Harrisonburg VA Trip - day 4 of 4

Sunday morning and the final day of our trip; some riding this morning and driving this afternoon.  I hopped out of the tent about 7 and started to get the blood flowing, but Ryan was not moving so quick.  I brewed some coffee for motivation.

Heading up and up.

We packed up camp and rolled out for a ride about 9:30.  It was a foggy morning in the campground as we rode to the same starting trail as yesterday, only today we actually found it.  It was no less an uphill start, just on trail instead of pavement today.

Some prime riding.

Today we rode further up to the appropriately named Mountaintop Trail.  It was all uphill for about 50 minutes including a couple hike-a-bikes due to steep trail.  After traversing across the high ground we did some downhill and were greeted to a fantastic, and still foggy, view from a switchback.

Coming down.

An opening at a switchback corner.

A couple intersections later we learned what switchbacks really are as we came down Beard's Gap Trail.  The tightly packed squiggle of lines on the map indicating this trail was no lie.  The tight corners just kept coming as we dropped down to the park office.  It was smile inducing for sure!

A great finale at Douthat.

Food and shower, the usual needs after a good ride, were next.  Then we loaded bikes on the car and headed back to the park office to pick up some little souvenirs for the kids.

A Douthat local.

With Virginia in our rear view mirror we both agreed there will be more mountain bike trips in this area.  There was a big difference in the riding between GWNF and Douthat and that's good for a trip like this.  Plenty of trails, options for camping, and not too far of a drive are all good.  We look forward to coming back.

See you next time VA.

Raystown Trip - day 3

Instead of waking up and heading to work on a Monday morning I woke up and peered out the zippered window of a tent.  No blue skies this morning, it was overcast.  Several days ago, the last time I saw a weather forecast, today was supposed to be a thirty percent chance of rain.

Flap jack flippin'.

The trusty Coleman cook stove was put into action right away.  First boiling water for coffee, then cooking eggs and cranberry-almond pancakes.  We tried Starbucks Via instant coffee packets on this trip.  In contrast to the many positive reviews I read online, I was not impressed.  French press and home ground coffee will be along for the next trip.

Seriously... that's a lot of TP.

We decided to pack up camp and drive over to the north trail head parking lot to begin our ride.  Driving to the trail head let us have more time riding the trails on the northern side without repeating the Stony trail out and back like yesterday.

All is packed but bikes.

As we pedaled away from the trail head parking lot we figured a couple hours of riding was going to be the limit.  This would let us make it home before 8pm.  We tore down the now familiar Buck and Doe Trails, headed towards the yet to be ridden by us Hydro Loop.  It was even more exciting to head out knowing how much fun lay ahead.

Now that's a bermed corner.

After plenty of fast and flowing riding we headed north on the Berry Patch Trail to a second visit of the overlook at the northern end of the trails.  The section of trail from down by the water on the Hydro Loop, up Sidewinder, and up the Berry Patch Trail seemed to be the biggest elevation gain in the shortest distance of our riding.  Even so, the uphill was broken up by dips and rollers.

Three days of dusty riding.

After a short stop at the overlook we aimed for the trail head.  The last stretch of our riding this trip did not disappoint.  We had holler-out-loud fun coming south across the Allie Trail!  There were some big dips, berms, and lots of speed in our final section of trail.  It was a sweet finale to our visit.

Halfway home.

On the way home we decided to avoid the toll road and take 22 to Pittsburgh.  There were some slow sections through towns and some four lane divided highway sections as well.  In the end we made it home in the same 5.5 hours it took to drive out but we saved the toll.

Our first trip to the Allegrippis Trails at Raystown Lake was a good one.  The trails were loads of fun and the camping was enjoyable.  The weather was absolutely perfect, quite a blessing with the majority of the trip spent outdoors.  On the next trip it would be fun to check out the Rothrock area as well, reportedly only an hour away.  Hey Ryan, whatcha' doing next weekend?  :-)

Raystown Trip - day 2

The distinctive sound of a pileated woodpecker banging away echoed through the woods as sleep turned to wake.  About 7:30 I sat up to look out the mesh window of the tent and was greeted by blue skies shining through the trees.  It was the start of a perfect day for being outside.

 A short ride to the shower house was the

first exercise of the day.

What to do with a pile of leftover spaghetti from dinner last night?  Ryan combined fresh eggs, vegetables, and spaghetti for a breakfast frittata while a handful of bacon slices cooked alongside.

Apparently bikes are attracted by the

smell of cooking bacon.

While eating breakfast we had a look at the trail maps.  A local guys named Evan has a blog revolving around the Allegrippis Trails.  I found and printed a map from his blog highlighting a specific route.  The plan for the day was to follow Evan's route.

The bikes are ready to go.

Gear on, hydration packs full, lunch in pack... ready to hit the trails.  Yesterday I said we chose our campsite to be close to the trails.  To elaborate: hop on bike at campsite, pedal three times, and we were on single track headed into the woods.  Nice, I wish there was a trail access point within 15 feet of my front door at home!

See?  The trail was literally right next to our campsite.

Today we rode the same initial trail as yesterday but turned our attention to the northern trails.  The Stony Trail connects the two halves and it contains a few sections living up to its name.  On the whole there are very few rocks on the Allegrippis Trails and, as we are told, this is unusual for Pennsylvania mountain biking.

Ryan charges into a rock garden

on the Stony Trail.

The rough life of a front tire

on a mountain bike.

My turn.

Further into our ride we were once again flowing, pumping, and speeding along.  Great fun.  I began locking out my front fork to pump the terrain and corner more directly.  The trail is very trustworthy.  The trail builders didn't throw in any ridiculous surprises.  If you lifted over a bump to catch some air there was no worry about an appropriate spot to land, nor were there fast sections leading to unexpected or abrupt corners.

Hard to catch in pictures, the trails

were full of flow and fun.

Some trails were more of a roller coaster ride than others.  There was no extended climbing to speak of.  Even if the trails went uphill they were still full of rollers that assisted elevation gain.  A couple times we came across signs warning of undulating terrain ahead.

Endo stick man.  Note the threat against

stealing the sign at the bottom.

The Ridge Trail delivered us to the most dramatic view to be found on the entire trail network.  Through the trees we were looking several hundred feet down to Raystown Lake and the distant view of mountains continued to the horizon.  It was interesting to see the rock strata on the opposite shore of the lake turned upwards.

Enjoying the view.

This overlook is the place to have a break, eat some food, and be thankful for the wonderful creation we get to ride bikes through.  Next up, a trail section called Ray's Revenge.  This was probably the wildest and fastest section of the Allegrippis Trails.  Let's just say there was a definitive point where I made myself brake hard, slow down, and reconsider just how fast is prudent to ride down a trail on a mountain bike.  All smiles when we regrouped at the bottom.

Self portrait at the overlook.

At some strategic point in the ride we decided to not add on an extra loop.  It was a decision to save some trails, and legs, for tomorrow's ride.  We worked our way back to the connector trail and rode right up to our campsite, unclipping beside the tent.

Pick a trail, any trail... you'll have fun.

We dug into the food and drink to begin replenishing spent energy.  Next stop was the shower house to wash off the accumulated grime of sweat and dry, dusty trails.  Tonight's dinner plan was to drive north to Huntingdon, the nearest town, in search of some good food.  This proved to be a bit of a challenge as it was Sunday evening and many places were closed.

Thanksgiving at Grandma's house.

A guy at a gas station tipped us off to Kelly's Korner as being good food and lots of it.  Salad and soup bar, bread, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn for $10.50.  Throw in a Yuengling Octoberfest on tap and we were stuffed walking out the door with to go boxes.

Once again we sat outside in the dark staring at the sky.  There was a much better display of stars tonight thanks to the clear sky.  It seemed like there were a hundred times more stars on display than an equal night back home.  I planned on sleeping good after all the riding and big dinner.

And sleep good I did until some time in the middle of the night when I woke up hungry.  No worries, I sat at the picnic table in the dark and chowed down my leftovers from Kelly's!

Raystown Trip - day 1

It's been a couple weeks since a blog post.  It's also been a couple weeks since I've felt well thanks to a cold, so there has not been much riding since the Manatoc Experience.  That changes this weekend.

Several weeks ago Ryan and I decided a fall trip was in order.  We discussed options closer to home than our previous trips that have taken us as far south as Georgia.  Without too much searching we zeroed in on Raystown Lake, Pennsylvania.  Consistent reports of fast, flowing trails solidified our choice destination.

Our plan is a three day weekend of driving, riding, camping, riding, camping, riding, and driving.  The Allegrippis Trails at Raystown Lake consist of about 33 miles of bi-directional trails.  I figured most of the trails could be covered, in at least one direction, in three days of riding.  This morning we kicked off the trip with some driving.

After loading Ryan's gear into the car and securing his bike to the rear rack, we left Apple Creek at 8:05 this morning.  This was the first road trip in the Mazda3.  We made the most of the hatch and rear seats, filling both with camping gear, cycling gear, food, and a cooler.

The sun was low in the sky as we drove east.

We took 250 then 22 to Pittsburgh in about 2.5 hours.  It's the first time I've been through Pittsburgh, at least as an adult, and I thought the city looked pretty nice as we passed through.  We saw evidence of the bicycle friendly reputation the city is gaining.  There were miles of bike paths visible along the highway.

Bridges and high rises on display.

Now the question was how to get to Raystown.  We chose the PA turnpike for the outgoing drive.  $10.15 later we exited the turnpike, backtracked west on 30, and turned north on 26.  It was almost exactly 5.5 hours after leaving when we rolled into the campground at Raystown Lake.

Warp speed through a tunnel.  I was loving

this picture as soon as I took it.

Prior to the trip I had done some research to learn the Ridge Camp section of the campground had the quickest access to the trails.  Upon arrival it also seemed to be one of the more nicely wooded sections.  We setup camp at site 14.

Getting ready to ride.

After some mid-afternoon lunch we saddled up and head out to ride the southern trails.  It didn't take long to discover the trails are very well marked.  We were using a pamphlet from the campground office which split the map of the trail network between front and back sides, but this was very usable for route guidance.  Every trail intersection had a 4x4 post with the trail names displayed.  At strategic points throughout the trails there were full blown maps on the posts.  Many posts had a two letter code on the top that could be looked up on the map.

Strangely enough, there was absolutely no

"you are here" type of indicator on the map.

We rode the Shade, Alleghany, and Barrel Bay trails.  In short order we understood the reviews and commentaries we had read about this place.  Lots and lots of flow, like riding a roller coaster.  There were no technical challenges to speak of but fast trails with dips, bumps, and berms to put a smile on your face.

Our first good view of Raystown Lake.

To add some more miles to our ride we turned around and rode the loop backwards.  I always like how a trail feels completely different ridden in reverse.

There were some rocks to be found.

In our final couple miles of the ride, coming across the Hollow Trail, Ryan abruptly stopped ahead of me and announced he had flatted up front.  We speculated about whether or not either of us had every flatted while on a mountain bike ride together.  I think the answer was no and this was the first.  The flat was changed in short order and we rode back to camp.

One ride, one flat.

The shower house was a short walk from our campsite and offered a seemingly endless supply of hot water.  Showered and refreshed we cooked some dinner.  Spaghetti piled with sauteed vegies and meat sauce got the job done.  The sun was dropping fast as we cleaned up camp for the night.  Fleece pullovers and stocking caps were in order as the temperature dropped to the low 50's.  We sat out beneath an overcast night sky listening to the cicadas sing, looking forward to some more riding tomorrow.

Winding down for the day.

Michigan Vacation!

Back in the spring we asked Daniel where he would like to go for vacation.  Without much hesitation he said, "the cottage!"  KT and I agreed, remembering the good times we had last year on Budd Lake in Harrison, MI.

A major goal for this year's trip was for Daniel to catch a fish.  Without much delay, we headed to the boat dock upon arrival.

KT and Daniel casting away.

Fortunately fish are not very smart, at least not at first.  We soon caught a nice sunfish by simply dropping an un-baited hook into the water.  Subsequent attempts were not as successful so we progressed to banana chunks and finally bait on the hook to catch several more sunfish.

Nice first catch fisherman Daniel!

The temperatures were pretty mild the first part of our week on the lake.  It was mid to upper 70's by day and in the 40's at night.  We still spent plenty of time down by the water.  Tuesday I headed 5 miles south to Mid Michigan Community College for a mountain bike ride.

Forgot bike pump and didn't have presta to schrader

adapter.  Solution... shoot air into CO2 pump head.

It worked!

Last year I really grew to like this ~10 mile course.  It's not flat but rolling, there's plenty of corners and twists, and the occasional sand puddle adds to the interest.

In the woods.

The course was in great shape this year.  From some web reading I'd heard there were some storms resulting in down trees earlier this year.  I saw very little evidence of damage and constantly thought this is a cared for trail.

Plenty of interesting 'shrooms along the trail.

The Karate Monkey was my steed this year.  I knew it would be a perfect match to the course and there were no disappointments in this choice.  Only one gear is needed, though I could've used a smaller cog on this course, and suspension is not necessary here.  The quick handling and agility of the Monkey made for tons of fun.

Banana stop.

KT and the kids went for a hike while I rode.  As we relaxed under a tree near the parking lot a mountain biker car pulled in.  We talked with a retired couple of school teachers who came from nearby to ride.  They also had a really positive review of the course.

Post hike rest break.

This is how retired teachers roll.

 

Less than 10 minutes from our cottage to the trail, there will be more rides this week.

The end.

Michigan Vacation #2

It's a nice routine.  Head out on the boat after breakfast with Daniel, play around the water in the morning, mountain bike ride while kids sleep, back to lake after dinner.

We drove a little south to a unique coffee and doughnut shop called Cops & Doughnuts.  Yes, it was amusing and they were all about the merchandise.  Cops & Doughnuts hats, t-shirts, and more.  We stuck with the doughnuts.

 The boy likes blue.

 That's right, bacon covered creamsticks.

One of the highlights of the week was getting Daniel out on his first mountain bike ride!  The trail was mellow enough I figured this was the perfect opportunity for our first father and son trail ride.  Daniel was pretty excited to "go mountain bikin' with daddy".  Good times, good times.

 Daniel happy to roll off road.

 Through a fern section.

After Daniel and I finished our ride I hit the loop on my own.  Daniel continued on his bike too, riding on one of the hiking trails with mommy and Ellen.

 The powerline "climb".

 Riding towards a blinking camera on self timer.

 Ellen looking very... munchkin?

It was a very nice week on the lake.  I think we will be back.

Sunset by the dock.