Welcome!

And Thanks for visiting my blog. As you read you will learn what you need to know about the trails in the east Tennessee area. Be sure to check out this cool video.

Haw Ridge

I was recommended by another classmate to make a trip to Haw Ridge Park and I enjoyed every minute of the ride. The 780-acre peninsula, originally owned by TVA, is now a favorite place for hikers, trail runners, and mountain bikers. From the University of Tennessee you take I-75 west to Pellisippi Parkway after a couple turns and twenty-five minutes of driving time, you arrive at a parking lot on the edge of the Clinch River.

I turned in the parking lot, the sun in the middle of the sky, I became anxious because I knew this might be as good as Raccoon mountain. I checked out the trail map near the parking lot. As you see from this trail map, there are plenty of different trails to ride.

The trails by the lake offer 7.5 miles of easy singletrack, but I came here to challenge myself, so I decided to enter the trail off Old Edgemore Road. I got my stuff together, shoes, water, trail map and camelback and hopped on my bike and took the trail that tunnels me up into the dark green unknown.

I quickly found out that the entrance fee to Haw Ridge is the hill at the beginning. I started peddling uphill and what seemed to be an eternity, I found myself half way up the hill, lungs sucking any oxygen they could find, legs shaking, and “tunneling”. “Tunneling” is term that bikers use referring to tunnel vision or when you lose your peripheral vision because of overworking your body. The severity of this is based on your health. A healthy rider probably wouldn’t experience this as much on this trail but I have been out of the game recently and it quickly hit me.

I try my best to concentrate, focusing on your smoothest route, being sure not to turn too sharp and maintaining a speed that is comfortable, but this is not always easy to do. When rocks get in your path, you have to reach deep for acceleration so the tires can easily roll over them. In the lowest gear the bike can go, my feet are pedaling at a high rpm while my tires are barely moving. It seems like forever and you think your not going anywhere but you have to ignore the easy option to quit. I kept my head down and as soon as I saw the slope in front of me, I gave up. It was too sharp and I was out of breath but happy for what I had accomplished.

At the top I had to take a break. I was drenched in sweat and decided to stretch my legs. Like any other sport stretching is a necessity, otherwise you lose mobility and you’re sore the next day. As soon as I hopped on my bike, I made a turn onto “Saddle,” a trail that follows a creek downhill into the middle of the park. The run was just what I needed: fun and fast, crisscrossing a creek that splashed my legs with a cooling spray of ice water.

I eventually made it up an expert trail and found a trail called “rollercoaster.” The name had struck me earlier and was

looking forward to it. At the trailhead I was nervous, I usually don’t do experts but there was no time to second guess, I clipped my shoes and pedals and went for it. Before I knew it I was speeding down a couple turns, gathering speed by the minute. Then I hit what is my favorite section to this day. The trail cut back, the turns had banking measuring the same degrees as the Daytona 500 track. I made another turn and

felt like I was parallel to the ground, and then hit the first uphill, launching into the air for a brief moment, I knew to keep my weight back and spot my landing. Landing perfectly on the down slope, I accelerated and hit the next uphill with even more speed. My stomach tingled as I was defying gravity with both wheels in the air; I felt a heavenly sensation like nothing else before. Landing, I h

it at least twenty-five miles per hour, accelerating, uphill, jump, weight back, spot the landing, perfect. I did it again, my breathing steadied, I felt some type of mind and body “high,” and I couldn’t help but sing “Roller Coaster of Love” by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. SmiliSmiling and laughing in the face of danger, before I knew, it was over. I deemed it the greatest mile I had ever ridden. I took a deep breath, realized I could have easily died with a single mistake, and continued down to the south where I could connect to a trail to take me west along the lake back to the parking lot.

Back at my car I stretched, relaxed and thought about my ride. It was great, the ‘entrance fee’ is a little rough but you sure do get it back especially if you make it on the roller coaster trail. I jumped in my car, turned up the AC and felt great after another successful mountain bike ride.

I recommend Haw Ridge just as much as Raccoon Mountain, they are about the same size have wonderful trails that give each park their own personality. I do recommend grabbing a trail map for Haw Ridge, some trails aren’t marked and there are a lot of them, enough to get you mixed up and lost for maybe even a few hours. All in all Haw Ridge is perfect for every level of rider and should be maintained to keep its full potential.

Raccoon Mountain: Switchyard

I traveled back to the beautiful Raccoon mountain in Chattanooga to check out some of the trails I had did not have time for during my first ride. I went up the mountain on a sunny Sunday morning and turned into the parking lot beside the switchyard. If you don’t know what this is, you can always tell because there is a constant buzzing from the flow of electricity. As I got my stufftogether and hopped on my bike, the sound reminded me of my body buzzing with adrenaline, I was more than ready and I knew raccoon couldn’t disappoint.

I jumped an intermediate trail called “switchyard,” immediately hit a downhill and was off. The trail was a perfect singletrack, clearly used very often because the dirt was packed, no fallen trees, and no constricting underbrush. The trail was perfectly constructed, the turns had banking for fastpaced turns while the trees were close enough to keep you on your feet but far enough to keep it safe. I kept pedaling, keeping my speed around fifteen to twenty miles per hour. This is key for these kinds of trails, if you remember back to your high school physics class the principal called the conservation of angular momentum increases with speed, therefore the faster you go the easier it is to keep control of your balance and direction. This principal is hard for beginners because they don’t trust themselves with a high level of velocity.

I kept pedaling, maintaining high speeds through the trail. Shifting my weight over my bike, I could make small adjustments to my direction without my handlebars. My mind and body became harmonious, I heard trees blow by as I flew inches away, flirting with disaster. I stayed focused dealing with each turn individually, letting the air cool me

down, and my brain do the calculations. It is all about timing I reminded myself, when to turn, brake, and accelerate. I shot down another turn, feeling unstoppable when I hit the brakes. It was the view in front of me that I couldn’t look away from.

"Dirty South"

My next place to conquer was a place called “The Dirty South.” From campus you cross the river on Knoxville blvd. going south and turn onto Island Home Avenue where you run into a place to park at the Ijams wildlife center. Parking is great because it is safe and there are bathrooms available in the building. I got all my stuff on and was ready to ride. I knew not to expect much because I was told the trail was still under development, regardless I wanted to check it out.

I jumped on a paved trail, which was part of the Greenway that travels through the city. It was a great two-mile warm-up but I was ready to get on the dirt. At the end of the paved greenway were two dirt trails, nearly covered by thick underbrush. I chose the right trail and shot down the rocky trail. The entire half-mile was made up of avoiding overgrown plants, most of which were unavoidable. As a mountain biker in these overgrown trials, you have to succumb to the overpowering plants, it is their home anyways. There are two things that one must do to avoid the plants getting the best of you. First eye protection is key; a simple pair of sunglasses protects your eyes at all times. Secondly you need to check yourself for ticks and other insects that can get a hold of you. Ticks can look like specs of dirt, so double-checking is required. (Also watch out for those thorns!)

I shot down the first trail and stopped as soon as I got to what seemed to be an old gravel road. I took the road east until it became impassable from tall thick grass. I then turned around and found another downhill trail. I fallowed it for another mile, through a farm and ended up back on the Greenway. I went up for another loop, this time taking the left trail and heading the opposite direction.

The “Dirty South” is a trail full of potential. There is a lot of room for improvement like trail signs, and some trail maintenance like clearing vegetation. These improvements could really put this trail up in the rankings. Unfortunately the as of right now I cannot recommend this trail over IC King, Raccoon, or Haw Ridge.

Welcome!

And Thanks for visiting my blog. As you read you will learn what you need to know about the trails in the east Tennessee area. Be sure to check out this cool video.

I.C. King Park is in a wonderful location right outside the University of Tennessee. It is just a short drive up Alcoa highway, but I did have a little bit of difficulty finding the place. I drove past and went in the western exit, and I immediately found myself stuck at a gate. I took a second to look it up on a GPS.

Fallowing the GPS’s instructions, I got back in my car, drove for ten more minutes and ended up in a cul-de-sac. All I could think was that I was never going to find this place. Fortunately as I passed the first entrance, I saw a small brown sign that said “I.C. King Park,” I hit the brakes and turned into a little parking lot. THANK GOD! The last thing I wanted was to get myself really excited and not even ride the trail. So a little advice before going to I.C. King, is that unfortunately you’re not going to be able to rely on the otherwise “trusty” technology that we have today.

To the west of the parking lot is a pretty big blue lake that is overshadowed by mountains of green trees. The sun was up in the middle of the sky, beaming down, heating the air to at least 92 degrees. The blue water looked exceptionally refreshing, I told myself I was definitely going to jump in as soon as I got done.

I got all my stuff on, including a camelback, which I highly recommend to those of you who are planning a mountain biking adventure.

No matter how far you are going, camelbacks offer more to the rider than you can ask for. If you are unfamiliar with camelbacks, they have a water bladder a

nd a tube comes out to right beside your mouth for an easy, hands-free sip of water whenever it is desirable. Keys, wallet, food, water, bike tools and a first aid kit are all necessary things that easily fit inside your camelback.

I headed out onto a trail that slipped between the railway and the lake; I got to a fork and chose the high road named “Upper Trail Loop”, not very creative. I followed it up to a hill that got my heart pumping. The next few miles was some fast paced riding, but not without minor obstacles. There were a few trees down in the path, easily overtaken by experienced riders. Some small areas of the trail have a hard time draining, causing a little ‘slip and slide’ with tires, but the best way to get through this is to keep your speed to easily maintain balance.

The coolest part of I.C. King trail was “heart-break hill.” You hit a hill that takes you up to what seems to be a mountain, If you can get up the hill without stopping, congrats! When you arrive your legs are burning, but look around, it is a beautiful view looking over the entire park. I took a stretch and little bit of a break and got back on the bike for what became the best part of the ride. It was a downhill ride for a good mile, but there are no hard turns so you can keep your speed and cover some major ground. The trail loops around the other side of the park that puts you back on the original trail, the one before “Heart Break Hill.” I took the trail back and eventually got back to the parking lot, total time: 1 hour 35 minutes, perfect.

I would say I.C. King is a pretty good place to go ride, especially for me because of its proximity to the university. The trail itself was in overall good condition and I enjoyed the muddy parts because they were easy and added something to the trail. As far as the type of bike nearly anything would work under two conditions: big tires and good brakes. The reasons: the mud and the hills. I would very much recommend this trail to beginner and intermediate riders (experts would get bored), who live in the Knoxville area. One word of caution: As I was leaving I did notice some police cars and I asked a fellow biker why the police would choose to sit in a park in the middle of the day; he answered that there had been many instances of homosexuals found with each other in cars and even on the trail. Good luck avoiding any of these awkward situations if you go visit I.C. King.

'Coon Mountain

Well I went out over the beautiful weekend and I got a chance to ride one of the best courses I have been able to experience. Well-known around the Chattanooga area is TVA’s Raccoon Mountain trail; a 22-mile trail loop is the area’s largest only next to Oak Ridge, Tennessee. First I want to say, MAKE THE TRIP, this place had the best trails for every level of rider, even road bikers. Raccoon’s 750 acres encircles a water-pumping reservoir and has everything from beginner trails to expert trails, including a jump that clears a fast flowing creek. Make sure you are ready to make a day adventure out of this because you’re going to want to ride every trail in the park. Here is a map for a general idea of the layout for more detailed information you should visit sorbachattanooga.org.

I cruised into the TVA Park using the entrance off Cumming’s Highway, a much more scenic

route that snakes up the mountain. The road loops around the reservoir to a section supported by large gravel rocks. The five-foot wide plateau road offers a 180-degree panoramic view of the beautiful Tennessee rolling foothills.

My first trail was a warm-up called “Electric Avenue.” I accessed it via another nameless trail that brought me to the edge of the mountain. I had to get off my bike and take a look. I could see straight down into the valley of the river splitting the trees from the rocky mountain directly across from where I was sitting. I felt like an ant, the mountains were magnificent and overwhelming. I got back on the trail and flew through a curving yet flat Electric Avenue.

This trail runs as a 3.5 mile, singletrack through a very open forest. The trail dirt was pretty loose, which made it fun to slide and spray around turns. Be conscious because the area is prone to fallen trees. I had

a nice ride with a couple of sharp turns and fun bumps but it was time to move on.

The next trail was the East Overlook trail, I didn’t even have to get in my car and relocate. I just ventured over the road and went on my way. The dirt on this section is a dry, sandy color, perfect for a fast pace run. The trailhead sign read east overlook, with an arrow and a much more important blue square, defining the trail as an intermediate level of difficulty.

The first thing worth mentioning was a technical rock section, which unlike some, I consider rather challenging and very fun. The idea here is to maintain a constant speed for equilibrium between balance and maneuverability. As many experienced riders know, the recipe for success is to keep your head down, eyes open, and concentrating on your ‘safe-path.’

I shot out of the rocks, flew by a couple turns, hit a downhill and never looked back. The wind picked up, giving me a cooling, energizing feeling all over my body. I started to book it. Then the adrenaline kicked-in, trees became blurry, like I was looking down a tunnel. I felt myself Airborn and back on the ground and then again, my heart was pumping. My breathing stabilized, I was in ‘the zone.’ It’s the best part of the ride, twenty to thirty miles per hour and still building, legs burning. All of the sudden, as if exiting light-speed, I was in the open, the sun burning down on me, looking over the brow into the distant mountains. A quick exhale, I had succeeded.