Another beautifully warm winter day. 50 degrees on January 31st. With Last weekend’s snowfall of about 8 inches and temperatures hovering just above freezing all week, it was time to explore the back roads and see how much riding we could get in.

I met up with Eric at the parking area on Rt. 739, adjacent to Five Mile Meadow Road. We began with a short climb up Five Mile, which was covered in a mix of snow and ice. It was a difficult climb as we could not seem to get any traction. Between the thaw and the pack down caused by passing pickup trucks, the road was extremely slippery on the ascent and an adventure to say the least on the following descent. Deciding to try another path, we hung a right onto Standing Stone Trail, which is a crushed gravel road, primarily used as a snowmobile trail. Covered in snow, with what looked like the tracks from a snowmobile, Standing Stone Trail was a much more viable option.

The untouched snow, about 4 inches deep on either side of the snowmobile tracks was a pleasure to plow through. Standing Stone twists and turns with little incline, all the way to Silver Lake Road. We turned right and rode the pavement to Rt. 402. Recent construction has turned Rt.402 from a pothole filled back road into a nicely paved thoroughfare with enough shoulder to ride safely along.

We made yet another right onto Hemlock Farms Road. From Rt. 402, Hemlock Farms Road climbs for about 3 miles, before offering up a steep descent down towards the golf course. Eric lead the way as we weaved through the golf course, past a cool dock that went out over a lake that made for a nice photo opportunity. As we made our way towards the exit gate of this picturesque country community, we were treated to the sight of more than a few beautiful stone and wood homes, that sit quietly in the Pennsylvania forest.

We rode out of Hemlock Farms onto Rt. 739 and after another mile, we were back at the parking area. Bottom line…… Do not let the winter keep you inside. whether it’s 20 degrees or 50 degrees, find a way to get outside!