Granny Gear Death March: It's Always Darkest Before the Dawn

3/10/13 19M

An excellent 19 miles that started before sunrise to avoid traffic on busy roads.

The last time I started a ride early on a Sunday to avoid traffic on normally congested roads I got hit by a PAT bus, but today went much better. Met S. at the Walker's Mill trailhead at the eastern terminus of the Panhandle Trail at 0645 nu-time and took Noblestown Road into Carnegie.

As we hit the first mini-rolling-hills I just didn't have any power this morning, S was waiting for me at the top of the hills as I GGDM'd (granny gear death-marched) through it. We got to our first destination in Carnegie, the Pinball Mural, but it was too dark for photography so we pressed on to our second objective.

In Crafton we were able to take pictures of the mural Introversion Excursion by Andy Mattia, on the outside wall of the library at 136 Braddock Avenue:

Then we reversed into Carnegie to take a picture of the pinball mural at 400 Gregg Street (Intersection of Gregg, Bluff and Superior Sts ), which is the world headquarters of PAPA, the Professional and Amateur Pinball Association. They hold their world championships in that building, which holds an array of vintage pinball equipment. Up Carnegie! (click the image below for full-size in a new window)

With that accomplished, we departed Carnegie via Campbell's Run Road (which I didn't know how to do) to Robinson Township, to take a picture of a mural at 201 Parkway West Business Park that edmonds59 from BikePgh identified for us. The transition on Campbell's Run Road was fine; (full disclosure) light traffic, ideal conditions, no shoulders.

This mural was done by Dwigh Kirkland and Michael Colley.

We descended to Campbell's Run Road, and crossed under the Parkway West via Boyce Road then climbed up on the other side of the Parkway. McMicheal Road brought us around to Noblestown Road and back to Walker's Mill. Several of these segments were roads I'd never been on before and had wanted to experience, so these connections made it an extra enjoyable ride.

At the Panhandle trailhead we saw quite a lot of runners getting their miles in to prepare for springtime marathons and half-marathons, but the trail seems way too soft for bicycling.