Jerseytown

I was going to do an ultra-long ride on Saturday, but that didn't work out, so I settled for a hilly 26.6-mile ride to Jerseytown and back. Unusually for me, it was pretty nearly an out-and-back course. I started out by heading over to Arbutus Park Road, but instead of taking the shortcut to Upper Campus, I continued following the road, which took me along the edge of Turkey Hill instead of over the top. After a while, I began ascending to Upper Campus. The hill was definitely steeper than the hills on the shortcut, but at least it was paved.

 Summertime view from Arbutus Park Road (Here's how it looked back in May)

 Daisy

Chicory. Even still, I sometimes have to think for a bit to remember if it's chicory or chickweed.

After passing through Upper Campus, I went rushing down towards Bloomsburg. The turn onto Country Club Drive now has a no right turns sign, but 270 degrees to the left is the same as 90 degrees to the right.... After figuring that out, I was on my way again, riding down the bike lane, past the hospital, and along First Street. I took Oyer Ave down to Main Street to avoid the ultra-long light; I think I will keep doing that. After a short stint on Main Street and Railroad Street, I rode into Fernville and then out of Fernville again.

 Bike lane

 David Stroup Fountain

Shady alley that I use to avoid waiting for five minutes at traffic lights.

Once out of Fernville, I followed Creek Road north. It's a pretty road, with the greenery-flanked Fishing Creek on one side and reddish-gray cliffs on the other. After a while, it crossed under Interstate 80 and began descending through the woods. Then a climb began on Schoolhouse Road. The first part of the climb wasn't too bad, but as I turned onto Ivey Road, it began to get steep. After a long while, it came out of the woods and went past some farms. But it wasn't done yet. There was a hideously steep, unpaved bit that went around a bend and up to Reichard Road.

 Ivey Road

Nearly-white gravel on Ivey Road

On Reichard Road, the gravel abruptly shifted from white to pinkish-red. At one point, a deer crashed through the undergrowth next to me. A few more ups and downs past cornfields brought me to a spectacular vista. Back in May, I could see dozens of miles in just about every direction, but tall corn blocked the view in every direction but south this time. Still, it was a nice view.

Looking south

I then went rattling down into the woods, and then out of them again.I passed by a few houses and reached a larger road, Dutch Hill Road. I began heading uphill along it as it wound among houses and cornfields. At one point, I saw two large dogs walking through a cornfield, between the first and second rows of corn, like they belonged there. Dutch Hill Road went up and down over Rolling terrain for almost two miles. I then turned onto Christy Hill Road, which wasn't hilly, but it took me to Lyons Road, which was most definitely hilly.

 Looking south

Dutch Hill Road

 Field

 Another field

 Yet another field

Now things are getting interesting

Lyons Road quickly went into the woods and made a treacherous, rocky descent, falling nearly 350 feet in less than a mile. At one point, there was a very sharp turn, almost a hairpin. But after 0.8 miles of descending, I came out of the woods and onto Black Run Road. I wasn't in civilization for very long before I turned onto Tunnel Road for some more hills. Unfortunately these hills were in the opposite direction: uphill. The road kept alternating between being paved and being unpaved. Some roads around here seem to like to do that. Tunnel Road eventually began descending again. I saw dozens--maybe hundreds--of spiderwebs made visible by the gray dust from the gravel road. Maybe the claim that there's always a spider within a few feet of you isn't that far fetched. When you're outdoors and on dry land at least. I also saw a very steep, unpaved road called Dug Road. It might merit further exploration one of these days.

 Tunnel Road

A hill standing guard over a field of something

At the end of Tunnel Road, I crossed Eyersgrove Road and began the last leg of the first half of my ride. At this point, I was less than a mile from Jerseytown. I headed up Bennett Road, another gravel road, past a field, into some woods, and down. Bennett Road then unceremoniously spit me out on a rather busy stretch of Pennsylvania Route 642. I think I would've had to have crossed the road to technically be in Jerseytown, but I turned around and headed back.

 Jerseytown: <1 mile

 Barn on Bennett Road

Spectacular view to the west

Upon reaching Jerseytown, I began heading back the way I came. First I went back on Bennett Road, and then began ascending on Tunnel Road. It was hard, but nothing compared to what was to come. But first, there came a 200-foot descent. Then I came to Black Run Road, which took me to Lyons Road. Remember how steep that was? Well, this time I was going up. It took nearly eight minutes to go less than a mile, but still, I made it up. And it was about six minutes faster than the second climb over Nescopeck Mountain in this ride.

 Why couldn't all roads be like Black Run Road?

On the other hand, this is fun, provided you're going in the other direction

From the top of Lyons Road, I headed over to Dutch Hill Road for some more gentle ups and downs: dozens of feet instead of hundreds. I made reasonably good time.

 Dutch Hill Road can be seen in the distance as it winds through farmland

A more close-up view of Dutch Hill Road

As I was about to turn off Dutch Hill Road and onto Reichard Road, I came upon an unpleasant surprise. Three angry dogs were milling around on the road. They tried to chase after me, but luckily I was rolling downhill on pavement, so I just swerved and wove between them. Soon afterwards, I came to gravel. There was a small climb through the woods, which was unremarkable except that I saw (and almost rode over) the corpse of what appeared to be a red squirrel. That's only the first or second I've seen since moving to Pennsylvania 11 years ago. After the hill came then a big descent. I went rolling along at high speeds for well over a mile, first down Reichard Road, then down Ivey Road, then down Schoolhouse Road. After about 450 feet of descending, I at last reached flat ground on Creek Road along Little Fishing Creek.

 Small uphill

Orchard

Creek Road went uphill for a while and then became flat as it took me back to Fernville. I then crossed Fishing Creek and followed the Bloomsburg Rail Trail for a bit before turning onto Irondale Road. I've grown weary of the Arbutus Park Road climb lately, so I decided to do something a bit different: I headed into town, riding up the rather hilly Glenn Ave, past the hospital, and onto the road with the bike lane. I then continued the long climb up Turkey Hill on Country Club Drive and Country Club Road. At the Monty Hall building, I turned onto Welsh Circle. The climb continued up to a parking lot, where I stopped to rest after climbing 450 feet in a bit less than two miles. But from there, it was all downhill. Literally.

 Creek Road

 Plants, it seems, can survive just about anywhere

 Cliff on the Bloomsburg Rail Trail, with more intrepid plant life clinging to it.

Just over a mile left now

I made good time on the shortcut, since I was going downhill. I then reached Arbutus Park Road and it was another half mile to home. My time was 2:12:21 and my pace was 4:58/mile.

2321 feet of elevation gain and 4649 feet of total elevation change. One of the steeper rides that I've done. The high point was 1028 feet (on Dutch Hill Road) and the low point was 476 feet (crossing Fishing Creek into Fernville).

   Route map. (source)(license)