ALL TRAILS LEAD TO ICE CREAM

Just the name of the trail makes anyone who loves mountain biking want to ride it.  Grave Ridge.  Rocks emerging from the top of the ridge resemble tombstones of all shapes and sizes.  Labeled for ATV riders as "Most Difficult"...the trail is a mile of technical mayhem!  Mark Lentz first took me there in 2006 but I haven't been back since 2010.  Grave Ridge, which is located in the heart of Michaux State Forest , straddles the boundary of a recent timber sale.  Logging, which closed the trail for public use, began in December of 2010.  Today, Tim and I found our way back for the first time since the trail reopened last year.   Navigating Grave Ridge in Michaux State Forest -- August 9, 2016 Taking a breather with Tim halfway through our ride today -- August 9, 2016 Tim snaking his way through the ferns in Michaux State Forest -- August 9, 2016 I had a couple of routes mapped out in my head for how to get there today.  ...

"I love this place!"  The exact words muttered over and over again by my good friend, Kristian Hains, as we navigated the Allegrippis Trails near Raystown Lake in Huntington County, Pennsylvania on Tuesday.   Ranked as Pennsylvania's #1 mountain bike destination by Singletracks.com ...the Allegrippis Trail system was created by the Army Corps of Engineers in tandem with the International Mountain Biking Association .  All this is possible because the land around Raystown Lake (which was created in 1973 for the purpose of controlling floods, providing electricity, and supporting recreational activities) is owned by the Army Corps of Engineers and has never been privately developed.  Literally, it's 30+ miles of trails that are a series of stacked loops (which can provide for seemingly endless trail combinations ) created BY mountain bikers FOR mountain bikers!   Kristian Hains riding Ray's Revenge -- August 2, 2016 "I'm sure I've had more...

In 2012, I set (and achieved) the obnoxious goal of riding 3,000+ miles on my road bike.  As cool as that was, it had a negative effect on the amount of time I spent mountain biking with friends.  I usually tend to ride my road bike alone.  I consider it my "me time"...and I personally have a hard time holding discussions with my friends as cars zip past us!  The past few years I made sure to make my cycling goals be a combination of miles ridden on both the trail and the road.   It's been a nice balance....and I haven't ditched any mountain bike rides (or friends) because I was calculating how many miles I needed to get in on the road that particular day or week.  Blossom Drive and Starview Road -- July 29, 2016 I only had one mountain bike ride planned this week which provided the opportunity to get out on my road bike each day but one.  It was a nice reminder of why I love road cycling.  My rides haven't been long ... my back can't ...

It's hard to say what's going to be discussed (if anything) when a group  goes mountain biking.  This morning while riding in Michaux State Forest with Mark, Glenn, Timmy, and Matt,* I found myself in the middle of the pack which gave me access to all kinds of conversations.  Mark led the ride because...well... Mark can (as Tim says) find a trail anywhere .  Matt and Glenn brought up the rear because they had never ridden on this particular trail .  Mark and I really wanted to take Glenn up to our favorite vista overlooking the forest.  After a quick ride down the "rail trail" near Fuller and Laurel Lakes we began our nearly 3 mile climb up the the ridge.  It's not the shortest way up...but, as far as we know, it's the easiest way to ride up (yes, you can choose a shorter "hike-a-bike" trail.)   After reaching our destination at the top of the trail today we took about 15 minutes to relax, cool down, and appreciate the vastness of Michau...

In less than a week I will be celebrating my third wedding anniversary.  Robin and I were married on July 21, 2013.  It was, up to this point, the best day of my life. She really does bring out the best in me.   Actually, she's my moral compass.  Robin's opened my world to a whole new spectrum of things:  Korean food (yeah, my favorite restaurant is Nam King in Baltimore, Maryland), movies that don't involve Rocky Balboa or Han Solo, traveling farther than Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Eminem (didn't see that one coming!)  She's taught me to explore more  things, try to see the best in everyone, and...uh...talk about my feelings.  What have brought to her world?  Well...I guess more than anything...I think I've let her know that it's okay to be silly and completely let your guard down.  Sometimes I catch myself laughing out loud as she allows me to take pictures of her being completely silly.  She never would have done that six ye...