A group of 45 riders made their way up to Chattanooga, TN from Atlanta, GA over the weekend to enjoy some of the best single track in that area…Raccoon Mountain. This ride was held by the Roswell/Alpharetta chapter of SORBA, RAMBO, so we knew there was going to be some great riding with incredible food afterward.
The day started off perfect! Jenn and I loaded up the bikes and started the 2 hour trip to the trail. She slept most of the way up so that she would be good and rested for the day’s ride. When we got to the TVA pump station/Raccoon Mountain, the weather was beautiful. It was a little hot, which was to be expected, but the sky was a bright blue with a couple of scattered, white clouds. I took this time to snap a couple of pictures of the area that you can see below. Raccoon Mountain provides some of the best riding scenery in the southeast. The trail circles the large elevated TVA power lake and you get to ride on rock walls while you enjoy the beautiful Tennessee landscape.
The RTR was supposed to be 10:30am, but like most large group rides, we didn’t actually get started until about 11am. The ride started off great. Raccoon is fast, flowy and begs you to stay on the pedals. The trail has a great mix of large rocks, roots and groomed sections to really keep you on your toes. Raja was leading the “a group” so I knew we had a lot of pedal cadence ahead of us.
About 1/2 way through the ride, we started hearing loud noises out of the sky. That’s right…a nice summer thunderstorm was on the way. Luckily the timing worked out perfectly and we were able to wait the rain out in the protection of the TVA visitors center. Once the rain calmed down enough to ride, we starting the 5 miles left to the parking lot. Overall, the entire loop (with the several add-ons) comes out to just over 17 miles. There are several sections that are my favorite: the overlook, the double before the overlook, Six Flags, the rock DH (that several people walked) and the gap jump (RIP). Raccoon Mountain is a great trail that I don’t get to hit as often as I wish.
The girls ended up having a great time. Jenn was proud of her 8.5 miles of technical trail and Kristen ended up taking a nasty spill into a tree. She even rode another 3.5 miles after the fall! The “better half’s” are getting better by the day, and by the end of next week I hope to have Jenn on a set of clipless.
After the ride, all of us got together for a great cookout hosted by RAMBO. The food was great and so was the company.
Can’t wait until the next one! Until then…here are some pictures…
