Bicycle - mountain biking and dayhiking - Brief Article

Sierra, Jan, 2000

Tour miles of scenic countryside. Whether touring the redrock canyons of Utah or exploring the carriage roads of Acadia Park, Sierra Club Bicycle Trips celebrate your own strength and allow time for hearty meals, sightseeing, photography, or watching the clouds float by. Rides range in difficulty; request a brochure for details.

Mountain Biking and Dayhiking in Utah's Lockhart Basin, Canyon Rims Recreation Area. April 30-May 6. Explore the Lockhart Basin before it becomes annexed into Canyonlands National Park! Vertical orange cliffs rise above blue-gray shale badlands, pottery shards litter the deep backcountry, and mountain sheep and cougars still roam. We'll ride our mountain bikes from Moab to the Needles Outpost and explore seldom-seen side canyons like Indian Creek on several extended dayhikes. Leader: Tom Klein. Price: $595; Dep: $100. [00190A]

Bicycling Through Civil War History, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. June 4-10. Retrace the footsteps of General Lee's invasion of Union soil. Starting at Manassas, Virginia, we'll ride north through historic Harpers Ferry, Antietam, and along the gravel C&O Canal towpath. Our route takes us through the Catoctin Mountains and concludes with a guided tour of Gettysburg. This van-supported camping trip takes in six national battlefields and parks. Intermediate mountain or road bikers welcome. Leader: Colleen Garrison. Price: $595; Dep: $100. [00191A]

25 Winter Park Mountain Biking, Arapaho Forest, Colorado. June 25-July 1. Cruise the Colorado Rockies, spiritual home of mountain biking and a spectacular setting for photography and sightseeing, on a 660-mile trail system named the "best mountain biking in Colorado." Diverse singletrack and fire roads slicing through the Arapaho National Forest and some of Colorado's highest passes permit tailoring rides to your interests. Intermediate or novice cyclists in excellent physical condition. Campgrounds with Fraser Valley trailheads. Sag wagon support. Leader: John Borel. Price: $525; Dep: $100. [00192A]

Berkshire Mountains and Music, Massachusetts and New York. July 30-August 5. Enjoy biking through the culturally rich region of western Massachusetts. We'll ride the rolling hills by day, leisurely taking in the pastoral fields, quaint historic villages, and such fine museums as the Norman Rockwell, Williamstown's Clark Museum, and Shaker Museum. By night, we'll sample the world-class culture of Tanglewood, Shakespeare & Co., or Williamstown Theater. Staying in comfortable country inns with sumptuous meals and sag wagon support, rounds out a fabulous week. Some meals not included. Leader: Christine Wagner. Price: $975; Dep: $100. [00193A]

Explore Acadia Park by Bike, Maine. August 20-26. Mt. Desert Island and its Acadia National Park have everything a visitor expects from coastal Maine. From our base camp, we'll cycle 20 to 35 miles a day past cobble beaches, tidepools, cliffs, and lighthouses, through spruce forest and fishing villages, and up to granite summits. We'll also ferry to outlying Baker Island for an afternoon with an Acadia naturalist. Leader: Craig Caldwell. Price: $495; Dep: $50. [00194A]

Book Cliffs Bicycle Odyssey Activist Trip, Eastern Utah. September 2-9. See the Activist section on page 63 for more information. Leader: Vicky Hoover. Price: $425; Dep: $50. [00106A]

Hike and Bike The Sierra, Clair Tappaan Lodge, California. September 16-22. See the Lodge section on page 94 for more information. Leader: Tim Hauserman. Price: $550; Dep: $100. [00262A]