If you had only one day to ride in East Tennessee...

... in late June, where would you go, Brimstone or Coal Creek?

What sections or trails, for a noob who's never been to either of them before?

My annual family reunion is on Saturday, June 27th. I'm seriously thinking about going down early (I usually do) but towing the Rhino 900 miles (one way). I could sneak in one day of riding during the week, and possibly two, but no more than that...

TIA...

Cant go wrong with Windrock. Trails are fairly well marked and there is lots of them. Sorry I cant give you any info on Brimstone as I have not been there yet.

forget the rhino, lets go to the clinch

. i would have to vote for windrock if your coming for one day. more people ride it, in case you have trouble. easier to get around. Brimstone has places that banjer pickers are skeered to venture into

I feel Brimstone is a much better place to ride, but Windrock is okay too. Both have good trails. Good thing about Brimstone is there a multitude of places to camp and park. I think it is awesome. That is just my opinion.

Well, Windrock is closer -- by almost an hour, I'd guess -- so that looks like a good possibility. Just don't want to get in over my head, especially riding alone, so the idea that it's more heavily used could be a plus in this case.

KentT wrote:

Well, Windrock is closer -- by almost an hour, I'd guess -- so that looks like a good possibility. Just don't want to get in over my head, especially riding alone, so the idea that it's more heavily used could be a plus in this case.

More moderate and easy trails too.

How close are you to Chattanooga?

any place i go is good riding.....
As long as its not raining.....

nocerisdave wrote:

How close are you to Chattanooga?

About 100 miles. I'm between Knoxville and the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area, in Sevier County.

KentT wrote:

Well, Windrock is closer -- by almost an hour, I'd guess -- so that looks like a good possibility. Just don't want to get in over my head, especially riding alone, so the idea that it's more heavily used could be a plus in this case.

Kent,

Brimstone is my favorite place to ride. But if you are new to the sport of SxSing I would go to Windrock. Brimstone can get pretty extreme.

Big-R wrote:

KentT wrote:

Well, Windrock is closer -- by almost an hour, I'd guess -- so that looks like a good possibility. Just don't want to get in over my head, especially riding alone, so the idea that it's more heavily used could be a plus in this case.

Kent,

Brimstone is my favorite place to ride. But if you are new to the sport of SxSing I would go to Windrock. Brimstone can get pretty extreme.

That's a great perspective. I grew up with dirt bikes, and used to do a lot of off-roading in VW dune buggies and baja bugs, but I'm new to this Rhino and its capabilities. I have a pretty good eye for which line to take, for example, but I don't know the Rhino's tipping point nor all its quirks yet...

Sounds like Windrock may the best choice for several reasons... maybe with me going during the week, it won't be TOO crowded and dusty. That would be my primary concern...

If your new, then IMO Windrock is better, just because the trails are maintained and well marked, after your more comfortable with how your machine the brimstone is a great place but the trails are more advanced and not as well maintained.

just be sure you can outrun your riding partner


did somebody mention brimstone again ?

Rhino Rob wrote:

just be sure you can outrun your riding partner


did somebody mention brimstone again ?

Don't think I need to worry -- neither of us can play a banjo...

uh they dont either, butt your close enough

Well, I'm driving down this weekend and plan on riding Windrock at least one day next week, maybe two. May have to make a hard decision about trout fishing on the Clinch River or riding Windrock on that second day...

I have to watch the weather closely, because I need to do a couple days work on my lot (bush-hogging, trimming, etc.) and would like to catch Windrock after a shower if possible, to keep the dust down.

Some trails I've had recommended are 1, 2, 4, 16, 18, 22, 28, 29, 30. I've been advised to possibly avoid 10 and 12, but that 11 and 13 would be OK.

Anyone want to offer more feedback or suggestions?

Where is the waterfall that I see all the pictures of? Is that 18, 53, or what?

I'm straining my eyes trying to read these tiny maps from online -- these old eyes need bigger ones!

Stay off 10, 12. 9 and 39. Some of these trails are tough and you do not want to hit them by your self. 13 leads you to 12. All the others above are fine. However, I am not sure of your riding comfort. I can be extreme and might be the wrong one to answer.

Maybe Gunny can give you a few trails. He knows the place probably better then I.

Good info Big-R... Right now, I don't want to go on anything beyond moderate, at least by myself. But, I do want to get off the gravel roads as much as possible.

I find that I can pick a good line almost all the time (who's perfect?), and don't mind some technical crawling, but I'm still learning how the Rhino behaves -- plus I don't know its limits yet -- and have no desire to go to the Dark Side!

The Rhino will do more than you would think. I have been really impressed. The only thing it lacks it the extra power to stop on a really steep hill and start again and it seems to run short of power going up really long hills.

Airborne LT wrote:

The Rhino will do more than you would think. I have been really impressed. The only thing it lacks it the extra power to stop on a really steep hill and start again and it seems to run short of power going up really long hills.

That's part of my concerns, LT. I don't know how it will handle long steep hills -- I haven't been on a hill yet that it wouldn't climb. But, I'm not sure I want to find that limit when I'm on a trail by myself or with just my 10-year old grandson.

I grew up riding dirtbikes on these hills/mountains -- the family farm has over 100 acres on the face of that little one in the foreground that were covered with logging trails. Plus, there were trails climbing the one behind it and running down its spine for about 30 miles. I've been in situations where the bike simply wouldn't go any farther, either from loss of power or loss of traction. I don't want to go there with the Rhino, at least not yet...

BTW, that is Mt Leconte in the Smokies on the left, in the background -- second highest point east of the Mississippi., AFAIK..