Take me home, country roads!

Rick Norton has been a solid contributor to FulGaz for the last few years. With the addition of this week’s rides, he’s now got 30+ rides on the app.

His rides can be characterised by gravel, longer length routes and a uniqueness that only a local can provide.

Pop on some John Denver and explore the country backroads with Rick as he takes us to Pennsylvania (PA), New York (NY), Maryland (MA), Virginia (VA) and West Virginia (WVa).

This ride set we’d describe as just almost heaven with its blue ridge mountains and misty taste of moonshine. The only thing missing is the Shenandoah River.

Let these country roads take you home… Or not, as you’re probably already there if you’re riding FulGaz…

Photo by Анна Васильева from Pexels

ALTO TO BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY

This is a very remote area well above the roads in the valley and just below the Blue Ridge Parkway (which runs along the ridge line). We cross under the parkway twice (2 climbs followed by descents), then return to the nice pavement of route 56 for a quick sweeping descent. The finish loop starts on gravel via another remote slight down then the 2 mile haul (still on gravel) which comes out on the parkway for the final uphill kilometer. Enjoy the vista at the overlook at the end

31.17km

DISTANCE

01:18:33

DURATION

792m

ELEVATION

CROZET GRAVEL SOUTH

This area is very fortunate to have a healthy network of gravel roads you can connect to make a loop. The foothills gravel is characterized by lots of up and down (and a bit steeper than the paved variety). 3 Segments typify this: Burches, White Mountain, and Castle Rock. Luckily on the trainer you don’t have to brake for the dusty turns before heading up the next kicker! If you like this - try the 2 part Crozet Gravel North loop

30.08km

DISTANCE

01:01:24

DURATION

551m

ELEVATION

NCR TRAIL SPARKS TO PA

The NCR trail is the old Northern Central Railroad that now runs from Hunt Valley, MD to York, PA. This ride is from milepost 5 to the PA state line. The grade is quite friendly, rarely rising more than 2-3 degrees. However, I couldn’t resist a little jaunt off the trail to tackle 2 very quiet adjacent hills. The trail runs along the Gunpowder River, a renowned trout fishing hotspot providing a picturesque backdrop to this valuable resource

27.82km

DISTANCE

01:02:41

DURATION

300m

ELEVATION

FALL HORSE COUNTRY

This ride wraps around prime horse farm country. The Hunt Cup steeplechase race was just the week before! These roads are frequented by MANY riders from a local bike/coffee shop = Veloccino. After several very popular segments and some single-lane wooden bridge crossings, the ride ends at the shop.

31.16km

DISTANCE

00:57:00

DURATION

427m

ELEVATION

PA RETURN TO MD GROAD

This ride starts pretty deep in PA farm country making its way back to MD via a mix of gravel and lesser traveled paved roads linking the gravel. This ride even has several flat stretches. Nonetheless these tiny gravel roads and off the beaten path paved roads have plenty of up and down. Enjoy the rapidly disappearing fall colors and the slight overall elevation decrease!

30.64km

DISTANCE

01:00:16

DURATION

469m

ELEVATION

CAMPBELLS AND BACKSIDE REEDS GAP CLIMB

The Blue Ridge Parkway is an incredible resource for outdoor enthusiasts. It was constructed in the 1930s during a Public Works Project and runs 470 miles along the blue ridge from Afton VA to Cherokee NC. Unlike the BRP the much older roads that go up and over the Parkway can be much more irregular and gravel. Campbells Mtn is a 4.2 mile part bumpy paved and part steeper gravel grinder. Reeds on the west side is only 1.8 miles and has glorious pavement but it has several 15-18% pitches that leaves you firmly planted in your smallest gear

21.55km

DISTANCE

00:58:08

DURATION

833m

ELEVATION

WVA MOUNTAIN MAMA

This ride is on the edge of the state lines of Va and WVa covering territory from the most remote sections of two popular gran fondos (Jeremiah Bishop’s Alpine loop and Monterey, Va’s Mountain Mama). This area is characterized by a repetition of East-West ridges with climbs of around 1,000 feet with very scenic North-South valleys between the ridges. Enjoy the remote setting (no phone service and only 1 store on the entire ride!) on a clear sky early September day!

31.13km

DISTANCE

01:10:42

DURATION

890m

ELEVATION

PENNSYLVANIA FARM LAND GENTLE ROLLERS

Just over the border from the Maryland rides, this area of PA is equally quiet and rural but with mostly steadier grades. I filmed this thinking it could be ridden easier (perhaps for recovery) or mostly in the big ring for a more challenging ride

30.24km

DISTANCE

00:56:35

DURATION

438m

ELEVATION

CATOCTIN RIDGE

Catoctin is a mountain ridge just north of Frederick, MD. This ridge is framed by 2 very famous civil war battlefields - Antietam to the south and Gettysburg to the north and is the site of a local Sept gran fondo that visits all these landmarks. This ridge also is home to the presidential retreat of Camp David. The ridge is characterized by climbs of about 1000 feet in 2 to 3 miles. Some of the backroads have some pretty steep pitches as you will experience!

51.98km

DISTANCE

01:46:53

DURATION

1052m

ELEVATION

ADIRONDACK ROLLING HILLS

This is close to a local Tues night shop ride (Team Placid Planet). Nearby town Lake Placid was the site of the ‘32 and ‘80 Winter Olympics and currently the Ironman Lake Placid race. This loop is mostly smaller back roads so it only shares a few roads with the Ironman course. This ride never strays far from the Ausable river with lots of views of nearby mountains including the imposing Whiteface Mountain whose 3600 ft ascent is featured in another local ride.

64.12km

DISTANCE

01:59:40

DURATION

761m

ELEVATION

SMUGGLERS NOTCH CLIMB

Enjoy the flat 2 mile warm along the river and through the town of Jeffersonville then take on the 7.6 miles and 1650 feet climb to the notch between the two sides of the mountain. I’d divide the climb into 4 parts. Part 1 is a 1 mile is a stair step climb to Part 2 and the 3.5 mile false flat. Part 3 is a steady 7% grind past the ski resort (1.5 miles). Part 4 is above the ski resort, closed to trucks, closed in the winter, has the best pavement, shaded and steep at the top - pleasantly painful!

15.28km

DISTANCE

00:39:35

DURATION

493m

ELEVATION

WHITEFACE CLIMB

This video includes a very gentle 3 mile/8 minute 1% down warm up on aptly named Bonnieview road. Enjoy the warm up because Whiteface is on like donkey kong from the stop sign. It is a carefully engineered toll road (meaning low traffic and not usually a training climb for the locals) that climbs 3530 feet in 8.1 miles averaging 8.1%. Other than some shallower straights in the last 1.5 miles it is remarkably even at 7.5-9.5% the whole way. It is a perfect climb to pick one cog and stay there (a LONG time). This was filmed on the kind of perfect Adirondack summer day that will have you longing to visit (mid 70s and light breeze). ENJOY

18.11km

DISTANCE

01:02:32

DURATION

1083m

ELEVATION

PLEASANT VALLEY

A very scenic ride along the valley base of Mt. Mansfield - the highest mtn in VT and basis for ski resorts on both sides. After a rolling 7 miles along lower and upper pleasant valley roads (with constant views of the looming mountains) you hit the town of Jeffersonville and start climbing toward the Smuggler’s notch ski resort. You climb for 1 mile then its false flat (about 2 miles) until a turn on a side road and more climbing to a lake and perfect view of the slopes on the mountain. You want to do the full climb through the notch at the top of the mountain? No problem - that is the Smuggler’s notch mountain video!

19.02km

DISTANCE

00:39:02

DURATION

339m

ELEVATION

STYLES CLIMB

You start with Styles Brook climb - 1.8 miles @9%. Like many smaller back roads that don’t connect to bigger main roads - this climb has some nasty pitches - 3 distinct pitches @15-20%. The gravel meadow and the views at the top make the work worthwhile. A Leadville MTB qualifier turns right at the top for even more steep climbing and back woods fun! You turn left and enjoy a blast of a descent with only one 1 mile 5% climb between you and getting back to the level of the river where you started

22.58km

DISTANCE

00:45:13

DURATION

384m

ELEVATION

BLUE RIDGE ALHAMBRA GRAVEL CLIMB

Alhambra is a 9.5 mile long part paved/part gravel climb that does not actually intersect with the Blue Ridge Parkway. Because it does not connect or cross the parkway it is a VERY lightly traveled road (mostly used by campers). It is a kinder summer climb as it is pretty densely tree covered and runs along the Piney River for almost its entire duration. I included the similarly secluded and picturesque gravel warm up climb, Jack’s Hill to help you prep for this long climb. Chances are stronger for you to outpace the filming speed as there is some quite chunky gravel with large rocks in places. Enjoy the solitude

18.92km

DISTANCE

01:01:24

DURATION

801m

ELEVATION