On New Year's Eve, I took my first long off-road ride on my Sam Hillborne. I was at our Farm and started out by going downhill from the house to Cemetery Road. Cemetery Road is a dirt trail used as a stagecoach road in the late 18th and 19th centuries. It was built on what originally was a Cherokee Indian trail so it is hundreds if not thousands of years old. It runs through a gorgeous hardwoods forest. I have found many arrowheads on the Farm. It is called Cemetery road because the "Lucy" graveyard is located in the woods just off the road. Lucy was James Lomax Sr's second wife and apparently was quite a "personality" at the time. Across from the cemetery is where James Lomax Sr's house had been. He was my wife, Stephanie's Great-Great- Great-Great-Great Grandfather. The Farm has been in her family, except for a spell around the Great Depression, since the late 1700's. Our "Farmhouse" was built by James Lomax Jr 1809-1812. We now raise all natural grass fed beef. No hormones, no antibiotics and no feedlots. When I started out, Cemetery Road was a little soft from recent rains and covered with leaves. Riding down the road was easy on Sam. There is a hill, where the graveyard is located, then a fast drop to the bottoms. I stopped on top of the hill and spent some time at the Lucy Graveyard. It is located on a high ridge overlooking the bottoms. Once back on the road I headed down the steep hill. I was amazed at how fast I was going and, in fact, had to start braking to slow myself down. I did not know the pothole situation and had no interest in hitting one and flying over the handlebars. The bottoms were wet with lots of Wild Hog sign where they had been rooting around in the soft wet ground. I crossed the creek in the middle of the bottoms and walked the bike through the churned up hog mud out of the bottoms to Ross road, a dirt road which travels through the middle our Farm. I turned right onto the road and literally Flew downhill! It was hard to believe how fast I was going with very little effort. Sam sure rolls easily! I turned off the road and went back into the woods following an old logging trail. When I got to Bagg Creek, the biggest creek on the Farm, I got off the bike and started to walk across it but due to the recent rain it was up just a bit so I decide to try to ride across. I went back onto the logging trail got up a little speed and hit the river. About half way across I hit a hole and the handlebars gave way, absorbing the shock and likely keeping me from a very cold spill. I did have to step off the bike into about knee deep very chilly water. No damage done, but a lesson learned. I then went into Cemetery pasture up a large hill. By the time I made it to the top I was out of breath and hot! I took off some of my outer clothing and lay flat on the ground. I decided that if I didn't have chest pain after that, I didn't need to worry. From there I rode about a mile due west on a horse path that was fairly flat but still a little soft. Lots of Hog sign there as well. I began to think about the need for a pistol but dropped the idea. At the end of the path I walked the bike up a horse path through beautiful hardwoods to the "Turkey Field" where I have had many memorable hunts mostly won by the Wild Turkey! More Hog sign... Through a short stretch of woods and out into open pastures all the way back to the house. When I made it back I was exhausted but very happy with the ride. Lots to see and lots of easy as well as difficult terrain. Both Sam and I passed the test! Many more trails to try!!
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