Back at the Gap

I first heard of Mulberry Gap from my dad who heard about it from a Gulf Coast Bike Club friend. My dad sent me a link to it suggesting it as a cool vacation, but my first thoughts were "awesome summer job opportunity". And that's exactly what happened that summer. Now two years later it's one of four stops on my off-season road trip to The South. It's one of my favorite places of all time (Lucy probably thinks so too!) with a combination of epic trails, great food, and a friendly atmosphere.

The trails are fantastic. Challenging but rideable climbs. Long fast descents, some flowy, some technical. There's even some nice views thrown in here and there. My first time riding the gravel road to the top of Bear Creek Trail I thought I might die. I stopped fifty yards from the top and sat down. Riding it today wasn't nearly as bad but still not easy. Not only are there more miles of trail right out the gate than you want to ride in one day, but within an hour or so drive, there's several hundred miles of trails including a seven mile rock garden, machine-built groomed flow, and everything in between. A fellow rider once said, "[he] could learn more about mountain biking in a week at Mulberry Gap than a year of riding [his] home trails". Almost all the trails were built with drainage and sustainability in mind and can be ridden just a few hours after a rain shower. They're also rideable year-round; though it might get a little cold in winter.

I managed to break my pedal coming off a jump. As you can see, they've been thoroughly abused. I knew they were on their last leg, but that's not how I imagined they would go. Luckily, I was still able to clip into the other side to finish my ride.

The facilities are as equally great as the trails. "Down Home" food, cozy cabins and campsites, and the cleanest bathhouse you'll find in a campground. If I didn't like mountain biking, I'd still come for the food. Two waffles, eggs, sausage, sliced bananas and strawberries will last me at least 40 miles, and there's great recovery food for dinner. The camaraderie among guests is unmatched. Cyclists come from far and wide (including other countries), all for a common goal. There's always interesting conversation around the dinner table. It's also been called dog heaven by several guests. Lucy has woods to roam, trails to run, other dogs to play with, and people to give her scraps and attention.

It's hard to adequately describe this place, but one can see why Lucy and I and hundreds of other mountain bikers like it so much. The surrounding area is pretty cool too; maybe in the future I'll get to visit more often.