More info here! Ape it!!

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I’ve been yearning for early morning miles during the week! Let’s do this! Stay up to date on twitter! Photo via Instagram.

This is a day where I not only want to ride with my friends, but have a little fun socializing, some lunch and beverages and cool off by floating down the Upper Chattahoochee River afterwards. Please invite your families, your significant others and anyone you think might enjoy the tubing (and/or the ride!).

We will meet at Cool River Tubing just behind the Helen Visitors Center for an 8a.m-8:15 a.m. ride departure.

This year will be different than the past as we will not be driving from one staging point to another. Thus, we will break the ride up into A and B groups.

Group A will depart towards Hogpen Gap possibly with a few extra warm up miles via Unicoi Lake. We will regroup on top of Hogpen BUT you should be reasonably comfortable that you can climb Hogpen in 42 to 45 minutes for the A group. This is averaging no less than 9.5mph for 45 mins up Hogpen. Group A will then descend Hogpen and turn right towards Jacks. Group can decide on the road whether we want to tackle Brasstown or not. Again you will need to be able to climb Brasstown at around no more than 50 mins (25mins from top of Jacks). We will then climb Unicoi and tempo pace down the descent to the Helen Town Sign. (If not climbing Brasstown may do short climb up to Unicoi Lake and then descend via Bahn Innsbruck back to Helen).

Group B can do a similar route with regroupings at a slower pace minus Brasstown. Or choose their own route with a “Experienced riding the Gaps” ride leader day of.  Goal is for both groups to meet back at parking lot for lunch at La Cabana as close to the same time as possible. Lunch will be at at noon, followed by getting on the bus for tubing at 1p.m.