Guy, Brian, me, & Matt – Colton Point State Park

Every good ride starts with a plan. Ours started with a bourbon, a cracked engine case, and the promise of Pennsylvania’s finest fall gravel.

The mission: tackle the PA Wilds BDR-X in mid-October, full loop, counterclockwise. Weather forecast? Uncooperative. Trail conditions? “Variable.” Expectations? Low. Spirits? High. We had three KTM 690 Enduro Rs, one Honda CRF 450RL, and a group text thread that should probably never see daylight.

The Crew

Kevin — That’s me. KTM 690. Route architect, overthinker of all things sketchy, still learning the fine art of not looking directly at ruts.

Brian — Also 690-mounted. Our social director and throttle junkie. Aggressive, fast, and equipped with a laugh that echoes off tree trunks. Don’t let him near the bourbon on night one.

Matt — Calm and collected on his 690. Newer to dirt, but steady and precise with zero fear of the technical stuff. The guy you want with you when things go sideways.

Guy — Our wild card. Honda CRF 450RL. Former trials rider, introspective, and dryly hilarious. Also, unknowingly rode 500 miles with a cracked engine case and still beat us to most turns.

Terry — Couldn’t make this ride, but his spirit lived on in the running joke about documenting our trailside “nature breaks.” Guy stepped in as photographer. Some traditions are sacred.

The Plan

Launch from Lock Haven, PA. Loop the full BDR-X counterclockwise, taking the scenic detours and expert sections where possible. Stay off the pavement unless absolutely necessary. Chase peak fall color. Embrace whatever chaos three days and 600+ miles of dirt throw at us.

Our overnight stops were set: Emporium on night one, Milroy on night two, and back to Lock Haven on day three. Motels, cabins, snack stops, and gas station coffee would round out the itinerary.

The weather had other plans — cold drizzle to start, sunshine to finish — and somewhere deep in Sproul State Forest, we found ourselves slipping through one of the muddiest “roads” any of us had ever attempted. It was glorious.

Grab your waterproof socks and stay tuned — this is one ride worth reliving.