Today's Map.
I had the Friday before Veteran's Day off as a holiday. My wife and kids did not. Since I rarely get days off without them, it seemed like a good idea to go for a long ride.
I've been needing to get back to the north end of the county, and head into the mountains. The unseasonably warm weather was just a bonus.
I haven't been doing too many photos from my latest rides, so here are a whole bunch.
| Getting ready. The bike is almost a match for the picnic table. I'm heading into the mountains in the background. |
| Riffle Road parallels a stream with barely any climbing... |
| ... and soon turns to gravel. The map shows it going through to roads in Pennsylvania, but the road deterioriated into an unmaintained trail, and I was on the wrong bike for it. |
| Hornet's Nest Rd. The first half mile or so is STEEP. |
| Up on the first ridgeline it is easier going. |
| Soon you come to a steep downhill and cross the bridge over Friends Creek. The map shows Friends Creek Road going off to the right and again into Pennsylvania, but it was posted as a private drive. |
| Another view of the creek, looking back at the steep descent. |
| Rickety bridge over the creek. The ford through the creek just to the left semed to get the bulk of the traffic. |
| Friends Creek Curch of God. |
| Typical Catoctin log construction. |
| A more reassuring bridge over the creek, looking back at the church. |
| Very senic route. |
| Harbough Valley Rd. went from chip-seal to gravel. Another one of those roads which doesn't quite make it as far as shown on the map. This one ends and the Raven Rock Lutheran Camp (incidently, site of the 1990 Gorham Family Reunion). |
| Sunshine Trail actually got me to Pennsylvania. |
| Looking south along Harbaugh Rd. I couldn't have asked for a better day to ride. |
| As long as this guy stays behind his fence, I got no complaints. |
| The prettiest leaves of the day. |
| Old Sabillasville Rd. passes unter the Mid Maryland RR tracks. The train tracks make some big curves back and forth to climb the grade to Blue Ridge Summit. |
| More along Old Sabillasville Rd. |
| Back to Pennsylvania, this time in Franklin County. This road even rates one of the Mason-Dixon Line markers. |
| Close up of the Mason-Dixon Marker. |
| Not the ideal rail crossing. |
| Rt. 550 entering Washington County, MD. |
| More my kind of dog. Made of cement and chained anyway. |
| Cool house in Cascade. It was for sale too. |
| Several roads in Cascade were under repair. I was able to walk aound these guys. |
| Nice farms along Fort Ritchey Rd. |
| Buck Lanz road looking down into the Owens Creek watershed. I'll be going left on Skunk Hollow Rd halfway up the next hill. |
| I'll be climbing over that hill ahead to get back to Emmitsburg. |
| Eylers Valley Road is well know to local cycling clubs. The hill is a killer, but most clubs turn off before the really picturesque parts near the top to avoid the gravel. I think that's a big mistake. |
| Very near the top of the climb on Eylers Valley. See what I mean? |
| Swoopy gravel on top of the mountain. |
| Working on the chapel. I though I was done climbing when I got here, but there is just a bit more on Hampton Valley Rd. on the way back to Emmitsburg. |
| Now I'm at the top. |
| No pics of the super fun descent. Back down on the valley floor I took Scott Rd. |
| Once back in Emmitsburg, I hit a few development roads to get them into the completed column. Looks like there is more to come. |
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Today's Map. | |
| Today's Profile. |
Roads Completed 11/10/2006.
| Road Name | ADC Map Grid | Subdivision | |||
| BENTZEL | RD | 1-H-5 | N/A | ||
| BROOKFIELD | DR | 3-H-4 | BROOKFIELD | ||
| BROWN QUARRY | RD | 1-K-8 | N/A | ||
| CARRICK | CT | 3-G-4 | PEMBROOK WOODS | ||
| COOL | RD | 3-F-3 | N/A | ||
| CRYSTAL FOUNTAIN | RD | 3-C-6 | N/A | ||
| CULLEN | DR | 1-H-3 | N/A | ||
| EMMIT | CT | 3-H-5 | EMMIT RIDGE | ||
| FORT RITCHIE | RD | 1-H-5 | N/A | ||
| FRIENDS | LN | 2-F-3 | N/A | ||
| FRIENDS CREEK | RD | 2-C-4 | N/A | ||
| HARBAUGH | RD | 2-B-4 | N/A | ||
| HARBAUGH VALLEY | RD | 2-B-4 | N/A | ||
| HEATHERWIND | DR | 3-H-4 | BROOKFIELD | ||
| HORNETS NEST | RD | 3-A-3 | N/A | ||
| HUNTLEY | CIR | 3-G-4 | BROOKFIELD | ||
| IRISHTOWN | RD | 3-H-5 | N/A | ||
| NAYLOR | RD | 1-H-3 | N/A | ||
| OLD EMMITSBURG | RD | 3-G-8 | N/A | ||
| OLD SABILLASVILLE | RD | 1-H-3 | N/A | ||
| PEMBROOK | CT | 3-G-3 | PEMBROOK WOODS | ||
| RAMBLEWOOD | CT | 3-G-4 | BROOKFIELD | ||
| RAMBLEWOOD | DR | 3-H-4 | BROOKFIELD | ||
| RIDGE | AVE | 1-G-3 | N/A | ||
| RIFFLE | RD | 3-B-3 | N/A | ||
| ROWLAND | RD | 1-G-3 | N/A | ||
| ROWLAND HILL | RD | 1-G-3 | N/A | ||
| SCOTT | RD | 3-F-7 | N/A | ||
| SKUNK HOLLOW | RD | 1-F-7 | N/A | ||
| STONEHURST | DR | 3-G-4 | PEMBROOK WOODS | ||
| STONEHURST | CT | 3-G-4 | PEMBROOK WOODS | ||
| SUNSHINE | TRL | 2-C-3 | N/A | ||
| TIMBERMILL | RUN | 3-G-4 | BROOKFIELD | ||
| TRACT | RD | 3-F-4 | N/A | ||
| WAYCROSS | CT | 3-H-5 | EMMIT RIDGE |