I drove up a couple hours in advance and rode the one trail in the park that is open to mountain bikes- a 6.6 mile climb from the campground up to a fire tower at 3300 feet overlooking Brushy Mountain State Prison and the big mountains that surround it. This trail will be part of my big point-to-point adventure ride I mentioned in a previous post.
The first three or so miles are very steep, but lots of scenic creeks and views.
About half way up I ran across something not many people will ever get to see- a Bobcat. Growing up I had run across their tracks many times hunting with my dad, but I pretty much assumed I would never actually see one. The bobcat is nocturnal and a live sighting is quite rare.
He was right in front of me when we spooked each other. He ran right up the road a bit and by the time I dug my camera out he was a good ways up the road. I squeezed off a shot, but in the excitement I ended up with a blurry mess. Now I know why no one seems to get a good picture of Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster.
Even though it was in the fifties down at the campground, the shaded areas near the top still had a good bit of snow from the days before. The puddles were still semi-frozen and it was getting way too cold for the t-shirt and shorts I had on.
I turned around about a half mile from the top. It was cold and I had run out of time. The descent a blast. Not may trails around here give you such a long continuous downhill.
The rest of the afternoon was spent having fun with the kids. As witnessed below, it's about impossible to get three kids to look at a camera at once.
The play ground is right next to the creek. Molly action shot!
The park is full of short hikes with lots of landforms.
Rare animal sighting #2. Another nocturnal predator that you won't spot very often.
Great afternoon spent with the family.
Hopefully my next ride will from my childhood stomping grounds, Whites Creek, looking for a connector to the Black Mountain area. Another unexplored section of my adventure epic.
