After last Saturday's Scorcher, I wanted to get in a quick ride early this week to make sure my legs weren't completely destroyed. What better way to test than by some climbing?
The beauty of a ride like this is that since I'm alone, I don't feel the stress to keep up the pace. I can also get off to walk a bit if I want.
The forecast was threatening thunderstorms as I drove to Thurmont. I checked the maps before I left work, and most of the activity looked to be keeping to south of town. I could always bail out and return quickly if I had to.
I checked out the last neighborhood I needed to explore in Thurmont, right across from Cactoctin High School, and then started the climb up Rt. 550. I was disappointed that there wasn't much of a shoulder for most of the climb. Monday rush hour was steady, but riding mostly on the white line gave most folks the room they needed to pass.
The clouds were getting ominous overhead and I though I heard some thunder, but then things started to break up and the sun came back out.
I finally got to my turn onto Foxville-Deerfield Road, and crossing the railroad tracks I left all the traffic behind. Soon I turned onto Buck Lanz Road, and the road turned up. This went on for a while, so I walked a bit and took a few pictures. At one spot it sounded like someone was shooting a shotgun, but it went on pretty regularly for quite a while, so perhaps it was some mechanism for keeping the birds away from the orchards.
The road ascended into welcome shade, and the climb eventually topped out. Whew! I jogged onto Raven Rock Rd, and went into Washington County for a few hundred meters, and back into Frederick County on Quirock School Rd. I followed this all the way to Rt. 77, where I zigged right for just a moment to get to the county line, and then zagged back to the left to enjoy the sweet four mile long downhill back into Thurmont.
| Starting the climb just outside of Thurmont. |
| Passing under the Western Maryland RR. |
| 550 continues on to Sabillasville, but I turn left here. |
| Threatening clouds. |
| Old mill. |
| Starting the climb on Buck Lanz. |
| Paving turns to gravel. |
| The climb gets steep. |
| Panorama shot from the climb. |
| Near the top. |
| Might need to come back and explore. |
| The very top of the ridge. |
| Raven Rock Road. |
| Into Washington County, which seems to be for sale. |
| Looking back down the climb up Mt Zion Rd. |
| Keeping the garden goodies from the deer. |
| Quirock School Rd. |
| A quick turn around back into Frederick and a four mile long downhill back to Thurmont. |
| Today's Map. |
| Today's Profile. |
Roads Completed 6/29/2007.
| Road Name | ADC Map Grid | Subdivision | |||
| BUCK LANTZ | RD | 1-G-10 | N/A | ||
| CATOCTIN | AVE | 7-F-4 | CATOCTIN HEIGHTS | ||
| DOGWOOD | AVE | 7-F-4 | CATOCTIN HEIGHTS | ||
| FOXVILLE | RD | 7-D-7 | N/A | ||
| HELLS DELIGHT | RD | 6-B-1 | N/A | ||
| LAUREL | AVE | 7-E-4 | CATOCTIN HEIGHTS | ||
| LINDA | CT | 7-E-4 | CATOCTIN HEIGHTS | ||
| QUIRAUK SCHOOL | RD | 6-A-4 | N/A | ||
| ROUZER | CT | 7-F-4 | N/A | ||
| ROUZER | LN | 7-F-4 | N/A | ||
| SABILLASVILLE | RD | 7-F-5 | N/A | ||
| TANNERY | CT | 7-F-4 | THURMONT WEST | ||
| VISTA | AVE | 7-E-4 | CATOCTIN HEIGHTS | ||
| VISTA | CT | 7-E-4 | CATOCTIN HEIGHTS | ||
| WISE | RD | 1-C-9 | N/A | ||
| WINDWARD | CT | 7-F-4 | CATOCTIN MEADOWS | ||
| WINDWARD | LN | 7-F-4 | CATOCTIN MEADOWS |