RR: Round Valley Rocks!

[Ride-A-Lot]

Hey Gary! 2750' of climbing today in New Jersey. We do have hills. It
ain't all flat.

[Inline version here: http://tinyurl.com/fxm7w]

I had a plan today. Since I was off from work, I would go somewhere to
ride that I have never been to. Of course, I still wanted to keep the
distance reasonable, so I Google mapped my directions to Round Valley
State Park. The directions said an hour and a half, but I was figuring
more due to morning rush hour traffic. The park which is named after
the reservoir it surrounds is located above Trenton in the middle of the
state. It's the Piedmont Plateau region which is known for rolling
hills and rocks. That was also part of the plan. Bring the new bike to
the rocks.

After loading up the car, i was surprised that the trip only took 1:15
even with traffic. Wow! It's as close as the Delaware trails I have
been riding. The other surprise was hills. Yes, climbs over 200' for a
change.

The weather was a little gloomy when I arrived, which was unexpected.
But no rain.

http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/IMG_3537.jpg

I don't know why I came here sooner. It's a beautiful park and far
enough from the hustle and bustle to make it seem like I am in another
state. The reservoir is huge!

http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/IMG_3538.jpg

I check out the options which is hard since there are no trail maps
posted. I see two trails on each side of the lot, the Pine Tree trail
marked in blue and the Cashetunk trail marked in red. I opt for the
blue, not knowing the red is really the one I want. I consider it a
warm up and lesson learned. It just follows the water to the boat
launch area. It is a small loop so I stay low at the start and come
back through the high route. Some rocks, but not technical.

http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/IMG_3540.jpg

That short fest out of the way I point myself to the Cashetunk trail.
It starts out pretty lame with gravel covered fireroad, but the view
from one of the high points is nice.

http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/IMG_3542.jpg

http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/IMG_3543.jpg

http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/IMG_3544.jpg

http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/IMG_3545.jpg

Finally, some singletrack but it's all up hill from here.

http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/IMG_3546.jpg

http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/IMG_3547.jpg

There are some great switchbacks that I captured in the video of the
ride. Nice little section that eventually goes downhill to the backside
of the reservoir. The earth wall holding the water is mind boggling.
Amazing engineering that I didn't take a picture of.

Crossing over an access road you begin the climb up Cashetunk mountain.
It's a long steep climb, and with the heavy bike granny was my friend
today.

http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/IMG_3548.jpg

http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/IMG_3549.jpg

Then it appears! Rocks and lots of them. Loose ones, babyheads, and
tombstones. I'd compare it to American Standard in Jim Thorpe only with
a lot more climbing. Now the ride is really fun and there are no lines
to choose because the bike just soaks it all up.

http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/IMG_3550.jpg

I remember when I used to be nervous about these stupid hard objects. I
used to ride so slow that I would hit a babyhead and go OTB at least
three times a ride. I finally learned the faster you go, the easier it
is. after a few miles of climbing this stuff, I check my coordinates.
The trail is supposed to be 9 miles in and 9 miles out, but I wasn't
sure if that included the Pine Tree trail. After a while the trail
started to level out. It was then I noticed that my rear brakes were
very soft. I was almost touching the grip. It doesn't look like the
bled them when they built the bike. At this point I turned the bike
around and began to forget about the brake. Going back down the rocks
was a blast!

http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/IMG_3551.jpg

It sure made that nasty climb all worth it, even with having to climb up
the switchbacks.

http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/IMG_3552.jpg

So, it looks like I missed about four more miles (2 in and 2 out). Next
time. And there will be a next time! Summer should be great because
you can swim in public beach at the reservoir. I bled the brakes when I
got home and it seems there were quite a few air bubbles. Now they work
great.

Here are the GPS details. Video coming soon.

http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/rve.jpg

http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/rvsat.jpg

http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/rvtopo.jpg
--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws

[Carla A-G]

"Ride-A-Lot" > wrote in message
...
> Hey Gary! 2750' of climbing today in New Jersey. We do have hills. It
> ain't all flat.
<snip>

Nice RR.

I love that trail. We have not been there in about 2 years, but plan on
hitting it soon as we can get our legs and lungs back. Here's a few photos
that we took last time, Frankie froglegs was there too:

http://community.webshots.com/photo/83043198/1086428378048272604aXLEyw#

http://community.webshots.com/photo/83043198/1086428406048272604HQAddz

http://community.webshots.com/photo/83043198/1086429125048272604twiJfG

http://community.webshots.com/photo/83043198/1086429167048272604thrsDe

http://community.webshots.com/photo/83043198/1086429553048272604lIqqPJ

http://community.webshots.com/photo/83043198/1086428443048272604piyJJX

I can see that it still looks the same.

- CA-G

Can-Am Girls Kick Ass!

[Ride-A-Lot]

Carla A-G wrote:
> "Ride-A-Lot" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Hey Gary! 2750' of climbing today in New Jersey. We do have hills. It
>> ain't all flat.
> <snip>
>
> Nice RR.
>
> I love that trail. We have not been there in about 2 years, but plan on
> hitting it soon as we can get our legs and lungs back. Here's a few photos
> that we took last time, Frankie froglegs was there too:
>
> http://community.webshots.com/photo/83043198/1086428378048272604aXLEyw#
>
> I can see that it still looks the same.
>

Wow. Yes, it has not changed. Let me know when you go and I'll meet
you guys there. Bring the Kayak too.



--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws

[Jimbo(san)]

I really love that place...
One year BC (before Carla) my buddy Frankie Froglegs and I rode
there...
It was an incredibly hot and humid day... we rode for a bit and then
swam for a bit...
I fell in love with the place...
Sounds like a plan for the summer...
What's in Delaware close by?
We might do a weekender... a couple of days a couple of trails...
We did that a few years ago and I think we did Stewart Airport and
Ringwood.

Jimbo(san)

[Scott Gordo]

Ride-A-Lot wrote:
> Hey Gary! 2750' of climbing today in New Jersey. We do have hills. It
> ain't all flat.
>
> [Inline version here: http://tinyurl.com/fxm7w]
>
> I had a plan today. Since I was off from work, I would go somewhere to
> ride that I have never been to. Of course, I still wanted to keep the
> distance reasonable, so I Google mapped my directions to Round Valley
> State Park. The directions said an hour and a half, but I was figuring
> more due to morning rush hour traffic. The park which is named after
> the reservoir it surrounds is located above Trenton in the middle of the
> state. It's the Piedmont Plateau region which is known for rolling
> hills and rocks. That was also part of the plan. Bring the new bike to
> the rocks.
>
> After loading up the car, i was surprised that the trip only took 1:15
> even with traffic. Wow! It's as close as the Delaware trails I have
> been riding. The other surprise was hills. Yes, climbs over 200' for a
> change.
>
> The weather was a little gloomy when I arrived, which was unexpected.
> But no rain.
>
> http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/IMG_3537.jpg
>
> I don't know why I came here sooner. It's a beautiful park and far
> enough from the hustle and bustle to make it seem like I am in another
> state. The reservoir is huge!
>
> http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/IMG_3538.jpg
>
> I check out the options which is hard since there are no trail maps
> posted. I see two trails on each side of the lot, the Pine Tree trail
> marked in blue and the Cashetunk trail marked in red. I opt for the
> blue, not knowing the red is really the one I want. I consider it a
> warm up and lesson learned. It just follows the water to the boat
> launch area. It is a small loop so I stay low at the start and come
> back through the high route. Some rocks, but not technical.
>
> http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/IMG_3540.jpg
>
> That short fest out of the way I point myself to the Cashetunk trail.
> It starts out pretty lame with gravel covered fireroad, but the view
> from one of the high points is nice.
>
> http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/IMG_3542.jpg
>
> http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/IMG_3543.jpg
>
> http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/IMG_3544.jpg
>
> http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/IMG_3545.jpg
>
> Finally, some singletrack but it's all up hill from here.
>
> http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/IMG_3546.jpg
>
> http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/IMG_3547.jpg
>
> There are some great switchbacks that I captured in the video of the
> ride. Nice little section that eventually goes downhill to the backside
> of the reservoir. The earth wall holding the water is mind boggling.
> Amazing engineering that I didn't take a picture of.
>
> Crossing over an access road you begin the climb up Cashetunk mountain.
> It's a long steep climb, and with the heavy bike granny was my friend
> today.
>
> http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/IMG_3548.jpg
>
> http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/IMG_3549.jpg
>
> Then it appears! Rocks and lots of them. Loose ones, babyheads, and
> tombstones. I'd compare it to American Standard in Jim Thorpe only with
> a lot more climbing. Now the ride is really fun and there are no lines
> to choose because the bike just soaks it all up.
>
> http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/IMG_3550.jpg
>
> I remember when I used to be nervous about these stupid hard objects. I
> used to ride so slow that I would hit a babyhead and go OTB at least
> three times a ride. I finally learned the faster you go, the easier it
> is. after a few miles of climbing this stuff, I check my coordinates.
> The trail is supposed to be 9 miles in and 9 miles out, but I wasn't
> sure if that included the Pine Tree trail. After a while the trail
> started to level out. It was then I noticed that my rear brakes were
> very soft. I was almost touching the grip. It doesn't look like the
> bled them when they built the bike. At this point I turned the bike
> around and began to forget about the brake. Going back down the rocks
> was a blast!
>
> http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/IMG_3551.jpg
>
> It sure made that nasty climb all worth it, even with having to climb up
> the switchbacks.
>
> http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/IMG_3552.jpg
>
> So, it looks like I missed about four more miles (2 in and 2 out). Next
> time. And there will be a next time! Summer should be great because
> you can swim in public beach at the reservoir. I bled the brakes when I
> got home and it seems there were quite a few air bubbles. Now they work
> great.
>
> Here are the GPS details. Video coming soon.
>
> http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/rve.jpg
>
> http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/rvsat.jpg
>
> http://www.schnauzers.ws/images/rv0406/rvtopo.jpg
> --
> o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
> www.schnauzers.ws

Yep. Good trail.

Messy race report from 2000:

"Here's the long version, emailed to a non-MTBing friend:

Round Valley, Lebanon NJ.
Round 1, NJ Mountain Bike Racing Association
1:32:55. 25th place of 59, Intermediate class.


As is my modus, I arrived late, semi-prepared, after 5 hours sleep on
mom's
couch, with a pre-race dinner consisting of pork and couple beers.
Excelsior!
I registered as an Intermediate, even though my last race was 11 years
ago
at Mount Snow, back before suspension forks, back when John Tomac won
the
downhill race and the NORBA championship using those curly road-bike
drop
bars, back when I was around 30lbs lighter and working carpentry, back
when
I had half a dozen donuts for breakfast and still finished well.
The route was a single 14 mile loop of big rocks, roots, and sticky mud
from
a previous day, night, and morning of steady rain. Of that 14, I'd
estimate
that at least 9 were uphill. The first seven were ALL uphill.
First thing to go was my granny (small) gear. My front derrailleur just

wouldn't switch gears, so my uphills were spent straining out of the
saddle
with my thighs on fire or walking, pushing the bike uphill.
Fortunately, I
realized my granny wasn't working properly while in the parking lot
before
the race and a mechanic couldn't do much with it, so it wasn't a big
surprise or letdown, just frustrating.
I spent the race's first half in a pack of around 7 guys. By 'pack', I
don't
mean a real cluster, as we were all in a single line as that was all
the
trail's width could hold. I'd pass one guy on a K2, then get passed by
a
dude on a Trek, then creep up on a long-haired kid on a Specialized,
and
then everybody would switch positions. It got kind of funny after a
bit. I
played this tit-for-tat with some fella on a Bontrager at least 12
times. I
don't know if he wound up in front of me or in back of me, but he
disappeared eventually.
Regardless, I was moving along well enough for around 45 minutes, which
is
roughly my average riding time these days here in the city. I felt
myself
starting to fade and was getting a little inaccurate with my tracking,
missing my lines. I sucked down the last of my water and ate a packet
of Goo
(highly concentrated sugar syrup in a Heinz ketchup packet.) That
helped for
around 8 minutes, and after that I was pretty much on autopilot.
Luckily, I was coming up to whatever downhill there was, which was
steep,
rocky, twisty, and ****ed. I had no real time, energy, or inclination
to
make smart selections, so I just loosened up my upper body as best I
could
and bombed down. It might have been fun if I wasn't feeling wasted. In
here,
my rear tire's sidewall bashed a rock and suffered an inch long tear,
exposing the herniated inner tube bulging out the side and making my
wheel
feel flat in one spot.
It also took its toll on my lower back. It stiffened up and grew sore
while
sitting. The fact that my ass was killing me didn't help, but mostly it
was
my back.
Luckily, there was a 2 mile long fire road section where I was able to
able
to maintain a semi-restful pace as I didn't see anyone in front nor
behind
me. I was pedalling hard, but around 70% effort, down from the 80-300%
I'd
been pushing so far. Then back into the twisty singletrack and up the
last
will-breaking hill, around 2 miles long and crushing. My race had
devolved
into a death march with my bike acting as boat anchor. The Trail of
Tears,
sweat, and grime.
I was 2/3 of the way of up one hill when I started burping. My brother
has
been taking 'health pills' lately, flax seed oil and chondroitin and
fish
oil and the like. Having slept at my folks' house the night before, I
woke up
and, while eating breakfast, figured 'what the hell' and popped a fish
oil
pill. The burp brought up the taste of some very oily cod. Having long
forgotten breakfast, my name, or the concept of morning, my brain began

wondering where on earth this fish taste could be from. I haven't had
cod
in... months? years? Was I digging THAT deep? Was it fish at all, or
some
conconction of years of cigarette tar, booze, poor sleeping habits,
caffeine
and ill will turning my deepest bile into something that heinous
tasting?
Finally, the home stretch. I was huffing up the last little hill when a

small crowd started cheering. It felt good. Then I realized that the
most
intense cheering was going on just behind me. The dude on the K2 was
making
a last ditch effort to catch me and serve up a final faceful of the
steaming
horse**** of humiliation, and was catching up fast.
Wide eyed and slackjawed, I homed in on the finish, nailed the final
little
jump and sailed over the line ahead of my most local adversary. A small

victory.
Put down the bike, walked into the woods to take a ****, stumbled
around
amongst the experts and intermediates who were finished and the
beginners
waiting to start, and laid down in the grass. I might have cried or
barfed
but I was too zonked. I waited patiently, and then it hit -- a massive
right
leg hamstring cramp. Ever since I blew my back, I've been especially
prone
to them, but this one was insane. It hit me with a straight leg, and
took
over a minute to begin to subside.
It wasn't pretty, but it was my first real mountain bike race in 11
years,
and a price was to be paid. Last night I watched part of 'The Ten
Commandments'. The race made the suffering of my predecessors look like

summer camp.

All in all, it was pretty fun, and a good way to spend the first half
of a
Sunday morn.

My next race is in a couple weeks at Mahlon Dickerson. I'll send you a
long,
boring email after that one too. "


/s

[troutboy]

>What's in Delaware close by?

White Clay Creek/Middle Run - about 25 miles of nice fast single track.
Fair Hill (in Maryland, but 15 minutes away) - about 75 miles of trails
and some really sweet single track.

Oh, and we do have some hill here ;-)

Come on down for a weekend. Your welcome to crash in the spare
bedroom. I live right across the street from Middle Run. It would be
worth the drive from the Island. I'd say 2.5-3 hours, depending on
when you left and how far up the sand spit you are.

But come before the heat and humidity do for best enjoyment.

e-mail me at timothy dot schafstall at us dot army dot mil

Tim

[Ride-A-Lot]

Jimbo(san) wrote:
> I really love that place...
> One year BC (before Carla) my buddy Frankie Froglegs and I rode
> there...
> It was an incredibly hot and humid day... we rode for a bit and then
> swam for a bit...
> I fell in love with the place...
> Sounds like a plan for the summer...
> What's in Delaware close by?
> We might do a weekender... a couple of days a couple of trails...
> We did that a few years ago and I think we did Stewart Airport and
> Ringwood.
>
> Jimbo(san)
>

DE will be about two hours from there. Not bad for a ride/camp at RV
and then more riding in DE. OF course if I had to choose, I would ride
RV and then go up Rt. 31 to the Poconos.

Sounds like a plan is setting in (provided I am not moving before then -
had a positive first interview with a Seattle company).

--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws

[Ride-A-Lot]

Scott Gordo wrote:
>
> Yep. Good trail.
>
> Messy race report from 2000:
>
> "Here's the long version, emailed to a non-MTBing friend:
>
> Round Valley, Lebanon NJ.
> Round 1, NJ Mountain Bike Racing Association
> 1:32:55. 25th place of 59, Intermediate class.
>
>
> As is my modus, I arrived late, semi-prepared, after 5 hours sleep on
> mom's
> couch, with a pre-race dinner consisting of pork and couple beers.
> Excelsior!
> I registered as an Intermediate, even though my last race was 11 years
> ago
> at Mount Snow, back before suspension forks, back when John Tomac won
> the
> downhill race and the NORBA championship using those curly road-bike
> drop
> bars, back when I was around 30lbs lighter and working carpentry, back
> when
> I had half a dozen donuts for breakfast and still finished well.
> The route was a single 14 mile loop of big rocks, roots, and sticky mud
> from
> a previous day, night, and morning of steady rain. Of that 14, I'd
> estimate
> that at least 9 were uphill. The first seven were ALL uphill.
> First thing to go was my granny (small) gear. My front derrailleur just
>
<snip funny race report>

LOL! I swear the place is 90% uphill! And just when you think it
levels off, up it goes again. I might be going back again on Sunday as
one of my riding pals is now psyched to try it. I love those rocks but
they're small compared to Jim Thorpe. I was told there is another park
a few miles from there that has much bigger career ending rocks. I
think it's called sourlands (ha, good name).

Was the race you did called King of the Hill? I had a hard enough time
riding slow up the hill, I can only imagine the gruntfest an all out
race there would be.

--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws

[Carla A-G]

"Ride-A-Lot" > wrote in message
...
> LOL! I swear the place is 90% uphill! And just when you think it
> levels off, up it goes again. I might be going back again on Sunday as
> one of my riding pals is now psyched to try it. I love those rocks but
> they're small compared to Jim Thorpe. I was told there is another park
> a few miles from there that has much bigger career ending rocks. I
> think it's called sourlands (ha, good name).

I agree. It just keeps going up, very strange how its like that. Even when
coming back to the trail head, the frickin' trail still keeps pointing
upwards. Jim Thorpe has some nice sized trails that consist of just rock
gardens. Fun to ride when the rocks are wet and slippery from morning dew.

- CA-G

Can-Am Girls Kick Ass!

[Scott Gordo]

Ride-A-Lot wrote:
> Scott Gordo wrote:
> >
> > Yep. Good trail.
> >
> > Messy race report from 2000:
> >
> > "Here's the long version, emailed to a non-MTBing friend:
> >
> > Round Valley, Lebanon NJ.
> > Round 1, NJ Mountain Bike Racing Association
> > 1:32:55. 25th place of 59, Intermediate class.
> >
> >
> > As is my modus, I arrived late, semi-prepared, after 5 hours sleep on
> > mom's
> > couch, with a pre-race dinner consisting of pork and couple beers.
> > Excelsior!
> > I registered as an Intermediate, even though my last race was 11 years
> > ago
> > at Mount Snow, back before suspension forks, back when John Tomac won
> > the
> > downhill race and the NORBA championship using those curly road-bike
> > drop
> > bars, back when I was around 30lbs lighter and working carpentry, back
> > when
> > I had half a dozen donuts for breakfast and still finished well.
> > The route was a single 14 mile loop of big rocks, roots, and sticky mud
> > from
> > a previous day, night, and morning of steady rain. Of that 14, I'd
> > estimate
> > that at least 9 were uphill. The first seven were ALL uphill.
> > First thing to go was my granny (small) gear. My front derrailleur just
> >
> <snip funny race report>
>
> LOL! I swear the place is 90% uphill! And just when you think it
> levels off, up it goes again. I might be going back again on Sunday as
> one of my riding pals is now psyched to try it. I love those rocks but
> they're small compared to Jim Thorpe. I was told there is another park
> a few miles from there that has much bigger career ending rocks. I
> think it's called sourlands (ha, good name).
>
> Was the race you did called King of the Hill? I had a hard enough time
> riding slow up the hill, I can only imagine the gruntfest an all out
> race there would be.
>
> --
> o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
> www.schnauzers.ws

It was just a regular XC race. It stripped me down to a snivelling
bitty pulp, but so does every race I wind up doing. Once I've been
redlined for a while I get derranged, like I'm a rabbit on angel dust
being chased by jackals. You're supposed to get better with experience
and pacing, but inevitably, at some point, the voices in my head are
all yelling to speed up, slow down, crap myself and claw my eyes out.

Anyhoo, it ****in' hurt. And it was good. No lingering effects except
for, perhaps, another tiny facet to the glint in my eye....

Never been to Sourlands. I never got past the relatively old skool xc
hardtail/80mm, so babyheads can certainly add an element of dicey
excitement to a ride but big rocks are not something I necessarily seek
out these days. Call me a sissy, but I'm learning to appreciate my
skin.

But I'd definitely be down for RV with you guys over the next couple
months....

/s

[Ride-A-Lot]

Scott Gordo wrote:
>
> But I'd definitely be down for RV with you guys over the next couple
> months....
>
> /s
>

Cool. It looks like a mini AMB-East in the making.

--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws