On Friday, Day 5, I rode from Confluence to West Newton - the primary feature of this ride is the long trek through Ohiopyle State Park.
And for the elevation geeks out there, click on this image below to see this better, but from Confluence, headed north to West Newton, you benefit from a very steadily downward grade.
Not much to report on the stretch from Confluence to Ohiopyle, which is roughly 10 miles. It had rained during the night, so packing my tent in the morning, everything was wet. I was pedaling by 7:00am... and like I did almost every single morning of this trip - I left without even attempting to make some kind of breakfast. Instead I relied on mid morning breaks where I would eat a power bar, or some bread and peanut butter.
Today - feeling very meditative this day - I just softly pedaled the 10 miles to Ohiopyle, and when I got there, I parked at the Visitor's Station and wandered around the small town on foot, looking for coffee and some kind of food. I eventually found the Ohiopyle Bakery and Donut Shop.
It's a really nice little hard to find, hole-in-the-wall shop, and I got coffee and two donuts here (doughnuts?).
And it was busy! When I was in the shop, it seemed like a gaggle of kayaker tour guides were in there, getting fuel (in the form of calories) for their daily adventuring. I started thinking about "jock" culture - listening to these 20-somethings talk about shooting rapids, and going under, and so-and-so who is a powerhouse, etc. Specifically I was thinking about the idea of jocks vs. travelers. I'm not confident I know what the difference is, but somewhere in there I think there's a notion of jocks as people who like to challenge nature, and wrestle with obstacles, and prove their... worth?.. against nature's obstacles, while travelers like to enter, and experience nature, and be changed by it.
I've never really been a "challenger of nature" type. I don't mountain bike - which I suspect is cycling's touch to "jockdom". I'm the traveler type. Let's go see what's out there, and see where I fit into it, kind of approach.
(Ohiopyle, looking over the bridge to the north)
Anyway! I took my coffee and donuts and had a really peaceful and enjoyable hour or so, at the picnic table shown above, having my coffee, writing in my journal, and talking to a slightly older married couple that wandered by. I was really feeling the "end" of my trip approaching at this point, though I had the rest of the day, and Saturday, still to go. And with the "end" in my bones, I felt very reflective sitting there. In a way, I had a hard time getting myself to leave. I should go get another coffee and more doughnuts and just stay here!
I did enjoy talking to the married couple that stopped by. The husband showed up first. He wandered by (probably waiting for his wife to catch up), spotted me and my rig, and started the "where are you going / where have you been" conversation. Because of some books, I'd been reading, some references to Teddy Roosevelt and the Lewis and Clarke expedition came up, and I think I impressed them with this random Canadians' knowledge of US history.
It's amusing how people love a traveler, by the way. See some mud-splattered guy sitting nearby, with a bike loaded with gear... and walk over and ask what road he took to get to this point, and what roads he'll be traveling on next.
Travelers also enjoy hitting up other travelers for their stories - partly so that they can soon switch to telling their own story!
Ohiopyle to Connellsville - not much to report. 20 miles of dark rainforest green.
Around milepost 85, over across the river, where there are train tracks and there might have even been a small train yard over there, I thought for sure I heard gunshots. About 4 or 5 of these "shots" went off, 30 or so seconds apart. The sounds might have been train related, but man they sounded like gunshots. And after spending a day, and several days, virtually alone in a forest, it was a bit of a disturbing sound.
Returning to Connellsville (my arch-nemesis on this trip), I followed the bike lane through town, and as soon as I crossed the main strip (Crawford Ave) I encountered the only significant amount of broken glass I'd see on the GAP. I didn't see it in time to stop and avoid it, so I blew through it (all 4 wheels... including the trailer), and figured I'd give my tires a good once-over at the KOA, where I was planning to stop for a break.
I hate broken glass. :(
At the KOA north of Connellsville, where I'd stayed on Day 1, I flipped my bike over, and checked all my tires for bits of embedded broken glass. All was good - and except for the noise coming from the left wheel of my cargo trailer, I didn't have any mechanical problems on this trip. (knock on wood, re. future trips!).
I saw a cyclist with a Surly that was pretty loaded up, and talked to him for a bit. The "travelers sharing traveling tales" kind of thing. He was also northbound towards Pittsburgh, having come all the way up the C and O Towpath. He was a good guy, and we talked bikes a bit. He wasn't a committed cyclist of any sort. He'd owned the Surly (one of their hard-core touring specific models) for over 5 years, and had looked at it recently and said "I better use this, or sell it," and so he'd planned this long C and O / GAP trip for himself.
At the KOA, after doing some bike maintenance, I got onto their wifi and did a couple things. I had been thinking about that old I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle line, and so I found somebody's post about that, and put that on my facebook page.
From the KOA to West Newton I had good weather, and was once again in a "I'm tired and my bum hurts so let's hustle" mood, so I hauled pretty hard for long portions of this 20 mile section.
River on the right - trees on the left - let's pedal.
West Newton!!
I've been debating what I would say about the place I stayed here. I'm not going to say much.
I didn't like it. There. That's it.
Plus - the trains again! Sweet Jesus there are a lot of trains in Pennsylvania!! I had a terrible time sleeping this night, due to the combination of trains and fellow campers.
I wandered around West Newton a little bit. They'd recently had two significant fires right downtown, so the "historic" downtown mentioned in the GAP was looking pretty rough.
Plus, I'm pretty sure the West Newton public works people put some city tourist maps up in the wrong places around town.
At the campground in West Newton, I realized that the father/son combo who I'd met at the Husky Haven in Rockwood were also staying there. So talked to them a bit, as we once again found ourselves crossing paths along the GAP.
Otherwise... Friday was done! One day left.
I did enjoy talking to the married couple that stopped by. The husband showed up first. He wandered by (probably waiting for his wife to catch up), spotted me and my rig, and started the "where are you going / where have you been" conversation. Because of some books, I'd been reading, some references to Teddy Roosevelt and the Lewis and Clarke expedition came up, and I think I impressed them with this random Canadians' knowledge of US history.
It's amusing how people love a traveler, by the way. See some mud-splattered guy sitting nearby, with a bike loaded with gear... and walk over and ask what road he took to get to this point, and what roads he'll be traveling on next.
Travelers also enjoy hitting up other travelers for their stories - partly so that they can soon switch to telling their own story!
The bridge you cross leaving Ohiopyle to the north.
Ohiopyle to Connellsville - not much to report. 20 miles of dark rainforest green.
Around milepost 85, over across the river, where there are train tracks and there might have even been a small train yard over there, I thought for sure I heard gunshots. About 4 or 5 of these "shots" went off, 30 or so seconds apart. The sounds might have been train related, but man they sounded like gunshots. And after spending a day, and several days, virtually alone in a forest, it was a bit of a disturbing sound.
Eventually - as you head north - the "lost in the Amazon" experience switches back to the "oh here's the Youghiogheny River and the cliffs" experience.
Returning to Connellsville (my arch-nemesis on this trip), I followed the bike lane through town, and as soon as I crossed the main strip (Crawford Ave) I encountered the only significant amount of broken glass I'd see on the GAP. I didn't see it in time to stop and avoid it, so I blew through it (all 4 wheels... including the trailer), and figured I'd give my tires a good once-over at the KOA, where I was planning to stop for a break.
I hate broken glass. :(
At the KOA north of Connellsville, where I'd stayed on Day 1, I flipped my bike over, and checked all my tires for bits of embedded broken glass. All was good - and except for the noise coming from the left wheel of my cargo trailer, I didn't have any mechanical problems on this trip. (knock on wood, re. future trips!).
I saw a cyclist with a Surly that was pretty loaded up, and talked to him for a bit. The "travelers sharing traveling tales" kind of thing. He was also northbound towards Pittsburgh, having come all the way up the C and O Towpath. He was a good guy, and we talked bikes a bit. He wasn't a committed cyclist of any sort. He'd owned the Surly (one of their hard-core touring specific models) for over 5 years, and had looked at it recently and said "I better use this, or sell it," and so he'd planned this long C and O / GAP trip for himself.
At the KOA, after doing some bike maintenance, I got onto their wifi and did a couple things. I had been thinking about that old I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle line, and so I found somebody's post about that, and put that on my facebook page.
From the KOA to West Newton I had good weather, and was once again in a "I'm tired and my bum hurts so let's hustle" mood, so I hauled pretty hard for long portions of this 20 mile section.
River on the right - trees on the left - let's pedal.
West Newton!!
I've been debating what I would say about the place I stayed here. I'm not going to say much.
I didn't like it. There. That's it.
Plus - the trains again! Sweet Jesus there are a lot of trains in Pennsylvania!! I had a terrible time sleeping this night, due to the combination of trains and fellow campers.
I wandered around West Newton a little bit. They'd recently had two significant fires right downtown, so the "historic" downtown mentioned in the GAP was looking pretty rough.
Plus, I'm pretty sure the West Newton public works people put some city tourist maps up in the wrong places around town.
Dudes! Right there where the arrow is... in that little park after you walk over the bridge. The map at that booth has a YOU ARE HERE arrow indicating that you are actually somewhere on the west side of the river! I promise you... your public works guys went around town with their bundle of city maps and put them up in the wrong kiosks!
At the campground in West Newton, I realized that the father/son combo who I'd met at the Husky Haven in Rockwood were also staying there. So talked to them a bit, as we once again found ourselves crossing paths along the GAP.
Otherwise... Friday was done! One day left.
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