Saturday, September 29, 2012 - 1pm
Blackwater Canyon Leaf Peepers Ride
The Highlands Trail Foundation will host a
guided bike ride in the Blackwater Canyon on Saturday, Sept. 24, starting at
1pm.
Held in conjunction with Tucker County’s Leaf Peepers Festival, the ride
will begin at the Purple Fiddle Coffeehouse in Thomas and end at the Historic
Railroad Depot in Parsons.
Participants will not only enjoy the beauty
of the canyon and the Allegheny Highlands Trail, but will also learn about
railroad history along this trail and future plans for AHT development. All downhill, the
12.5-mile ride will take approximately three hours including rest stops and
exploration of historic sites. The existing trail down the Blackwater Canyon is
renowned for its scenic vistas and sites of historical interest , but it is not
paved and could be considered rigorous for inexperienced riders.
Riders will meet at The Purple Fiddle in
Thomas for a 1 p.m. departure. Parking is available at the Miners & Merchants
Bank. Riders not planning on biking the round trip between Thomas and
Parsons, should plan
on using two cars and either parking one car at the BRETZ trailhead of the
Allegheny Highlands Trail and driving the other car with bicycles to Thomas where
the ride starts.
OR
driving a car with bicycles to Thomas, securing the bicycles
where the ride starts, then driving to the BRETZ trailhead parking lot and
taking a shuttle ride with Allegheny Highlands Trail volunteers back to Thomas.
There will only be room for riders on the shuttles - NO
BICYCLES! The last shuttle will leave at 12:30pm
The ride is appropriate for all skill
levels, but generally not recommended for children under 10. A parent or
guardian must accompany children under 18. Helmets are
required for all participants, who should carry plenty of water and
dress for the weather. Mountain bikes or other fat tire bicycles are recommended
for the packed dirt and gravel trail surface, but hybrid or cross bikes are also
suitable.
For information on the ride, contact HTF by
email at info@highlandstrail.org or by phone at 304 637
7505. For information on the Leaf Peepers Festival, visit
www.canaanvalley.org or call 800-422-3304 toll-free.
The ride is produced with the assistance of the Randolph County and
Tucker County Convention and Visitors Bureaus, sponsored by
Joey's Bike Shop in Elkins,
Fat Tire Cycle in Buckhannon and
Blackwater Bicycles in Davis, and
Elkins Walmart. Presented by the
Highlands Trail Foundation, PO Box 2862, Elkins, WV 26241, 304 637 7505
For more information email: info@;highlandstrail.org