Middle Atlantic Four Wheel Drive (MAFWDA) organized a camping and trail riding weekend for the clubs and their guests. This year Preston Stevens treated the group to a wonderful weekend in Rocky Gap State Park with four wheel drive trail riding in nearby Green Ridge State Forest.
We all enjoyed the friendship into the late evening.
Our trail riding crew for this run included:
- Keith Holman in the Chevy Colorado (CORE),
- JC in the Suzuki Samari (CORE),
- Mike Vincenty and Donna in the white TJ Rubicon (CORE),
- Gary, Terri, and Kyle Owens in the white TJ Rubicon (CORE),
- Preston and Pam Stevens in the red TJ (PA Jeeps),
- Tom and Debbie Taylor in the white Bronco (guest)
We arrived at the Rocky Gap camp site late Thursday evening. As we arrived dusk was setting in. JC was already settled in with a roaring camp fire. JC came over to greet us and kindly pitched in to help us set up camp. The others from CORE were planning on arriving the next day, Friday.
Friday morning we awoke to a beautiful day. Preston had planned a full day of trail riding in Green Ridge State Forest which is about 5 miles east of Rocky Gap. The Preston family, JC, Donna and I all headed out for a day trail riding. We initially explored the north end of Green Ridge State Forest, north of I-68. We headed out north on Fifteen Mile Creek Road. This is a dirt road that continues into Pennsylvania. We took Fifteen Mile Creek Road up to the PA state line then turned around. Two small stream crossings were encountered both ways.
We continued exploring many roads on the north end of the forest. All of these are roads that I personally have never travelled. The north side contains dirt roads which are lightly travelled. The roads we covered on the north end of the forest included:
- Fifteen Mile Creek,
- Double Pine Road,
- Old Cumberland Road,
- Treasure Road, and
- Davis Road
Our travels took us to the area south of I-68. Here we continued exploring the numerous road networks in the forest. On Gordon Road two steam washouts made navigating on the trail a bit more interesting; nothing too difficult. We enjoyed lunch at the Log Roll overlook. Here you have a spectacular view of the valley below.
Our travels continued in the forest. At one point we came upon an abandoned campsite off the road’s edge; fire still blazing and trash littering the area. We stopped to properly extinguish the fire and pick up all of the trash covering the ground. During our afternoon travels we continued to explore the road network in Green Ridge State Forest. Found us at one creek crossing stopped and exploring for rocks with imbedded fossils. None of us had any luck, until Pam found one just as we were leaving; a nice souvenir.
Roads explored included:
- Piclic Road,
- Old Williams Road,
- Black Sulphur Road,
- Wallizer Road,
- Gordon Road,
- Mertens Avenue,
- Green Ridge Road,
- Kirk Road,
- Stafford Road,
- Jacobs Road,
- Twig Road
The rest of the weekend crew showed up after we returned back to camp. Friday evening we enjoyed a roaring fire at the Preston family camp site. Preston didn’t break from tradition. He made himself a batch of Jiffy Pop popcorn. We all enjoyed the friendship into the late evening.
While the rest of the crew spent another day in Green Ridge Forest trail riding, Saturday Donna and I decided to spend a day in Cumberland Maryland. Cumberland is only about five miles west of the Rocky Gap recreational area. Here we explored the old downtown section of town, casually visiting the shops along the way. We had a nice lunch at a small Irish pub in the old shopping district. Very nice.
The wheeling crew returned back to camp by dinner time. That evening found us heading back to home with memories of a great camping and four wheeling weekend. I always enjoy coming to Green Ridge State Forest. The wheeling is easy, the scenery is great, and the friendships are the best.
Let’s do it again soon.
Trail report written by Mike Vincenty. Pictures courtesy of Mike Vincenty.