Moutain Biking
Cow Pasture Trail
Over the mountains and through the fog, to Cow Pasture Trail we go...
5/16/03 by Christopher Burk, Outdoor Travels
I was amazed at how thick the fog was. I had to slow down to make sure I didn't miss the turn for the Scenic Highway. Considering the weather forecast had called for clouds and rain all weekend long, the fog bank was actually somewhat of a nice surprise. With the exception of maybe the tropics, fog in the morning usually meant sunny skies later on.
For our second ride of the weekend, we picked Cow Pasture Trail, seven miles of mostly level terrain that winds around the outside of the Cranberry Glades Botanical Area. The botanical area is part of the Cranberry Backcountry Area located between Route 150 (Scenic Highway) and WV 55/39. (note: A more in-depth overview of the Cranberry Wilderness and Backcountry Area is available in the Hiking section).
With one bike on top and two in the back, we made our way through the fog along the Scenic Highway. Before long we were greeted to a wonderful view looking across the fog-enshrouded valley below. It looked like a wonderful day was in store for us. I just hoped my riding would be better than the day before.
My bike buddy had not brought me any good mojo yesterday and I was looking for a change of pace. Dana had pointed out the fact that since I had only been mountain biking a total of six times and here I was riding some of the best trails in the country, I should feel pretty good about my riding skills. Possibly, but maybe Crash Bandicoot wasn't such a good bike buddy either. But, as Jeff pointed out, my bike buddy and I were a fashion fit; between the blue shorts and orange biking jersey, it just seemed natural.
As we set off down the trail, we quickly discovered why it is called Cow Pasture Trail. We never saw a cow but almost half the trail wound through wide-open meadows. If it weren't for the blue blazes on posts, we would have had a difficult time finding the trail. (Which would actually be par for the course for an Outdoor Travels adventure.) But the scenery we were presented with more than made up for the non-technical double-track we were riding.
As we rounded the tip of the botanical section we encountered a park sign indicating the rest of the trail was closed due to bridges being out. Well, that's just great. We were only about a mile into our seven-mile ride and now we had a choice to make. We could turn around and go back from whence we came, follow the directions on the sign and ride on the service road or ignore the sign and see where the trail took us. Needless to say, considering the Outdoor Travels motto, we rode past the sign in search of adventure. Beside if the bridge is out, what is the worst that could happen? We would either turn around and come back or wade across the stream and ride on.
Between the opportunities to lose the trail and riding into the unknown by ignoring the sign, this ride was turning into a very typical Outdoor Travels adventure. And just like hiking, I set out at a quicker pace than Dana or Jeff. It wasn't long before I had outdistanced them both. Ah, the advantage of clipless pedals. But they did catch back up to me a little while longer. The advantage of riding two to three times a week.
It wasn't long after when we discovered the reason behind the "Trail Closed" sign. At the bottom of minor grade we came across a huge bridge. OK, a huge bridge would be something like the Golden Gate, but as wilderness bridges go, this was an architectural work of art. I'm not sure why the trail required such an immense overpass but between the six-by-six construction and massive bolts, one thing was for sure, the bridge was going to be there for a long time to come.
Once across the bridge, the trail slowly changed from double-track to single-track. We were also treated to our first somewhat technical section. Under normal conditions, it wouldn't be that difficult; but between the mud and the wet roots, the difficulty level was increased. The challenge was basically this: cross a small bridge and then negotiate a short but rather steep climb while navigating over and around a multitude of roots. We all tried it twice but none of us made it cleanly. We came close, but there was always one slimy root that foiled our attempt in the end. We moved on.
For every upside to a trail's layout, there's a downside. Cow Pasture Trail is relatively flat therefore with the exception of the last small hill; there aren't many serious climbs and tough technical sections. The downside to level terrain is there is very little water runoff. In fact there were several sections that could be classified as water collection points. One of which I rode right through.
After a five-minute break to remove the five pounds of mud, sticks and leaves my bike picked up from the mud hole, we pressed on. It wasn't long before I added to my "Crash Bandicoot" mantra, although this time it wasn't really my fault. I was following behind Jeff when he rode over a small log. Little did I know that this log had become a bike-seeking missile. I tried to weave around it to no avail. It rolled under my front tire and basically took me out.
As I was picking myself up off the ground it occurred to me that what I should have done was bunny hop over the log. After all, I might as well get full use out of my clipless pedals and since this was a relatively level and wide train, now was the best time to practice. And practice I did.
Along the way we also invented a new game. The name of the game is, "Who gets the skirt?" and the rules are simple, the one who won't ride a section or dabs along the way, gets the skirt. Whether it was a tight bend between the trees or a really rooty and rocky section, each of us had our respective turns wearing the "skirt" and I continued to practice my bunny hop technique. We pretty much rode on this way for a while until I got too carried away hopping over logs.
I had no problem getting my front wheel up over the logs but my back tire continually would land on top of the log. I have since then figured out the trick is to kick up my heels while in the air but my novice riding wisdom had not reached that epiphany yet. At the time, I thought there were two reasons why I wasn't totally clearing the logs. I wasn't getting enough air in the beginning, and I was going too slowly. The logically solution was to approach with more speed and pull up harder right before going over the log. It sounded good right up to the point when my front wheel landed at an angle and spun out underneath me.
I have no idea what parts of the bike drew blood on my shins as I slid across it. Anything between the pedals and the handlebars is a good guess. All I know is it hurt a lot. Dana applauded the wipeout because it drew blood, but in his defense he did ask if I were OK first. Between two rides, my crashes now totaled five. Not necessarily a good trend but if you don't push the envelope you won't improve. Regardless of that thought, I was a great deal less aggressive trying to bunny hop over any more logs across the trail.
Fortunately for me the rest of the ride was uneventful. We did come across another structurally substantial bridge and a couple more mud holes before reaching the gravel road that would take us back to the parking lot. And, of the many fishermen we passed along the road, one turned out to be a friend of Jeff's who was kind enough to take our post-ride photo.
Day two of our riding weekend, thick fog, bridges that would make Romans proud, projectile logs, blood, mud, mountains and meadows: we be mountain biking.
