April 18. 2014

Great Day

Rode 50+ miles on nice gravel trail

I don't know how they do it, but their bread is almost as good as Grandma's. I think the microflora must be in their hands because it's got to be more than just the yeast. It was terrific!  Just like Grandma Arvish used to make.

These trails just go on and on. Beautiful countryside loaded with turkey, deer, and I even saw a mink.

This is where I stayed in Rockwood Pennsylvania. It's a hostel that was converted from an old grocery store by a coal miner who found himself out of work with the closure of the local mine. It's really got a tremendous amount of character and at $25 a night, it's a steal. The mattresses were comfortable beyond words and I slept like the dead last night. Trains do go by, or at least that's what they told me, but I'll be darned if I could hear them. Maybe I was a little beat!

Dateline Rockwood Pennsylvania: this is the local hang out for all of the old guys who live in this town. You can find out everything that's going on for 100 mile radius. Good bunch of guys, a lot of fun, this seems to be the coffee hole for morning discussions.  I would call them the unofficial city Council for the entire area.

I've learned through experience it pays to marry up. This is the case with this gentleman...when he lost his job in the coal mines, his wife said "hey let's buy that old store down the street and turn it into a hostel."  "What's a hostel?"  He followed his wife's recommendations, bought the place and fixed it up, does a great business, and it's a wonderful place to stay. Really a cool guy and I enjoyed talking to him.  The "unofficial city Council" was quick to point out:  "It was his wife's idea."

Eastern Continental Divide

April 17

Woke early and was on the GAP by 6:30 AM. The weather was cold and for the first 2 to 4 hours my feet and hands were frozen. There was a slow steady climb on a crushed gravel trail which was much smoother than that experienced on the C&O.  Experienced a continuous climb for 25 miles starting from Cumberland, hit a tunnel at about mile six and at 914 feet long it eliminated the big hump over the ridge which was a big advantage to coal hawlers back in the early 1900s.  As I passed a multitude of very small towns, spectacular scenery, and crystal-clear brooks, whitetail deer were my only companions. Borden Tunnel at 957 feet long was reached at mile 17 ½ . Big Savagetown Tunnel, at 3394 feet long, was out of this world. Certainly this, along with reaching the Great Allegheny Passage, were the highlights of today's journey.  Stopped for lunch had Meyersdale and found the town folks to be some of the nicest that I've encountered today and that's really saying something because everyone is been very nice. Their coal mining jobs were lost with the mine shutdown and the only viable ventures appear to revolve around the tourist industry, specifically the bike touring trade.  Meyersdale possessed one of the finest railroad museums that I've seen in a small town ever. Model trains, memorabilia, and assorted photos abounded and I found them to be incredibly interesting. From there I rode on to Rockwood and it was here that I checked into the town hostel, a fantastic deal $25 a night, which completed a 43 mile run. It was here that I met Scott Cason (Adventure trek America at 2014 Facebook.com/AdventureTrekAmerica) a biker who is doing videotaping of small towns throughout United States.  He has a number of sponsors, is digging in-depth into how small towns are finding their way, and what makes them tick in this day and age. All in all, today was a great biking day!

Scott Cason