Montour Trail

     After so many hot muggy days I finally got a day that was made for a nice long bike ride, highest temp reached 73 degrees but 69 degrees most of the time and mostly cloudy with just a little wind.
The Montour is crushed rock and a total of 63 miles and is part of the Great Allegheny Passage. The Section I did today was from Hendersonville to mile marker 0 near Coraopolis.  It encompassed 2 of the 3 tunnels the National tunnel and the Enlow tunnel and a long trestle spanning the Panhandle trail which goes to WVA.  Because of the heave rains of late there were some sandy washouts to traverse but the old mtn. bike sense kicks in and just pick a line and pedal like mad.  Saw lots of rabbits, a few ground hogs, many birds, summer tanager, king fisher, gold finches, robins, cardinals and a cat bird that gave me holy hell for picking black berries.   Stopped and ate lunch at Brothers Grimm and had a 10 oz. hamburger and a mountain of fries which I didn't eat all of.  The gate at the entrance of the road to the restaurant was an interesting welded together metal affair using 2 bicycles and painted bright red.  Brothers Grimm gives away free lunch to the annual trail ride every year.
     Tomorrow I'll try to hook up with a child hood friend and cruise around my old neighborhood.
See ya!

Like I said in the last post been parked in my sister's driveway for a family visit and reunion and today we sister, brother in law and nephew went for a ride on the Three Rivers Heritage Trail in Pgh. PA.  We started across the Monongahela river from South Side crossed the Hot Metal Bridge which used to be used to carry iron from Eliza Furnaces to the South Side past the practice fields for the Pgh. Steelers and Pit Panthers to Eliza furnace and pump house which today had an art fair with a local winery having a wine tasting.  Of course we tasted. Then continued Southeast past Kennywood Amusement park along the river and crossing bridges to where we had to turn around due to time restraint.  This trail is part of the GAP or Great Allegheny Passage from Pittsburgh to Wsahington DC.  Eventually it'll begin at Greater Pgh. Int. Airport through the South Hills to Pgh. and on to DC. Imagine flying into Pgh. or DC with a bike and doing this trail for 300 some miles one way then flying home.  Most of the sections we rode today were paved and well marked with lots to look at. Had lunch at Mitchell's Fish Market, yum, cedar plank salmon.  Will do this trail further next week.

Sand triking

    Been parked in my sister's drive way this past couple of days and yesterday Cindy flew off to KS. to visit her family and attend the Jones family reunion while I stay here in the Pittsburgh area.   It's been hot and humid but supposed to cool down this weekend.  We've ridden some of the Montour trail and yesterday evening Joan (sister) and Steve (nephew) rode some of the Panhandle trail near McDonald PA.  There has been a lot of rain lately with some flooding and parts of the trail were about 3 or 4 inches deep in sand.  This made for some interesting riding on a tadpole style trike, picking a line and pedaling like a mad man,weaving and slicing, keeping up momentum to get through  sandy sections.  Kind of like mountain biking on some of Fl. trails.  Joan had a bit of trouble at first but got the hang of it near the finish of the ride and started to have fun with it.  What a great interval workout.
She'd be doing much better if wearing cleats and clipped in. 
    Gotta take the dogs for a walk, wow spell check allowed "gotta". See ya.

Babe I'm leavin' must be on my way!

                                                                                                                               7/15/13
Left Floral City at 9:05 on July 9th and made our way to our first stop at Trader Joe's in Gainsville FL. to stock up supplies then a quick stop at a Camping World for a Oxigenics shower head.
Had a good lunch at a place called The Pig in SC. BBQ pulled pork, yum!
    As the song said, Green Acres is the place to be, well there we were at Green Acres camp ground in Walterboro SC.  We've stayed here before being a Good SAm park for 26. per/nite.  They've had a wet spring and the mosquito feeding frenzy kept us inside most of the night.
     July 10, on the road by 7:50 and while stopped at a rest area managed to lock my ignition keys in the van with Cindy's purse where her keys were so now we are in the parking lot in the blazing sun trying pay phones, yeah the cell phones were in the van with the keys of course.  Hey, if your gonna screw up do it well I say. While Cindy was on a kind women's cell phone going through automated voice response to Good Sam roadside assistance I grabbed a shepherds hook which is used to hang a bird feeder from the camper and bent it to snag my keys off the drivers seat where they had fallen from my belt loop.  I actually managed to do this but dropped them when they were almost to the window on the passenger side which was left open an inch.  I then bent the hook more and fished Cindy's purse from under her seat, got her set of keys and yeeehaaa, got in.  Called Good Sam and canceled the rescue and resumed our Northward trek.
     Next overnight was Camp Creek state park in WVa. ust off I-77.  Very nice level paved sites, great clean restrooms and showers,  hiking trails, water falls and recreation areas. 26. per/nite.
     A stop over at Coopers Rock st park was thrown into the mix where I spent lot of time as a kid climbing around on the rocks at the overlook.  Now sitting in my sister's drive way in Canonsburg PA. after a wine tasting and dinner for my cousin Ray's birthday last night.  Tonight my sister has planned a birthday celebration for me with my mom at the nursing home with chocolate cake then we'll go out for pizza.  Happy "61" to me.
    Luna is turning out to be a really great dog to travel with so far.  Loves to hike and bike, and is getting along well with Cheyenne my sisters chocolate lab.