Today was another great day. The riding was easy, the temperature mild, I I got to talk to lots of people.
Being I had over 60 miles to cover, I was rolling before 9AM, so I would have plenty of time to take photos and talk to folks. (Today, the talking won handily over photos)
As I mentioned, the riding was easy, but I did notice degradation of the trail as I rode north today. It is still a good trail, but there were several sections where the stone surface was gone, and you were riding on dirt. No big deal when it's dry, but it would be a muddy ride in the rain. South of Connellsville, the stone surface was uniformly in excellent shape.
The West Yough Bridge is just outside Connellsville. It is closed off at the far end and has a nice bench where you can sit and watch the river flow by.
Then it stood in the woods and watched me some more. It was still standing there as I rode off. All of the deer I've seen on the trail seem almost tame and totally unafraid of cyclists.
I met Tom and Bob at the train station and rode with them to Boston. They're from Pittsburgh and took the train to Cumberland so they could ride the trail back home. Thanks for the ride, guys!
The trail north of Homestead became quite urban and not nearly as relaxing to ride. Once off the trail and on city streets, I missed a couple of turns, but luckily, I figured things out and didn't have to call Jeanna.
I did, however, call her when I was 1/2 mile from our motel and pushing the bike up a very long and very steep hill. I told her to have a beer ready, which she did. LIFE IS GOOD!
Today's ride: 62 miles (100 km) Total: 1,786 miles (2,874 km)
