I started the same way as I do almost all my rides that go in that direction: to Central Road, across Pennsylvania Route 487 to Dennys Hill, and along Papermill Road into Lightstreet. I started out a bit slower than I normally do, but not by much. I didn't particularly mind anyway. On Papermill Road, I had a strange encounter with a deer. When it saw me, it started to run away along the road. I stopped to let it get away from me, but it just stopped and stared at me. I continued forward, and it tried a couple of times to ram itself against the fence on the left side of the road before slipping and falling. It then ran off into the underbrush on the right side of the road. Strange.
Papermill Road and storm clouds. The clouds were fortunately going away.
Field on Papermill Road
I reached Lightstreet without further incident and turned onto Back Branch Road, where I rode for about three quarters of a mile. It was flat, but fairly busy, and I crossed Fishing Creek along the way. I eventually turned onto Whites Church Road and began the long, gradual climb up. It was annoyingly long, but not steep until the very end, after it emerges from the woods. It seemed easier than it had been the last time I had come this way. Perhaps because I was going slower?
Fishing Creek
Whites Church Road near the end of the climb
The faithful bike
After reaching the top of the hill, Whites Church Road took me along a descent interspersed with a few flat areas. I passed a small pond and a farm along the way. Also, in the lower half of the hill, a small, pretty unnamed stream flowed alongside the road. At the bottom of the hill, I crossed Deerlick Run and shortly thereafter turned onto Lick Run Road, a gravel road that followed Deerlick Run through the woods. After a short while, I turned onto Crouse Hollow Road--or Crap Hollow Road, as I like to call it. It was unpaved as well.
The beginning of Crap Crouse Hollow Road
Why do I call it Crap Hollow Road? It was one of those roads that climbs on and on through a hollow, as one might tell from the name. For a lot of the way, a dark green canopy was overhead, but at one point, a power line shaft cut across the road. There was one small pond and a few houses, but not many. I always shake my head in wonder at the strange places that people inhabit in the middle of nowhere.
Ferns next to a pool of water.
Smooth surface on Crouse Hollow Road
At the end of Crouse Hollow Road, I turned onto a paved road and continued rising through some fields. At the top of the hill, I was treated to a wide view, including Knob Mountain (which can be seen from everywhere), North Mountain, and others.
Looking north
Knob Mountain. I told you it was everywhere.
After reaching the top of the hill, I rode down to Bowmans Mill Road. One one hand, that road was mostly downhill. On the other hand, there was a stiff headwind and I couldn't seem to build up any speed. I was on Bowmans Mill Road for about a mile before turning onto Hartman Hollow Road, which was unexplored territory. Hartman Hollow Road continued to climb before leveling out at the highest point on the ride.
Looking south from Hartman Hollow Road
Amazing field of blue-green grass, with Catawissa Mountain on the horizon.
After that, Hartman Hollow Road began a steep and amazingly fast descent, first passing by a few houses and then heading into the woods. Even with several steep turns, I surpassed 31 mph! I saw an interesting-looking offshoot called Gass Road, but it was an uphill and I didn't want to sacrifice my momentum to explore it. Eventually I reached the bottom of the hill and continued across some fields to the Patterson Covered Bridge No. 112, which crosses Green Creek. I crossed the bridge and then turned around at the intersection with Rohrsburg Road. I then began heading for Round Top, the main climb.
Patterson Covered Bridge
Round Top, where I would soon be heading.
It wasn't long before I came to Trump Road, the one-lane, unpaved road that would take me up the hill. I had ridden there once before, on a 36-mile ride to Stillwater last August. It began modestly enough, mostly flat with a few steep ascents. But after passing by the last of the houses and entering the woods, the going really began to get tough. At least the hill was short, though. Still, by the time I got to the upper half of it, my tires were slipping on the rocky surface.
Trump Road
After a third of a mile or so, the road turned and came out of the woods, but it continued rising for a while through some fields. At the top of the hill, it dead-ended into a paved road and I stopped for a bit.
Trump Road coming out of the woods
Catawissa Mountain
Sign helpfully informing drivers that the road is really a glorified ATV path.
Knob Mountain again
Once I reached pavement, the road (Kline Road) took me on a long descent into the Green Creek valley. I didn't build up too much speed since there were a lot of flat parts. At the bottom of Kline Road, I turned onto Green Creek Road and began following Green Creek downstream. The next couple of miles were fairly unremarkable.
Green Creek
After a while, Green Creek Road began to parallel Fishing Creek and it took me to Mount Pleasant Road. I rode west for several tenths of a mile to Mount Pleasant Road and then turned onto Deerlick Run. After crossing Deerlick Run, Whites Church Road took me up on a gradual ascent. At the top of the hill, I continued climbing on Oman Road, stopping next to some open fields with a view of Knob Mountain.
Weeds
Pasture
View from the bottom of Dennys Hill
Oman Road had a few ups and downs as it went south through residential areas. It then descended steeply to Back Branch Road. The last four miles were pretty mundane, and basically just going the same way I went out. My time was 1:43:56 and my pace was 4:31/mile (13.3 miles per hour).
1945 feet of elevation gain and 3901 feet of elevation change. Huge for a 23-mile ride! The highest point was 985 feet and the lowest was 515 feet.
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