Stories from a HUSBAND - FATHER - SON - GRANDFATHER - UNCLE - BROTHER - FRIEND - TEACHER
JUST RIGHT FOR US
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Mark has this saying. Actually, it's a line form an obscure John Mellencamp song... "When it's too tough for everyone else...it's just right for us." It's a mantra that encapsulates a certain kind of mountain biking that he and I both love. It's the kind of mountain biking that has no real destination. It's the ride that possibly requires a GPS, a map, or at the very least...cell reception. This particular kind of mountain biking demands that there be no real time constraints. Inevitably, on this ride there will be a ton of backtracking, a climbing to mileage ration that is completely obnoxious, and yes...it will include the infamous "hike-a-bike." The final component of this ride is a friend who knows more about mountain biking than I do and can navigate his way out of just about anything. A friend who finds craziness just a fun as I do.
Mark Lentz and David Raymond exploring parts of Michaux State Forest that were not familiar with us. If you look closely, you can see that the downed tree broke an old wooden gate at the entrance of a logging road. -- April 29, 2018
It's this kind of ride that Mark and I set out on the last weekend of April. The weather was still a little crisp when we pedaled out of the Big Flat parking area in Michaux. Our destination was the northwest side of the ridge below Ridge Road...an area of the forest that I had not ridden in almost a decade. Mark's basic plan was to descend 3 Turn Road and then just explore. Nothing like knowing, that no matter what we run into during the ride, we would have to climb 500 feet in a mile and half on a fireroad to get back to Big Flat! Yep...it would be one of THOSE rides. The area around 3 Turn Road skirts the boundary of the State Forest and Mark and I took a lot of caution to make sure that we stayed within those boundaries. A lot of the trails we found, that at first looked promising, ultimately led to "cul-de-sacs" for logging vehicles. A few of the trails we tried disappeared into the overgrowth and one, in particular, disappeared in to what looked like acres of downed trees.
Not knowing exactly where we are going and what (or who) we will run into...Mark and I made certain to stay within the confines of the State Forest. You can see the State Forest boundary markers nailed to the tree that my bike is leaning on. -- April 29, 2018
This promising looking logging took us more than a mile into the forest before turning into a huge "cul-de-sac." -- April 29, 2018
The ridge, far in the distance, is where Ridge Road is. We parked a mile on the other side of Ridge Road. So cool! -- April 29, 2018
Welcome to the neighborhood! While backtracking out of this "cul-de-sac" in Michaux, I spotted this out of place boxwood shrub. Apparently someone, who didn't want in their yard anymore but who didn't have the heart to just through it away, trekked back here and planted it in the forest. Cool. -- April 29, 2018
By the time we finished our ride, Mark and I had explored more that 17 miles (my Garmin data is a little off) of the forest that was "new to us." Actually, considering that I found zero STRAVA segments on our ride, I'm pretty sure that what we rode would be new to most mountain bikers. It amazes me that, after 13+ years of mountain biking in Michaux State Forest, that there is so much of the forest that I've never seen (let alone, ridden). A day of backtracking and bushwhacking and climbing might not sound like fun to a lot of people...but it is for me. The fun lies in the not knowing what we will be riding and what we inevitably will be pushing and carrying our bikes up, down, through, around, and over...but mostly I really just love the time spent exploring and searching and just riding with a good friend. Ultimately, these exploratory rides are the best way for us to find new trails to ride...and, just as importantly, figure out where NOT to ride. This certain kind of mountain biking isn't possible each time we ride and might not be for everyone...but like Mark says, "When it's too tough for everyone else...it's just right for us."
Mark Lentz carrying his bike. Yep...it was one of those kinds of rides. It even included a "hike-a-bike" and a little bushwhacking when the trails seemed to disappear. What a day! Thanks, Mark. -- April 29, 2018
Life is a journey...not a destination.
David A. Raymond -- May 19, 2018
Here is the GARMIN map and data from our day of exploring and mountain biking (and bush-whacking) in Michaux State Forest.
Happy riding!
Interested in biking or hiking some of the trails featured in this post? Check out the TRAIL MAPS and TRAIL HEADS tabs on the ALL TRAILS LEAD TO ICE CREAM website.
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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