Keystone Gravel is the ultimate PA gravel cycling event. Donnie, along with his wife, Andrea, family, friends, and Jersey Shore, PA-area crew do it right! It is evident how much time, effort, and love go into Keystone Gravel. These folks know what it is about and how to put on an event! Professional where needed, grassroots for the remainder – pure perfection. The Unpaved Hub’s JB rode in the Keystone Gravel – 2019 edition. Below you will find The Hub’s description of the Event and JB’s brief recap of 2019.
About the Event
Keystone Gravel is a gravelduro-style event. What is that? It is a gran fondo (i.e., big ride) with timed segments like an enduro MTB race. The format is awesome. It provides competition to those that like to race, but also offers the ability to ride with others at a more casual pace between segments. It also ratchets down the stress and makes for good vibes. unPAved of the Susquehanna River Valley used this format in 2020 for COVID-related reasons, and liked it so much it will stick around for 2021, at the least. See The Hub’s article on unPAved and the details for it for 2021.
The first edition of Keystone Gravel was in 2016. It was such a hit that the following years sold out lightning fast. The Event takes place in the Pine Creek Valley of north central Pennsylvania. This area is on the eastern side of the PA Wilds and in the Pine Creek Gorge-area, a/k/a the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon (or as my Pap used to call it – the “Little Grand Canyon”). The start/finish and event central is on the Breon’s Mud Run Farm outside of Jersey City, PA (yeah, you read that right and it’s not New Jersey). More on event central below.
The Event usually occurs on or around the second Saturday in September. The leaves may only be starting to change colors, but the temperatures are generally as close to ideal as it gets with average highs near 70° and relatively low humidity. You will ride gravel, grass, dirt, and pavement – a true multi-surface adventure. The ride traverses spectacular landscapes and PA public lands, including the Tiadaghton State Forest, Little Pine State Park, and the Pine Creek Valley Rail Trail. Just to name a few.
As for the route, the beauty is that it changes each year. Donnie and crew put an immense amount of time carefully and thoughtfully creating the route, and then even more time preparing it for all of us to ride! And by preparing, I mean clearing trees and brush and the like. NOTE: That gives you a hint about the terrain you’ll be riding – it ain’t no joke. Lots of Category 4 terrain on this one. A Ride with GPS screenshot is below with the 2016 through 2020 event routes overlay. Make sure to follow Keystone Gravel’s Facebook page as Donnie sends periodic updates and live sessions as he prepares the course. These are awesome, and provide nice workday breaks and event stoke! Example!
Keystone Gravel – 2019 Edition
The Keystone Gravel – 2019 edition, like all editions, starts/finishes on Mud Run Farm (the “Farm”). For context, the Farm is the property of Donnie and Andrea. It is a huge plot of land with a lake, recently renovated barn (that may also be available as a wedding venue), large fire pit, and available on-site camping areas. This is event HQ and it is glorious! In our opinion, the Event wouldn’t be the same without the Farm.
Friday
The Keystone Gravel – 2019 edition weekend commenced around 4:00 PM on Friday at the Farm, with check-in open until 9:00 PM. At 6:00 PM, the taps started to flow with that oh so delicious New Trail Brewing Company beer. There was also a food truck and wood-fired pizza onsite for dinner or a late snack. Around dark, the fire was lit and live music started at barn. In 2019, the live music from Sean Farley and Stacia Abernatha was great.
As indicated above, camping on Mud Run Farm is offered for a nominal fee. In 2019, you had the option of camping in an open field or wooded area. The camping is primitive with no electricity, facilities, or fire pits. Small gas grills were permissible though.
Saturday
Pre-Ride
Registration was open bright and early at 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM. The food truck was also slinging breakfast and coffee to get riders and family and friends going for the day ahead. From 7:00 AM to 8:00AM an area certified exercise instructor helped riders with warmup.
At around 8:45 AM, Donnie held his infamous pre-ride briefing for Keystone Gravel – 2019. The briefing was the formal welcome to Keystone Gravel. Donnie provided important information about the ride and put a little fear into us about what we were getting ready to embark on. In typical Donnie-style, he apologized for the upcoming “WTF Donnie” moments we were about to have in his world. . . . And he may have shed a tear. If you haven’t participated in Keystone Gravel, Donnie sometimes tears up at the pre-ride. As stated in the intro, so much love and energy is put into the Event that Donnie becomes overwhelmed with emotion. Touching, really, and illustrative of what makes Keystone Gravel so special.
Keystone Gravel – 2019 Ride
Start to Happy Acres
At 9:00 AM a motorcycle escorted riders through the Farm and nearby neighborhood to the first bit of suffering and gravelly goodness on Ridge Road. Ridge Road is your entrance into the Tiadaghton State Forest (and our playground for Keystone Gravel – 2019).
After a fews miles of climbing, the group was sufficiently spread out, and the next nine or so miles were rolling on gravel and a section of singletrack. At about mile 11, you hit a bombing descent (also, one of the timed segments) into the first aid station at the Happy Acres Restaurant and Wildlife Lounge at the foot of the Little Pine State Park.
Upon arrival, there were tons of tasty treats and homemade breakfast food made by Andrea and served by the friendly volunteers of Keystone Gravel. It never ceases to amaze me how many people volunteer time to these events. No way they’d be as successful without these folks! Also, something you don’t see often, riders were sitting at the bar having drinks courtesy of the gravelduro format.
Little Pine State Park, Schoolhouse Road, and Callahan Run Trail
Upon exiting Happy Acres, we entered Little Pine State Park, and were greeted with an amazing view of the Little Pine Lake and surrounding valley. The route took riders on a grassy trail along the lake and some tighter trails near it. After making a navigational error, a group of us made our way to the infamous Little Pine Creek crossing. I don’t remember a big crowd here, but check out Helena Kotala’s great recap of the inaugural 2016 edition. It seems like there were some worthy shenanigans going on creekside in 2016.
After wading through the creek (no, I didn’t make it across on two wheels) and a short paved section, we hit the Schoolhouse Road climb at about mile 22, a part of which was another timed segment. Schoolhouse is a beast – approximately 3.5 miles, 1,110 feet of elevation gain, and 6% average gradient. Although the climbing ceased for a bit, there wasn’t much respite as the route went downhill for about four miles via Callahan Run Trail (another timed segment). The rocky, doubletrack trail bombs down a lush, tree-covered section of the state forest. The day saw some light, intermittent rain. That, along with the dense canopy of trees, made that descent down to Pine Creek a white-knuckler for me. Believe me, there were some WTF Donnies thrown in there.
Sinking Springs Road to Mountain Top
After Callahan Run, we meandered along and across Pine Creek for what had to be less than a mile, and BAM! Back up on Sinking Springs Road at mile 30. Another timed segment and beast! 4.5 miles, 1,300 plus feet of gain, and average of 5.5% grade. After the climb, the next 10 or so miles were over rolling terrain. The second aid station was at about mile 40 at Mountain Top and Provisions, formerly the Mountain Top Inn. This gem had been recently purchased by the Breons. Like Happy Acres, the food was spot-on. More homemade food. This time, delicious burritos and more! And also like at Happy Acres, some riders were enjoying some libations. Nice thing about having the aid stations here was that riders who had enough (either riding or drinks or both) could cut course, and head back to the Farm.
To Random House and Back to the Farm
The next fifteen miles were also rolling with a trend down on Carrier Road. After turning off of Carrier Road in Farrandsville, the route followed the West Branch of the Susquehanna River for about two miles. Guess what was next? Yup, another climb. This time up Queen’s Run Road at about mile 59.5 to mile 64.
The next four miles after the climb were rolling into aid station 3, which was at this beautiful house and barn. The aid had everything needed to get riders back to the Farm. An added bonus was cold brew coffee served up by Alabaster Coffee & Tea Co. Hit the spot! Story has it that Donnie couldn’t figure out where to place the third aid station, but thought this was a great place to have it. What’d he do? He went up, knocked on the door, and asked if the Event could use their property for an aid station. In true fashion for the people of this area, the owners said yes. What’s better, they allowed it and weren’t even home to monitor the property. If true, how cool is that! If not, at least it is a good story.
The next six miles from the random, beautiful house and barn were uneventful. At mile 74, it got rowdy! You turned off of Bull Run Road and onto the Tiadaghton Trail and then right on a doubletrack trail that can only be described as . . . WTF Donnie! It is the “Falling through greenery” segment on Strava. 1,100 plus feet of elevation lost in 1.85 miles. Littered with rocks, fallen trees, and such. Or at least that’s how I remember it. This trail spits you out on the Pine Creek Rail Trail at mile 76. I remember seeing a family passing on the rail trail as I exited. They looked at me like I was absolutely crazy!
Finally, we took the rail trail for a mile and a half, hit Route 44 for three miles, took some township roads to the finish line, and navigated some freshly made trails on the Farm back to the start.
Once back at the Farm, the riders who raced were directed to an area to upload their Strava data. This brings up an important note. The Keystone Gravel route takes riders in some remote places, which I am sure you gathered from the above description. There is little to no cell coverage. Riders are required to have a GPS-based device or ride with someone who does. The course is well-marked, but it is impossible to ensure directional mishaps won’t occur. In addition, the segments of the Event are timed and tracked via Strava, so a device that utilizes Strava or can be uploaded to it is required.
Keystone Gravel – 2019 Afterparty
Back at the Farm, 5:00 PM marked the start of the Keystone Gravel – 2019 afterparty with mealtime. If Andrea didn’t outdo herself with all of the food on-course, her farm-to-table meal certainly did! It was delicious, and another special touch that makes Keystone Gravel unique.
The New Trail beer started flowing at 6:00 PM with awards and prizes at 7:00 PM. Below are shots of the brewery, which is well worth a visit if you are in town for a few days. Also, worth a visit is the nearby Little League World Series HQ (which is close to where the Iron Cross Race starts). As far as prizes, Donnie raffled off some great items. He also tossed sponsor-related swag for the crowd to run and grab. There was some awesome stuff. The fire and live music began around dark. The wood-fired pizza and food truck were also available for munchies throughout the night. The vibe at the afterparty was exactly as expected – buzzing with excitement and stories from the day and from the new friends made and beautiful scenery experienced.
Keystone Gravel – 2019 Course Map
***Please note that Keystone Gravel starts/finishes on the Mud Run Farm. This is PRIVATE property and is only open to the event. Please be respectful and do not enter private property outside of the event.
2020 and Beyond
Given its gravelduro-style, Donnie and crew made Keystone Gravel happen in 2020. Instead of a mass neutral rollout, riders chose their own start times and tackled the course in a COVID responsible manner. Our understanding is that 2021 will be similar. In true Keystone Gravel fashion, Donnie spreads love by opening registration on Valentine’s Day each year. Typically, it sells out super fast. Understandably, COVID stole some of Keystone Gravel’s stoke. Fortunately for those reading, there are spots available. Head over and register today.
Conclusion
Keystone Gravel is what it is all about! A masterfully executed event that showcases the Pine Creek Valley and celebrates what’s so great about the gravel community. Donnie, Andrea, and crew nailed it in 2019 and we are sure beyond! If mountain biking is more your thing (or you are into both), check out Donnie’s mountain biking event, Keystone Off-Road. Regardless of your passion, do yourself a favor and sign up for one of the Keystone events. And as a pre-registration reminder and as illustrated on the front of the Keystone Gravel t-shirt, BRING A LAWN CHAIR. . . !
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