Finally got up the gumption to go up to Snake Creek Gap for some hardcore mountain biking after hearing about how treacherous it was for a year. The treachery wasn't overstated. It was like battling for 30 minutes just to go 100 yards. Rocks the size of goat heads for a solid mile it seemed. First half hour on the trail was spent exploring what turned out to be non-biking trails. I finally found the proper Pinhoti trail after hiking up an awful ridge up to the radio towers (next time take the gravel road up.) Now onto to some rolling ridgeline singletrack! I started to grin at this point but it didn't last long. Next was the infamous mile-long section of rocks. This is the most technical biking I've ever done. It was rough going but oddly toward the end of the day when I was really tired, I was biking over this technical stuff with more skill. After this was more technical downhill and climbing. So much unending climbing out there it seemed. A lot of hike-a-bike. I dismounted probably 100 times today and cursed about 50 times. I only made it to Hurricane Mtn, about 6 miles from the beginning, then decided it was time to double back before getting out too far. Good thing because I bonked pretty hard. I am curious to see the rest of Snake Creek, maybe one day. I was elated to be back at the car. Glad to be done but couldn't wait to get back out there.
First year doing the Allatoona Creek race. Missed it last year because I had a duathlon on the same day. This course is sneakily difficult with the most challenging being the Mason's Bridge section. On a bike, it's easier and more fun because you can roll through all the dips but running through those is really tough. There aren't very many climbs and no big hills but that course is a grinder. There was a torrential rainfall a few days before the race so the first 3 miles was a mud run through open cross-country. I really liked this part though felt I got off to a slow start. Pacing is so difficult because I don't know how much energy I need to spare. Feet were wet out of the gate but it was no big deal. There's a twisted part of me that prefers adverse conditions. Went in to the singletrack section at Rusty Bucket and shuffled through twisty sections, not very fast through there. In fact, I felt leaden the entire race. I had ran the da...