Ridin’ Russell’s Roost

We’ve been stressed (to put it lightly) these past couple weeks. So, Justin and I were all too delighted to pack up the Taco and head into no man’s land Friday evening. Justin Steiner invited us (or had we invited ourselves?) to his cabin in Cross Fork, PA. Population: 129. We made a break for the weekend as soon as Justin walked in from work.

Four hours later, the warm glow of the campfire greeted us from Camp Russell’s Roost—the only place you’ll see Woman’s Day and Guns & Ammo sharing the same end table. As we sploshed through the property’s personal creek-crossing (Justin’s dream), Steiner came out to greet us under the stars—and a bit under the influence.


From then on, the beer flowed, the black flies bit and the bikes…oh yeah, the bikes! We saddled up on Saturday for a 70-mile dirt road loop Steiner mapped out. Semi-accurate map below:


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Our excursion was one of the most enjoyable, but demanding routes I’ve ridden. Steep ascents were unrelenting and recurrent, and, at times, loose gravel disrupted our descents. Though a bit more mountainous than we expected, the views from the top were worth every climb.


After the ride, Justin commented that he felt great. Good thing since that’ll be half of his riding each day during the Tour Divide!

Sunday we slept in, went for a stroll through the woods and took photos of our natural surroundings. A perfect way to wind down the weekend. Really, the only regret I have is not getting Steiner’s autograph…


Photos courtesy Justin Steiner