Downhill both ways and BYOTP

I had the entire day to myself, I wrenched it from the clutches of Hubby. He wanted to do stuff that involved dragging me around and I fought hard and won. Victory!

I planned for a long (well, long for me) trip on the GAP. I packed snacks and sammiches: swiss, pickles and mustard on whole wheat and chocolate, peanut butter and banana on whole wheat. The latter would have been better on white bread, frankly.

Set out early, parked at the Pump House and was underway before 9AM.

 I was in McKeesport before too long.

Can't stop here. This is Dead Man country!

Birds: a saw either a bluebird or an indigo bunting. I couldn't tell and nearly crashed craning my neck to get a better view. Gorgeous creature.

I stopped in Dravo and lurked around the cemetery. This is my favorite headstone. Consort. I know that must have been controversial back then!

I tried my hand at getting the pump to work. It wasn't very cooperative.

Then a group of cyclists stopped and they seemed to be getting water out of it.

I went over to observe and see what the trick to getting water to come up was... and in the group was my favorite bike mechanic from Thick. We said our hellos and they liked my Black Flag tee shirt and loved the Errandonee and Coffeneuring patches and I think I convinced them to try this fall's challenges.


Things I saw along the way:

Waterfalls

Horses

Ideas for future trips.

West Newton MADE!

I love Pittsburghese n'at!

I figured West Newton was 25 miles from the Pump House. A round trip would have put me at 50 miles for the day. A new record! I turned around and my energy levels stayed great most of the day until I hit Duquesne on the way back. Ugh, suddenly...so tired. There was no where to sit... so I just drank, ate a pear and stood still in the shade for a bit. I was able to carry on normally after that.

BYOTP

I was thankful for all the restrooms and portable johns, even the one at a housing project in McKeesport with a fresh memorial to someone shot(?) there.
Many didn't have toilet paper. I'm known to have some in my bag, and I was grateful to have it.

Downhill both ways

The entire way out to West Newton, I kept saying to myself: "Geez, this looks entirely downhill, this will be harder and take longer to get back up to Homestead."
Yet, on the way back, I said to myself: "Whoa, this looks and feels downhill too! How can that be?"

Could the planets aligned perfectly to not only give me excellent weather, no wind, but shift the axis of the planet as well to grant me: Downhill, both ways?
Huh. That four-leafed clover I found yesterday had extra special powers.

Gypsy Moth Caterpillars

I rested in the grass near aptly named Buena Vista and had a lovely view

While I attempted to snooze in the grass, I noted that things from the trees above me kept falling on me. I assumed they were leaves. Um, no. Gypsy moth caterpillars!

These things are everywhere. I can't help but have the squished guts of hundreds of them mashed in the treads of my tires and the fenders are caked with carcasses. Gross. They make a horrible popping noise too. *shudder*

40 miles in and I decided to do some flower-picking for Ruby.

After 40 miles, neither of us was fresh as a daisy. She was coated in a layer of dust and I was sweaty, dusty, sun-burned and covered in bug guts too.

51.7 miles today. 




...and now for a bit of all-in-good-fun snarky competitiveness:

Yesterday's National Bike Challenge standings. Welcome to the top 30!

Today's top 30. HA!

Turn Turn Turn

December 8th

May 24th

If I made a hasty decision, it was to forgo blogging while I'm going through a rough patch in my life. I enjoy it far too much to give it up, even temporarily. Much like cycling, it distracts me from the dark thoughts looming with my challenges and ordeals, which seem to be hitting from several directions.
My hiatus lasted all of a few days.





Ruby came home with me on Friday so I could ride with her on non-city trails this long weekend.
I left Saturday morning and told Hubby that I wouldn't be very long, that I was 'just going out for a quickie.' 
I love how a "quickie" today is a 25 mile ride.
5 months ago, 20 miles was a record for me.

Again, I took the roads from the house to the trailhead and it was angst-less, even with a fairly close pass from an Ohio-plated truck. I do believe I've grown a pair in regards to cycling in traffic.

Wow.

Jerk.

My favorite Montour graffiti is still there.

December 8th

May 24th

When I stopped to take this picture, someone from a group a cyclists said and pointed to my bike: "I need one of those!" "One of what?""A bike bag, I can't stand this backpack." and she squirmed uncomfortably under a huge bag strapped to her back.
I warned her and her companions that once you get one, you fill it and need yet another bag.

I found a nice place to rest, snack and drink. I also found two 4-leafed clovers while I laid in the grass. The worst thing about this spot is that it's right next to a port-o-john. It may also be the best thing about this resting spot.
I was happy to have brought a large towel to act as a prophylactic buffer between me and the grass and the critters that lived in it. Lying in the grass is as close to camping as I'll get.

Hellacious Headwinds reap Extreme Exhaustion and Designs Dashed.

Today was a Montour Trail day. The plan was to ride from Logan Road to Boggs Road and to do it in 5.5 hours, but with many well-laid plans, things don't go as intended.

I planned for rain and hunger and thirst, drained phone batteries and flat tires. I didn't plan for incredible headwinds and a case of what might be exercise-induced hypoglycemia or maybe my iron and b-12 anemia? Whatever the cause, I hit a wall. I had a really hard day, it took 8 hours to complete what should have taken less than 6.

Choosing a path

An old gas station along the trail

One of several tunnels

I noted on the way out that this place sold ice cream.

This tunnel grows huge stalactites and stalagmites of ice in the winter

Whoa, a runnel! My first experience with a runnel.

Using the runnel is fine going up, but going back down with a heavily laden bike is dangerous. Ruby nearly dragged me down the steps.

That's OK, I didn't need any water. :/

 I'm on a 50 mile journey and water was hard to find. Booo. I snacked and drank all along the way, I tried to include salty things, complex carbs, simple carbs and protien, but my ratios were off, I guess. I bonked hard and early. I didn't make it to Boggs. I got as far as Quicksilver and decided it was best to turn around.

I'm NOT running away from home!

 I must have received 15 comments about how 'over-packed' I was.
"Long Trip?"
"Going camping?"
"Running away from home?"
"How far are you going?"
"Multi-day trip?"
"That's a big haul!"
"You're over packed!"

Ugh, really? I'm NOT over-packed, you jackasses! I need and may need all this shit I'm hauling around! I ride around the city with both panniers and don't get all those comments! What the hell?

Hey, this looks like a nice place for a nap if there was a shade tree here.

Ice cream on the return leg!

Religious icon bike guy's bike.

I encountered "Religious Icon Bike Guy" who stopped to chat while I was resting on a rock. He seemed genuinely disgusted that I was using two panniers and not doing an overnighter.
I caught up to him at the ice cream place and snuck a photo of his bike. He smirked at me when I entered the shoppe as if to say "You'd have been here sooner if you weren't lugging all that crap." In actuality, I was fatigued beyond belief and I was there hoping sugar from an ice cream cone would level out my glucose. It didn't do much, unfortunately, other than taste really good.

A gentleman in an Escape to the Lake jersey slowed down and rode along side me for a bit and seemed concerned by my sluggishness. I was 45 miles into the ride and going a snail's pace of 5 MPH, and still had 3 miles to go. I was bonked, and hit the wall a long time ago and the headwind in both directions was killing me physically and mentally. I assured him I wasn't far from home and that I would be OK.

I rested again at this tranquil waterfall.

I took the 'fearsome' roads to and from the trailhead. No incidents!

When I got home, finally... I remembered that I had promised Hubby we would go to dinner. I was late. I slept in the car on the ride to the restaurant, barely ate and nodded off at the table. I'm not sure I'm cut out for long-distance rides.

48 miles on a windy day.