Rain, a Big Deal, and a Vista

I was going to do a longer ride yesterday, but I had spent all morning working on a maze generating/maze solving Java program, so it was late when I got going. I only had time for a 20-miler, but it was well worth it. My route was basically a combination of an Orangeville route I did a few times last year and my first ride this year. I started out as I often do, riding down Dennys Hill and along Papermill Road. There were dark clouds in the sky, but I thought nothing of it. I began to feel a few drops on Papermill Road and some more once I left pavement.

 Heading west on Papermill Road

 Staghorn sumacs standing tall and proud amidst shrubbery

 Very dark and ominous clouds

 Looking back on Papermill Road

At the top of the hill, Papermill Road went curving into the woods and a few minutes later came out in Lightstreet. By this point, it was raining heavily. I hadn't ridden in serious rain before, but what harm could come of it? There's an old Finnish saying that "you aren't made out of sugar". I continued on to the northern part of Lightstreet, then turned onto Back Branch Road and headed across Fishing Creek. A I continued riding along Back Branch Road, past fields and cliffs, until I got to Whites Church Road, the first major climb.

 Raining in Lightstreet

 Fishing Creek

A big, flat field of pretty plantlife. Hmm, I wonder how long it'll stay undeveloped.

Whites Church Road immediately began gently sloping up through the woods. It's always got a hushed and natural feel to it as it climbs through a tunnel of green, like it's miles away from civilization (though it's really just a few hundred feet from houses). But that was enhanced even more by the rainy weather. Rain does seem to make everything seem a lot more green for some reason. I rode very fast for a while, but eventually the hill became steeper and I began to tire. But by that point the top of the hill was not far away.

Woods

By the time I reached the summit of Whites Church Road at 767 feet above sea level, I was soaked and the rain was still coming down. Going down the other side, it was almost impossible to see without squinting. I should've brought sunglasses (rainglasses?). On the way down, I passed some cows huddling outside in the rain. Poor cows. At least I had chosen to be out there.

 A field. If you look closely at a larger file size, you can see the rain coming down.

Whites Church Road

After reaching the end of Whites Church Road, I turned right on Mount Pleasant Road for a little bit of flat riding. For a little while, Deerlick Run was visible as it hugged the edge of a wooded hill a hundred yards away from the road. But after a bit, the scenery gave way to immense cornfields and I caught a glimpse of the hills I would eventually be riding up into. Soon enough, I entered Orange Township and turned onto Diehls Road.

Diehls Hill Road was hideously steep, rising over 330 feet in just 0.7 miles. Odd, because it doesn't look that steep in the picture. The last time I had ridden that way was four months ago, and I had been awed by the views at the top. For most of the way, it went through the woods, but after maybe half a mile, it came out into the open. The top wasn't far by that point and the rain began to die down.

 Huge barn

A pond near the top of the hill

The last couple tenths of a mile were the hardest and steepest, but the views were amazing. The rain stopped entirely by the time I got to the top of the hill. I came to a stop near the trailer park at the top of the hill (yes, there are trailer parks out in the middle of nowhere) and took a lot of pictures. I resolved to call the hill Big Deal, since "Diehl" sounds a bit like "Deal" (in my mind at least) and a 330-foot hill definitely is a big deal.

 Knob Mountain

 Looking back on Diehl Road

 Looking southeast, towards the hills where the second half of my ride would be.

 Looking south as sunlight breaks through the clouds

 Looking south again

 Knob Mountain and Orangeville

 Looking southwest

 Closeup of Knob Mountain

Fishing Creek valley

Someone crazy enough to go biking in the rain

After a while, I began descending again, still taking in the scenery as I did so. Soon, I had left the overlook and went full speed ahead, slowing down only for turns. After a minute or two, I reached the bottom of the road and continued heading east on Mount Pleasant Road, towards Orangeville. After a while, I crossed Fishing Creek and began another ascent, taking a detour along a residential road along the way. The road was short and didn't go anywhere in particular. Mount Pleasant Road eventually arrived in Orangeville and I rode on Route 487 for a short time.

 Approaching Orangeville

 Church in Orangeville

Looking north on Route 487

I was only on Pennsylvania Route 487 for a block or two before turning onto Pine Street, a steep side street along the edge of Knob Mountain. Pine Street rose up to Pennsylvania Route 93, which I crossed and continued onto Draketown Road. Draketown Road went up and down and up again through rural countryside with some houses. Lots of forests, but not so many fields. After a steep hill, I left it and turned onto Whitmire Road.

 The beginning (or end, depending on how you look at it) of Draketown Road

 Sharp bend in Draketown Road

Blue skies have returned

I followed some more country roads around for a while before a long, steep descent to Fowlersville Road. The descend continued on the other side of Fowlersville Road, on the long, straight Hidlay Church Road. The descent bottomed out at a bridge that appeared to cross nothing except some bushes and the road ascended up to connect with Ridge Road.

 The light at the end of the tunnel. In a manner of speaking.

Distant blue hill

The last five miles of the ride were pretty unremarkable. I rode down Ridge Road into Lightstreet and from there to Papermill Road, up Dennys Hill, and home.

 Fence on Ridge Road

 Ridge Road itself

 Blue sky

 

Papermill Road, still wet from the rain

How...cozy

My time was 1:36:29 and my pace was 4:49/mile. We're leaving for Helen, GA tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be able to sneak in a ride while we're there; if not the next post should be in a couple of weeks.

 Elevation change: 3381 feet. High point: 1043 feet (somewhere on Summer Hill). Low point: 515 feet (crossing Fishing Creek on Back Branch Road)

   Route map. (source)(license)