Tags
#getoutandride, biking, cycling, life, rail-trail, stuff, travel
Of course the last 18-20 months have been an absolute mess in nearly every aspect. Having not had a legitimate, get-away, overnight vacation since May 2019, things were really getting stretched thin. Mrs. P2MP and I began planning early for an appropriately safe and fun time for some PTO. Like many others, we had hoped the pandemic situation would have been better by this time rather than worse, but…[shrug] what can you do.
We initially discussed and envisioned being away for a few days to do some bike trail riding on the Virginia Creeper. Seventeen miles of scenic downhill coasting? Sounded delightful! We were looking at a 6+ hour car ride to get there, but it definitely seemed worth it. As time wore on, and Mrs. continued to read and research others’ experiences, it seemed this was not our best choice, at least at this time. So, we scrambled together to come up with another option.
Thanks in large part to a biking/hiking FB group she follows, we discovered a similar opportunity closer to home (less than 2 hours!) and with a few other regional interests. We made our way to Jim Thorpe, PA and explored the wonders of the Lehigh Valley Gorge. While there are many ways to experience this area, I want to focus on the D&L rail-trail that runs along the Lehigh River.
We vetoed the idea of taking our own bikes and connected with Pocono Biking who, among other things, offers bike rental (Trek and Jamis brands!) and shuttle service to trail access points. There were different lengths available to ride. Since I was still recovering/rehabilitating a back strain injury, we opted for just the “Lower Gorge” 15-miler. We had made reservations over the phone a couple of days prior to our trip. It was quite an easy process. Upon arrival, the shop sized us up for bikes, loaded them on the trailer, and took us to the trailhead at Rockport.
While the trail back toward Jim Thorpe is generally downhill (1-2% avg. grade), the folks at Pocono Biking suggested taking the time to go “up-trail” for less than 1/2-mile to see Buttermilk Falls, which would be missed if we simply set out on the Lower Gorge trail. And so, we did.
The trail surface is fine gravel. It is a true rail trail having been rehabilitated from the former Delaware & Lehigh (D&L) rail system. It runs along the western edge of the Lehigh River/Gorge and is directly adjacent to the Lehigh Scenic Railway. The weather was absolutely beautiful with light overcast sky that made for cool temps starting out in the shade of the upper part of the trail. Later the trail opened up and more sunlight got through. Every now and then, we got glimpses and heard the excited shrieks of whitewater rafters heading downriver.
Pocono Biking suggests allotting 2-3 hours for cruising down the trail. I’m pretty sure it took us close to four, because quite honestly, we weren’t in a hurry. We only stopped a couple of times for water and photos. We returned our bikes to the shop and enjoyed a nice post-ride dinner on the outdoor covered deck at Molly Maguires.
This trip, and particularly this activity, “checked all the boxes” for us.