"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.