The cabin I was in last night was rustic but pretty cool. Cool by morning anyway. When I first arrived, it was roasting in there, and none of the windows had screens. I got I touch with the host, and he sent someone over with a fan. What a relief! The cabin looked primitive, but it had running water, a shower, and a flush toilet. All for $20 less than the cost of the campsite the night before. Airbnb has really helped me on this trip.
If you read yesterday's post, you may recall that I was lamenting the fact that Google Maps knows every road and often leads a cyclist on very difficult roads to ride on. In Warren, there was a visitor center, so I thought I'd stop in and try to get a paper map of the area. These women were very helpful and gave me a map that covered western PA and NY.
I followed the Allegheny River for about 30 miles until I got to the Kinzua dam. I would have to leave this valley at some point, and I knew what to expect at this location. Back in 1976, on my epic first crossing of Pennsylvania by bicycle with Colin, we stopped for lunch at the marina on the Allegheny reservoir about a mile past the dam. We left the cafe and began the nearly three mile climb out of the valley. At the top of the hill, we stopped for a much needed rest and a couple of hits off the pipe. After contemplating groundhogs and hedgehogs and other assorted roadkill, I realized that I had left my wallet on the counter at the Cafe. It was back down the hill for me, and another long climb back to a very well rested travel mate. So, today was the third time riding up this agonizing hill. The climbing wasn't nearly over for the day. There were more long ones, including a mile and a half of walking the bike up an impossibly steep hill. Maybe it was just late in the day, but I swear I wouldn't have been able to pedal up that last hill with an unloaded bike.
I'm camping in the woods tonight somewhere in northwestern Pennsylvania. There's no campground, or even a town with a small park anywhere in the vicinity, but I'm very comfortable listening to the birds as they slowly quiet down for the night.
In the woods somewhere in northwestern PA. One of the most comfortable spots on the trip.
