Hike-Bike-Hike-Bike-Hike with Mike R.
Mike Rischitelli and I got out yesterday for one of the best rides I've had in recent memory. I've been riding a bunch lately so that says a lot about how good of a time I had.
We decided right from the beginning to have a cross-training day and to include two hiking trails in our route. Please everybody DO NOT RIDE hiking trails. We walked up them. It was a decision we made knowing full well that we needed to stay off our bikes.... and we did.
The route was as follows: Coontree->Bennett->Pressley Gap->Black Mountain->Buckwheat->Bennett->Coontree. We hiked up and down Coontree and up Pressley. a.k.a. the Original Big Nasty...Just over 15 miles, Just over 5000 feet of climbing.
Right from the start we pushed the pace. It was a very quick hike/run using the bikes as a crutch. We pushed hard, we hiked fast, we made it to Bennett in no time at all. Down Bennett to 477 was all business. We flew through the turns and off the step downs. Again, the trail was complete more quickly than I had expected. Off the bikes again for the express route to Pressly Gap. I took the longest strides I could and kept up a super fast hiking pace. Over the log bridges, up the steps, wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am holy crap we're at the top already.
Here's Mike showing how to 'Hike-a-Bike'
Next was Black mountain trail up past Turkey Pen. That trail is sick steep. I turned that big single speed gear over and over. I would get off the bike and continue hiking as fast as I could as a 'rest' and would hop on and turn the gear and would take off like a rocket. Up Up Up Up Up we went and I got to Turkey Pen, more or less the top of Black Mountain, and felt like a man possessed. My eyes were wide, my heart was pounding, my ears were whistling and I while I waited for Mike to arrive I took in the beauty of the last days of summer. Crystal clear skies, low humidity, in the low 60's, and flowers everywhere.
Here's Mike hiking again! Oh, and a pretty flower, too. Black Mountain trail at Turkey Pen.
We then pressed on with no other break. Down through the saddle between Black and Clawhammer was next and we both cleaned the super-tech near-vertical switchbacks. Over Clawhammer, quick pause at the overlook and next was the serious switchbacks heading to the shelter. By the time we made it to the bottom my arms were feeling pretty worked so I had to chicken out and walk a few of the really tough switchbacks. Zero rest at the road, we just hammered up the trail towards Club Gap. Again, I would get on and take off like a bat out of hell. I would get off and hike like I was in a race of some sort. Mike was never more than a moment behind. We both FLEW off the notch log and hit the next upward face at full speed. I had to walk a bit of the steepest section but decided that since I've climbed it in middle ring before, I could SS up it, too. I was right! I got back on the bike and mashed the gears again and again until I was at the top and had this look on my face:
At the top we had a quick snack then immediately started to hammer the rough stuff to Club. I led that descent and had sooooo much fun. I came rocketing into the gap with fire in my eyes. Mike arrived and without any hesitation we started up Buckwheat. I felt the first pangs of fatigue then. I had to walk a section that wasn't nearly as steep as the hill before Club but my spirits were still very high. After the top of Buckwheat Knob the REAL descending starts. There's a section known as 'devil's staircase' that is seriously technical and steep. Roots, Rocks, Switchbacks, dangerously fast straight aways, waterbars, erosion gullies, and did I mention elevation loss? Smash! Bang ! Boom! We were already at 477! Holy Crap. That's when I realized we were headed for my personal best time for this route.
Next was the climb to the field on Bennett and the big bad descent of the day. Buckwheat is fast and tech, Bennett is... well... there is great potential for grave bodily harm on Bennett. Mike cleaned the squeezebox and hauled towards the Clint huck. I smashed my way behind hima and was destracted by a big hole into oblivion that I had never noticed before. I came to my sences as Mike was saying about his line 'Too Wide Too Wide' and I turned sharp to the right then sharp to the left and threaded the needle between the launch rock and the slab. Clean as a whistle! We then faced yet another hike-a-bike and rip-roarin' descent. I nearly lost control a couple of times, I knew fatigue was setting in. We closed the loop at Coontree and fast hiked back down. That was not an easy choice, to get off the bikes there, but it HAD to be done. We didn't slouch on the hike/run down the mountain and madde it to the road red faced and once again out of breath. Now for the most amazing part... 3.5 hours total. We hauled asssssssssssssss.
