Don't fall in | A day of adventure taking on Trace Ridge and Spencer Branch
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- Опубликовано: 15 сен 2024
- Hey Guys, welcome back to Pisgah National Forest. Today we're riding what I now consider one of the best short rides in the area that is often overlooked for those of us that aren't locals. We're in the Mill's River area and we're going to ride two trails today, Trace Ridge and Spencer Branch. Both of these start in the same intersection so doing both involves climbing twice, fortunately its not a big climb. If you're looking for a quick ride, you can do only one of these, if you want a bit more seat time both can easily be done in a day.
Of course, I could climb without the chinbar, but I like to get some of the climbing as well. Anyways, this trail starts with a nice descent into an unexpectdely steep climb, but, that's it, after that is all down. And when I say down, I mean down, if there's one way to put this trail into words, its fast! With the right conditions, or more skills, you can go much much faster than we're going here.
In hindsight, I did way too much line picking in this section, the rocks down the middle are perfectly fine to just bomb over and keep your speed up without any issues if you can do one or two foot consecutive drops.
As you can probably tell, this trail isn't massively technical, its actually quite mellow for Pisgah standards, but, that doesn't mean its boring, it has just the right amount of rocks sprinkled all over the place for it to be of fast flowy nature, but still have a technical element to it to keep it interesting. If you're a newer rider looking into Pisgah, this should defintely be on your list, and if you're more of an advanced rider, this should be on your go-fast list.
So yeah, the 4 days I spent riding in Pisgah made me fall in love all over again with my Jeffsy. When the rear traingle failed on me and I had a slow warranty experience I was kinda bummed on the bike for a bit, but riding this terrain made me forget all of that; you can no doubt say that YT has work to do on their warranty side, but man are these bikes poppy, lively and fun to ride. Over these 4 days we rode so much different stuff and it held its own all throughout.
Spencer Branch is different in nature than Trace Ridge, and a nice compliment to it for a well rounder ride. Overall its more windy and technical of a trail, you'll defintely be going slower on this and you'll encounter a lot more rocks. I'd probably say this trail is just a tad harder, but not by much.
The rest of our ride back was more of an adventure ride than anything else. We didn't really get much great riding done compared to everything you already saw, but it was a blast to deal with all the crazyness on the way back. There were a bunch of downed trees and super deep creek crossings with a lot punchy climbs and short steep descents in between.
Since we had seen another crossing, we backtracked to it, little did we know it was just as deep as the other, but a bit wider, so I ended up getting my feet soaking wet anyways. The next creek crossing we got to had a strategically place tree we used to cross. I can't convey how challenging this was despite going so slow on it. Surprisingly, no one fell in the water.
But, the trail was not done with us, in lower spencer branch we ran into this downed tree on a narrow of camber section. Getting over it involved hanging the bike off the side of the banking and then hanging on to get yourself over in the same way.
But for sure the hardsest one to cross was this super wide creek. Somebody had placed this tree which was great, but it was the skinniest one yet, to make things more complicated it was deep enough to pull the back of the bike away, at the same time I was trying to keep the hub and bottom bracket above water. In the end, we avoided the plunge, but it took each one of us a couple of minutes to cross.
Trace Ridge on Trailforks: www.trailforks...
Spencer Branch on Trailforks: www.trailforks...
After upper Spencer, continue on the fire road and get on fletcher creek. A few less creek crossings. And it has an amazing downhill at the end.
Thanks Ian, that'll be the route for next time I'm there for sure. While I enjoyed this as an adventure this time, this isn't a route I'd pick every time. More downhill and less rivers sounds quite good.
@@BlindstuffMTB The end of the trail is FAST
yup!
I came to the comments to make the same recommendation. Upper spencer to fletcher
Looks like a fun trail! You were speaking my lingo, I tell people all the time that if you’re not having, you’re not going fast enough! And solid tree crossing skills! 😆
I'd win a slow race across those trees. Its funny cause the guy in the group who does stand-up paddle-boarding crossed them walking like nothing while everyone else was struggling to stay balanced.
You'll coolest video ever, nice job Stefano! That fog was sooo cool!
Thanks Matt! I also love the foggy look, Pisgah is beautiful year round, but my most memorable rides have always been in this kinda weather that's so uncommon for me in FL.
Absolutely a fantastic trail..a lil over 6 miles of shredding
And without a dreadfully long climb. I don't understand why greens lick gets so much more talk than this, they're both awesome, but the reward to effort ratio here is so much better.
Awesome ride. the fog made it look surreal
Thanks James! I love rides with weather like this, makes them so unique and cool looking.
Great riding and those obstacles made a fun day for sure, love the foggy mood in those woods, just perfect for photography, thank you and keep them coming, V!
Thanks Verdon! I agree, the foggy mood adds so much to this experience. It'd be an awesome place to take your time with a good camera, so many beautiful spots.
This whole video is so wholesome. Well done StuhFAHno!
I shall now write my name that way.
Thanks Bro, pumped you liked it.
So much for not wanting to get your feet wet lmao! Great video Stefano. I love the fog on the mountain. So cool man. Can't wait to get out to Pisgah
Yeah, that didn't go to plan lol. Thanks Ben. The fog made it an incredibly scenic ride. If you've enjoyed riding Coldwater, you'll love Pisgah.
So good.
Good memories of this day!
Biking in the fog... looked amazing.
It made it such a fun beautiful ride.
BlindstuffMTB how do I get a sticker? Would love to sport it on my Jeffsy!
*i had to comment twice because i watched your vid twice, really sick quality and riding*
Thanks man, happy you enjoyed it!
I'm digging that new logo. Looks good.
All this NC content is great. I'm glad to hear NC is making you love your Jeffsy again. We are moving up to NC this summer and a lot of these trails will be weekend rides for me. I've been wondering how my Jeffsy is going to do with these trails or if I'll be shopping for a new bike soon.
Thanks Dan! Happy you're liking it.
That's awesome to hear, where in NC will you be moving? You're Jeffsy is more than capable of doing everything there, that you _want_ a different bike is something else, lol! I get it though, if I lived in an area like this I'd probably be tempted to look at the Capra 29.
@@BlindstuffMTB We'll be living in the Winston-Salem area. So not at much a MTB mecca as further west, but plenty of great riding within 2 hours or less.
Yeah I have been thinking about upgrading components on my Jeffsy or just leaving it alone and buying something in addition to that bike like a long travel 29er like a Ripmo or Firebird 29 or just replacing it with something like an HD4. I will wait and see what the riding is like up there though on my current bike first. Maybe do some demos or rentals.
nice video looked super cool!
Thanks James!
Great, great video man.
Thanks Daniel!
Vice vid man... I have a love/hate relationship with wet leaves on the trail... They're fun, and ass-puckering at the same time!
Thanks! I feel the same way about leaves, but when conditions are like this you kinda just have to ingore they're there, if not makes it impossible. It still really gets to me when they're super deep though, that the perfect spot for a hidden root or boulder.
Hey BlindstuffMTB, just wanna say thank you, great video coverage I cant wait to set down some tred in the old NC. Keep up the great work!
Thanks! Always happy to hear when the channel is serving it's purpose. Have fun in NC!
Great video. I live about 3 hours away and need to get up there
You do, 3 hours is a short drive for this much fun.
I used love Trace on my full DH bike .
Must be buttery smooth with a big bike.
I was planning on getting a YT until I came home from deployment and my wife had gotten me a Nomad. Still a YT fan though. Oh, and yeah, the rocks are fun until they get wet. Caused me a wreck on Ingles Field Gap.
Not a bad way to get back home, enjoy the Nomad, that's such an awesome bike!
Thank you for going that way to blue ridge. I never wanted to go up there but always wanted to know what that trail went to. Great Pisgah videos.
Hahaha a mistery solved by pure chance. Thanks Nicholas, glad you've enjoyed them.
Nice! That down hill looks like something i can actually do 😆. Good place to put on my list, thank you 🤙
Glad you found it uselful, Steve. This ride is great for everyone, I'd do Trace first and the Spencer just because its easier to ride both that way, the ride of Trace leads straight to the trailhead parking.
BlindstuffMTB very cool, thank you. Keep up the great vids 👍
Beautiful place, well done on those trail hazards.🤘
Thanks Caitlin! I don't know why, but I find that kind of stuff to be so much fun, its somehow a full ride when that happens lol.
My friend keeps telling me to buy a pair of the seal skin type socks, just for days like that, you feet stay warm even when wet!
Didn't even know those existed. One person in our group was told by the guys at the Hub to just wear supermarket bags between the socks and shoes. He did and it worked perfectly lol!
Middle and lower Spencer is not the way to go. Definitely want to take a right at the fire road after you finish Spencer branch to fletcher creek trail. Stay on this all the way to the reservoir. You get a kick ass downhill that you’ll never forget.
Thank you for the suggestion. Next time I'll try that route instead.
looked like a killer ride! i swear you moved to NC! I'm jealous :)
Never know if its Ken or Kate, so thanks to both of you by default hahaha!
I unfortunately did not move; if I had a way of making a living there I'd definitely do it.
😉👍🤘
🤘🤘🤘
Have you tried a chest mount with the Hero 7? I heard people say the chin mount is maybe the best but like you I hate to ride uphill with the chin guard on so I've held off getting the Hero 7. Video looks great on the Hero 7 on these trails. Thanks for the great content.
Hey George, thanks!
I didn't really get amazing results with the Hero on the chesty. Its good enough for general video here and there, but its just not as good as the gimbal for the hero4 or chin mount for the hero7.
DailyMTB rider did some testing with the chesty which is interesting, and his conclusion was almost the same as mine.
I'm not saying you can't do it, I'm just saying it didn't fit my needs.
I'm doing marathon races with my jeffsy (i know not the best) i found the bike very playful and much better to climb than that I thought.
It's mostly about the rider, not the bike in the end. The jeffsy is such a good all-rounder
leonardoolivar 29 or 27,5?
@@valeccylinder8703 29er. It's around 29 pounds. Aluminum frame, carbon wheels, carbon cranks,1x12. Used it yesterday for about 75 kilometers.
camera quality is excellent
Thanks! Really surprised with the hero 7
Great trail. DOnt go clockwise or you will be pushing alot.
Very nice video, I see progress! How could I get one of your MTB sticker?
Hey Juliano, thanks so much! Hit me up on Instagram and i'll send you some.
I like the trails at Mills River but hate all the damn stream crossings. Hate getting my feet wet.
It was my first time riding this part of Pisgah and I'm definitely coming back. We were told by the guys at the Hub to just wear supermarket bags between our socks and shoes. It sounds super shitty, but it actually works well lol.
BlindstuffMTB I was just there two days ago and rivers were at least mid calf deep to knee deep. Kind of bummer. I love the trails otherwise.
How about helmet mount? That works great for me and hero 7 👌🏻😃 cool vid! Gotta
Check this out
Hey Kate! I've tried it but I think the view comes from too far up to just use that angle for the whole video. I realize this is subjective, but I didn't love the end results, so I went with the chinbar. Glad you liked it, definitely worth a try next time you're in NC.
*love that river corssing at the beginning of your video, i love mountain biking, if you like 4K MTB Videos of sick scenic trails holler at mha channel peeps!*
I'll be checking your channel out!
You always seem to have the worst luck with weather in Pisgah!
You're right that we've had to deal with inclement weather a bunch of times, but I wouldn't consider it bad luck, I honestly enjoy being out there in all conditions and this is just a welcome change from sunny days. More adventure!
Luv the channel btw but lose the music my dude🤙🤙keep up the great content
Thanks man, I really appreciate honest feedback like this.
I've always struggled with the idea of music, which is why you see so many of my earlier videos with raw sound, however, people seem to like a low background music, so I've started to include it recently.
What don't you like, music at all, the type of music, the volume, etc?
BlindstuffMTB I think having music is fine and if it's right, it certainly makes it more professional. the volume is low enough but I think the type of music is what people have opinions about. I think often we pick what we like but not necessarily the right tone for the right mood. I think there is always books or YT tutorials on how to mix sound or pick the right music to set tone.
@@joejuan5022 Thanks for the feedback.
@@BlindstuffMTB Hey Stefano- great vid and ride, love the atmospheric fog!
But I agree, drop the music. I think (personally, and as a video pro), that 1) anytime you use music, it sets up potential conflict with the viewer's musical tastes ("if it's right"), and 2) just the raw, clear nat sound of flying down the trail puts the viewer on your bike, at least for me.
And it makes your videos stand out from other, music-filled videos.
I'd use music for the intro, the outro, and your on camera transitions as a compromise.
Haven't used the Hero7 chinbar, still using the 5, but it doesn't sound like you're very comfortable with it?
@@VisualSOLUTIONSMedia Thanks for the insight. I've moved to using music only in the transitions, voice overs and slow sections of the video. All riding parts are natural sounds only based on what people have said.
I don't mind the hero 7 on the chinbar, but it makes my helmet "non-convertible" if I want to film.
How long is the climb to the start of Trace?
I'd say about 45 minutes. Fastest I've done it racing the sunset was 30.
BlindstuffMTB Do you go up Fletcher Creek Road or Mostah Mills? Thanks for the advice.
@@fudaciousinc554 wash creek road -> upper Spencer gap.
Do it twice. Once to go down trace, the second do upper and middle Spencer into Fletcher
BlindstuffMTB thanks for help. That decent was bomber. Alot more challenging to start filming than it looks. If u have time, can u view my 1st video on my channel? Any pointers?
Off camber?
Off camber is when the trail is banked in the direction you don't want to go. The term comes from car racing, but people use it often here too to describe an incline across the trail instead of with it.