RR: Respect the Rock

[SSinGA]

A Sunny Sunday in Alabama

I spent the weekend in Huntsville again and couldn't wait to get back to the trails. My attempt to meet up with the HTH (Huntsville Turner Homeroids) were in vein as family obligations got in the way. I got away finally around noon on Sunday and headed up to Monte Sano. I parked next to Cruz the Pug's vehicle (head HTH) and headed out solo with the GPS on in hopes that I wouldn't get too lost.

I started out on what is know as the Family trail. It is a sanitized, nearly flat trail the winds through the flat top of the park. It's a great warm-up for what is to come. At the end of the family trail I headed left to the fun stuff! I paused as two women out for a trail run came up the trail. They were concerned for my safety as I was about to drop down this:


It is fairly steep with lots of loose rock and more that is not so loose. In my haste to get down this section I forgot to move the fork travel to the 160mm setting since taking it off the rack - doh! I took a spill near the bottom in one of the last turns. The forked just pushed right through the turn on loose rock and sent me to the ground. The spill scraped up my right forearm and knee/shin. Respect the Rock.

I then took a new to me trail that looked interesting.


I think it was named this because you need to be a goat to traverse this thing. It was a true suspension test and rockier than most of the trails out there. Baby head (some mama's and daddy's too) city. This was a flat section of trail.


After making it across the goat I took a trail going down which linked me to a fast and flowing trail called Frank's or Keith's.....whatever it was fun. I then started down the Flatrock connector trail. This one needed the double diamond. I was basically riding down a rock riverbed/waterfall. If it wouldn't have been so hard to get up it I entertained thoughts of walking up and riding it again!


Going left off Flat rock I hit a four wheeler trail which eventually brought me to the climb out. You guessed it. More rocks.


This brought me to the road for a short climb then I hit this trail.


MM is a high ridge trail that loops back to the family trail and has 2 tough climbs. There were some interesting sights along the way.
Rock ledge


and this passage-way



The ride turned out to be just under 16 miles. Thanks to the Hunstville SORBA crew for opening and maintaining these trails for bikes!!

Ride profile


with speed added


Goole earth image

[Burner]

good stuff, thanks

[DeeZee]

looks like tons of fun

[cjwally]

Nice review. Those trails looks fun. Thanks!

[guero]

i agree with the bubbs, looks like some fun trails!!! thanks for sharing.