The last few years, we’ve done a Fall bike trip to Jim Thorpe and environs, and this year is no different. We’re aiming for Friday October 22 through Sunday October 24. This isn’t officially a CAT event, but we are publicizing here because so many participants are also CAT members.

This ride requires some fitness and time — three days of riding about 40-50 miles per day — and even though most of it is on the D&L Trail, there are some challenges. But, we keep a pretty mellow pace and we know from past years that some riders who never thought they could do it, did it and had a good time. If you’re not sure whether you or your gear are up for the ride, talk to Scott or Anne.

The general itinerary is: FRIDAY: Starting from Sand Island in Bethlehem, we head west on the D&L and stay on that trail until we get to Jim Thorpe. The D&L trail is not yet contiguous, so as we head north, we’ll be on the roads for a few miles from north of Allentown until we get back on the trail in Northampton. There are trailside amenities at a number of places, not least of which is the Slatington food truck. SATURDAY: We leave our stuff at the campsite and ride back down into town where we pick up the D&L and head north, into the more remote and absolutely gorgeous areas of the trail. SUNDAY: We’ll pack up and head back to Bethlehem, on the route we took on Friday.

We have reserved campsites at Mauch Chunk Lake Park, where we’ll stay for both Friday and Saturday nights. For those who haven’t been there, Mauch Chunk Lake Park is a Carbon County Park with a lovely, miles-long lake and a campground, a few miles west of downtown Jim Thorpe. It’s a slow but steady climb to get to the park, whether you take the road the whole way or divert onto the Switchback trail.

Last year a number of riders who couldn’t do the entire three days met us at the campsite, and that was handy because they were able to to cart the camping gear of those riding all the way, making the ride much easier. If you are willing to transport some gear, either coming or going, please let us know.  Note that pets are not allowed at the Park campsite, but there is a commercial campsite right down the road (Jim Thorpe Camping Resort) that welcomes campers with animals. Finally, if you would like to come but need a tent or other gear, talk to us, because we may have some to share.

If you’re planning on joining, please let us know! We have a few campsites reserved, but we want to make sure we have enough room for all interested.

Also, we are investigating the state of the flood damage from the remnants of Ida, and will let you know of any necessary changes to our intended route, as the longevity and extent of the damage becomes clear.