Going Coastal-

As Raystown Lake is a Army Corps (ACOE) Flood Control Project, it is no surprise that the lake level can fluctuate upwards of fifteen feet in the course of the year, between ACoE hold backs during highwater on the mainstem of the Juniata or for shore line maintenance during the fall and winter. As Raystown is becoming increasingly more popular for the big boat crowd, the erosion of the shoreline as increased in recent years causing an almost annual draw down for repairs.

Sort of surreal- especially since we had just paddled here a few weeks prior

This year the draw down was greater than in years past, dropping the lake to nearly 8.5ft below regular level, exposing a red shaley coastline that extended up to a hundred feet out into the lake. This draw down opened up somewhere around 110 miles traversable terrain. 

Varying in consistency as you might imagine, there were sections of thick mud waist deep, downed trees that made sections nearly impassable, beaver dams that rose some ten feet above the riding surface, cliff faces that despite the drawdown were still cliffs, and just about everything in between. 

Those who know me know I love fat bikes and without them this draw down would have just made for some nice hikes, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, wanting to hike from access point to access point along the lake might make for some long walks... upwards of 15 miles in some cases. 

Here is a map of the one ride from Snyders Run Road over to Bakers Hollow Road. As you can see from the path of the line, there was need for several bushwhacking endeavours taking us up and over some nasty cliff faces. 

Very cool section to the south of Seven Points Marina

It wasn't always pretty but it was certainly worth ti

H- not overly thrilled about the 1/2 mile push uphill to avoid some cliffs

In one side of the inlet and out the other-

Riding the super smooth shoreline by Snyders Run Road

Thankful to be out of the woods and on to a passable sections of coast-

Rothrock Outfitters in Huntingdon, Pa. has Salsa Mukluks available for rent and sale. Stop in the check'm out.

fat fronts and other fun stuff

If you have been out to the trails recently you might have noticed a localized trend. To say it is a merely a trend is to not give it any credence as something that will stick around.

FAT FRONT

The fat front is a front end concept that first saw light locally when in 2010 Salsa Cycles released it's Enabler fork which allowed the geometry of a suspension corrected 29er frame to not be affected by the installation of a fat fork. Or a fork that allows the used of the 135mm spaced rear hub up front. The previously available Surly Pugsley fork dropped the front end to much to make it viable on the trails. So despite early iterations of the now popular fat front, using a Surly Pugsley fork it never really took off. Shortly after the 2010 release of the fork as an aftermarket option the ability to maintain the same axle to crown height while "enabling" the rider to run some serious meat up front, became available to the masses. 

Some people ride full suspension, some hard tails, others rigid, some with gears, some without, and the fat front just like all those options is simply that, another option.

Why not ride a full fat? Well I could say they are slow and cumbersome but that's not really the case. A fat front with a 29" rear allows the rider to still spin up to speed and maintain a somewhat lightweight set-up. As a fat front end can be within a quarter pound of nearly any other monetarily comparable front end set-up. 

photo cred: laura ashley photography

Throw a leg over one next time your sitting in the parking lot and you see one pull in. Or stop by the shop Rothrock Outfitters

You will soon be dreaming about riding on clouds

where were you this winter?

The winter has been a cold one. Perhaps to cold for some.

We've spent our time out riding in the Raystown region despite the inclement weather. Our plethora of snowmobile trails, lake ice, and heavily forested parks offers endless possibilities.

 Free Skiing in Petersburg

 Snowmobile Trails in Barree

 Just off of Snyders Run Boat Launch

 Heading into a cold inlet by the Raystown Dam

Cold wet rain at Raystown

 Out on the lake 

 High above Tyrone

 Petersburg Area 

 Tube O War!

 Frozen Fat 2013 at the Vista

 form and fashion 

 Hanging out at the Sidewinder Bridge on Allegrippis

 Everyone looks better in a dress

 Loaded-

 en route 

 gettin rad in Rothrock

foggy wet snowy icey ride in Coopers Gap

 Free-riding fat down a stream above Tyrone

 Don

 Less Ice on Raystown 

 More Ice on Raystown

 Crazy Morning on Raystown

 Trough Creek Winter Run

Sell your rollers, get rid of the trainer, stop dieting, and just get outside.