Sherman Branch, Section Two

With the Ninja Rabbits, Snake, Roller Coster and the climb out of section one behind you, you’ll find the Farm Silo is a good place to hang out and take a break while you wait for your buddies to catch up. Section two begins at the intersection of the Farm Silo, the same silo you passed while riding section one. So be warned the Ninja Rabbits are on the loose and they’ll out to get you.

Rolling up a slight grade between the woods and an over grown field, you’ll eventually find yourself back into single track that winds through and then begins to descend again into three log jumps that are spaced perfectly apart to catch a little air time, the last being the best to lob off of. Bank back to the left and hammer your way up a short easy climb into a left turning berm. Once you’ve cleared the berm, there’s some nice straight-aways to pick up some momentum just before you enter into a tight right banking berm that will sling-shot you into a short straight and back into a left banking turn. Then there’s a nice straight away with a log jump, then you enter another right banking berm that is fun to ride high and rail out of, back into another left banking turn and right back into another right banking berm. Read more

Left Loop Mountain Bike Trail – Tsali Recreation Area (Graham County, NC)

Overall Difficulty: Intermediate
Technical Difficulty: Moderate
Physical Difficulty: Moderate
Configuration: Loop
Length: 11.9 miles

Public lands offer endless riding opportunities, especially with the adoption of recreation by many state and federal agencies as a valuable resource to manage. Tsali recreation area of western North Carolina, considered by some as a southeastern mecca for mountain biking, is located in the Nantahala National Forest along the banks of Fontana Lake. The area is managed by the U.S. Forest Service and offers a trail system that covers over 30 miles of terrain that explores the banks of Fontana Lake, climbs to awe-inspiring overlooks of the Appalachian mountains, and travels through dense, ancient hardwood forests. The left loop trail, one of the four designated trails of Tsali, is open to mountain bikers on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and open to horseback riders the other days. An 11.9 mile loop trail, the left loop trail hops from cove to cove of Fontana lake, with the occasional climb and subsequent fast descent that eventually leaves the banks of the lake and returns to the trailhead via a gravel doubletrack.

To begin this trail, ride past the information kiosk and bike cleaning station and immediately take a left following the trail signs for the left loop trail. An initial climb and quick descent will drop you into the horse trailer parking lot, from which you will cross and drop into the forest following the signs. Gentle rollers take you across the contours of the hillsides, with bank turns allowing for smoother transitions between opposing aspects. An abrupt left turn places you in a drainage that leads you to your first glimpse of Fontana Lake. Begin following the shoreline with the occasional creek crossing as many tributaries are crossed as the trail hops from cove to cove. Dry oak forests transition to fern and moss laden under stories as dynamic moisture gradients are encountered while constantly climbing and descending opposing hillsides.

Only slight climbs have been encountered thus far, but a moderately larger climb is encountered as the trail ascends to an overlooking peninsula, and then continues up the ridgeline. The climb peaks and the trail rolls over and begins a fun descent through Rhododendron trees that ends at another drainage and continues traversing more peninsulas. At this point, the climbs and descents begin to become a larger. One particular stretch of downhill includes water banks that increase the technicality of the descent and sharp, exposed turns require slight speed checks to avoid unwanted full bodied launches off of the embankment. An intersection is soon encountered that offers an extra 2 mile overlook loop that climbs for one mile to the cusp of a rock outcropping. Enjoy a nice view of Fontana Lake and the surrounding Appalachians, and then continue on the overlook trail which descends quickly and eventually returns to the left loop trail.  Read more

Sherman Branch - Section One

Sitting in the office plugging away at work, I glance up at the computer’s clock… it’s 4:00PM. Ride time is getting close and I’m ready to cut out of the office. I check the trail conditions online to see if the gate is open and send out emails to my riding buddies to let them know I’ll be there. Lucky me, the Sherman Branch mountain bike trails are only 2 miles from my office and it’s time to split.

At the trail head I check the bike, the gear… I’m all set. My buddies are all here and it’s time to roll in.

Sherman Branch is not what I would call a difficult trail, in fact it is quite easy for the most part. But that also depends on how fast you roll! I myself like to roll as fast as I possibly can, pushing myself and my bike to our limits. This makes the trail technically more difficult and the speed you can maintain is a blast! Don’t get me wrong, there’s a few climbs that will get your heart rate up a bit, but all in all… this is a fast flowing rolling trail that screams “GO FASTER!”

The first thing you’ll notice when you enter the trail is that it snakes through the woods of Sherman Branch, with tight corners that can get a little loose during dry conditions. As you roll down the trail you’ll hit a few small log jumps, narrow bridges and continue to snake your way through the tight corners of the trail.

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