Stories from a HUSBAND - FATHER - SON - GRANDFATHER - UNCLE - BROTHER - FRIEND - TEACHER
WHAT A DAY WE ARE HAVING!
Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps
Mark and I pushed our ride time back to 9AM yesterday with the hope of hitting a small, rain-free window of time during what was predicted to be a soggy day. We even decided to change our destination and headed towards Michaux State Forest. As we got off of the exit ramp of Interstate 81, I noticed a sign for Colonel Denning State Park...pointing in the opposite direction of our destination. Turning to Mark, I asked if there was any riding there. With no hesitation, and with the rain coming down, Mark turned his car away from Michaux. It was the beginning of one heck of a day.
I love this pic of Mark...riding in the clouds somewhere on Bower Mountain Road -- July 6, 2017
Colonel Denning State Park is located in Doubling Gap (named for the turn in Blue Mountain as it doubles back on itself)...adjacent to Tuscarora State Forest. Mark and I used the parking area at Colonel Denning as our starting point...but we spent the bulk of our day mountain biking the miles and miles of fire road in Tuscarora State Forest. In near tropical conditions we turned pedals for almost 30 miles and climbed nearly 4,000 feet. All along the mountain roads the clouds and fog and rain created surreal views of the forest. Our ride found us exploring an old CCC Camp, admiring (from a distance) a three foot rattle snake, checking out Doubling Gap Overlook, walking out and into the clouds which engulfed Horsehead Rocks, observing construction of the Keystone Pipeline, and stopping at Dead Man's Curve to paying respects to a CCC working who was killed while helping to construct the very road we were riding on. For Mark and I, it was the perfect ride on a rainy and humid summer day. Mark said it best while we were looking at the rattle snake just feet away from Doubling Gap Overlook..."What a day we're having!" Nothing I could say would have described it better.
Giving my bike a chance to rest after climbing Elk Hill Road -- July 6, 2017
Riding up Bower Mountain Road...seemingly above the clouds -- July 6, 2017
Not being able to see beyond the clouds as I stepped out onto Horsehead Rocks was very eerie -- July 6, 2017
The only thing to see at Doubling Gap Overlook was the rattle snake just a few feet behind us -- July 6, 2017
In 1934, CCC worker Henry Hamerski was accidentally killed when he was run over by a bulldozer while constructing the road. His body has since been relocated closer to his family in Latrobe, PA -- July 6, 2017
Mark Lentz and David Raymond pausing before our last descent of the day...2 miles down Elk Hill Road. It really was an amazing day -- July 6, 2017
Life is a journey...not a destination.
David A. Raymond -- July 7, 2017
Colonel Denning State Park is named for William Denning...a Revolutionary War Sergeant (no one knows who unofficially gave him the title of Colonel) who manufactured wrought iron cannons for the Continental Army. William Denning is buried nearby in the Big Spring Presbyterian Church cemetery in Newville, Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, none of his cannons are still in existence -- July 6, 2017
Here's the GARMIN map and stats from our amazing ride in Tuscarora State Forest:
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...
.jpg)
Comments