Last week's adventure was up in Dawson Forest, the site of the Georgia Nuclear Aircraft Laboratory. They have about 20 miles of trails up there that are singletrack and doubletrack. Renee and I took our bikes and loaded up the trail map using MTB Project. It was a really hot day and we went in the early afternoon, so it was scorching. I will say that the place, given its history, has a weird vibe. They could've filmed an X-files episode here. Also, a woman was also abducted and murdered out there. Yikes!
Renee decided to go on foot and leave the bike behind so I went ahead on recon on the Red trail. It was wide-open powerline riding for about a half-mile then Renee decided to turn around because it was too exposed. The sun was beating down on us so we headed back to the parking lot and did the Orange trail, heading west. It was a good sustained climb out and plenty of equestrian "evidence" was about. Trail treasures? Jungle-like conditions and trails were muddy but not sloppy, which is surprising considering how rainy our summer has been. (This same section proved to be an amazingly fun downhill run when we doubled back a few hours later.) I was staying aerobic today so there was a lot of hiking since I was riding the SS Jabber. My legs were feeling achy and dead, like they have been for the past several weeks. I'm hoping that my all-aerobic training will help my nagging back and knee injury and to help me start to feel more fresh in general.
Eventually we came to a marshland that had a wildlife-viewing shack. It was a neat spot.
Took a leisurely pace from there and didn't stray too far from Renee since this was our first time out. We came to a few nice wooded spots and some decent singletrack. The place used to be a military base essentially so there were also paved roads that led to nowhere. Nice and creepy! (I have a fascination for old, abandoned locations.) Apparently they used a railroad system to transport radioactive devices back in the 50s. There are a few buildings still left standing, one of which is called the "hot-cell" and is easily visible near the trailhead. . It is buried in concrete and is considered safe, so who knows...Eventually we came to the Green Trail and decided to turn back since we had been out there for about 3 hours total and the heat was taking its toll. Worth noting is that today's endeavor was pretty much done with no caloric support and neither of us felt hungry after Renee's awesome Paleo wraps we had for breakfast. Hit her up for the recipe!
This was a good ride and has a lot of mileage to offer without any repeats. Dawson Forest WMA is a really remote area and if you like to hike, run or bike alone, this is your spot. Best to have MTB Project handy as some of the trail intersections are confusing the first time. I am eager to explore more of the trail system. It's definitely not the most scenic place to visit but if you are looking for a lot of base miles and some moderate climbing for your next ultramarathon or 6-hour mountain bike race, Dawson Forest WMA is a good choice.
Renee decided to go on foot and leave the bike behind so I went ahead on recon on the Red trail. It was wide-open powerline riding for about a half-mile then Renee decided to turn around because it was too exposed. The sun was beating down on us so we headed back to the parking lot and did the Orange trail, heading west. It was a good sustained climb out and plenty of equestrian "evidence" was about. Trail treasures? Jungle-like conditions and trails were muddy but not sloppy, which is surprising considering how rainy our summer has been. (This same section proved to be an amazingly fun downhill run when we doubled back a few hours later.) I was staying aerobic today so there was a lot of hiking since I was riding the SS Jabber. My legs were feeling achy and dead, like they have been for the past several weeks. I'm hoping that my all-aerobic training will help my nagging back and knee injury and to help me start to feel more fresh in general.
Eventually we came to a marshland that had a wildlife-viewing shack. It was a neat spot.
Took a leisurely pace from there and didn't stray too far from Renee since this was our first time out. We came to a few nice wooded spots and some decent singletrack. The place used to be a military base essentially so there were also paved roads that led to nowhere. Nice and creepy! (I have a fascination for old, abandoned locations.) Apparently they used a railroad system to transport radioactive devices back in the 50s. There are a few buildings still left standing, one of which is called the "hot-cell" and is easily visible near the trailhead. . It is buried in concrete and is considered safe, so who knows...Eventually we came to the Green Trail and decided to turn back since we had been out there for about 3 hours total and the heat was taking its toll. Worth noting is that today's endeavor was pretty much done with no caloric support and neither of us felt hungry after Renee's awesome Paleo wraps we had for breakfast. Hit her up for the recipe!
This was a good ride and has a lot of mileage to offer without any repeats. Dawson Forest WMA is a really remote area and if you like to hike, run or bike alone, this is your spot. Best to have MTB Project handy as some of the trail intersections are confusing the first time. I am eager to explore more of the trail system. It's definitely not the most scenic place to visit but if you are looking for a lot of base miles and some moderate climbing for your next ultramarathon or 6-hour mountain bike race, Dawson Forest WMA is a good choice.
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| Marshland |
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