Day 6, Saturday, April 26: Adversity

Roundbottom campsite, Great Allegheny Passage, to Pittsburgh, PA, 49 miles

This was unexpectedly the toughest day so far. I expected a quick, easy 50 miles to Pittsburgh, but it was fast the l from it.

To begin with, sleep was fitful for both of us. It rained consistently, and the trains ran all night along the far side of the Youghiogheny. On top of that, sleeping in an open-sided shelter heightened our sensitivity to every little sound. There is nothing to be afraid of in the Allegheny Mountains beyond an audacious racoon that wants your Clif Bars, but at one point I woke up startled, my lizard brain convinced two animals were quarreling somewhere behind the shelter. I am still not sure what woke me but I think it was John moving in his sleep, his legs sliding around on his sleeping pad.

We were both happy to see the night get a little lighter around 6 AM, which has become our normal time to get up 

We packed up, had a cup of coffee and a bit to eat, and set off in the light rain. I immediately stopped because of a periodic scraping noise coming from my rear wheel. I didn't see anything that could be causing it, so I removed my bags from the bike, lifted it onto the bicycle repair stand at the campsite (a useful amenity), but could not determine the source. I took the rear wheel off and examined it, the bakes, and the fender, but still found no reason for the sound. Bewildered, I put the wheel back on, gave it a spin, and there was no more scraping. I loaded the bike up and we were underway, thankful I am such a  master mechanic.

Immediately I knew it would be a tough day for me. The surface of the GAP is crushed limestone, which is a joy to ride on after some of the rougher sections of the C&O Canal Towpath. But with the night's rain it was a little soft, giving more rolling resistance. That, combined with the northerly wind coming up the Youghiogheny directly in our faces, made it a grind. It was much more difficult than the big climb to the Eastern Divide two days before. Our normal morning exuberance was nowhere to be found.

Soon the light rain bacame a downpour. We were drenched as we rolled into Smithton eight miles down the trail, happy to find a diner. As we sat down I wondered what the three tatted, bearded, becapped locals in the next booth (one with a "We The People" t-shirt) thought of us.

Whatever they thought, I wolfed down a massive piece of country-fried steak smothered in gravy, scrambled eggs, and a big pile of country fried potatoes. I also wondered what our libertarian breakfast companions thought of the 50-cent surcharge for each egg, still present three months into the new presidential administration.

Refuelled and somewhat drier, the early morning exuberance of the previous five days returned. It lasted for about half a mile.

At least the rain mostly stopped, but the wind persisted and the crushed limestone was still soft. There was nothing to do but grind it out.

Boston? Did we take a wrong turn somewhere?

We did find another cup of coffee at a welcome center on the trail in Boston, PA. That helped a little. Soon we started riding through communities, and we knew Pittsburgh was close. 

Pittsburgh brought new problems, though. Our destination was the home of Sue Whitney, a good friend from my days in the Peace Corps. We were supposed to leave the GAP and cross the river, but we missed the turn and rode several miles along the wrong side of the Youghiogheny. The GAP eventually took us across the river into McKeesport, a tough part of Pittsburgh at the confluence of the Youghiogheny and the Monongahela, but then it went across the Monongahela and we were once again on the wrong side of a river. 

We finally found a way across on a busy bridge, and at this point my Garmin bicycle computer rerouted us, informing me we were just 30 minutes away. It did not tell me what a terrible route it picked, climbing up and over a hill so steep we pushed our bikes instead of sending us on a sedate bike path through Frick Park. 

But we did eventually get there around 2:15, remarkably just 15 minutes after the time I told Sue to expect us.

It was such a relief to get here. Just as I remembered from the Peace Corps, Sue is a wonderful host. We had hot showers and cold beer. She fed us a tremendous dinner of grilled chicken with vegetables and a beautiful salad, the first greens I had eaten in a week unless you count peppers on a slice of pizza. It was such a joy to see her again.

After a nightcap of Four Roses, I went to bed and had a long, long sleep. Sunday will be a recovery day. We'll give some attention to our bikes, which are a little neglected after six days of riding, do some shopping, eat more, and generally just relax. I'm looking forward to it.