Womble Trip

Twelve GHORBA members spent Easter Weekend in the mountains of Arkansas enjoying the sweet single-track of the Womble Trail.  The Womble  trail, designated by IMBA as one of their Epic Trails,  is a 37 mile trail through the Ouachita Mountains.  The trail is a meandering ride along the ledges of the Ouachita River. 

"You wont be able to wipe the grin off my face for a least a month. Womble  rocks." Rob-O

 Chris Case, Jamie and I rode up together and arrived in time to enjoy a jaunt on this primo single-track.  We started on the far west end and rode in 5 miles then returned to the truck to change the flat we had acquired. We passed Nick, Diane and Rob on the way back in.  Back at the cabin Ryan, Susan, Kirsty, David, Garth and Melissa had arrived from their Friday ride at Ruston.  After a trip to the grocery store Chris, with the help of others, whipped up a great pasta dinner with salad, chicken breast, and garlic bread. 

...."We were riding miles and miles of swooping, 12-inch-wide singletrack in a thunderstorm! Talk about surreal.....thunder and lightening all around you while bombing downhill, dodging rocks, trees, and thorny bushes."  Nick Gonzales

 Saturday morning I woke up at 7:00am and started cooking breakfast....sausage and either banana or pecan pancakes with homemade syrup.  Then we had our little confusion.  Without going into detail we didn't all start together but everyone got to ride as much as they wanted to.  Some rode 10 miles some rode 20 and some, Ryan Spates, rode more than that.  We did all meet at the midway point and have lunch and refuel before riding more.

 "The one amazing thing about the trail is the fact that it was pouring rain and there was no mud. The only thing on your bike was pieces of leaves. When it stopped raining, you could spray your bike down with a bottle of water and it was clean." Garth McCann

 That evening we had BBQ ribs and chicken, potatoes and salad and ended up with Hot tub Bunny for dessert.  Someone gave me a 1 pound solid chocolate Easter Bunny before I left and we left him in the truck while we rode.  It got hot and melted but, Friday night we made him solid again because everyone was too lazy to get up and turn the thermostat up (it was about 55 in the cabin) so Saturday night we put bunny in the hot tub to soften him up.  Soon the sliced bananas were being dipped, then orange slices and pretzels. Bunny gave his life to please us choco-holics. 

"Trail was absolutely incredible despite the rain. Quite sure my parents would have had me committed for riding in the rain and thunder storm, but it certainly made it a whole new level of adventure. Plenty of hill training...definitely not a place for the timid and meek Would do it again next week and the following week and the following week....gotta make more money and find more vacation!!!" Chris Case

Beers, stories and lies filled the night and Sunday morning we had scrambled eggs, bacon and biscuits before heading back to Houston.  A fabulous time was had by all.  Unfortunately the wet weather kept my camera off the trail Sunday so most of my pictures feature Jamie and Chris but I'll post some of the other's pictures when I get them.