There were a lot of organizations across the state participating in Active Week West Virginia, April 23 -29!
And it was great to get some feedback from some of those groups on how their Active Week event went.
Country Roads Cyclists, a bicycling club in north central West Virginia, organized a bike ride along Decker’s Creek Trail this last Sunday.
Country Roads Cyclists plans and schedules bike rides every Saturday and Sunday through eight months of the year. This last Sunday’s ride was also promoted as an Active Week WV ride, and they invited other cyclists throughout the state to join them. Here’s their full ride schedule.
Kelly Williams, President of Country Road Cyclists, filled us in on their bicycle ride on Decker’s Creek Trail on Sunday…
For this Sunday’s trail ride, we had a good size group assembling at our usual starting point, the parking lot behind Wendy’s in Sabraton. For this ride, seven club members plus one new member showed up. Each of us got our bikes ready for the ride, put on our bike helmets, and then assembled for a photo before taking off for the ride.
We are fortunate to have 2 bike trails here in Monongalia County, the Mon River Trail and the Decker’s Creek Trail.
The Mon River Trail is thirty miles long, along the Monongahela River, while the Decker’s Creek Trail stretches 19 miles up into the neighboring county of Preston County.
The weather was clear and the temps in the mid 60’s, ideal biking conditions. Decker’s Creek Trail is in great shape, a crushed gravel trail that is maintained by the local county parks system. The trail climbs gently for 13 miles to Masontown.
While many of the trees in Morgantown are leafing, as you go up the trail the hillside is still bare like early spring. All along the trail, you can see the creek on your left as you bike up the trail and the bare hillside with boulders and trees on your right.
I am afraid that we take for granted the beauty of this trail. For the entire length of Decker’s Creek, for 19 miles, this trail parallels the entire creek. Every view is of the water rushing over rocks, on its way to join the Monongahela River, then the Ohio, and finally the Mississippi, ending up in the Gulf of Mexico.
We biked up Decker’s to the snack stop at mile marker 9, to take a breather. Then, on up to the Masontown trailhead at mile marker 13. After a break at the picnic shelter, we all enjoyed the descent, letting gravity help us down the hill.
Back at the start, after the 26 mile ride, some of the cyclists decided to visit one of the dozen cafes and restuarants along the trail, for food and refreshments. Thanks to all who participated in this very pleasant bike ride.
Anyone who would like to experience cycling along the Mon River Trail here in West Virginia is invited to any of our rides.
Country Road Cyclists is one of the many assets to the northern part of our state along with Harrison Rail Trails and the Mon River Trail Conservancy, among many others.
This story was originally featured in the West Virginia Community Development Hub’s Blog.