May 8, 2015

I love – Short Work Thursdays.  If I plan my work week just right I can get home in time to spend a few hours riding in the woods.  I managed that yesterday and headed out to FS240, Vepco Road off of Little Dry River Rd.

I forded the creek crossing (feeling a little wild – with trailer in tow) and drove up to the first right hand branch , 240E, which is where I parked, unloaded, and headed down.

After passing the closed FS gate, the path was peppered with spearmint plants adding to the blooming tree aroma.  I stayed straight where the trail split.  It narrowed down and soon the old fire road became chocked with small trees.  It was clear someone has kept up a foot path.  There were trees cut back and branches broken back and it was rather passable.  Although after a bit there were three downed trees across the path and I decided to turn around.

 
When I got home I looked at the satellite image on my tracker and if I had just gone a little father it appears to have opened up to a clearing with trails off of it.  Nuts, I suppose Ill have to go back to this spot!

I went back to the split and headed down (left branch)

There were a few creeks along the way and the terrain changed several times I stayed right when the trail split again, and continued to the end.  It broke down into an over grown trail, and I eventually turned around, just after this pile of rocks. 

Heading back to the split, I made a right (which would have been a left on my descent), and checked out the two branches this lead to.

Nothing super spectacular, but I did see some pretty terrain, lots of growth, and some eggs in a slow moving creek.

Returning to my start, I decided to adventure in another direction.

Just a slight ride down the fire road brought me to another closed FS gate to the left, just before the power lines.  I crossed the power line path and took a trail through the woods for a while.  I saw a lot of bear poo and scratched up trees.  I turned around after a bit and explored the power line area for the views before calling it for the day.

On the way out I stopped at the creek ford and washed some of the mud off the dogs.

I did not make good time, or pound out a ton of miles, but I really enjoyed this ride.  Everything smelled amazing.  Everything was green and colorful.  The air was warm and it felt good to be in a tank top.  I also coated Simon, the dogs and myself in fly spray before we headed out.  Making this the first ride of the year that was permeated by the smells of fly spray and sweaty pony.