Submitted for your unapproval

Good weekend.

Despite this:

I thought I could get us around the closure to the Ridgecrest property access to Heartbreak Ridge.  I was wrong... to the tune of probably an extra two hundred feet of unnecessary climbing up to this gate that's never been closed.  At least I know what I know now.

Damn it.

Not wanting to fail (again) at another way I know to go but mebbe ain't 100% legit, lets just lose even more elevation and approach from Montreat... a totally legal way.

Pass one of the ways I used to go... because "no bikes?"

I guess that was always the thing.  Dunno.

Up to where we know we're legal and find out two of my former options outta Montreat to Old Toll Road are (were?) illegal.

Sumbitch.

Hike up Appalachian Way and over to one of my favorite rigid single speed climbs, Old Toll Road.  So satisfying.

Bike shot:

Pizza shot:

Water, water everywhere.

Not one, not two, but three springs on the way to the top.

By the way, the dilapidated hunting trailers are gone, so be sure to turn right down the Fire Hose Trail when you see the machete and shovel head.

I missed it and didn't even realize my mistake until I saw differnet trailers and hovels I ain't seent before.

Down Heartbreak...

Both Todd and Bryan had a difficult moment with the half-assed, off camber log jump, off camber landing "feature."  One of them managed to stay on the trail, and one of them didn't entirely.

Second attempt for Todd not so bad tho.

Heckle Rock has once again changed, Todd rolling the new rock line to the slab boulder that was never there but was somewhere else but now it's here.

Me rolling the new rock line halfway to the "cheater line" which is now just a line and I guess things change and that's life.

"Free water for bikers" down at the bottom of Mill Creek Road... nice touch.  Hikers can piss off.

Awesome day on Heartbreak and Kitsuma... and I'm finally getting my thousand yard stare back for proper rigid riding... so why not go back to the mountains again tomorrow?

The plan almost fell apart Sunday before I even poured my first cup of coffee... and somehow a forgotten pair of shoes, a half hour late departure... and this is breakfast?

Bennett Gap, Middle and Lower Black and Sycamore on the menu.

Chris looking like he's gonna pull off the Enduro™ line around Qbert Rock...

And then not quite.

Mandatory Hot Dog Gap photo while waiting for people with gears because there ain't no slow way up Maxwell on a single speed.

Tiny huck on Sycamore's gone... so stop here?

Same same but different, Team Spoke Easy super coordinated on the day.

Fifty six miles and almost ten thousand feet of climbing in two days... mebbe I take it easy today.

It feels so good to get back to regular Pisgah riding... even tho I deeply realize there's nothing normal about life on planet earth anymore.