Cougars, Labyrinths, Donuts and Honkers

07/24/12 235# 34m

A good ride, 34 miles around the city.

Met S. at the Bastille at 0600-ish. Rode along the North Side and the Allegheny River to Millvale, took the new sidewalk up to the 40th Street Bridge, rode the trail to 48th Street and entered the Allegheny Cemetery, which is open to bicyclists when internments are not being conducted. It's the first time I've ridden in a graveyard and it was OK; green, calm, quiet, certainly at least as safe as a bike trail. A curious collection of monuments, not photographed out of respect. The cemetery provided a not-too-heartbreaking climb up to Penn Avenue near the new Children's Hospital.

From there we rode Penn, Winebiddle, Liberty, and South Aiken to the campus of Chatham College, which had several banners proclaiming "this is Cougar Country" (which probably has unwelcome connotations for a womyn's college).



Continued climbing across Chatham's campus until Berry Hall, at which we found our destination, Jessica's Labyrinth. The terrain is landscaped so that you won't see the labyrinth itself until you're already there (which is pretty standard wayfinding by Pittsburgh standards). This particular labyrinth is based upon the Chartres design, and is 2,320 feet long.

We continued across campus to Wilkins, Murray, and Forbes to the Squirrel Hill Dunkin Donuts, and as we sat down the skies opened in a very heavy downpour demonstrating once again, Timing is Everything.

Iced tea, croissant, boston cream, check the interweb. I received an email from a British Israeli who completely agrees with my assessment (elsewhere) that Bradley Wiggins looks like Marty Feldman's love child. (Not that the US should be talking smack about the TdF since Lance is probably about to get the JoePa treatment, which will leave us with Greg LeMond.)

The rain passed and back on the bikes. Forbes Ave to South Braddock to Frick Park, Falls Ravine Trail to Tranquil Trail to Firelane Trail (I had to look them up) to the Irish Center; Nine Mile Run Trail to Duck Hollow Trail, Second Avenue to the new Hazelwood Trail to the Hot Metal Bridge.

Rode south to Keystone Metals, reflecting on how cool it will be when that trail segment is complete, reversed and took the Hot Metal Bridge and the Jail Trail to Dahntahn.

I was in the left-turn lane at Smithfield Street, stopped at a red light. A automobilist behind me honked his horn at me. He apparently didn't like my being in the lane — which was curious because he was a full block behind me stopped at a red light in the previous intersection. When his light turned green he eventually caught up to me and got to honk again. That guy must have been pissed off before he ever saw me, and I think if he'd nosh at Dunkin Donuts his outlook would improve tremendously.

Fort Duquesne Bridge where I saw another Extreme Athlete doing chinups on the bridge supports, then climbing down the pedestrian staircase face-down, head-first, on his hands and feet which looked very difficult and he was very good at it.