All Play and No Work

Friday MTB Ride:
Fisherman's > Trace Ridge > Spencer Gap > Spencer Branch > Fletcher Creek > Never Ending Rd. > Middle Fork > Spencer Branch > Hendersonville Reservoir Rd. > Trace Ridge > Fisherman's

I'd never climbed Lower Trace before and other than one very short push it was easy spinning. The upper stretch of Trace Ridge isn't a bad climb either. Sure it gets steep a couple of times but I made it to Spencer Gap just 40 minutes after leaving my truck down at the campground. The Spencer Gap downhill is too much fun and after that I had a good time fooling around on Fletcher and Middle Fork. Not a bad way to spend a couple of hours after work getting ready for a long weekend!

Wildlife:


Flowers on Fletcher:


Saturday: Just another roadie:


Sunday Dog Walk:
Cat Gap > Art Loeb > Cedar Rock > ??? > Art Loeb > Butter Gap > Cat Gap



We found the old trail that goes to the top of Cedar Rock Mtn. without a problem. There were even some old blazes to help guide us along:



We stopped and checked out the views a few times on the way up:



Proof we made it to the top:



The forest was very busy with users all weekend but we had the top of this mountain to ourselves and hung out for an extended lunch break:











On the way down the trail was faint at best and we followed some old flagging tape for awhile. There were more views and rocks as we worked our way down:



Eventually we lost the trail and flagging tape and it turned into an all out bushwhack through some very dense brush. With the Art Loeb circling the rock there was really no way we would not hit the trail so we just pushed on through. When we got to the Butter Gap shelter I was dismayed to see trash strewn all around. There were beer cans, aluminum foil and all types of stuff everywhere so I stopped and cleaned it all up. Someone had also pulled the pipe out of the spring and I tried my best to get get it back in but wasn't able to. I don't understand how someone can vandalize a National Forest while out for a hike. Oh, well the trash is gone and I'm sure someone will get the pipe back in.

Monday Kayak Trip:
10 miles down the French Broad from Rosman to Island Ford. Many thanks to Headwaters Outfitters!