October 2024 – Deacon Matt's Blog

2024 GAP Solo Trip – Day 3 (Done!)

October 6, 2024 M. CorialeLeave a comment

It was another fantastic weather day on the GAP. It was 47°F when I started in Connellsville and about 80°F when I finished in Pittsburgh. The glove liners I picked up yesterday worked great for keeping my fingers toasty.

My last day was a little over 60 miles and neatly breaks into two sections, separated by Boston PA. East of Boston, the trail still feels very rural. West of Boston, the outskirts and city of Pittsburgh begin to take shape; the industrial buildings, train tracks, and steel mills start taking over the landscape.

I rolled along listening to upbeat music and took a few stops along the way to hydrate, snack, and stretch my legs. I arrived in West Newton a few minutes before 11A. I stopped in the Trailside restaurant for an early lunch. A Cobb salad hit the spot.

The rest of the trip was beautiful but uneventful. I ended up in Pittsburgh just before 3PM. There is a nice change to the prior route – now you can continue along the Mon Wharf area all the way to The Point. The Point state park is the confluence of the Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio rivers – the Three Rivers of Pittsburgh. I took a few pictures and took a little time to enjoy the weather and scenery. The riverfront was very busy today with people enjoying the water and parks.

My car was parked at the hotel and I had a 3 hour drive after to get to work for tomorrow in Columbus, OH. So I made my way over to the hotel and did a quick cleanup in the bathroom before heading out.

This long weekend was just about right. The weather and trail conditions were perfect and it gave me a nice break before a busy couple of work weeks ahead. I think this long-weekend ride could become an annual tradition – time will tell.

Today’s Stats: 61.4 miles, no issues, one strawberry UnCrustable PB&J, great weather, and lots of sunshine.

May the Lord bless you and shine His face upon you!

Peace,
— Dcn. Matt

2024 GAP Solo Trip – Day 2

October 5, 2024 M. CorialeLeave a comment

I was really happy to get into bed early last night. Fitness trainers will tell you that a great night of sleep is the best performance enhancer you can get. I got a great night of sleep and I could tell.

When I woke this morning it was very foggy. The air temps had dropped over night into the 40s and it definitely felt like fall outside. I anticipated chilly weather so I brought my heavier coat and I’m glad I did.

After a delicious breakfast at the B&B, I slathered on some sunblock, put on my warm-wear and pointed down the trail. It was chilly for the first couple of hours of riding, but it felt great. Tomorrow looks to be even a touch cooler. The one thing I didn’t bring were warmer gloves, so I stopped this evening and bought some full-fingered gloves liners to keep my fingers a bit warmer tomorrow.

The next town up the trail is Confluence, named after the joining of the Youghiogheny river, Casselman River, and Laurel Hill creek. I usually make Confluence a place to stop in along the way. I was going to just pass through town but ended up spending a little while there. Why? Because of Pumpkin Fest 2024! Pumpkin Fest is the town’s big shindig for the year. I rolled into town and was met with food trucks and tents, lots of vendors of various crafts and stuff, and a music tent. Although it was only a little after 10A, I decided to have early lunch. I got a nice serving of Pad Thai from one of the vendors. For fair food, it was pretty good!

The people of Confluence are very nice. Every time I’ve stopped in town, someone has been kind to me. Today was no different. As I wheeled my bike around the vendors, people were friendly and welcoming. This town probably sees a zillion cyclists every day, but they still asked me a little about my trip and where I was headed.

After making a lap around the various vendors, I decided it was time to get rolling. I made quick time to Ohiopyle. Ohiopyle is a neat town, mostly supported by tourism and whitewater rafting. I had originally planned my lunch stop for there, but since I had already eaten, I just took the time to replenish water and get rolling.

There are many places to stop and take in the views, but there is one particular overlook where I always stop because it is perhaps the nicest view of the river in the general area. There was a young lady there doing an out-and-back loop from Connellsville. We chatted for a few minutes while I took in some calories to power my last 10 miles.

The last 10 miles went fast. I arrived a little ahead of schedule but the Comfort Inn was happy to allow me to do early check-in. I wanted to get cleaned up in time to walk to mass at St. Rita’s in town.

After mass, I wandered to a nearby restaurant and grabbed a healthy dinner of pasta, veggies, and salmon. Nothing went to waste … or my waist, I think.

Tomorrow’s ride is a bit longer. It will be about 60 miles to finish out the ride. I’m going to get an early start since I also have a bit of a car ride when I get back to Pittsburgh.

Overall, a wonderful day on the trail.

Peace!
— Dcn. Matt

Today’s stats: 46.4 miles, no problems, 53°F at start, about 73°F at the end. Back-to-back days of epic weather.

2024 Solo GAP trip – Day 1

October 4, 2024 M. CorialeLeave a comment

When I planned this quick trip, I only had 3 days to make it work. Since I was counting on Amtrak, the schedule for the 30 Capital Limited train dictated my timing and direction of travel. The only way to make it work was to park my car in Pittsburgh, catch the early morning Amtrak to Cumberland, and cycle the first part of the trip the same day. So that’s what I did. That involved getting up about a little before 4AM to get packed up and over to the Amtrak station to catch the 5:20AM train for a four hour trip to Cumberland MD.

My plan was to try to sleep a bit more on the train. That was until I met a guy in the train station who does a lot of cycling as well. Much to the dismay of the guy sitting in front of us, we talked the entire four hours to Cumberland. So needless to say, I’m tired tonight between the riding and the short night yesterday.

The train arrived about an hour late into Cumberland, but that still left me plenty of time and sunlight to complete my trek. I stopped at Queen City Cravings to get a breakfast sandwich and some tea before heading up the mountain.

The Great Allegheny Passage is generally flat because it is built on an old railway line. However to get out of Cumberland, there is a 24 mile steady climb up to the eastern Continental Divide. It sounds worse than it really is. The grade is a little less than 2% and it is steady. You just click down a gear or two and grind your way up the mountain.

Today’s destination was the town of Rockwood, PA. Only about 44 miles. I typically shoot for 50-60 miles/day but I intentionally planned this one to be a bit shorter because of the climb and the risk of Amtrak running late. The timing was about perfect. I rolled into my B&B shortly before 3:30PM.

Rockwood doesn’t have much in the way of restaurants, but the B&B owner recommended going next door to the American Legion hall to get something from the grill. It has been many years since I’ve been in an establishment with people smoking cigarettes. I ordered my food to go and, wow, I was really glad to get some fresh air as I ate my food outside. Yuck.

Today’s weather was definitely what we’d call epic. Temps between 60 and 75, blue skies, light wind, and really nice scenery. I did see some leaf color up at the higher elevations. I’m hoping to see a bit more in the laurel highlands tomorrow.

Time for some much needed rest.

Stats for today: 1 Amtrak ride, 44.4 bike miles, no issues of any kind, lots of neat tunnels and bridges, a few snacks, and pretty views.

May the Lord provide us all the rest we need.
Peace!

2024 Solo GAP – Day 0

October 3, 2024 M. CorialeLeave a comment

Ever since completing my spring trek across New York I’ve been feeling a bit restless and wanting to get out for a few more quiet days on the bike. Work has been very rewarding but also taking a lot of my time. I’ve also been pulled in a lot of directions with helping family loved ones lately. All very good things and I’m blessed to share my time and talents – but even Jesus needed time away to regroup and spend time in prayer. A few days an opportunity popped up to schedule a few days off between some important commitments. I decided that I would take a short three-day adventure on the Great Allegheny Passage.

I’m very familiar with the 150 miles of the GAP. I did a quick count and I’ve done 7 full lengths of the GAP in the past 12 years; this will be my eighth trip. It is probably my favorite off-road bike trail. The trail offers great scenery, quiet surroundings, and nice towns to stop in along the way. The trail itself is well maintained and easy to ride.

I’ll be riding it by myself over three days stopping in familiar spots. This ride won’t be about new discovery, but rather about taking some quiet time away and enjoying the woods that the trail goes through. I’ll begin by leaving my car in Pittsburgh, taking Amtrak to Cumberland MD, and then riding back.

When planning a trip more than just a few days in advance, you can’t anticipate the weather. So far the forecast looks dry, crisp, and cool all three days. I hope the rain stays away – but even if it rains, that’ll be OK.

I arrived in Pittsburgh today and am ready to ride tomorrow morning. Hoping for a good night of rest before heading to the Amtrak station around 4:20AM to catch the Capitol Limited train eastbound. Yawn.

Peace!
— Dcn. Matt