Today we tackled one of our most beautiful, rugged, and challenging routes. You’d be forgiven for thinking the goal was to put every steep hill on this ride! It surely seemed that way, but that’s where all of these great dirt roads point! Either steeply up or steeply down. For those who weren’t there, we traveled through forests, wetlands, and along streams – and through the tunnel in Steep Rock Preserve. We even saw a young bear, among other wildlife.
It was a hot day, but fortunately, most of our ride was under tree cover which made a huge difference. A few sections of the ride were tougher than usual, given some storm damage from the prior weekend. There were loose rocks, ruts, and holes in some of the dirt roads – usually whenever things were at their steepest! But everyone did a fantastic job and tackled all of it. The cold drinks and snacks at the end were well-deserved. We had a great little picnic next to the river.
We hope to see everyone in two weeks for the next ride (currently planned for Bedminster area of NJ). You can see the ride calendar, here: https://grny.org/2026-07/2026-ride-calendar
The Tunnel Ride was characterized by steep climbs and descents.
Riders exiting the tunnel in Steep Rock Preserve
We traveled many beautiful roads through quiet natural areas.