My coworker Tim and I went biking at Bear Creek this Saturday, where we found a short, but rocky and challenging trail. Bear Creek (formerly Doe Mountain) was bought by new owners a few years ago, and has seen a huge influx of investment. There’s a substantial new snowmaking system, rebuilt lodge, and a new hotel and conference center under construction. It looks much more like a scaled-down western resort than your typical day-use mountain in Pennsylvania.
The trails also seem to have received some recent attention; it was largely well-maintained except for a few spots. The main trail loops around the border of the ski slopes in the woods, with various more-difficult side loops. Both were plenty rocky, to the point that I walked a few sections after being force to clip out and unable to get going again. There’s also one loose, step climb, a few sections with sharp switchbacks, and some short bridges. Most of it was well marked, even including some warning signs of approaching bridges or more technical sections.
Our ride came in a bit under 6 miles, doing the main loop and one side trail in about 1:45. We grabbed lunch at their grill in the lodge, which has the rustic feel of an old lodge with hearty food to match. The selections and prices were middle of the road, and the sandwiches and burgers were plenty filling, along with a couple of beers, of course.
It was a nice change of pace from the usual handful of places I ride locally, and not too far at about an hour. The trails were a bit too rocky for my tastes, but it certainly offers some challenges and good food when you’re done.
