A friend of mine opened a campground last year down in Stecoah NC. It wasn't until after I'd spent a week down there riding my motorcycle on roads like the Dragon and the Cherohala Skyway that I found out the campground is within 6 miles of the Tsali trail system. I'm wondering if the MTB riding down there in NC is worth making another trip down there - this time with my mountain bike.
BTW - I've sort of lurked on and off for a few years, so I'll introduce myself. Been doing a little mountain bike riding for about 15 years. Had a Hard Rock Sport which I broke the frame on after a couple years, then a Cannondale SM1000 for a LOT of years. Finally broke down and bought a Specialized Epic Disc a couple years ago. Most of my riding has been local trails in Central IL.
A friend of mine opened a campground last year down in Stecoah NC. It wasn't until after I'd spent a week down there riding my motorcycle on roads like the Dragon and the Cherohala Skyway that I found out the campground is within 6 miles of the Tsali trail system. I'm wondering if the MTB riding down there in NC is worth making another trip down there - this time with my mountain bike.
BTW - I've sort of lurked on and off for a few years, so I'll introduce myself. Been doing a little mountain bike riding for about 15 years. Had a Hard Rock Sport which I broke the frame on after a couple years, then a Cannondale SM1000 for a LOT of years. Finally broke down and bought a Specialized Epic Disc a couple years ago. Most of my riding has been local trails in Central IL.
"Stewey" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
A friend of mine opened a campground last year down in Stecoah NC. It wasn't until after I'd spent a week down there riding my motorcycle on roads like the Dragon and the Cherohala Skyway that I found out the campground is within 6 miles of the Tsali trail system. I'm wondering if the MTB riding down there in NC is worth making another trip down there - this time with my mountain bike.
BTW - I've sort of lurked on and off for a few years, so I'll introduce myself. Been doing a little mountain bike riding for about 15 years. Had a Hard Rock Sport which I broke the frame on after a couple years, then a Cannondale SM1000 for a LOT of years. Finally broke down and bought a Specialized Epic Disc a couple years ago. Most of my riding has been local trails in Central IL.
Stewey
I spent a day out there over this past summer. It was fabulous. If I ever find my self back in that neck of the woods I will make sure I get to Tsali. Nothing is all that technical or scary. My 11 year old rode with me the whole way. It wasn't the most challenging MTB'ing I've ever done, but it was lots of fun. Very fast The trails are well constructed, there is a decent amount of climbing to keep you honest, and the area is just a wonderful place to be in.
Thanks for the feedback. I'm much more into enjoying the ride than testing my technical skills (my bike is capable of a lot more than I'll ever be). I'd read most of the web stuff on the area that I could find but getting feedback of the BTDT type means a lot more. When I was at my friends campground in May it seemed to rain most of the time I was there - did it rain while you were there? If so, how bad is the muck and do they restrict access when the trail isn't dry?
Oh, I forgot to plug my buddies campground down near Tsali It's located about 6 miles or so from Tsali.
WWW.KickstandLodge.com
Even though his initial audience was motorcyclists, mountain bikers are more than welcome. The campground has GREAT showers, and for people who don't want to tent camp, there are small camping trailers, a couple of bigger cabins and a bunkhouse if you don't mind listening to your buddies snore. Oh, there's also a bike wash which might be important if it's been raining down there. If you get down there, tell Fred that Stewey told you about the place - I won't get a kickback but I might get a beer!
"Stewey" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Thanks for the feedback. I'm much more into enjoying the ride than testing my technical skills (my bike is capable of a lot more than I'll ever be). I'd read most of the web stuff on the area that I could find but getting feedback of the BTDT type means a lot more. When I was at my friends campground in May it seemed to rain most of the time I was there - did it rain while you were there? If so, how bad is the muck and do they restrict access when the trail isn't dry?
I was in western NC in early July, and it rained nearly every day. The day we went to Tsali we managed to avoid any major rainfall, but the area was all pretty damp from the tremendous amount of rain that had fallen in the previous few weeks. Kinda felt like I was riding in some sort of rain forest most of the day. That said, the trail system drains REALLY well. The trails are build along various ridges opposite Great Smokey Mountain National Park, which you can see across the lake. It was pretty damp everywhere, but everything seemed to just run down the ridges and into the lake. The trails were all pretty firm.
The only impact I saw from the rain was that the stream crossings were a bit deeper than is probably normal, and there were probably more of them. None of the climbs were slick and the soil appeared to just absorb whatever moisture came down. We managed to get pretty filthy by the end of the day, but that was mainly due to the occasional mud hole on the bench cut sections. I don't know how bad it has to get before they close the area, but I'm sure it takes a lot if they do it at all. There is actually a low pressure bike wash station in the parking lot to help you get the goop off before you head home. Nice touch.
Thanks for the feedback. I got to talking with one of the few people I work with who rides and he's also been down there, but it was dry for the entire time he was down there. He loved the ride and I'm trying to talk him into going down there with me this spring.
-- - Zilla Cary, NC USA (3.5 hrs away from Tsali) (Remove XSPAM)
"Stewey" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
A friend of mine opened a campground last year down in Stecoah NC. It wasn't until after I'd spent a week down there riding my motorcycle on roads like the Dragon and the Cherohala Skyway that I found out the campground is within 6 miles of the Tsali trail system. I'm wondering if the MTB riding down there in NC is worth making another trip down there - this time with my mountain bike.
BTW - I've sort of lurked on and off for a few years, so I'll introduce myself. Been doing a little mountain bike riding for about 15 years. Had a Hard Rock Sport which I broke the frame on after a couple years, then a Cannondale SM1000 for a LOT of years. Finally broke down and bought a Specialized Epic Disc a couple years ago. Most of my riding has been local trails in Central IL.
