View of Hogback Mtn. from Belue Cemetery Road, north of Hwy. 11 in the South Carolina foothills. The peach orchards are just beginning to bloom. The trees on the southeast side of this ridge are in full bloom, but the ones on the northern side are still budding out.

Spring comes to the Foothills. The blue peak on the horizon is Tryon Peak, near Tryon, NC.

Another view of Hogback Mtn. from a few miles further south in peach country. This is a great region to ride early in the season when it's still chilly up in the high country. The loop that I took today dropped down Hwy. 25 through the Greenville Watershed, then across the ridge below the dam to Hwy. 11. Hwy. 11 is followed for a few miles before turning left (north) on the Oak Grove Road. Oak Grove Road is a real treat - a twisty, rolling, lightly-traveled road that follows the foothills over to Tryon. There are a few turns along the way, but so long as you keep heading east, you'll end up on Hwy. 176 south of Tryon.

More of the peach orchards near the Belue Cemetery.

Horses, peaches, distant mountains and smooth pavement - does it get any better than this for a spring ride?

Stop the bike and the horsess come a-runnin'. I'd guess that they've gotten more than a few handouts from passers-by.

One last shot of Hogback Mtn. and a barely budding peach orchards - and it's off to work.

Green River Cove Loop Ride/The Pigtails, March 18, 2009

One of the 16 hairpin turns of the Pigtails, a steep, serpentine road that drops off the mountain outside Saluda, NC into Green River Cove. The first 10 or so hairpin turns are stacked closely, one above the other, but further down into the Cove, the turns are separated by twisting stretches of smooth pavement - it's a lot of fun to ride. It's close enough to home that I can ride it on a daily basis and it's quickly becoming my favorite ride in this area.

A view of Main Street in Saluda, NC. The railrroad was once the reason for the town's existence and just below the small town, it has the steepest grade of any rail line in the eastern U.S. Trains rarely pass through now, but the little town is thriving. It's a pleasant place to visit. The summer season is marked by the Coon Dog Festival - now theres one that you have to see. Complete with a Coon Dog Queen, the festival celebrates the popular Plott and Redbone hunting breeds.
The Pigtail is located about a mile east of the town, just past the intersection with Interstate 26.

The view from the other side of town. A side road in the center of town cuts across the railroad tracks and leads to the Greenville Watershed, another great twisty ride through the mountains along the Blue Wall.

Another of the 16 hairpin turns on the Pigtail. The valley beyond the turn holds one of the most popular Class 6 whitewater runs in the eastern U.S. - the Narrows, a legendary slot run through a series of steep drops and cascades just above Green River Cove. Further down the Cove, inner tubes and play yaks replace the squirt boats and hairball paddlers of the Narrows.

Turn, wheelie, brake, turn, wheelie, brake, turn, wheelie, brake...

Spring flowers cover the banks at the entrance to a small church in the Cove. This is a great time to drop off the mountain and to enjoy an early taste of springtime.

KawasiMoto.

Little Columbus, NC, in the foothills east of Tryon, NC. I used to ride a metric century bicycle ride that started here in Columbus on July 4th. It circled out through the horse country south of town and then followed Hwy. 11 west over to the Greenville Watershed where we climbed the mountains up to Saluda and then flew back down Hwy. 176 to the start. Now I go to Columbus for a different reason - Surrenos, a great little Mexican restaurant of Main St.

El Surreno - good food and just in time for lunch.

Grub at Surrenos! Followed by a quick dash back up the mountain through Tryon on Hwy. 176, bringing another terrific spring ride to an end.