September 19, 2020
Introduction
Maintaining Perspective and Social Distances in 2020
This journal was originally published, on another "network", shortly after having completed it, in October of 2020. It is being replicated and slightly revised here.
Introduction
As the best laid plans fell apart during this turbulent year, the seasons continued to arrive, on schedule. I was riding through the mild Winter when the Pandemic began. Along with the unknowns of the Coronavirus, the deserted streets and the unusual quiet left a profound emptiness in our lives. Then suddenly, Spring arrived with all of its splendor. Nature's rebirth and renewal gave me hope that these tough times would eventually pass.
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By May, infection rates fell, restrictions lessened, and things started to return to normal. Briefly, there was hope that we had done the hard work and were perhaps overcoming this virus. As Summer was coming on, our climate became drier and hotter than is usual for our area. Violence erupted in our streets when several controversial incidents between police and citizens received world wide attention. Not all of the protests were violent. A ride, organized by the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Major Taylor Bicycling Club attracted around 500 riders and came off without incident.
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I was still planning for our annual bicycle tour, on the Great Plains, when Coronavirus infection rates began spiking in places where it had previously been low. One of our destinations, Kansas, was significantly impacted. With rates on the increase closer to home, as well, we decided to postpone the trip until the Spring of 2021.
Wildfires were raging in the West, our cities were burning, the Presidential race heating up, and the virus continuing to cause problems as students returned to school, I looked for a socially distant bicycle touring opportunity. Vermont, with its low incidence of disease seemed like a good spot. Further research into the matter revealed some serious restrictions on both in-state and out of state residents. I happen to be from a county designated red by the Green Mountain State Health Department. By traveling there, I would be subject to strict quarantine requirements upon entrance. Some local lodging establishments in small towns along a proposed route will only let to New England and New York State residents. Ultimately, the idea was scrapped for this year but at least the route and accommodations are now all planned out and ready for a future junket.
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Since staying close to home and social distancing seem to be the orders of the day, I finally decided to finish up a more local tour route, from which I have been biting off small pieces for the last 10 years or so. My relationship with Pennsylvania (PA) Bicycle Route J began while I was traveling about 4 driving hours from home to work for periods of time in Central Pennsylvania. Not being one to spend my evenings in bars or alone in a hotel room, I naturally took my bike along and explored the area. Route J runs in a Southwest to Northeast direction from the Maryland Border, near New Freedom, to Sayre, in the Penn-York Valley and on the border with New York State. The route mostly follows the Susquehanna River and like other Keystone State designated bike routes, has some seriously dangerous spots for bicycling. Because I do my best to avoid a premature demise while out there on my bike, some modifications to the "J Trail" were necessary, for my risk tolerance limits. This being Pennsylvania, those kinds of route revisions inevitably require one to leave the flat, narrow, and generally well traveled river valley roads behind.
In the central part of the Keystone State, there are a series of ridges that run in a Northeast to Southwest direction. Climbing one of these ridges is usually the only way out of the Susquehanna River Valley. This tour will take on several such ridges. But as Autumn arrives, I am hopeful that the colors of the season will offset some of the effort required to tame this difficult terrain. Time will tell.
Truth be told, I also modified the route to take in some familiar areas and to touch base with a friend or two along the way. Seeing a familiar face when you're playing the role of stranger in a strange land always lifts the spirits.
I'll be "flying" solo and preparing the bike, my gear, and myself for a departure on Saturday morning, October 10, 2020. The ride will last for 5-6 days. A combination of roads and rail trials will be utilized with some short side trips. The route should keep me sufficiently socially distanced. Hopefully I'll stay healthy throughout the journey and will remain that way after it concludes. If this holds any interest for you, come along for the ride!
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