We stuck close to home for this early spring ride. Though the temps were in the low 40s when we met for near Hendersonville, by the time we reached the Pigtails, it had warmed up enough to start shedding layers. Cyclists were out in force, with about 15 riders passing by as they climbed the steep hairpins out of Green River Cove. That's one heck of a training climb...

These are first gear turns, with some great twisties linking up the hairpins. What a morning! Birds singing, flowers blooming, it was warm - doesn't get much better than that after several months of chilly riding.

This old store is located in Mills Springs, at the intersection of the Lake Adger road and Hwy. 9. I rarely pass up a chance to grab a photo of one of these slices of local history. When I was a kid, you could still buy an RC and a Moon Pie here... ouch!

I collect the photos of old stores and barns - Al likes to get pix of the county courthouses in each county. This one is in Columbus and is the county courthouse for Polk County.

From Columbus, we hit the backroads over to Tryon for lunch. Later today, we'll be riding the crest of the mountain in the background, Tryon Peak.

The famous Blockhouse horse in Tryon. The Blockhouse Race, held each spring just outside Tryon at FENCE (The Foothills Equestrian and Nature Center), is the ultimate tailgate party in this area. Hmmm, not a bad place for a rider's get-together...

Al gives the Adventure Riders salute at Elmos Pub, a favorite watering hole on Main Street in Tryon. Good food, cold beer and a friendly staff - well worth stopping in for lunch.

Nuff said!

Then, it was on to one of my favorite vantage points to view Hogback Mtn. and the peach blossoms.

Karen checks out the view of the Blue Wall - a little slice of Foothills paradise, tucked away beneath the steep slopes of Hogback Mtn.

One last shot of the peach orchard and we head on over to the region near Tryon known as Fox Country.

Karen bribes a horse with a handful of grass in Fox Country. This region is known for its sprawling riding facilities, with a lot of riders moving to the area to take advantage of the equestrian events, riding trails, and beautiful land.

Do you call 'em ranches, farms, facilities - not sure, but they're beautiful and they preserve the rural atmosphere of one of the prettiest locales along the NC/SC border.

Parked in a snow storm of wind-blown blossoms from the trees lining the road, we take a quick break before heading to Tryon Peak.

Not bad...

Twisties snake up the side of Tryon Peak, near Tryon and Columbus, NC. It's the steep peak on the east side of Interstate 26 that you see as you leave the foothills of the Blue Ridge to climb up towards Saluda, NC. The loop ride up and then back down Tryon Peak probably has more hairpin turns than the Pigtails.

A cascade by the road up Tryon Peak.

One of two really spectacular overlooks on the Tryon Peak loop ride. This is the view to the north, looking out over Holberts Cove, Green River Cove, the Chimney Rock region, with the Black Range against the horizon. The two overlooks are both on private land and are maintained for the pleasure of the public - treat 'em well. The other lookout offered a view to the south over the Columbus, Tryon region. It was growing late in the day by then though, and the sun was at the wrong angle for photographs. I'll get some of those later on an early morning ride when the lighting is better - a day with low-hanging clouds would be perfect to bring out the colors in the valleys below the Peak.
We only put in about 150 miles on today's ride, but it would be hard to beat our local opportunities on an early spring day. We ended the ride with a dash back up the mountain out of Tryon on Hwy. 176, cutting across to the Greenville Watershed. We took the scenic route from the watershed by cutting through the Bobs Creek Valley, then down through upper Green River Cove to a final climb across Mt. Olive to home.