ATTN: WNC Riders. "Caney Bottom" or "Cove Creek"
 

I was riding in Pisgah over Labor Day wknd and tried this loop. It's called "Gumstand Gap" in Jim Parham's "Off the Beaten Track" guidebook but who knows...

So I rode out of the Fish Hatchery prkn lot up fs475 (I think 475B. ..anyway..) got up to fs225 and started looking for the gate w/ a sign for Caney Bottom Trail (like it says in Parham's book). I never saw the Caney Bottom Trail sign. I did see, however, a gate w/ a sign for Upper Cove Creek. I took it. Was this the right thing to do? Not too far from here I remember passing a massive berm on my right and went over a couple of small techy features before coming to the Caney Bottom trail that is OFF LIMITS to bikes. I stayed to the right of this trail (as the bike shop recommended), crossed a couple of small log bridges, and then came to a dead end. ???? I swear I searched for an hour and never found another trail that was open to bikes. I could hear a waterfall that didn't sound too far off in the distance. I know it must have been right there. But as it was starting to get late I gave up, went back out the way I came in, and took the forest roads back to the Fish Hatchery.

Does anyone know what I did wrong? Should I have gone farther up fs 225? Am I a complete idiot?

Thanks

First off, you are not any type of idiot for having a problem with Parham's books (or any trail book). I own all of Parham's Mt. Bike books and many others covering NC, SC and the SE in general. Parham's books are generally the best I have used but it still is difficult or impossible to always follow listed trails because over time trails change route, signs are removed, etc.
Gumstand Gap was the first "real" trail I rode when I started Mt. Biking. I was following a friend who had ridden this trail for years or I would never have been able to follow the map in the book.
To me the section after you got lost was a jumble of very eroded rooty sections and hike-a-bikes over log bridges etc but it was all worthwhile to make it down to the 7.3 mile marker in the book at high speed and literally pop out of the woods at the Cove Creek Group Camp in a huge off-camber grassy slope where if you don't make the transition you crash spectacularly to the amusement of campers [this happened to a member of my group]
So my general reply is that you had a common experience of not being able to follow a trail in a trail book.
My solution is to buy the fantastic National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map for the Pisgah Ranger District. It shows all the trails very clearly, is waterproof and tearproof and in conjunction with Parham or Muth's books for ride ideas is the way to go.
The Friends of Dupont Trail map for Dupont is very very good also even if inaccurate in places. Both are available at the local bike shops in Pisgah Forest.

Ranzak,

Thanks for replying. Uh, I forgot to mention that, in fact, I did have the (tearproof/waterproof) Pisgah Ranger Dist. map and still couldn't locate the bike friendly Caney Bottom trail. Still don't think I'm an idiot?

I guess what I'm dying to know is; if you're standing at the sign at the top of the Caney Bottom HIKING ONLY trail (heading down to the Cove Crk Grp Cmpgrnd coming from the forest road), where is the BIKE trail? I can see it on the map but I just could not actually find the entrance to it.

Next time I'm up there I'm going to ride it backwards & out and back as described in Muth's book.

Thanks


PS I did a lot of riding in Dupont that weekend as well. Had a great great great time! ...And didn't get lost once!

gotta go to work so will look at map and consult with the guy I rode with to figure out where trail is ... Are you gonna do the Tobacco Free Ride at Dupont Saturday?

The ride is cove creek but all the locals call it Caney Bottom, it's been that way for years. You hit the big berm,hang a left and a little farther down theres another little intersection. Thats most likely where you get crossed up.

Thanks brother. Tobacco Free Ride at Dupont Saturday!!!? I wish... Nah man, I live down in Louisiana. My inlaws live 20 min. from Brevard though so I get to ride up there in NC about 3 or 4 times a year. My next trip will be over Thanksgiving and I can't wait.


Dude! Yes! Exactly!! I swear, nothing looked like a trail entrance to me other than the "hiker only" trail and when I went right of that I hit a dead end every time. I want to try it again soooooo bad. It's hard to pass on Dupont though. That's the shizz.

Thanks man

I've never been able to note any landmarks on that trail, it's all I can do just to keep up with you.

The next time your up PM me. I can be in dupont in 5 min and Pisgah in 15 so I'll make sure you don't get lost.

There ya go ... even better that trail books and maps someone who knows where they are going! :)

Its hard to notice anything blazing down a trail as rooty as Caney Bottom:D