48ish hours in Confluence

4.16-7.2014

This was a rainy day in the area and I decided to stay at Homeplate. Had breakfast at Sister's Cafe, learned that Saturday is the opening of trout season and that's a big deal in Confluence. Hung around and surfed the wifi for a while.

Sat in the town square gazebo and read a book. Went back into the Outflow Campground as rain was approaching, and moved my tent underneath a picnic shelter. I don't think that's consistent with their rules, but it seemed pragmatic and it worked.

In a spot between the rain, I rode to the adjacent Outflow Restaurant for a cheeseburger and soft-serve. Very good.

It rained intermittently all night, and I was glad for the shelter's roof. No need to soak the tent. During the night, there was a mechanical vibrating and creaking coming out of the damworks, and then the water flow ceased. It was a big change in what I'd accepted as the local white noise.

Woke up, packed up, had breakfast at Sister's (again). Same experience: good food, slightly pricey, good service. Finished my book in the gazebo.

Riding from Connellsvile into Ohiopyle, saw the newest bit of infra sponsorship:

Rode into Connellsville around 7pm. There was a private rollout party at New Haven Frozen Yogurt, right on the trail at the bike shop on the main drag. Looks like a great place.

Went to NY Pizza and had: soup, fried pickles, and a small pizza. Very good. Family at the next table invited me over for breakfast the next morning. After a day alone, the conversation was welcome.

Set up camp at the Adirondack shelters. Met two young cyclists riding east, they offered me a beer. Nice guys.

Quiet as could be in the campground, and a great night's sleep.

Outflow Campground

4.15 34m

I had hoped to visit a new green-tea-and-smoothies shop for breakfast but it's closed. It does seem like there's a few bike-trail-centric businesses on the verge of opening in Connellsville: New Haven FroYo across from the bike shop, with a nice generous outdoor patio; Bike Bistro on the main drag.

Had breakfast at Valley Dairy. Walked in and when the greeter said hello I asked, table with an outlet? and they knew just what I wanted and just where it was. Good wifi. Great omelette.

Rode to Ohiopyle. There's a spot about 6 miles west of Ohiopyle where a pipeline crosses the river and it's a scene of tremendous beauty, it's one of my favorite places. Discovered evidence that Peeps do, in fact, grow on trees:

Continued to Ohiopyle. Stopped at Ohiopyle Bakery for a sandwich.

Rode to Confluence. Apparently I'm before-my-time, because there aren't any restaurants open for a few weeks yet. (Sister's closed at 2pm). Made camp at Yough Outflow Campground. I approached this with low expectations but wow this is a nice campground: real rest rooms with warm water, campsites, a building with showers (which won't open for a few weeks yet). $5 self-registration for a biker-hiker, that's a great deal. No wifi in the campground, but a good 4G signal. There is Wifi floating over from adjacent WendyWorld trailer park, it would be nice to have that password.

This campground is at the base of an earthen dam. It's a big pile of dirt with an amazing amount of water behind it. If that berm fails, the campground is gone in an instant. There's an outflow at the base of the damn, it makes a very nice white noise.

Cooked Louisiana Red Beans and Rice via the JetBoil. Good dinner, great day.

Second Attempt: In The Bag

Mon 4.14 63m

Departed Oakland at 1130 after enjoying cafe au lait and an egg-cheese crepe at Crepes Parisiennes. Very good.

Stopped at the Pump House, where the rest room is still locked and protected from those who would use it. Stopped in McKeesport for a Gatorade and PopTarts, because: PopTarts. Stopped in Boston PA at The Betsy for a slice of orange cake.

Stopped at Dravo campground for a short break, then made a major stop in West Newton to eat (second time this week) at the Chuck Wagon which is my new Fave Restaurant in West Newton. On Sunday I had a Western omelette, today (Tuesday) I had liver and onions for dinner; both were excellent. They've got wifi and a booth with outlets. All my needs fulfilled. Recommended.

Rode on to Cedar Creek campground, which was one of my two planned endpoints. I felt good and it was still early, so I pressed on to Round Bottom Campground (MP100). I had the place to myself, and I set up my tent inside one of the A-Shelters. Unfortunately there's no Verizon cellphone coverage there, and I had promised to check in and cancel my bike-plan upon arrival.

I got a few gratuitious miles pedaling for coverage and not finding any, so back to RoundBottom, pack up the tent and pedal on to Connellsville. Got some cellphone coverage at about MP95.

Approaching Connellsville I was mindful of Kordite's experience riding at night and colliding with a big rock they put on the trail to protect the trail. (and you'd think, hey protect the cyclists, wouldn't you?) Here's a slice of riding into Connellsville at night:

We flirt with wishing a special place in Heck upon the people who thought this was a good idea.

Rode into the Connellsville Trailhead and continued directly to the Martin's Shopping Center and "New York Pizza". I walked in at 8:40, they close at 9 and had the place cleaned up, and they were very good about making me a pizza and letting me eat it there. I really appreciate it. Apparently, the patriarch is from Napoli and the matriarch is from Greenpoint in Brooklyn. It was a very good pizza. Recommended.

Back to the campground. Last time I was here, I remember 2 Adirondack Shelters but now there's four. It was really great to get into the sleeping bag and be warm and dry.

I was also glad that while pruning the gear, I kept the lights with me because I sure used them today. A great ride.

The space between the plan and the operation

Sat-Sun 4.11 #252

Intent on sleeping with my bike out of town, I started off from the Bastille at 2.30 on Saturday afternoon with the bike fully loaded, including a non-ironic baguette.

Stopped at Thick Bikes for an adaptable water bottle carrier, the Looney Bin from Arundel Bikes. Rode out to McKeesport, stopped in a convenience store: diet coke and pop-tarts. Increasingly I think PopTarts are the premier food of bike trails.

Rode to Boston. Continued to Dravos Cemetary, where I stopped for the night. Picked a campsite, said hello to semi-adjacent campers. There was a dozen boy scouts and their grownups who had biked out for a Friday-Saturday overnight. There was a husband-wife and two young children, maybe 6 and 4-years old, each riding their own bike. The A-shelter was occupied by some folks I'd seen there before, and on the lower level another campground was set up.

The Mother of the foursome asked me, Would I like a hot turkey-Rueben because they're packing up and have some leftover food? And I said Hecka-Yes-Please. Their daughter, Ella, cooked me up a sandwich in a folding-iron. Jason the Dad said, Do you have a cup or a container? Because I've got a bit of ale left over in my East End Brewing Company growler and I don't need to pedal it back. And I said: this is the best campground I ever rode into.

I had the Rueben and the Ale and was setting up my tent when one of the Scoutmasters came over: they had extra hot potato soup, do I have a container and would I care for some? Things just got better and better as I dunked the baguette in the hot soup. I watched a camper come out of the lower campground and recognized Reggie, who I first met a few weeks ago. He was camping with Liz and Milo the dog, and they're in a first-use test of a Tentsile tent.

Milo, shown on the right, wears booties in the tent. And socks, because the booties might chafe. Milo ran all the way down from the Boston Trailhead.

The TentsSile is is a lot like a hammock - the ground doesn't have to be level, dry, or smooth - but you sleep above the structure rather than below it. Reggie said it's a bit like sleeping on a trampoline. It's got a huge interior surface.

Had a small fire going. When it got dark I was in the sack early, maybe 9pm. It got cold. I had brought my small sleeping bag liner and not my big bulky sleeping bag, and that was a huge mistake. It became very cold and sleeping in the tent was near-impossible.

I ended up spending the night sitting by the fire. I was quite warm at the fire, but unable to sleep. I was able to sleep in the tent, but never for more than an hour because of the cold. The good news is: mega-kudos to the volunteers who maintain Dravos Cemetery campground, because there was a great supply of dry, split, help-yourself firewood. It kept me from needing to ride away for shelter.

Watched the sunrise sitting at the fire. Lots of birdsong. A few woodpeckers. Listened to the Scouts discuss the disposition of: a case of Pop-Tarts.

In first light, the dew on my tent had frozen. Cleaned up my gear. At 0730 it was warming up, the full sun was out in a clear sky, and I was able to lay down and sleep for about three hours.

Not bringing a real sleeping bag was a major blunder. I certainly brought everything else.

Woke up and packed up camp. Got on the trail at about 1130, heading for West Newton. Stopped at the Buena Vista trailside convenience store, lemonade and PopTarts. The conspiracy is persistent.

I didn't have a lot of energy and the bike felt much heavier than it did yesterday. Didn't get to West Newton until 2pm, which is 8 miles in 2.5 hours.

I've been told that the best breakfast in West Newton is the Chuck Wagon. At the trailhead there's a road across the bridge; ride across, go to the second light, turn right; 100 feet on the right. Really excellent chow, and an authentic local restaurant rather than a place that's just for visitors. Recommended.

I was done in. 25 miles to Connellsville, and it had taken me two hours to go eight miles; the math didn't fit into daylight. I put in a phone call for a mercy-extraction and my wife Karen came and picked me up. I don't know that I've ever felt so low on a bicycle before.

I weighed the bags when I got home: 81 pounds.

Accepting Applications and Small Print

4.10.2015 248# 21m

I started today at the Bastille. Met Yale, Reggie, and Frank - three awesome cyclists - and got to talking. Talked with Frank about Pelee Island. Talked with Reggie and Frank about the overlap and distinctions between transient cyclists and homeless folks, which is a pet topic of mine.

Frank rode south and Yale & Reggie rode up to Observatory Hill, and I needed 20 minutes to putz with my stuff so I ended up riding solo. The trails around the Science Center and the baseball stadium were all flooded with high water.

Took the Riverfront Plaza around PNC Park then crossed the Roberto Clemente Bridge, with the new Roberto bike lane icons:

Just as important as the bridge bike lane are the sharrows and bike lane connection the Bridge with the Penn Ave Bike Lane:

Rode out the Penn Ave Bike Lane, went out to 35th and Charlotte to check on Jeremy Raymer's artwork. I think this one is new:

Rode up the cemetery, where I felt the winter's deconditioning. Rode outbound on Penn, only recently opened as a two-way street. I really appreciate the new curb bump-outs that mark it explicitly as a two-lane, not a four-lane, street.

Took Penn out to BabyLand^*, turned right and took Friendship when I should have taken Ellsworth. So I took Ellsworth for a while, realized my mistake, started navigating cross-country.

Saw this artwork on the side of 608 South Millvale:

Intended to stop at Conflict Kitchen for chow but the queue was way too major. Went down the cobblestones (pave?) to Junction Hollow, enjoyed descending to the Jail Trail.

Inbound on the Jail Trail I encountered this advertisement, which I'd seen on social media but not IRL:

In the small print, dated today, was this clarification: I live in the woods at the top of the hill, I'm building my own house. I'm thinking there's about twenty dead Freds up there.

It was so good to be on the bike, and in weather that only required a t-shirt.

Type Three Fun Forecast

4.8.2015

This is looking increasingly like a forecast of Type3 fun:

Veni, Vidi, Goat Rope

4.4.2015 9m

There are rides of beauty and grace where you and the bike are One, and there are rides that are goat-ropes. Today was a goat-rope ride.

But I did see this sign on Franklin Avenue in Aliquippa, and I've since learned that Aliquippa has embraced a community turkey named "Tom".