-
Posts
-
-
This is my second year mtb’ing. Last year I spent a lot of time in the saddle for a beginner and noticed vast improvement in my ability. As an avid weight-lifter, b-ball player, racquetball player, fisherman, and runner, I quickly fell in love with mountain biking. I was seriously bummed when it got too cold to ride.
So over the course of the winter I have dedicated myself to learning and gearning up for the spring. I have read about riding techniques, equipment, and trails. I purchased a set of Crank Bros. Mallet C’s and a great pair of Specialized MTB shoes (after riding twice this year, I will never ride platforms again). I also purchased Lizard Skins knee/shin protection as well as elbow/forearm because I have a little tendency to go balls to the wall in whatever I do. The bottom line is, I am now a life-long mountain biker. After one year, it is my favorite hobby. I am grateful for the sport and really appreciate this forum and all of the helpful people and information. I’m looking forward to a great riding season! As a West Virginia resident, my main goal is to make it up to the Gauley Headwaters at Slatyfork [url:38cgjnoe]http://www.imba.com/epics/slatyfork_wv.html[/url:38cgjnoe]. It is listed as an IMBA epic! CAN’T WAIT!!!!
-
That kind of enthusiasm is GREATLY infectious! I held my first group ride this past weekend and I’m so fired up to ride more this year. HIT IT! 😼
-
Glad to see you are so fired up for riding this year. Keep us posted on your WV / Slatyfork Adventures. Can’t see myself using the padding / armour, but I will live vicariously through you on that one. Its great to see others truelly loving it – no matter what form of MTB riding you get in to. CCR
-
I will definitely take some pics when I make it up to the Gauley Headwaters this year.
I’m headed out to the trails after work. It’s 80 and sunny here in WV…finally. I’ll try and get some pics up of the trails at Barboursville Park. Great ride down there!!!
-
Hey WVMTBR, and others interested, you would be more than welcome to join our group over there in June on what we call the Slatyfork Shuffle. It’s a small, very informal mountain bike gathering. Most of us met on MTBR.com and have been doing these get togethers for the past 5 years. No agenda’s, no minimum distance, not a race, however we get in some decent rides and enjoy the company of good friends and meet new ones nearly every year.
Don’t think any of us have done the "EPIC" in one day anyway. We have ridden nearly everything in the Gauley Mtn., Tea Creek, Kennison Mtn., Slatyfork area during these gatherings. We camp at Tea Creek Campground at the bottom of Tea Creek Mtn. and at the base of Bannock Shoals trail.
Just something to think about. We’d be glad to have anyone join in. We don’t leave anyone behind. If the ride of the day is way too long or those joining may have difficulty, we’ll work in rides they can handle. We’re all there to get in some fun rides and just enjoy the get-a-way time on our mountain bikes. Several of us plan on rolling in there on June 18th and we won’t be pulling out till Sunday the 22nd. Some will stay the whole time, some just a day or two. Whatever you want to do. Usually we communicate about who is bringing what on mtbr.com in the WV forum.
That is my favorite part of the state and I get down there often through the summer. Maybe we’ll catch you down there, if not at the Shuffle, maybe on the trail this year.
Ride on !
ODN
-
ODN – That weekend would be a possibility. I may be able to make it up that Saturday. It would be great to ride the Headwaters with someone who knows those trails.
Is the Tea Creek Campground you speak of on Williams River Road? You cross a concrete bridge on Williams River to get to it?
-
"WestVirginiaMTBR" wrote
Is the Tea Creek Campground you speak of on Williams River Road? You cross a concrete bridge on Williams River to get to it?
Yep that be the one. We always try to get a site along the creek so we can use the heated show unit / units we have or take a hoo bath as Capt. Phun calls it. So if you make it down there, come straight through off the end of the bridge and look at the sites on the right along the creek first. We usually don’t get started too early in the morning so if you can’t make it till Saturday morning we might still be in camp. Our evenings are usually late 😆
ODN
-
Where is the trailhead in relation to the campground? Do you cross the wooden bridge that goes over tea creek?
-
"WestVirginiaMTBR" wrote
Where is the trailhead in relation to the campground? Do you cross the wooden bridge that goes over tea creek?
There are numerous trailheads in the area, however very few leave the campground. The one you speak of takes you over onto Williams River Trail (only about 1.5 miles out and back) however Tea Creek Mountain Trail comes out on it. I sure wouldn’t want to try to climb that one 😮 that’d be like nearly straight up for miles. One you can ride out of would be Bannock Shoals. It is an old fire road, nearly singletrack, that is on the other side of the gate at the end of that campground. It will take you to the top of the mountain in about 4.5 miles, then you can hit Boundary, Turkey Point or FR135 where you can hit Bear Pen. I hope to do Bannock Shoals, Boundary to Bear Pen, to Tea Creek, to Gauley, to Red Run, Right Fork and down Tea Creek Mtn. That would be a killer…..
Most times we will shuttle to the Trailhead off Rt.150 or Mine Rd. and use Gauley Mtn. Trail to access all the other trails, then end from either Tea Creek Mtn, Bannock Shoals, or Turkey Point and then just have someone run us back up to get the shuttle vehicles later.
As far as the Gauley Headwaters Epic? That is just a bunch of trails all linked together and I believe to do "The EPIC" the description actually starts over off 219 in Slatyfork. You could begin from Tea Creek Campground and do the loop that way.
We will likely hit most of the trails the EPIC uses, however not necessarily in the order in which they ride them. There are sooo many trails in the immediate area we will most times drive to a point to eliminate highway, or even dirt road miles, other than maybe the Props Run loop.
ODN
-
Sounds like you know your way around up there. I’m really going to try and make it up there. If I can get out of work early enough, I’ll be there Friday evening. I’ll let you know!
-
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.