Making our way to the Dunlop tire test

Here are a few pics Chris (Trail Life leader) took of Garrett's tent w/ our bikes.


The mountain is also home to the Pinhoti trail head, it links to the Appalachian Trail in GA and they are trying to get it officially added to the AT as the southern most point of the AT.

We stumble across an abandoned house in the hills, there was a cool little creek crossing just after...Just no pics, so I guess it didn't happen!
We are now getting close to Barber and the roads turn to asphalt, but the fun factor is high. If you haven't been to Barber or you don't know...state road 25 runs out of Leeds to Vincent and is a hoot to ride. it climbs up a ridge line and has plenty of switchbacks to entertain, even a hairpin at the top....no good pics of the top and hairpin though, we were behind cars both times we rode it.

Here we are setting up the Dunlop tent to support the teams during the tire test. There is more sq/ft of race deck flooring than my entire house. 40+ ft deep and the length of truck and trailer.


This is what it looks like after we are all set up and working.



Garrett balancing tires.

We got to Leeds mid morning on Sat. and did not have to be at the racetrack until Sun. morning. So we found a room at a local motel, got a great burger at "Bald Rock Grill" in Leeds...I definitely recommend it, if you like a good homemade burger and fries. After lunch, we rode over to a powerline road that climbs a steep hill that is across from the track. I have wondered what was over the hill for years and years, well we have to proper bikes to explore such things, there were no signs protesting our exploration and we climb a very steep hill up to the top and then we are rewarded w/ a sketchy boulder decent to the bottom on the other side. I fall on the decent w/ no injuries, we then find a challenging hill climb that leads into a 4 wheeler path about 2/3rd the way up. It was a challenge for me with the 70 street/30 dirt hand cut tire ( my handy work makes it more of a 60/40 tire) to climb the hill, Garrett went first and tipped over right at a lip where the trail started and fell into a briar patch...So now I am halfway up and have to shoot to the left of his bike and stop on the small lip to assist lifting the bike off of him and spinning it so it faced downhill for him to get going again. I had a challenge to get going on the steep slippery slope, but we made it and really enjoyed the unknown trail....we meet a local on a 4wheeler and he says that the west end of the Barber property leads to some of the most scenic trails around, with waterfalls and such. We make our way back to the room and ponder on how we could get access to the trails....maybe next time. Sorry no pics as my camera was dead.
We work our butts off Sun-Tue at the racetrack 0700-1800(6pm) all three days. We (all of the Dunlop crew) get the trucks packed up Tues and Garrett and I head out at 1930 (730pm) towards Florida.....This is gonna be a rally race style return trip, because I have to be at the firehouse Thu morning at 0700. So we have a full day and a few hrs of riding to do what took us 2 solid days coming up to the track....Can we ride the entire track back and make it in time????

My x wife's great uncle was a revenuer in Quitman in the late 40s and Pilco creek is 1/2 mile from my in-laws .

I don't think a single reroute was bad. We need to go again!!

There is a homemade walking bridge, I should've had my camera on Garrett when he walked across it. Can you see it? View attachment 1168806

I can't believe I made it across, i was in survival mode after the 2nd step

if we were stopped an approached by an irate local. I wasn't too worried because the season has long closed, but my uncle lives at our camp in MS, so it is possible to run into someone. I already have a legal route that I found for the ride back home...so no need to worry about shotguns next time...I know we are on some game cams after that little expedition. View attachment 1170875

Yeah that was a lil sketchy going through the camp. Took us 15 minutes to find where the road went after that clearing. The sound of those banjos coming through the trees and the smell of 2 stroke from the chain saws, made us twist the throttle a bit harder.

That was an awesome ride report. I can't believe how much you recalled and your ability to put it down in words. If y'all think it sounds fun, you should've been there. Reading this only makes me want to go rite now and ride it again.

I have a few pics left of the return trip... maybe even one of two bikes and a ditch....lol. Ironically, it wasn't the only ditch a 690 went through on this trip. #BRAAAP

no staged pictures of you next your bike in the ditch?

No staging required, straight up slid into the ditch....both of us... LOL I'll get them up on here as soon as I can.

Does @beefcake morris need to frame it for you at the next meeting?