Friday, January 14, 2005  

GNARLY NORTH FORK somewhere deep in WV

One of the leaders of H'Burg's magic mountain biking crew calls me up the day before setting out on a ride that is usually impossible in January due to deep snow and short days. It seems he had already fooled someone else into his crazy plan. This ride will often take 8 hrs! Outdoor phenomenon and a fantastic all around athlete from Blacksburg, Adam Childers, was in town and fired up to go for it.


Epic is the perfect word to describe this fantastic voyage! I woke just before 6 and the boys rode over to my house and loaded up the van. 8AM on the bike and 37 degrees, not shabby. A 1500ft climb and we set off on close to 30 miles of amazing single track. Big cliffs, off-camber rocks and ribbony trail snaking it's way to the biggest arm pumping, big hit, super juicy dicey yikes down hill! You descend for 5 minutes and stop to see a sick vista that reminded me of Durango. And then MORE descending. Mike and Adam got a gap on me and I chased but got to a rock ledge that freaked me out. Once I stopped I could see off the edge and got at it again but they where GONE, I was getting smoked! As their hoots and hollers got farther away, I carved further down the now fast and undulating, mind blowing, slate single track just smiling.

Now halfway between deliverance and salvation we began the last leg of our ride on some long lost mountain road. Mike starts singing, "country road... take me home ...to the place ..I belong ..West Virginia…mountain mama… take me home…country road". Man, I was thinking how much I wanted to get back to the Euro Van. Phew I was wiped out.

As we were driving back home we talked about Frisbee golf and as soon as I let Adam and Mike out they ran over to the park with Frisbees in hand! "You guys are nuts!" I skipped on the Frisbee and made some hot tea.

To Adventure!

Jeremiah
noth fork.html

posted by Jeremiah Bishop  # 7:38 AM  


Comments: Post a Comment

<< Home

Archives

October 2004   November 2004   December 2004   January 2005   February 2005   March 2005   April 2005   May 2005   June 2005   July 2005   August 2005   September 2005   October 2005   November 2005   December 2005   January 2006   February 2006   March 2006   April 2006   May 2006   June 2006   July 2006   August 2006   September 2006   October 2006   November 2006   December 2006   January 2007   February 2007   March 2007   April 2007   May 2007   June 2007  

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?