Since moving the clocks ahead on Sunday Morning, I have been unable figure out what and where I want to ride. The when is all taken care of. The when is as soon as I leave work. With about 2 1/2 hours of daylight left when I leave the office at 5pm, I could do a road ride from work or a multitude of gravel and dirt rides from Dingmans Ferry or Milford. Today, I chose a dirt/gravel and road ride with Steve. We decided to hit the trails and gravel roads off of Old Mine Road.
You can get to Old Mine Road from either Dingmans Ferry or from Milford. I prefer to leave from Milford. Leaving from Action Bike and Outdoor in the Heart of Milford, head out to the Milford Bridge. Once over the bridge, on the New Jersey side, hang a right onto Old Mine Road. Travel about 6 1/2 miles and make a right onto Mettler Road. Mettler is a loosely packed gravel road. When you get to the river, turn right onto Van Auken Road and thats where the fun starts. Van Auken is a mix of loose gravel and dirt, that quietly takes you into a trail after about a mile.
The trail winds through a couple of campgrounds along the Delaware river and treats you to some beautiful views of the river and the Delaware Valley. Your probably ok here with a hybrid, cyclocross or mountain bike. There might be a bit too much rocks and roots for a road bike, though. However, I did go over the bars and into the mud after hitting a large root in the trail. Didn’t feel good at first, but I was lucky enough to pedal out of the woods. The singletrack does wind along the ledge as you climb out of the woods and make a left back onto Old Mine Road. After a half mile, you turn right and climb Jagger Hill.
A little over a mile of climbing and you come to the top right at the Upper Ridge Road Trailhead. Thats where the climbing continues. Another 3/4 of a mile up in the loosest gravel, dirt and sand you could imagine. Alot of sand on that side of Old Mine, but a really nice section of trail with alot of up and a whole lotta downs!
The trail comes out on Rt. 560 in Layton, NJ. You have a few choices to get back to Milford. Old Mine Road, Rt. 209 (on the other side of the Dingmans Bridge) or the McDade Trail. This ride is another example of all the terrain that can be ridden in and out of milford.
What’s Playing: (What am I’m listening to while writing or what’s dancing around in my head while riding) Today – Aretha Franklin – Who’s Zoomin Who
ridingmilford.com 