This was a fun ride with a great turn out! Thanks everyone for joining us on this Sunday. Summary: We did all of the climbs and the Long Distance (i.e., faster) pace group added ~6 miles of trails in Fahnestock State Park. The School Mountain Trail loop was beautiful and not too technical, though certainly rougher than our typical dirt roads. This fun diversion caused our longer-distance group to return later than the other two distance groups. Live and learn! We’ll have to account for the slower speeds in that section if we include it on future rides. Bigger tires are recommended for that trail section, though you can manage on normal gravel tires if you use some caution. Many riders stayed after the ride to celebrate over cold drinks and snacks by the river. Thanks for those who shared your photos — some of which are represented here!
In case you are wondering about the title: It was a hot summer day, so we started early and chose a loop that mostly stayed in the shade of the trees.
For those thinking of riding any of these routes on your own, be mindful of the elevation gain. Even the shortest route has a lot of climbing! According to many of our devices, the longer route traversed over 7,000 ft of climbing in just 56 miles. You have been warned!
Routes:
Long: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47680882
Long Without Trails: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47691283
Medium: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44307851
Short: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44307940
Bailout (all groups): https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42990486
Steve’s Strava Post: https://www.strava.com/activities/12005088156
Entering the School Mountain Trail loop in Fahnestock State Park
Kathy leading out the medium-distance group. We also had a faster “medium+” group and a shorter-distance group that travelled at an easier pace.
View from the School Mountain Trail loop.