Christmas Day...

Jen and I decided to do things a bit different this year for Christmas. Since our niece wasn't going to be visiting the fam in Nash-Vegas, we decided to skip the drive and do our own thing! Soooo, once we closed the shop on Christmas Eve we went to my grandparents, fullfilling the visits with my family. This left us free for whatever adventure we deemed necessary to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior. We had no specific destination-only a direction, western North Cacalak. We awoke to a beautiful, sun filled sky which really got me fired up b/c I knew it was only gettin' better on the other side of the mountains. I can't belive how long it's been since I last made my favorite drive to ride only the GREATEST trails in the SE! We were approching W. Ash and were still discussing our final destination? I wanted to let Jen choose her poison for the day, as I had no place I was just dying to ride. Most of you know the whole area, "Doesn't SUCK"! Jen chose Haw Ridge East (a.k.a. Bent Creek). I was cool since it'd been 2+ years the last time I'd ridden there w/ Neumann. Back in the day, I cut my Pisgah teeth in this place w/ Poston. However, it has changed significantly since then....can you say DUMBED DOWN!!! It used to have that Pisgah feel w/ technical, steep, and FUN trails. Now the Forest Circus experiments have logged most of it turning singletrack in to wide or even wider dirt roads. Bent Creek just feels like well, Haw Ridge?!? Jen and I did have FUN spending Christmas day together, doing what we both love. It was almost 60* and sunny w/ trail conditions varying from wet and slick, to dry and really fast. With no plan, no time constraints, or no map in hand we began our journey with one goal: to ride as much as we wanted. We did have a pleasant surprise mid-ride. We happened upon Eric (Cane Creek) and his wife whom we rode the last hour or so of the day with. We finished our ride, said our goodbye's to Eric and his wife, and then it hit us...where in the heck are we going to find some FOOD??? But of course, WAFFLE HOUSE!!!! This would be our biggest adventure of the day. From waitress' yelling @ each other and quiting mid-shift, to the lady with her forehead tatooed. This was the Christmas Dinner to remember!!!

30 or so miles in the woods + 4 hours + Good company + 60* + 1 broken valve stem + dinner to remember = One of the BEST CHRISTMAS DAYS I've ever had!!!!!