Full Pull on the Massanutten Ridge

Looking Wheelie cool above US 211 

On Saturday evening I was trying to decide what big ride I was going to do on Sunday. After several long road ride weekends I decided it was time to get out on the mountain bike and try to get my rock skills polished up again. After a half-hearted attempt to find someone to ride with I decided that I would ride the "Full Pull" of the Massanutten East ridge, one of the best "from your door" rides imaginable. Then at 9:30 in the evening I, after only learning about the ride a half hour prior, Sam Skidmore texted me that he wanted in on what was to be my solo mission. Never one to turn down company, especially when that company is a blast to ride with, I told Sam that we would leave Campbell St. at 5:30am and finish at Buzzard Rocks before dark.

Top of Veach Gap and looking out at Shenandoah National Park and the South Fork of the Shenandoah River below

Most entertaining to me was that Sam had never ridden the "full pull" in fact, he had rarely (other than the Tour de Burg) ridden his mountain bike for so long and so far. Nevertheless, he wasn't worried and neither was I. Turned out that Sam did better than I think he even expected. We finished in record time with several hours of daylight to spare. This ride has become somewhat of an annual tradition for me, typically I ride it on my birthday but hopefully this will be the year that I pull it off twice. I have many great memories of this ride, from the first time I ever rode it with Mike Carpenter and Pat Miller to the countless other friends who I have been able to enjoy the experience with. From Chris Scott, to Collin Vento, Kurt Rosenberger, Matt Smith, Ian Beckner, Nate Shearer, Sue Haywood, Jimmy McMillan, Jennifer Wolfson, Jake Brown, and many more. It is a special ride on amazingly beautiful terrain.

The end of the ridge and the end of the ride. Buzzard rocks and looking out through the northern opening of Fort Valley into the Shenandoah Valley beyond and Winchester in the distance.

The ride looked something like this.

It doesn't get much better than all day cruising along one of the most beautiful, engaging and challenging ridge lines around. The ease and casual nature of the ride has me dreaming about another attempt of the Ring or maybe even trying the lollipop. Or maybe buying a house and getting married is enough for this year and I will be happy with another full pull in the fall?

Rolling from town to the Western Slope a little after 6am

Kaylors Knob is only the beginning for this ride

Taking phone calls up on the bird knob rock overlook and the Shenandoah Valley below

We even had time to joy ride out to the Massanutten Storybook trail (Strickler Knob in the distance)

Tim and Chris C. Helped us out with a crucial food and drink drop up near the Kennedy Peak trail. Lifesaver!

Sam already knew how to ride the rocks. ALL of the rocks.

Post ride dinner at Jaliscos in Strasburg!

Birthdays are for Bike Riding on the Entire Massanutten Ridge

The Full Pull of the Massanutten Ridge... always worth waking up at 4:30 in the morning. Also a ride that I have had the pleasure to complete many times since 2007. I don't remember exactly how many times but it must be somewhere around 6 or 7. A few years ago I started trying to schedule this ride around my September 24th birthday and make it "Kyle's Birthday ride." The original ringleader of the ride is undoubtedly Mike Carpenter and he took me along for my first Full Pull of the Massanutten Ridge and since that first time I have had the pleasure to ride the full ridge many other times with Mike. Always setting a steady and solid pace, always riding more rocks up and down than anyone else on the trip, Mike Carpenter truly is a professor at the Massanutten Technical Institute (just not the one located in Harrisonburg).

Since that first ride I have been able to take others on the Full Pull and show them all the fun that there is to be had on the ridges of the Massanutten Mountains. Nate Shearer has made the trip a couple of times and wrote up a very nice recap in 2011 on what it means to ride from your door and what sort of rides are available "out the door" from where you lay your head every night. Nate put up a very nice post with some great pictures of the ride back in 2011 that can be found on his blog (Soil Sample- Out the Door September 29, 2011)

The Full Pull Ridge ride is phenomenal and a testament to the exceptional riding that surrounds Harrisonburg, Virginia. At only 65 miles, the ride has over 10,000 feet of climbing on some of the rockiest trails around. If you want to see the details and the map you can checkout the ride on Strava. Full Pull of the Massanutten Ridge from Harrisonburg to Buzzard Rocks on Strava. The ride has it all, but mostly rocks and steep climbs. There are countless beautiful views of the Shenandoah Valley, Page Valley, Fort Valley, the North and South Fork of the Shenandoah River, Winchester, and the Shenandaoh National Park. Hard to believe that the ride is only 65 miles. What a great way to celebrate my 30th Birthday! Make sure to check out the pictures and captions below-Kyle

Map and Elevation profile thanks to Garmin and Strava

Rolling from Harrisonburg at 5:30am

Yes. There is some walking to be done on the ride. Sunrise!

We found friends out there!

Bird Knob overlook. Taking it all in just before lunch

Short Horse Mountain in the background. One of the last pieces of pavement for the day

The Ibis Ripley was a PARTY up on that ridge. In 6 some ridge rides this was the first time that I rode a full suspension bike for the Full Pull

At the very end of the ridge on Buzzard rocks with plenty of daylight to go and the sun setting over the west ridge of Fort Valley in the background

The cliffs of Buzzard rocks and the very northern most section of ridge. Looking at down at the opening of Fort Valley

Overlook above Veach gap. Looking at the South Fork of the Shenandoah River and the Shenandoah National Park in the background

Bird Knob