list: White Clay Creek, Delaware; Bend, Oregon; Crested Butte, Colorado...

Clik Elite Compact Backpack Review

I reviewed the Clik Elite CE706GR Compact Backpack on Amazon.ca. Here's the review, edited slightly.

I desperately needed a daypack that could hold a hydration pack and yet would leave my camera with lenses readily accessible. The Click Elite Backpacks seemed to fit the bill: rugged camera backpacks with a sleeve sized to fit a 3L hydration bladder. I have a smaller camera system (Panasonic G1, lenses: 14-45mm, 45-200mm, 45mm prime) and prefer to travel light so I thought that the smaller backpack would work well

Pros:
- comfortable, carries the weight of a camera, 2L of water, snacks, and a small tripod well
- seems bombproof, except for the pulls and toggles for the elastic straps
- appears to have space for a camera body with lens and two spare lenses

Cons:
- it's possible to fit a 3L Camelbak bladder with up to 2L of water, but when it's full with 3L of water it's a pain to get it into the sleeve
- it's not *practically* possible to fit my camera with a lens mounted, plus my two extra lenses in the camera compartment. With two lenses in the lens holders, there's no room for the mounted lens when I insert my camera body. I now have to choose which glass to bring with me on my hikes, and I've cursed a couple of times when I had a perfect shot for the lens that I didn't have with me.
- the camera compartment zippers get stuck when opening and closing the compartment. It seems like the turn radius at the corners of the compartment is too tight for this size of zipper
- external pocket & elastic strap not practical - would've been more useful with a larger-volume pouch. The pull for the elastic strap came off when I tried to "encourage" it to hold a light jacket in place.

Field notes:
I went hiking near Port Hardy, BC, on a very rainy day. Found out to my dismay that the rain cover couldn't accommodate my tripod, which was in the tripod holder. I also found out that the cover wouldn't stay put - it would become dislodged at the slightest provocation. I really wanted to like this pack since it got rave reviews in other places, but it's barely functional for me. I'll keep it until I can find a suitable replacement but there doesn't seem to be much else out there...

2/5 stars.

Perseverance pays off!

On October 30, I volunteered my time at the Perseverance Trail Run, an annual trail running race held in Cumberland, BC. The day before Halloween, all the racers showed up ready to Trick or Treat in the woods! Well, actually, all the sweets to be had on race day were to be found at the finish line, where a box of donuts went to the best costume of the day.

Babes in the woods

My job was to man Checkpoint 6, just a bit more than halfway in to the 10.5 km course, where racers would come charging down the Bear Buns trail before making a hard right across Sykes Bridge, and then continuing on to Off Broadway. The action was fast and furious and the terrain treacherous. Many's the racer that was so intent on his or her footing that they barely noticed me pointing and yelling, "Turn right!" as they came close to overshooting the turnoff. But even if they safely made the turn, they weren't out of the woods yet, so to speak. Sykes Bridge is a narrow wooden bridge that is very bouncy at the best of times, and on race day was slick with the morning's rain. Woe to the racer that didn't heed my warning to "Walk on the bridge!"

Racer after racer passed my checkpoint - about 150 of them, many decked out in their Halloween best. Some of these guys were pretty quick, but probably the most impressive performance was that of the last pair that came through before the "Grim Sweeper" - an elderly couple, the man leading his visually-impared wife through the woods with words of encouragement.

Back at the finish line everybody celebrated their success with burgers and hot dogs, medal presentations, and draws for some cool swag.

The Last Unicorn?

Many thanks and congratulations to Sarah Seads of Equilibrium Lifestyle Fitness (ELM) and the other organizers for running such an incredible event!

The "Grim Sweeper"

Gettin' Crafty on the Butcher

Crafty Butcher double teeter-totter

So apparently there's some mountain biking to be had in Cumberland, BC. So says the map that shows the piled-spaghetti heap of trails just outside of town. So says the mud-splattered hordes of dudes and dudettes wheeling down the main drag on knobby-tired bikes of all description. So says the groups we've recently had here at the hostel, one of which traveled from Whistler to ride here, and another of which included a couple of national champions and the rep for one of the largest Canadian bike manufacturers. So says the organizers of the BC Bike Race, the 7-day-long epic torture test for masochists. So yeah, I suppose there's some mountain biking in the area.

Jessie demonstrating the angle on the wooden berm

"Most Trails are Advanced." That's the beginning of the Cumberland entry in the Mountain Bike Vancouver Island guide book, and let me tell you, they're not kidding! If you learn to ride here, you get really good, really fast. Rocks and roots and ridiculous steeps are prominent features of just about all the trails in the area. Oh, and what about the woodwork? There's a strong community of trail builders in the area who have put an enormous amount of work into building and maintaining all the singletrack, and many of the trails showcase their creativity and skills with a chainsaw. For example, "Thirsty Beaver" is a newer trail with oodles of bridges and ramps and skinnies, most of which go a long ways to keeping the trail sustainable through all the crazy and wet terrain that it traverses. And yes, there's the "Crafty Butcher", a trail with a double teeter-totter in the middle of it - just because. Why the heck not?!?

Railing the corner on the Crafty Butcher

And just in case you get tired of what Cumberland has to offer, all of the communities in this area are host to mountain biking trails of various degrees of epic-ness. Courtenay's Forbidden Plateau is apparently festooned with downhill-friendly trails. I haven't ridden there yet, and my intel is based on the trail maps and oh-so-handy guide book, but it's on my list. Again, "Most Trails are Advanced." Campbell River's Snowden Forest (which I have ridden, "Most Trails are Advanced") is swoopy, flowy, just-keep-pedaling double- and single-track. Just watch out for the arrows labeled "50 km." I started following them for lack of any other plan, and while I can't attest to the actual distance of the route, I can tell you that it keeps on going, and going, and going... And there's Quadra Island ("Most Trails are Intermediate"), where apparently "the fastest man in the world" and owner/operator of Naked Bicycles can be found leading group rides.

Derelict canoe on the shore of Morte Lake, Quadra Island

I haven't even come close to exploring all the trails in this area, but believe me, I'm gonna try!

Iceline - Celeste Lake - Yoho Valley loop

Just getting caught up on posting some of my adventures from this summer...

In August I spent a few weeks in the Canadian Rockies, and if there's any place in the world that has more spectacular and varied hikes than here, I challenge you to tell me about it.

I started the Iceline hike a bit later in the day than I'd intended. I had planned to hit the trail in the afternoon, with the hopes of catching Takkakaw Falls with the late-day light that's more favorable for photography, but I got delayed by some unexpectedly nice views at Moraine Lake in Banff National Park, so it wasn't until after sunset that I returned to the Falls. But I'm getting ahead of myself...

The Iceline Trail starts and ends at the Takkakaw Falls. They were spectacular, but I didn't take any pics as I set out on my hike. "Later," I told myself, since my folks had already taken many of those shots. So across to the Whiskey Jack Hostel, and up the trail I went. Steep at first, the trail switchbacked up and up and up... And the view of Takkakaw Falls kept on improving. And suddenly, I was clear of the trees.

Takakkaw Falls from up high

The Iceline trail is justifiably popular and well-traveled, although due to my late start I saw only a few people, all going the other way. (Hmmm... Did they know something I didn't?) The views of the surrounding mountain ranges and valleys - and yes, the Falls - were magnificent. Unfortunately, as I reached the high point of the trail I looked up to see ominous clouds spilling over the mountain's peak, and I was encouraged to find the quickest way down. The "quickest way" - and I mean quick, as I was chased by the darkening sky and the splatter of fat raindrops on the rocks - essentially meant running down the trail to Lake Celeste, and the subsequent trek along the Yoho Valley back to my car. As luck would have it, the thunderstorm never did more than threaten, and the rain had subsided to a light, steady drizzle once I was off the exposed slopes. Traveling at a more relaxed pace, the Celeste Lake trail was quite pleasant with lush sub-alpine meadows and forests everywhere. At one point near the peak of the Iceline trail I had looked down on a meadow and thought to myself, "I hope the trail goes down there"; and lo and behold, forty-five minutes later I was striding through that very same verdant meadow, crossing merrily babbling brooks, under the stern eye of an unidentified raptor. It was magical, but since I had packed my camera to keep it out of the rain, I've got no pictures to share. Ah well, that's one sight that's for me alone!

Life on the edge

The trail became substantially easier as I descended, and by the time I had reached Laughing Falls and turned on to the Yoho Valley Trail, it was flat, wide - and quite frankly - boring. Ah well, at least the lack of challenge allowed me to make good time on it, which is just as well. Remember the late start that I had alluded to at the beginning of this post? Well, despite the speed I was able to maintain on this final part of the trek, I missed the evening light on Takakkaw Falls, and only caught the last of the sun's rays as they crept up the cliff face.

Sun's last light falling on Takakkaw Falls

I suppose there's always next year; after all, this is a trail that I wouldn't hesitate to hike again.