Biking (Mountain)
Echols Dorm: Brick Wall By Side Door
Sherando Lake
This ride is one of my favorites in VA and is considered one of the best climbs in the state, and because it’s a loop it also has an excellent down hill section. This 21 mile loop starts on FS road 42 at 1,595′ elevation, and takes you up to the top of Bald Mountain (3,587′) via a mile long series of switchbacks, then continues down the Blue Ridge Parkway for a few miles to Slacks Mountain. From here the trail drops 1,677′ to Sherando Lake. The scenery throughout the ride is spectacular and the ride itself is quite gruelling, so you should only sign up if you have trail riding experience and are in decent shape. The pace will be easy to moderate, but you can ride at your own pace as we’ll meet and rest at all intersections (see below). Be sure to bring plenty of water and sugary snacks.
Itinerary:
We leave Echols shortly after 10am and will hopefully be on the trail by 11. Since the ride will be long it is best to eat a nice hearty breakfast and/or brunch and come very well hydrated. Because of the wide range of experience levels from people on the trip, each will ride at their own pace and we’ll have numerous stops to let everyone rendezvous and rest. I expect the ride to take 4-5 hours, so please bring enough water to sustain yourself. Pack a light lunch/snacks for the trail and bring some cash to stop for eats on the way home. If we have time we can replace our calories (and then some!) at the Blue Ridge Pig – a fantastic post adventure BBQ joint.
You should NOT sign up unless you have a fair amount of trail riding experience, are in decent shape, love aerobic exercise, and are a sucker for punishment. Email or call me with questions, dclark@virginia.edu or 962-9737.
The Club Provides: Bikes, spare tubes, helmets, bike transport
You should bring:
Your bike and helmet, extra tubes, water, water, water, snacks (bring a nice sugary treat to eat at the top of the infamous switchbacks), proper athletic attire (no baggy pants – the chainring will eat them!) rain gear, money, water!!