Good Adventure today! I had a few hours before having to pick the kids up from school, so I headed over to Middletown yet again. The plan was to ride both US 40 and Alt 40 in the valley between Braddock Mtn. and South Mtn. I also wanted to go north just a bit and pull in the few roads north of Myersville I still needed to get.
My route took me up Braddock Mountain to the east of Middletown first. Next I went north along Ridge Road, followed by a fast descent on US40. At harmony Rd. I took a right and went up to Wistman Lane. Yikes! What a climb! Fortunately it wasn't too long, and it was followed by a ripping downhill on Crow Rock Rd.
Sooon I was at US17 and took it just a short way north to complete the last unfinished segment of Wolfsville Rd. I turned around and coasted down to Bittle Rd, which took me back up to Harmony again. Following me?
Anyways, I got back to US40 and headed west again, through lots of rolling ups and downs, seeming to have more up than down. I climbed the South Mountian ridge and crossed I70 and the Appalachian Trail, and into Washington County. I turned left onto boonsboro Mountain Rd. folloing it back into Frederick County, and then back to the Washington county line once again. Turning around once again, I took the Boonsboro Mtn spur and crossed the AT again, and headed down gravel to Echo Lake Rd. My Magellan map shows Echo Lake connects to Boonsboro Mtn, and the roads database says it does too. Google Maps says it doesn't. They are all right. The 'road' deteriorates to track. I could have used a mountain bike. I took what I thought was a detour around a tree fallen across the road, and instead ended up on an alternate track moving away from where the map said the road was. I dropped out into a wide field and looked for a route down which did not cross anyones private property posted signs. Finally I found a cut over to a private driveway which took me steeply down to Monumnet Rd. True adventure!
I had come a long way off the ridge and now had to make it back up, climbing Monument for a while. Soon enough I was at Washington Monument State Park. Where Monument Rd turns into Zittlestown Rd. I went along to the county line and backtracked to the park again and took Washingtom Monument Rd along the backside of the ridge down to Turners Gap. This is where Alt 40 enters Frederick County from the West. There is a nice inn here, as well as numerous historic markers about the Battle of South Mountain. My battle was won, as all the hard climbing was behind me. I dropped off the mountain and through the rollers back into Middletown, and was home in time to get the kids from school.
Perfect day!
| By 'Slower Traffic' I'm sure they mean me. Climbing up Braddock Mountain. |
| Along Ridge Road. |
| Wistman Lane. Steeper than it looks. |
| Crow Rock Rd. |
| Groton Bridge Company 1897. |
| Pony Truss bridge. |
| Rolling hills, with more up than down... |
| Looking towards the last climb to the ridge. |
| Where Boonsboro Mtn Rd. spur meets Echo Lake Rd. |
| Unimproved road. Ya think? |
| Bumpy. |
| Where did the road go? Fat tires are a lifesaver. |
| Back on track, Washington Monument State park. |
| South Mountain Inn. |
| County line and historic markers. |
| Dahlgren Chapel. |
| Today's Map. |
| Today's Profile. |
Roads Completed 10/17/2007.
| Road Name | ADC Map Grid | Subdivision | |||
| BALTIMORE NATIONAL | PIKE | 10-G-10 | N/A | ||
| BITTLE | RD | 11-F-13 | N/A | ||
| BOONSBORO MOUNTAIN | RD | 10-G-9 | N/A | ||
| ECHO LAKE | RD | 18-H-1 | N/A | ||
| OLD NATIONAL | PIKE | 28-H-5 | N/A | ||
| POND RUN | CT | 19-E-3 | HIGHFIELDS | ||
| WASHINGTON MONUMENT | RD | 18-E-4 | N/A | ||
| WISTMAN | LN | 19-H-2 | N/A | ||
| WOLFSVILLE | RD | 19-C-2 | N/A | ||
| ZITTLESTOWN | RD | 18-E-4 | N/A |