One Last Goodbye

I’ve been talking a lot about our local trail Poplar Tent over the last few weeks.  You may be tired of it, but I don’t give a shit.  We lost a great trail that’s been around here for many years, and I still can’t believe it’s gone.  Since I was racing on Sunday, my last ride there was Friday after work.  I met up with my pal Hop and his friend Dave, and we took to the trail one final time.

We tried to ride everything out there, and we were making pretty good time.  I spent a lot of the ride just looking around at everything, most of the time is disbelief that it would be the last time I ever saw it.  The ride was awesome as usual, until we got to Gravity Cavity.  That’s when the rain started.

Poplar was one of the few (well, only) all weather trail around these parts, and riding itin the rain isn’t such a big deal (especially since it was about to close.)  There was a lot of lightning in the sky though, so we cut out a few of the last loops to make it back to the parking lot safely.  The rain kept falling while we rode, and I found it fitting that I said goodbye to it in the rain in less than ideal conditions.  That’s what that place was all about:  not so perfect trail that was a blast to ride.  Nothing around here even comes close to it.

After everyone left the parking lot, I was all alone there in the dark.  I sat at the picnic table for a while and thought about how great that place was to me over the years.  It was hard to get up from that table to leave, but eventually I did.  If I was an emotional type, I would’ve shed a tear.  Instead I pet Minnie one last time, knowing that she probably would miss all the people that visited there and hung out with her.

The next day was another ride, but I didn’t want to wear out my legs for a race the next day (stupid me.)  Plenty of people were out there though, including Little Miss Sunshine.  She met up with the MadSS and his Mrs., and they had a single speed farewell ride in the mud and rain.  When she came back from the ride, she brought a little of the trail home with her. 

I got a little sad again as we washed off her bike and watched the last bit of that trail flow down my driveway. 

At least we gave our old friend a proper goodbye.

Closing Time

Even though I should’ve been resting on Saturday so I could stay up all night for the Cackalacky 500, I couldn’t resist the urge to say one more goodbye to an old friend.

Last call...

Yes, I returned to Poplar Tent once again for a private farewell ride.  The plan was to ride everything, take lots of pictures, and take my time enjoying the trail for what could be my last time.  When I got there though, I was reminded of what this trail can do to you if you’re not careful.

The guy inside got hauled off to the hospital, and he will live to ride another day.

I hit the trail at a steady pace, which gave me time to reflect on every root, rock, turn, feature, and even critters.  I thought about how much I’ve enjoyed these things over the years.

Like Devil’s Drop.

The teeter totter.

Ladder bridges.

That place is like a playground for bikes.

With plenty of danger.

And lots of my favorite critters.

And probably everyone’s favorite feature, Gravity Cavity.

It was never optional for me.

I would stop there and play longer than I probably should have, and Saturday morning’s ride was no different.

The scenery out there was always great.

The signs out there remind you how simple life can be.

When I finished my ride, I sat at the picnic table and thought about how much that place really means to me as a mountain biker.  The ride made me happy and sad at the same time, and I realized that riding around Charlotte will never be the same.  Although there’s no stopping the closure of this fine trail, no one can ever take away my memories of it.  I’ve ridden every mountain bike I’ve ever owned there, and each ride was a unique experience.

I’ll miss the shitt outta Poplar Tent.

Maybe I can get in one more ride before it’s gone forever.  If you live anywhere near here, you should too.

Not Quite Six Hours

But it was pretty damn fun.  The Last Annual Unofficial Unsanctioned, semi-Alcohol-fueled Six Hours of Poplar Tent was a success, and we had a great time. D-Wayne came down from Winston-Salem and brought along a motley crew of woods riders (to join Little Miss Sunshine and myself), and we rode the shit outta our soon to be lost trail.

The parking lot was packed, no doubt because plenty of people were out there to say their goodbyes to this wonderful place.  I somehow ended up leading the way (probably because it’s my local trail), and we took off like a pack of wild animals.  I didn’t take as many photos as I wanted to, but I did get a few along the way.

Like when we stopped to ride down Devil’s Drop:

We didn’t take a whole lotta breaks at first, but when we did I busted out my camera.  I wanted to remember this ride for a long time.

We rode every loop out there, and it started wearing us down.  It didn’t take long to realize that we probably wouldn’t last six hours out there.  That okay though, because we were having fun.

You know, doing shit like hucking hardtail 29ers off of ladder bridges and junk.

And of course I had to play on the teeter totter.

Instead of taking a lot of pictures of our ride, for some reason I just stared up into the tree canopy to thank the singletrack gods for such an awesome place.

While other people were monkeying around.

After a few hours out there, we were done.  We rolled up to the parking lot, and Mrs. D-Wayne got a photo of us.

We were obviously making up stories about how many awesome things we did out there.

We decided to head out to find some beer and food, but D-Wayne and Mike B went out for another lap.  We rolled over to nearby Taco Mac, and that gave me time to get a head start on the beer drinking.

When D-Wayne finally got there (Mike B mysteriously disappeared into the woods at Poplar), we were already drinking and eating.  He ordered a beer, and didn’t even taste it when he took a sip.

Actually, he took a HUGE sip. 

It was a good day.  Although I will miss the shit outta Poplar Tent, I was glad we all got together to send it off in style.  A couple hours in the saddle, a couple of beers, and shooting the shit with friends (old and new) made the day complete.

So that’s what it’s like to ride bikes for fun, huh?

I guess I’m glad the race season is pretty much over so I can do shit like this now.


Huge thanks to D-Wayne for organizing everything, and also to the folks that rolled down here all the way from the Triad.


It was a ride I won't soon forget.  

I’m So Sad Right Now

Okay, not that sad.

But, it is a dark time here in the Charlotte area.  One of my most favorite of trails, Poplar Tent, will be closing soon.  Everyone around here has been expecting it for some time now, but that didn’t make the news any easier to take.  I found out from someone “in the know”, but it quickly spread to our local club forum.

This sucks…really sucks. 

Poplar tent is the raddest trail around here.  It’s tough, rocky, rooty, and unrefined.  You need to have a little bit of skill when you ride there, but I wouldn’t say that it’s overly difficult.  In fact, it’s about as difficult as you make it.  There are several features out there, including one that I’ve been riding since way back in the days of little wheeled squishy bikes:

Heck, Lunchbox even rode there on his squishy bike back in the day.

I rode it a lot when we moved here to Charlotte, and I can credit that place for helping me develop my skills without having to drive all the way to the mountains.  There is so much cool shit to ride there.

Everyone enjoys that place, including the Dirt Divas.

And the Dirty Party Cycle has accompanied me on many journeys out there:

The saddest part about all of this to me?  I live six miles away.  It only takes me a few minutes to get there, but I still haven’t ridden it as much as I should.  I was there recently just because I knew it would all be over soon.  I figured that we had until the end of the year, but the date has been set to October 1^st.  That is not enough time to enjoy the goodness of one of the best trails here in the Charlotte area.  There has been talk of having a “sending off” ride, and I will definitely get down with that action.  In fact, I think I will make it my go to trail from now until the bitter end.

This weekend’s ride plans have been made, and a trip there is definitely in the cards.  I think I should ride it until my legs can’t take it anymore.  That trail has given me so much over the years, and its time I give back while I still can.  I will miss the shit outta Poplar Tent for sure.

There are plenty of other trails around here to ride, but nothing can replace that singletrack heaven.

I’m so sorry to see it go, but at least I have a little time to say goodbye.

I’ll be there this weekend, and if you’re local, you should too.

These Ladies Have Skills

Yes, it’s back to bicycling. My doggie is doing okay, so hopefully I can stop worrying about her so much. Thanks to those of you that sent e-mails and left comments.


Anyway, Saturday I hung out at one of our local trails, Poplar Tent with a whole bunch of mountain biking women.




It's not like they showed up there because I’m some kind of ladies man though.

It was a Dirt Divas Skills Clinic, which is one of my favorite rides to attend. I somehow got assigned to ride in the advanced group, which really should make me feel good. Instead, I felt all funny that I got to help the ladies with trail features, especially since most of them can probably out ride any man around here.


Our group took off, and I liked the pace (especially since I was on the single speed.) The point of the advanced group was to ride all of the options, and to stop at the features to help the ladies master them.

And master them they did.





Cathi (top photo) and Emily (bottom photo) showed off their rock riding skills.

Every once in a while, the different groups would merge when we stopped at certain features. That was the only way was I able to capture Dirt Diva Melissa showing off her mad skills.




We also rode the teeter totter (not pictured because I had to be a spotter), and that was by far my favorite stopping point. It was fun to hear the ladies giggle when the teeter dropped them down gently. I giggle the same way every time I ride it too.


We worked on everything until they all felt comfortable, and I didn’t mind spending extra time out there to help.


Every rock, root, and drop was tackled.


Doc blindly dropped off of this rooty section, and made it look way too easy.




That gave the rest of the ladies some confidence (because watching guys do this stuff just sucks.)


Here is Emily again showing us how it’s done.




I wish I would’ve taken more photos, but like I said before I was doing a lot of standing around, I mean spotting. There isn’t even one photo of me, mostly because I feel like an ass asking someone to take my picture. I did have a great time though.


The Dirt Divas really put on great rides, and it’s cool the way they encourage women of all abilities to come out and try to improve their skills. I’m very thankful that they allow a few of us smelly boys to come out and play too.


Interested in riding with the Divas? Check out their website and look for the next time they hit the trail.


I’ll be there for sure, as long as they don’t mind.

Finally…A Ride

After getting over the 2011 Death Virus, I managed to drag my ass out on the trail for some bike time. I didn’t have high expectations for a great ride though. I just wanted to get out and pedal in the woods. In lieu of a visit to the doctor, it was just the kind of medicine I needed.




I was still kind of feeling the effects of my sickness, but I knew I needed to get out. I headed over to Poplar Tent, which is really close to the house. With several different loops off of the main trail, it was the perfect place to ride. I could skip the sections I didn’t feel up to, and if I got tired I could cut the ride short and bail. I decided to do a little sightseeing while I was out there, since I wasn’t breaking any personal best records for lap times.

The scenery was good.



There’s lots of danger out there though, including this dead tree:



On the man-made front, there are plenty of obstacles that can be dangerous too (or just plain fun.)

Some I rode:






And some I just didn’t have the energy to do:











I was having some balance issues fresh off my sickness, but I did hit one more thing out there:



And then there was more danger:





One of the best parts about that trail for sure.


There are even non-cycling things to see out there:




Overall, it was good to get back on the bike. I felt like shit though, being hampered by the residual affects of being sick. I took a few short cuts here and there, but still got in a decent amount of mileage. My previously fluid-filled lungs felt fine, but I didn’t really have any power in my legs. That sucked when it came to climbing, and I even ended up walking a few times. It actually felt like I hadn’t been on a bike in months, as opposed to a little over a week. I hope to never be off the bike for any extended period of time.


The only way to go from here is up. Now that I’m on the way to being fully healthy, I can start getting in some good rides this offseason. My knees feel better from the break, and my wrist is even close to being fully healed. I don’t want to take any more time away from riding my bike, so I’ll have to live with what little bit of recovery I had. I guess that means I won’t be visiting a doctor anytime soon. Good call? Only time will tell.