It was slow going getting out the door today. The whole family has colds, and we are all draging a bit. The weather however just called for a ride. After months of riding on the 80s and 90s, this weekend was in the 70s. Yesterday was too windy and I was doing other things, but today was for riding.
I parked in one of my standard locations, Middletown Park. My goal was to climb up to the Catoctin Ridge on Hawbottom Rd. I hadn't been on Hawbottom in about 12 or 15 years, that time on a motorcycle. I remembered a rugged unpaved track.
The ride to the base of the ridge was through typical Middletown Valley rolling hills.
| Along Hollow Rd. |
| A lovely farm on the right. |
| Nice gazebo. |
| Several of these (really big) homes are for sale. Victims of the housing boom and adjustable rate mortgages? |
| The climb starts so nicely. |
| Can't get enough of stone walls. |
| Then it gets steep (steeper than it looks anyway). |
| Sign about the road ahead. |
| The official sign isn't as interesting as the last one. |
| Pavement? I remember ruts and rocks. Still climbing though. |
| Soon I was rewarded. This is what I remember. |
| I got to Coxey Brown Rd, and continued up to the ridgeline and Gambrill Park Rd. I turned around and headed down Coxey Brown. I have a new policy about roads. If I'm terrified going down it; a) it is fun, and b) I probably don't want to climb it too often. This road meets that criteria. |
| Harmony, approaching from the other direction from last week. |
| Crossing under Interstate 70 on Harmony Rd. |
| The view from Valley View Ct. |
| Today's Map. |
| Today's Profile. |
Roads Completed 9/16/2007.
| Road Name | ADC Map Grid | Subdivision | |||
| COBLENTZ | RD | 27-H-1 | N/A | ||
| COBLENTZ | CT | 27-J-1 | THE LANDS OF LANCASTER | ||
| COXEY BROWN | RD | 20-B-2 | N/A | ||
| FLOWER | CT | 19-K-9 | GAMBRILL SOUTH | ||
| HARMONY | RD | 19-H-5 | N/A | ||
| HAWBOTTOM | RD | 19-K-8 | N/A | ||
| HOLLOW | CT | 19-K-9 | HOLLOW ESTATES | ||
| HOLLOW | RD | 19-H-5 | N/A | ||
| MARYLAND | CT | 19-K-8 | HILLS AT MARYLAND NATIONAL | ||
| PINE VALLEY | CT | 20-A-10 | GAMBRILL SOUTH | ||
| REDROSE | CT | 20-A-10 | GAMBRILL SOUTH | ||
| ROSEBUD | CT | 20-A-10 | GAMBRILL SOUTH | ||
| VALLEY VIEW | RD | 19-H-11 | N/A | ||
| VALLEY VIEW | TER | 19-J-11 | VALLEY VIEW ESTATES | ||
| WILES | CT | 19-J-9 | HOLLOW ESTATES |