The grand adventure!

May 12-

As I am waiting for Jonathan to pick me up the phone rings at 7:00 am. A crazed commuter hell-bent on getting to work has run smack dab into Jon and his wife Beth. Our plans for an early start bicycling from Boston Landing PA will be detained. Jon and I met on a mountain in Glacier National Park several years ago when I did a month long backpack trip. He and his wife own a home in Pittsburgh and he is excited with the thought of pedaling along with me to Cumberland MD on the Allegeny Trail/Rail.

By 1:00 pm and some quick blown tire changing from his close encounter with a car from hell, Jon and I were on our way. Jon has the clip in pedals on his bike and 5 minutes in to our ride his water bottle falls to the ground. Jon stops but forgets about the clips and just misses a 4x4 post with his head as dust swirled around his body and bike.

Within an hour we met up with a couple of chaps headed to Washington DC. Their plan is to do 4 days of 100 miles. They started at the Pittsburgh airport and had snaked their way thru McKeesport. They were interested in the sleeping possibilites in the town we were headed for, Ohiophyle. With a cell phone they made reservations. For the next 6 hours we would see them along the path. One of the guys was dropping Aspirin like candy, to hide the pain in his legs and butt.

The trail along the river was a delight with small villages and people working in their small gardens. Jon and I met up at a campgound that just happened to serve very rich and creamy ice cream. By 7:00 pm we rode into Ohiophyle and checked into our motel, the front street was torn up so it was a bit of an adventure just finding the front door. That night we walked down to a pub for dinner and a chat with the locals.

A local dog that was quite the escape artist would sneak into the pub just as a 2 year old boy walked out of the revolving door, this show went on for several hours. The father would chase the boy and the dog would run into the pub and check under tables for morsels of food.

I started talking to John, the boy's father, and found out he owned a kayak clothing manufactory-Enversion Tech- he started in his basement in 1996. Now it's world wide, his sales that is. His base of operation is in Confluence and we would be riding through the area tomorrow.

May 13th -

We woke up to clear skies and within a hour we biked into Confluence which got its name from 2 rivers coming together and where we saw a few fisherman drowning some worms. John the kayak maker, gave us a tour of his factory. The building was originally a high school. Then a company used it for sewing-400 women sewed shirts. Then Nafta was passed and the company moved its' operation to Latin America-the next day.

John had 100 sewers but trying to compete and keep his workers happy was a hopeless task. Now all his stitching is done in China. John goes over 5 times a year to have a look see. All the designs are his and he sends all the sewing needs by computer. He has 2 fellas just fixing a few hickups-mostly from wrong directions on this side of the pond. By noon I was looking for a place to fill up my tank.

We rode into Rockwood and there was a small restaurant with tables outside. Jonanthan is vegaterian so I ordered a medium size veggie pizza for him and me. Come to find out Jonnie boy doesn't like pizza. What a rotten shame I had to eat the whole pizza! I shared a table with Pastor Foster. He is a Methodist preacher in charge of 4 churches-total amount of sinners equals 100-mostly God fearing farmers, they make the best sinners-they don't expect to much out of redemption-nothing like a rich man. A rich man wants it all and to be handed to him- according to Mr. Foster!

A group of 4 older yuppies in a biking group were sharing our restaurant and also had the feed bag on. They were being guided by a company from Cumberland MD. Their guide just happened to fit into stretch pants and top with not much stretch left, which seemed allright with the fellas-since she had the bod for it. After lunch we passed a lot of little water falls on the cliffs to our right.

By 4:00 pm I rode into Meyersdale and waited for "Lance Jr." Jonathan. The bicycle guide for the yuppies showed up and was telling me that she and her boy friend had done this guiding service for 3 years. Her first yuppie showed up with a giant thirst, but she forgot the cooler with ice and cold drinks and didn't know if there was a bike store located here. Maybe her tight outfit was cutting off blood to the brain. Jon and I checked into our motel -Yoders, run by Don and Ruth. Jon had to sleep on a cot since he booked late, but the cost was $1.50. I said I would charge him $25.00 to use the bathroom.

When I made reservations, I had asked Ruth about Wagner's Sugar Shack, located not far from town. It's a maple syrup farm- get your mind out of the gutter! We all piled into Don's van and drove thru the lovely countryside to visit the site. Most of the farms are owned by the Amish and look very clean and green. Most of the manufacturing companys have left this area and moved overseas. Even the Amish have been moving to Missouri-is nothing sacred! The Wagner farm is managed by Jerry, the old syrup man. I had seen the farm on Dirty Jobs with Mike Ross. Jerry gave us a grand tour and it was all interesting. After getting the syrups that travel down plastic tubes taped into the trees, the liquid goes thru osmosis which removes 50% of the water by way of a filter. To bad the Indians didn't have this system. They had to use carved out logs.

May14th-

After a couple hour bike ride-it's all down hill baby! On the Eastern Continental Divide all water and bikes slope towards the Alantic Ocean. With Cumberland Md. not far off and it being Saturday, there were a few more bikers on the trail. Jonathan was glad to see a cafe that served soft shell crabs and he was in hog heaven. I wanted to use the library computer to send e-mail and visit the Cumberland visitor center. Jonanthan wanted to get in contact with Beth , his wife, and the car ride back to a warm bed at home. I think Jonathan's butt had done enough bike riding because whenever I asked town people how far the Rocky Gap park was, my destination, he would say over my shoulder-I DON'T EVEN WANT TO GO THERE!! Ha ha

By 2:00 pm we rolled into the park just as a mountain bike race was starting.The course was 8 miles long and each racer had to see how many laps he or she could do in 9 hours. One young fella did 11 laps. I had to hold Jonanthan back, he so wanted to join in and show up these young punks!! Beth and Jonanathan took back my bike and brought down my back pack-yipeee.

After they headed out I walked around the large lake and found out this was the weekend for a fishing contest. A guy was fishing with his daughter and son-in law, but mostly he was exercising his arm with Budweser's. What a story he had to tell. I don't know if he should get an award or a swift kick in the ass. This is his story and he's sticking to it. Fred was brought up in Cumberland Md and as a 19 year old was going with real nice girl. The family moved away and the girl's father called from out west and said that his daughter had one in the oven and Fred was the donor. If Fred didn't get his butt on the next plane the police would be showing up. According to Fred he had no idea is girlfriend was 14 years old. So the marriage went on as scheduled and then within a year Fred was caught with the baby sitter in a compromising situation. As Fred drank more Buds the story of his 5 marriages was told. It was like a roller coaster from hell. I told him when ever I am in a tight spot-I'll think of you and laugh till I wet my pants.

May 15th-

Time to start the big hike to New York by way of the Mid State Trail thru Pa. No one in the area has ever heard of the trail not even the farmer whose property borders the trail! It starts out of Black Valley Road and Gap Road. I had just walked the 3 hours from Rocky Gap when a red farm truck pulled up. The driver of the truck pulled up in front of an ancient red barn and opened his door with a creak. Two hunting dogs in the back of the truck were wailing, like they were excited to be on a outing. Langsy, the driver started to tell me about fox hunting and his family's history in this valley.

"You have heard of Wilbur Burns?" asked foxy boy.

"He's probably one of the most famous hunters in these parts and I am related!" he said. "Accourse that was in the early 1800"s" he explained.

Langsy's mother was a orphan who was brought onto the farm to be a companion to the farmer's daughter. The landowner had brought 3 orphan girls to the farm, and after a week of play got to choose which one she wanted to be her sister. Sounds like a farmer-Walmart kind of thing!! After I left him I found the MST and started my journey. A dirt road led to a hiking trail that followed a ridge. As I approached the trail a fella in a ATV pulled up and was interested in what I was doing. It was Sunday and it's against state law to hunt, he and his buddies were practice hunting- When they hit a turkey-it's a ! s.

I walked thru the woods and could hear Langsys' dogs howling in the distance, on the trail of a fox. The trail was well marked with orange paint on the trees, posts and rocks you name it. If it didn't move paint it. The trail isn't dug out or lined with gravel, it's like the planners of the trail traveled thru the woods marking trees helter skelter but in the right direction. I really enjoyed the open wild feel of the woods. I had the feeling of making my own path but in the right direction! The trees were of every size and color. Wild flowers and onions surrounded the trail. By 3:00pm I was at a road crossing and that seemed too easy for 26 miles. I set up camp by Tussey Spring with water so cold it froze my lips. A ranger came by as I read a book and he was very helpful.

May 17th-

MAMA DON'T LET YOU BABY'S BECOME BACK PACKERS! During the night it rained off and on. By 9:00 am the next morning it was a full born storm. I crossed a stream with slippy rocks about 10 times, then started the hike up to the highest mountain on the MST. After coming to a sending tower shrouded with fog I started down a 50% slope trail. Little did I know, that was how the whole day would go. I would hike up to Tussey Mtn and follow the rocky ridge and then the trail would go down for 2 miles and then the trail would go up. Three times it did this.

Along the ridge gale force wind mixed with rain pounded the right side of my head. It was a good time- I thought of Fred the 5 time losser-it could be worse. These rocky ridges are coverd with lichen covered rocks, sometimes the size of dinner plates and sometimes houses. All have pushed up by a force that created the whole mountain range. Most are on a 50% slope with one false step and drop kick me Jesus. After lunch behind a sloping rock I made a false step like the one I was talking about. I slid down the rock face and stopped between two giant sloping rocks. My hiking pole was bent and my legs were pounded againest the bumper rock.

I am glad the rocks were there to stop me even thought it hurt, or I would have still been sliding to a 50 foot drop off . By 6:00pm and 12 hours of walking I came to another trail down and this time I came to a forest road. The MST headed back up the mountain and I didn't want to go up, besides I could hear cars, trucks and dogs barking down below. I walked for 30 minutes and came to a huge farm house in a sea of green grass. I knocked on the back door and a little old lady came to the door and opened it 1/16 of a inch.

"What do you want?" she asked.

Here I am standing there dripping from 10 hours of rain on the edge of hypotherimia. I thought what a really want is for you to get me some warm food and drive my raggity ass to the town of Everett to a motel. Instead I ask, "Where is Everett?"

"You went in the wrong direction, go back up the mtn and turn left and follow the trail road down!" as she closed the door. As I started my walk back up the mountain lo and behold a van pulls up and gives me a ride to town.

The first motel Norman Bates wouldn't have checked into. I found the Union Hotel ph # 814-652-2731 built in the 1800's and rebuilt last year. I hung tents ground cloths, hiking cloths, and boots from every object in the room. Since I have taken the next day off I have been walking around doing my usual talking with the locals. This place used to be called Red Run because of a major battle when the river ran red. After the highway came thru the change was changed to Everett.

At a local hardware/auto parts/gun store they were selling pink colored rifles/like you took a rifle and dipped it into pepto bismal. They like to get the girls into hunting early. At another hardware store where I bought waterproof for my shoes they sell seeds by the bulk. It's like old time bins with lots of beans, corn and vegges. The next day I headed up towards Williamsburg Pa. Lots of big farms and rolling fields, a delight to the eye and everybody I talk to seems to love it here. There was a fella in town that used to be a concrete finisher in Denver and moved here for the small town feel.