Day 4 gave our team some of their most beautiful rides and ride conditions yet. We rode through pine-forested slopes and threaded the mountains on either side as the sunny, fielded hills in the valley came and went. It was a lighter day than yesterday mileage-wise, but still a good challenge for the riders. At this point, we have fully nestled ourselves into the core of the Appalachian Mountains.
As I sit here beginning to write this the following morning (Day 5), a few of us are sitting on the stayover porch listening to the birds, far distant traffic below, and the accompanying silence. We can see the range to our north giving way to State College to our northwest, with absolutely no clouds. Sandpipers flit above us and there is a light breeze; truly a fantastic way to begin our first rest day en route. I am combining these two days to give a full account and to maximize some much needed sleep. :)
Ride Overview
Mileage: 56.4
Elevation: +3118’/-2332’
General Direction: Ride west from the stayover across two bridges over W. Branch Susquehanna River, turn left on J. Matthias Rd. then right onto two westward roads to meet PA-192 at mile 12.9, follow for the remainder of route until a turn to the south at Linden Hall (mile 54) and a quick passage on W-U.S. 322, climb the hill to the stayover lodge.
Points of Interest: Sand Bridge State Park, Raymond B. Winter State Park, Bald Eagle State Forest, Penn’s Cave, Long Lane Farm Stand, cows!
Tales of the Trail
In I4K, some rides have us constantly turning what seems like every five seconds, and others route us onto a road where we stay for the majority of the day. This was an example of the latter, where the PA-192 highway was the star of the show.
We left Milton around 6:30 in the morning and for the first ten miles could see jagged fields displaced by the topography as well as some sleepy cows. The majority of the climbing took place over the next 13 miles where we entered the beautiful pine forests of Raymond Winter State Park. There were also plenty of rocky slopes on the side of the road, and all of these elements combined made it much more enjoyable.
The end of the climb gave way to open valley as we began to enter Amish country and ride straight in the middle of fields with two mountain ranges on each side. The constant rolling hills gave us some great climbs; we had to approach each one differently to pedal with the most efficiency. Our second rest stop at mile 36 was a general store where we stocked up on some chips, ice cream, and other goodies. We continued down the valley and met some very friendly jersey cows at mile 50 (go follow @i4kows for all of our cow-related content! Shoutout to Hanna for running it this year!), and three of the rider groups stopped at the Long Lane Farm Stand which just opened as they were passing by. There was plenty to look at and snack on and we even debated bringing back some frozen bacon with us.
We arrived at our stayover in the early afternoon, and it was a tough arrival as we had to climb a steep hill that consisted of the driveway as our final bit of the route. We stayed at Calvary Church’s lodge just outside of State College and enjoyed an amazing BBQ dinner provided by our epic host Amy Johnstonbaugh. We explored the property a bit too: some of us played on a beautiful but challenging disc golf course in the woods and Mike proved himself untouchable. Others hiked around the property as the sun set and took in the view. We slept well knowing we could sleep in up to four hours later than normal. :)
Some of the view from the lodge’s porch.
The Rest Day
It was a beautiful morning in the Pennsylvania mountains. A group of four riders took the van into town to buy groceries for a homemade breakfast, and with chef-ing done by Hanna and Jon, we had eggs, bacon, sausage, and bagels with cream cheese. It was especially appetizing following our usual oatmeal for the past week.
We headed into town at noon for a donated lunch from Noodles and Company, courtesy of Adam (who is himself a past Noodles manager in his hometown). We explored State College in groups and took in various sites such as the famous Berkey Creamery, Frost Entomological Museum, Penn State Arboretum, and the Nittany Lion statue. After heading back to the stayover, Amy provided us a delicious lasagna dinner and we relaxed as we mentally settled in for eleven straight days of cycling. Chamois butter, anyone?
And now, as I sit here finishing this entry, the sun is setting in a fiery orange over the town and mountains to the west.
Cyclist’s Corner
Today’s Rider: Olivia Ross
How are you today? I’m good!
What make and model of bicycle are you riding? A white Giant Avail with blue accents.
What is your favorite aspect about the ride so far? Why is it your favorite? Getting to meet a lot of new people, I love meeting new people and of course have enjoyed getting to know everyone on the team.
How much cycling did you do before training for I4K specifically? I did not cycle at all, I knew how to ride a bike but didn’t have one on campus and didn’t usually ride at home.
Is there anyone you are riding for today and would like to share a few words for? I’m riding for both of my grandparents but more specifically my grandma. Both had cancer, my grandpa passed quickly while my grandma had battled it for over ten years. I feel like my grandma would have wanted to do this herself, so in that way I’m fulfilling this experience for her.
Where on today’s route (generally or specific mile marker) was the most memorable for you? What happened? Since I rode in the van today, on yesterday’s ride it was walking up the very steep hill with our bikes. Me, Jon, and Kathryn decided to walk due to how exhausting it was but it was a very sweet bonding moment.
Anything you’d like to say to those cheering you on? You know I love my chicken-fried.
***Olivia is our social media coordinator for the ride! Go check out all of her fantastic posts on Facebook and Instagram, both usernames are @illini4000.***
Please visit the rider profiles page on the website to learn more about this year’s riders! :)
~Dictionary of I4K~
@i4kows: An instagram account showcasing the I4K team with cows we meet along the route. Started in 2021 by rider Camden Cortes. Go follow if you haven’t already!
Rider Groups: Organized groups of 3-5 riders that bike together for the duration of the route that day. The main format of riding for I4K. Spaced out approximately two minutes from each other to start. Simultaneously provides easy communication between riders and the most visibility for drivers.
Oatmeal: The I4K breakfast of champions.
