Sproul State Forest, Renovo, PA

Single Track Sunday
Place: Sproul State Forest, Renovo, PA
Ridden: September 2014

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A family hunting cabin was home base for this episode of Single Track Sunday. This cabin is one of the many CCC camps found all over Pennsylvania and the country. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a public work relief program that operated in the US from 1933-1942.  It was developed as part of FDR's New Deal to provide jobs for men ages 17-28 to help with employment during the Great Depression. Projects were related to the conservation and development of natural resources in rural lands.  Many state and national parks were developed as part of this program; along with areas and camps that are now used for outdoor recreation.

The cabin and where we were riding is within Sproul State Forest, located in north-central Pennsylvania, primarily in western Clinton and northern Centre counties.  The largest in the state forest system, Sproul covers 305,450 acres.  It features steep and rugged hillsides cut by the West Branch of the Susquehanna River and its tributaries.  This is one of the eight state forests located in the PA Wilds region.

Trails in this area are rugged.  There are no mountain bike specific trails and no specific routes to ride.  Riding here is best done via the advice of someone familiar with the area and make sure to have a Sproul State Forest map handy.  Riding consisted of of jeep/ATV trails, old logging and mining roads, gravel roads, and a few miles on the Chuck Keiper Trail. This 52 mile trail is named after a dedicated conservationalist and wildlife law enforcement officer. It is primarily a hiking trail and had sections that are not well suited for mountain biking but at least it gave some singletrack to ride in the area.

The closest major town is Renovo, home to Hyner View State Park. This park features a scenic vista overlooking the West Branch of the Sesquehanna River and is a favorite spot for hang gliding. This is one of the nicest scenic vistas out of all of the PA state parks.  Hyner is also the location for a favorite running race that we have done many times, the Hyner View Challenge

.

- words by Jess

- video by Joël

Rehoboth Beach, DE

Place: Rehoboth Beach, DE
Ridden: September, 2014

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A family vacation took us to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The beach is a perfect place to bike- flat, cyclists friendly, easier than trying to find parking with a car, and an enjoyable way to see the beach and surrounding areas.

The bikes were a great way to get to and from the beach, and something that could be done with everyone. Bike lanes are prevalent in the Rehoboth Beach area, so riding the few miles to the beach was safe and fun. Once at the beach, the boardwalk is open to cyclists certain hours of the day. Even early in the morning the boardwalk can be treacherous; lots of weaving around people, but it still gives a nice view of the ocean.

Besides riding on the roads, there is the local Junction and Breakwater Trail. The trail runs between Lewes and Rehoboth Beach.  The trail is all crushed stone, and follows an old railroad bed.  Views of the salt marsh, forest, and open fields surround the trail the entire way. The Lewes end of the trail gives access to Cape Henlopen State Park. After leaving the trail, a few miles of road riding leads right into the park.  The park has beach access, and most importantly dog friendly beaches where Cliff could play.

We also did some exploring in the area and found some small side trails of single track.  These often ended after just a short time but we did find one that had some dirt jumps, which of course we had fun on for a little while.

If looking for a mountain biking destination, Rehoboth Beach is not the place to go. If looking for a family vacation that involves leisurely cycling that all can enjoy, then Rehoboth is definitely the place to go. It was great to get out to enjoy some family time while being active, to be able to take Cliff to fun places, and all the while getting to see the Rehoboth area.

- words by Jess

- video by Joël

West Rocks, Owen Sound, ON (Canada)

Single Track Sunday
Event: Just out riding somewhere new
Place: "West Rocks" Owen Sound, ON (Canada)
Ridden: August 2014

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This week we give an international experience to mountain biking by showcasing the Grey County Managed trail system, know locally as West Rocks, located in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada.                                                                   The trail system is located on the Niagra Eescarpment This geological feature is a long cliff, or cuesta, in the United States and Canada that runs east/west from New York State, through Ontario, Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois.  The escarpment is most famous as the cliff over which the Niagara River plunges at Niagara Falls. The section we rode overlooks Owen                                                             Sound and the Georgian Bay.

The escarpment formed over millions of years through a process of differential erosion of rocks of different hardnesses. The top layer of the escarpment is limestone, beneath that softer shale.  The gradual removal of the soft rocks undercuts the resistant caprock, leaving a cliff or escarpment.

The trails at West Rock are open to cyclists and hikers, some are snowmobile trails that are used for foot and bike traffic in the summer. The Bruce Trail, a 550 mile hiking trail, crosses through the area. Access is easy, the trails start just on the edge of town, we were able to ride to the trail head directly from where we were staying.  There is a wide variety of terrain varying  from hard packed wide open logging roads to tight, grown in rocky single track. There are sections of rock that resemble a "moon scape", they are rough and pitted.  

One very interesting (and quite scary feature) is the huge cracks in the rock base of the escarpment. These cracks range from just a few inches to almost two feet wide and can appear bottomless.  They are quite frightening to cross over, I had vivid images of falling into them and never returning. We later heard a story from a local about a dog that fell into one of these crevaces; the owner found their pooch the next day and luckily the dog was relatively unharmed.  I think Cliff sensed the 

                                                                                           danger, he stayed closer  to us than usual the                                                                                              entire ride.

Riding there was fun and different. A mix of trails that offer something for every skill level. The trails are maintained well and offer great views of the surrounding areas. A big thank you goes out to Doug at Bike Face, the owner of the local bike shop. He told us about these trails; without his advice we would not have found them and had such a great ride.

- video by Joël

- words by Jess

Raven Enduro: "Send It" then Relax on the Trails of State College

Raven Enduro
Event: The Raven Enduro
Place: Spring Mills PA
Ridden: September 2014

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Because we enjoy the trails in the State College area so much, we couldn't pass up the chance to ride them again at The Raven Enduro. Another reason we wanted to attend is because the race is put on by the Seven Mountain Conservation Corp., the organization responsible for building and maintaining many of the trails in the area; so a good way to support the trails.

Many people may be asking- what is an Enduro? An Enduro is a race where only certain sections are timed. These sections are typically the most challenging, most often downhill.  In between the timed sections people ride slowly, chit chat, and enjoy the day.  Out of 2 to 3 hours of riding, usually about 20 to 30 minutes are timed. These sections are designated (and thus timed) by having to scan a timing card at the start/end of each section.

The race was centered at Seven Mountains Boy Scout Camp, same place as Trans-sylvania Epic (TSE).  We decided to head out the day before and camp overnight at the scout camp, makes for a much more relaxed race morning because we could sleep in and just roll out of bed for the race start. It also meant a weekend of camping for Cliff.  A few other racers also camped, one even made a huge pot of coffee for all of us to share!

There were 5 timed sections, each one ranging from about 2 to 5 minutes (of course depending on how fast or slow one rides!). Some of the trails included on the timed sections were Link Trail, Horse Path, Wildcat, and Decker.  Decker ends with riding on the motocross course; up over a big tire and through a pump track. The timed sections were predominantly downhill, maybe a few short punchy climbs and flat sections.  As stated earlier, the idea of an Enduro is to test technical skills, so of course all of the timed sections had lots and lots of rocks, roots, tight, twisty turns, and fast decents. Thank goodness for my Giant dropper seatpost, I certainly needed it! The 27.5 inch wheels maneuvered well through the tight and twisty stuff and rolled over the rocks well, this really is a great wheel size to ride.

There were two aid stations along the course offering a variety of snacks and beverages (yes, adult beverages were present at the end).  The gnats were horrendous, so those aid station volunteers get a huge THANK YOU for putting up the bugs.

One key point we never forget about when visiting the Spring Mills area is the Seven Mountains Winery.  The race course went right by the winery; this was after all the timed sections were finished and we were on the way back to the finish area.  Wine bottles fit perfectly in a Camelbak, and since we were just leisurely riding back to the finish the extra weight wasn't a concern.

Both of us raced hard, pushing ourselves and our bikes to the limit. Pushing to the limit of course brings about the risk of crashing and mechanical issues, both of which we encountered. But taking those risks paid off, I was first open female and Joël finished seventh open men.  And the best part-both of us rode XC race bikes (myself on Lust Advanced 0 and Joël on the Anthem Advanced 27.5) and lycra shorts- not the typical Enduro bike and clothing choices.

A great weekend of camping, racing, catching up with friends, and making new friends. Enduro may not be our focus but it was fun and something different to do.

- words by Jess

- video by Joël

Jim Thorpe, PA, MTBMR group ride

Single Track Sunday
Event: Jim Thorpe MTBMR group ride
Place: Jim Thorpe, Carbon County, PA
Ridden: August 2014

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Jim Thorpe, originally named Mach Chunk, has been termed "the Gateway to the Poconos". The town's history revolves around coal mining and the development of railway systems to transport coal to cities to the south. Today the town is a tourist destination for outdoor enthusiasts and people looking to enjoy the quaint town.

There are miles and miles and miles of trails in Jim Thorpe; many of which can only be found by riding with a local who knows where the trails are.  Riding there ranges from gnarly single track, to ATV roads, to gravel roads. One highlight of the area to many leisurely cyclists is the D&L Rail Trail section. Riding on this, cyclists can see old trains, multiple views of the river (and people rafting on it), and the occasional bear.  After riding Jim Thorpe is the perfect spot for getting something to eat, and doing some sight seeing and shopping in the eclectic town.

We were there for neither shopping nor eating nor leisurly riding, we were there to ride trails. The ride started out with some twisty, turny, super narrow single track. People's shoulders were rubbing trees on both sides of the trail.  We then rode under an old dam, don't get to do that often. After this came lots of short punchy ups and down, a killer on the quads to get up the climbs. This took us to the top of the mountain where when rode along the ridge line for quite some time. This was great riding; many rock gardens and technical trails.  Part of this section followed The American Standard, a familiar trail to many mountain bikers.  After this came the super fun part, lots of steep, rocky downhill. Much of the descent was on what appeared to be an old tram trail, lots of sketchy sections on loose rocks.  Thank goodness for my Giant Dropper Seatpost, I was smiling from ear to ear after the downhills.

After all that single track we took a break to ride along the D&L Canal Trail for while, ending up in Jim Thorpe. This was a perfect spot to refill on water and grab a snack. From here we rode through Jim Thorpe, getting a close-up look at the historic town. After leaving town it was more single track along the mountain. One trail was a narrow passageway through a forest of mountain laurel, very neat to ride though. The ride ended with some gravel and paved roads which took us right by a coal processing plant.

Despite the challenging aspects of this ride, it was a fun time on the bike. Many new friends were made and we saw old friends we haven't see in awhile.  And for those of you that have ridden with the "MTB MR" group, I know have "Yip!  Yip!  Yip!" ringing in my ears.

- words by Jess

- video by Joël