2011-05-30 schimba kayak trip on Horse Creek VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

John, Richard, Dennis, and Robert Murray paddled from Ward Bridge on Horse Creek to John’s cabin.  It took about four and a half hours.  We saw horses, children, lots of fish, a really big deer, several Blue Herons and Wood Ducks,  There were some log jams but they were not too bad.  The Oakleaf Hydrangea were in full bloom along the banks. 

John, Richard, and Dennis made the first official SCHIMBA Mt. Bike ride of the year to the Sugar Camp Hollow Waterfalls today.  The trails and the bodies need a lot of work.  Several big tops and  limbs are blown down across the trail including the top of the biggest Black Walnut we have.

Here are some photos and a video from the ride:

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http://cid-72d6ff9695d507d2.skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?page=play&resid=72D6FF9695D507D2!1033

Here is the map of the ride and some pictures:

Richard, Dennis, John, Randy, and Mike spent three days and four nights camping at Mile High Campground and mountain biking on the edge of the Great Smokey Mountains National Park in North Carolina.  The rides were all down hill, the weather was great (except Saturday when it came a flood), there was only one accident (Richard ventured on the pavement and was on the wrong side of the road when a car was coming and he did a sharp turn and an endo to avoid a collision, knocking his tire off the rim but walking and riding away unharmed), and the scenery spectacular.  John’s rear brake failed on the second 3000 foot descent so we went into Sylva NC to the Motion Maker’s Bike Shop.  He not only got his brakes repaired, but Mike traded in his bike for a new Specialized.  While they were working on our bikes we had a great lunch at the Spring Street Cafe.

Mile High Campground

Motion Makers Bicycle Shop

Spring Street Cafe

The only disappointment of the trip was our hike to Flat Creek Falls Thursday afternoon after the ride. It was supposed to be a short walk down the hill from the paved road along the trail to the Balsam Campground where it was clearly shown on our map.  We walked down the hill expecting to come out on the top of the waterfall, crossed several streams and could hear the roar of a falls, but after walking what seemed about two miles we came to a sign that pointed back the way we had come and said that the trailhead was .7 miles that way.  The other direction toward the picnic area which we had decided to go on to was 1.9 miles so we turned back.  There was the remnant of a trail down the hill, but it was obviously not maintained.  Richard has now further researched this falls and here is what he found:

Flat Creek Falls

Here is Dennis’ movie made from photos and Richard’s videos:

Here are the maps of our rides (except Richard’s when he went off without me and the gps:

Thursday, a 22 mile downhill from Balsam Mt. picnic area to Mingo Falls:

Friday, a 6 mile 3,000 ft descent on Forest Service Road from the campground to the paved road:

Saturday Mike, Randy and John rode the hill down from the campground three times:

Richard videoed the whole trip with his new camera, but until he gets them processed these photos will have to do:

Dennis’ pictures: