Colorfest informal ride Thurmont, Md. Oct. 8-9

silverbear

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Thought it would be cool if any of you forum members in southern PA, northern Virginia or Maryland wanted to get together on the weekend of October 8-9 in Thurmont, Maryland for a group ride. A lot of people turn out for this event in the beautiful Catoktin Mountains north of Frederick, Maryland and south of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It is when leaf change is at it's peak and the mountains are a glory! This is very near Camp David, where the presidents go for a weekend getaway. Lots of vendors and it is when everybody does a yard sale. I'll be there and I am hoping to see Tinsmith and Tim Boelner who is going to try to make it from Baltimore... How about you, Crazy Horse? It would be great to meet you finally. Anyone else? I caretake a rural property near Thurmont, so if anyone wants to pitch a tent and stay the night... there's plenty of room and great mountain roads for bike riding.
SB

Catoctin Colorfest
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Oct 08, 2011 - Oct 09, 2011

More than 360 stands of juried arts & crafts; two areas, all within walking distance. Shuttle buses available.

Category: Arts-Visual
Location: Community Park, Activities Grounds
10 Frederick Rd
Thurmont, Maryland 21788
County: Frederick County
Event Hours: Sat-Sun, 9am-5pm
Region: Capital Region
Phone: 301-271-7533
Website: http://colorfest.org
Google map
 
Since I live just up the mountain from Thurmont, the whole weekend is good for me. We can co-ordinate time and place when we get closer to that weekend. Hope you can make it!
SB
 
Well I'll be biking through Thurmont tomorrow (Oct 8) with some friends, but will be using a pedal bike with no motor. Route starts a little after 9 am at Monocracy Middle school. Route is below if you want to try to intersect with us.

Three Covered Bridges - 53 Miles
From Monocacy Middle School
0 R Opossumtown Pike
0.3 L Poole Jones Road
1.3 S Onto Walter Martz Rd @ SS
2.5 L Opossumtown Pike
2.7 BR TRO Opossumtown Pike
3.3 BL TRO Opossumtown Pike
4.3 X Bethel Rd to Putman Rd @ SS
5.7 R Mountaindale Rd
8.2 L Hansonville Rd
8.3 X Rte 15 (CAUTION)
8.3 S Onto Hessong Bridge Rd
9.5 R Utica Rd - Covered Bridge @ 10.4
10.5 L Old Frederick Rd
14.4 BL Creagersville Rd @ SS - Rte 550
15.0 BR Old Frederick Rd-Covered Bridge @ 17.0
17.3 X TRO Old Frederick @ Rocky Ridge
20.9 L Motters Station - Rte 76 @ SS
21.5 L Old Kiln Rd
23.8 L Roddy Rd
24.6 S Cross Roddy Rd Covered Bridge
25.4 S Bec's Apple Church Rd
26.2 R E. Main St @ T
27.6 L Tippin Dr
28.2 BR Onto Frederick Rd - Rte 806
28.2 R REST STOP @ Highs- Just after TL
28.2 R TRO Rte 806-bec's Catoctin Furnace Hwy
29.1 BL Onto Blue Mountain Rd
31 R Hessong Bridge Rd
33.1 L Blacks Mill Rd
34.4 R Wilhide Rd
35.1 R Angleberger Rd
37.3 L Hessong Bridge
37.7 R Fish Hatchery Rd
38 X Rte 15 (CAUTION)
39.2 L Putman Rd
40.5 L Mountaindale Rd
41.3 R Bethel Rd
44.8 L Yellow Springs Rd (Hamburg Rd)
46.1 R Rocky Springs Rd
46.8 L TRO Rocky Springs Rd
48.3 L Christophers Crossing
50 S Onto Walter Martz Rd
50.2 L TRO Walter Martz-2nd Walter Martz @ T
51.4 R Opossumtown Pike
52.7 R TRO Opossumtown @ Willowbrook
53.6 L Monocacy MS Parking Lot
 
I'm having a lot of trouble with my internet connection and this will be my third try at responding to this post. The satellite connection here has given up, I have purchased a Verizon 4 G device and find it is not much better. This part of the Cotactin mountain range is difficult for communications apparently.
The dog and I did a ride through Thurmont this morning and it was an incredible crush of humanity on foot and in vehicles. I have learned since that many of the locals avoid it as much as possible. What was once a quaint community celebration of leaf change with music and food has become a mega yard sale descended upon by people who travel some distances to attend. If you like crowds and enough yard sales to make your eyes spin around I guess it is fine. I'm a forest dweller from the north woods of Minnesota and found it overwhelming.
I know, I'm the idiot who suggested this in the first place. The only good part of the dog and my ride was outside of town where there is an old covered bridge from Civil War days on a back road with a rushing stream of water making music of the best kind. Moosh and I shared our sandwich and for me a can of beer and for her a drink of stream. It is this and the beauty of the hills in leaf change that I had envisioned for this group ride which never materialized. While the Thurmont area and near by state park are perfect for biking, Colorfest weekend makes it all very difficult in my opinion.
Virginian, I hope your pedal ride with friends in the area was a lot of fun. The weather was perfect, for sure. Perhaps another time we can arrange a group motorbike ride when Dan is in town (out of state right now), I'm not out of computer and the town isn't out of room.
SB
 
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