I've
been riding in the dirt now for nearly 50 years. Up to just a few short years
ago, my entire life has been spent riding on two wheels or covering two wheeled
competition events as a moto journalist.
Over 60 club members participated in our recent Hobo Soup Ride at Bloody Skillet
Most recently however our family has discovered the fun and
adventure in OHV or UTV / ATV riding, especially in what I call
"destination riding". It takes me back to my child hood where you could
just open the garage door and go, the days gone by where you could spend a day
riding and actually go somewhere, can anybody else relate?
Last year we joined and got involved with the Central
Mountains ATV Association and I'm so glad we did. I became aware of this group
due to my event coverage work in the Motorcycle and ATV industry and I knew
they were making great strides in helping “open up” riding areas in the state of
Pennsylvania and we wanted to learn more about that.
It was here that we did our first "destination
riding" in many years and we were hooked instantly.
Our first long distance ride with the group on New Years Eve - 2018
Our first big journey with the group took place New Year’s
Eve of 2018 when we covered 90 miles in three-degree weather to ring in the new
year. We departed the Quiet Oaks Campground in Clinton County at 7 pm that
night, stopped for dinner at Debs Cross Fork Inn and ended up riding in three
different Pennsylvania counties before we returned to our cabin rental to thaw
out by midnight- what a blast, literally.
Last Labor Day weekend we wanted to introduce more of our
family to the experience, so we invited our daughter and her son along who
celebrated his 7th birthday with his first side by side ride in the great
outdoors of Potter County Pa that is also known as Gods Country.
Our destination ride wasn't as long that weekend as it is on
some others. Number one we were introducing a young seven-year-old to his first
off road experience, and number two, he knew there were gifts waiting for him
back at the cabin.
Riding with the family last Labor Day weekend in Potter County.
From our location at the Potter County Family Campground we
could have picked a few different destinations to travel too but as I mentioned
on this day we were out for a short trip. We loaded up our Yamaha Wolverine X4
and headed for Lyman Run State Park.
There are over 40 miles of trails between the campground and
the State Park where you and your family could spend the day doing any number
of great family outdoor activities. The park offers swimming from a sandy
beach, canoe rentals, fishing, hiking, a snack bar and the best part, it's
available from any number of locations from around a tri county area in your
OHV vehicle.
As I mentioned we could have chosen many directions that
weekend to ride. We could have headed north towards Genesee and the NY State
line, we could have headed east and enjoyed a great dinner at any number of
good restaurants in Tioga County or we could have headed further south from
Lyman Lake towards Cross Forks in Clinton County.
Click Here to get more info or to join the fun.
As a matter of fact with the Fiscal codes that Governor Wolf
has recently signed by spring of 2020 we’ll have a connector trail in Renovo,
Pa that connects the Bloody Skillet to the Whiskey Springs State Trail system
and by spring of 2024 law dictates that the DCNR and Penn Dot need to work
together to have legal trail from Clinton County the whole way to the NY State
Line. Even as we speak many townships upstate are opening their areas to OHV
riding to help bolster their economies which is great news for us.
As these different groups work together our trail system
continues to grow. At this printing we have very close to 700 miles of legal
riding in central to upstate Pa and within the next five years that mileage
will double.
As you can see the fun is endless here and there is nothing
like getting your family out in nature to leave the hustles and bustles of
daily living behind. Please subscribe to our blog or our newsletter at:
www.brappmag.com if you'd like to learn more
and keep up with the many Outdoorz adventures that we plan to embark on.
You can also check out the North Central ATV
Initiative at:
Click Here to see maps for riding locations in Pennsylvania
After we arrived home from our trip, I asked a young man who
celebrated his 7th birthday in the Pa Wilds what his favorite part of the
weekend was. I was expecting this gift or that, maybe the Foxes Pizza we found
in Galeton or the new friends he played tag with from the cabin next door.
Nope, it was none of that - he simply said, riding the side
by side pap.
One of our monthly group rides - this one was summer 2018 at the AOAA
Click the link below the above image to get more details on the CMATVA
About the Central
Mountains ATV Association (CMATVA):
CMATVA is a 1700 plus member not for profit association who is
always looking for new members interested in all the fun and excitement our
club has to offer. We are a group dedicated to help provide and protect riding
areas in our state and beyond. We ride twice a month every month and we would
love to have you join us. Come ride with us and never ride alone again.
Our Mission Statement
1.) Abide by
Federal, State, Local Laws and Ordinances.
2.) Promote A
fraternal Spirit among All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) riders and other outdoor
enthusiasts.
3.) Promote the
development and enhancement of ATV Riding Trails for the Benefit of all ATV
riders.
4.) Help Development
of Tourism in Pennsylvania Wilds by developing programs and working with both
the community and state leaders.
5.) Defend ATV’ers
against discriminatory legislation, regulations and unfair taxation by working
with legislators.
6.) Provide a medium
for the Exchange of information and ideas among ATV Enthusiasts.
7.) Provide sources
of ATV Training and Education for both young and old enthusiasts as well as the
general public.
8.) Promote and
support the preservation and protection of our natural resources through responsible
ATV riding.
9.) Make donations
to and support local area causes/charities as deemed appropriate.
10.) Operate as a non-profit organization with no portion of
the net profits benefiting any individual member.
