LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — Central Pennsylvanians are invited to bike through history this weekend.
More than a hundred cyclists will jump on their bikes and go for a ride through historic Stony Valley and Swatara State Park for the 2024 Hush Money Bikes Summer Hootenanny.
The ride covers about 60 miles and three "brutal" climbs, but it's all for a good cause.
"There's a lot of history in the Stony Valley," Nathan Baker, co-owner of Hush Money Bikes, said. "And it's kind of become forgotten history; it's not very well documented."
At the request of one of the organizers, the Lebanon County Historical Society began digging into the history of the area and discovered stories that eventually led to the birth of the Hootenanny tour.
"It covers all of the ghost towns along the Stony Valley Rail Trail," Baker said.
This is the third year organizers have put together the ride. Organizers say it will cover the SGL211 lookout tower before descending to the Stony Valley Railroad Grade for a history lesson at the site of the former Cold Springs Hotel and the adjacent ghost town. Next, riders will climb over Second Mountain to Swatara State Park. There is an aid station and another brief history lesson at Bordner Cabin. From there, rider will snake through the State Park, past Ft. Indiantown Gap, and back over Second Mountain again, dropping into the Pennsylvania Dirtbags Lounge for snacks and one more history lesson before the final stretch back to the parking lot.
The bike ride is non-competitive. Its primary focus is a history tour to raise money for the Susquehanna Area Mountain Bike Association (SAMBA) and its Lancaster County Park trail expansion project.
"All the proceeds from the registration goes to SAMBA, building more mountain bike trails, getting people out on bikes in the woods, it's super rad, and Pennsylvania is just a cool place with the Pennsylvania Dirtbags," Jake Haines, co-creator of the ride and member of the Pennsylvania Dirtbags, said.
The ride is currently sold out online, but those interested in participating can reach out to Hush Money Bikes via email or Instagram to see if there are openings.