April 23rd Trip, what do you want to do?

[tlhdoc]

The trip starts on Friday. :W   I would like to go to the Cabalas store on Saturday.  Saturday evening is the pot luck dinner.  What else do you want to do?

[MTNDAVE]

We are arriving Friday afternoon and as others are doing the "LAZY CAMPER BUFFET" on Friday night. What a great idea.

Unless we have downpours of rain on Sat. we will not be going to Cabela's. Been there before and if you are going on Sat. be there when the door opens. It gets to be like the mall at Christmas within a few short hours. 450,000 sq. ft. of Wall to Wall humankind. But then again we only live an hour from Cabela's so we can go anytime. If you haven't been you gotta see this place !!!!!

If the weather is anywhere near what this weekend was like we will be bringing our bikes and heading back the Gold Mine Bike Trail to the ghost town of Rauch Gap to explore and and Geocahe. I will have lots of history, old pics and maps with me and of course my trusty GPS. All are welcome to join us. Copcarguy....you guys still going with us? Of course if it rains........:eek:

Pot luck on Sat. nite. Tracy, will we still be using the Pavalion?
I'm not sure of the current head count, anybody really know for sure? If it's not a lot of people maybe we don't even need the Pavilion and can just group around a campsite.

Still figuring what we will be bringing for Pot Luck. Depends on how many bellies to feed and what else is already coming. Last I heard it was:
* tlhdoc - meatballs
* franks and beans - copcarguy
* and ??

Anyway......we are more than READY to get the camping season started.

PS ---- since there are a couple scattered threads on this trip I'm gonna cut & past this to all of them to bring them to the top.

[MTNDAVE]

Strange,  I posted but it didn't bump it up.  :confused:

[tlhdoc]

Dave I have 2 sticky post at the top, so this is as hi as it can go.

I sent the park an email checking to see if everything was set and I haven't heard back from them.  Still waiting.

[tlhdoc]

We have the pavilion for Saturday night, even though we didn't end up with 10 families camping.

[copcarguy]

Hey all!

Friday seems to be growing into the lazy day...  Get there, set up, chill out.  I hope to sit in our camo "foldy chairs" under the awning in front of a nice fire - after eating a LOT of food at the LAZY CAMPERS BUFFET.  :p  Oh, having a Steph camp cookie (or 2 or 5 of 'em) would be pretty cool too.
 
Saturday we would like to head to Cabela's as well...  I agree with Dave that it was WACKO there last time we visited in the afternoon.  I had two people fighting for my parking space as we were pulling out.  BUT - I would also like to sleep in so we're in a catch 22.  Sleep in and deal with crowds (slightly cranky Ricky-boy) or wake up early have no crowds at Cabela's but a VERY cranky Ricky-boy from not sleeping in.  God Bless Stephie.  
 
I've been checking the weather - if it's nice, the mountain bikes may attend.  The gravel inside the KOA is very large and I know Stephie would have a problem on it with her knee.  If the trails Dave has talked about are kinda just flat dirt roads, then that might make a better case for bringing the bikes.  I 10000% DO want to bike to that ghost town if possible.  I hope we can fit everything into 3 days.
 
Tracy - I am planning to build your dolly ASAP.  Been really busy at work.  We have the ACA auditors coming in next week for 3 days.  Mad rush to get the place spiffed up.  We passed last time in 2001 with a 99.4%.  Also, I have to go to comp court this Wednesday at 9:30am to settle for my ankle injury from back in '02.  
 
Beckie - I packed the circut tester in the van already.  I hope we can get your van's lights fixed.  It should be fun trying as I love to figure that stuff out.  
 
Well that's about it for now...  If anyone can think of anything else drop me a line.  Dave, please let me know what the trails are like.  Thanks in advance!

[tlhdoc]

Rick if you do get the dolly together, do it RIGHT!

Just kidding, I know you will do it right.

[MTNDAVE]

Rick,
 
They used ALL the big stones at the Campground.  The Bike trail is fairly smooth & packed trail of modified limestone/cinder variety.  Typical Rails to Trails surface.  Sharon too is not a rough rider (bad knees).  I think you should be fine.
 
We are both looking forward to the ride back and figured afternoon to be better.  Figure an hour in and an hour out and whatever time spent exploring.
 
Don't forget you GPSr.  Ypou'll have a shot at 2 Geocaches.  I've already done them but don't mind a revisit.  They are right in the Ghost town.

[wynot]

Rick,
 
They used ALL the big stones at the Campground. The Bike trail is fairly smooth & packed trail of modified limestone/cinder variety. Typical Rails to Trails surface. Sharon too is not a rough rider (bad knees). I think you should be fine.
 
We are both looking forward to the ride back and figured afternoon to be better. Figure an hour in and an hour out and whatever time spent exploring.
 
Don't forget you GPSr. Ypou'll have a shot at 2 Geocaches. I've already done them but don't mind a revisit. They are right in the Ghost town.

We're spoiled with our local Rail Trails - They paved it.  Took over the old Western Maryland main line along the C&O canal and the Potomac from Big Pool to Polly Pond, Maryland (22 miles each way?).  You can run 13-15 mph in high the whole length of the trail.

[MTNDAVE]

I had previously posted these links on another thread.  Take a look and see what you think.  Sorry, not a paved trail but is a packed, modified limestone/cinder base.  Sharon rides this pretty fine & she has bad knees.
 
It is just short of 4 miles to the Ghost Town and no other access other than walking.  A liesure ride in takes about 1 hour or so.
 
[font='Times New Roman']The Gold Mine bike trail is just a few miles away which runs thru St. Andrews Wilderness. Here are a couple of links of reference.

Basic trail info:

http://www.trailrunner.com/state_tr..._schuylkill.htm

Clickable Trail Map:

http://www.lonedeer.com/scrrmap.html

St. Andrews Wilderness info - long & interesting if your a History buff.

Part #1:

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/StAnt...ess/anthony.htm

Part #2:

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/StAnt...ess/picpage.htm

And YES there are Geocaches on the trail. Here's a sample cache of one of many. You experienced Cachers know how to find the others.

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid={0C6393D2-88C0-4ED7-B5AB-8F5633E7E798}[/font]

[tlhdoc]

Dave can you get to the ghost town by driving? :eyecrazy:

[MTNDAVE]

Rauch Gap, ghost town resides within St. Andrews Wilderness, one of the largest - roadless (including dirt roads) tracts of land (Gamelands) within the State of PA. So the only way to get there is bike/hike on Gold Mine Trail or take the Appalacian Trail which also goes thru the Ghost Town.
 
Sorry, no drive in/near. But that's what makes is so nice, undisturbed and litter free and quiet too.

[tlhdoc]

I would like to go to the ghost town, but I don't want to bring the bikes.  More to load/unload plus DS has out grown his bike and like to ride mine now.  I wonder if we will have time to go to the ghost town and Cabala's and the pot luck dinner and relax :yikes: .

[tlhdoc]

I am not going to bring our bikes.  If I bring them it will rain.  If I leave them at home it will be nice out. :eyecrazy:

[copcarguy]

We're not sure about the bikes this trip either...  It is supposed to rain on the way to the CG and then back on the way home.  I would hate for them to be on the Yakima's on top of the PU getting all messed up.  I really, really would like to see that ghost town, but will we have enough time to do everything?  I have had a very busy and stressful week at work (both physically and emotionally) and really need some "foldy chair" time in front of a fire....

 
PS - Tracy - that has got to be THE BEST face smiley thingy I have seen so far!!  :eyecrazy:  It reminds me of the alternating headlights on my copcar.  I LOVE that face!!  :eyecrazy: