A Week of Mountain Fun (Or Hell)

So yeah, it’s pretty well-known around here that this weekend is the big one. Yes folks, XTERRA Whitewater is in two days. Swimming, mountain biking, running, and all of that other happy horseshit will be upon us in the blink of an eye. The crew here at B-43 is definitely ready, so there are no worries there. I’m sure that by Sunday afternoon we’ll all be sitting around having some tasty beer and reminiscing about it. It’s the week after that concerns me.



You see, since Mr. Shepherd is making the trip here from The Sunshine State to join us for a triathlon adventure, we have to make the most of it. Or, as The Dirty Party Cycle says, “Maximize his fun.” With that, we have a week of two-wheeled adventures planned, starting with the day after the XTERRA. We all took the week off from our respective jobs, so we are free to run wild.


Monday will be a “recovery day”, which will have us riding two of our local trails here in the Charlotte area. Sometime in the morning, we are heading down to Fort Mill, SC to ride the trails at Anne Springs Close Greenway. Mr. Shepherd has never been there (I have no idea why), so he should be in for a treat. It will be nice to get out and spin our legs at a nice, relaxed pace. After a quick break for lunch, we’ll head on over to Sherman Branch, which is always a hit. A lot has changed there (trail feature-wise), so Mr. Shepherd will have fun for sure. That’s it for Monday I guess.


Tuesday will be a new adventure for all of us. We are heading out bright and early to Old Fort, NC to ride the Kitsuma trails (no link, just use The Google to find it.) From what I hear, it’s a ton of climbing to get to the top, but we will be rewarded with some super-sweet downhill action. Nice. After that, we’ll stuff ourselves with food and head over to see the fine folks at Cane Creek Cycling Components. Hopefully my status as a "sponsored rider" will get us in the door, or else we’ll just stand in the parking lot like a bunch of goons. After that we’ll head over to the trails at Bent Creek (again, use The Google) to finish off the day. Our legs will get plenty of rest on the long drive back to Charlotte. I even heard a rumor that the MadSS will be joining us. Good times.


Wednesday is open…for now. We originally thought about having a big B-43 showing at the Summer Series race that evening, but that’s kind of up in the air right now. We’ll figure out something to do for Wednesday for sure though.


Thursday will be more mountain fun. We are heading up to the Kerr Scott Trail System in Wilkesboro, NC to partake in the lovely singletrack that the local club has to offer. We will be riding Warrior Creek, Dark Mountain, and the Overmountain Victory Trail. That’s around forty miles of fun (and climbing.) I hope our legs are ready.


Friday is the grand finale. We are planning on playing roadie for the day. Yep, a nice, relaxing ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Well, maybe not relaxing, but it will be nice. We are planning on a fifty miler, with the option of bailing at the halfway point (with the help of strategically-placed vehicles.) If we survive the ride, there will be much beauty to see. The DPC and I have both driven the BRP, but I don’t think that Mr. Shepherd has been there before. Nevertheless, the scenery will be much better since we will be out in the open on two wheels.


What does this mean for you, the reader? Well, hopefully I’ll get on here to post something every day during our adventures. Certainly I’ll be here Monday with an XTERRA race report, but I can’t promise anything after that. There will be plenty of stories, photos, etc., but I may not provide them in a timely manner. I apologize in advance, although hopefully it will be worth the wait. Just keep checking here, and maybe you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Whatever you do this weekend and next week, have fun. I’ll be out suffering, which I obviously love to do. See ya.