Endless
Mountains Gravel Grand Depart
By: Endless
Mountains Heritage Region and David Landis
September 11-13,
2026
Towanda,
Pennsylvania
Endless Mountain Gravel is both a race and a bikepacking tour held out of Towanda, Pennsylvania. The premise behind the event is to showcase the beautiful landscape of the Endless Mountains Region of northern Pennsylvania which has hundreds of miles of gravel and rural roads perfect for cycling throughout the four scenic counties of Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna and Wyoming.
The Grand
Depart was Saturday at 7am from the Bradford County Tourism office in Towanda. A field at the County Airport was available
to riders for parking during the duration of the event; complete with water,
electricity, and port-o-potties. People
were camped in tents, camper vans (what the Nankmans travel in), and simply
just parked there. Since we had gotten
our bikes ready and packed Friday night, had our bottles already filled, and
clothing set-up to quickly change into, Saturday morning was just get up at the
5:30 alarm; change, eat, and go. About
75 riders were gathered for the rider meeting at 6:30 in the foggy somewhat
chilly (about 55 degrees) air anticipation the start with a fairly even mix of
those that would be back the next day and those that may not return for a
number of days. We all knew we were in
this together. Rain, and a lot of it,
was forecast to hit later that day and all throughout the night but that is all
part of these events; things that are out of ones control that we all have to
deal with and get through together. This was a topic of conversation but
spirits were still high about the ride to come and everyone was stoked to get
going.
The start went
of well with many eager riders and smiling faces. Joël and I rode together for a few miles and
then on the first climb he charged ahead at that was the last I saw of him
until after the event. The chill of the fog soon dissipated, the sun came out,
and the weather was beautiful; short sleeves and shorts. The miles ticked away
effortlessly while I enjoyed all the rural country scenery and farms, the
beautiful mountains, and the gorgeous blue sky. Nutrition and hydration were
right where I wanted them to be, eating snacks from my own personal supply sipping
from my bottles with water and Gatoraid. The first major towns for resupply and
stopping for food, drink, hotel was Athens and Sayre at about mile 20. I rolled
right through here know I was good for a few more hours. I was singing songs
and taking in the scenery while very much enjoying the ride. Note: did anyone
see the backward garden with the gigantic pumpkins here?
My first refuel
was at around mile 40 at one of the trail magic stops put on by a local
store Delivered Fresh. I filled bottles and grabbed some donut holes and was on
my way again. Still feeling great I pedaled along chatting with fellow riders
and taking in the views. I was really enjoying all the farms with beautiful
flowers, cute livestock, and the beauty of the forest. Hard climbs that were grueling on the legs
were rewarded with fast descents. My Liv
Devote Advanced was working flawlessly and I felt great.
Many more miles and many more smiles then came the next stop at a Dandy Mart in Troy which is a local gas station convenience store chain. A few other riders were also there and we chatted for a bit and gave each other motivation and inspiration. A quick bathroom stop coincided with application of more of the anti-chaffing cream Chamois Buttr’ and this was followed by shopping for water, Gatoraid, snacks, and a Coke. As I was in line a local gentleman came over behind me and informed me there was a trail magic stop just down the road where I can get free goodies. Obligated to still purchase things since I was about to actively pay he offered items to me on his tab. What hospitality! Now Now resupplied it was time to get back on the road again. I did also stop at the trail magic to grab a few snacks to have for later and give high-fives to the kids who were volunteering.
.
Now came some
good climbs. Be strong legs! I met up with Phoebe, she and I spent many of
the next miles riding together. What great conversation! I had no hesitation to get off and walk some
of these climbs, don’t want to burn out my legs. Along the way at the top of the mountain was
a trail magic with the biggest basket of apples I have ever seen. So
tasty and spectacular. The farm country was beautiful.
Mile 75 the next town came along, Canton. The big happening in this town was Watson’s Diesel, a repair shop. They had a huge set-up of snacks galore and numerous hydration options. I took time to talk with the wonderful ladies manning the aid stop, they had all sorts of questions about where I was from and about my ride. They actually spied on me with the Follow My Challenge tracking app and knew what to ask. Once again, I took some snacks for later. Side note about Watson’s Diesel; they offer overnight accommodations to riders at no charge. Rumor has it due to the rain many people stopped there and it b i became quite the party. Too bad I was out riding instead of joining the festivities.
From here on
out things started to get a bit more sparse. Not as many towns, not as many
people, not as many trail magic stops. All of a sudden I was all alone. The 115 mile people split off to head to
their finish. Many of the 250 and 430
riders were behind me and would eventually be stopping for the night. I was still in good spirits mentally and
physically and was cruising along. Looking
at my time and speed I even thought I could pull off finishing well beneath my
goal time …but as I stated earlier that was not my plan and not my intention so
I got that out of my head quickly. Thus,
I continued to enjoy the beautiful forests and farmland. I sang Godsmak, Ozzy, Queen,
and Lady Gaga to myself and pedaled along.
However, I was watching and worried about the huge, dark, ominous clouds
rolling in. I knew what was coming and wow did it look bad.
Just as I was
beginning to feel a bit desolate, all of a sudden like a beacon in the distance
appeared the quaint McCarty Mercantile, a picturesque county store and my next
resupply stop. More water and Gatoraid along with a Coke and a huge chocolate
muffin. The women checking me out told
me I was the first female she saw today and in fact not many guys had even
passed through. That was a great motivational
boost. As I left the store one of the ladies shouted “go girl power” to me.
That put a smile on my face. 100 miles
done and still feeling great. But not
for too much longer. As I left the town of Hillsgrove the rain started…
It wasn’t too bad a at first. Just a little mist and drizzle. Put on a vest and arm warmers and I was good to go. My spirits were still OK. I was starting to feel the miles under me but I still felt strong, content with my ride, and was having a good time. Nutrition and hydration were still where I wanted them to be.
About 10 miles after leaving the country store came the town of Eagles Mere. What a beautiful place! So many historic and exquisite buildings. I was in awe just looking around. Here was the next trail magic stop, a family whom had food and drink for riders. I filled my bottles and ate glazed donuts, probably one too many. I usually stray away from excessive sweets because the sugar upsets my stomach; however I was hungry, the donuts tasted good, and I felt obligated to eat extras since the family was offering. We all chatted for a few minutes, as the husband knew the local trails and told me there was some technical riding coming up. The mountain biker in my was a happy about that! I cruised through Eagles Mere stopping in a parking area to make some clothing adjustments as the Media crew came upon me windows down and recording. Sorry guys once again for divulging too much information and having to see me inappropriately adjust things. Back to pedaling and onto the lumpy and bumpy Eagles Mere Rail Road grade trail for a few miles. As much as the mountain biker in me was happy to be on this trail, I also took it very conservatively and walked more than I usually do. I was out here to finish, to not take extreme chances, thus no injuries and no bike issues, just not worth it.
By the time I left Eagles Mere it was dark and the Lupine Piko light came on. This time in the ride is usually my favorite part of these endurance events. Watching the sunset. Seeing darkness come about as the forest changes; animals come out, serenity comes around as the sights and sounds of nature come about. But instead at this point all that was happening was the rain. What started as a light mist as I was leaving Eagles Mere was now turning into true rain. I was still trying to stay positive, singing more songs and concentrating on the beauty around me but the rain was putting a literal and figurative damper on things. Just keep pedaling.
Up next was Worlds End. It snuck up on me but knew I was entering the park as I came across the Loyalsock Canyon Vista…too bad it was dark and was raining so I couldn’t see anything. Bummer. The descent into the park was fun but the slimy dirt roads were starting to make things interesting. Being this was about mile 123 I knew I would need water before the next town with a gas station in 60 miles so I stopped at the state park campground to fill up from the bathrooms and also take advantage of a warm spot to use the toilet. I was now wet and starting to get cold on the descents. It happened to be showering time in the park bathhouse and wow did I get some weird looks as I entered the bathroom/shower area. Dirty, looking haggard, and with this big bright light on my head who knows what people were thinking. I took a few minutes to get warm and just enjoy being in civilization before heading back out. I do have to say, the campfires within the campsites looked inviting. This campground is a favorite for many people touring the event to stay.
Now came many miles of forest roads. The rain was starting to become heavier; troublesome but not a hindrance. There were no other riders in sight. I was starting to have problems with the weather conditions; I was fully wet and soggy. I was able to stay warm on the climbs but getting cold and clammy on the descents. Arm warmers off and vest unzipped to climb then arm warmers on and vest zipped up to descend. Annoying but manageable. However, not manageable was my stomach. Remember all those donuts I had eaten during the day that I knew I should not have? Well, they were sloshing around in my stomach like a loaf of sugary soggy water-logged bread. I was feeling pretty gross and pedaled easy for a bit but the donuts decided to come back up. Nothing like having to stop and puke exorcist-style along a country road numerous times. Once my stomach was empty I felt significantly better but I now lost the last few hours of nutrition and hydration. Humm…would that come back to haunt me later?
The next civilization was the town of Laporte. Since I was hitting this at an off-hour, by my calculation sometime around 2am, nothing was open. No way to get more water to rehydrate my empty stomach here. But thank goodness there was trail magic of a cooler and snack bars set out along the road. Resupplied I felt better about my guy but not about the fact that it was now really raining. Downpouring to be precise. I had stopped to change out arm warmers and wind vest for a full on rain jacket with hood, waterproof winter gloves and put on leg warmers. Even with the extra water-proof layers I was still cold at times. In addition, the rain was making the gravel roads into slick slimy traveling, hard to pedal and sketchy to control when descending. I trudged onward but slowly, even walking at times due to the poor visibility and poor road conditions. Every now and then the rain would letting up but then a dense fog would move in; just as challenging to see the road ahead.
I passed
through Jameson City and by Ricketts Glenn State Park, seeing both of these
places which had accommodations for overnight stays had me thinking due to the
poor visibility, cold temperatures, and bad road conditions that maybe I should
take a break for a bit. I did not plan on stopping; I was planning a “full
pull” with no sleep but my safety and stupidity should be reconsidered. Was
this weather my “punch in the face” as Mike Tyson would say? I had my hood cinched so far around my helmet
to shield my face from the pelting rain I could barely see! This is when I had
my lowest of the low, the “what the F’ this is stupid” thought. It’s raining, it’s cold, injuries are
creeping up, you can’t see, and you have vomit smeared on your clothing…maybe
time to take a little break.
I now started to
look for a spot to rest. In the town of Lopez I came across a wonderful park
pavilion and cozy dry pit toilets (likes a port-o-pottie just more stable). My bike and I cozied up together in a stall,
I wrapped myself in an emergency space blanket, and decided to get warm and stay
dry for a bit. This was also a good
decision for me personally because I was starting to get muscle spasms in my
lower back; those old injuries I eluded to earlier, which seem to flare-up when
I get cold and depleted. Resting would give my back a chance to relax. As I sat on the toilet lid with my feet
resting on my biked and my head propped against the wall I could hear the
downpour on the roof; but from what I recall the rain was supposed to stop soon.
I dozed off and somewhere around 60 to 90 minutes later I felt refreshed with
my back relaxed. But alas it was still raining! Sad face but oh well, time to
continue. I ditched the emergency space
blanket but stayed dressed in all my rain gear and headed out to resume
pedaling. It was still dark and I was looking forward to the sunrise and my
next refueling stop. 
The Pump N Pantry in the town of Dushore was like a welcoming oasis in the dark dreary night. Interesting about this town, the course took a little detour through town so riders could experience the one and only stop light in Sullivan county. The Pump N Pantry had all I need; hot coffee, snacks, along with more water and Gatoraid to fill my bottles. The cheerful and helpful store clerk brightened my morning with chit chat, telling me about other riders, and giving me more motivation by once again telling me I was the first women he had seen. I sat for a few minutes to sip my coffee and enjoy some Pringles and pretzels.
Despite all
this negative talk about the rain, one positive thing about it is the creatures it
brings out. The frogs, toads, and really
cool black salamanders with gold spots. And the cute little forest mice that
would camper across the road in a zig-zag pattern. Joël states he saw and ran over a porcupine
the size of our 87 pound yellow lab…but he also states he thinks he was
hallucinating at that time. Real or not, what do you think.
Back on course
it was soon time for the sun to come up.
Still too cloudy to see the actual sunrise but at least it was light
out. With the world becoming bright again and the rain slowing down to just a drizzle
wildlife was out and about. So many deer
along with numerous turkey. I was
starting to feel invigorated again. At about this time I received a text
message from Joël wishing me a good morning, that he had slept for a few hours
and was now up and riding again. I took a quick look of the Follow My Challenge tracking app and noted Joël was only two or three miles ahead of me at mile
190. Maybe I could meet up with him? I pedaled hard and even yelled his name a
few times. It was now getting warm and I
shed the outer garments and went back to just arm warmers and a vest. More
pedaling through beautiful rural areas and farm country; I was feeling like I
should for 200 miles in, not beat down but definitely feeling it. Thank
goodness my stomach had settled and my back was feeling more relaxed, the
earlier stop in Lopez did me good. Soon
again another message from Joël that he was at the Dandy Mart at mile 212
having breakfast. Once again not more than two miles from where I was. I pedal
fast passing by a trail magic with just a waved and skidded into the store
parking lot but Joël was already gone.
More snacks,
more hydration, and I was ready to pedal.
A very nice couple stopped me in the Dandy Mart parking lot with lots of
questions about the event. The interest and involvement of those who live in
the area is outstanding. Knowing I had
just 40 miles to go it was now time for survival mode, just get to the end no
matter what. The sun was shining and the
clouds went away revealing blue sky. I
met up with some other 250 riders who slept for the night and were feeling
fresh, after some cordial chit chat they passed onward looking so spry and
strong. After a few really good climbs
the course turned into rolling rural country roads showcasing the farms of the
area. So many lush green pastures and beautiful gardens of flowers and
veggies. It was a nice reprieve at the
end to have the route become somewhat flatter. No matter how the ride went when
those last few miles are ahead there is always a feeling of relief and elation
because you know no matter what you made it.
Rolling into Towanda again 30 hours and 38 minutes after the start as the first Grand Depart woman I was happy to be back. I was greeted by the race director David and crew and handed my official Grand Depart finishers medallion. 251 miles of endless gravel in the endless mountains. Not the ride I had planned, weather and injury came into play but I rode the best I could for what was in front of me. And lets be realistic, I am just being too hard on myself, I really did put in a good ride. I suffered through the challenges and put in my best effort. But no matter what the ride held, the course was beautiful and the communities and the people in them wonderful. So much awesome beauty. A top notch event I would recommend to all.
And how about
Joël you may ask…he finished third for the 430 riders having had many ups and
downs and it was truly a race out there. The top men- Ben, Nick, Joël, and Scott were switching spots and
it really became a mind game and physical battle to the end. Sleep, or lack of
it, became the key factors that helped some persevere and others loose time and
positions. For the true details and best impact on when went on behind the
scenes, check out the Endless Mountains Gravel social media coverage, they
captured it all perfectly via photo and video. Also, look for a video in the
future put together by Joël. It will be on the “Nankman Cycling Adventures” You Tube Channel.
Putting it all together to complete the weekend, as Joël and I were packing up a wave from Phoebe and Ben as they were leaving, whom Joël and I both rode with for quite time out there, ended our adventure the way it should- with comradery and good vibes about taking on the challenges of these events, and knowing others share it with you.
Thanks to all involved such as race director David Landis, the Endless Mountains Heritage Region, and the photo team of Dennis George Pry and Eli Drooger (most of the photos here in the blog are credited to them and David). The biggest thanks goes out to the community of the area; so many trail magic stations out there, so many people offering help to riders not only with food and drink but places to stay, mechanical assistance, vehicle pick-ups and so much more. Truly an event where participants are not just a number, it is personal.
Words by Jess
Photos mostly by the media team pf Dennis George Pry, Elu Drooger, Alden Roth and David Landis...a few photos by the Nankmans
Behind the scenes credit from
Saucon Valley Bikes
Liv Cycling
Mondraker Bikes
Main Street Gym
Lupine Lights