On Cool Mountain Air, White Squirrels, and Bike Paths

I first discovered Brevard, NC in 1992.  I was a college student in Atlanta with a love of camping and a budding interest in cycling.  A friend took me on a trip to Pisgah forest for mountain biking and camping, and I was hooked.  I've travelled to Brevard somewhat frequently since then.  In the mid 90's, I moved to Greenville,SC and fell into the restaurant business.  Hours were long and days off hard to find, but the 1 hour ride over Caesar's Head to Brevard was enough of an afternoon diversion to clear my mind and recharge my spirit. My wife and I still enjoy trips to the mountains.  We've developed a standard Brevard get away that includes lunch on the way out of Greenville, a hike in Pisgah Forrest, dinner downtown, followed by a show at the Brevard Music Center.
I'd heard talk of the Brevard Bike Path for a couple of years, but chatter about it has increased lately, so on a recent sweltering day in a string of sweltering days, I took a half day off from work and headed up the mountain.


I parked at Brevard Middle School just 2 blocks from the trail (and location of the only hill of any significance on the ride.)  I headed out around noon, and true to form, temperatures where in the mid 80's whereas Greenville was low 90s and climbing.   The wide, paved trail started off through a nice garden before paralleling N Broad St/Asheville Hwy. Close to a mile in, the trail turned off to fields, crossed Lamb Creek and came through the Recreation District and the athletic fields (another good parking spot/trail head.) The trail joined up with Ecusta Rd before crossing back over Asheville Hwy and heading into Pisgah Forest at the 3.5 mile mark.  As the trail neared Pisgah, the pavement suddenly ended and turned to crushed stone.  I rode a hybrid, but a street bike would have done well too.  Signs of new and continuing improvements to this section gave hope for an even better trail in the near future.  Boardwalks exist and are being improved over the wet sections along the Davidson River.  I passed several small waterfalls joining up with the river. I've hiked and camped in this area many times, and it's always great to hear the sound of the river, to wave at the trout fisherman, and to laugh with the kids rafting.  Next time, I may bring a swimsuit and a lunch and spend a few hours here!  The crushed stone section runs 1.2 miles before you cross Davidson River, and from there, you're 0.2 miles to more parking at the Art Loebe Trail Head.


I headed back to the car, logging 9.7 miles round trip, swung by Sonic for a Lime Aid and headed back across Ceasar's Head.  Recharged now and looking forward to riding again in Brevard soon.




Notes:
Here's a link to Friends of the Ecusta Trail and the visionaries planning a rail to trail conversion linking Hendersonville,NC and the existing Brevard Greenway Trail. The basic infrastructure is in place to make the Ecustra Trail a destination ride like the Silver Comet in Georgia or the Swamp Rabbit Trail in Greenville,SC.  People already look to Western North Carolina as a vacation spot, and restaurants, camping, hotels, and shops are in place to support riders.  I'm excited and hopeful to follow this project's implementation. 


White Squirrels are part of Brevard's lore, and here's a little story behind it.  About White Squirrels  I officially move to rename the Brevard Bike Path the "White Squirrel Greenway."  Sexy, isn't it?  Think of the merchandising potential.  Animals sell Brevard, make it happen! 


The ramblings here are based on a June 15, 2011 ride.


Trail Link Post on The Brevard Bike Bath

Ceaser's Head State Park

Brevard, NC City Page

Mountain Biking in Pisgah Forest

Crushed Stone in Pisgah Forest

Through Athletic Fields Near Ecusta Rd

Along Hospital Rd

Trail Head at Poplar St (near Brevard Middle School)

Augusta Canal Trail - Poor Decisions,Poor Planning

An e-mail popped up a couple of weeks ago from a good friend and riding partner. He's a teacher, was about to head back to class, and wanted a good weekend ride before the semester.  I told him about the North Augusta Greenway and how much I enjoyed. I also related my desire to cross the river and try the Augusta Canal Trail.  I scouted it before but had trouble actually getting to the actual trail.  I've resolved for months to get on it, and this was my excuse.
My friend is a man of some standing in his community and probably wouldn't appreciate me using his real name; therefore, in this ramble, he'll be know as Trident.
Trident headed to North Augusta,SC Saturday and rode the Greenway.  Not being a teacher with a summer of leisure at my disposal, I was unable to break away from adult responsibilities until later Saturday evening.  I met Trident at the Augusta Green Jackets Stadium, home of the defending World Champion San Francisco Giants' A affiliate of the South Atlantic League. Over a beverage, Trident confirmed his enjoyment of the North Augusta Greenway. Not much baseball was watched, but we did enjoy the opportunity to soak through out shirts in the oppressive humidity while also people watching (it was "Halloween," and the staff and many fans went all out on costumes.) Being completely dehydrated and knowing we had 20 miles of riding in high 90s heat the next morning, Trident suggested hitting Wild Wings for a spicy late night snack. To help digestion and prepare for the morning ride, Trident further pushed a cooler of assorted beers (Smithwicks,Yuengling,Budweiser) and the idea to catch up and have a good chat until 1 AM.  Six hours of sleep should be plenty.
Sunday morning over Bojangles biscuits, we finalized our strategy.  Maps at the ready, we programmed the GPS and headed for Eisenhower Park.  Despite the GPS's insistence that the park was accessible from the Parkway, I believe Michael Stipe knows better :"You Can't Get There From Here."  Luckily my inner Boy Scout kicked in, and we back tracked through some neighborhoods to find the park.
We found cars with bike racks but no trail.  Undeterred, we pushed to the sound of water and found a sign

The sign did say welcome, although neither Trident nor I felt that sentiment.  Undeterred, we found a side path  through the grass and pushed onward.  After a couple hundred feet of incredibly rough gravel (your bike mechanic will love you if you actually ride this section,) we came to a cool scene:

Alright. Bridge, Pumping Station, Trail.  Giddy up!  Let's Ride!!!

We joined the trail around the 4 mile mark and headed south to downtown.  The pavement ended rather quickly and the route turned into a dirt road paralleling the canal.  Surface was good though and we pushed south.

After a mile or two, we started up another round of find the trail, lose the trail which would continue for the next couple of hours.  Trail markings were poor, and even with the help of some friendly locals, we became lost quite a bit.  Luckily, we could always keep the canal in sight and follow the water into town (There's a lesson here for the Blair Witch Project cast.)
But to focus on the positive, here are some of the cool sights along the way

Frustrating losing the trail, but nice scenery.  Closer into downtown, the trail is paved for a bit, then it takes to the city streets.  We rode on a Sunday morning, and the roads were empty.  Just riding around town would have been a fun morning ride, and we did take a slight detour off the trail to explore the city.

The Trail ended at the Augusta River Walk http://www.augustariverwalk.com/

We did better heading back up the trail, although we still lost if from time to time.  We discovered that there were signs, but they were often small or covered by weeds.  We passed our original entry point and pedaled to the northern terminus.  I really liked this section.  The dirt road continued for about 4 miles along the canal, and despite the rising heat, the shade and coolness from the moving water helped keep us comfortable.  As the canal came closer to its merging with the Savannah River, we were able to see the river on our right.  The rocky, quickly moving Savanna was a nice contrast to the slow moving, peaceful canal on our left.  The northern end at the locks is really nice and appears to be where the activity is.  The park is beautiful and reports indicate bike trails continue away from the river for several miles.  We looked around the park, but because of the emerging hills and questionable decisions Saturday night, we opted to head back to the car.  Hey, it was about lunchtime.

Here are some views of and around the locks

A couple of shots of the trail heading inland from the locks

Trident and I didn't have a good taste of the trail after the ride.  The lack of markings and quality of the surface was disappointing and frustrating.  We both live and ride in areas where there are solid, paved trails in vibrant communities that have a strong economic base and community commitment.  I didn't get that feel in Augusta.  Unfortunate, because looking back, there are some nice features of this trail.  A Kroc Center is opening downtown and could be a good base for future rides.  The markings are there if you know where to look, so get some local help if you decide to ride.  Starting at the Locks is another good option.  Have some fun on the dirt, if it's dry, the surface is just fine.  Take in the history and industrial charm, appreciate the water and birds.

If you see this, don't dismiss it, this is actually a trail, but only a small sample of what you'll see on the canal.

Anticipate  the nicer sections

The canal web site breaks down the different trail sections and has good information on entry points
Augusta Canal

Trail Link Entry for Augusta Canal Trail