Mid Atlantic Tour of trails. VA-PA
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surlyrider
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« on: March 19, 2007, 10:21:07 AM »
Starting on Sunday March 31. I will start on a tour of some great riding spots on the EC.
I will hit up Fountainhead (VA), Schaffer Farms (MD) Patapsco (MD) White Clay (DE), and Wiss (PA).
I think it will be Fountainhead and Schaffer on Monday, Patapsco and White Clay on Tuesday Wiss on Wednesday.
Anyone want to join in, let me know.
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mtrostle
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« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2007, 01:11:59 PM »
All great places!!! Very ambitious for just a few days of riding. Depending on the weather conditions with rain/thaw, you may want to see if Fountain Head and Schaffer Farms will be open. I know the guys that maintain Fountain Head have been really anal/picky about trail conditions. Schaffer closes in a heart beat even if the trails are just a bit "greasy". If you can't get on those trails on Monday, you can always ride Gambril if you like climbing like a mt. goat and riding the rock gardens!!!! I know of some other great places in Northern Va if you need any alternative trails. I'd join you for the Va rides, but I'm going to be in Richmond riding the trails while the wife runs in the 10k on the 31st. Good luck and post any pictures!!!!!!!!!
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surlyrider
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« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2007, 01:36:32 PM »
I am going to keep an eye on the weather. With any luck, we will have some warm days for all of that. If not, I will figure out what to do for a few days off. I used to ride fountain and schaffer a few times a week. Schaffer was usually every sunday, while fountainhead was my after work ride as it was near my old house.
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mtrostle
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« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2007, 01:58:19 PM »
How long have you been here?? My wife and I just moved to Philadelphia about a year ago from Northern VA. I worked over close to Mercure Circle and always hit Colt's Neck trail since it was an easy commute from my office, meaning: I didn't have to fight the insane DC/Northern Va traffic Angry. I don't miss those days!!!!
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max
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« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2007, 02:36:10 PM »
i'd suggest skipping whiteclay and going to fairhill instead... thats what i always do when faced with that descision. whiteclay has nice trails but not nearly enough of them (plus it is all really manicured). fairhill has nice trails and enough of them to ride ALL DAY.

but that is just (like) one man's opinion.  Wink
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ezraw
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« Reply #5 on: March 19, 2007, 04:36:26 PM »
Quote from: mtrostle on March 19, 2007, 01:11:59 PM
you can always ride Gambril if you like climbing like a mt. goat and riding the rock gardens!!!!

If I were driving that far to ride, I would definately hit Gambrill and/or Frederick Watershed. They rock! (figuratively and literally)
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surlyrider
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« Reply #6 on: March 19, 2007, 11:40:01 PM »
Mtrostle- welcome to Philly...so much cooler than DC. I have been here for the better part of ten yrs(moved from near Scranton). I lived in VA for two yrs(2002-2004), but my GF (now wife) and most friends were still here, so I was here all the time. I do not miss the DC traffic.
I may skip schaffer as I know it like the back of my hand, and drive all the way out to gambril to decide if I am going to do the race later in the month. I guess it all depends if I stay in MD or VA. If I stay in NoVA, fountainhead is right there, and schaffer is not too far from the beltway, and my old shop, which keeps the milage down for the week.
If I stay with a friend in MD, maybe a ride all the way out to gambrill will make more sense. I really want to go for a ride at fairhill, but I do not know it at all. Any good links to some maps? I am doing most of this (except for  patapsco) on my own.
pat
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max
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« Reply #7 on: March 20, 2007, 09:39:01 AM »
if you let me know what day your planning to hit fairhill i might be able to get sick that day...  Wink

or if your ever up for a weekend trip once it is nicer/drier i ride there quite a bit! the drainage is not great so i try to stay away until it is pretty dry.

when dry, it is such a fun place to ride!!!
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mtrostle
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« Reply #8 on: March 20, 2007, 09:51:04 AM »
Surlyrider, here is a link to a basic map for Fairhill. Not sure if you can buy it online as a pdf??
Haven't been there. Thanks for the welcome to Philadelphia. My wife and I are originaly from Pa, but have lived all over the tri state area and finally decided to come back closer to our roots/home. You couldn't pay me to go back to living in Northern Va. Well, maybe a million or two Roll Eyes As much as I disliked living there, I did like the trails. It was always an amazing mental break from the rat race. Take some pics of your rides and post them.


http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/maps/fairhillmap.html
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max
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« Reply #9 on: March 20, 2007, 11:47:55 AM »
the only way i know to get a real fairhill map is to stop a ranger there and ask. i believe they are $5.

nothing on the map that isn't on that PDF though...
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surlyrider
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« Reply #10 on: March 20, 2007, 07:46:31 PM »
schaeffer is open! I got this email today!


 Schaeffer trails are now open!  Winter is officially over.
 
We are having a work day this Saturday, March 24, at 9 am at the trailhead.  We'll move out to the cell tower, a chronically muddy area, where we will PERMANENTLY fix the mud problem by building a raised trail bed out of  crushed stone.
 
Hope to see you there.
 

Dave Magill
Competitive Power Ventures, Inc.
240-723-2306 office
301-518-8189 cell
dmagill@cpv.com
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mtrostle
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« Reply #11 on: March 21, 2007, 09:05:55 AM »
Nice!!! In all honestly, I've never actually had the chance to ride there. I know all the locals rave about it as a nice flowing single track. Maybe sometime in the future I'd join you for another ride there. Make it a road trip. We could make it a PMBA group event, if others would be more interested. MORE, the bike group, does a lot of group rides there and it could be cool to do a joint session with them. Call it a Mason/Dixon ride, or something like that!!!!
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surlyrider
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« Reply #12 on: March 21, 2007, 09:55:30 AM »
I am totally down for a road trip down there. There are some great trails to hit up. Many of the guys invoved with MORE are good friends of mine, as I worked at city bikes with many of them, and it would be easy to set a ride like that up.
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mtrostle
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« Reply #13 on: April 03, 2007, 09:33:19 AM »
So how was the tour?? Do tell. I went to Richmond this past weekend so the wife could run the 10k and rode the Xterra course. I forgot how much I like riding down in VA. Sort of makes me miss living there Shocked. They do have some really well groomed single track!!!!!!!!
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surlyrider
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« Reply #14 on: April 11, 2007, 08:55:54 PM »
Well I am a bum and I skipped out on driving all the way down to fountainhead. I instead just took a really long day at Fairhill and White Clay. It was a glorious day, and they best part is that I got to sleep in my own bed that night. I will actually take a trip down to VA and the rest of the midatlantic soon enough.

pat
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