Making Lemonade Out Of Lemons

September 15, 2021

I spent some time last night reconfiguring this adventure now that the D&L and D&R trails will not come to pass. I have come up with a substitute and you will need to stay tuned to see how it develops.

The plan for today was to ride two upper portions of the D&L that had not been impacted by either construction or Ida. The day started at the Black Diamond Trailhead in Mountain Top.

This section was 8.8 miles and took me just outside White Haven where Laura met me and we shuttled to the next section. This section was surrounded by heavy woods and was a delight. It may be difficult to tell from the picture below but the trail was slightly down hill for the entire 8.8 miles! Great ride.

I did meet one rider who was working on his bike. He was attempting to fix some broken spokes in his rear wheel. After a brief discussion, he decided to walk his bike back to his car. Continuing to ride with broken spokes is a recipe for disaster.

In the second half of this section I spotted several ponds and just could not resist.

The downhill made for a quick ride. I put the bike on the rack for the quick drive over to the Lehigh Tannery site on the far side of White Haven. This trailhead marks the beginning of 22 miles of trail through Lehigh Gorge. The trail was in wonderful condition and it was clear in a short distance this would be a memorable ride.

Not a half mile in from the trailhead. The first of several waterfalls and cascades.

The trail is sandwiched between the Lehigh River and sandstone cliffs and outcropping for 14+ miles. The cliffs and outcroppings were covered with dense stands of rhododendron and mountain laurel. I can only imagine what this section must look like in the spring when they are in bloom.

The river was a constant presence with many exciting sections of rapids. Due to the thick foliage between the trail and the river, it was not easy getting a good picture but diligence paid off.

Taken from one of the many locks that once supported the commercial use of the river. The locks were destroyed in the mid-1860's. Never rebuilt. Replaced by the railroad. A wild river once again.

The trail eventually runs alongside the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway before crossing over the river and ending in Jim Thorpe. I met Laura on the trail a couple of miles from Jim Thorpe. We stopped for a last look at the river.

While we did not partake, the Lehigh is a great rafting river.

While we were loading the bikes on the rack I asked Laura if she would like to return to the Lehigh Tannery Trailhead and go for a short ride so she could experience some of the Gorge. We headed back to the trailhead, unloaded our bikes and headed down the trail. Laura was as amazed as I was by the rhododendron and mountain laurel.

Revisiting the Gorge. What a great way to end the day.

I asked Laura if it was worth the trip back to the Lehigh Tannery Trailhead. You know what they say...a picture is worth a thousand words!

Today's ride: 36 miles (58 km)
Total: 245 miles (394 km)

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