During the summers of 2011 and 2012, Tim Singlinger and I spent an awful lot of time in
Patapsco Valley State Park near Baltimore, Maryland. So much time that I have the trail system blazed into my memory. Then, in 2013, my attention turned back to
Michaux State Forest...probably because of it's proximity, it's beauty, and the realization that there was so much at Michaux that needed to be explored and need to be ridden. Since those particular summers, I, on average, return to Patapsco to mountain bike maybe twice a year. The park, created in 1907 as the Patapsco State Forest Reserve, is designed to protect the valley's forest and water resources. In the 1930s it was incorporated into the
Civilian Conservation Corps. The CCC workers created recreational facilities and planted vegetation to prevent erosion into the river. During
World War II it was converted into the nation's very first
Civilian Public Service conscientious objector camp which required the men and women there to serve for a term of one year.
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| Suspension bridge that crossed the Patapsco River connecting the trail systems on both sides of the park -- July 1, 2016 |
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| Taking a break from the humidity -- July 1, 2016 |
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| Matt is finding out that no ride is complete without some sort of "hike-a-bike" -- July 1, 2016 |
Today, the 25 square mile park allows for canoeing, hiking, horse back riding, picnicking, fishing, and....mountain biking. Which is what Matt Linnane and I set out to do today. I knew we weren't going to ride ALL of the park...but for his
first trip to Patapsco I wanted to maximize our fun. By the time we finished, Matt and I pounded out more than twelve miles of
fun single track riding sections of the park on both sides of the river. It was a nice reminder of why Tim & I spent so much time pedaling Patapsco a few years back.
Life is a journey...not a destination.
David A. Raymond -- July 1, 2016
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| Matt totally loved his first trip to Patapsco. Time to head off to the Ice Cream Cottage for a post ride treat -- July 1, 2016 |
