You’re right about heavy fog and pile ups. We’ve had a number of deadly crashes in fog and snow white outs on Interstate 80. Lack of visibility and speed are a dangerous mix.

Best stay home during those times…

The East Broad Top railroad has had their ups and downs. Down now I think. I’ve been down to Orbisonia a number of times but never took advantage of the opportunity to go for a ride on that narrow gauge railroad.

There were a lot of rail lines in State College a long time ago. All those right of ways were returned to landowners even though the community has offered them. A colleague who was on the Borough council in the 1960s when that offer was made tried to convince them to take them over. He felt some day in the future they would want them for a commuter line. Too bad they didn’t keep them. For bike paths if nothing else.

I agree that weather is part of the adventure though you do need to carefully evaluate what you’re getting into. Each of us has different sets of experience and willingness to take on the risk related to various weather conditions. There isn’t a right decision, only the decision that works for me. No one should feel pressured to ride when they aren’t comfortable. That may be where people get in trouble — following along others — speed, environment, weather, whatever.

Stay safe!

Every ride should start with some sort of risk assessment don’t you think? Consideration of yourself and where your mind is, the machine, the road, the current and future weather, gear, etc. Visibility is another aspect. As I get older I think more about all this stuff…

For thick fog you’re absolutely correct. Most of our fog is thin with visibility running easily several hundred yards. That’s better visibility than at night. But the really thick, pea soup stuff, that’s better enjoyed from the porch as you suggest.

Fog does add a mysterious, magical quality to whatever it consumes and, like you, I believe it triggers those feelings of wonder from childhood. A rider has to weigh risk against all that though. A lot of the recent fog here did not diminish visibility enough where I felt it was dangerous — hence the title “Thin Gray Fog” and not “Thick Gray Fog”. The later gives pause…

Recall years ago, in the early 1980’s traveling in a car in the early morning in the hills of
your home state going from Altoona and Horseshoe curve to the East Broad Top.
Marvelled at the early morning fog in the valleys. And watching as the rising sun burnt off the fog. And I might add the fog and steam at the EBT allowed wonderful images.

The fog remains, the East Broad Top lies dormant due to political squabbles and lack of money to purchase and preserve the railway. Have many photographs of now long gone railway lines in your home state including a certain line that operated from State College.

I’ve ridden in torrential downpours, blizzards, thunder and lightning storms, deep gooey mud (the map said that the road was supposed to have been paved), beautiful crisp clear desert sunrises, and every other imaginable weather situation.

I suppose if I was home, I might just stay inside sometimes. But when I’ve been out riding, often times hundreds or thousands of miles away from home, I just keep riding – and I enjoy every minute of it – no matter what the weather brings.

Isn’t that one of the reasons some of us ride – for the adventure? And the weather has always been part of my personal riding adventure.

I find myself, strangely, missing the fog at Gotthard Pass….