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I am relatively new to this Dual Sport stuff. My last experience with an off-road bike was a TT500 Single Yamaha….a four-stroke single with gobs of torque. More than I could handle then, and the reason I did not touch anything with knobs on it until just recently... I kept falling down and getting beat up. Riding the TT was like riding a bull with a bad attitude. We did not get along. Then I met Russ, who led to my most recent passion: dirt. Russ was kindly willing to put me on his beloved Trans Alp and let me follow him down a couple of dirt roads. He was very patient; I was mostly worried about being the one who cracked the plastic on his pristine machine. At first it was a little shaky but I found with a little time and advice from Russ, I could at least not embarrass myself too much. (I never dropped his bike…good thing…have you seen how big Russ is?)
I later moved from the Trans Alp to his XR650 and found a home. Liked it so much that when I got the chance to get one of my own, I jumped at it. My XR is an ugly utility beast. I like it because it looks better dirty than clean, a plus in my book. It also has lots of goodies like a 675 kit, plus a performance cam, exhaust, valves and other items worth more than I paid for the bike. It’s me, I like it. It’s rude. Since then, I have been looking for dirt roads and trails to ride and share. Once again, Russ has been the man. If you ever ride with Russ in a car, you’ll find he spots dirt roads like some people look at a good-looking__________ (fill in your gender preference here). “Look at that! Wonder where that goes?” is the usual sigh. Here are my reports of the first three OHV parks Russ and I have scouted.
Enoree State Park OHV http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/fms/rec/EnoreeOHV.pdf
Enoree State Park is almost exactly 100 miles down I-26 into South Carolina. We went on a Monday and found only one group there, confirming that the best time to go to these parks is during the week if your schedule allows and you like un-crowded trails. Weekends are packed. Enoree offers ample parking for trailers, and lots of trail choices. Most of the trails are wide enough for four-wheelers but a few are narrow and tight and a big bike is a little tough to maneuver. I made one move when I came out of a tight berm, hit a steep hump and came down in an off-camber right hander. I fell down, and had to drag my foot out from under, but nothing broke. It was a very elegant get- off, I’m sure. I‘m just sorry there was no one there to witness it.
The official report: Enoree is fun and well laid out…..there ain’t a lot of climbing, but remember it is South Carolina, and ours is the Carolina blessed with the mountains. The trails here are full of berm shots, packed dirt and some sandy soil. It was dry when we were there so there was no mud to contend with. Enoree was a great place to start our tour. Fast and fun. Way worth its five-buck fee. Be sure to stop on the way and pick up supplies including deep-fried peanuts. Eat ‘em shell and all.
Brown Mountain http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/recreation/brown_mountain_orv.pdf
Our second adventure, Brown Mountain, is just outside of Lenoir. Takes about an hour to get there, more if you stop for lunch. Before you get to the park, you have to buy a permit from one of the vendors listed on the website. Pick up supplies for the day while you’re at it. The trails are a little more up and down that Enoree on the easiest trails, and a whole lot more difficult on the advanced stuff. We went just after a rain and there were a few muddy sections – not difficult, but adequate to draw “yep, they’ve been off road” knowing looks from folks as you pass them on the way back home.
When we got to Brown Mountain, I wasn’t too sure what “advanced” means. My friend Jody Martin told me later that it’s someplace you can get stuck. We headed down one such trail. Rocky... muddy... roots. Steep sliding and fun until we found the rock face. Hmmmm, the rock face….. How do you make this and where do you go if you make it up there? It was wet and a little tight. It looked like you have to come at it with some speed, make a really sharp right and cross the stone up the middle. Or... no... you go across to the right down low and get on the upper edge and stay on the gas. No….you turn around and head back the way you came.
Now, this is a first for the two of us and our not-so-knobby tires. Steep mud and easy to go down – but up? Yep. It was a challenge. Up one hill. Wham! Pick the bike up. Up another hill. Splat! Pick the bike up Push the bike up to the top and ride 20 feet and pick the bike up. : laughing all the way and getting muddy and tired. It took 20 minutes to get down but an hour or so to get back up. We made it and decided that we would return one day to kick its ass when we were a little more experienced.
Riding for a few more hours we found the trails a little easier on the not so advanced trail. It was then that we started picking up speed and pushing the berm shots. A few good jumps and smooth landings. Back down the hill and to the truck. Warm sun and water. Nice ride. All in all, I would like to return to the bottom side one day and figure out how to make that crossing on the rock face. The trails were definitely more challenging than Enoree and a lot of fun even when we got stuck and had to pick up bikes and shove them around. Not bad for the second time out. Fell a few times but no damage to either of us or the bikes. Good time. Great fun.
Wayehutta – http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/recreation/tayloratv.pdf
The Roy Taylor ATV Park or Worry Hut ? Who Knows? Russ called in sick on a Monday and picked me up. The Roy Taylor ATV park is out near Cullowhee. Takes about an hour if you take your time. Hopefully, you will meet the caretaker. Neither Russ nor I can remember his name, but he is surely entertaining and talkative, and a volunteer. In fact the whole park is maintained by a volunteer group so leave a little extra cash in the envelope when you sign in.
The trails are a well laid out and wide for four wheelers. There are some challenges but mostly because it’s rocky and hilly. Nothing too difficult. Now that may mean I’ve been getting better but maybe not who knows? Russ had fun because riding a trail instead of gravel roads is right up his alley. He also liked not working and talking to his new found friend at the entrance. My XR lost its rear brakes. Again. The first time was out in Stecoah with Russ and Jerry McNair. It’s not easy doing a steep down hill without rear brakes. I had brake fluid left over from the Stecoah ride and we did a quick brake bleed. It got so hot that the fluid was steaming, obviously contaminated with some moisture. A few ups and downs and “big air” which no one caught on a camera. But it was “big” and we were in the “air” –I promise. So far, I gotta say that Brown Mountain is my favorite, but Worry Hut is close and fun too!
There are a few more OHV within a 100-mile radius and I’ll let you know about them later. And stay tuned. In my next report, I’ll tell you about the ass-kicking “Dual Sport Rally” that was really a mud infested Enduro at Renfro Valley. |
