Endless Mountains Gravel 2026
For me, a multi-day, challenging bike packing route starts about 6 months before the Grand Depart. I like that about it. You need to plan a lot and also train. For half a year I can think about the adventure that is coming up. Getting all your gear in check, making bike modifications for the course, training your body and figuring out your resupply and daily routes. All of these things take time and will surely change over the months as you reassess your needs and what you want to do. It feels grounding to me to have a place for my mind to return and a goal to focus on over many months.
Getting to the start line is the first big win. Just getting there shows you have luck on your side. Illness, transportation issues, bike problems, family stuff, work… so many things that can get in the way of that early morning start. I camped the night before with about 20 other folks at the airport about 2 miles from the start. The next morning, when I finally made it to the start in downtown Towanda for the Endless Mountains Gravel Grand Depart at 6:30am in a deep fog to be with a crew of bike-loving, nature- loving weirdos, I was ready to start pedaling! There was a great mix of folks from someone with a trailer on their bike, to sandals guy, to tightly kitted FKT (Fastest Known Time) peeps ranging in age from 20 something to late 60’s. Our motley crew was ready to roll out.
Day One: 75 miles, 7800 ft elevation
Within the first 10 miles we hit a wall of a hill and in some ways, that may have been my worst climb. I didn’t like it. We were still in a pack and navigating around folks and making room for folks to pass added to the steep treachery. That first hard effort, even though it was short, was the wake up call that this ride was gonna be gnarly. It was also turning into a beautiful morning. At each vista through the countryside, you had huge skies with mountain ranges and puffy clouds all around. NEPA, as North East Pennsylvania is called, is magical.
That first day had perfectly spaced stops with some Trail Magic around mile 45 to really keep us well fed and hydrated. I got husky kisses from a dog and was feeling great. We had some climbs and hike-a-bikes under our cycling shorts by this time and I was settling into the fun descents and the suffering. The descent into Canton was especially beautiful through Tioga Forest. I arrived at mile 75 in Canton around 4:30pm at what seemed to be a famed Trail Magic stop. Some moody clouds had started taking over and the Trail Angels encouraged us to look at the weather. I was sure I was gonna keep going. I wanted to make it to mile 105 to camp. That was my plan! I was feeling good. I could do this. But then I looked at the radar and saw a huge storm cell that no one was going to be avoiding. You can camp at the Trail Magic shop in Canton and a good handful of folks were doing just that. We had a chance for chitchat and camaraderie and realized for most of us, our pace was sub 10 mph, which many of us didn’t expect. We realized this ride was gonna take longer than we had thought. Hopefully we all had Plan B + C at the ready because Plan A was stuck at this rest stop.
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The Trail Magic in Canton has showers, indoor space and they had a cooler of beer. I opted for one of two rooms available at the Park Hotel just a block away instead. It was great to be inside that night as the torrents of rain came down. I thought about the folks who had pushed on and hoped they were doing ok.
Day Two: 109 miles, 10,230 ft elevation
The next morning I left around 7am trying to avoid the morning rain as it was moving out. There was a hellish hike-a-bike climb out of Canton and I was super glad I didn’t attempt it last night in the rain. I would have been pissed. Instead, I was well rested and ready-ish for the new challenges of this new day. I was learning that a nasty ascent meant a long descent and I got one as I bombed down through the forest past lots of road side campsites. There is a pavilion and latrine at the bottom of a descent near Bear Wallow Pond on Bear Wallow Rd. This would be a good place to camp, especially if you bring a water filter.
I made it to Hillsgrove in the mist and stopped at the McCarty Mercantile around mile 100 for a cinnamon bun and some resupply. I ran into Pat there who I had been leap frogging with the day before. We both planned this trip as a 50th birthday present to ourselves. Great minds think alike?
I hit Eagles Mere around mile 115. There were some places to stop but I kept on moving and the sun was starting to peek out. I hit a trail section as I left town. It starts out nice and ends up a rocky mud fest. Once I squeaked out the end, I needed to clean and lube my chain a bit. It was a great time to reapply the butt butter as well which I recommend doing a few times a day. Everything appreciates some lube.
Next is getting into the forest. Loyalsock and Worlds End are both so beautiful. There is a lot of climbing and a lot of beauty. I resupplied around mile 125 at the Sunoco that added 3 miles to my day, but I wanted to make sure I was full on hydration because I wasn’t planning to stop again until Ricketts Glen at mile 164. With my pockets full of food and bottles full of fluids, it was just forest, forest, forest and lots of deep breathing as I inhaled that deep green air to keep my mind steady through the climbs.
As I cruised into Jamison City, another bikepacker called to tell me that I was going the wrong way. My garmin was having tiny freak outs here and there and I was super grateful that one of my new bike buds, Ed, was there to catch me before I went off in the wrong direction. Ed was scarfing down some hot fries and gravy. It looked good but I had pockets full of meat sticks and chocolate bars, so I ran into the bar where he was posted up. The Doors were flowing through the speakers and the bar itself looked so cozy filled with a bunch of kind looking folks. Another bikepacker was at the bar and he was spent. He was deciding if he should stop for the day and finish his 250 course the next day. Seemed like a great choice to me. He was in a nice little oasis.
I pushed on knowing there was a climb that was “hard” just around the corner. It was up a “road” that was through more forest, following a creek. It was picturesque with some getting off the bike to hike and look at all the trees and mud and leaves and listen to the creek flowing. There were climbs everywhere so knowing a “hard” one was coming up began to mean less. I knew it was about 1000 feet of climbing every 10 miles, but some of the 1000 feet were kind of flowy and some were walls. It was hard to know what you were getting into and best to just accept you may be suffering at any time.
Popping off that hill, it was descent time and it was highway time too. It was time to pedal and feel some speed. Because I filled up my bottles in Jamison, I cruised by the cheering Trail Angels around mile 164 at Ricketts Glen and had my eyes on camping at Pigtail Farm at mile 181. It was getting dark so I put on my lights and was excited for my first bit of night riding. It was a chill-ish ride to my destination but I started seeing lightning in the distance. Was it going to rain again??? Just as I pulled up to the Trail Magic camp spot, the rain drops started to fall. The Trail Angels gave me an indoor space to rest my weary head and I was at the height of gratitude to be out of the rain and inside with super hospitable folks! I woke around 2 am to hear more rain and another wave of gratitude rolled over me.
Day Three: 97mi, 9500ft elevation
I rolled out around 6am and said goodbye to the barn cats that supervised me loading my gear onto my bike. There was Trail Magic scattered about that kept me hydrated and I found a banana in a cooler and was happy, feeling grateful again for the folks that took part in the ride and cheered us on with supplies and kindness.
I got into Tunkhannock and eyed the retro Pizza Hut but didn’t want to sit down too long, so I made a note that I need to return here with friends to get the full PH experience. While I was in town I made a campsite reservation at Shore Forest Campground. I was so happy to arrive at Hop Bottom at mile 272 around 6pm-ish so I could set up camp and rest a bit before dark.
There is a 0.7 mile hike-a-bike to get to the campsite. I was just happy to almost be at my destination that the hike was dandy for me. When you pull into the driveway, a sign says “You Made It!”. It was a Monday night in September and the campground was empty and I loved it.
I camped by a little lake and took a hot shower and ate a weird melange of canned sardines, chex mix, and cheese and went to bed.
Day Four: 90mi, 8222 ft elevation
I rolled out around 6am, lights on and layered up. It was cold! I was hoping for a good climb to warm me up, but nothing warmed me up. Around 8am, the sun started shining and I stopped and took my toes out to thaw. I saw about 5 sunrises as I kept dipping up and down valleys. Some cows mooed me up a long climb in the mist.
I heard I could make up some time on the Rail Trail and was looking forward to a different pace. Before I could get to the trail, there was “the possibly hardest climb” to contend with at mile 289. I hiked up that mountain like a champ. Hiking next to my bike isn’t so bad. It’s a chance to let your body stretch out and your feet to get the blood flow back. I don’t have to sing the “my legs are pistons” song because I am not pedaling at 3mph up a hill. I am just out for a little hike with my bike.
The reward for that climb is arriving at Cable’s General Store. Great folks to welcome you and good food to fill you up. I ate and drank and filled my pockets with food and headed onto the Rail Trail. The Rail Trail starts off nicely groomed and then has real identity issues as it turns into mud bowls and rock gardens and if you are lucky, the Earth Movers see you coming and wave you on. There is a switch back section that seems like a possible Thelma and Louise situation if you don’t realize it’s coming. I wouldn’t want to approach it in the dark!
I put on some tunes for the first time on the trip to keep me company and enjoyed the tedium of almost flat riding.
I think there must have been some Trail Magic because I didn’t stop again until New Milford when I stopped at the local bike shop. I needed some lube. When I walked in, it was like stepping back in time. I found some lube and then spotted the jersey rack which looked like it had some old and fun stock. I left the store with a full leopard print Trashy Cat kit circa 2015, made in Italy. I have a soft spot in my heart for old bike shops with old stock that keep doing their thing, despite the challenges of online markets and changing business landscapes.
Rain was again in the forecast and I made a reservation online for the Rosemont Inn B+B which is just off the course in Montrose. I knew I was getting close and was excited to arrive before dark again and have a chance to get some hot food in town. As I was doing the climbs up into Montrose, Lorenzo, a local young cyclist met me. He had been watching everyone’s dots and helped out some of the fast guys on Sunday night when it was raining and they had nowhere to stay. I hadn’t seen a cyclist since day two, so it was a nice surprise and a good distraction from the climbing. We rode and chatted for a few miles and then he peeled off and I watched longingly at his quick pace as I slogged on. There were a few little towny trails to get into Montrose and I was ecstatic to arrive at the beautiful B+B. The folks who ran it were super nice and accommodating. They put a breakfast of granola, hard boiled eggs, fruit and nuts in the fridge for my early morning departure. I showered and realized my hardcore idea that I must camp while bikepacking had been completely demolished and staying in the Great Indoors at night may not be so bad.
Day Five: 75 mi, 7287 ft elevation
I woke to the rain and suited up in my rain pants and jacket. Easier to put it on now then later. I was excited. Just 75 miles to the finish. I got this!
My naive enthusiasm quickly met the most challenging part of the course for me. The rain was constant and the course was so slow going. The rain made the gravel sketchy on the descents (were there any?) and the climbs were a slog. It took me almost 5 hrs to ride 28 miles from Montrose to LeRaysville. I learned later that my Colombian friends broke a rear derailleur in this section, just 45 miles from the finish. I can totally see how it could happen. I felt like this section might eat my bike and my soul. Before I even got to LeRaysville, my drivetrain sounded so chonked out that I stopped and pulled out my toothbrush to clean my chain and derailleur.
I made it to the Dandy at mile 388 and was bewildered. It took me a bit to figure out my next steps. Eat. Drink. Change out of completely soaked clothes and put on dirty, smelly, dry clothing. Once I managed those things, I looked at the clock. At this pace, I would arrive back in Towanda at midnight, not at 4pm like I hoped.
I was mad. Not sure at what. But it was the first time on the course that I felt mad in my whole body. It took until day 5. A tiny part of me was able to see this was actually a win.
Lucky for me the course changed from mud walls to flowing climbs and the sun started to peek out. I didn’t get rained on again. The media crew met me about 30 miles from the finish. I teared up when I saw them. I couldn’t quite express why. I was relieved and happy and proud and exhausted. I was gonna make it back. It was gonna happen. Even if it took a few more hours.
Some take aways from my ride:
It’s gonna take longer than you think. Give yourself an extra day or two in case you need them. About 22 people started the 430 and I think about 13 finished. A lot of folks dropped to the 250 so they could finish in the short time they allotted. My Plan A was to ride it in 4 days. I ended up out there for 5 days. I was the first women in and the 6th person in and that was riding an average moving speed of under 10mph and getting a good sleep every night!
I wish I had a 1x with a big pie plate in the rear. I had 2 x 52/30 upfront with 10-36T in the rear.
I wish I had 45mm tires. I had 40mm. They were ok. I also had an almost slick tire in the rear which got little traction climbing on loose or wet gravel.
The weather report changed from great every day to rain every day and 10 degrees colder overnight. Bring rain gear. Bring arm warmers or enough layers for weather you don’t expect.
No cell service most of the ride. When I stopped in town I was able to get on wifi in the Dandys to try to make reservations for places to stay. I called my husband to make them too because somehow I could call him but not to the local places.
If I do it again, I would go slower and stop at more places. I want to return to check out the bar in Jamison, the bar in Hillsgrove, Camp Bluestone, Arlo’s Country Store and lay in the grass on more vistas and hike around the forests.
Maybe I like staying inside. Maybe I should lean into that.
I like riding alone and I also like seeing people and chatting. The alone time is like a meditation for me. My brain really clears out and I get to see what is left inside there. There are so many very cool people on their bikes for all kinds of reasons and getting to hear their stories is inspiring and makes you love the world more.
