Glamour Shots.. '62 Valiant Wagon
10/31/25:
Happy Halloween!
I had taken out the '62 Wagon for probably the last trip of the year last weekend.
It was a good one, Including Biking, Car show, Trail riding on the Quad, and exploring some abandoned places.
Here are some shots of the rig all loaded up at the house before I put on any miles for the trip.
As I left the driveway, I was undecided as to whether I was going to spend the night(s) camping or couch surfing. I had brought all of my gear for camping, but it is all lightweight camping gear intended for my bikepacking planned excursions in May - September. It consists of a 4 pound one one-person tent, 91g, pillow, etc, etc.
I started out Friday night, headed for my buddy's house situated just off state land in the Micheaux State forest, PA. Had I not brought along a 37-year-old Honda Quad (more on that later), I would have taken all non-interstate roads. However, I decided to take the interstate for about ~120 Miles, then some back roads to my destination.
As the overnight lows were projected to be in the ~30°-35°F, I opted for the couch surfing option.
Heading East toward Laurel Hill on I-76, climbing the well-sorted grade.
In this shot behind the salt dome in the Laurel Hill Mountain, is the old Laurel Hill Tunnel - Long abandoned, now it is owned by Chip Ganassi Racing for Wind Tunnel Testing. It is private property, so security cameras keep an eye on you, and no exploring is allowed. You can, however, drive above it if you take Tunnel Road from PA State Route 31 in your Jeep or other 4WD Vehicle.
The clouds were beginning to clear just at sunset as I pulled out of the Sideling Hill Plaza.
I arrived at the forest house after 8 PM, unloaded the quad and trailer. It was very dark! great for stargazing.
The next morning, there was frost on the little wagon.
The next morning, I got the windshield defrosted, then headed on my way through the forest to a Car Show in Union Bridge, MD.
Some more forest driving yielded these windshield pictures:
I wanted to take some glamour shots with the autumn leaves as the forested backdrop, but I never made time for it on this trip. :-(
After a breakfast stop, I made it to the Vintage Restorations Limited Open House and Car Show
I love this show because there is a little bit of everything to see at the shop's open house. Here is my photo album from the show if you care to see some of the cars.
After the show, I drove to the C&O Towpath on the Potomac River for some biking. It was about an hour drive on a beautiful October day in Maryland.
I am planning a ~330-mile trek in May 2026 from Washington, D.C. to Pittsburgh, PA along the C&O and the Great Allegheny Passage. The combined routes of the 2 trails allow a traffic-free trip from DC to Pittsburgh.
The little snippet of the trail that I rode on for this adventure, from Limekiln to Lock #40 (13 Miles one way) gives me a good sense of what to expect in the not-so-crowded areas of the trail. There are many primitive, Hiker-Biker Campgrounds along the way that I do expect to utilize for my spring 2026 trip.
On the way to the trailhead off of US 340 in Maryland, some fantastic twisty river valley roads led through the Potomac River Valley on the Maryland side. This is Sandy Hook or Harpers' Ferry road.
10/31/25:
Happy Halloween!
I had taken out the '62 Wagon for probably the last trip of the year last weekend.
It was a good one, Including Biking, Car show, Trail riding on the Quad, and exploring some abandoned places.
Here are some shots of the rig all loaded up at the house before I put on any miles for the trip.
As I left the driveway, I was undecided as to whether I was going to spend the night(s) camping or couch surfing. I had brought all of my gear for camping, but it is all lightweight camping gear intended for my bikepacking planned excursions in May - September. It consists of a 4 pound one one-person tent, 91g, pillow, etc, etc.
I started out Friday night, headed for my buddy's house situated just off state land in the Micheaux State forest, PA. Had I not brought along a 37-year-old Honda Quad (more on that later), I would have taken all non-interstate roads. However, I decided to take the interstate for about ~120 Miles, then some back roads to my destination.
As the overnight lows were projected to be in the ~30°-35°F, I opted for the couch surfing option.
Heading East toward Laurel Hill on I-76, climbing the well-sorted grade.
In this shot behind the salt dome in the Laurel Hill Mountain, is the old Laurel Hill Tunnel - Long abandoned, now it is owned by Chip Ganassi Racing for Wind Tunnel Testing. It is private property, so security cameras keep an eye on you, and no exploring is allowed. You can, however, drive above it if you take Tunnel Road from PA State Route 31 in your Jeep or other 4WD Vehicle.
The clouds were beginning to clear just at sunset as I pulled out of the Sideling Hill Plaza.
I arrived at the forest house after 8 PM, unloaded the quad and trailer. It was very dark! great for stargazing.
The next morning, there was frost on the little wagon.
The next morning, I got the windshield defrosted, then headed on my way through the forest to a Car Show in Union Bridge, MD.
Some more forest driving yielded these windshield pictures:
I wanted to take some glamour shots with the autumn leaves as the forested backdrop, but I never made time for it on this trip. :-(
After a breakfast stop, I made it to the Vintage Restorations Limited Open House and Car Show
I love this show because there is a little bit of everything to see at the shop's open house. Here is my photo album from the show if you care to see some of the cars.
After the show, I drove to the C&O Towpath on the Potomac River for some biking. It was about an hour drive on a beautiful October day in Maryland.
I am planning a ~330-mile trek in May 2026 from Washington, D.C. to Pittsburgh, PA along the C&O and the Great Allegheny Passage. The combined routes of the 2 trails allow a traffic-free trip from DC to Pittsburgh.
The little snippet of the trail that I rode on for this adventure, from Limekiln to Lock #40 (13 Miles one way) gives me a good sense of what to expect in the not-so-crowded areas of the trail. There are many primitive, Hiker-Biker Campgrounds along the way that I do expect to utilize for my spring 2026 trip.
On the way to the trailhead off of US 340 in Maryland, some fantastic twisty river valley roads led through the Potomac River Valley on the Maryland side. This is Sandy Hook or Harpers' Ferry road.