My Weekend Getaway

I took advantage of great weather to ride the Pine Creek Rail Trail this past weekend. That's a 62-mile gravel and crushed limestone trail between Jersey Shore (Pa.) and Wellsboro. I rode up Saturday and came back Sunday. It's about 140-miles from Nazareth. Jersey Shore, incidentally, is called that because many of the people who lived there had relocated from Jersey. Now they move here. 

It's a bit off the beaten path. After leaving I-80, I still had a good 40 minutes of driving along Routes 880 and 44. I encountered five horse-and-buggies on Saturday and again on the way home. Most of them had kids peering out the back, waving at me. The horses cantered with what seemed like pride. On the way home, I also saw some Mennonite families out for a walk. They waved, too. I also saw them on the trail. The men always wear trousers (no shorts) and the women wear dresses and, sometimes, a bonnet. I also saw large numbers of Mennonites cycling when I rode the GAP a few years ago. The men always had saws in case of a fallen tree blocking the path. 

There were more e-bikes than regular bikes on the trail. The riders are both young and old. Most are very courteous. I think they're great. People who otherwise might be reluctant to ride at all can get outside and many of them will pedal. I also think they can help a great deal in the event of a breakdown or medical emergency. It's nice to have company. 

The trail is part of the Pa Grand Canyon - the bottom part. I'm told there are breathtaking views if I wanted to ride or hike up some of the surrounding mountains, but riding 124 miles over two days is enough for me. 

The ride up from Jersey Shore to Wellsboro is supposed to be a slight, barely detectable elevation. But I suffered Saturday for a few reasons. First, most of the ride up was in a headwind or crosswind. Second, I loaded my bike with all kinds of crap it did not need and it was too heavy. But my biggest mistake was failing to stash away an instant coffee or just mix coffee with one of my water bottles. If I don't have caffeine after about three hours on a bike, I start to bonk. 

On the ride up, I was warned by a group of riders that a large rattlesnake was on the trail, waiting to pounce. Close to Wellsboro, I was warned by another group of cyclists that they had just encountered a big ol' bear. Unfortunately, I saw no rattlers, bears, porcupines or bald eagles. I only saw rabbits and squirrels.

Once I hit Wellsboro, I lucked into a $63 cabin, which is about half the rate of a hotel room and only 2.5 miles from the trail. 

The ride back was much better. It was downhill. The wind was at my back. Most importantly, I mixed coffee with a bottle of water. And I stopped at Wolf's as General Store for more, as well as three priceless rose-colored quartz stones that I got for $3. 

I want to visit this trail again in the Fall, when the leaves turn and the bears are hungrier.