| Sure you can ride your mountain bike just
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| | North Loop will be complete in spring
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| about anywhere but there's nothing like
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| | 2008 and is going to bust the guts of all
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| riding miles of winding hand-built single
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| | but the most experienced cyclists. With
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| track (just wide enough for one) through
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| | breakneck climbs and headlong descents,
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| the forests of North Georgia. But where?
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| | you really have to know how to handle
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| Unfortunately, mountain bikes have been
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| | your bike if you want to make it to the
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| unceremoniously kicked out of public
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| | end of this four mile trail. Fortunately
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| parks all over the Southeast for their
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| | there's plenty of opportunity to train
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| tendancy to erode paths built for hikers
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| | up.
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| and even collide with the hikers
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| | The Mosquito Flats trail and the slightly
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| themselves. The solution? Well if you
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| | more challenging Mosquito Bite Trail (1.3
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| live in Woodstock Georgia, you wrangle
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| | miles total) are fun easy rides perfect
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| your own park and build your own trail.
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| | for kids and beginners or to get your
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| The Southeast Off-Road Bicycle
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| | heart rate up before taking on the more
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| Organization (SORBA) is responsible for
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| | challenging trails. Intermediate riders
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| the wildly popular Blankets Creek trail
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| | can try the Dwelling loop (3.5 miles) and
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| system that skirts Blankets Creek at the
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| | advanced riders can try the South Loop (4
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| edge of Lake Allatoona. Other nearby
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| | miles) for a steady stream of
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| SORBA projects include Atlanta's
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| | switchbacks, climbing, rock gardens,
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| Morningside Nature Preserve trail that
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| | roots and log crossings.
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| links Midtown Atlanta with Buckhead
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| | Though all previous trails were built by
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| through a 30 acre forested trail, and Big
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| | hand with rakes, shovels and a lot of
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| Creek Park in Roswell.
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| | back-breaking labour, the new North Loop
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| BLANKETS CREEK
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| | trail is being blazed by a
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| Almost entirely built by hand by a team
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| | mini-excavator. The main benefit is that
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| of volunteers, Blankets Creek Park is
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| | the trail will be complete in less than
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| Cherokee County's only designated bike
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| | half the time it would take to build it
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| park and is proving itself to be one of
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| | by hand.
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| the state's best rides. Right in
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| | GETTING HERE
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| Woodstock, just off Sixes Road, not too
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| | Blankets Creek is located in Woodstock on
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| far from downtown and just 25 miles
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| | the shores of Lake Allatoona. To get
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| outside of Atlanta, the park draws over
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| | here, take I-75 north to I-575 north and
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| 100,000 bikes annually. Kids, men, women,
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| | take exit 11. Turn left on Sixes Road, go
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| families, couples, lone wolves, seasoned
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| | about 1.8 miles and turn left into the
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| riders and even hikers all converge here
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| | trail head parking lot. The park is open
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| for the great trails, a good workout and
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| | every day, but closed for rain. Check the
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| fun times.
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| | trail direction before you begin as it
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| The park has three short loops that let
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| | changes daily. Admission is a $1
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| you choose your own adventure - from
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| | suggested donation.
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| beginner trails to hair-raisers that
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| | WHAT TO BRING
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| demand technical skill. The group is
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| | - A helmet. You can't ride the trails
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| currently building a fourth for a total
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| | without one.
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| of 16 miles of off-road goodness. The
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|
