The riders had gathered by 12:00 and were divided into a beginner and an intermediate class. The weather man had been predicting scattered showers, but the weather turned out to be quite beautiful. At 12:30, the riders were off.

The Beginner Ride 

The beginner ride began on Bear Meadows road then turned off onto Laurel Run road. The one mile climb up Laurel Run boasted fantastic fall foliage. We turned onto the Three Bridges trail and were met with some initial challenges. There was a significant rock garden followed by three bridges. It didn't take much to hike over these obstacles if you chose to and  ride the rest of the ½ mile trail. Soon we took up Lonberger trail for 3 miles. This trail gave the group the opportunity to practice sailing over logs and riding small rock gardens. The terrain was smooth overall and allowed for a steady pace. At the end of Lonberger trail the group decided to trek up Treaster Kettle to the Tussey Mountain Trail. At first we stalled out on the numerous rock gardens, but decided to continue on in search of more fun. The Tussey Mountain trail proved to be just that… a lot of fun, and probably more technical than we would have done on our own. Go group! We were all happy that we had persevered and each had silly grins on our faces when we realized we had a chance to ride a rock bridge over a large fallen tree. A few of us made it, and a few of us wished we had made it. The group gave great support and was sure to cheer each other on in our attempts.  We then turned down Filmore trail. This trail was pretty steep, but too much fun to pass up. We all made it down in one piece and discovered a foot and a half jump that only one of us (Go Robby!) braved and a log bridge that we all rolled smoothly over. The end of Filmore trail met back up with Bear Meadows road. We weren't ready to call it a day yet and decided we wanted to backtrack to Lonberger trail and ride it in the opposite direction that we had done earlier in the afternoon. The trail was even more fun going in this direction as we were ready to enjoy some extended and gradual downhill. We then took Lonberger Trail to Laurel Run Road via a slightly rocky downhill. We got to cross a small creek running with chilly, autumn water. Brrrrr!  Finally, we were on Bear Meadows road on our way back to the Parking area at the foot of Tussey Ski Resort.

I've shared this with many people, but maybe not you, so I'll say it again. By the end of our ride, I felt like I had been bitten by the mountain biking bug once again. The past couple of seasons I've tried to improve my technical skills and fitness level. Not to say that there's anything wrong with doing those things…not at all… but I let myself get too far from the reasons I started mountain biking in the first place. This ride gave me a chance to meet new people, and just plain enjoy the view.  Can hardly wait for the next ride!

The Intermediate+ Ride 

The group that comprised the intermediates was without a doubt the larger of the two groups to depart from the parking area. We made our way along Bear Meadows Road and then Laurel Run Road until we came to base of the Longberger trail. Some braved the steep climb, while other hiked their bikes until reaching level group where this group received their first breather in which all rejoiced. Leaving Longberger for later into the ride, we broke off onto Three Bridges trail, where in fact there are 3 consecutive and narrow (well-built) bridges. Just before this trail joins Laurel Run Road, there is a particularly technical section consisting of an extended rock garden. If mountain biking were more of a spectator sport, most spectators would sit close to sections like these for a good laugh, as many a rider crashes there (keep reading for a good example). Shortly after climbing 2 miles on Laurel Run Road, the group then ventured to Shingletown Gap for 4 miles of sweet singletrack.

In Shingletown Gap, we met a wide variety of trails, each with their own unique 'personality'. From the road we descended to the central area where most of the trails in Shingletown intersect. After that pleasant ride, we decided to beat ourselves to a sweaty pulp with a challenging climb to the top of the ridge. I believe I heard someone call it 'heartattack hill'... Maneuvering along the ridge proved to be difficult at times with an abundance of rock gardens and an occasional log. Though technical, this section of singletrack was enormously fun. I even graced the trail and ride with a ceremonial pinch flat! Eventually, we turned and descended down to the main trail in Shingletown. Just before intersecting with this trail, we had our first (worthy) crash. This brave soul who possessed great courage and less finesse flew from his wedged steed in an effort to instruct us all in the ways of proper crash etiquette. Neither broken blood vessels nor broken helmet could keep Mike Greene off his bike. What a man! We finished out Shingletown Gap and made our way back to Laurel Run Road. At this intersection we lost a few riders due to crashes, exhaustion, or busy schedules.

We then climbed Laurel Run Road almost to the top of Little Flat, home of the firetower that overlooks Tussey Mountain, as we departed and descended Old Laurel Run trail until it met back up with Three Bridges trail. Old Laurel Run trail was fast and rocky, and incredibly fun.

Backtracking over Three Bridges trail proved to be especially fun since we had another crash, as I alluded to earlier. This time Mark bit the bullet. As he fell (still clipped in), he reached out for a branch hoping to evade gravity's sudden presence. However, the branch snapped, leaving Mark to fall 'down' a shallow slope onto some rocks, leaving him with two bloody knees. While it looked incredibly painful, he cheerfully got back on the bike (at least appeared to).

Our group then returned to Longberger and enjoyed the succulent fruits of the 'magic carpet ride' until it intersected Bear Meadows Road. We made our way across and up Treaster Kettle Trail, which would bring us to the Tussey Mountain trail. The 2 miles that we rode on top of this ridge were amazing. It quickly becomes apparent that many have contributed to the trails upkeep, as all of the large rocks or logs have primitive but well-fashioned ramps. This trail is truly a mountain biker's dream. By the time that we were finishing up this section of singletrack, we all were showing signs of exhaustion. As such, we all welcomed the satisfying descent that would take us back down to Bear Meadows Road and subsequently back to the parking area at Tussey.

Upon returning, we were all treated to goodies favored by all bikers and kids alike. As the gatorade and cookies graced our stomachs, stories and phone numbers were exchanged as a testimonial that NMBA's first group ride was nothing less than a success.