<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"\"&lt;p&gt;Words: Chris Lesser&lt;br \\/&gt;\\nPhotos: Morgan Meredith&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;A quest for singletrack south of the Mason-Dixon line reveals a cast of unlikely characters, a hearty riding culture and a hollerin\\u2019 good time. Over the course of nine days and 1,500 miles, we mercilessly flog a rental van and live off deep-fried food as we search for the South\\u2019s finest trails.&lt;\\/em&gt;&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;figure id=\\\"attachment_2828\\\" style=\\\"width: 600px\\\" class=\\\"wp-caption aligncenter\\\"&gt;&lt;img class=\\\"size-full wp-image-2828 \\\" title=\\\"jamie-pillsbury\\\" src=\\\"http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/files\\/2009\\/12\\/jamie-pillsbury.jpg\\\" alt=\\\"Jamie Pillsbury shows how it's done.\\\" width=\\\"600\\\" height=\\\"400\\\" srcset=\\\"http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/jamie-pillsbury.jpg 600w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/jamie-pillsbury-190x126.jpg 190w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/jamie-pillsbury-135x90.jpg 135w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/jamie-pillsbury-100x67.jpg 100w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/jamie-pillsbury-200x133.jpg 200w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/jamie-pillsbury-150x100.jpg 150w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/jamie-pillsbury-160x107.jpg 160w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/jamie-pillsbury-320x213.jpg 320w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/jamie-pillsbury-480x320.jpg 480w\\\" sizes=\\\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\\\" \\/&gt;&lt;figcaption class=\\\"wp-caption-text\\\"&gt;Jamie Pillsbury shows how it&amp;#39;s done.&lt;\\/figcaption&gt;&lt;\\/figure&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;The cannon shot gives us our first indication of the surrounding area. Although it\\u2019s dark as tar on the eastern fringe of Tennessee\\u2019s Cumberland Plateau tonight, the blast echoes across the valley and rings off the rocky landscape, revealing a sort of sonic snapshot.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;The topography here is bunched up like wrinkles in a bedsheet, and it\\u2019s no wonder the U.S. government chose nearby Oak Ridge as one of the primary sites for the top-secret Manhattan Project\\u2014if anything went wrong as scientists were learning how to engineer the first atomic bomb, the rocky ridges might help contain the disaster.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;figure id=\\\"attachment_2831\\\" style=\\\"width: 300px\\\" class=\\\"wp-caption alignright\\\"&gt;&lt;img class=\\\"size-medium wp-image-2831\\\" title=\\\"tennessee-fireworks\\\" src=\\\"\\/files\\/2009\\/12\\/tennessee-fireworks-300x200.jpg\\\" alt=\\\"Another out-of-state salute to the South's liberal fireworks legislation.\\\" width=\\\"300\\\" height=\\\"200\\\" \\/&gt;&lt;figcaption class=\\\"wp-caption-text\\\"&gt;Another out-of-state salute to the South&amp;#39;s liberal fireworks legislation.&lt;\\/figcaption&gt;&lt;\\/figure&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;The Haw Ridge Fall Festival is the work of a loose-knit group of local riders, and entry requirements include a riding partner, a light and a six-pack apiece. We arrive at the trailhead too late for the night-ride relay race, but just in time for the bonfire and bike jumps over it. We don\\u2019t quite know what to expect pulling up to a party where we know no one, but the fact that we ride bikes and bring a case of beer and a bag of fireworks buys us a warm welcome.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;Before the night is out, someone jumps the fire on a Marin DH bike, we assault every car that leaves the party with Roman candles, and somewhere in between, the cannon\\u2014a miniature stainless-steel replica made by a local rider\\u2019s grandfather\\u2014is pulled out of the back of a pickup. It puts our out-of-state fireworks to shame.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;After just a few hours of sleep at a questionable Oak Ridge motel, we meet local rider Doug Ferguson at Windrock, in the Coal Creek OHV Area of nearby Oliver Springs. The 72,000 acres here are mostly used by ATVs, but Doug and a core group of riders have permission to cut downhill trails to their hearts\\u2019 content\\u2014and they have.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;The steep and riotously rocky terrain demands respect, and is as challenging as any lift-fed bike park on the continent. The trails range from fast rocky singletrack to full-on DH sections that could stand some race ribbon and tree pads. Porter keeps pace with Doug through most of the ride, and even sessions a road gap with his Haro Xeon and an XC lid. It takes more than an hour to finish the first shuttle, and this, Doug tells us, was the easy way down.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;figure id=\\\"attachment_2835\\\" style=\\\"width: 321px\\\" class=\\\"wp-caption alignleft\\\"&gt;&lt;img class=\\\"size-full wp-image-2835\\\" title=\\\"raccoon-mountain\\\" src=\\\"http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/files\\/2009\\/12\\/raccoon-mountain.jpg\\\" alt=\\\"raccoon-mountain\\\" width=\\\"321\\\" height=\\\"412\\\" srcset=\\\"http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/raccoon-mountain.jpg 389w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/raccoon-mountain-70x90.jpg 70w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/raccoon-mountain-78x100.jpg 78w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/raccoon-mountain-156x200.jpg 156w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/raccoon-mountain-160x206.jpg 160w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/raccoon-mountain-320x411.jpg 320w\\\" sizes=\\\"(max-width: 321px) 100vw, 321px\\\" \\/&gt;&lt;figcaption class=\\\"wp-caption-text\\\"&gt;Raccoon Mountain offers miles of grade-A singletrack.&lt;\\/figcaption&gt;&lt;\\/figure&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;\\u201cYou\\u2019ll see chicks tear up this road on ATVs in goggles, moto\\u2019 boots, a bikini and no helmet,\\u201d Jay Smelser tells us as we load the truck for another shuttle. Though he is relatively new to the local mountain biking scene, Jay has already logged his fair share of hours building trail alongside Ferguson\\u2014much of which they did by hand, using come-alongs and prybars to move the massive rocks that litter the 2,000 vertical feet of trails.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;The next morning, we drive two hours to Raccoon Mountain, where riders are already waiting, fogging&lt;br \\/&gt;\\nup truck windows to stay out of a steady rain. Jamie Pillsbury, who works at locally based Lynskey Bicycles, has agreed to show us around. Also joining us are Jon Magnusun from the bonfire party and Chris Ivory from Murfreesboro, a small college town in central Tennessee. All three are riding rigid singlespeed 29ers.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;After a week of pristinely clear days, the wet weather isn\\u2019t altogether unwelcome. The singlespeeders impressively blaze over wet, slippery rocks and tear down high-speed singletrack chutes. Raccoon Mountain holds some 16 miles of singletrack woven around a 500-acre reservoir. The SORBA-built trails reveal a familiar, well-built cadence, albeit with more rocky, technical sections than at FATS or Blankets Creek.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;The riders we\\u2019re with are part of a cadre of hardscrabble mountain bikers who don\\u2019t often show up in magazines or movies. Riders like Ivory, who rides the brutal Pisgah Productions events\\u2014the Most Horrible Thing Ever, PEMBRA, Double Dare\\u2014without any real aspirations of ever winning. He\\u2019s the kind of crusty SOB who does them just to suffer through them. He lives and breathes bikes, wrenching as head mechanic at a Murfreesboro shop, but he doesn\\u2019t get all philosophical about it. \\u201cGood clean fun,\\u201d he calls it. Plain and simple.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;figure id=\\\"attachment_2685\\\" style=\\\"width: 100px\\\" class=\\\"wp-caption alignleft\\\"&gt;&lt;a href=\\\"http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/news\\/south-louisiana\\/\\\"&gt;&lt;img class=\\\"size-thumbnail wp-image-2685   \\\" title=\\\"Louisianaspillway\\\" src=\\\"\\/files\\/2009\\/12\\/south-spillway-150x150.jpg\\\" alt=\\\"LOUISIANA\\\" width=\\\"100\\\" height=\\\"100\\\" srcset=\\\"http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/south-spillway-150x150.jpg 150w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/south-spillway-300x300.jpg 300w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/south-spillway-200x200.jpg 200w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/south-spillway-113x113.jpg 113w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/south-spillway-260x260.jpg 260w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/south-spillway-50x50.jpg 50w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/south-spillway-180x180.jpg 180w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/south-spillway-100x100.jpg 100w\\\" sizes=\\\"(max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px\\\" \\/&gt;&lt;\\/a&gt;&lt;figcaption class=\\\"wp-caption-text\\\"&gt;LOUISIANA&lt;\\/figcaption&gt;&lt;\\/figure&gt;\\n&lt;figure id=\\\"attachment_2709\\\" style=\\\"width: 100px\\\" class=\\\"wp-caption alignleft\\\"&gt;&lt;a href=\\\"http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/news\\/south-a-quest-for-singletrack-mississippi\\\"&gt;&lt;img class=\\\"size-thumbnail wp-image-2709   \\\" title=\\\"mount zion trails\\\" src=\\\"\\/files\\/2009\\/12\\/mount-zion-trails-150x150.jpg\\\" alt=\\\"MISSISSIPPI\\\" width=\\\"100\\\" height=\\\"100\\\" srcset=\\\"http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/mount-zion-trails-150x150.jpg 150w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/mount-zion-trails-300x300.jpg 300w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/mount-zion-trails-200x200.jpg 200w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/mount-zion-trails-113x113.jpg 113w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/mount-zion-trails-260x260.jpg 260w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/mount-zion-trails-50x50.jpg 50w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/mount-zion-trails-180x180.jpg 180w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/mount-zion-trails-100x100.jpg 100w\\\" sizes=\\\"(max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px\\\" \\/&gt;&lt;\\/a&gt;&lt;figcaption class=\\\"wp-caption-text\\\"&gt;MISSISSIPPI&lt;\\/figcaption&gt;&lt;\\/figure&gt;\\n&lt;figure id=\\\"attachment_2722\\\" style=\\\"width: 100px\\\" class=\\\"wp-caption alignleft\\\"&gt;&lt;a href=\\\"http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/news\\/south-a-quest-for-singletrack-georgia\\/\\\"&gt;&lt;img class=\\\"size-thumbnail wp-image-2722 \\\" title=\\\"georgia\\\" src=\\\"\\/files\\/2009\\/12\\/south-carolina-150x150.jpg\\\" alt=\\\"GEORGIA\\\" width=\\\"100\\\" height=\\\"100\\\" srcset=\\\"http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/south-carolina-150x150.jpg 150w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/south-carolina-300x300.jpg 300w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/south-carolina-200x200.jpg 200w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/south-carolina-113x113.jpg 113w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/south-carolina-260x260.jpg 260w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/south-carolina-50x50.jpg 50w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/south-carolina-180x180.jpg 180w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/south-carolina-100x100.jpg 100w\\\" sizes=\\\"(max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px\\\" \\/&gt;&lt;\\/a&gt;&lt;figcaption class=\\\"wp-caption-text\\\"&gt;GEORGIA&lt;\\/figcaption&gt;&lt;\\/figure&gt;\\n&lt;figure id=\\\"attachment_2722\\\" style=\\\"width: 100px\\\" class=\\\"wp-caption alignleft\\\"&gt;&lt;a href=\\\"http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/news\\/south-a-quest-for-singletrack-south-carolina\\/\\\"&gt;&lt;img class=\\\"size-thumbnail wp-image-2722   \\\" title=\\\"south-carolina\\\" src=\\\"http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/files\\/2009\\/12\\/south-carolina1.jpg\\\" alt=\\\"SOUTH CAROLINA\\\" width=\\\"100\\\" height=\\\"100\\\" \\/&gt;&lt;\\/a&gt;&lt;figcaption class=\\\"wp-caption-text\\\"&gt;SOUTH CAROLINA&lt;\\/figcaption&gt;&lt;\\/figure&gt;\\n&lt;figure id=\\\"attachment_2723\\\" style=\\\"width: 100px\\\" class=\\\"wp-caption alignleft\\\"&gt;&lt;a href=\\\"http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/news\\/south-a-quest-for-singletrack-tennessee\\/\\\"&gt;&lt;img class=\\\"size-thumbnail wp-image-2723  \\\" title=\\\"tennessee\\\" src=\\\"\\/files\\/2009\\/12\\/tennessee-150x150.jpg\\\" alt=\\\"TENNESSEE\\\" width=\\\"100\\\" height=\\\"100\\\" srcset=\\\"http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/tennessee-150x150.jpg 150w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/tennessee-640x640.jpg 640w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/tennessee-300x300.jpg 300w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/tennessee-200x200.jpg 200w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/tennessee-113x113.jpg 113w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/tennessee-260x260.jpg 260w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/tennessee-600x600.jpg 600w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/tennessee-50x50.jpg 50w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/tennessee-180x180.jpg 180w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/tennessee-100x100.jpg 100w\\\" sizes=\\\"(max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px\\\" \\/&gt;&lt;\\/a&gt;&lt;figcaption class=\\\"wp-caption-text\\\"&gt;TENNESSEE&lt;\\/figcaption&gt;&lt;\\/figure&gt;\\n&lt;figure id=\\\"attachment_2724\\\" style=\\\"width: 100px\\\" class=\\\"wp-caption alignleft\\\"&gt;&lt;a href=\\\"http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/news\\/south-a-quest-for-singletrack-kentucky\\/\\\"&gt;&lt;img class=\\\"size-thumbnail wp-image-2724  \\\" title=\\\"kentucky\\\" src=\\\"\\/files\\/2009\\/12\\/kentucky-150x150.jpg\\\" alt=\\\"KENTUCKY\\\" width=\\\"100\\\" height=\\\"100\\\" srcset=\\\"http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/kentucky-150x150.jpg 150w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/kentucky-640x636.jpg 640w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/kentucky-300x300.jpg 300w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/kentucky-200x200.jpg 200w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/kentucky-113x113.jpg 113w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/kentucky-260x260.jpg 260w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/kentucky-600x600.jpg 600w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/kentucky-50x50.jpg 50w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/kentucky-180x180.jpg 180w, http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/12\\/kentucky-100x100.jpg 100w\\\" sizes=\\\"(max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px\\\" \\/&gt;&lt;\\/a&gt;&lt;figcaption class=\\\"wp-caption-text\\\"&gt;KENTUCKY&lt;\\/figcaption&gt;&lt;\\/figure&gt;\\n&lt;div style=\\\"clear:both;\\\"&gt; &lt;\\/div&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;img style=\\\"padding:5px;\\\" title=\\\"November 2009 cover\\\" src=\\\"\\/files\\/2009\\/09\\/bike-november-09-cover-458x600.jpg\\\" alt=\\\"Sept\\/Oct 2009 cover\\\" width=\\\"153\\\" height=\\\"200\\\" align=\\\"left\\\" \\/&gt; This content was originally published in Bike&amp;#8217;s November 2009 issue.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=\\\"http:\\/\\/www.bikemag.com\\/news\\/bike-magazine-november-2009-issue-on-sale-now\\/\\\" target=\\\"_blank\\\"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;See More from the November 2009 Issue&lt;\\/strong&gt;&lt;\\/a&gt;&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=\\\"https:\\/\\/www.circsource.com\\/store\\/Subscribe.html?magazineId=119&amp;amp;sourceCode=I5GBCT\\\" target=\\\"_blank\\\"&gt;&lt;img style=\\\"border: medium none; padding: 0;\\\" src=\\\"http:\\/\\/renew.sourceinterlinkmedia.com\\/facebook\\/printsub_btn.png\\\" alt=\\\"Subscribe to Bike magazine\\\" width=\\\"180\\\" height=\\\"34\\\" \\/&gt;&lt;\\/a&gt;&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=\\\"http:\\/\\/www.zinio.com\\/browse\\/publications\\/index.jsp?offercode=PH01&amp;amp;productId=307332098&amp;amp;rf=osc288&amp;amp;pss=1&amp;amp;bd=1\\\" target=\\\"_blank\\\"&gt;&lt;img style=\\\"border: medium none; padding: 0;\\\" src=\\\"http:\\/\\/renew.sourceinterlinkmedia.com\\/facebook\\/digsub_btn.png\\\" alt=\\\"Subscribe to Snowboarder Magazine's Digital Version\\\" width=\\\"180\\\" height=\\\"34\\\" \\/&gt;&lt;\\/a&gt;&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n\""^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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