Yet another fun day at the mOOn in the planning stages... With the success of our first NEPMTBA Wednesday night ride/cookout this past week Loren & Jake have decide to take it up a notch, and thanks to all who brought so much stuff and all the fun we had. With that said we are pleased to introduce "mOOnapalooza 09" with rides, trials area fun, and food. Event is planned for a Wednesday night in June(date announced soon)

Thanks for viewing
See at the mOOn

NEPMTBA/Moon Lake Park Wed night Mt Bike rides start 4/1/09 No April Fools!

Moon Lake Park Wednesday night Mt Bike rides supported by NEPMTBA starts 4/1/09 Come on over to the mOOn with your Mt Bike/Hike and get your tires/hiking shoes dirty every Wednesday night at 6 PM at the Main Gate at Moon Lake park. Ride 20 miles of trails ranging from Total Trials Tech to Dirt Roads and everything in between with elevation gains from little hills to chain breaking climbs including a just for fun dual slalom, pump track, freeride sections, and more trials sections. Everyone invited, and no one left behind. Rides are from 1.5 to 3 hours. Refreshments including water and soda machines as well as bathrooms throughout the park. Our 4 legged friends are welcome to ride/hike along with us. Since we have so many options of trails to ride every ride is different, so no one gets board, and I'm sure there will be some more new trails built this year as well as many great events planned.

Cranksgiving Black Friday Ride at the mOOn

We were glad to see riders from Ithaca and Albany NY as well as Kentucky stop by the mOOn to join us on our NEPMTBA Cranksgiving Black Friday ride. The day was fairly warm and the trails were great having been all blown clean from Lee & Chucks tyraid with the "New" Sthil backpack blower provided by Andy Gegaris & Clif Madrack of Luzerne County Parks & Rec. At least 30 riders hit the trails this day for what turned out to be a banner day as mini groups of riders split up to head to thier favorite trails or ride areas. World Class Mountain Uni ridier Roland amazed all of us riding with us on his Muni and demonstrating his super skills! More on our Moto Uni Blog at: http://unimoto.blogspot.com/

NEPMTBA/BMER

Well, was bound to happen, 2 great clubs NEPMTBA and BMER hit the mOOn for a classic ride!

Bill's Big NEPMTBA/BMER mOOn Lake Ride was really cool. Bill organized the ride at the mOOn with riders from NEPMTBA and the (BMER)Back Mountain Enduro Riders who spent the afternoon riding the trails at the mOOn. Starting at the Nature Center at Big Blue on to Thorny Hollow then Nature's Way the 15 riders and Buddy the Dog kept a good pace ending up at T-Rex2. From there it was onto the Downhill of Screamer/Squeezer and Swill of your Life trails. Local legend Stevie (Lokie)Loke kept us entertained with his trials moves in the rough rocky sections. Continuing on to the Dark trail we ended up at Mo-Zee trail where we picked up 2 more riders Roz and Chuck Simons on his sharp looking new Canadian model Specialized bike. Peek-A-Boo trail was next on the roster where Chuck K. was doing some filming for the upcoming Moon Lake the Movie. We finished up back at the Nature Center where a good BS session ensued with many compliments of the shape and design of the trails were heard. Tom Jones from Around Town bikes soon joined us after his ride.

The 2 groups NEPMTBA/BMER have joined forces to expand the efforts of working on trails and riding together. Too bad both of our X-Mas parties are on the same day! So come join a great group of riders as the more the merrier with rides every Saturday in November and December at noon at the mOOn. Of course we still have the Wednesday Night ride at 6PM meeting at the main gate! Also the 11/28/08 Cranksgiving Black Friday ride at 12 noon! Christmas party at Happy Pizza 40 West Main street Plymouth everyone invited.

See ya at the mOOn

Got Downhill? MLP gets the Swoop Flowing

Back in the summer during a ride at the mOOn I asked one of our best Moon Lake trails supporters Joe F. what do you think the Moon needs? He replied "I can tell ya what the mOOn needs, a long flowing downhill" 

 "Say it's so Joe" We have DH at the mOOn thanks to: Moon Lake Staff, Andy, Clif, Mike, and Paul along with NEPMTBA and crew including: Chuck, Ty,  Loren, Jake, Isabella, Joan, Buddy, Bill, Brian, and Mike and Lee, also nearby landowners, Ken and Tom all helped out with the successful designing, and constructing the first phase of the downhill trail. A few highlights are: It begins at the water tanks, but can also be accessed from T-Rex 2 thus making different ways to make more interesting loops to ride or hike. Official name given is "NFS" or Not For Sissys? Nice Fast Swoop? Nice Flow Sucka? or any other colorful alignment you choose to add personal  experience to it! Starting out at the water tanks the trail user will encounter a ribbon of flow atop granite cliffs with many optional "Trials" lines, singular glacial boulders, gaps, and flagstone. As the terrain begins to drop away the trail changes to loam covering the rocks and follows the ridge till the super flowy "S" turn designed by Brian and Mike called "Swoop it" You have to ride this to gain the effect of the feeling as you can keep the momentum going all the way through both turns with increasing speed. The trail cuts back on itself in a switch back manner to begin the really steep stuff, that of course in northeastern Pennsylvania we all call the Sideways Slippy or Off Camber. On this section of the downhill exists a line over a huge slab rock that drops away at 2 angles! When dry its a handful, when wet? well let's just say when WET... YIKES!!!!!!!!! Arriving at the bottom it joins a service rd and a turn to the left will take you back uphill to another service rd section of Big Blue. In the future, phase 2 downhill will connect with the Flume and beyond to access future 5858 trail to return back into the park proper. 

Ride the mOOn

Moon Lake 10/14/08 Tuesday Night "Trials"

 With increased interest in the Moon Lake "Trials" area, it was time for an official Tuesday night Trials at the mOOn. The Rockhenge Trials area has many different lines and sections which Owen, Clinton, and Ty had a blast conquering! We had so much fun, plans to expand with a cookout and campfire are in the works! Also at the Moon Lake Hell-O-Ween ride on Saturday 10/25/08 starting at 2 PM there will be a "Trials" after the regular ride about 5 PM. All are welcome to join us at the mOOn...  

View more pics at: http://nepmtba.piczo.com/moonlaketrials?cr=5

Burt are ya Psyched... by Lee Curry

 This week God not only called on Paul Newman to come home, but he placed a call to our friend Burt.

 When I arrived at Moon Lake this past summer to build trails for mt biking I met Nikki and her 4 German Shepherds. One of the dogs is named Burt and he instantly gave me the look that he and I were on the same page! Burt was the better half of 12 plus years and we all know in dog years he was an elder statesman. Many times I would be building trails at Moon Lake or just Mt Biking and Burt would  wander over to check how things are going. I always responded to Burt with "Burt are ya Psyched" He gave me the nod that all in his world was well and he moved on! Burt was a good friend to mt bikers who visited the park. He never chased or barked at them. I had to give Burt nearly half a bag of chips just to get him to"speak" One of my favorite things was sneeking chips to Burt when his owner Nikki wasn't looking.  Yes, Nikki Burt liked chips. I think he conned me by the way on the getting him to speak!... LOL!

 Well, Burt honored the call from God and went home. I feel he knew all is well at Moon Lake Park with the mt bikers and hikers and his job was upgraded to heaven where he is needed more!  But he will look back and smile, because today Chuck Kovatch and myself built and dedicated a trail in Burt's honor... "Burt's Run" behind the Nature Center where he spent lot's of time! 

 I can tell you today, I was driven more than ever to make this a special trail. As Chuck and I built the trail the flow just kept getting better and better as if Burt was asking me "Are you psyched" At one point I looked at Chuck and said the word "Magic" Regardless of the terrain, rocks and uneven gaps it just FLOWED! All the turns linked together as if Burt was showing me the way to this Ribbon of Dirt we all call "Trail" You have to ride it and tell me if it doesn't have some kind of "Magic" I can't wait to turn a wheel on it!

 

 If you see a bag of chips stapled to the Burt's Run trail sign they are there just incase Burt gets psyched and needs a little snack!

 So for the last time... Burt are ya psyched?... 

Moon Lake atttracts local hero...Steve Loke

 A friend showed up at the mOOn to see what all this trail commotion is about! Steve Loke showed up at the mOOn to ride with us the other night, and what a pleasure it was after many years to see him enjoying the trails we built at the mOOn. Having personally known Lokie throughout the years. I was thrilled by the fact Charles "Chuck" Kovach was there and one of the reasons Lokie came to the park. It had been Chucks speaking of the fun we were having on the many miles of trails and how great the response of the local community has been.

 Steve worked at General Radio Honda many years ago. He was very educated and a great mechanic who knew how to keep your ride running top notch! Then he ran his own shop later in time! As we rode the mOOn Lakes trails we spoke of all the fun we had in the past relating stories back and forth! The one thing I always kid him about is his "Aqua Blue candyapple metallic Vintage Honda Minitrail CT 70" motorcycle! It seems we as kids had parallel lives, except mine is an" Orange candyapple metallic Vintage Honda Minitrail CT 70" During the conversation fellow Mt bike rider Bill says "Hey I had a Honda CT 70 also" I spoke saying "Hey it seems we need to form a club for these fine vintage rides", we all laughed and rode along as it grew dark on this days ride, but the spirit of good friends sharing past stories and great trails never faded. 

Thanks to: Chuck, Lokie, and Bill for making that space in time a memorable one, and may everyone have many more!

Riding the mOOn

 Riding the mOOn!

 To the world it's know as Moon Lake Park, but to the mt bikers who frequent the trails it's know as Riding the mOOn Always fun, spending time with friends on the many trails. From T-Rex to Nitemare you always have many options.