Noontootla

Pic taken by Duckman.More Here

Weather was rainy last week so I decided to ride some forest service roads and avoid the mud. Since Amy was out of town, I posted my ride idea on the sorba website's rides forum. I have tried this a couple times before and have never gotten any takers. The stars must have aligned this week though because there were probably twenty people that show up on Saturday. I couldn't believe it.

I had a great time meeting a bunch of new riders and chatting with some old friends. It is so much fun to share a ride with others. Combined with the ride I did last week I can't remember when I have enjoyed riding my bike more.

The route I chose was new to me. I saw it a long time ago in Alex Nutt's book Mountain Biking Georgia, but I never got around to riding it. I have been missing out.

We started our ride from the church on Doublehead Gap Rd and rode south on FR 58 up to Winding Stair Gap. The climb followed Noontootla Creek where the ride gets its name. The climb is slow and easy. The views of the creek are spectacular. This climb is so much easier then coming up FR 77 from the other side.

Once at Winding Stair Gap, we headed east on FR 42 to Hightower Gap. Most of this part of the ride was downhill. I was in my biggest gear pedaling with all I had to try and keep up with the group. For a little while I was able to ride behind mama and try to copy her line. It was very educational.

Once we hit Hightower Gap we took FR 69 north. We traveled past a beautiful lake, a recreation area with bathrooms, a fish hatchery, and another church. The lake was beautiful. I would love to spend a day sitting on it's banks with a cane pole and a cooler of beer. The fish hatchery also looked pretty cool. I need to find out if I can get a tour of that place.

Finally we turned west on FR 248/ FR 333 back to DoubleHead Gap Rd. This part of the route was a little muddy but not too bad. There was one real big mud pit right before we got back on the road. I should have carried my bike like others did. It was so much fun trying to stay upright while my tire spun around that I couldn't resist.

Once we got back on the road the sun was out and it felt really good. There was a little climb back to the car and my legs ached. I guess I got my money's worth.