I've heard about a great area in southwestern North Carolina called Dupont State Recreation Area and I have been meaning to make it over that way to see some of the incredible waterfalls and trails I keep hearing about. When I saw REI post a bike tour of this area, it seemed like a great chance to both explore the area with some people that know it well and to try out an activity that I have never been very excited about - mountain biking.
It's a nearly three hour drive to the parking lot where we're suppose to meet and so, I had to get a very early start to be there by the 9:00 am start time. It was a pleasant drive though and once I arrived, the REI guides were very friendly as they walked through their safety protocols and got me set up on their loaner bike. The other participants and I did a quick round robin of introductions and soon we were peddling on the trail.
I used to road bike when I was a teenager, eons ago, and I have a bike on order to get into this activity again, but I've never really been interested in mountain biking as a hobby. I've always felt that if I'm in the woods, I would rather be hiking and going at a pace that I can stop to smell the flowers and become one with my surroundings. The thrill of racing down a hill on a bike is not something I seek any longer. Perhaps, I'm just getting old.
Though we're on wide-tired mountain bikes, this is less of single track and more of gravel/dirt road biking. We cover the first section and meet at a covered bridge overlooking the top of one of the waterfalls. Later, we will ride around to the bottom of this falls, but it's interesting to see it from this view. The water seems to just fall off into nothingness.
After getting use to the gearing of the bike a bit, I feel a little better about the uphills, but my legs are still not conditioned for this and I struggle a bit up some of the steeper inclines. The downhills are fun though and while this is not an adrenaline rush that I would go out of my way to seek, it is enjoyable while I'm here.
The first waterfall we visit is Bridal Veil Falls (one of dozens by such name in the country), but this one is quite spectacular. The creek fans out over a huge chunk of stone and cascades a distance of roughly eighty feet before rejoining at the bottom and continuing on down the creek.
From here, we continue on to another uphill section and I can feel my quads really starting to burn on this one, even in the lowest of my available gears. I find that I can actually walk with the bike up these sections faster than I can peddle up them and so, I do. It probably doesn't help that I did a pretty challenging hike in northern Georgia yesterday. When we get to the top, we are rewarded with an outstanding view of the valleys laid out before us.
Peddling through the next section, I find my body doing much the same. The uphills are really starting to kill me and I find myself walking up them more and more. When we reach our next and final stop, we park the bikes and head down a short trail and set of wooden steps to reach the base of one of the falls of Triple Falls. These are fairly impressive waterfalls flowing over a series of rock banks dropping the river a total of a hundred and fifty feet or so. It's a gorgeous view.
Now heading back towards the parking lot after our three-hour or so excursion, my legs are done and I find myself having to walk up the most shallow hills along the way. The guides are helpful though and slow the pace for those of struggling. Luckily, I'm not the only one. Finally, we arrive back at the parking lot and remove our helmets and gear. I thank the guides for a great experience. They were fantastic, but after this little adventure, I'm even more convinced that mountain biking is not an activity for me. I'll stick to the flatter surfaces of road bikes. We did manage to put in 12.9 miles on this short outing and it was definitely a scenic area. Perhaps, I will return to do some hiking here at some point.
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