Yesterday, a bud and I got together to try and go up into whats a locals play ground for offroad. Basically about the only area thats survived the forest service closing it down, like the very nearby Tellico RV area(we're just over the state line in NC). Theres private land, plus Indian res lands there.
Anyways, no signs or anything. Just gotta know where the chit goes. We met at the end of the pavement down low at 2200' altitude. I trucked my 05 Gasser 450. He rode over from the old Tellico RV area where he grew up riding at.
After trying to go up one way thats was supposed to be the easier way to the top, we were soon stopped by a huge deadfall. So we went to plan B, and went up (we planned to come down it instead) whats considered the toughest in the area, by the locals. Called Squally Creek. Onward. This ain't so tough..
As we climbed, it quickly deteriorated into a steep wet slick rocky techy climb. One where if you stopped, you instantly was stuck. Can't forget we're in the mtns and its barely March. Everything's wet, frozen (slick arse freeze thaw up higher), boulders, with water flowing down the old road bed in many places. This was one of the few tamer areas where we could stop for break.Hard to get pics of the hard stuff, since we're too busy not-crashing.
Same spot as above pic. Looking back down from where we came.
One spot, as my bike was seemingly hopelessly stuck between 2 mud-slick boulders..the chain was hitting one of the rocks, and thru my chain(as the bike was still wedged). Luckily, we managed to roll the bike backward and got the chain back on(I had no axle tools). This is from just above spot, as Wayne came hiking back down, from Scouting the next section. We're not quite sure exactly where we are. Altho his GPS said were at the NC/Tenn line, below the Cherohala skyway.
At the top of Squally, theres an area the locals call the "play ground", which is where the old road became impassable yrs ago, and now one has to bushwack up the mtn via any number of hopeless steep slick routes. We almost didn't make it up this. My bike has showroom gearing, plus its 1st gear is "MX tall"-ish, so it was a handful. We're fighting my bike atm.. Thats an old dog box in the middle of pic. I dunno..
Were getting up there.. But its also getting later in the day. We packed for the possibility of getting lost. Food, water and filter, lightweight tarp, fire, flash lights, extra layers, para cord, etc. Cause ya never know...
Onward tho! This is STFU the fall-line. Momentum was the only way. All the while trying not to pinch flat, overheat, stall, fall, fry a clutch whatever.
This is all slick arse mud. That was hard to walk up, leave alone ride up. Momentum...
More to come..