The Rides
Michigan
Ionia State Park
Manistee National Forest
Connecticut
West Hartford
Wisconsin
John Muir Ice Age Trail
Pennsylvania
Arnot S.F.
Jim Thorpe
Lansdowne
New York
Shindagin Hollow S.F.
Hammond Hill S.F.
Connecticut Hill
Maryland
Virginia
Difficult Run
Centerville
George Washington N.F.
Welcome fellow fat tire enthusiasts! I would like to start by telling you a little story about a ride a buddy and I took together in college. It was mid-October, the leafs were turning every color of orange you could imagine, the air was crisp and slightly cool. Perfect riding day. I had an exam the following day and after I had studied a little, thought that a quick ride would clear my brain and allow me that little bit of extra room necessary for my post ride cram.
My friend and I had heard about a great ride just outside of town and thought we could knock this thing out in under two hours. So, we're off! Well after riding for a bit we couldn't find the entrance to the state park the trailhead was supposed to be in. An hour had passed and we hadn't even started. We found the trail and get stared. The begining wass great and then the trail turned to muck and began going uphill. We fought through the ascent, arrived at a "T" intersection, made the wrong turn, and accidentally ride off into the abyss. After figuring out that we had gone the wrong way, we doublebacked and tried to reorient ourselves. Two hours had passed and the sun was starting to set. We continued through the woods, the temperature had dropped maybe twenty degrees or so, we were fighting our way to the end of the trail when I get a flat. Three hours had passed by the time I fix my bike and we were on our way again. It was pitch black, and we finally fought our way out of the woods onto the other side of the park and began our ride home from God knows where. Four and a half hours after we had started, we rolled into home, tired and weary. Needless to say I did not do very well on my exam the next morning.
I am sure something similar has happened to you. I write in an effort to remove the anxiety and heartache associated with great expectations crushed by poor or missing information.
This site documents (hopefully in some detail) rides we have taken and our thoughts and comments on said rides. I hope the information is informative, accurate and generally gets you pumped to hit the trails.
Enjoy and good riding! - MTG / JDA