Hellbender Extinction Grand Depart
Dedication: These routes, and every future route, will be dedicated to my little sister, HalieAnn, who was killed by a motorist on October 12th, 2024. She was hit while riding the bike I built for her specifically to bikepack South America with me. She was my best friend. She was also a trail builder, chainsaw enthusiast, climber, poet, artist, and cyclist, and much more than I can write here. I will never again ride a mile without thinking about her and I will likely dedicate every route I ever create to her. Learn about her here.
Price: FREE! (With an optional donation below)
Schedule
Start Time: 7:00 AM on Saturday May 31st, 2025
End Time: 6:00 PM on Monday, June 2nd, 2025
Party Location: The ride will conclude on Monday night at Short Story Brewing for drinks and a celebration!
Parking & Meeting Points
The ride will start from Cooper’s Rock State Forest. We are being provided secure, free parking at the Coopers Rock Office lot (39.660728, -79.780952), about half a mile from the main entrance. We will meet here!
Cooper’s Rock offers a wide variety of camping options for those coming from out of town. We recommend staying here before the depart!
Note: If you do the ride outside of the Grand Depart in June, you cannot park here. Instead, we recommend calling Coopers Rock and asking about their “overflow” lot. Otherwise, you can start the ride from Morgantown, park at a parking garage, or choose your own start elsewhere.
About the Ride
Story goes that this bad boy got his name from early European settlers turned hillbillies, who thought to themselves:
“This here is a creature from Hell where it is bent on returning!“
Still, others say that when these salt-of-the-earth river folk scooped up the Hellbender from the water for closer inspection, that merely looking at its skin reminded them of the horrible tortures of the infernal regions.
When thinking of sick Appalachian animals, how could it possibly get any sicker than that? However, this lasagna lizard is nosediving straight for extinction. Yep, turns out all the chemicals, dams, and habitat destruction in rivers isn’t great at supporting life. (Who knew?) I will be the first to tell you that the Hellbender is PISSED about that. Hell, I would be too if all I lived in those rivers.
So we figured, while we bike and boat in the pristine Hellbender habitat of the Monongahela River Basin without a care in the world, the least we could do is light a fire under our ass too. These damning routes were created to fire you up with pure ecologically righteous rage! Thus, the Hellbender’s Extinction was born.
Weather Disclaimer
This is the date and the ride, no rain checks! Pack for all weather!
GPX File
We have added 4 new routes! Download GPX file for all 5 routes here.
Suggested Packing List
Hellbender Suggested Packing List: Link here.
Donations!
Donate to Win: Our pals over at the Friends of Decker’s Creek (FODC) have been kind enough to donate some amazing prizes to the ride! FODC is a local West Virginia nonprofit organization that works tirelessly to clean up decades of environmental degradation inflicted on our local watershed. Over time, they are improving the natural qualities of the Deckers Creek Watershed, increasing public concern for its health, and promoting its enjoyment.
When you register for the Grand Depart and donate to FODC, you’ll be entered into a raffle to win custom FODC bikepacking straps or an FODC Rain Barrel that will continue to protect our waterways! Donate a minimum of $5 and send the confirmation to [email protected] for your chance to win! Donate to FODC
