Snallygaster 200 - 2024

The Snallygaster 200 is a 197 mile self-supported bikepacking loop that starts and ends in Oakland Maryland. In between the route climbs 23,000 vertical feet. The riding surface is a mixture of gravel, dirt, 4x4 jeep trails and a little single track connected by rural paved roads. The event is unsupported and riders must be self-sufficient along the route making use of the native offerings (gas stations, restaurants, creeks, etc) for aid. Snallygaster 200

I pushed off from the parking lot in Oakland on Friday at 330pm after a quick chat with AJ the race director. The first section from Oakland to Thomas, WE was benign except for a short (HAB) to get up to route 50. After picking up a sandwich to go at the gas station in Thomas, I caught a terrific sunset at an overlook above the Blackwater Canyon.

The section from Thomas to the community center at Mt Olivet delivered the beating as expected. The sections of steep rocky jeep roads connected by smooth pavement kept things interesting if not comedic. By the time I finished the climb up Mt Olivet my water bottles were dry. I was really hoping that there was running water at the community center at Lantz Ridge. Imagine my great delight to find aid had been dropped for the racers at the community center (THANK YOU, AJ!) 

After a few donuts and some Gatorade, I found a spot to get a couple hours of sleep. Back on route at 5am, I shared the road with folks shuttling hunting dogs in the early morning darkness and caught a cool creepy photo along the foggy banks of the Saltlick creek.

I had breakfast at the gas station in Terra Alta and then headed on to the town of Albright. Along the way my drivetrain started making some crunchy/grinding sounds, which prompted a game of where’s-that-sound-from in which the contestant (ie rider) pedals in various positions applying deductive reasoning to ascertain the source of the racket. Is the chainring loose? No. Is the sound coming from the rear end? Maybe. Did the cassette lockring work loose? No. Is the rear mech out of alignment? No. This little game kept me entertained until Albright, where I washed out the drivetrain as best I could and re-lubricated. This mostly quieted things down and I pushed on hoping this was not a harbinger of future drivetrain problems and making a mental note to do a thorough post-ride inspection.

Albright to Bruceton Mills was nice rolling pastoral land except for the jaw rattling descent to Big Sandy Creek. I think I knocked a filling loose on that one. By lunchtime I was at the gas station in Bruceton Mills milling about with WVU fans getting ready for the Backyard Brawl with Pitt slated for the afternoon. Bruceton Mills, WV to Friendship, MD followed good gravel and asphalt through rolling hills of farmland with nice views of the surrounding countryside from time to time.

After refilling at the Dollar General in Friendship, I set out on arguably the toughest section of the ride according to my pre-ride analysis. The section is only 23 miles but manages to pack in 2600 vertical feet of climbing. Bowman hill was absurdly steep and long and required a HAB to rest my legs. I made it to Chestnut Ridge for dinner at the truck stop and then caught an awesome sunset from a clearing longside the Mountain Meadow trail.

The full moon was stunning and so bright that my tired mind kept mistaking it for a flashlight in my peripheral vision as I traversed the Mountain Meadow trail. 

The Deep Creek SP section was a shocker. I had expected forest road double track but the route turned into single track and eventually another bone-jarring rocky jeep road. My hands and shoulders were really starting to feel the miles of harsh surfaces. I changed hand positions frequently trying to find some comfort. After refueling at the BFS in Deep Creek, I took on the last section which featured a couple of good punch-to-gut climbs but was the surface was asphalt and good gravel.

I arrived back at the parking lot just after 2am on Sunday. As I was cleaning up and getting ready for bed, the first finisher from the grand depart rolled in, having covered the route in an incredible 19hrs 50mins! The finish line sentiment from the intrepid first place voyager said it all: “That was really hard.”
 
After chatting for a few minutes with what was clearly an astonishing alien from another planet, we bid adieu and I retired for a few hours of sleep before driving home. In the writer’s opinion, the Snallygaster 200 is a fantastic route that will tickle the heart of any two-wheeled masochist. Thanks again to AJ for hosting this event and setting up the aid station at Lanz Ridge.

PS On Sunday I disassembled the drivetrain and found what I think was the source of the crunchy sound that started in Albright but seemingly disappeared. Though the rear wheel spun silently and freely on the bike, upon a closer off-frame inspection, the axle felt crunchy and a bearing repack was clearly overdue. A near-miss for me and a remedial lesson in randonneuring: make sure your machine is race-ready. A hub failure would have made for a bad day out there.