1206 > Laurel Mtn. > MTS > BRP > Big Creek > 197 > 5000 > 1206
Starting in complete darkness I had Yellow Gap Rd. all too myself and I was free to just let my mind wander. By the time I made the turn onto the single track dawn was just breaking and the forest slowly started to come back to life. I still needed my light in all the rhodo tunnels and with all the flowers it made for quite a surreal experience. Before long it was completely light out but I wasn't able to see the sun until I got near the top.
I walked almost every inch of the 'gnome' section of Laurel to the parkway because I wasn't in a hurry and was just enjoying being out in the woods by myself.
Downhill from here:
Big Creek is one of my favorite trails and it is also one of my most loathed trails. I love the downhill at the top but the bottom three miles just might be the flatest in all of Pisgah and make for a slow slog on a single speed. Check out the new sign at the top:
Seasonal for horses? I think what they mean is part of the trail is open to horses. it would be nice if it was all open to them though as there are a lot of trees down that really kill the flow and the equestrians often carry saws.
Up on the parkway I had spotted what looked like big piles of ice and sure enough it was:
Hail, and lots of it. I never thought I'd be riding down Big Creek on ice in June but sure enough I was. It was literally a foot deep at times:
Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina in the morning!
that hail is crazy. Lucky. you were not under it as it fell from the sky.
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