June 9, 2023 - Jim Thorpe Camping Resort, PA, to Hackettstown, NJ

June 22, 2023

June 9, 2023 - Jim Thorpe Camping Resort, PA, to Hackettstown, NJ

Start: Jim Thorpe Camping Resort, PA
End: Hackettstown, NJ
Miles: 63.7
Feet climbing per mile: 57
Record of the day's ride: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/124075407

It was a chilly morning so I lingered in my sleeping bag. I got up at 7:45 when I heard two young girls nearby playing outside. I figured if they could deal with the cold, so could I. By 8:45 I was mostly packed. After a shower I finished my packing by 9:45.

My view inside my tent

Just before starting my ride I attempted to check the air pressure of my tires and discovered that the digital gauge of my air pump would not come on. I changed the batteries in the pump and still the gauge wouldn't come one. I tried another pair of batteries and again the gauge would not come on. I departed shortly after 10:00, knowing a bike shop in the center of Jim Thorpe was open.

On my way to the bike shop the Immaculate Conception Church caught my attention.

I stopped at Pocono Biking in the center of Jim Thorpe where Kyle topped off my tires.

The previous day I had revised the beginning of my return route to include the D&L Trail on the east side of the Lehigh River. I crossed the river on the Mansion House Bridge which took me to the trail.

Mansion House Bridge

The D&L Trail on the east side of the river was not as smooth as on the west side, but it was a great improvement over the very rough Flagstaff Road which it allowed me to avoid.

D&L Trail on the east side of the Lehigh River

At mile 15.9 I saw what appeared to be mining operations in the Blue Mountain Ridge.

At mile 30.3 I saw a young deer which ran off before I could get close.

Starting at mile 31.7, the traffic on Old Route 115 was heavy. I stopped again at the Gateway Motel to visit with Satish, the caretaker I had met on Tuesday. When I left the campground shortly after 10:00 I didn't know whether I would be able to catch the 4:51 train in Hackettstown that would arrive at Penn Station at 7:01 or I would have to take the 7:06 train that would arrive at 9:23. I knew that either train would be fine. If I missed the 4:51 train I figured I would eat dinner while waiting for the 7:06 train. But as I was leaving the Gateway Motel at 1:30 having ridden half the distance to Hackettstown I thought it was possible I could ride the remaining miles in time to catch the 4:51 train.

Starting at mile 33.1, Route 512 had a narrow shoulder and had heavy traffic which included big trucks. After riding Route 512 for a mile and a quarter I turned onto George Street and rode through residential neighborhoods of Pen Argyl which had almost no traffic. When I reviewed my ride after returning home I realized that I could have avoided Route 512 by taking Constitution Avenue which runs parallel to 512. If I had used Google Street View to examine Route 512 and Constitution Avenue I would have realized that the former had heavy traffic and the latter had almost none. However there was no way to get to Constitution Avenue from 512 except by backtracking if I had thought to look for an alternative to 512 while I was riding it. Nevertheless my discovery of Constitution Avenue led me to add a new aphorism and exhortation to Aphorisms and Exhortations:

The path you're on is not the only one going to your destination. If the path you're on isn't working well, look for another.

After realizing I might be able to catch the 4:51 train but without much time to spare, I started to feel rushed rather than leisurely. I decided to accept and enjoy that the rest of my ride would be a race against the clock. However I did still stop to take pictures and video.

At mile 45.3 I saw what appeared to be a nuclear power plant, but I am unable to find any information about it on either Google Maps or the website that lists the nuclear power plants in Pennsylvania.

Shortly thereafter I saw a field with many cows, a few of which, as usual, were curious about me.

At mile 47.8 I stopped at Skoogy's Deli as I had done on Tuesday, this time for a Mountain Dew.

From mile 51.6 to 57.0, U.S. 46, which was part of my the revision of my route, had a huge shoulder with a smooth surface.

Twice I had to walk up a steep hill after leaving U.S. 46. Normally when walking in my biking shoes I use cleat covers to protect the cleats. Because I was racing to catch the 4:51 train I did not bother to use my cleat covers which would have used some valuable time. At mile 61.2 my climbing was over and I yelled "Who goes up gets to come down!" as I began my descent.

Who goes up gets to come down!

I arrived at the Hackettstown train station at 4:39, with 12 minutes to spare.

Part of the door of a train car

My train arrived at Penn Station a few minutes after 7:00 and I was home at 7:20.

* * *

On this five day trip I rode 190 miles with 68 feet of climbing per mile. It was different from other trips I've taken because it was planned as a three-day trip with an additional half day at the beginning for a train ride before a short bike ride. And then the smoke from the Canadian wildfires led me to include a rest day.

This trip might serve as a model for further trips in the area around New York City. The map below shows all the multi-day trips I've taken since October 2020. By taking a train to the start of my first day's ride I could extend my reach further out.

Multi-day trips October 2020-June 2023

In my posts for this trip I forwent mentioning several times that I needed to walk a short distance up steep climbs. In contrast with my trip the previous month, on this trip I spent more time out of the saddle while climbing. As a result I felt sore in my arms and torso for a few days after returning home. With the exception of the first day of this trip, I generally felt strong, so I'm continuing to improve after the trouble I experienced last year (see Health Report - September 13, 2022).

A few times on this trip I was asked "How old are you?". I've added that question and my answer to Questions I’ve Been Asked.

I wrote near the beginning of this post about trouble turning on the digital gauge of my air pump. After arriving at home I determined that the pair of batteries that had been in the pump were dead, and that both pairs of the new batteries I had installed were good. I also determined that the gauge had not come on because I had not sufficiently tightened the cover that holds the batteries.

In May 12, 2023 - Black Rock State Park, CT, to South Norwalk, CT I wrote about finding a way to improve the packing of my top-tube bag. After returning from this trip I discovered a way to store all of the items below in my top-tube bag:

Air pillow and pillow case
Tent in stuff sack of air mattress
Headlamp
Clothesline
Footprint wrapped around rolled air mattress
Light sleeping bag liner

I'm grateful to Bill and Linda Maurer, owners of the Jim Thorpe Camping Resort, for their outstanding hospitality. Not only did Bill let me use a campsite near the entrance so that I would not have to ride on the rocky roads in the campground, that campsite had both water and electricity. I stayed for three nights but was charged for only two, at the rate for a basic tent site without water or electricity. Thank you!