Tsali

[littlegrasshopp]

We just returned from 4 days in Tsali, NC. I don't know if it's a well known biking destination or not so I'll give details. It's just inside the smokey mountains and has miles and miles of single track by Fontana Lake. Thompson is a 1 1/2 mile smooth down hill that is just AMAZING!! We had a lot of fun but my first day was horrible!! We put a set of used hayes brakes on the bike and the first thing they did was lose a screw and slide into my shifters so that I couldn't shift my front chain ring to an easier gear. I was in the middle at the bottom of a big climb and decided I needed to go to granny - couldn't - so I thought maybe I needed to shift up and then down. Sometimes my bike will get picky like that...so I shifted up to my third ring and got STUCK THERE! It was a long, HARD climb. I was hoping the group I was steadily falling off the back of would wait somewhere close by but no luck....I had to ride several more hills that way - until my legs finally bonked and I walked. Finally DF came for me. He fixed the brakes (we thought) and we were off again. THIS TIME I had hardly ANY BRAKES!!!! Both sides were bottoming out and I wasn't coming to anything resembling a stop. Again the group was gone - so I had to get the death machine stopped and walk the hills until I got to the next break and could tell them what was going on. I don't think DF believed me until he touched the bike. He got so mad he was cussing!! So we short cutted out that day and switched the bike over. At that point I didn't care if I ever got on a bike again!! All I could think about was the huge cliffs and ledges I was riding beside as I was trying to figure out how to get the thing to stop!! I was scared that if I fell over the trail wasn't wide enough and I'd be off the side of the mountain. I finally fell INTO the mountain and that stopped me okay.

The next day was much better. I was terrified!!!! We had a rider that was on her second time on a bike. She was determined to ride, so we put on person in front of her and me behind her and we rode at her comfortable pace and the front person told her to shift up, down, roll through, get off and walk, all the techincal stuff and I reminded her to look ahead - pedal a little faster to straighten her wheel out, shift back up to a harder gear after down hills....all that stuff. oh and BREATH!! Just having to call it out to another person and having someone else to worry about helped me a LOT!! By the time the fast group lapped us I was ready to ride faster and over most of my fear. That's when we hit the down hill!!! Tons of fun!!!

The best part....our 3 year old Lab had her first camping trip and trail dog trip. She did perfectly!!!! Even ran 17 miles her last day out and was as eager to go at the end as at the beginning!! She stayed right behind the bike, no matter what happened. A natural trail dog!! We had a blast with her!!!

When we get pics I'll post some - if people want to see them...

[Nanci]

I love Tsali! I love how FAST the riding is. Lake Fontana is beautiful. From the campground, you can do a short bike ride to the lake to go swimming, if you're there in the hot summer. Or hike on a little trail to the water to see wildlife in the evening. Everyone there has always been so friendly! Before I switched to the Dark Side, I used to go to Tsali once or twice a year for a week.

[emily_in_nc]

I would love to see your Tsali pictures, littlegrasshop! My (advanced) mountain bike buddy goes there a lot -- he went the weekend before you, in fact -- and he keeps telling me there are trails there even I could ride. Hard to imagine, but nice of him to say. Since my DH isn't much into mtb, it probably won't happen, but we might go hiking there someday anyway, since DH is really into hiking.

On a slightly different topic, I am finally going to brave Crabtree again tomorrow - first time since my fall. Wish me luck and strength. I would love not to fall this time, but if I do fall, maybe this time it will be at slow speed and I won't hit my head and have to buy a new helmet!

Emily

[Nanci]

Emily, is your husband into trout fishing or kayaking? They have that there. You could for sure ride the trails at Tsali. They are _very_ nice.

[Nanci]

Very typical Tsali:

[Nanci]

try again:

[littlegrasshopp]

I thought most of the trails were easy to ride. Mostly smooth rolling hills. The only problem in the fall is that they're wet a lot. Seems like they haven't been upkept very well. Some trails have a lot of mud puddles. In fact, we rode into one that felt like diving into a swimming pool! :) About half our group went that route....we were a soaked group, but cleaner than when we went INTO the puddle. I think you'd be able to ride it pretty easily. The only thing that really made me nervous, after the brake issue was fixed is the ledge. Sometimes there isn't a lot of brush between you and clean air...lots of clean air! I don't remember anything technical though. Hopefully you'll get to go someday though.

Good luck with Crabtree!! I'm going tonight - I'll be thinking about you!

[Nanci]

Probably the horse traffic is hard on the trails. I know horse people get defensive when you say that- but I've trail-ridden my whole life- I know what they do to wet trails.

[littlegrasshopp]

I'd have to agree with you but also, the trails are not built to drain well at all! They've not gone back in and built in any drainage either. We're hoping that they would be interested in setting up work days like we have in this area. (and I'm sure everyone else does too). Some of the trails are seriously muddy - days after a rain. But, even with the mud, it's a GREAT place to go!! I'd go back this weekend, if I could :) Still trying to get pictures to post...

[emily_in_nc]

Emily, is your husband into trout fishing or kayaking? They have that there. You could for sure ride the trails at Tsali. They are _very_ nice.

We both kayak and hike - but only I mountain bike. Well, he might if the trails were like your picture. That looks great! Much easier than root-filled Crabtree!

By the way, I managed to stay upright at Crabtree tonight!!! :D I walked a few short sections when there were switchbacks, roots, and hills simultaneously (I can do two of the three but not all three at once), but I never fell, and parts of the time, I was actually having fun! It's going to take a lot more practice, but I did better on the turns than last time and felt a lot more confident than my first time out.

Those roots really are nasty, though!!

Emily

[emily_in_nc]

Good luck with Crabtree!! I'm going tonight - I'll be thinking about you!

Neat! When were you there? We started around 5:10 and rode until about 6:20. We did all the trails at least once. At one point there were a bunch of riders crowded at the top of a pretty good hill where to the left is a multi-log jump, and to the right is a couple of rooty ledges. Two women got stopped going up and had to get going on the hill again. Were you one of them? If so, I was the woman up top with all the guys (waiting my turn to go down - my friend had already gone). I saw a couple of other gals riding with guys, but it was mostly guys out there, so I might have seen you! :D

Hope you had a good ride!

Emily

[littlegrasshopp]

we didn't get riding til after 6. Slow group to get moving :) It was 2 girls and her man. We saw the huge group, I think but we saw them on the wide jeep road parts. I probably did see you there :) Glad you had fun!! My little nephew finally learned how to ride a bike with out training wheels...he called to tell me and said "it's almost like playing now!" That's what I think about when a trail is kicking my butt! ha!!

[emily_in_nc]

we didn't get riding til after 6. Slow group to get moving :) It was 2 girls and her man. We saw the huge group, I think but we saw them on the wide jeep road parts. I probably did see you there :) Glad you had fun!! My little nephew finally learned how to ride a bike with out training wheels...he called to tell me and said "it's almost like playing now!" That's what I think about when a trail is kicking my butt! ha!!

Where are the wide jeep road parts? Are you talking about Umstead instead of Crabtree? As far as I know, Crabtree is all single track (and paved roads). Umstead, which I've ridden many times, has got fire roads and a nice double track (Turkey Run) trail, which I can ride fine. That's where I was riding this summer before I "graduated" to Crabtree! You can access the fire roads at Umstead from the lake trail at Crabtree, so maybe you were on that part before hitting the Crabtree trails??

Glad you had a fun ride. Too bad it's starting to get dark so much earlier. Fall is here.... :(

Emily