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

Pressing "pause" on life's movie

Riding Fool sign

So I've been more-or-less on the road for almost six months now. To me that seems like quite a lot - especially for a self-avowed non-traveler. My pace has definitely slowed considerably since I left Ottawa back in April. I haven't really had a strong urge to move on and explore in the past several weeks; recent forays to Tofino and the Juan de Fuca Strait were done with company, which certainly kept the enthusiasm up. Admittedly some of the lethargy is due to a nagging (but healing!) injury that I received during some ill-advised antics in Golden, BC, but mostly I think I've seen all the scenery I can handle and just need to sit an process everything for a bit, as well as give myself an opportunity to figure out what to do next.

Riding Fool interior

The old Tarbell's Store

So where am I? To date I've spent over a week in Cumberland, BC, a small former coal mining town in Vancouver Island's Comox Valley. It's a cute little town with a very strong sense of history and many heritage buildings lining its main street. There's rivers and creeks and trails and mountains nearby, and the ocean is a short 15-minute drive away. Mountain biking is supposedly epic, and from the trails I've been able to walk it seems that the reputation is well-deserved. I've been staying at The Riding Fool Hostel, which is on the second floor of the old Tarbell's hardware store, the remainder of which now houses a bike shop and cafe. This is a nice hostel, with a fantastic common area, well-laid-out kitchen, and comfortable beds. The folks who run the place are awesome and I can get discounts for weekly stays. What's not to like about this place? :)

I figure I'll kick around here for a while, maybe find a place to live and work and return to "real life". In the meantime, I'll get caught up on some blogging since there's a bunch of hikes I did in the Rockies for which I've got notes and pics, but never got around to posting. Keep your eye on this space!

Perseverance Creek