This is a typical central Pennsylvania single track trail in the woods. Slow (at least if I’m riding), slippery mud, rocks, roots, very tight & twisty with overhanging trees/branches, water, and elevation changes.

Fun riding, but not the easiest stuff.

Drew Marcum and I were running together on the trails, with other riders in our group further ahead. This was Day 7 of our group “riding” vacation, and we were in the Apraho National Forest, near Granby, Colorado. I was recording video with my Oregon Scientific helmet mounted camera. We ended up doing about 29 miles out into the forest, and then came back by a different route. Click on the YouTube widget below to play a video clip that captures what the experience was like.

Where: Delaware City, Delaware
Conditions: Nice in the morning, quickly rose above 90 degrees with no wind to speak of. HOT!
Trails: Mixture of everything boggy marsh, muddy clay, loamy soil, sand, hardpack, some wide open areas, some bar-banging tight in the trees.
Who: Pete Friedman and myself
Date: 4/26/2009

So the event started out the night before with the drive up to Newark, Delaware. We met up with a roadracing buddy for drinks and chatted for a couple of hours. Then it was off the the local Ho-Jo’s for a night’s rest.

Sunday morning was beautiful. Clear skies, perfect weather, and an easy jaunt over to Delaware City for the event. Registration was a 5 minute affair due to both of us having pre-registered.

We set up out pit area and rolled out the bikes for last minute tweaks. I wanted to clean out the jetting with a needle change due to the forecast for warm temps. Pete (Friedman) was having carb issues. It turned out his cable was caught on a lip and the throttle was partially open. Other than that, we set up the gas cans to be delivered to the gas areas along the route. (We taped drinks & food to the gas cans as well.) We hydrated as much as possible, filled our camelbacks and suited up.
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