Stories from a HUSBAND - FATHER - SON - GRANDFATHER - UNCLE - BROTHER - FRIEND - TEACHER
TURNING INTO SOMETHING AWESOME--September 24, 2016
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I might anger a few of local mountain bikers in York County by saying this...mountain biking at Rocky Ridge, at least for me, is kind of like eating frozen pizza: it's never my first choice, but it's convenient when in a pinch. And it's not that Rocky Ridge County Park isn't amazing...it is. I always tell people that, if I lived far away from York, I would drive hours to ride there. It's some of the most technical and challenging riding around. If you like rocks and hills and single track...Rocky Ridge is your place. If you can mountain bike here...you can mountain bike anywhere! I really believe that.
Friday's ride introduced a completely new dynamic...it was the first that this group...Brent, Kristian, myself, and Timmy...had ever ridden together. It was a great afternoon on the trails at Rocky Ridge County Park -- September 23, 2016
Why is it never my first choice? I guess it's because...after 20+ years of mountain biking...I pretty much have every trail, every turn, every hill, and every rock garden of the 750 acre park blazed into my memory. It's become so monotonously familiar to me. It's become that place to ride when I'm short on time (the park is only 7 miles from my house and from where I teach in Manchester) or when I just want to get a quick ride in after school. Then, yesterday'sride happened...
Tim, Brent, and Kristian getting acquainted with each other in the parking lot at Rocky Ridge County Park -- September 23, 2016
Kristian's first flat tire in years! We weren't even a mile into the ride. He wanted to just walk out and let us finish...but hey, "No Biker Left Behind!" -- September 23, 2016
Keep on pumping! -- September 23, 2016
I had been itching to get back out on my mountain bike since my SOLO RIDE last weekend. It's been nearly a month since I've ridden with any of the guys. Actually, I haven't seen Timmy since our last TUESDAY RIDE of the summer. Tim's been texting me each weekend for a month trying to get us out on the trials together...but schedules just haven't been aligning. So, I figured, that...again, even though it wasn't my first choice...Rocky Ridge would be perfect on Friday. It was easy for each of us to meet there after work...and it took very little convincing to get Brent and Kristian out, too!
Brent Shirt taking on the single track at Rocky Ridge County Park -- September 23, 2016
I haven't been to Rocky Ridge since I was there with Mark Lentz and Nate Hake back in June. Brent, who happens to live across the street from me, has been telling me about a new trail he's been riding at Rocky Ridge. In my mind, I was having a hard time pinpointing exactly where he was talking about...but hey...if it's there, I want to ride it. Less than a mile into the ride we had our first flat. Amazingly, it wasn't mine! Kristian's rear tire was the victim of the relentless rocks that live in the park. Not even half a mile from the parking lot, he was ready to do a "hike a bike" back to the car and head home. Totally unkool. Literally, I told him that I had been looking forward to riding with him all week and I wasn't about to let him walk out of the woods alone. When riding at Rocky Ridge, we rarely carry a lot of tools with us. At any point in a ride there you're never more than a mile or two from the parking lot...but between the four of us we managed to produce a tire lever, tube, Park Tool, and pump...everything needed to get him moving forward again.
The new trail that Brent introduced us to was totally awesome. On STRAVA (which, trust me...I have zero KOMs), the trail has been named FRESH AND TWISTY. Fresh it was...and it never seemed to end. I was 1.2 miles of extremely fun single track that twisted and turned and looped naturally through the top of the ridge. It was just as fun as Brent described it. I brought up the rear of the group on this trail. It was really interesting to see the dynamics and different riding styles of this group. Brent is such a determined rider. His style of riding reminds me of my own. Timmy...well, Tim is the steady rider. He mostly rides in one gear...and it really works for him. Kristian's so nimble on his bike. Effortlessly bounding from rock to rock. It was really fun to watch.
Kristian Hains -- September 23, 2016
Dave Raymond -- September 23, 2016
Yes...that expression on Kristain's face is the joy of mountain biking -- September 23, 2016
Left to right...Kristain Hains, Tim Sindlinger, Dave Raymond, & Brent Shirt -- September 23, 2016
This ride at Rocky Ridge, which at first was just convenient, was turning into something special and amazing. A beautiful day, combined with a completely different group dynamic, and some really cool new trails (and yes...trails is plural...we ended up meandering around an area off of FORBIDDEN FOUR that was super fun) turned this ride into something special. For all four of us...our Friday afternoon at Rocky Ridge ended up turning into something awesome.
A day off of the bicycle doesn't mean a day spent inside. With the end of summer in view, and the school year encroaching soon, I took my sixteen year old son, Alex, and his buddies (Robby and Austin) to Michaux State Forest for a day of hiking, picnicking, and exploring. Our day today was split into three parts. We planned to hike up through Tumbling Run Game Preserve, have a picnic lunch at the furnace stack in Pine Grove Furnace State Park , and then hike up to the top of Pole Steeple. Although the trail head at Tumbling Run is not marked, it is easy to get to if you know what you are looking for. After passing Pine Grove Furnace State Park on state route 233 (headed South) you will be looking for a obvious gravel parking area located on the right between Woodrow Road and Dead Woman's Hollow Road. It is important to know that the last "nice" bathrooms are located at the furnace stack at Pine Grove Furnace ...
My wife took me to Alaska this year. I had never been to that part of the world, nor have I ever seen such immense natural beauty in my entire life. For our 10th wedding anniversary we took a six day cruise from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada to Alaska and back. Along the way, we visited the Alaskan cities of Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan. We took a train ride into Yukon Territory, Canada. We saw whales, bald eagles, and countless salmon. Robin and I had the opportunity to hike along Bennett Lake, explore Glacier Bay National Park, and sail through Tracy’s Arm Inlet. It truly was one of the “bucket-list” trips that I could only dream of and it was fitting that I got to visit the 49th state during my 49th year on the planet. Thank you, Sweetheart! Robin and David Raymond. Welcome to Alaska! -- July 18, 2023 David and Robin Raymond in Tracy's Arm Inlet -- July 17, 2023 Approaching a glacier in Tracy's Arm Inlet -- July 17, 2023 ...
In the early 1980s my mom and dad began taking my brother, Jake, and I camping at Rocky Gap State Park near Cumberland, Maryland . During the summer months we seemingly went every weekend. I loved it there. Rocky Gap was just a short drive from our home in Bedford, Pennsylvania. We spent our days playing on the beach and fishing in the lake. My mother made incredible meals for us at the campground and each evening my dad would make a campfire. The campfire was my favorite part. My dad made mountain pies, my mom would make popcorn over the fire, and my brother and I would roast marshmallows and hot dogs. Our camping trips ended in the late 80s when both my brother and I reached high school. Our schedules were just too hectic. That was the last I would see of Rocky Gap for 25 years. Rocky Gap State Park and campgrounds sits at the base of Evitts Mountain in western Maryland -- May 30, 2016 When I began dating m...
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