Ride Report: The not-so-secret Secret Trail

Riders: Chuck Bucksneezy, Don Pagano, Brian Kane, Dale Fitzsimmons, Jason McConnell, Dan Summers, Rick Michael, Sue Witter, Chris Bratthauar



What a day for a ride in the woods! The trails were in good, fairly dry condition after last weeks much needed rainfest. Yesterday's windy weather really helped dry out the trails.


The crew rolled out of the parking lot a little after 9 and headed out on the park trail regrouping on Staley Road. I've been contemplating picking up a singlespeed hardtail as a low maintenance bike to ride in the winter. Luckily, the climb up the cable TV line punched me in the face and reminded me once again that I'm not worthy of such a rig. Of course Pagano made me feel really bad by leading the group up this trail on his singlespeed 29er...


At the top of the trail it was an easy spin down 233 to Racoon Run trail. This gnarly, rock garden filled trail was enjoyed by all. Rick Michael showed us all up by riding an endo wheelie through one of the rock gardens and finishing with the awe-inspiring "Crouching rider, flipping bicycle" get off.

From Racoon Run we crossed 233 again and set out Secret Trail. What a great trail this is. Every time I ride it I enjoy the flowing singletrack all the way into Caledonia. Traction was excellent today and the whole group rode strongly all the way out to the theatre in Caledonia.

Chuck was feeling extra spunky and demonstrates once again how he earned the nickname "Bucksexy".

We refueled at the theater in Caledonia and decided to make it a true "out-and-back" ride. So we turned around and headed back from whence we came. All that glorious singletrack we flowed down into Caledonia was now facing the other way. Translation: lots of climbing back to Racoon Run trail.

On the way back up we ran into MBM'er Mark Shoap out for a ride in the great fall weather.

The temperature was perfect and the legs were feeling good, so the climb back out was great. No dabs and a feeling of accomplishment for me. After sitting out for the last few months with a bum wrist it feels really good to be back on the trails with the MBM'ers.

Here's Dan leading half the group on the last climb back up to 233.

We spun down 233 and turned left back into the woods at the deer fence. From there we headed up the trail toward Lee's Rocks but took a quick right turn (yes Dale, that IS your RIGHT) onto the connector trail over to the Cable TV line. We bombed down the Cable TV climb and called it a day back at the parking lot.

My watch had us at just over 3 hours ride time. A great day and a great ride.

Back on the Singletrack (sort of)

Well, it's been a while since I've been able to ride my mountain bike. Contrary to popular rumor, I did not hurt myself with improper latte drinking form. A seemingly minor incident in Gambrill a few months ago has sidelined with long lasting wrist issues. Luckily, I bought a road bike shortly before injuring my wrist and I've been able to put in quite a few miles on it over the last few months.

Yesterday I just had to test out the wrist on some tame singletrack so I talked the long, lost Brian Peretin into joining me for a mellow spin around Mont Alto.

We started about 9:30 am in the parking lot and crossed over 233 to the doubletrack that leads up behind the campus. We headed up the fire road to Lost Creek and then back down to 233. From there we spun up Snowy Mountain Road to the bottom of Crumble. Turned right and followed the singletrack down through the woods and up to the Dog House. From there it was a fun, fast descent down Wayne's Trail back to the park. All in all the wrist feels pretty good, still hurts a bit, but better than a few months ago.

The singletrack may be short-lived though, as I have an MRI coming up to determine why I am not back to 100% yet. Could surgery loom in the foreseeable future? Hopefully not.

Hope to join you all on your next ride from Mont Alto (so I can wimp out and leave early if my arm can't handle it)

Happy Trails!

P.S. Charlie Toth's big white monster car was in the Mont Alto parking lot with bike rack attached when we finished our ride. I think he is secretly planning his return to the front of the MBM singletrack pack...

Hunting

Last Saturday marked the beginning of hunting season in Pennsylvania. Since many of us hunt, and all of us value our lives - please be careful out there. It is only archery season now. Bowhunters do not have to wear blaze orange, generally are up off the ground in tree stands; and as they do not have the range and knockdown power of rifle hunters, they place an emphasis on positioning and stealth.

With that said, there are State Game lands that are designated as "hunting only" the State Forests are public lands with many shared user groups. In order to be respectful, here are some things to consider:

• Wear bright colors and make noise (they can see you and deer don't make noise)
• Be polite if you interact with hunters (usually in parking lots)
• Don't ride alone
• Night riding is really good
• Sundays are totally open
• Don't ride during "Buck" season (except at nite or on Sundays) - it's their week
• Remember many hunters are also mt. bikers
• State Parks are ok, no hunting in State Parks
• If you see some joker set up on a trail or 100 feet off a road - wave hello
• Saturdays are the busiest for hunters

That said, Martin and I logged close to 20 miles yesterday from Caledonia and didn't see anyone. Be careful out there.

Sunday MBM ride from Caledonia

Great weather, perfect temperature, ideal trail conditions - enough said we had 20 miles of paradise today. He is me on my 26" wheels riding a big rock off of ridge road. The route: Thaddeus Stevens, 40 Foot Log Ride, Blue Trail, Stinger, Lollipop, Camp I, Camp II, Camp III?, fire road to the reservoir, Connector back to Caledonia State Park.
Taking a break.
Rob just chillin.

Bruce cleaning a rock garden on Camp Trail Deux:

Rob hurt his arm after pushing the eject button on a steep descent and landing in a pile of rock. No mechanicals and a great time was had by all.

** don't look for much more video posting from me. As you just witnessed my camera/phone/mp3 pretty much sucks for video.

MBM Trail Work Day

Saturday, September 8th we set out to repair the Middle Narrows trail which had become all but unrideable due to two collapsed bridge structures and the usual plant growth. This section of trail is on the upcoming Teaberry race (part of the Michaux Endurance Series) which is next week.

I stopped by the DCNR office Friday and they kindly agreed to give us access to Wayne's Highway so that we could drive in rather than carry tools and supplies for over a mile. We had Martin's pickup truck lined up for the work day; however, due to a miscommunication the truck went into the shop early Saturday morning. So we loaded the bridges and tools into our VW wagon and headed out to Mont Alto.

Martin, Michele, Thomas, Henry and I met up with Larry and his son Oliver at the Mont Alto State Park. We drove up Staley and then across Wayne's to the dog house. Here we discovered that while both wagons were all-wheel drive, Larry's Subaru had tons more clearance. We transferred all the materials into and onto his wagon and then continued to the grassy field/former orchard where we unloaded and prepared to hike into the work area.

The old bridge had collapsed, creating a rather effective dam, which channeled the water onto the trail tread turning it into a gooey pit of mud.

After removing the collapsed bridge it wasn't particularly pretty - unless you are a frog. This water exists despite very little recent rainfall.So we set to work: lopping, digging, rock-picking, cutting, shoveling, raking, and finally setting the bridge into place.We then spent some time leveling it, stabilizing it, and surrounding it with stone.

We lined the trail tread with flat stones then built it back up with dirt and pea gravel.

It looks great and I can't wait to ride it. On the way out we lopped the trail open, removed downfall, loose rocks, etc. from the trail.

Oh yeah, and we fixed that other broken bridge area too.

The one that the horses smashed up and everyone has just been riding the bank. Well it was taking a pretty good hammering and wasn't going to withstand much more abuse without turning into another mud pit. So Martin and I rebuilt the old collapsed bridge from the previous site, grabbed some large stone and went after it.

It turned out really well. After about six hours of trail work we were all bushed. So it was back to the cars, down the mountain, to Cokes and pizza at Frank's in Mont Alto.

See you next time.

Strange Things Afoot in Michaux

Sunday, August 26th We rode from Big Flat at 9ish am. There were new trails to be seen and we were prepared to see them. As riders continued to trickle into the parking lot, we prepared ourselves for what would inevitably be a damp ride. We warmed up on the rocks near the parking lot:At the start we had: Larry Camp, Martin Kell, Sue Witter, Dale Fitzsimmons, Mike Steininger, Darius Mark, Dave Kegley, ?John? from Shippensburg, and Rob Mazzei (if I forgot anyone - forgive me it was a few days ago). Larry led us out of the lot on a that took us over to the powerline downhill of Birch Run Road.

Martin and I showed everyone some really strange rockwork we had found the week before. These are some really well-placed stone towers that at balancing near a fire ring and camping area. This whole area is spotless and well-cared for. The rocks are balanced on eachother in a fashion that must take hours to complete. This area is a little creepy, but very cool - Martin calls it Roswell.



We then navigated (and I mean navigated) our way over to the bottom of Wildcat and the beginning of Abbey. Several of us cleaned the new tight switchback that Tommy M. and YBR put in to alleviate the erosion of the old fall-line climb - very nice work. We then hammered down to the reservoir. My ride at the reservoir:

Rob waits for the rest to arrive.

Larry, I never have a mechanical, Camp had several mechanicals and gracefully bowed out at the reservoir - he actually had another engagement as well. We rode Breast Trail and then climbed up Birch Run road, to Milesburn Road, to Ridge Road (bypassing Lollipop). From here we took Camp Trail 1 and Camp Trail 2 which dropped us out at Forest Road which we climbed back up to the powerline and then took a new, technical descent, crossed a stream, and suffered up a red-line, granny gear climb. This climb took us back up to Roswell and we returned to the Big Flat lot by the same trail we came in on.

No Wildcat from Big Flat - a major upgrade, not to mention all the new trail.

Ride Report

Sunday August 19th
Ride Leader: Dave Wilson
Arrived at Mont Alto parking lot with a mild drizzle starting. Forecast showed rain for the entire day. The lone member of my ride group was Jason McConnell--new to MBM, having just met Sue the week before. After waiting a few minutes for stragglers (there were none), we headed up the road to begin our ride with the rain becoming more steady. The ride leader was the only one who knew the trails so we were limited in the trails at our disposal. We ascended what i know as Lower Buckets up to the gasline. The weather was really cooperating, just a slight drizzle with little effect on the trail conditions. We proceeded to cross Hearth Trail and head up the roads to descend Four Logs and what i know as Wayne's Trail--i think i may have missed a turn somewhere in this section, because we finished that pretty quickly. We then climbed Turtle and headed back out to Staley for a trip back from whenst we came--across Hearth and down Lower Buckets. It was a beautiful morning for a ride with no mechanicals and only one wreck (me, on hearth . . . but i think i'll be alright, if you're worried--thanks for being worried . . . but really, i'll be fine, and my bike is ok, too . . . ). New guy Jason was a great ride partner--be sure to meet him in the future--and Sue, i think we've got him for the Iron Cross. I'm hoping to be more regular at rides now--was a busy summer for everyone, i believe. Hope to see you all on the trails!
Dave Wilson

MBM @ LHORBA'S Picnic

Yesterday, several MBM members traveled to Blue Knob State Park 1.5 hours west of Chambersburg to join the Laurel Highlands On&Off-Road Bicycling Association at their annual ride/picnic. The event drew over 50 people and featured road and mt. bike rides for all ability levels. Riders came from all around PA including members from the Rattling Creek Singletrackers (RCST), Nittany Mountain Bikers Association (NMBA), and there were six members representing the Mountain Bikers of Michaux (MBM): Aaron Hofelt, Emory Ehrenfeld, Mike Mucker, Darius & Michele Mark, and Martin Kell. Mike is the President of LHORBA, and with much help from LHORBA member Cathy and others, they put on a first class mt. bike event.

Here is Mike explaining the mt. bike ride levels: "my ride will be a Bataan-like death march, entirely uphill with few rests, we will visit every inch of rocky singletrack in the kingdom.........at least once - any takers." Sadly, a few of us who knew better, thought he was kidding.

Thomas had heard of my recent spat of mechanical troubles and decided that he would check my chain; Henry, prefers just to yank it.

Even nicer conditions than usual - the Blue Knob trails were in great shape and very dry.

We ran into the ride that had the wiser riders and stopped for a chat.

That is Cathy in the yellow jersey and body armor.

Then rode some great, technical, rocky singletrack - uphill.

A wicked steep granny-gear climb (we would ride twice this day) deposited us in a roundabout way at a classic Blue Knob vista where we linked up with a third mt. bike group,

And took a rest,

And some more rest,

We could see quite a few windmills off in the distance.

A self-portrait overlooking the Laurel Highlands.

A fresh log got the better of many riders. We climbed back up to the ski area, and after a brief mutiny led by yours truly, agreed to head back down (which was somehow to include more climbing) and drop off a batch of weary riders. This downhill is one of the finest in PA, Rock-n-Ridge. I exceeded 33 mph on the open section, bunny-hopped the first rock garden, and hit the short climb with speed. The trail then snakes its way down the ridge with miles of fast switchbacks.

Once we were back at the Pavia Run picnic area, a bunch of us stayed to eat, swim in the pool, chat with the other riders, play with kids, etc. Many mountain bikers of tomorrow were also in attendance.
Mike lubing each link of his chain individually in preparation of climbing back up the mountain.

Epilogue: Mike took some suckers back up the mountain, under what was undoubtably a blistering climbing pace, all but two (one who was fresh) bailed halfway and returned to both their senses and the picnic area. The others returned some time later. Mike and Yoda from NMBA logged close to 5000 feet of climbing on the day-Blue Knob style.

Additional Blue Knob Mt. Biking Photos here

Sunday, August 5th, 2007

The Sunday Mont Alto MBM ride is a classic, like bread and butter, salt and pepper, shake and bake, etc. - today was no exception. Mike, Martin, Rob, Bruce, and I were happy that the morning was cool and the humidity level was lower the preceding couple of days.

I broke my derailleur hanger on the way up the shelf, took two links out of my chain, and threw SRAM speedlink in before climbing up Black Andes to the gas line. We then took Sweeper up to the Besecker Gap Road then back down to Staley.

Bruce smiling at the top of Sweeper.

Martin and Rob contemplate the granny gear-ness of the ride thus far - no single-speeders on this one. Down Staley and climb the top of Turtle to Wayne's Highway over to Middle Narrows and climb up the ditch to Trees of Tomorrow/Lee's Rocks. Heaven or Hell has a gate meant to let riders know what is to come. After a couple attempts, Martin and Mike sent it.

Then we hit the Ramp. The Levels of Hell and some other moves

deposited us at the nice overlook facing Mont Alto where we snapped some pictures:

Went down the lower narrows then up Wayne's Trail to Turtle, which upon Rob's suggestion, we climbed to Staley, then blasted Charcoal Hearth over to Wirt Road. We then took the Buckets back down to Staley and ended by riding out the Park Trail.

See you next time.