I finished the drive to Gettysburg arriving Thurs. Apparently a weekend of street motorcycles is underway. Bunch of overweight helmetless mob. Noisy bikes that causes the riders to wear ear plugs. How stupid, a muffler would save all our hearing. Downtown is a rotary. I am glad to be out of town. Struggle of a town that became a historical site thru no fault their own then the leadership turns the town into a tourist attraction to bring in $ to all the Tshirt and ice cream shops. t
I made the Gettysburg fitness bike shop. The manager was still there whom I met 2 years ago. I twisted some of the maps around to find the gps course I wanted to ride. Downloaded it onto my Edge. I bought groceries @ Giant, a chain store, really big. Able to buy hand crafted and macro beer in the grocery store, what a change to PA liquor laws. I allowed 2 gallons of propane to be put in my tank as the spitter valve which is the overflow shutoff is plugged. Added water then drove to the Michaux forest office to obtain a camping permit. I registered for 2 days @ Teaberry which is a large open parking lot and popular w/ the horse riders.
Yesterday I rode away from the TH following the gps track. I recognized some of it. Early on the sketchy trail went between 2 trees that were closer together than my handle bar is wide. Opps. Rocky rubble. Crossed the road and descended on an old overgrown logging road. There were still trees across the trail that I remember from 2 years ago. No big deal, a pedal wheelie and I was over. However, new trees were down across the trail making the old ones appear to be drinking straws:
Tues night as I drove n from Harrisonburg a storm storm hit this area. trees facing east were hit hard. This was one patch, another was just up the way. I struggled hoisting me and my bike over the blockage. The route GPS track was not identical to my path but I was were i was supposed to be. The trail seemed to be bush bashing thru the woods on no visible tread. I worked the lost trail to no success and the trail remained lost. It seemed to be working its way back into the blow down area. I had enough of clambering over under or around the trees so I gave up and found the logging road back to Teaberry.
At the TH I watched 2 women in separate horse trailer rigs pull in and gear up for their ride. They left. They returned less than 45 mins later then put their gear away and drove off. Lot of work for such a short ride.
This AM the lot became the starting point for maybe 8 rigs, horses and people. For the most part the horse riders are not as overweight as the motorcycle riders. I left.
Today I am meeting Mark, whom I met in Brevard, he knows the trails. He is my guide this afternoon.
My knee really hurts now. I thought my saddle might too high which might be the source of pain. Except the pain is in the front of my knee that indicates the saddle is too low. I think it is too high which causes my pelvis to rock. I lowered the saddle a bit. I’ll experience my ride.
Hot and humid today.
State College is next. Herm of Purple Lizard Maps is my next contact. I meet him 4 years ago.