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John Wert Trail: a Technical Riders Paradise
John Wert Trail: a Technical Riders Paradise Technical trails are difficult to catagorize because everyone has thier own definitions of difficult. The John Wert Path is a good baseline trail to start with. It is flat and continuously rocky, but without any dangerous drop-off’s or skirting along cliff edges. Starting at Bear Meadows Natural Area, in Rothrock State Forest, this three mile trail was built for cross country skiing. It remains a good ski trail but also serves as a moderate technical mountain bike trail. The Bear Meadows area is always beautiful. I’ve enjoyed visiting this scenic bog in all seasons and it always surprises me with something new. On cloudy fall days a chance shaft of sunlight manages to break out and shine brightly on the ridge. In winter a fresh snowfall blankets the bog in pristine beauty. Spring and summer offer amazing colors as plants and flowers bloom wildly throughout the landscape. The John Wert Path begins after the parking area at Bear Meadows Natural Area. It is posted with a trailhead sign and marked with blue blazes. You’ll find a trail marker on the left after the bridge. The path follows Sinking Creek as it flows from the bog towards Colyer Lake. The trail winds through rhododendron thickets and explores giant hemlock stands. Within a hundred yards you feel as if you were a hundred miles from a road, a car, your job and civilization. This trail has short sections of singletrack which meet rock fields that appear unrideable. But there is always a way through it, you may have to try several times but it can be cleaned. When you can aggressivley ride this trail you’ve graduated from Technical Riding 101 and can tackle the world’s best. Now, a word about technical trails. It's a love-hate relationship. If you hate it during the opening five minutes, you'll really hate it at the end. It doesn't get much easier, or harder, it's a consistently rough ride. You'll need finesse and style to get through this trail smoothly. Without those elements you'll be spending a lot of time patching flat tires or worse. If you make it through the trails full length of three miles you reach the open space of a gas line cut. For some people this takes an hour, but I've seen it done in as little as 25 minutes. The trail continues past two hunting camps and soon reaches Thickhead Mountain Road. Coast downhill to Treaster Kettle Road, turn left and follow it to Bear Meadows Road. There is a healthy climb during the middle of this section, but then it’s downhill to Bear Meadows. When you go: From State College take Rt. 322 East to Tussey Mountain Ski Area. Continue on Bear Meadows Road for three miles and park at the stone monument on the right. The John Wert Path is posted on the left after you cross the bridge. At the end of the path you’ll meet Thickhead Mountain Road, which meets Treaster Kettle Road, which returns to Bear Meadows Road a few hundred yards from the parking area. Michael Hermann is the founder of Purple Lizard Maps and has been exploring Centre County since 1979.
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