HuRaCaN: The Return

Fresh off the heels of a surprisingly good showing at the CFITT, I traveled back to Ocala, Fl at the end of January for another go at the HuRaCaN. This year, Karlos bumped up the timing of the race to the end of January instead of the middle of March. I think this suited everyone (at least me) well since 90+ degree days last year were just about my undoing. This year I was prepared. I had dialed my kit in and would be traveling fairly light. Continue reading HuRaCaN: The Return

TransNorthGeorgia Day 2 [Unfinished]

Waking up this morning was the driest I’ve been at a campsite in a long time. A quick cup of coffee, a tube of jerky and a refill of the water bottles in the creek and we were on our way up to Tray Gap.

Within ten minutes of starting the day, I had already convinced myself three times over that not riding this stretch the previous night was the right call.

Roads like these...It ended up taking us another 3 and a half hours to make it to the place where I’d planned on camping while doing our ride planning. Continue reading TransNorthGeorgia Day 2 [Unfinished]

The great albino mountain hog of Snake Creek

Went up to Snake Creek Gap to ride the first 17 out and back with a couple friends. I don’t remember it being as hard as it was. It might be because I took the Fargo and not the fat bike. Smaller tires and harder gearing probably contributed to my feelings about the trail today.

The weather was beautiful for the last day of January, so I was actually able to see some of the views along the ridgeline.

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The Fargo handled really well. I put a new brake on the front this week and this was the first test of how it handled. There’s no shortage of steep technical descending on this route but I felt great the whole way.

The big event of the day was the hog that we caught sleeping on the trail. We stirred it (by grazing it with my pedal as I rode by) and watched for a minute as it groggilly decided that it didn’t really want to deal with us. Unfortunately, once it woke completely it started to cause some strife for other trail users, snorting and allegedly charging at some joggers and men on horse. The horse riders apparently began to shoot the beast with their sidearms. Woefully under-powered things that more than likely either did little more than further agitate the animal or put small holes in it resulting in a long agonizing death by bleeding out.

It’s a shame it came to that, but I’m in awe that I was able to encounter this creature as close as I did.

Today’s ride: