New Trail Near Lake Hartwell, Georgia

My family and I visit Lake Hartwell in North Georgia often and just recently SORBA built a new trail at Paynes Creek Campground. It called to me. So at 6:30am I got up and went to find out what it wanted. When I got there I was alone until a nice couple drove up in a compact car with no bikes on it. Once they got out I could see they were trail runners so I asked if they'd be running clockwise or counter clockwise. I wanted to head in the direction they would be running so I wouldn't run into them. They smiled and said "We appreciate you clearing the spider webs for us." Doh!...You're welcome.
The trail is fast in the clockwise direction, which is the way I went and only slightly tougher the other way. There are plenty of jumps and rollers. You get to ride along next to the lake at times which is cool. It's a little over 6 miles long. During my first lap I took pictures and rode easy and it took me 45 mins. Once back and refilled I went hard and got it done in about 30 minutes. I'll tell you this, it's better the faster you go. There are rolling sections that remind me of Tsali. You can put it in a big gear and roll across the ridge line super fast because you can see all the way to the end. I loved it!

Paynes Creek Trail, Hartwell, Georgia

After my second lap there were four more vehicles in the parking lot and I could hear people in the trails. By that time I could also smell breakfast being cooked back at the house. It's July in North Georgia and there's nothing more refreshing than a swim in the lake before you go eat. So I took a plunge and then returned home to complete a great day with the family. I love my life!

Some great Mountain Bike Racing happened this weekend at Unicoi State Park in Helen, GA. The final race of the Georgia Championship Series was held there. The results weren't posted yet but I understand that a rider from Fit2Tri won the 20-29 category and Dustin finished 7th. Great job in the mountains! I'm looking forward to racing at Tribble Mill Park in Lawrenceville next month in the Chainbuster Series.

Stay tuned next week for details of the Georgia Cycling Gran Prix 5 day stage race. I'll only be doing the first one at Road Atlanta but there are plenty of guys going for the whole thing. I can't wait to hear the stories and pass them along. Admission is free!

Looking for a ride? Check out my ride pages on the right of this page. Updated frequently.

Have a great week!

Chad