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With a combined excess of 18,000 miles on the Pine Creek Rail Trail this year, bicyclists Ralph Mantle, Thomas Smith and I raised a lot of dust, splattered a good deal of water and mud and scared many scores of chipmunks out of their puny little wits.

Mantle, who lives in the country not far outside the borough of Jersey Shore, surpassed 7,000 miles on the trail. Not bad for an 84-year-old!

Retired for many years from Alcan Cable in Williamsport, Mantle began riding in 2006 on what he calls a "one-speed" bicycle. That year he only rode a couple months for just a few hundred miles. His highlight that year was seeing the only black bear he's ever come across on the trail, one "not too far up from White Tail," crossing the path and "going toward Route 44."

Hooked on the joys of riding, Mantle bought a 24-speed Crossroads Specialized bicycle at the beginning of the 2007 "season." That year he rode about 4,900 miles.

In 2008 Mantle really got serious about his riding. He pedaled 6,500 miles.

Why does he spend so much time on his bicycle?

"The hardest thing I have to do is just sit and do nothing," he said. "I needed something to do. And the exercise you give your legs bicycling is good for your health. People should be encouraged not just to sit there watching TV."

The activity can be dangerous, as Mantle discovered a year ago.

"Last year I fell and was off two weeks and, yes, I've had some other falls, but nothing real serious. When it's all said and done, it's all up to the good Lord. He keeps me safe, and as long as He takes care of me, I'll be all right," he said.

Looking into the future, Mantle hopes to continue riding, perhaps eventually buying a recumbent bicycle. He admitted, "It's getting harder to get on and off my bike. I mean, let's be realistic about it. I'm 84. When I get older, maybe three or four years from now, and if I still have my health, there again it's all up to the good Lord, a recumbent bicycle would be better than sitting at home."

Smith also retired from Alcan and worked with Mantle for a number of years.

"Smitty's a smarter rider than I am, and he goes a lot faster than I do. He's been biking a lot longer, and he's in shape compared to me," Mantle said.

Smith is 65. Although difficult to prove that he's a "smarter rider" than Mantle, it is true he "goes a lot faster" (usually about 13 mph compared to Mantle's 10 mph) and has "been biking a lot longer" (since 1987). The legs of both are in great shape.

Smith actually has covered less mileage than Mantle this year, accumulating "only" a little more than 6,500 by the end of October. Still, he has surpassed by a few miles his record total from 2008. Smith's usual ride each time out this year was a round trip from his home in Antes Fort to the beginning of the rail trail in Jersey Shore up to the village of Cammal (about 50 miles), whereas Mantle's was from the Jersey Shore terminus up to the Waterville area and back (about 20-25 miles, but often done twice a day, sometimes even three times).

Why does Smith ride so much? "One is for the exercise. Another is that I just enjoy being outdoors," he said.

Smith's longest ride in one day on his 24-speed Giant Cypress DX was on June 27, when he rode round trip from his home to the Jersey Shore terminus and then up the entire 62 miles of the rail trail to the northern terminus at Stokesdale Junction at Route 287 above Wellsboro - 135 miles. He was accompanied by two younger friends, Fred Young and Doug Buckwalter. One of the highlights of that odyssey was seeing about a dozen rattlesnakes at the rock slide located about halfway between the village of Blackwell and Tiadaghton Campground.

That accomplishment was even more amazing, given that the day before he had ridden 82 miles on the rail trail with another group. So he bicycled 217 miles within about a 36-hour stretch.

Smith recalled another memorable outing - on Sunday, Aug. 9: "That day they were calling for a chance of some thundershowers, but the percentage wasn't that high, so I started my ride. I was getting close to my halfway point at Cammal, by the comfort station, and it was getting pretty gray looking. I could hear some thunder on the other side of the mountain, so I thought I better start truckin' down the trail.

"I got down to Jersey Mills and it started spittin' a little bit. Then between mile markers 154 and 155 it started coming down pretty hard. And the wind started blowing all over the place.

"I stopped, tried to get my poncho on, but by the time I finally did, I was soaked. Then I heard even heavier rain coming behind me, one big sheet of it, with the wind blowing so hard.

"Ahead of me a sapling came down across the trail, then another one behind me. Yet another ahead of me - smack, crack, tree and branches! It was something I had never experienced before in my life - thunder and lightning - and there I was right in the middle of the woods on the trail.

"I had to get around several downed trees before I got to McConnell's store in Waterville. I waited about 30 to 45 minutes, mainly for the lightning to stop."

Traveling again south toward Ramsey Village, Smith met up with two younger men. Together they maneuvered around, under and over what Smith estimates to have been "12 to 15 trees total" from Waterville to Torbert Village (a distance of about seven miles).

When asked if he was scared, Smith responded, "Although I couldn't figure being in a worse place than that, I just had a calmness about the whole thing. I can't explain it other than I felt that God was protecting me."

Smith's goal for 2010? "If I can stay healthy and am able to ride, I'd just like to beat this year's total mileage. I'm not going to set any lofty goals."

I am the youngest of the three "mega-riders" at 61, and totaled only about 4,500 miles through October. My main claim to fame this year is that twice I rode in one day from my home in Torbert Village to the northern terminus and back (a total of 117 miles).

We three amigos saw each other on the trail numerous times throughout the year. Many times just in passing and sometimes riding together. Our friendships are based on our mutual love of healthful exercise and the great beauty of Pine Creek Valley and its incomparable rail trail.