As Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett sang, it’s five o’clock somewhere, and on a Friday afternoon in mid-September, that somewhere was Hardy Road in Wilmington, where local mountain bikers drifted into the Beaver Brook Tract Trail trailhead parking after a long week at work, or whatever.
Tires were inflated, helmets secured, pleasantries exchanged and cold cans of beer were nestled into fanny packs with care. It was “Hardy Hour.”
It is a casual affair to be sure, with no dress codes or guest lists. All are welcome, come when you can, minimal experience required. Social climbing, however, is mandatory—760 feet of it, to be exact, as the trail known as All In leaves the valley floor and darts up
