Biking in Northeast Pennsylvania: Briar Creek Reservoir

Yesterday, I did a 26.8-mile ride out to the beautiful Briar Creek Reservoir and the slightly less beautiful (but still pretty) Briar Creek Lake Park. I left around 4:30 P.M. and rode over to Tower Road and then down Neufer Hill Road, nearly fast enough to keep pace with the cars. At the bottom of the hill, I made a sharp left on Shaffer Road and began a 260-foot climb. Shaffer Road is longer and higher than Neufer Hill Road, but not as steep. For a while, it climbed through the woods, but eventually it went past open fields and houses before crossing under Interstate 80 and taking me to a crossroads.

Shaffer Road

Coming out of the woods

Instead of turning onto Horse Farm Road, I continued straight on Shaffer Road. It descended through some pretty fields of corn/sorghum, wheat, and weeds. After several tenths of a mile, the road dead-ended into Ridge Road, the site of the old 20K (actually 12.2 miles) course that was a favorite of mine some years ago. Ridge Road went past some houses and a stable before dipping down into a little forested hollow. It was a short hill, so I was able to power up the other side in one burst. Once I was there, there were more fields.

Mountain scenery

Horse farm

More rural scenery

Soon after that, I crossed Hidlay Church Road and continued east on Ridge Road, going over a few more small hills. There was a nice descent near the Brookside development, but it was followed by a longish, slow climb. After a while, I reached the top of that and left pavement for the first time, turning left onto Adams Road.

Staghorn sumac

Ridge Road

Leaving pavement

Adams Road descended steeply for a bit and then leveled off. But then it briefly became very steep before flattening out again as it passed through a swampy area and crossed West Branch Briar Creek. The road then began to rise again before reaching Fowlersville Road. On the other side of Fowlersville Road, the terrain shifted from gravel to some pinkish-gray surface in between pavement and gravel. I passed by more fields, with some lovely mountain vistas in the distance.

Colorful garden

Vista of Nescopeck Mountain. The water gap through which Nescopeck Creek flows is just barely visible here.

Curious road surface

At the end of the road, I turned onto another road. This one was definitely paved, but very bumpy. It almost immediately began a very fast and steep descent. There was water all over the road, so I managed to get myself soaked, but I dried off soon enough. At the bottom of the hill, I came to Fester Hollow, a small, rushing stream. I had ridden up this hill a couple of times before and it was a brutal one. It was nice to feel the wind in my face instead for once.

Fester Hollow

Soon after crossing the wooden bridge over Fester Hollow, I crossed Pennsylvania Route 93 and continued onto Slowick Road. There were a few ups and downs and I saw some more amazing views of Nescopeck Mountain to the south. Eventually, I made a steep descent to Lake Road.

I just love these views of fields and distant mountains.

Slowick Road

Yet another mountain/field vista

Whee!

A few tenths of a mile through farmland on Lake Road brought me to Briar Creek Lake Park, where I turned onto a grass trail around the 51-acre Briar Creek Reservoir. Riding on grass is always two or three times harder than riding on asphalt, so it was very slow going, about nine or ten miles per hour. It was also a bit muddy (it was by the side of a lake, after all), so my tires turned up a lot of water.

Black-eyed Susans

Lake Road

Briar Creek Reservoir

The reservoir again

Trail

After a little while, I rode up a hill (a grass-covered one, no less) to Park Road and took that to the upper part of Briar Creek Lake Park, a bit further away from the lake. I meandered around for a while in this part of the park, which was hillier than the lower part of the park and passed through some attractive wild meadows. I also saw yet more cultivated fields and mountains. After a bit of exploration--there wasn't much to explore--I rode down a hill to the lower part of the park, and from there up onto the grass-covered dam on the eastern side of the lake. The trail went along the top of the dam to another parking lot, and from there I left the park.

The lake

I've never seen model aircraft here.

My bike is enjoying the scenery as much as I am.

Dam this place!

The lake from the east side

East Branch Briar Creek

Upon leaving the park, I began heading west on Evansville Road. This stretch was a bit dull and quiet, especially compared to the scenery of Briar Creek Lake Park. After a while, the road began to climb a bit, enough to be felt, but not enough to look steep. Those climbs are annoying. On the positive side, East Branch Briar Creek was very pretty as it rushed along over a stony streambed. I even saw a tiny waterfall, almost obscured by undergrowth.

Climbing...

I eventually turned onto Croop S Road to do yet more climbing. This part was actually steep, unlike Evansville Road. A very tiny roadside stream--unnamed and even smaller than East Branch Briar Creek--was distinctly audible but barely visible. After a while, I came out of the woods and reached the top of the hill.

Coming out of the woods

The next few miles had half a dozen or so little ups and downs of a hundred feet or less. Croop S Road first descended into a valley and then crossed Briar Creek before beginning a steep ascent. The climb was fairly short and took me to State Route 2012, where I stayed for a couple of miles. This stretch was mostly unremarkable, but for a few more field-and-mountain vistas. I also passed right by a herd of cows near the end of the road.

Farm, with Knob Mountain in the background

Endless field of wheat

A field of something else

State Route 2012 intersected with Route 93, which I crossed. I then began ascending on Shellhammer Road before making a fast descent into a hollow. This was followed by yet another climb, this time on Hosler Road. I reached the summit of Summer Hill, at an elevation of 979 feet, which was the highest point on the ride. Then, I began to descend.

Orchard

Knob Mountain

Mullen

Hosler Road dead-ended into Cabin Run Road, which continued descending along the side of a ravine. Naturally, Cabin Run flowed at the bottom of the ravine. I tried to get a picture of the road, but couldn't quite capture it well enough. Still, I made very good time, and continued to do so as I turned onto Fowlersville Road, and then Harris Road, and then Ridge Road.

Harris Road

This is the last wheat field, I promise.

I rode hard all the way up Shaffer Road, hoping to get under a 4:40/mile pace. Then I descended for a while on the road, retracing my first few miles. I got to the bottom of Shaffer Road around mile 24.8. At that point, one last major hill remained: Neufer Hill Road. I made my way up that, somehow staying under a 4:40 average pace (for the whole ride, not for the hill; that would be impossibly fast on an uphill). From there, it was pretty much a walk in the park to Shawnee Road.