I was sitting on the ground halfway up the Jim Branch trail, huffing and puffing on that July morning in 2018, and all I could think and say was,
"Where am I."
"How far does the trail go up?"
"Am I going the right way?"
This would be a recurring theme for the next three months.
Before this experience, I went to bike parks like Big Bear or Park City; I might get 10-12 runs in a day and learn the trail. Pisgah & Dupont was an entirely new animal where a local OG said, “Here we earn our turns,” meaning you pedal up to the top and ride down. No shuttles. It was a new world for me. If you have a terrible run down the mountain, there is no lift; you must pedal to try again. I learned quickly to make my run count.
I rode and rode, and I was lost on every ride. Having a guide would have helped me so much. Any local guide can give you the basics of what to experience on any trail, where the big drops are, and where the views are. Where you might take a digger, let me tell you, I crashed so many times that summer. It was simply because I was discovering and not riding. Looking back, I wish I had invested and had a guide take me through Dupont and Pisgah. I’m not sure how much time and miles I wasted to discover.
Ridgeline – Heaven on Earth
Lower Black – Holy Sh%t
Ingles Gap – yes, that is a black bear.
Greenslick – Lord Baby Jesus
On one ride in Mills River while on Spencer Gap, I got caught in an afternoon storm.
And on and on…
Riding a tradition West Coast Park Bike in Dupont was not fun with the ‘earning your turns part’.
I was learning to become a better rider because of the technical challenge of riding in one of the top Mountain Bike destinations in the world. It even changed my bike to I9 29er wheels, skinny tires, and a new Santa Cruz Hightower LT, where I was clipped in versus riding flats. Over the months, more local knowledge came; Jeff Plyer told me, “Hit the biggest damn thing on the trail that you can; that’s why you have a mountain bike.” He and Andy Denning taught me, “If you look at many of the trails here, the original trail design is often up; that’s the line you want to ride. What you see now has been moved down and blown out over time to become easier to ride.”. Tips that completely changed my riding style and made me a much better rider.
Thanks to the Hub, my new ride is a much better experience riding in WNC.
Looking back at that experience, I wish I had hired a guide. Not just to show me the right way to ride the trails but also to soak up some local knowledge. You can’t get that from reading a trail map or watching a video. Redwolf currently has a group with 30-plus years of local riding knowledge. They have seen the trails change and know every root, rock, and river crossing. Where to take a break, where to take in the views, and how not to waste time. How many times did I stop and stare at Trail Forks? Too many. I should have hired Barrett or Yuri to show me the way. With a guide, you enjoy the trail, the space, and the views and focus on the ride. Now, I find myself riding in the area and often stop, talk, and give directions to the rider or group coming here for the first time. It has come full circle for me, but what a school of hard knocks I had to go through to get here.
