Departed the Bastille at 0930. Marathon-associated activities were happening on the North Side, and then Downtown there was a Kid's Marathon. Has to be a major headache to get the right kids back to the right parents (or at least, the legally designated parents) at the end of the event. I could imagine estranged parents and a custodial snit at the finish line - uhgly. Tough for any helicopter parent - ok, Rutherford, I'm going to say goodby now, I'll see you a few blocks over in fifteen minutes. Lots of potential for agita.
Jail Trail, South Side, a bit of eagle-watching porn. Pump House, Kennywood. Saw a large group of Elder Hikers from Philadelphia on the trail.
Reversed and was surprised to find a headwind, although I was sure there wasn't any tailwind on the outbound leg. I caught what I think was a bee in my helmet, but I got rid of it before anything drastic happened. Stopped at Big Dog for refreshment and wifi, which brought us this trenchant quote on the bugs-vs-features duality:
A man can become so accustomed to the thought of his own faults
that he will begin to cherish them as charming little ‘personal characteristics.’
Helen Rowland 1876-1950
Rather than penetrate downtown and the general Marathon confusion, we stayed on Carson Street to the West End Bridge, and rode that across the Ohio River to the North Side. That's a great transition (if you take the lane) and I love the exit ramps, descending into the Casino complex.
Back to the trailhead, my new GPS gizmo said 31 miles. T-I-L that you need to tell the GPS when the ride is over, or else it just keeps tracking mileage all the way home.
Back in the car, and on the way back home at 1300 when the rain started. It was great to have the ride accomplished before it rained, just like MC had planned.
No comments:
Post a Comment