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Author: :Josh_Berman

Gaps

Album manager

The trunk

A trunk full, for a simple 4hr, 1.5hr brick.
Wolf Pen Gap - Tour Messages

Wolf Pen Gap is on the Tour de Georgia race (where it's rated as a category two climb). As such, there are some spray painted messages on the road.
No guard rail needed

This is a pretty straight piece of road on Wolf Pen, but I really wish it had a guard rail. Every ride, it's the most nerve-wracking part of Wolfpen for me, because it's right after a blind corner, and close to the top of the gap. If you go off the road here, you're back at the bottom (think the big chute in chutes and ladders).
Wolf Pen Top

The sign that says you've made it.
Wolf Pen Top Line

I like the fact that the top is obvious enough that the road slopes away from the line in each direction. No pictures from the descent because I'm too busy holding on for dear life. If you'd like, check it out on a 1000cc cycle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAhVJwWULd4
Dale's!

Dale's store in Suches is a beautiful oasis after Wolf Pen Gap, and before Woody Gap. They even sell both kinds of cider - clear and cloudy.
Dale's view

It was actually pretty dead at Dale's yesterday. Normally, this lot is at least half full with bikes of different description, and all of the lounge chairs are full with all that North Georgia has to offer - Harley riders with confederate flag stickered brain buckets, superbikers in full body armor, lawyers on their BMW bikes, and even a few gu-sucking, spandex-clad cyclists. I love that everyone gets along here, and I really look forward to stopping for quick chat every week.
Woody Gap Sign

No sign, but there's a rock. A nice rock, too.
View from Woody Gap

In case you were wondering, you do gain some altitude from the bottom of Wolf Pen to the top of Woody. This is the view South from Woody, which I have to admit I didn't notice before I brought a camera with me and stopped here.
Kudzu on Neel Gap

Note to fellow Northerners: Kudzu does not make a good plant for the yard.
Neel Gap Sign

Because I park at Vogel, this is my last peak. It's an ugly one. If you'd like to watch the ascent, you can watch the quick version on a Buell here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7RkOn_Cp5w The part that's about eight minutes on youtube is more than an hour for me, but you get a real feel for the road.
Mtn Crossing Sign

This is the stop at the top of Neel Gap (which BT'ers should petition to rename Neal's Gap). A great store, staffed by really nice folks.
Neel Gap View

You have to talk about 50 feet off of the road to see the view from Neel Gap, but it's worth it to see that you've regained most of the altitude you lost coming down Woody Gap.
AT at Neel Gap

The AT looking north from Neel Gap. The AT actually goes across both Woody and Neel Gap, and Neel Gap is about 31 miles North of the South Terminus. If I ever turn up missing after a particularly bad day, I should pass this point about two days later. Feel free to join me on my way to Maine.
Neel Gap Descent

Yeah, you know it's going to be a good descent when you see this sign. My speed record is almost exactly where the ramp is - 47 MPH.
Now for the run

When it's hot, noisy and scary on the gaps, I look forward to the running here in the park on the Trahlyta Lake/Falls trails.
Neel Gap from Lake Trahlyta trail

From the brick trail at the falls turnoff, looking back across the lake and up Neel Gap.
Trahlyta Falls

A turnaround on a spur for my runs, these are lazy, low volume falls, beautiful and just loud enough to drown out other noises.
Recovery station

Woohoo! Done with the brick, and it's time to recover on the front porch rockers, do the NYT crossword, and chat with folks in well-worn Sunday tradition.
View from recovery

Here's the view from the porch.
Vogel Cat

The park cat - I forget his real name, but I call him 'the mother f'er who sits on the porch all day while I risk life and limb, and then has the nerve to ask for (and get) a sip of my recovery shake every week'. It's not the shortest name, but it sums up his personality really well.
Elevation

This is actually two laps (because I'm that cool). The order is Wolf Pen, then Woody, then Neel (which really should be Neal).

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