Philadelphia Mountain Biking Association - Forums

Ok whats going on, only 4 people are registered for this event, I have a site that holds 30 campers reserved for the 20th overnight.
We are planing to ride two different trails Coal-cracker and American Standard.

How many out there have been to Thorpe? We are Camping at the Mauchuck Lake.

If you are planning to go make sure to register, I would like to get an Idea of how many people are attending.

Rob Krotee

I would have liked to join the camping trip, but it's the weekend of the last MASS race at Bear Creek.

Camping outings are always a lot of fun to say the least!! This is one of the best ways to meet new people, share some laughs and stories, ride amazing trails and tune your skills - good times for all no doubt... ;D

Man, if it were the following weekend I would definitely be there! I got med school exams that following week unfortunately, and duty calls.

 I've been really wanting to ride that area for a while, but it sounds like it's hard to navigate solo and the rides can be fairly long. Perfect for a good group ride though.

If the weather forecasts get really shisty that weekend is there any chance you guys would reschedule for the following weekend?

We already tried to do that, some people can make it some people can't either way, so we are keeping the date.


Rob

Lev brings up a good point about a rain date. If it's gonna be raining all weekend (like this weekend might) I say we cancel and go the following weekend. I mean camping is fun but not in the rain...

+1 to that

I responded this morning while I was heading out the door and was a bit hasty at my resonse, I definately  agree that we have a rain date set, I would like to make sure we have enough people to fill the campsite(holds up to 30). 

I would love to go...always wanted to check out Jim Thorpe trails.  At the moment I need to see due to an injury, its certainly getting better but I'm still having issues with tight turns on descends, as well as some technical stuff.  Depending on how my knee progresses this week will determine if I go.  I have an ACL tear, complete tear and I'm trying to avoid surgery but there's still buckling, so I'm waiting on a brace which will prevent it from buckling or shearing.   

eager to go. 

don't they have drive through windows for those oporations now, my sister has had 4 ACL operations, I hear they are done quick and easy now, I  understand avoiding going under the knife, so I hope your knee heals up.

Myself and a buddy are going up Fri nite and will guide an early sat morning trip.  If people want a guided trip - try to be at Mauch Chunk lake by 8:30ish.  I've got family stuff down here at 3 so I need to be back at the truck and leaving by 1.

Karl

Hey, Andy and I were thinking of coming up to JT just to ride on saturday- is there still a ride at 1PM?  Which trail?  Anyone thinking of doing the trail written up in the March '08 issue of Bike magazine called Twin Peaks?

Sup Jay. Yes the ride is planning to leave at 1 but it might be until 1:30 or 2 at the absolute latest. Let's shoot for 1 though.

That is a great suggestion about Twin Peaks! I have that mag in my hand and I looked at the map and I know where that trail begins, but I don't know all the turns and it's not marked. Maybe we can try that trail Sunday?

However we plan to take the ride we call "coal cracker" which may not be the correct name since they are hard to figure out. We have been calling it that between us for a while. Believe me when I tell you this is an awesome ride! I have done this loop over 15 times over the years and it never disappoints. It starts with a 4 mile climb from the campsite up the gravity railroad path to the top of the mountain in the town of Summit Hill. It’s a great warm up. Then we head into sweet singletrack with smooth sections and then it turns real rocky and knarley! We have several awesome overviews as we twist our way back towards Jim Thorpe on the ridge. Then we drop down some killer hills and end up in town of Jim Thorpe. We will try to get a shuttle to run us back up to camp for those that are whooped, but you can also ride back. It’s about 4 miles uphill so it is pretty tough especially after the long ride. We never clocked the mileage but it is at least 15 miles of tough/sweet singletrack and a few sections of doubletrack/quad trails. It's between 15-20 miles total. 

Come on up and ride with us!

Hey, Kman~

wish they were drive through operations...not from what the sports medicine doctor told me.  On top of the incision and cadaver tissue is the long recovery.  :0-)  Hope to see you on the trails.  Donna

Great ride on Saturday guys, thanks for letting us join in.   Hope I didn't hold you back too much.   Sad I couldn't hang around to camp, next time for sure.

Just in case anyone was curious - managed to finish the 1/2 marathon on Sunday in 2:10 - not too bad considering how sore my legs were when I got up that morning.

Later
-Andy

Hey Andy, that was an awesome, EPIC, ride in Jim Thorpe! You and Jay hung very well! That place is hard core rocky and I remember my first time riding that years ago and it's definitely intimidating! You are nuts for riding that on Sat and then doing a 1/2 marathon! Good stuff and thanks for coming to join us!

Donna, you have the attitude of a champion warrior!

----
Jim Thorpe was as Lou stated,"epic" , for me personally I was having so much fun I would have riddin until my bike and body fell apart and I would have to be buried at the grave yard at top of where the trail started at Thorpe on sat.

Andy, Jay, Riggs, Hunter, Paul, & Lou, had a phenominal adventure bashing over large rocks and roots that you can only experience at Thorpe! I wish you Guy's held me back I probably wouldn't have had two flats that day, was great group to ride with. Then followed Sunday ride to Salisbury = unbelivable!!!

Rob Krotee

K you forgot SPARANGO! I know he is gonna say because he was WAY in front of you all day and you forgot he was with us.  ;D  I must say that Dave was flying on the Perp up there, which he was loving! That bike was made for that ride... 

I certainly didn't forget Dave, I just forgot to mention him, he rode strong and pushed the envelope.

First Ride impressions: Excellent

Bottom Line: The word is hardcore. Forget about it.

Salisbury has long rock gardens. Very well maintained and thoughtfully designed, log rolls and rocks everywhere. In the woods with many trees, along a hillside then flat, off-camber then switchbacks, variety galore. Not for the beginner. Rocky and uneven. This after pounding Coal Cracker.
Coal Cracker is an epic ride. You can get lulled into a steady cadence after climbing four miles of an even rr bed trail. Once up top you dive into the brush.  Forget about it.
Riding from ridge to ridge, while navigating rocks gardens and steep descents is the constant theme. The scenic outlooks are many. Aggressive, attack action, adrenaline - pick that line now NOW! Your mind handles the super quick hand/eye coordination as your bars are flailing wildly back and forth, don't think just do - rubber meets that rock torque loads up keep that momentum, shift your weight, up then down concentrate lift up - you can't get bogged down, fast rocky downhill steep, can you and your bike can handle it? My brakes.  Rocks flying - I need a beer all the while you're riding with more experienced, excellent riders learning more and more, from them and yourself, honing your skills and you've made it with a BIG smile on your face. Priceless I tell ya...

Five stars out of five

Honorable and esteemed - hunter otbk jay andy dirtmerch kman sparango

Thanks.
 PMBA!!

I hope you changed your pants and washed your hands after typing this.   

Yo Dan -
My intention was to described an advanced riding environment while sitting in a chair!!  I don't like sitting on my arse and did my best to describe what it would be like to someone who hasn't been to either locations.  Many of us don't have the opportunity to travel and ride in an area like Thorpe and Salisbury because of lifes demands, so I thought I would provide a good description, as if the reader or rider, was there...

I'm with Dan on this one. Your monitor and keyboard must be completley glazed.

You should have seen his face after dropping down the "wagon road" in Thorpe!  :o

Riggs, you nailed it on the head. I expected a trail report like that from Krojack. Impressive Riggs, impressive. Like your riding this past weekend. You stepped it up. It was do or die and you rocked it, literally... And we did open heart surgery to your rear derailer/hangar half way through the ride and fixed it! Classic when I held her and Hunter hit it with a rock right back into place... 

Not many people can handle Coal Cracker and then follow that up with Salisbury. What a weekend!

fantastic - all the hard riding are good times - thanks Lou!!!!!!!!!!

Lou, I certainly can't disagree with you on that......

......

This trip had it all, and I had 3 FARKIN FLATS, two at Thorpe on Saturday and one on Sunday, ( just a bit rocky for my back-wheel slamin style)...Salisbury is extremely impressive, and the new additions are out of this world, its like riding a roller coaster for the first time, but there are no rails. I would have to say its my favorite trail at this time, hopefully we can get a feature which is as equivalent, or even surpasses its sensory rushing-adrenaline kick to the brain that demands your physical attention. It would be sweet to have something that has some rolling drop curves of that level built in the Wiss., can you imagine.

 ;D