i-WERKS
Well-known member
I took GTAM's advice and went down to Pennsylvania on between Sept 12 and Sept 14 for a camping/riding trip.
I booked a campsite at the Ole Bull State Park in the Susquehannock State Forest. I hit the road at 6:30 am and took a direct highway route until Niagara where I rode the Niagara River Parkway from top to bottom. Something I've always wanted to do. There are a lot of rest stops right at the river once you're south of the falls. Seems like a lot of tourists don't know about this area as there almost zero traffic in this area.
Crossing the border was straight forward. About 20 minute wait at the Peace Bridge. I mostly got questioned about going on the trip solo but the agent was friendly and I was sent on my way after 2 minutes. I arrived at the campsite at 2:30pm. A bit earlier than I had anticipated.
My campsite was right on the edge of Kettle Creek. You can see trout swimming around it the river. The campground has no cellphone reception so most of the evenings were spent editing videos/photos.
Some info about the camping gear.
After last year's experience with a leaky inflatable sleep pad, I opted for a Hennessy Hammock this year with a Chinese underquilt from Amazon. Used a light sleeping bag as well. The temperatures were forecasted to be between 11C to 13C overnight and this setup was sufficient to keep me warm.
- Half gallon Yeti bottle filled to the top with ice for drinking water.
- BRS stove and small pot, small mug and spork for cooking/eating/coffee.
- BRS gas candle
- Headlamp
- Camera gear - Sony A7II with Sony 85mm F1.8 and Tamron 20mm F2.8 lens. Insta360 X4 took care of the video work. I brought my cheapest/lightest tripod since weight was a concern.
Last minute purchase was the Bear Vault canister. I wanted to bring some snacks and quick meals but was worried about bears/raccoons getting at my stuff. I got the smallest size and it fit two packs of ramen, a can of soup, my pot/mug as well as my toiletries.
My homemade luggage rack held up nicely. My luggage rack from Ducati arrived about 3 hours after I left the house for this trip.
If you saw my post of the rack, I had an issue with the top plate coming off the slots when i hit some larger bumps. These straps fixed the issue.
Day 2 was the highlight. I used google maps with the Terrain layer turned on and plotted this route. I hit the road at 7:00am.
Within 20 minutes of hitting the road, I came across the Pine Hill Summit just off Pine Hill Road north of the Ole Bull State Park. I spent the morning up and down these mountains going over and under the clouds. I would come across several of these Vistas/Summits along the route.
Hyner View was very nice and the road leading up here was also very fun to ride. Better spot IMO than the PA Grand Canyon
Arrived back at camp at 4:30pm.
I returned on the 3rd day taking the same direct route home. At the Canadian border, I pulled up but positioned my bike on the right side of the lane. I attempted to hand the agent my passport but was about 4 inches too far from this guys hand as he was sitting on his seat. The agent refused to reach any further and ordered me to get off my bike to hand him my passport. Again I was questioned about travelling alone but was allowed to go on my way after I correctly answered his questions. It's true, the US agents are friendlier.
This was a great recommendation from everything I've read on this forum. The roads are rarely ever straight. There are tons of elevation changes and constantly zig zagging over rivers in the valleys. I also found the people are much friendlier in the US which is another discussion. I'm already planning next years trip!.
Thanks for reading!
I booked a campsite at the Ole Bull State Park in the Susquehannock State Forest. I hit the road at 6:30 am and took a direct highway route until Niagara where I rode the Niagara River Parkway from top to bottom. Something I've always wanted to do. There are a lot of rest stops right at the river once you're south of the falls. Seems like a lot of tourists don't know about this area as there almost zero traffic in this area.
Crossing the border was straight forward. About 20 minute wait at the Peace Bridge. I mostly got questioned about going on the trip solo but the agent was friendly and I was sent on my way after 2 minutes. I arrived at the campsite at 2:30pm. A bit earlier than I had anticipated.
My campsite was right on the edge of Kettle Creek. You can see trout swimming around it the river. The campground has no cellphone reception so most of the evenings were spent editing videos/photos.
Some info about the camping gear.
After last year's experience with a leaky inflatable sleep pad, I opted for a Hennessy Hammock this year with a Chinese underquilt from Amazon. Used a light sleeping bag as well. The temperatures were forecasted to be between 11C to 13C overnight and this setup was sufficient to keep me warm.
- Half gallon Yeti bottle filled to the top with ice for drinking water.
- BRS stove and small pot, small mug and spork for cooking/eating/coffee.
- BRS gas candle
- Headlamp
- Camera gear - Sony A7II with Sony 85mm F1.8 and Tamron 20mm F2.8 lens. Insta360 X4 took care of the video work. I brought my cheapest/lightest tripod since weight was a concern.
Last minute purchase was the Bear Vault canister. I wanted to bring some snacks and quick meals but was worried about bears/raccoons getting at my stuff. I got the smallest size and it fit two packs of ramen, a can of soup, my pot/mug as well as my toiletries.
My homemade luggage rack held up nicely. My luggage rack from Ducati arrived about 3 hours after I left the house for this trip.
If you saw my post of the rack, I had an issue with the top plate coming off the slots when i hit some larger bumps. These straps fixed the issue.
Day 2 was the highlight. I used google maps with the Terrain layer turned on and plotted this route. I hit the road at 7:00am.
Within 20 minutes of hitting the road, I came across the Pine Hill Summit just off Pine Hill Road north of the Ole Bull State Park. I spent the morning up and down these mountains going over and under the clouds. I would come across several of these Vistas/Summits along the route.
Hyner View was very nice and the road leading up here was also very fun to ride. Better spot IMO than the PA Grand Canyon
Arrived back at camp at 4:30pm.
I returned on the 3rd day taking the same direct route home. At the Canadian border, I pulled up but positioned my bike on the right side of the lane. I attempted to hand the agent my passport but was about 4 inches too far from this guys hand as he was sitting on his seat. The agent refused to reach any further and ordered me to get off my bike to hand him my passport. Again I was questioned about travelling alone but was allowed to go on my way after I correctly answered his questions. It's true, the US agents are friendlier.
This was a great recommendation from everything I've read on this forum. The roads are rarely ever straight. There are tons of elevation changes and constantly zig zagging over rivers in the valleys. I also found the people are much friendlier in the US which is another discussion. I'm already planning next years trip!.
Thanks for reading!
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