Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/1545069
Merri Brown Merri Brown were ribboned off and the track shortened to cov- er more level ground only. Plaques were awarded and points were tallied, but this was a tough one for all involved. We collec vely feel bad for trail- bosses Jim and Jamie Reitz because they put in such an effort to please the riders each and every year, even se ng up several canopies for staging riders to shelter under while wai ng, only to have weather nega vely dominate the conversa on. There will be be er days…and a bit of redemp on on Sunday! The rain paused Saturday a ernoon while we stepped into the Reynolds Roadside Auditorium for one of AHRMA Land's only musical shows. Here the host and guests cap vated a stand- ing-room-only crowd by performing a variety, in name and quality, of songs karaoke-style un l late in the evening. While those tunes were echoing across the valley, Sunday's cross-country course was shedding itself of the day's moisture. A light mist persisted through the morning hours as riders prepared to take the green flag for the CC por on of the event. Typical Jim and Jamie fashion dictated that the course was quite unique from the prior year, yet recognizable in some areas. Primary mo va on is a fun and flowing loop that u lizes the plethora of eleva on changes and beau ful pine forest that Su on Sta on is known for. Jamie is also well known for throwing a couple hill climb hot lines in the mix that can challenge the best riders but are easily bypassed for those less ambi ous. The morning's vin- tage race encountered some residual slick condi ons, but once a couple laps were laid down, the dirt firmed up and the beat-in path started to flow like intended. This is the ride we hoped for when poin ng the compass toward the Reynolds' property. A mine train coaster of a course bobbing back and forth through the twis ng pines, boogeying up and down the slopes of the eastern edge of the property, and winding your way up the knob to the south. As with most woods trails, the roots began to show themselves as laps wore on, but there are very few rocks here and overall condi ons con nued to im- prove throughout the races salvaging the weekend with great Sunday. Next, we travel to Three Springs in Central Pennsylva- nia to ride the Rocket! Trust me, it's a blast! Easily the longest opera ng ride in the Mid-Atlan c region, the Rocket Raceway event celebrated its twen eth anniver- sary in 2026. While there have been a lot of changes to the available property over the years, with the usable acreage recently dwindling, regional coordinator Dave

