2009 Asheville Mountain Unicycle Festival

The schedule of rides is subject to change depending on the experience and comfort levels of riders who come to the festival.  This is a rough idea of what we might do.  Please don't be intimidated, especially if you are new to the sport.  Please know your limits as a rider.

• Friday:  12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. - Bent Creek is our home turf.  There are many excellent trails with miles of single track and some gated gravel roads. You won't be disappointed!  We expect riders to be showing up at different times during the day. As soon as you get your campsite set, meet up with with some other riders in the campground and go explore.  There will be two group rides Friday.  One ride leaving at 12:30 p.m. from campsite #50 in Lakeside Loop and another ride leaving at 4:30 p.m. from campsite #50.  If you can make it for one of these rides, it would be great.  Stop by campsite #50 at Lakeside Loop and say hello when you arrive.  Everyone should register there and pick up information about the weekend.  We'll have an Asheville Muni Fest Banner hanging at the site. 

• Saturday:  9:00 a.m.  - Tour de Bent Creek - The ride will start at 9:00 a.m. sharp in the picnic area near the Lake Powhatan Beach.  This is your opportunity to challenge Ben Richardson, the reigning Asheville Muni Fest Champion.  The ride is a 12 mile loop with a lot of climbing and some great downhill.  Check out the map.  The ride takes 2 to 4 hours to complete and will definitely get your heart pumping.  The route takes you around Lake Powhatan to the Hardtimes Connector (661), up Wolf Branch (666), up Ingles Field (150) and Ingles Field Gap (150) to the top of Five Points.  Next, the trail turns down Little Hickory Top (136) to Side Hill (145) where the trail passes the bottom of the popular Green's Lick Trail.  We will go down a gravel road to Lower Sidehill (137A) for a short distance to Sidehill Connector (145A) and ride it for a short distance until in comes out onto another gravel road.  Finally, we'll hit Explorer Connector (337A), Pine Tree Loop (336), Deerfield Loop (335), Small Creek (334), Homestead (333) and end up back at the picnic area by the Lake Powhatan Beach.    Lunch (included in registration fee) will be served in the picnic area following the ride.  

• Saturday Afternoon:  3 p.m. - Do you have any energy left?  We'll ride in the North Mills River Recreation area around the Trace Ridge race track.  The video "Spencer Branch" was filmed in this area.  The video will give you a good idea of what to expect.  Or riders may choose to ride with one of our seasoned 36 inch road riders, Bill Spears, on a course to be determined.  

• Saturday Evening:  7:00 p.m. - Please plan on joining us for the 2009 awards ceremony at the campground at 7:00 p.m.  We will be enjoying a trout dinner (included in the registration fee) from Shadow Creek Trout Farm, an event sponsor, and some other tasty treats. 

•  Sunday:  Because riders will be leaving at different times on Sunday, we will have a couple of plans in place.  Our plan is to pack up camp quickly and ride as much as we can ride in the time we have together.  We may be heading to beautiful Dupont State Forest, where we'll ride Slickrock, see waterfalls, and push each other to new heights. Dupont is about 40 minutes from Asheville/Bent Creek near Brevard, North Carolina.  Another option might be Kitsuma, our 2007 race course, or Heartbreak Ridge in Old Fort, North Carolina.