Tag Archives: Seven Springs Mountain Resort

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In Search of Winter

IMG00053dcnr_008372imagehandler I always liked the change of seasons here in Pennsylvania. The changing leaves of the fall were alwyays a sign that winter was on its way and for some strange reason, I have always loved the snow and the winter. I still do to this day in spite of the fact that most people my age are looking to go south to get out of the cold. From the time I was a boy, when the first snows came, I was the first kid out the door with the pan or the Flexible Flyer to the Stowell’s back yard for a sled ride until my dad rang the bell for me to come home for dinner. Oftentimes it was not enough snow and too much mud and the sledding was a little rough. But as the winter progressed, those early outings and the exuberance of the early season was rewarded with deeper snows and better sledding.

As I started to ski in earnest, I would listen to the ski reports and hope that the phone would ring and Bob Rose would tell me to get ready for the trip to the mountains for the first skiing at our local area, Seven Springs. When I could drive, my folks were pretty understanding of my passion for winter and when we had a snow day off for school, my mom’s car was packed and I was on my way to the mountains. They told me to be careful which I was as I had some harrowing rides on the PA Turnpike, but I always arrived in one piece and left the same. Weekends were the same way with Friday afternoon drives after school to the mountains and the return on Sunday after bunking at the Rich family house on County Line Road near Seven Springs. I loved the winter. I loved the snow. I loved the wool hats and clothes. I still love everything about winter.

One of the more interesting and humorous outings was a while back with my friend Mike Hudson. I had taken Mike to Tuckerman Ravine and showed him big time winter camping and skiing. We had done several road trips and Mike was relegated to hearing my enthusiasm about winter for hours at a time. One time we were at a party together in early winter and I told him that it was going to snow up north of Pittsburgh. For those of you who are not from this area, we have this bigtime snow machine called Lake Erie and when the clippers come across the lake from Canada, it can dump unusual amounts of snow in northern PA. and Western New York State. I went to college not far from the lake and it was winter for most of the year in that neck of the woods. I said,” Hud- we need to go cross country skiing tomorrow and I will pick you up at the crack of dawn.” He was game and we took my International Scout northward towards the snow belt. We started to see snow around Oil City and decided that we would start at Drake’s Well which is in Oil Creek State Park. It was the site of the first oil well in Pa. and as we observed the well while suiting up, the snow was coming down hard and we were excited for an early winter outing. What we didn’t realize was that the ground was still fairly warm and as we broke the fresh snow with our skis, it was sticking to the bottoms of the skis and we were leaving green tracks all over the place. We tried waxing and scraping the snow but the frustrations were mounting and I told Hud,” We are out of here.”

We drove up to the Allegheny National Forest and settled on some trails that were close to the roadway. Same situation occurred. The ground was too warm and the snow was too wet. We were getting soaked and Hud’s enthusiasm was waning. I liked being out in the weather but Hud was getting frustrated with the weather, the conditions, and me. Had I been by myself, I would have enjoyed the day, regardless of what had happened but I was intent on making sure Hud was having a good time. I convinced him that we needed to get closer to the lake because it would be colder with more snow. That was a huge shot in the dark. We ended up at a cross country area near Erie and the conditions were a little better but the snow was still sticking to the skis. I kept plodding onward and Hud was finished. He begged me to get in the car and drive home. I reluctantly said ok and off we went down I-79 in a snowstorm.

I dropped Hud off and told him thanks for the company. He laughed and said,” McCloskey- I have spent 12 hours with you and I need to recuperate. I am not going out now and probably will not leave my house for days after that outing.” Hud is a character and I didn’t take it too personally but it just goes to show you that some people are more enthused about the winter than others. I have been known to drive to Vermont to ski upper Cascade at Killington in October and return several weeks later in bullet proof conditions with the snow guns blowing full force. I like snow storms. I like the muffled sounds that occur when the snow piles up in the trees and on the roads. It is a soft experience and if you can enjoy it on skis, snowshoes, pan, Flexible Flyer, it is all the same. Fresh air in the depths of the winter. Why sit on your couch and wait for spring? Embrace the winter. I have a post from last winter entitled the same. Check it out. I even turned my beach loving wife into a winter participant. She still likes the warm weather and the beach, but she has embraced the winter and has been drawn into the ethusiasm of her husband who may not have all his oars in the water. It’s coming. Enjoy it. Thanks for reading.

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Bouncing along the Laurel Ridge

photophoto There is a saying around here that if you grow up skiing in the east, you can ski anywhere. Easterners cut their teeth on rock hard icy trails with high winds and frigid conditions. Some of the best racers and skiers in the country grew up skiing on the steep and demanding trails of the East. The same can be said for the trails that we Easterners ride on mountain bikes. From the mountains of Georgia, to the Shenandoahs, to the Appalachians, to the Green and White Mountains of New England, the trails are rocky, rooty, muddy, sploogy, tests of will in very tight singletrack conditions. The Greenlee boys taught me the ropes a while back when we rode at Moraine State Park. This area in Western Pa. is known as the Terminal Moraine. Geologically speaking it is where the glaciers melted and deposited large amounts of granite not indiginous to this area. These granite tombstones litter the trails and make the riding challenging to say the least. All of us who ride in Western Pa. have been exposed to these trails one time or another if they are serious about mountain biking.

West Virginia is held in the same regard for demanding trails as I have pointed out in previous posts. Gunnar Shogren, a former GT Mountain Bike Professional was known as the “Beast of the East” because his stock always rose when national races were held in the East where he was most comfortable. Western rides tend to be lung searing, altitude challenges with fire roads and singletrack. But nothing can compare to the Eastern conditions that we ride regularly. Central Pa. has its mountains and no challenge is greater than the Tussey Mountain Trail or the associated trails that are part of the Rothrock State Forest near State College,Pa. If you want to ride momentum stopping, tombstone like obstacles in the trail, you need not look any further than the Tussey Mountain Trail or the John Wert Path. A true test of skill and endurance can be found here.

However, the Laurel Ridge is close and dear to my heart because I have spent a majority of my life enjoying the mountains of Western Pennsylvania. The trails in the mountains have their own challenges as seen by the picture of the “Rock Garden” at Seven Springs Mountain Resort. http://www.7springs.com This section of trail is part of the 24 Hour Race Course and has also been part of the course when the NORBA National Mountain Bike Series was held at Seven Springs. I fractured my wrist in this lovely little garden a few years back and was relegated to riding most of the summer in an Ace Wrist Guard with a metal protector. A little uncomfortable for the summer but it allowed my wrist to heal while I still pounded the trails. I have spoken in the last few posts about testing and pushing yourself even when you are a 58 year old kid like me. Momentum is always your friend, as my friend Barry Jeffries always says. Sometimes you have to test your will and ride these sections to keep your skills sharp if you want to continue to enjoy what the Laurel Highlands has to offer. There are miles of trails like the other photo shown above and I always enjoy the Laurel Highlands on a mountain bike. I call it accelerated hiking. No cars, no crowds, just quiet peaceful trails riddled with the frequent challenges of rocks and roots. Your troubles can be left behind if you ride these trails because you have virtually no time to think about anything else than concentrating on where to put your wheel in the next rock section. Whenever I finish(survive) a good ride in the Laurel Mountains, I feel like I got a very good workout and kept my riding skills sharp. Even for an old guy.

If you check out my post about my fireplace, it is constructed with the rock that you find in the mountains of Western Pa. It is a constant reminder to me of the challenges that we face whenever we Eastern riders go to our trails of choice. Like the skiing here, the riding is challenging. The green woods are lush with fern growth and the hardwoods provide a perfect canopy for riders. Lots of local riders enjoy these trails and many of them ride them with true expertise. But it is important for us older riders to continue to ride these challenging trails and keep our skills sharp so that we can enjoy this wonderful sport for a long, long time. Test yourself, push yourself. We all know our limits but when you go just a little beyond your comfort zone, keep your momentum up and ride it out, you can have a thrill that lasts for many days until………….the next ride. Check out the Laurel Highlands. Whether you ski them, hike them, or ride them, let them teach you. You will enjoy it. Thanks for reading.