kristingbridges(Photos to be added when we get wifi)
For a couple days now, we were pretty sure we’d get rained on today, it was just a matter of how much. As we were leaving Pittsburgh, everyone was getting ready for the big Steelers game. Some of the connections to get from mile zero at the point of the three rivers to the heritage trail and onto the GAP were a little tricky. And I’m not a huge fan of city riding. Thankfully it was pretty quiet since it was a Sunday and we were getting out ahead of the biggest crowds for the game. The drizzle had started by the time we pulled away from the mile zero marker.
The Hot Metal Bridge was pretty cool. I actually felt secure enough to stop and take pictures (for those who don’t know, I have a fear of heights). I’m getting better with going over giant platforms over gaping valleys, rivers, and highways, but I have a rule of never looking down, only ahead.
At one point, in Homestead, we realized we were on a sidewalk and hadn’t seen any trail markers for a while. Sure enough, we looked to our left about 50 yards and there was the trail. No backtracking necessary. Yay!
About the only climbing we did today was up to bridges. There was one small section of the trail right out of Mckeesport that was a bit steep. Not enough to make me curse the amount of weight I have in my bags….yet.
Speaking of Mckeesport, we had marked that as a potential lunch stop. At this point we had been in a steady drizzle for quite a while. There was a “pizzeria and cafe” right by the trail, so we stopped. We could NOT have timed it better! They were only serving a breakfast buffet today, so we had “second breakfast!” As we sat down with our food, it started pouring outside! We checked radar. It didn’t look like it would be long before it passed us up, so we took our time. Finally, we went ahead and got our rain gear out. By the time we were all packed back up and ready to head out, the rain had really tapered off. We kept our gear on for several more miles just on principle…
The rest of the trail to West Newton was really nice, about the same surface as the Katy Trail last year. We have a river to our left and often small cliffs to our right, the opposite of the Katy, which may explain why I keep feeling like we’re going west instead of east!
Close to West Newton is a waterfall from an old coal mine. It’s really striking because it has so much iron in it everything the water touches is red. The bad thing is that the water also has acid in it from a technique known as acid mining. So all this water is a source of toxic water going into our waterways. 😢
The B&B we’re in tonight is actually in 4 historic homes a couple has restored over the years right on the edge of the trail: Bright Morning B&B. Highly recommended! We’ve washed off our bikes, washed clothes, had dinner at a local bar and sat on the back porch chatting with the owners and guests. It’s not even 9 and it feels really late at night!
Tomorrow I find out if I packed too much weight because we actually start climbing. Won’t be anything steep, but I’m anxious to see what it’s like. We’re covering a few more miles than today, too.
Stay tuned!