If you want to climb a mountain, go to the mountains of Georgia. There you will find Brasstown Bald. I did this yesterday, and wow, never have I seen pavement so steep. A group of us from the USC cycling club drove over as part of a spring break trip, after racing on Saturday in Greenville. We rode from Helen, GA. I had read about Brasstown in some different write-ups, and knew that the Tour of Georgia had it in the route, but you cannon comprehend it until you ride up it. Some one described it as doing single leg presses at maximum weight, and that is about right. We had ridden up Unicoi Gap first, which was not too bad, and the initial climb up to Brasstown Bald was not bad, but when you turn off the highway for the final three miles, its simply craziness. Unfortunately, the last bit was closed, to reopen in April, but that wasnt necessarily a bad thing, as we still, had to climb Hogpen Gap, which is also brutal. I am planning on returning in April for the Tour of Georgia. I can’t wait to see how the pros handle Brasstown. I am sure it will be amazing to see the climbers on it. The coolest part of the Brasstown climb were the pro names. They were still all over the road in spray paint from last years race, and as we rode, the names of McCartney, Cesar, Lance, Horner, Cipo, and the words Allez! and Venga! gave us inspiration. Overall though, it was an amazing day, beautiful weater, and a lot of climbing. There are more great climbs in Georgia and NC that I hope to do soon. Hopefully I can get some pictures up sometime soon.