Hal Schirmer
Mon, 08 Jul 2002 08:52:22 -0700
The gravel section of the middle part of the Perkiomen Trail is about 3 miles long. The bad news is that the limestone gravel at the junction of the gravel path and Upper Indian Head Road is very loose, not so much rough, mountain bikes can get bogged down, but the good news is that the very loose deep stone is only at the very beginning of the gravel at Upper Indian Head, and at the very end, at Route 29 /Second Avenue in Collegeville. The gravel surface is comparable in size of the gravel to Forbidden Drive, but it hasn't packed down and is loose on top like some sections of forbidden drive, but there are usually 2 packed areas from the combination of maintence trucks and bike traffic packing down the trail. You can skip the worst 900 feet of gravel at the beginning, by skipping the first left turn onto Upper Indian Head Rd, and taking the second left on Reber(?) road, which leads to the trail. You can skip the worst 1500 feet at the end by turning left at Buttonwood (trail crosses the access road in a townhome community) and then Right onto 29 to the end of the Perkiomen Trail end at Park Avenue, where Route 29 meets Park Avenue, at a stoplight near the edge of the shopping center district. - so there's food and drink, there's also a Borough park with bathrooms and fountain about a half mile further up on Park Avenue. You can skip the first mile of gravel between Upper Indian Head and Arcola entirely by taking the first left turn onto Upper Indian Head as if you were taking the trail, pass by the trail, then bearing right onto Cider Mill Road, which then crosses the Perkioment Trail where it meets Arcola Road (the double trail crossing). Cider Mill Road is narrow, hilly, not much of a shoulder, it's not a good road for inexperienced or young riders. At the double trail crossing, you can trade about a mile and a half of gravel (but this is the most scenic section) for a mile and a half of paved road by following Arcola Road up through Schering Plough Pharmaceutical, then head right at the stoplight on Route 29, you'll be able to rejoin the trail after at Yerkes Road. After another 1/3 mile Buttonwood Rd connects the trail and Route 29, and then after another 1/3 mile is the end of the Trail North of Collegeville, the path isn't finished yet. The path resumes at Spring Mountain Ski Lodge as dirt and gravel (surface is rougher, but not loose, kinda like the Manyunk Towpath Trail) up to Perkiomenville and Green Lane Park. The red and orange dirt trails around Green Lane Park are open to bikes. Hal Schirmer ----- Original Message ----- From: "Andrew Williams" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Bike List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, July 08, 2002 1:34 PM Subject: Re: Update on Delaware Canal Improvements > On Friday I rode out to Oaks on the Valley Forge trail. It was my first trip > out past the Betzwood picnic area since the newly paved section was opened > last month. (I've been spending a lot more time on other routes as of late.) > I rode out to where the trail stops being paved and picks up as a pretty loose > scramble on its way to what I assume would be Collegeville(?). > > My question is, can anyone tell me exactly how rough a ride it would be for > someone on a touring frame with 26x1.5 tires? It looked pretty loosey goosey > and I just wasn't in the mood to give it a try. Oh, and how far is it to the > next town, and does it ever start being paved again at some point? > > OK, thanks. > .andy w. > > > ---- > You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the > Bicycle Coalition of the Delaware Valley list named "bike." > To subscribe or unsubscribe or for archive information, see > <http://www.purple.com/list.html>. > ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the Bicycle Coalition of the Delaware Valley list named "bike." To subscribe or unsubscribe or for archive information, see <http://www.purple.com/list.html>.