What in the world is Lu Lacka Wyco Hundo? A question that JB asked the first time he had heard about it three or four years ago. Selene Yeager, bestselling author, pro cyclist, and PA-native mentioned this Northeast PA event on a podcast where friends get together annually; embark on a 100-mile mixed surface tour of Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Wyoming Counties; eat tacos; engage in shenanigans; finish when not hypothermic; and have an all-around great time regardless. JB was sold – Lu Lacka (for short) added to the bucket list!
Background on Lu Lacka Wyco Hundo
2022 was his year! The 9th running, but 10th annual (COVID scratched one). JB mustn’t have been the only one that had heard about the legendary Lu Lacka. This once ride of friends had grown to several hundred like-minded cyclists all in for a grand adventure on the last Sunday in April.
Lu Lacka starts and ends in Pittston, PA, which is event founder, Patrick Engleman’s hometown. For those unfamiliar, Pittston and Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Wyoming Counties are located in northeastern Pennsylvania near Scranton. The roads, trails, hills, and hollers served as a playground for Engleman and his friends growing up. About 11 years ago, Engleman, who had relocated to the suburbs of Philadelphia, wanted to introduce his Philly friends to the area that was near and dear to his heart. He mapped out a course; and voila, the birth of Lu Lacka.
The brutally beautiful 100ish mile ride (a/k/a the Hundo) was so well-received it lived on beyond the first year and became an annual tradition. Engleman purposefully kept the early editions small as it was a family (and friends) affair. Literally, people got ready and cleaned up at his parents’ house.
Eventually, word spread and Lu Lacka has grown to several hundred riders (650 or so are expected for 2023). As described below, it is no surprise! Lu Lacka is top-notch and professionally run, but it’s grassroots shine through and its family vibe is still present. A perfect balance. Engleman has the secret sauce.
Read on for JB’s account of the Lu Lacka Wyco Hundo – 2022. For more background on Lu Lacka, consider listening to these podcasts: The Paceline Cycling Podcast (Episode #154 – Yeager’s description of the very chilly 2019 edition), Mid-Atlantic Gravel, Travel & Dirt (Episodes #148 (2021) and #196 (2022) – Engleman interviews), or The Gravel Ride Podcast (February 21, 2023 – Engleman interview).
Lu Lacka Wyco Hundo – 2022 – JB’s Report
My friend, John and I packed the truck early Friday morning and made our way east from Pittsburgh. On the way, we hit up the Pennsylvania Environmental Council’s Public Land Ride: Worlds End State Park / Loyalsock State Forest gravel route, and then continued east to the Pittston-Scranton area. Check out our route report for The Hub’s key takeaways and highlights of the PEC’s ride. A great start to the weekend!
Saturday – Event Eve
Hike at Ricketts Glen
Packet pickup for the Lu Lacka Wyco Hundo – 2022 opened at 1pm on Saturday at longtime event sponsor, Susquehanna Brewing Company. Given that we had time to kill in the morning, we decided to get in a chill hike at Ricketts Glen State Park. Although this was a 35-mile drive back east, it was a perfect day to take in a few of the 21 waterfalls that are on the Park’s Falls Trail System. Below are pics of a few. Wouldn’t you agree?
Packet Pickup and Dinner Options
After the hike, we made our way to Susquehanna Brewing to grab our packets. This is a cool spot and was perfect for packet pickup. The outdoor beer garden is really nice.
After enjoying SBC, we decided to grab dinner and beer at one of the nearby locally famous pizza places that Engleman suggested, Sabatini’s Bottle Shop & Beer Bar. Although he mentioned that the area takes its pizza seriously, we had no idea the level of seriousness! For good reason too, Sabatini’s pies are amazing, and we hear that there are many others in the area that give it a run for its money! Just ask a local or twenty – they will all have a plethora of options for you. Sabatini’s beer selection is stellar as well! Below are a few pics from the bottle shop and bar.
Pat also suggested the Tomato Bar & Bistro and Margarita Azul if pizza isn’t your jam. I am sure that he has many other suggestions to the extent none of those appeal to you. No shortage of interesting looking local spots.
Sunday – Event Day
Lu Lacka is not a race (although the first two finishers receive hatchets). There was no mass start in 2022. Riders were provided timing chips and there was a rolling start between 8 and 10am from the Jenkins Township Fire Hall, which is just outside of Pittston. In 2023, the ride rolls from Pittston proper as Lu Lacka has partnered with the town. Pat’s dream of showcasing and improving this once thriving coal mining town and area is one step further along.
We arrived around 8am. The vibe at the Fire Hall was chill. Riders were taking their times, socializing, and easing into the day. There were a few sponsors with tents set up and volunteers were eager to help and/or answer any questions.
The Ride
The Lu Lacka Wyco Hundo – 2022 began on paved roads from the Fire Hall towards Pittston. The streets see very little traffic on Sunday morning. As a side note, I rode the Hundo, but the terrain and descriptions below are representative of the other distances as the 62ish and 75ish mile courses share the core Hundo route. New for 2023 is a 40 or so mile course that looks to share much of its first half with the other courses.
General Course Profile
Most of the ride is up and down all day aside from the first nine miles out of town, five or so miles at mile 50 near Tunkhannock, and the final 10 or so mile stretch back to the finish. The climbs are short and punchy, and be prepared for wind on the flat sections near the Susquehanna River.
The Terrain
No doubt that the first approximately nine miles serves as a nice warmup. As indicated, it is fairly flat, and is on paved roads. Well, other than one of my favorite parts of the entire course. About 2.5 miles in, you take a short paved climb to “back alley” trails in what seems like the backyards of the nearby houses. I almost felt like I wasn’t supposed to be there, and it was soooo cool!
After exiting the trails, the route pops back out onto the road, and you ride another six miles or so flat miles. The Susquehanna River is on the left and a massive rock face is on the right. The rock face subsides at one point, and you are treated to a sneaky waterfall. Like a lot on this course, what a surprise!
In 2022, you were greeted at mile nine with a massive climb that was sure to wake up the legs. It appears that the 2023 course makes a turn a few miles prior and you get to do some of the course from the earliest editions (per Pat from one of the above podcasts).
There is no doubt that this course has a little bit of everything. It is a mixed surface smorgasbord! It almost felt as though you were teleporting between different landscapes. At one moment you were on “busier” two-lane pavement.
The next minute you were on quiet country roads.
Switch back to pavement, and then immediately followed by a nature preserve.
And then you are in someone’s driveway at a water stop in a random neighborhood. You can’t make this stuff up!
And then back on beautiful gravel without warning. It was so surreal that at one moment you were in a fairly populated area, but it seemed like in no time you were in the middle of nowhere. Back and forth, back and forth. Pretty awesome, and a defining characteristic of the course for me.
It really reminds me of Paris Roubaix where the course traverses populated areas with wider paved roads, and then sends riders through cobbled forest sectors appearing completely deserted (other than on race day, of course).
FYI, some of the pavement I mentioned above is more like gravel. Maybe worse? You be the judge. Hey, NEPA winters are tough on roads.
The route even takes you past a few lakeside retreats in close proximity to the gravel goodness (Lake Winola and Harveys Lake). To top it off, there are three urban rail trails towards the end that really put an exclamation point on course variation. At mile 89, near the town of Trucksville, riders climb a set of stairs (really, Pat!?!) to the two-ish mile Back Mountain Rail Trail. This variable surfaced trail (i.e., not your stereotypically packed limestone) is pretty neatly tucked on the side of a hill that overlooks a busy section of town. Nice touch!
Then, again, at about mile 94 you hit the Luzerne County Levee Trail. This magnificently constructed trail jets you two miles along the Susquehanna River. The elevated surface perches above the adjacent communities and holds expansive panoramic views. Once you cross the river, at mile 98, you take one more cut before the finishing streets via the Luzerne County Rail Trail. This trail is a bit more rustic than its brethren on the opposite side of the Susquehanna, but the final cherry on top of a grand mixed surface adventure in NEPA.
Lu Lacka Vibes
In addition to its amazingly eclectic course, what makes Lu Lacka special is the true sense of adventure, friendship, and community. While it has grown fairly large, it hasn’t lost the grassroots feel. Although you can go out and challenge yourself, there is no “race pressure”. You feel it all weekend, and especially at the aid stations and start/finish.
Aid Stations
Friends, family, and the community work the aid stations. The local Lake Winola Little League run Aid 1. There is a water stop 20ish miles in at the house of one of the Lu Lacka riders. And yes, the friends, family, and community feel continued at the Ritchey Logic Taco Stop at mile 59. You read that right. There is a full-service taco stop on course, a now Lu Lacka staple. . . .
Roadside Café
I would be remiss if I failed to give a shout out to the only roadside café that I know of that advertises being open 24 hours, one day a year. If you know, you know. If not, you’ll find out. . . . Be ready for some interesting and tasty treats at this unofficial watering stop run by the friends of Lu Lacka! And, I am glad that these fine folks didn’t tell me that going left off of the course would cut a bunch of miles. I may have taken it.
Afterparty
Once at the Fire Hall, the sense of community is just as strong. Volunteers, friends, and Pat’s family serving pizza, Susquehanna Brewing beer, and other fine food and refreshments. A raffle took place with riders taking home an array of swag from generous event sponsors. Riders were tailgating and sharing stories from the day. A perfect ending!
Lu Lacka Wyco Hundo – 2022 Route
Conclusion
As you can clearly tell from the above, Lu Lacka brought the goods! Fortunately, through Lu Lacka, Pat Engleman has welcomed us to his playground! Definitely a bucket lister. Put it on yours and check out Lu Lacka’s website for further details on this year’s event and links to its registration page and social channels. Also, check out the other two events Pat and his team produce (Starrucca Crossing and Cross Cut Dirty Metric Century). Those are definitely on the to-do list!
If you found this Lu Lack Wyco Hundo – 2022 report helpful, please share it with your friends and family and on social media. If you haven’t already, make sure you keep up-to-date on all The Hub’s content by following us on social media (links on the top and bottom of this page), and by entering your info into the Newsletter signup (to the right and bottom). As always, Ride On!