177.6 Miles of Gravel Freedom and Witching Hour Weirdness at the Moultrie Militia Gravel Raid


The term "witching hour" has a historical and cultural connection to the idea of a time when supernatural forces or witchcraft are most active; while folklore and literature define the phrase "witching hour" as referencing a time of darkness, mystery, and potential danger.  Some associate the witching hour with midnight while others believe it to be around 3 AM.

All I can say regarding the above is weird things happen in the forest during the middle of the night.  Riding alone in the darkness of Francis Marion National Forest there is not another rider in sight; there has not been for hours and will not be again for many more hours.  I did see another human sometime around midnight; I rode by a random man doing what I assumed to be his own personal controlled forest fire burn along the side of the road; it was just him, his old pick-up truck, and his dog. Did I really see this?  Just passed by, said hello, and kept on pedaling. As I mull about being alone in the forest at what is now 3am and look down at my GPS device to see what the next turn is…it’s onto Hell Hole Trail. I mutter aloud “ohhh…creepy name”.  All off a sudden I heard a strange screeching, almost screaming, noise in the forest. Nothing like anything I have ever heard before.  I turn to look, using the almost 1900 lumen of my Lupine Light to illuminate the forest, and I see an old creepy cemetery with an aged rotted wooden sign denoting the burial site.  I’m all alone. No cell service.  I have a moment of “this could be it, just like in the horror movies”.  I find solace in knowing least my spot tracker could be found via Follow My Challenge. Well, as you can tell since I have written this blog I made it out alive. Witching hour or not, the Moultrie Militia Gravel Raid is an awesome ride.

Starting at 11pm on Friday night, the MMGR embodies the ideology of the event’s namesake the revolutionary war hero Francis Marion also known as the Swamp Fox.  Taking place on the gravel and rural roads, along with some trails, within Francis Marion National Forest and around Lake Moultrie riders are unsupported, on their own, and riding most of the event under the cover of darkness.  No sag wagon. Little to no cell service.  Minimal gas stations and stores to get food and drink. No course markings; GPS devices must be used to navigate the 177.6 mile route. Race directors are watching riders via GPS trackers in the case of an emergency but that is the only connection to support. Truly on your own; just like the Swamp Fox navigating the swamps and forests of South Carolina.

After registering at Commonhouse Ale Works and buying some beer to take back home Joël and I, along with Clifford our dog who accompanied us to the event, headed to the race venue to get ready and take time to relax and try to nap a little. During the late afternoon and evening hours other MMGR riders arrived and it was soon time to, as the race director states “take up arms” under the light of the full moon.  The weather was perfect, temperatures in the 60s F and no rain forecasted for the entire duration of the event. Riders seemed excited about the challenge yet uncertain about what lay ahead as we all milled around the start line; regardless everyone was friendly, supportive, and ready to ride.  The race started with a lead-out moto and photographer, IconMediaAsheville, showing us the way and cheering for riders. The small but mighty group of us, about 20 riders, held together for a little while on the pavement, but once we hit the gravel the pack spilt up.  This is where my solo ride started and continued this way for the next 12 hours.

I pedaled along feeling like Céline Dion belting out “All By Myself”.  Hour after hour just cycling along upon my Liv Devote Advanced bike looking around at the forest.  I was sticking to my nutrition and hydration plan, eating and drinking as I rode, and all was going as expected.  My legs feeling strong from all the strength training at Main Street Gym I was monitoring my heart rate as I kept a steady pace.  I saw areas burned by what I can assume is either the recent wildfires or by controlled burns, at times even smelling smoke.  The forest was a beautiful array of pine trees, palmetto palms, and scrub brush.  Occasionally the course would come upon a farmstead or even a small village.  One road that stood out as interesting was miles and miles of chunky gravel with water culverts on both sides.  The sounds of the frogs and toads was deafening. Interesting there was also a random boat in the culvert and a washing machine off to the side in the forest.  Of course there was my other worldly events at 3am noted above.

After time spent in the forest the route traversed onto rural paved roads as it headed to circle around Lake Moultrie.  My first aid stop was around mile 74ish, a church spigot. Found by happenstance the first time doing this event, it has been the Nankman go-to every time now.  Bottles filled here I know I can make it essentially to the end without stopping again. The houses along the rural roads made for a party-like ride; many places had colored solar lights, porch lights, and decorative lights.  Something pretty to look at.  Barking dogs and curious horses kept watch.  A quick cruise through a small town, where there is a gas station for riders to purchase food and water if needed, then time to head onto the dike around the lake.

The lake portion is a love-hate.  It’s flat; it can be sucking mud, it can be windy; it’s exposed, and honestly down-right boring.  However, it’s really fun and surreal to see riders lights circling the lake.  Gives some motivation to catch someone or not be caught. Also, gives a sense of security to know others are out there. This year a fog rolled in just as I was around the lake, so I saw nothing, only fog.  Once again, sing it Céline. I could barely see the water let alone the other side of the lake. However, I was by myself out there.  I did see quite a few raccoons run along the trail ahead of me, a stray cat or two, and I was able to spot the eyes of alligators in the water. 

I had been feeling strong and alert all these hours but all of a sudden just before dawn an attack of, as Joël and I call it, “the sleepies” hit me.  A slap in the face of tiredness where it’s hard to ride in a straight line, it’s a challenge to keep the eyelids open, tough to keep pedaling. I stopped and rummaged through my handlebar bag for the emergency caffeine tablets and took one along with eating some Oreo cookies and a Rice Krispy treat to get as much quick sugar as possible.  Problem solved!  Well caffeinated and sugared-up it was time for forward motion again.

As dawn approached and the fog started to lift I finally saw other people. I passed by a few other cyclists but unfortunately they were all having less than stellar moments; just needed breaks and one was dealing with some mechanical issues. All stated they were fine, we wished each other good rides, and continued onward.  On the lake fishing boats appeared and many good morning waves were exchanged.  I spotted a majestic bald eagle in a tree; my only wildlife sighting once the sun came up.  Soon it was time to leave the lake and head back towards the finish, just a few hours to go.

Before heading back into the forest and swamps the course passed through another town which had numerous gas stations, a grocery store, and a few little convenience stores- all perfect resupply stops for riders. I was still carrying enough food and was looking forward to my cheese Danish as my next snack and knew I could finish with the water I had so I opted to cruise right on through. It was warming up now with the sun up so I took off my windvest and gloves and stowed them away in my Ortleib fork bag. Essentially by this point I was ready to just get this done; my legs were tired, my back was bothering me, I was getting weird toe-cramps; it was time for survival mode just to get to the end.

Despite my somewhat unenthusiastic reasons to get to the end, I did enjoy the last few hours of the course. Under the brightness of the sun, the forest colors were popping.  The blue sky was vibrant blue The pines a dark green.  Small yellow and white ground flowers were blooming.  The weather was wonderful.  The moto guy was out again taking photos, and his cheering was motivating.  A few miles from the end the MMGR course meets up with the Swamp Fox Grand Fondo riders so FINALLY other cyclists. Only took me 12 hours to get to pedal next to someone else on a bike.  As the course approached the end it turned to pavement and I decided to give it a little extra, pushing well beyond my comfort zone this far into an event, I really wanted to finish in 12:30 or under which was fast approaching. Despite my “sprint” to the end my official finish time was 12:34.

Crossing the line I was handed my personalized MMGR finishers plaque and exchanged accolades with the race directors. Joël who finished two hours earlier and was already showered took some obligatory podium photos for me.  A short time later after I cleaned up the Nankmans returned to the party area at the finish to enjoy our race supplied Empanada Cuisines meals, some Commonhouse beer, and cheered on and talked with other riders.  Now filled with food and beer it was evident Joël and I needed naps; by this point we had been awake for almost 30 hours.  We gave Clifford some forest wandering time while us humans relaxed and napped and soon enough it was time to start the journey home. Quick trip to Charleston for the MMGR complete!

What does Joël have to say about his ride; especially being he rode the new Saucon Valley Bikes Mondraker Arid Carbon RR? He says it was the first time in ages that he really raced. He pushed himself to the max. Riding the full event with a small pack of other riders they were working together yet also attacking each other for the full 177.6 miles.  It became a sprint to the line where Joël was afflicted with leg cramps that put him third within the group he was riding with, for a fourth place overall.  But racing to the point of discomfort is the only way to know you gave it your all.

- Jess

Moultrie Militia Gravel Raid (MMGR)

in conjunction with Swamp Fox Gravel Fondo

by Mt. Pleasant Velo

within the Francis Marion National Forest

North of the Charleston, South Carolina area

March 14-15, 2025

177.6 miles of gravel and rural roads

just over 10ish hours for Joël and 12:30 for myself

Joël 4th male; myself 1st female