It began to rain before we'd even left the house. It's not going to last, I said. The forecast called for a high chance later in the day, but only a minimal chance until 3 pm. We were heading north to park at Hyner Run State Park and ride up to Wellsboro, stay in a …
Continue reading "Rain can’t spoil the fun: A leaf-peeping overnighter to Wellsboro."
Cover photo by Ben Carpenter. Nestled against the North Carolina and Tennessee borders just east of Damascus, Grayson County, Virginia is flanked by Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area and George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, Grayson Highlands State Park, the Virginia Creeper Trail, and the New River Trail State Park. The terrain is rugged, there …
This story was getting long, so I broke it into multiple posts. The first part discusses my impetus for this ride as well as my bike and gear. The second details Day 1 of my ride. I needed coffee. I had made the decision to go light and forego bringing a stove or coffee setup, …
Continue reading "The Trans-Allegheny Traverse — Day 2 (Dilltown to Home)"
This story was getting long, so I broke it into multiple parts. Part 1 discusses my impetus for this ride as well as my bike and gear. Read it here if you missed it, and here's my route. The sun had come out just in time for me to start riding. Surely this was a …
Continue reading "The Trans-Allegheny Traverse — Day 1 (Pittsburgh to Dilltown)"
When I learned of a work commitment in Scranton the Thursday before a family commitment in Malvern, my brain that has been jonesing for another long ride adventure started scheming. The D&L Trail travels a big chunk of the length from northeast PA to southeast, and it just seemed silly to drive 3 hours back …
Winter camping is not for the faint of heart. Especially not winter bike camping. You ride all day, get sweaty (read: cold when you stop), then need to try to stay warm all night using only what you can carry on your bike. Then wake up in the morning and ride some more. But there's …
Continue reading "Always forward: A weekend of biking and camping in the Pine Creek Gorge."
The things we are most scared of are often the things most worth doing. Evan reminded me of this last week as I was having a meltdown and freaking out about going on a 3-day bikepacking trip with a group of women that I barely knew. I was scared I would somehow be in over …
In late February, I spent a weekend hiking and biking in the Quehanna Wild Area with my friend Emma. Check out part 1 here and part 2 here if you missed them. Day 3: Solo. Monday promised sun and warmth at last. The day before, after Emma made the decision to head home, I continued …
In late February, I spent a weekend hiking and biking in the Quehanna Wild Area with my friend Emma. If you missed Part 1, check it out here for a history of the area and rainy day exploration on foot. Day 2: Change of plans – again. Something felt off on Sunday morning. Maybe it …
I woke up at dawn, on the ground in a sleeping bag, the warm down surrounding me like a fluffy cloud, the trees reaching for the sky above, the first rays of sun glinting through the branches. The evening before had seen the thrill of flying through the darkness on a bike, the peacefulness of …
helena kotala 