Black Mountain is probably out of all the places I have visited the one I least go back to. The last time I was here in 2018 when my daughter flipped the RZR. I really need to look at the past and see if I can locate enough pictures from different rides and put them up on the site.
I was feeling a little under the weather heading down Friday night with an upset stomach with the hope that it would be better by ride time Saturday morning. Well, you know that was wishful thinking. I woke up and my stomach was still hurting. Since I lead most rides if I were to cancel then everyone there would have to figure it out for themselves, and I didn’t want to do that.
I had planned out three different rides to choose from this day. One stay at Black Mountain the entire day or ride to Leatherwood via road and explore there all day. The third option was to hang out at Black Mountain for majority of the day and then go to the old mining area outside of Black Mountain where the wild horses are and stop off the road to what was a great waterfall and swimming hole.
We started off on the Putney side heading towards Bald Knob overlook. Once we arrived it was a great 360-degree view of the mountains. From here I had planned to do the trail that loops around outside the park that circles back in. It was a bit grown up but I couldn’t help myself for the path less traveled and off we went. Still in pain and getting worse as the day unfolded. Driving between 20 and 30 MPH all of a sudden, I hit something hard on the right side. Pam convinced me to pull over and check it out. Of course, I slashed my sidewall of my front passenger side tire. I hit a rock hidden in the overhang and I hit it good.
The rest of the group starts pulling up and coming out and checking it out trying to figure out where the puncture or cut was. Matt’s son Jake yelling at us to get going as he didn’t like being stopped! We tried airing up the tire, which is another story in itself, someone needed a sae extension cable for powering. But regardless we used James’s machine, and I provided my tire plug kit to Terry, and he fixed it in a Jiffy. Thinking it would just be good enough to get me back, we turned around to get back to some more traveled trails.
Once back on the main trails I decided to continue the ride into the heart of the park with plans to loop around down to Evarts side of the mountain. Tire is holding good then all of a sudden, a few machines back I guess his new sound bar wasn’t tightened good enough for the rocky terrain of Black Mountain and hit Jake on the head and he wasn’t happy. They decided to go their own way as we headed up Trail 11. We take a break on trail 11 and check out the tire and what not just having a great time, then on the radio all of a sudden someone is calling out for us. Its Matt and his son Jake that decided they would like to join us again. We told them to come up trail 11 and we would wait. Thank God for good radios!
The entire group being back again we make are way to Evarts and decide to eat at the Dairy Hut. I was sick as a dog at this point and miserable. Once we left, I hit a few loops making my way back to the Putney trail head just not being able to take anymore. We arrive at the campground, and I told everyone I was going to use the restroom take some medicine and relax and see how I feel.
Onward to the Wild Horses we went. On the way we found a huge cool rock is all I will say, and I spotted some bypass trails and saw a group using one of them as well. We finally get out to the area of the Wild horses, looking all around and I kept going higher up in elevation to look and at the top on my final turn there they were excited to see us. I look over at Pam and she is in Horse Heaven has owning like a hundred of them herself. It was beautiful in this spot with rolling mountains as far as the eyes could see.
Everyone played around with the horses and off we were cutting down another trail that look less traveled. On the radio Terry states hey guys I feel like I am on a Safari! He shouts look at the Giraffe behind the tree over there on the right as we travel through the outback.
We arrive at the Waterfall, which is our last stop for the day, thank goodness as my stomach has had enough. The waterfall was beautiful and so was the swimming hole below it. Pam was the first one to take off to go down there and several were to follow. Come to find out James told Pam that if Hunter finds a swimming hole today, he will do a big belly flop into it. So, check out the video section below to see if that happens!
I hope to feel better on the next ride!
PICTURES
Direct Facebook Link:
Taken by Hunter: CLICK HERE
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