That other Grand Canyon may be deeper, but come spring, it can't match the spectacular explosion of color that lines the walls of Pine Creek Gorge, a 1,450 foot-deep, 47-mile long chasm in Tioga County. The views of spring, summer and fall foliage are spectacular as you gaze out at the old-growth forests and century-old hardwoods. From the expansive view across the gorge of roaring river silenced by distance, the grandeur of this canyon is undeniable. Though a continent away from the dramatic terraces, mesas and buttes that form our national landmark in Arizona, Pine Creek Gorge is worthy of the title Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. Located in north-central Pennsylvania, the gorge was scoured into the landscape by the flow of Pine Creek over the past 350 million years. Now surrounded by nearly a million acres of Pennsylvania state forest and parkland, the Pine Creek Gorge plummets 427 meters from the rim to its deepest point, exposing rock from the Paleozoic. The sandstone, siltstone, mudstone and shale that form the valley can be seen along its many mountain bike trails to the bottom of the gorge, alternating in gently inclined layers of gray, red, brown and green. Unlike Arizona’s Grand Canyon, however, the Pine Creek Gorge is quite wet, with waterfalls cascading down the sheer faces of bedrock into small pools and then into the flowing river below. Along the canyon walls, hard sandstone supports precipitous cliffs that reach out over the gorge and invite the adventurous to an exciting view. Two state park overlooks at the north end of the gorge also provide some great vistas. Other sights to see include dramatic rock outcrops, waterfalls, and wildlife like eagles, osprey, coyote, deer, wild turkeys, herons, hawks, and even river otters!
The forest, called the "Black Forest" by early settlers, towers above the canyon and holds an abundance of mountain biking trails which offer expansive vistas of the canyon and surrounding region. This is truly a mountain biker's paradise - the most extensive remote and scenic system of jeep track and fire trails in Pennsylvania.
Come enjoy this most beautiful and scenic tour of the
canyon with us. Our off-road mountain biking tour takes you
into the backcountry via state fire and logging roads
crossing many streams along the way. You will see pristine
vistas, creeks, gorgeous mountain views & possibly get
a glimpse of a bear, deer, coyote or bald eagle, just to
name a few. The opportunities for sightseeing are
plentiful, so bring your camera! Many of our guests enjoy
our custom/private mountain bike expedition. This
opportunity to spend quality time with friends and fellow
mountain bike enthusiasts are all great reasons to take our
private expedition. Once we get the expedition group
together (maximum 12 people), Excel Adventure will take
care of the rest from start to finish. From mild to wild we
will provide you with a custom mountain bike tour of your
dreams.
WHEN - October 16, 2009. Please join Judy and I for our
first annual Black Forest Mountain Bike Adventure. You can
also do portions of the trip by riding in our support
vehicle through some of the tougher sections of the
mountain tracks. We will carpool out of the Akron area at
3:00-4:00 PM (or drive your own vehicle at an ETD of your
own convenience) to arrive in Waterville, Pennsylvania in 4
hrs on Friday evening October 16th. We will leave on Sunday
October 18th in late morning or mid afternoon based on
weather and the group's interest in staying a bit longer.
GROUP SIZE - limited to 12 riders.
FITNESS LEVEL - You will need a good to moderate base of
cycling in by trip date, having been able to ride for
stretches of 2-4 hrs on your mountain bike up and down
hills and/or mountains.
FULLY SUPPORTED - Chase vehicle, unlimited liquid refills,
food stops, chase vehicle will carry each riders special
needs bag.
DISTANCE - The Black Forest Mountain Bike Adventure will consist of 1-2 rides per day on Saturday and Sunday. Distances will vary and are up to the riders as to how far and long they would like to ride on each segment.
ROUTE - Will take riders up and over the mountains of Pennsylvania's world famous Black Forest region. Several climbs are easily 1 hr in length, while some of the other climbs are gentle rollers or steeply pitched power climbs that entail out of the saddle climbing. There are also many long, lazy flats that wind through the densely forested mountain tops and along streams and runs. Many of these fire and logging roads wind along and around the Pine Creek drainage - The Little Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. .
ROUTE ELEVATION PROFILE - We'll have that up soon.
ROUTE MAP - We'll have that up soon.
COST - $150.00/rider. You will have support vehicles; dinners on Friday and Saturday evenings; Saturday and Sunday breakfasts; food, beverages and carbo supplements during the ride; tent (tents available for rent) camping in a mountain top campground with full shower and restroom facilities available for your convience.
