First Autumn Ride

I did 32.3 miles on Wednesday, the first day of autumn. For whatever reason, I didn't have any school on that day, so I headed off for a bike ride. I got started an hour later than I had wanted to: around 3:30. No matter. I rode to Lightstreet following my usual route, and then headed to Back Branch Road, and then up Whites Church Road. I rode fast for a while, faster than I have ridden in a long while. I averaged around 15 miles per hour for the first seven miles.

 Sycamore

Autumn

I began to slow by the time I was heading up Crap Hollow via Crouse Hollow Road. Of course, that was to be expected since it was a long gravel climb. After about a mile and a half on gravel, I came to pavement on Fester Road, which continued ascending to Bowmans Mill Road.

 Lick Run Road

 Pretty flowers

 Crouse Hollow Road

Cornfields

 Road through the corn

I rode for a mile on Bowmans Mill Road, through fields lit by a golden, early autumn light. Then I turned onto Turkey Path Road, which was, as usual, a wild ride down into the Greenwood Valley. After navigating the sharp turn at the bottom, I crossed Mud Run via the Kramer Covered Bridge--where I almost fell.

 Fields on Bowmans Mill Road

 The aptly named Mud Run

Looking back on the Kramer Covered Bridge

After that, I headed north on Thomas Road, past the Van Houten Farm and across Little Creek Creek to Austin Trail. The ride up Austin Trail was pretty unremarkable. I was there for 2.5 miles and it climbed very slightly most of the way, getting steeper as it went. At one point, I passed by a pond and noticed a heron flying away. There was another heron sitting by the pond, but it turned out to be fake. Still, I've been seeing a few real herons floating around.

 Turkey Path Road, with the Kramer Covered Bridge in the background

 Fall is now here

 Some kind of seedy plant, possibly milkweed

 Looking

A turtle on the side of the road. Not moving, but definitely not fake.

I then turned onto Milroy Road, which I had noticed on my ride to Benton last week. which quickly turned to gravel and headed into the woods. It soon took me to Morris Road, an even more rugged road, where I began what had to be the most hideous climb I've done since Nescopeck Mountain. Morris Road was all loose gravel and the trees were so thick overhead that it was almost dusky. A few times it was so steep that I was actually stopped in my tracks for a few moments. The loose gravel also kept making my tires slip, making it take even longer. After traveling half a mile in more than seven minutes, I came out of the woods and reached the summit. I happened to notice a spectacular view behind me and took some shots of it. At home, I made it into a stunning three-shot panorama.

 "No winter maintenance. Travel at your own risk."

 Heading up in dense woods. I wonder if there are bears here?

 More climbing

Finally, close to the top

 Panorama (view larger file here [the full file size is even larger])

After that hill, which went up 368 feet in half a mile (368 feet in one mile is steep), I was too beat to do much of anything. Fortunately, there was a long, spectacular gravel downhill. I passed by some more spectacular views before heading into the woods and coming out at another road, which went past open fields for a while.

 Spectacular view to the south

 Heading downhill

 Pond in late afternoon light

Typical northeast Pennsylvania

I followed some more unpaved roads through fields and woods, and over rolling hills, for a while before crossing Little Green Creek at returning to Austin Trail. From there, it was not far to Rohrsburg.

 More scenery

 Owl Road, if I remember right. Lots of bird-named roads in the area.

 Greenwood Valley

 Interesting bridge surface

Little Green Creek

By the time I got to Rohrsburg, it was getting late and I was pretty tired, so I decided to cut my ride from 35 to 32 miles and head back directly along Rohrsburg Road. The shoulders are narrow, but it's not that busy and the drivers tend to be pretty nice. I was on Rohrsburg Road for about 2.5 miles; most of that was flat or very gently rolling.

 Rohrsburg Road

Moonrise at the majestic Knob Mountain

I then turned onto Green Creek Road for a couple of miles. Nothing much to report; the terrain was much the same as Rohrsburg Road. The sun was beginning to get low in the sky, though, and I got a couple of nice pictures of Green Creek.

 The very greenish Green Creek

 Green Creek Road and the setting sun

Mouth of Green Creek

At the end of Green Creek Road, I turned onto Mount Pleasant Road and then headed Whites Church Road. Such a minuscule climb after the brutal ones earlier in the ride. I tried to get a picture of the algae pond on the hill, but it didn't turn out well. On the other hand, I did get a spectacular picture of the sunset from the top.

 Pylon, cornfield, trees, and the moon.

 Late afternoon light

Pretty sunset picture

I then glided down the other side of Whites Church Road for nearly two miles before turning onto Back Branch Road, and then riding through Lightstreet. A couple of miles on Papermill Road--some of it forested and on gravel--took me to Dennys Hill.

 The unnamed stream I call South Whites Church Road Run because it runs along the southern part of Whites Church Road.

 Scenery off Papermill Road

 Papermill Road itself, in the lowering light.

Dennys Hill

Soon after I got to the top of Dennys Hill, I was home. I got dark about half an hour after that. Sadly, the days are really getting short now; they're shorter than the nights. My time was 2:32:40 and my pace was 4:44/mile.

 4770 feet of elevation change

Route map. (source)(license)