Gay Outdoors - Premier Gay and Gay Friendly Men's Outdoor Recreation Club in New England

Trip report

Mountaing Biking-Pocahontas SP

Mountain Biking DATE: 05/21/2013 - 05/21/2013

Trip/Event Location: Chesterfield, VA
US

Trip Leader(s):

Max # People: 6

Trip Guiding / Event Fee: No, I will not be asking participants for money

Difficulty Level: Moderate

I have an extra Mountain Bike, so no excuses for not trying out this trail!

A nice bike ride which will challenge you without making you wished you stayed home! There are lots of great mountain

...

Copy/Repost Hike

Driving directions to the location and spot to meet at:

I have an extra Mountain Bike, so no excuses for not trying out this trail!

We'll first meet near Ledo Pizza, 7052 Commons Plaza, Chesterfield, VA, just off Beach Road. I'll have a gray 2007 Ford 4x4 F-150. Then we'll drive down the 3.5 miles to the entrance of the park.

Use mapquest or Maps.Google on "State Park Road and Beach Road, Chesterfield, VA" to get to the turn off and to get to the main gate.

The trail head is near the Nature Center and Heritage Center, about 1/4 mile from the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Museum. We'll start the ride in the parking lot near, but not next to the Nature Center (you'll see other bikers parked for sure).

Trip Report/Photos

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE

Trip Report

Pocahontas State Park Mountain Bike Ride

Tuesday 5/21/2013

This was the first of many, hopefully, bike rides that I’ll plan and post for people to join.

Rob and I met at the shopping center and then drove to the park entrance and then on to the nature center parking lot. We got our gear together and biked up the fire road which leads you to the trail head. The conditions were a bit soft, but overall the trail was in great shape.

About ½ mile into the trip my chain broke and with no spare chain, that was that. I have never had a chain break on me in the many thousands of miles I have ridden the past 15 years. This was an unpleasant surprise and very unwanted circumstance in my first Mountain Bike ride of the season-especially one I was leading and had organize. We coasted and walked back to the trail head and saw a medium sized snapping turtle just off the trail by 4’ to 5’.

The turtle cautiously watched us and turned its body so that its head was always pointed towards me as I walked by to make sure I kept on moving! Normally, turtles will just freeze and not move or pull into their shells. It might have been my white shirt and the lower light conditions that made him focus to intently on me and my movements going by.

Rob and I then decided to get a bite to eat at nearby sandwich and smoothie bar so the trip was ended with good food and good conversation. Not a bad way to spend the afternoon.

Trail Guy Eric

PS I will be dropping my bike off to get a new chain, a tune up, and ready for a very active (I hope!) mountain biking season.

- The Trip Has No Photos -

Members That Participated