We took off a bit late at 3 pm, and headed out for Bottom Road. We usually ride through Cascades Park, now that the speed limit is 20 mph, it feels really safe for bikes. The climb past the monastery is short enough that you feel good and warmed up by the time you crest the hill, yet not worn out. We rode out Kinser Pike to Bottom Road, and headed north. Its about five miles of “flat” riding up to the intersection of Woodall Road. We rode Woodall for a while, then took a right on Woodland Road, which rises out of the valley, and then took Barr Road again dropped into the Bean Blossom valley, and to our suprise we found a dry waterfall with a large pool below.
It was quite interesting how the water was totally contained by large rocks, even though it was dry uphill and downhill from the site. My camera had a finger smudge, so my pictures aren’t that great, but I posted them anyhow.
Both Barr and Woodland Roads end on Mt. Tabor, which is fast busy road. We rode a short distance to Cowden Rd, which runs east for a mile or so, a quiet residential ridgetop ride. We debated taking Union Valley to Maple Grove West, but they are both fast busy roads, so chose to take the longer Delap Road loop to the beginning of Maple Grove Rd North. (Yes there are 2 Maple Grove Roads, and they intersect at right angles!)
Delap runs the ridge for a while and offers some great views of the Bean Blossom valley. We passed a farm with peacocks and llamas, very scenic in the early evening sunlight. Where Delap drops into the valley we found a cascade/waterfall, probably spring fed, as it was running strong. We stopped to explore and found that there were two parts, dropping about 15 feet. This video should give you an idea of what if was like:
Maple Grove goes generally south, crosses the east/west Maple Grove, and then ends on Arlington Road. We rode up and up a long climb after 30 miles. Even though it is not a steep grade, Arlington Rd. rises over 150 feet (701-855 ft) as it climbs past Hoadley Quarry and over SR 37 and then the Bypass. We were tired, but happy to have been out over four hours and found new places to enjoy.
