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words: John Cirabassi • images: Joe Parks and Penny Wheeler For long time readers of Backroads Magazine, you know how much great riding, both the pavement and off-pavement varieties, there is in the Keystone State. From the Poconos, to along the Delaware, out west along Route 6 and, of course, the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon. But there is a little slice of heaven nestled between these locations that goes unnoticed to many two-wheeled explorers. Bradford and Sullivan Counties along PA’s Northern Tier offers miles of remote forest roads and awe-inspiring vistas.
BACKROADS • NOVEMBER 2021 It’s an area of the state that the modern world has graciously left alone. My wife, Elise, and I worked as veterinarians in the region back in the ‘80s when we were fresh out of school and newly married. In 4 short years the place left an indelible place in our hearts and even though we left to be with family in the Chicago area, the soul of the place never left us. So when we started coming back to the area for longer stays, I brought along my passion for Adventure Motorcycling and discovered so much that I never knew existed. And my excitement peaked when I met Frank Watson and Dean Vanderpool. Local Cantonites (Cantonians?) who were putting together an Adventure Rally based right in Canton. To say I was stoked would have been an understatement. Early registrants on Friday night were treated to a theater showing of the Mid-Atlantic Backcountry Discovery Route (MABDR) movie. For those unfamiliar with the MABDR it is one of 11 Adventure motorcyclefriendly, mostly off-pavement routes put together by the volunteer organization, Backcountry Discovery Routes, with 9 routes found out west and 2 routes in the east. You can find out more at ridebdr.com. Together Frank, Dean and myself mapped out a 160-mile ride on Saturday, September 25th and 60 miles on the 26th. Saturday’s ride covered about every forest road between Canton and World’s End State Park along with the quiet beauty of Sunfish and Sonnes Ponds. PA is known
