Fat Tires at Raystown Lake

This past weekend I got to go experience something awesome. I am the proud owner of Surly Pugsley and I had not really gotten a chance to take it out on a ride where it was the de facto proper bike for the journey before my ride this weekend.

This is not a toy...well, ok, maybe it is.

My coworker Rylan, former shop mechanic Johnny, and myself took our fat tire machines to Raystown Lake, the home of the Allegrippis Trail System. The Allegrippis Trail System is certainly not known for its gnarly nature and soft terrain. I've heard it described as a 30 mile long pump track. It's fast, flowtastic, twisty, and smooth. Though we rode some of the trails that day, the highlight of our trip was exploring the recently exposed lake bottom around the edge of the lake on our fat bikes. The Army Corps of Engineers has lowered the water level of the lake for shoreline rehabilitation. the result is some riding and scenery (and temperatures!) that seems like it's right out of one of those dream trips you might read about fat biking the coast of Alaska in the spring.

This is actually in Pennsylvania.

When we got there we had an opportunity to bomb down some of the fast flowy single track to get to the shore line. It was a balmy 24 degrees Fahrenheit when we arrived with winds gusting to 30 mph, so the shelter of the trees on the ride down to the lake was much appreciated. The night before we had gotten a dusting of snow which really added a cool visual element to the ride.

Johnny and his Krampus, Me in the background.

Even though there is nothing about the Allegrippis trails that requires a fatbike, it's still a blast to ride one there. The "whomp zzzzzzzzzzzzzz" noise of 4 inch tires being pumped and aired out over the rhythm sections is addictive and a forty pound bike holds momentum extremely well. Before I knew it we were at the overlook.

Fatbikes at the Overlook

We then headed down Ray's Revenge to the first access road and bombed down to the lake on it. We were greeted by a small cove, an expanse of sandstone beach, and the edge of the water. Rylan got a little rad off the bank while we were taking a short break.

Pictured: Radness

Then it was time for a little hanging out and picture taking.

Goofing off.

Then we were off down the shore line. We ended up in the next cove over after a bunch of hike a bike. the shore here was just too steep off camber to ride with enormous sandstone outcroppings and tons of downed trees. It became ridable for a little bit near the inlet and Rylan got a little too adventurous and got him self stuck, twice. The second time he managed to fall over in the mud and sink his foot about a foot deep in the mud.

Pretty sure that wasn't the line there bud.

Props to the Mavic Drift shoes we both were wearing, I had a similar experience racing cyclocross and we're both happy to report they are as close to waterproof a shoe can get, no wet feet today.

Still dry inside.

 After that it was a bunch more hike a bike until we decided to go hunt for another, more rideable section of shoreline. So we hiked straight up the side of the point to the bench on Ray's Revenge with 40 lb bikes on our backs. We got a chance to zip down Ray's Revenge to Sidewinder to Hydro Loop. We launched into Hydro Loop counterclockwise looking for a good place to go ride some more shoreline. We found a good place to get on and off the trail to the shore and passed it by to see if we could find another place to get out on the shoreline to ride back to that point. We found another way down to the water's edge, but the shore between points didn't look too rideable, so we backtracked to the other point and launched out on the shoreline for about another 2 miles of shore riding and bushwhacking. This was our most productive section of the ride for accumulating lake treasure, including the choice finds below.

My new boombox.

Rylan's new shades!

Not pictured are an American Flag, Rylan's Mariah Carey CD, and seashells...lots of seashells. There were more bike pics

Fat bikes on Mars! We found the water!

 After our shoreline adventures it was singletrack back to the car for a total of about 18 miles and 2100 ft of climbing.



We had a blast and I wish we had more time. Riding the shores of Raystown Lake with fat bikes with the water level this low is not something that you get to do everyday but the opportunity to do so won't last for long. When the water level rises again this experience will be lost. So go ahead and get your hands on a fat bike and have your own adventure!