Stories from a HUSBAND - FATHER - SON - GRANDFATHER - UNCLE - BROTHER - FRIEND - TEACHER
THE SPIRIT OF EXPLORATION
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It's pretty well known that Christopher Columbus didn't actually "discover" America. Heck...he never even made it to the mainland (although who can fault him for hanging out in the Bahamas?) I have this belief that you can't really discover something that's already well known to other people. Yeah...there were others who came to the western hemisphere well before Columbus. Native people came here anywhere from 40,000 to 13,000 years ago. It possible that St. Brendan the Navigator, doing missionary work, traveled to the New World 1,000 years prior to Columbus. There are some who believe, based on a map of Chinese origin, that Chinese explorer, Zheng He, may have made it as far as the Americas during one of his seven voyages between the years 1405 and 1433. And yes...evidence has proven that Leif Erikson traveled to Newfoundland around 1,000 A.D...a full 500 years before Christopher Columbus "Sailed the Ocean Blue."
In the spirit of exploration, Mark Lentz and I spend the day mountain biking and exploring an unfamiliar section of Michaux State Forest. The view from the power lines, looking west towards interstate 81, was amazing -- October 10, 2016
So, if Mr. Columbus didn't "discover" America...what exactly did he do? Well, he was the first to open relations between Europe and the Western Hemisphere. His
voyages mark the beginning of more than 500 years of cultural, economic, and political
relations between Europe and the Americas. You can also credit him with the fact that written recorded history of the Western Hemisphere begins with Columbus. (There are also many negative impacts of Columbus' voyages...but I won't go there right now. I want to keep things positive.) So...thanks, to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in 1936, Columbus Day became a federal holiday...and I have off from school. Personally, I'm not a fan of Columbus Day...and I'd rather either celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day or just go to school and teach my butt off...but; nevertheless, every October I can count on having the day off...so let's make the most of it.
David Raymond & Mark Lentz in Michaux State Forest -- October 10, 2016
Mark and I first met when he began teaching at Northeastern Middle School 12 or 13 years ago...and we began riding together in 2006. Most of what I know about mountain biking I learned from him. Last year we decided that, if we were going to have a day off of school for Columbus Day, we ought to, at the very least, use the day to honor the spirit of exploration. So, with bikes and gear loaded up, Mark and I set out for a section of Michaux State Forest, near the Chambersburg Reservoir, that we were completely unfamiliar with.
Mark and I began our ride at the intersection of Ridge Road and Stillhouse Road in Michaux State Forest -- October 10, 2016
The trail that runs the power lines stretching east to west through the forest provided for a very fun section of our ride today -- October 10, 2016
Looking west towards from the top of the power lines -- October 10, 2016
Mark Lentz and I riding the trail that runs the power lines in this section of Michaux -- October 10, 2016
Enjoying the ride! -- October 12, 2016
Turning off of the trail that ran the power lines, Mark and I found and incredibly cool section of the forest that was amazingly beautiful. This is the Michaux I love! Check out this ultra kool photosphere I took of this area -- October 10, 2016
Part of our ride was along this exclusion fence. The fences are put up to allow areas of the forest to regenerate and not be disturbed by the deer and other wildlife of the forest -- October 10, 2016
It's not a ride in Michaux without a mechanical. Nothing too serious...just a cable that needed adjusted -- October 10, 2016
What's Mark riding over? Check out the next pic -- October 10, 2016
Turns out it was once a swimming pool...in the middle of the forest. No kidding. Here's what remains of the diving board -- October 10, 2016
When we parked at the top of the mountain there was no question that, at some point, we would make our way back up. Here we go! -- October 10, 2016
Towards the conclusion of our ride, Mark and I found this view from Ridge Road -- October 10, 2016
The only plan for our day was exploration. If we found a trail we took it. There was no such thing as a wrong turn. Mark and I just set out to ride. What we rode...and what we found...was nothing short of amazing: trails that very few mountain bikers have ridden (there were absolutely no segments found when I loaded my ride into STRAVA), views that were breathtaking, new places to take Timmy, Glenn, and rest of the gang, and a very kool sense of pride, excitement, and accomplishment that comes with the spirit of exploration.
Life is a journey...not a destination.
David A. Raymond -- October 11, 2016
No one can pass up a stop at the historic Round Barn. On our way home both Mark and I could hear the whoopie pies calling our names!
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 ...
Back in July, my wife, Robin, and I visited the city of my birth...Cumberland, Maryland...and spent some time riding on the C & O Tow Path. It was a really neat experience. I was born there and grew up thirty miles north in Bedford, Pennsylvania...but the extent of my time in Cumberland was limited to hanging out at the mall when I was a teenager. Robin and I had a great time...riding south out of Cumberland and then turning off of the C & O Tow Path, through Knobley Tunnel...straight into West Virginia and then crossing back into Maryland. Our ride got super nerdy when as we passed the spot of Fort Ohio and Fort Cumberland...both French and Indian War outposts...and then to an old wooden house that served as the headquarters for Colonel George Washington while he was stationed in Cumberland during the French and Indian War. Not far away, on the sight of what was once Fort Cumberland I paused for a photo with a statue of young Washington. It w...
Upside-Down covered bridges, canals, flamingos, nuclear power plants, paper mills, Underground Railroad Stations, battlefields, National Parks, gnomes, wild turkeys, deer, lighthouses, airplanes, snow, rattlesnakes, Mountain Laurel, museums, ugly sweaters, rivers, rocks, the ocean, spectacular views, great company, and of course...ice cream. These are just a fraction of the things I’ve experienced along the trails in 2024. What follows is a synopsis of my favorite bike rides and hikes of the past year. Happy New Year and see you along the trails in 2025! David Raymond in Ohiopyle State Park. -- June 10, 2024 SWATARA RAIL TRAIL FEBRUARY 11, 2024 Swatara State park has been a mountain biking destination for me for over 15 years (and it was again for Ben and I this year)... but, in 2024, I decided to check out the rail trail that runs through the 3,520 acre park. The Swatara Creek meanders its way through forests and wetlands of the park....
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