GRUSK Venti
Planning
I was going to turn 40 in the summer and was thinking a bit on what I wanted to do. It was probably going to be something in the Type 2 Fun category and I wanted to confidently not feel old when I was done. My family went last year to the Almost Heaven Star Party and it was incredible for my city kids to see the milky way just staring back at them. That event is at the Spruce Knob Experience Learning Center which is just below the highest point in West Virginia. It's a camp with cabins, camping, and an incredibly cool set of 3 massive yurts connected by one big deck to hang out on. I had seen a bunch of DC folks do a ride out this way called GRUSK (Gravel Ride Up Spruce Knob) and then realized that was where this event was too. I asked some of the staff working at the camp and they not only comfirmed it was here, but that it was also a blast with kegs and a band playing. This planted the seed in my mind that I should come out to West Virginia to ride it.
I ended up registering in December for the ride in July. Most people do 1 day rides ranging from 27 to 89 miles on Saturday, but there were also three other multi-day rides that leave on Thursday and finish on Saturday. Some people race these, but most just seem to ride them to finish them for fun. There were 220, 260, and 320 mile courses. I registered for the VENTI 3 day 220 mile ride which seemed to have the most people. You can checkout the course here on Ride with GPS. At this point I had done 3 bike tours. 1 camping and 2 mostly on pavement with hotels, but this would be the first more remote tougher trail gravel bikepacking oriented one and it also had a massive amount of elevation gain at 18,750ft. I had purchased a Specialized Crux Comp in the fall to race Cyclcross on which would work well enough for this too with some adjustments. I have bike trip packing lists pretty dialed, so I just combined that with my camping packing list, put an Old Man Mountain rack on the Crux, hit REI for a few odds and ends, and then I was pretty much set.
Wednesday came around and I threw everything that was staged in my office into the van. I fought 4 hours of traffic and bad weather to get out to West Virginia and ended up at the camp at around 8PM with the weather clearing up. I recieved all of my registration stuff, talked to a bunch of the other riders, and there were about 40 of us total on the long multi-day rides. The camp was really quiet and chill with such a small number of people there. I turned in early on my nice air matress in the van to get a good nights sleep before winging where I was gonna pass out for the next 3 days.
Day 1
101 Miles / 9,765ft of Elevation
I woke up at 6AM and had a quick breakfast of two bars. Most of the riders had a group depart at 6:30AM which I had somehow missed hearing about, but I made the right call and didn't scramble to finish packing just to catch them. Everyone would spread out quickly and making sure I had everything packed was more important. I triple checked what I had in the van and on the bike because once I rode away I wasn't turning around for anything. It always feels a little weird riding away starting a trip for some reason thinking through if you have everything.
I headed out on the familiar bumpy road, turned right and started the journey. I know the roads pretty well around here, but ended up somewhere I'd never been on a really pretty fire road full of dense pines. I had the cheapest Garmin bike computer you can buy which does not show roads, but only a line for the route and an arrow for where you are. I had been on and off course all morning so I didn't think much of it and then realized I missed a major turn. I stopped and got very lucky and was able to keep riding on Route 28 a bit to pick the course back up. I would have had to backtrack a few miles up hill otherwise. The film crew flagged me down to tell me I was off course and got some great footage of me feeling stupid. I had debated buying a new bike computer before the trip and instantly regretted not following through on that decision now.
I went into Bartlow to buy a few bars at a gas station and filled my water bottles. Lots of climbing and then ended up at Greenbank Observatory. I had driven by the satellites here previously, but never learned more or went in. It's a radio quiet zone so I put my phone in airplane mode and then rode through with 3 other riders, one of whom (Cindy) knew the area well and warned us the trail was tricky.
The course here was rough with high grass, mud, and stream crossings, but massive pretty Rhododendron everywhere. This was the hardest terrain so far. It eventually turned back to smooth road and I headed back north and stopped in Durbin.
There was a nice old train here as part of the Cass Scenic Railroad, but the one restaurant didn't have any veggie options so a cold freeze dried meal at a picnic table to give my teeth a workout was what it was going to be. It honestly tasted fine given how hungry I was.
I headed out of town onto the nicest stretch of the ride so far. A flat road along a river next to a mountain. Nonetheless the day started to get hard, but I made it to a church pavilion with water. I hadn't done any days longer than 6 hours on on this bike and had only had it for less than a year. It mostly fits right, but I was getting horrible shoulder pain so I ended up flipping my stem to raise my bars which helped and I seemed to get the headset tension right. I instantly started to feel better riding and only 10 more miles left to the Alpine Diner which was the plan for dinner.
Someone made a rest stop on the way with snacks and water and the offer of free camping and showers. I really debated staying there, but wanted a nice big dinner so I pushed on. I got to the Alpine Diner at 6PM and it was closed. I could go back to the rest stop a few miles or press on to a campsite with a shower, but it meant a big climb up Bicknell Knob. I figured it was best to get as much as possible done in the first day and pressed on. This was a really hard climb and I took of my glasses I since I was sweating so much and going so slow. There was a random aid stop at the top with gatorade and junk food so I pigged out and chatted. The guy was just setup there for fun and would be there all night to help out the endurance racers coming through. He gets to see incredibly exhausted, but very happy he's there people for the next day or so and it must be a real fun vibe.
I finished the climb and then a nice big descent with aching tired hands. I made it to the Stuart Recreation Area campground a little before 8. It was a really long 13 hour day on the bike. I grabbed a shower and put my flip flops on. 2 other riders rolled in and we split the camp site. They really tried to get a pizza delivered, but couldn't, so I made a freeze dried meal and got ready for bed. It's sometimes tricky to decide if it's better to decompress from the day or just pass out, but usually best to just pass out if you can.
Day 2
63 Miles / 4,137ft of Elevation
I had set my alarm for 6 and really slow rolled it. I made it a point not to put bike clothes on when I woke up. I made some coffee and said bye to the two other riders I had split the site with. My gear slowly got assembled and packed up while I enjoyed the coffee and got rolling a little before 8AM with the goal of about 60 miles today. The secondary goal was to be very kind to my body after yesterday which I think was the hardest day of riding I've ever done.
I rode north on the prettiest stretch so far. Fast, flat, and shaded and cool along the river. Rode with another rider for a bit so we were really cooking and I stopped a few times to take photos and finish off my coffee. I packed a lot of nice to have items on this trip and a travel coffee mug that fits in a bike bottle cage was one of them. It's a luxury that makes for a nice mellow morning to ease into a long ride and I don't want to hang around drinking coffee too long without getting started for the day.
I rolled into Parsons a little before 10AM and hit B&J's diner that was recommended. This was the first real meal of the trip and I ate two entire breakfasts. I was at 20 miles for the day and feeling really good that I was 1/3rd done before breakfast.
I grabbed a few things from the Dollar General and then rolled out of town. I realized I never filled up my water bottles, but knew it was less than 20 miles to the next town so just decided to go for it. I crossed a suspension bridge and then decided having at least 1 water bottle was worth it cause it was getting hot and sunny so I stopped at a random property/rental management office and they let me fill up.
This section of trail was my least favorite so far. The trail was marble size rocks on a slight uphill for 10 miles so you couldn't keep more than 5mph of speed. I was really not digging this section and then spotted a massive waterfall next to the trail so I hiked down and found the perfect swimming spot. The water was ice cold and felt incredible on my sore dirty sweaty skin. I was instantly in a better mood and happy when I got back on the bike.
I ran into a couple from Fayetteville riding the course together and they had some recommendations on where to eat in the nearby town of Davis so we rode in together. The burrito place they recommended was closed, but a pizza place across the stret was open so I settled in for a massive plate of pasta, beers, salad, and then desert. I only had 20 miles left for the day, it was only mid afternoon, and I'd had 2 real meals so far. I was feeling much better than the first day. I bought a to go beer to pack for later, grabbed a few energy bars from the outdoor store, and headed out.
The next part of the course was by far the most difficult section. It was an offroad jeep trail with some parts that would have been difficult to ride on a mountain bike. About 1/4 of the trail was water as so I was really focussed not to tip and soak one of my panniers. It was really hard to ride, but kinda fun since it was so different and I had to really focus and never looked at the miles.
We passed a few pretty done up off road rigs and a stock Ford F150 I later heard got stuck. It took some hike a bike to get through it and then we ended up on a really long choppy descent. I had to take a break cause my hands were getting shakey from all the braking and vibration. This transitioned into a beautiful perfectly paved flat road along a river for a bit. I drank some water right from a pipe on a mountain next to the river without filtering it and it tasted delicious.
This lead to a few miles of one of the absolute hardest climb of the trip. I alternated between sitting and standing and grinding to get through it and then rested at the top. I was very glad I had switched to a 36T chainring from the stock 40T that came on my bike. There was a nice big hill to bomb and then we stopped at the LRC B&B for the day which some folks had booked rooms at and we were told we could camp on the lawn for free.
The couple I rode with had hyped this place up and wow were they right. It's a farm teaching hands on skills and Marsha there was incredibly nice. There were 3 folks in the house and 4 of us on the lawn. I scrubbed off in the river and then remembered that I had packed a beer which was a nice surprise.
Marsha gave us fresh apple crisp and a beer and I helped someone finish some wine they didn't want to haul the next day. I talked to the filmmakers and realized they run the Filmed by Bike Film Festival in Portland. I made myself a freeze dried meal and helped finish off the wine chatting with everyone sitting around a table at the absolute perfect spot after a long day. We chatted about past bike trips, the ride so far, and hung out with the friendly dog and cat. I set my alarm for 5AM since Marsha said she'd have coffee ready at 6AM. I organized everything for tomorrow, filled my water bottles, wrote up the day and passed out.
Day 3
53 Miles / 5,928ft of Elevation
I woke up at 5 to get an early start and was looking forward to finishing the afternoon and then relaxing. It always takes longter than you think to pack up everything from camping and organize things well on the bike which is really worth doing as much as you just want to start riding. Tearing apart the panniers to find one item on the side of the road is bad news. Marsha had coffee in the house ready at 6AM just like she said she would. I sat and had 2 cups and 2 bars for breakfast and hung out with the dog. The LRC B&B was such a nice place to stay and relax and I hope to be back sometime.
The day started with absolutely brutal climbing for the first 10 miles which began as pavement and then switched to a choppy dirt farm road. Water stops were very uncertain for the rest of the course so I packed an extra liter in the Platypus (favorite gear item this trip).
I finally finished the climbing and got to a fun fast descent. I wasn't sure exactly how many miles today would be, but knew it was likely less than yesterday. We had course maps for the VENTI 220 ride with possible supply/food/water stops located, but they did not note rest stops for the 1 day Grusk rides which were all starting today.
I rolled up on a surprise firehouse rest stop that was just getting setup and pigged out on snacks, chatted with the Allegheny Trail folks setting up the aid station, and was able to ditch all the extra water I was hauling. From here it was a really pretty road along the base of a mountain and a nice fast pace. I saw my first sign for Spruce Knob. Seeing signs saying how many miles are left to the end are always a nice motivation on the last day.
The only downside was a lot of folks camping along the road which I've learned always means to watch for loose dogs and one ran up really snappy and fast, but luckily the owners were nearby. I got into a really good fast pace here and then saw the turnoff back to the campground, but turned to left to head up Spruce Knob. I saw a few friends from DC riding the 1 day rides which was motivating so I really started to push hard and ride fast.
At this point I knew I was going to finish the trip and got really happy. I made it all the way to the top and ate a bunch of bags of sour patch kids at the rest stop there. I took some photos and looked around at the mountains and reflected a little on being done. I drank my last water for the day and headed back down the mountain to the campground.
I was ripping down and it started pouring for about 15 minutes and I said to myself I'm not gonna get off the bike until I'm done for the day and just kept riding. I was cold and drenched but it only lasted 15 minutes and then the sun came out and I saw a few other riders from the VENTI going up spruce knob soaking wet too. I started to push a lot harder once it was sunny out and made the turn for the campground and tackled the last hill. I turned in on the bumpy driveway and there were only about 20 cars there when I left and now there were maybe 200 for all the riders that came in for the 1 day Saturday rides.
I cruised down through the finish arches incredibly happy to be done. I obviously like riding bikes, but on these trips I'm always very ready to be done on the last day and pretty cooked. I got a cold drink from the cooler and changed out of all my gross clothes and into fresh clean ones I had waiting in the van.
I parked it on the big deck and cheered for the rest of the VENTI riders as they came in as I made a few trips over to the beer truck. I caught up with a bunch of friends from DC and managed to eat both a 4PM dinner... and then a 6PM dinner... and then snacked for a while. I wasn't as concerned about over eating now that I was done. It rained a little and everyone huddled under the big yurt to catch the band. I finished out the night with some whisky around a fire with some of the other riders and passed out happy and full of food.
Hindsight
- Day 1 of this ride was the most physically difficult thing I've ever done. Harder than a marathon. It was the right call to hammer out a massive first day though. The overall ride was shorter in terms of days and distance, but much more difficult in terms of climbing, gear hauling, and terrain than the other 3 bike trips I've done.
- I really should have bought a nicer bike computer before the trip. I was off course multiple times before I learned not to trust it and check my phone frequently. Luckily I had pre-loaded Kamoot Maps + Ride with GPS all set with the route and downloaded them for offline access. There's no signal on 90% of the trip. It was nice to have the SPOT GPS unit for my family to track me and if anything went real wrong too.
- I should have packed much lighter. I was one of the only people running panniers. Some people were staying in cabins and other places without camping gear to haul. Others were riding in pairs to split camping gear. I had everything I needed to fix almost any bike issue which I didn't need, but you never know. I also clean clothes everyday, stuff to cook which was worth it given limited vegetarian options. I think I would actually still run panniers again, but take less gear. I didn't need water purification stuff and I should have bought a smaller/lighter sleeping bag or quilt for summer. My old 40 degree synthetic bag took up half of 1 panier.
- You instantly become friends with anyone else riding an event like this. You're doing an absolutely insane thing together and everyone is always nice. It's a strange filtering mechanism where you don't have to explain why you're doing something like this. Everyone else just knows and gets it.
- The Experience Learning Center at Spruce Knob really is something special. The location + structure + vibe + staff always doing a great job with cooking make it great. They have a bunch of other cool events and summer camps up there too.
- I didn't have any mechanical issues. I was on a stock Specialized Crux Comp other than thicker handlebar tape, replaced the 40T chainring with a 36T (absolutely necessary for this trip and honestly all the time), and the new Old Man Mountain rack worked great. There were times when I would have liked bigger tires than the stock Pathfinders, but they were mostly fine. I lubed my chain after riding through tons of water on the second day and that was it other than flipping my stem on day 1.
- It's not out of the question that I'll ride this thing again. I learned a lot that will make it easier next time and it was hard, but one of my favorite events I've ever done.
