Panthertown

I've been trying to get some riding in for the past few days, and a Tour de Parking Lot is the best I could drum up. Today the planets aligned and the Cycling Gods smiled on me, and I actually managed to get some saddle time. Before I left home, my plan was to ride on the road and leave my mtn bike sitting till the race, but due to the narrow roads around here self preservation kicked in and I abandoned any attempts at road training.

The only place I could find to do some mtn biking nearby was a place called Panthertown Valley, which is owned by the US Forest Service.

Panthertown is called "the Yosemite of the East", because of its exposed granite domes. Geologically, the area is quite fascinating.



One aspect of the geology of the area is that there are some honest to God, sandy trails. Not as sandy as back home, but definitely out of the norm for what I've ridden in NC.
For the mtn biker, Panthertown is an area of extremes. If you're not climbing, you are ripping down a fast descent. There isn't a lot of singletrack, but what it lacks in singletrack it makes up for in big climbs and descents.

How about some Eastern slickrock?

Coming across some huge granite slabs (think Moab slickrock) was a pleasant change, and was big fun to ride on. I might try and ride Panthertown again one day, but the Forest Service is going to have to do some work on marking the trails. There were zero markings on the trails, and I tried my best to find the Cold Mountain Gap Trailhead, and never did find it. I just gave up and retraced my route back to the car. And it wasn't just me either. I came across numerous hikers, and not one of them knew the proper route/s. Some I think were downright lost. At least I wasn't lost, I just couldn't find the right route to my destination.

The final tally for the day was...
15.5 miles ridden
2000ft of climbing.

And yes, I am tired.

I'm looking forward to getting back on more familiar ground, where I can get some serious road miles/workouts in.