'Nuther Dirt Ride 3_22

by **LeeDavis** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 5:36 pm

A beautiful day so I decided to take the KLR out again and see if I could do without getting another flat tire. Also, wanted to see if a route created with OpenStreetMaps on Basecamp and the Garmin GPS would work OK using road sections that don't exist on the Garmin maps. Everything went well, no issues. I didn't do all of the route but enough to have a good time. Maple Grove Church Rd is very nice and you can't spit without hitting a hairpin. It's a bit spooky riding solo in the boonies when there's a looong drop to the bottom off the side so I didn't do a lot of throttle twisting, not to mention my dirt skilz aren't much.

Looks like rain and coldness in the upcoming weather forecast. CRAP...lotsa more roads need exploring!

OpenStreetMap route:

Near the top of some mountain or another:

by **Bob** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 6:12 pm

So you rode Maple Sally! It really is a spooky place when you're by yourself, a long way from one end to the other. I rode it by myself once and a bear jumped across the road about 50 feet ahead and bounded up the hill side so fast I couldn't believe it, like a mountain goat. I Immediately got the F### out of there. Can you post the route file on the forum I would like to see it.

by **LeeDavis** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 7:00 pm

Bob, Here's the GPX route. The trick is that from the end of Graig's Creek Rd it's a trail that drops 1000 ft to a creek with no bridge then back up 1000 ft to 181. I have no idea if it can be ridden so I decided to live another day before messing with it and headed on home.

by **Bob** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 7:35 pm

LeeDavis wrote:....from the end of Graig's Creek Rd it's a trail that drops 1000 ft to a creek with no bridge then back up 1000 ft to 181....

Lee, If i remember correctly that road was always gated shut at the Craigs Creek end of it. Was it open on the 181 end?

Did you also ride that Table Rock Rd. spur over to 181 as it shows? Thats a stretch I've not been on, I always took TR Rd. from Simpson Creek all the way up the mtn. Looks interesting....

by **LeeDavis** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 7:49 pm

Bob, No would have had to run the trail to get over there, if I stayed on route, so I called it quits. My guess is that the road between 181 and Table Rock Rd won't be a problem. Fact is, I've already come to prefer the less maintained dirt roads. They have a surface where the ones that the state keeps up for more regular traffic tend to be covered in loose gravel.

by **Bob** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 8:07 pm

LeeDavis wrote:Bob, No would have had to run the trail to get over there, if I stayed on route, so I called it quits. My guess is that the road between 181 and Table Rock Rd won't be a problem. Fact is, I've already come to prefer the less maintained dirt roads. They have a surface where the ones that the state keeps up for more regular traffic tend to be covered in loose gravel.

Yeah, I thought that looked more like a hiking trail than a road but it does connect into a road spur off Craigs Creek--but I think its always gated. Now, that road from 181 over to TR Rd. looks kinda neat--be a nice one for the next ride. Got DRZ farkles coming by end of the week, then if I can get my knee to cooperate I'll be ready to ride. <olfart>

Agree on the gravel, I think its the Natl Forest Svce that maintains those up in Pisgah. Some roads they tend to leave as-is, others they come in with gravel periodically and screw everything up. <dope>

by **LeeDavis** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 9:02 pm

Outstanding on DRZ mods and a healed knee! Sorta funny mod story: The prior owner of my KLR was one of those guys who think ammo cases make cool luggage and other such patched together junk. He actually advertised the stuff as features and pointed it all out to me when I went to see the bike. The pile of it I removed is sitting in my garage waiting for a run to the city dump.

by **Broz** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 9:50 pm

That's not dirt.........this is DIRT.
From my one and only visit to Carolina Adventure World. This was the good clean trail. The bad ones were full of deep ruts filled with water and mud. 4 wheelers outnumbered bikes 10-1. You can't tell from photo but that was very steep.

by **Bob** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 10:36 pm

But Broz---they are your people. <banjo>

Now get out that Red Man, hop on your ATV, and go muddin, son! <muaha>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpydlUJIG6I

by Ed » Sun Mar 23, 2014 8:30 am

beemerbob wrote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpydlUJIG6I

Now, there's a cerebral pastime for ya <thumb>

by **Bob** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 8:47 am

Lee those ammo cans weigh about as much as my DRZ.

by **LeeDavis** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 10:28 am

beemerbob wrote:Lee those ammo cans weigh about as much as my DRZ.

I've noticed a lot of 3rd world chic among KLR owners. They want the appearance that they've lived off whatever the land provides while traversing the Andes Mts. Sort of a variation of Harley owners thinking they're badass outlaws.

by **Bob** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 10:44 am

LeeDavis wrote:
beemerbob wrote:Lee those ammo cans weigh about as much as my DRZ.

I've noticed a lot of 3rd world chic among KLR owners. They want the appearance that they've lived off whatever the land provides while traversing the Andes Mts. Sort of a variation of Harley owners thinking they're badass outlaws.

Haha--good one Lee. And so true. :lol:

by **Marc K** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 11:33 am

Didn't know if anyone had been to Brushy Mountain Motosports Park off Hwy 64 between Taylorsville and Lenior. Website show it has 75 miles of trail and a 26 mile "enduro" loop. I've been to Carolina Park and it's a bit chopped up. Brushy Mountain appears to limits ATV with mudder tires. bmmspark.com

by **Bob** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 12:09 pm

And then there's Brown Mountain OHV Park just north of Morganton.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHIsDZyuzco

Notice the green DRZ parked at the end of the vid.

http://www.riderplanet-usa.com/atv/trai ... e_3f30.htm

by **LeeDavis** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 12:57 pm

Bob, How is Brown Mt OHV? It looks like it could be a good place to practice technique with people around to help pick up the pieces if it all goes wrong.

by **Bob** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 1:08 pm

Lee, I have never been in there, never had a bike I felt would be competent in those conditions. The DRZ is pretty much at the upper end of the range but still a little weighty; 125-250 cc's would rule there. Probably not a good place to take a KLR, lol. That being said, don't listen to me--what do I know--go check it out--there may be an "easy" trail for larger bikes that would work, but any of the roads/trails there will be more gnarly than fire roads. And Day Passes are cheap! <olfart>

by **Bob** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 1:17 pm

Here's the "official" website and a PDF.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsint ... ail+System

http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOC ... 366048.pdf

Edit: when you're there take some pics of the staging area, in particular the "loading ramp".

by **LeeDavis** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 1:24 pm

It's only few miles from my house so I'll check it out. Inappropriate vehicles in awkward places haven't held me back before. <grin>

by **Bob** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 1:42 pm

Heh, I figured you'd say that. :lol:

Take some pics, let us know how it is. Might be a good gig for the DRZ....

Edit: Here's a pretty good PDF with a detailed map and better info on levels of difficulty.
http://www.carolinarovers.info/images/s ... in_orv.pdf

by **Marc K** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 3:32 pm

It was my understanding to use NFS land the bike had to be a "registered" vehicle, license plates and such. The NFS website mentions it on their website. The bikes on the Brown Mountain site obviously are MX bikes. Hmmmmm...

by **Bob** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 3:50 pm

The OHV park is an exception, you can ride unlicensed bikes there, along with other unlicensed vehicles like ATV's. But if a NF road crosses thru there you can't get on it unless it is licensed. And the NF roads we ride like Pineola etc require licensed.