Bikes, Bees and Bar Ends

 Prompton Lake State Park

It is hard to believe that it has not even been 3 months and my friend Sue (who was impaled on her mountain bike at Raystown) was back in action and ready for some biking. Sue is all healed up now. She has a beautiful scar that runs from her breastbone, all the way down her belly. Still freshly pinkish-purple and lumpy. Sue did let me take pics, but much like the Raystown crash, those pics are private. Publishing them would somehow seem exploitative. I do have my limits. Pretty cool though. The human body can do amazing t

Sue is now the second person I know who has lost a spleen in a cycling crash. Seems she is only lighter and faster. I have been witness to many traumatic bike crashes and endured my own in the past. I am hoping that statistically speaking, I have met my quota.

This past weekend took us northward to Keen Lake which is nestled in the Pocono Mountains near Honesdale, PA, just off of the famed route 6. The camping there is great if you have kids. Treasure hunts, bike rodeos, movies on the beach...You name it, they had it. But, if you are there to do some mountain biking, mosey on up the road to Prompton Lake.

Prompton is just shy of 3 miles from the campground. Don't bother driving. Ride over to the trails. It is run by the Army Corp of Engineers. There is a local cycling club who maintain the trail system which circumvents the lake. There are several parking areas. The first parking area provides maps, but the holder was empty. There is a map posted, so take a good look or snap a pic. If you get lost, head downhill and you will eventually be at the lake to get your bearings.

We parked in the second lot and decided to ride a low trail over to the dam where we would cross over and do the other side of the lake. The trails are all well marked. Red was my favorite by far. The majority of trails are tight single-track laden with rocky sections and rooted areas. All of it is ride-able with only certain sections being super technical.

Of course, we decided to do the toughest trail first. In the first half mile I was stung by a bee. Apparently, I am more allergic than I thought and now have to carry an Epi pen. A few minutes later, I took a little digger and smacked my jaw on my bar end. Hmmm. Maybe I should have had that second cup of coffee. Some days, I get my groove on the minute I hit the trails. Other days, I feel like a circus clown riding one of those tiny little bikes. All over the place.

Once we got to the damn I settled in but Joanne crashed in the grass. I had to laugh because she rode all the technical stuff without fail and then dorked out on the grassy section. The rest of the ride was smooth sailing. We headed up on the yellow trail and then linked with red. Super sweet single-track. Some parts had short sections of rock that were fairly flat and very ride-able. The climbing was minimal but definitely needed granny on occasion.

Prompton is worth the trip. You can spend the day or several hours riding there. The dam is under construction, but you can still cross the lake. There are maps. For whatever reason, the DCNR website does not have a link. If you go, make it a weekend. Camp, ride and catch a movie on the beach. Just watch out for bees and bar ends.