Events: Pinelands Gravel (Upcoming)
(2022) Gravel is having a moment right now, but for those in the mid-Atlantic region, it’s hard to find an adventure course that mirrors the big events. Kermesse Sport, the organizers who bring you Hell of Hunterdon, have added a true gravel ride taking place in the Pinelands of New Jersey on May 15th. Pinelands Gravel, an event based in Southampton, NJ, will pull gravel and adventure riding back east.
Partnered with the Pinelands Preservation Alliance, Kermesse Sport has developed a gravel ride that is uniquely New Jersian. The southern portion of New Jersey is as flat as possible, but don’t count this ride as ‘easy.’ With gravel in the event title, expect more than a healthy dose of sandy roads, cinder roads, and trails. The Pinelands encompasses the Pine Barrens, an ecoregion that produces the cleanest water in the country. This is remarkable considering the Preserve makes up nearly 25% of the state. It also produces some of the eeriest places around, especially considering its proximity to major cities and shore points.
If any of this sounds familiar, it’s because we wrote up the self-guided routes of the Tour de Pines, also a Kermesse event. Instead of a multi-day event, this is a single-day cycling celebration that plunges into dense forests, bogs, and historic landmarks. The ride’s headquarters are the Pinelands Preservation Alliance, based at Bishop Farmstead and the adjacent Rancocas Creek Farm, a functional community supported agriculture (CSA). Along the route riders can expect to pass blueberry farms (early season) and cranberry bogs, which provide nearly 98% of the crop to Ocean Spray.
The route will navigate through various preserves inside the Pinelands. The state of New Jersey refers to Retreat Preserve as ‘definitely isolated,’ a description that raises an eyebrow. Wharton State Forest is the largest single tract of land within the park. Batona Trail is a 51.30- mile path that the route goes past. Considered a keystone piece of land, Franklin Parker Preserve is a nearly 10,000 acre tract that connects other tracts, including Brendan Byrne State Forest with Wharton State Forest. Interestingly, the elusive timber rattlesnake does call the Pinelands home, but sightings are rare. In a demonstration of restoration, the Atlantic White Cedar Preserve is an attempt to restore 10,000 acres back into wilderness. This route is about as remote as one can get in the mid-Atlantic thanks to the Pinelands Preserve.
To balance out the remoteness, the Pinelands Gravel features human points of interest. Friendship Ruins is a ghost town in the Wharton State Forest. Down the roads from Friendship Ruins is the Carranza Memorial. Here is where Emilio Carranza, in a display of solidarity to the United States, flew from Mexico only to crash in the Pinelands in 1928. The recovery mission had to cut through 25 miles of underbrush to access the crash. July 10, 2022 will be the 94th anniversary of the event. The town of Chatsworth is along the route where in 1939 a major train accident happened.
Also located in the town of Chatsworth is Hot Diggidy Dog, a hot dog stand that is famous for its wieners. The best part is riders have the ability to snag a mid-ride dog (or two or three) to boost the morale to finish off the day of wilderness riding.
With the big name gravel events in the midwest as well as the west coast, it’s about time a monumental route pulls events eastward to balance it out. There are times when gravel rides are manufactured adventure rides, but a gravel event through the Pinelands certainly raises the bar in preparation and experience. “Definitely isolated” state descriptions, timber rattlesnakes, and a hot dog stand don’t appear on many event expectations. The inaugural Pinelands Gravel presented by Kermesse Sport and hosted by the Pinelands Preservation Alliance will be an event many riders should prioritize in 2022.
Registration can be found on BikeReg here.
