Because we’ve had such great weather this year, it’s become typical for the trail to be insanely packed with people, especially on the weekends. We had to park in one of the secondary lots at Glen Onoko, which has never happened before. But on the trail, we were easily able to pass most of the large packs and still have some sense of solitude. Although the south end of the trail was always rougher than the north, this time it has obviously suffered severe damage from last week’s storms, and possibly some hasty, poorly done “fixes” to damage from work on the adjacent railroad. In a few areas, it was more like “real mountain biking,” which we haven’t been able to do in a while, than just riding a rail-trail. I had a great time working my way through short sections of three-inch-deep sand. Rich was doing great and feeling good, too. We shared some leftover pizza from The Library (it’s still the only pizza I like cold) at the waterfall just north of Rockport, before turning around and heading back to Glen Onoko. Of course, the strong headwind that suddenly arose made the downhill ride tougher than we’d expected!

After the ride, we were both dying for a beer and some food. Our first thought was to take a quick drive through Jim Thorpe; maybe one of the restaurants there would call to us. Sadly, we were about ten hours too late. We’d forgotten how the first hint of fall in the air somehow compels folks from twenty nearby counties to flock to the “Little Switzerland of America.” Traffic from town was backed up past the light at the west end of the Route 903 bridge. We turned around, not even attempting to go into the heart of Jim Thorpe.

Unsure of their offerings we bypassed Crocodile Lyle’s (in Jim Thorpe but on the east side of the river) and Da’s Pub (outside Blakeslee on Route 115); some research later showed that both would have provided, at the least, a good beer and a decent snack. We instead decided to go straight home, put away the bikes, and then get some sushi at Kabuki in Peckville. The shrimp and vegetable tempura was light and tasty, and the tuna roll was delicious as always. The spider roll is one of my favorites, as long as I don’t think too hard about what I’m actually eating—it’s soft shell crab, not spider, but still somewhat odd as it’s eaten whole. Rich was thrilled to discover that beer (Kirin Ichiban) was available, and although it was far from exciting, it tasted fine after a long ride. Maybe next time they’ll have the Tiger lager.

Today’s outing was a nice, easy ride from Forest City to just past Herrick Center and back, all on the D&H. What a radical change we had today from our recent sunny, hot weather! It was a breezy day that was pretty pleasant when we rode into patches of sunshine, but fully chilling when we were beneath the heavy clouds that dominated the skies today. Colored leaves swirled around us and were beginning to cover the trail in spots.

The trail surface changes past Herrick Center to a deeper, heavier gravel, but it’s still much more rideable than we’d expected. Next time, I think we will try to ride even farther north. I’m not sure at which point we’ll run into original ballast, but I’m certain it’s out there.

The sky was black by the time we returned to the parking lot, and it began to sprinkle just as Rich loaded our bikes back onto the car. We should have known that John would ride a few more miles in the rain before heading back home!

Today’s adventure was straightforward, but we still discovered a pleasant new trail. Crazy kids on quads and the messy trail surface had turned us off to the O&W trail in the past, but we decided to give it a try today as part of a loop with a section of the D&H Rail Trail that we ride frequently. Hey, the kids were supposedly in school, and we could certainly wash any black dirt or mud off the bikes after our ride!

Taking the chance was worth it. The O&W was quiet, for once, and not muddy at all. The surface was slightly more challenging and fun than a typical rail-trail, although I missed the sharp dips (“whoop-de-doos”) that make the Archbald—Jermyn section of the River Trail so much fun when ridden really fast. There is also a rocky little hill rising from the D&H to the O&W, just before the Route 171 bridge, that’s a lot of fun to climb with near-slick tires.

When we returned to Forest City, John and Rich spotted a truck that they thought belonged to an old co-worker of theirs, Bernie, parked near the gate of the southerly section of the D&H. Apparently, Bernie is such a character that I have to meet him! We rode back down that section of the trail not quite to the crossover point, and never saw a soul. But when we returned to the gate, the truck was gone. I guess Bernie is a slippery little character … who had probably been wandering some of the side paths rather than the main trail.

Lunch was pizza for Rich and me (John had a sausage-and-peppers hoagie) at Eleganté (or Elegante’, as their sign reads) Restaurant and Pizzeria. The pizza was fair; I would have preferred less cheese and a much crispier crust. It’s certainly not Rosalie’s, Joe’s, or Angie’s! But nearly anything tastes good after a decent ride.

Later that afternoon, John retraced our exact route, going south from the Forest City parking lot to the southerly D&H/O&W crossover, then back north up the D&H to where we hopped on the O&W, riding it back toward Forest City. I guess one time around just wasn’t enough for him!

Sometimes we discover a new trail at just the right time. After two solid weeks of insanity at work, I was ready for some different scenery, something unusual to engage my mind other than fighting with website code and avoiding nonsense office politics. Rich was looking for a relatively easy trail that would offer an opportunity for an easy ride at whatever pace he chose, but not tempt him to go quite as far as the 19 miles we did last week at Lehigh Gorge. And John was just looking to ride, as always!

The northern trailhead of the Susquehanna Warrior Trail is in Hunlock Creek. Parking is available at the Garden Drive-In Theater—except that when we arrived, almost every spot was taken. The trail was busy for relatively early on a Saturday morning, mostly with runners from what appeared to be a local school’s cross country team.

The majority of the trail is narrower than the other rail-trails we frequently ride, and it has a slightly rougher gravel surface. The first couple miles were also covered with dried-out weeds, which did not impede travel at all but gave the entire trail an orange cast. It was just an unusual look overall, and I felt like I had traveled to a different area of the country. Just what I wanted!

We passed some small businesses and a large industrial site before beginning to meander east, away from the highway. The area just past the entrance road to S.C.I. Retreat, a medium-security state prison on the site of an old mental hospital, was the most lush and secluded. (Just don’t be unnerved by the “firing range” signs.)

… John on his getaway bike!

We detoured down to a boat launch area for a photo and to glimpse the river, which is not easily visible, at least in summer, from this trail.

… The Susquehanna warriors! Two mooses and John by the Susquehanna River

Our turnaround spot today was the community park in Shickshinny, which was devoid of guests other than us (on a lovely summer Saturday). When we saw the posted list of rules, it’s no wonder why! Nevertheless, we sat at a picnic table in a pavilion and enjoyed our snack of grapes and water—probably breaking several dozen rules along the way, but none the wiser.

… Is is just me, or is this beyond ridiculous?! No wonder kids don’t play outside anymore. They can’t even go to the playground alone until they’re TWELVE?!

… Notice the distinct lack of human presence anywhere near this playground. The prison was more inviting than this place!

Rich and I agreed that we would love to return, when his knees are feeling better, to explore the old cemetery and railroad station we spotted along the way, and to ride the entire trail to the southern trailhead at PPL Riverlands Park.

Lest you wonder if food was also involved in our decision—that is a given! One of our ulterior motives in suggesting this trail for today was that the Tipsy Turtle II (pronounced, quite logically, as “Tipsy Turtle Aye-Aye” by our new GPSr) is on the way home, more or less. And the Tipsy Turtle II (unlike the Tipsy Turtle I) has fish & chips on the menu. Finally, Rich could get the fried fish he’s been craving for months! And it was worth the drive up Route 11 from Hunlock Creek. We had five or six slender pieces of moist fish fried perfectly, with just a thin coating of golden batter, perfectly seasoned (that is to say, very little salt!). The fries, skin on and unsalted, were also a treat. I was so happy that Rich finally had found his fried fish, and it was a real joy watching him enjoy it. I was also happy because of the Lake Placid Ubu Ale that we all ordered—partly because it tasted so good and refreshing, and partly because it reminded me of our trip to Lake Placid (and the Lake Placid Pub & Brewery) four years ago. We all shared Turtle Bites with a side of inferno sauce … and John topped it off with more spiciness in the form of an inferno sauce-coated chicken sandwich.

The exercise, hot sauce, beer, and the jigsaw puzzle we finished when we got home all combined to make us extra sleepy. We were in bed by 9:00pm!

Today Rich was ready to tackle a slightly longer and more challenging ride. We have to prepare for our upcoming trip to Acadia! John met us at the house, then followed us along the winding back roads through Clifton to White Haven. Even with twists and turns and blind hills and the occasional driver flying toward us over the middle line, it’s still a very relaxing and peaceful route compared to I-81. And it’s like riding in a beautiful tunnel of fluttering green, at least in the summer. Somewhere along the way, Rich and I searched for gamelands that we swore we’d seen before, but we were unable to find the area.

The White Haven Bakery is “quaint”; that is to say that it looks old-fashioned and dull, but it seems clean and they make delicious goodies. There’s no seating, so we stood on the sidewalk and nibbled. Rich and I split a sticky bun (just sticky enough, nuts but no raisins!) and flaky apricot twist. John had an apple turnover. They both drank coffee. I just took a few sips from Rich’s cup. I admired the garden, intentional or not, of Lilliputian hens-and-chicks near the fence.

It’s typical on dam release weekends for the Lehigh Gorge access points to be insanely busy. So as we expected, the parking area was full of river rats. At least they wouldn’t be riding the trail! A woman mentioned that she liked my Team Moose jersey as I waited in line for the portapotty. “It’s custom made,” Rich said with a smile, and no further explanation.

Our ride was awesome, as always, but relatively uneventful. As the day went on the trail became busier, but not as busy as the river! We kept our ride a bit shorter than usual—to Rockport and back, 19 miles—but it was the longest post-surgery ride Rich has done to date. I’m so impressed! On our return, we rested, cooled off and snacked by the waterfall just north of Rockport. I think it’s become a tradition.

… John has his own ALPHONSE license plate now!

Next we went to the monastery to look for GREEN. Our luck? We had “nun.” I guess we should have attempted it while the place was still under construction/renovation, but Rich wasn’t up for the hike back then.

The monastery has come a long way since the last time we were up there. We marveled at the buildings roofed in bright Spanish tile and the whole layout of the property. I felt like I was in the southwest or on a Greek isle somewhere. After we passed the main building, we could see what looked like a clearing, possibly leading to a trail heading up the mountain, but there were signs in Greek and English saying that it was private and to pass required a special blessing.

We found a young sister coming up behind us and we asked what we would need to do if we wanted to hike up the mountain toward the cross. She said she could not give us permission but that she would go inside and ask someone else. After a few minutes she came out and said that she was sorry, but she couldn’t get permission for us. We thanked her, she blessed us—apparently not the special blessing—and we left soon after. (We later joked between ourselves that it was Rich’s fault because the nuns must have his poster on the wall from back when he was a bad kid in Catholic school. I know they’re not the same kind of nuns, but we still got a laugh out of it.)

So we set off toward the azimuth mark, on the other side of the river and south about a mile. The road was narrow, which concerned us a bit, but when we neared the coordinates we saw a convenient clearing along the western side of the road and, as luck would have it, a 9×5 foot boulder across and about 12 feet above the road, as described. Unfortunately, there were houses just beyond. I decided I would walk up the driveway, which would give me an easy view of the top of the boulder as I passed by. If I could see the mark and if I felt relatively secluded, I might just go ahead and take my photos and coordinates; otherwise, I would knock on the door of the residence to ask for permission.

As I hiked up the gravel driveway, I heard a dog barking. Shit. I went a little further and saw a man working on his truck. I got a hillbilly rocker vibe from his curly beard and lack of front teeth, but he turned out to be one of the nicest people I’ve met while benchmark hunting. He assured me that the dog was harmless (it did seem quite docile), and he asked where I was headed, assuming I was lost. I explained that I was actually there to document the survey mark on the big boulder alongside his driveway. He was thrilled to find out what the mark’s purpose was, having known about it for years (he said, in fact, that his grandfather would have been living there when the mark was set in 1958). I explained what an azimuth mark was used for and how it related to the GREEN triangulation station. He even got to hear the story of how we were denied the special blessing at the monastery.

I motioned for Rich and John to come up and check out the disk while I took my photos. Rich explained a little about azimuth marks and survey mark hunting in general to John while I worked. When we were done, I went back to thank the landowner. He asked what he should do if anything ever happened to the mark, and I gave him the NGS contact information. In retrospect, I probably should have given him the datasheet, but we could always drop it off for him some other time when we’re in the area.

After all the action, we were more than hungry. We stopped at Carmine’s, a little family-owned pizzeria on Main Street. It was good, but the pizza tasted different from the last few times. We wondered if they’ve changed their recipe or if the restaurant changed hands. On the way home we passed the “Nites Inn,” apparently the new name for the horrendously disgusting White Haven Knights Inn where John stayed a few months back. Do they think a name change will fool anyone?!

Dad’s riding a mountain bike with us!

We have a spare bike (actually two) now that Rich and I have our new wonder machines. It took about two weeks, but we convinced Dad to join us on the River Trail for a short ride, just to get acquainted with a mountain bike and to see the kind of simple riding we often do around here. We rode from the parking lot on Bridge Street in Jessup down to the Laurel Street Park in Archbald, where we circled around and rested for a few minutes at the bench next to the river. He easily understood the basics of shifting (and he greatly appreciated the new style of shifters!) and had no real trouble with the ride except for a sore butt. He soon learned why we like to wear cycling shorts. With a little practice he’ll soon be keeping up with us easily, and he won’t feel sore for three days afterward!

… Dad’s first mountain bike ride with Team Moose!

Today John and Chris completed all 40+ miles of the Five Boro Bike Tour in New York City. It was a terribly hot and humid day and riders were dropping like flies all over the place, but John and Chris persevered. Lance got stuck at the back of the pack and John was free to fly all the way to the finish … sadly, he was passed by a girl in the last few seconds of the final sprint!

… Chris and John audition for "Bikers Gone Wild: Five Boro Bike Tour Edition!" Coming soon on DVD and Blu-Ray to a porn shop near you!

Of course, Rich and Zhanna just had to complete a 5 Boro Bike Tour of their own: Olyphant, Peckville, Jessup, Winton, and Archbald!

The string of gorgeous, sunny, 80°+ days we’ve had this month has been truly unbelievable and most welcome. Unable to resist getting out for one more ride before a cold front comes through for the weekend, Rich and I loaded the bikes on the car and drove to the top of Moosic Mountain (we’re not yet ready to ride up there and then ride some more!) for a morning of exploration.

We parked at the smaller lot south of Moosic Lake Road, crossed the road and headed north and then northeast along the wooden powerline. While overall gaining in elevation, this section has plenty of gently rolling hills. It was still and peaceful this morning along the powerline. I detected a piney scent in the air from time to time. Unfortunately, the next part of the ride, after turning to the northwest, wasn’t so peaceful. The Game Kommission has made a sickening mess of this section of the powerline and it’s now a bog of deep, viscous mud. After bouncing and rolling for a few hundred yards, we fought our way out of the mud and then through scrub oak to reach one of the gravel roads of the preserve. Vowing next time to explore the numerous side trails we spotted along the way, we rode the gravel road southwest to the main parking area, where we chatted briefly with a mountain biker who had passed us earlier. We then completed our loop by riding back up Moosic Lake Road to the car.

… We admired the view from one of the fire roads in the preserve.

… Mud is EVIL! says Rich (and Zhanna)!

While Rich cleaned up, I took a quick ride out on the Cliff Trail and back. It was much less rocky than the other trails we explored today, and with several offshoot trails to investigate it will be worth checking out on another warm, sunny morning.

I’d love to explore the preserve further. We’ll know now to avoid the mud bog, and we’ll check out the singletrack on the Spring Trail. I like having an interesting and challenging place to ride so close to home!

Heathens that we are, Rich and I had the Lehigh Gorge trail to ourselves … completely … this Easter Sunday morning. While everyone else was apparently searching for baskets, hiding eggs, falling asleep in church or whatever else they do on this holiday, we enjoyed an absolutely blissful morning on a trail that would never typically be deserted on a sunny, warm weekend day. The usual springtime green is still a long way off, but the sun removed the morning chill rapidly in a way that reminded me of a dry June day. We rolled quietly, unimpeded, all the way to Penn Haven Junction. I checked the benchmark while Rich soaked up the sun with a grin on his face.

It wasn’t until much later, well into the afternoon and halfway through our return trip north, that we began to encounter people on the trail arriving by ones and twos and then whole families. The spell of the day was broken, at least for us, and we rode into the White Haven parking area to find it nearly full, as usual. For a few hours, at least, we’d owned this enchanted area.

One drawback to adventuring on a holiday is the lack of snacking options. Nothing in White Haven, including the pizza place or the bar at the end of Susquehanna Street, was open. We called several other places, including the Tipsy Turtle, to find them all closed. Our last hope was Taqueria Oaxaca—and the Mexicans came through for us! I think we crashed some kind of a Mexican Easter party when we arrived. The mood was festive and the music was loud and we were the only non-Mexicans within a mile of the place, but we still felt welcome. I thoroughly enjoyed my tacos dorados de pollo, and Rich devoured his huarache. The melon agua fresca is almost as refreshing as beer after a long ride. Rich and I shared a lot of laughs today.

… Rich and Zhanna enjoy the sunshine at the bridge at Penn Haven Junction.

… This rocky ledge overlooking the river is a good place to stop for a snack!

…

Rich, Zhanna, and John burn some calories along the River Trail before meeting for tacos at La Tonalteca!

… Can you read our minds?

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