I met the other guests of the house ... A father and his adult daughter ... They had been camping the two previous days but treated themselves to a night in real beds ... A husband and wife and their niece and nephew... And another married couple ... All of them were headed north towards Pittsburgh...
The first leg of the ride was also the longest ... It was nearly 18 miles to my first stop at Ohiopyle... I took a brief break and got the local bike shop to check my tires ... The rear one was feeling spongy and made the trail a little harder ... I also stopped at the Ohiopyle Bakery for a needed sugar and carb boost...
By the time I hit Confluence PA I was feeling every one of the last 29 miles in my right knee... I had a delightful chicken BLT at Sisters Cafe ... I was also able to replace a power cord I needed with parts from the local "real deal" hardware store ... Thank goodness these place still exist...
The final leg of the days ride was at a slower pace then the first 2/3rds .. I met a young man from Ohio who was biking all the way to Ocean City MD ... He was moving faster than me but stopping more often ... We must have played leap from for about 15 miles...
I arrived in Rockwood about 15 minutes ahead of schedule and was really dragging ... Those last 2 miles felt like 6... I found the Husky Haven Guest House and settled in ... After a shower and a change of clothes I headed out to find food and see the local Opera House...
My efforts to find wings were thwarted by the bar being packed ... Not a seat to be had ... So I doubled back and had a hoagie at The Rockwood Mill Shoppes...
The trail itself was in great shape...mostly hard pack stones with a few paved sections ... Th trail was busy but not packed... I ran into families out for rides and a large number of retirees on the trail... The trail had some wild life on it ... The odd rabbit in a field and plenty of butterflies... I even scared off two deer from the trail on my trip ... One I spent some time playing the staring game until he decided to bound off deeper into the woods ...
The trail is at least two widths wide at most points except for a notable section just outside Confluence where it is barely one lane wide... Only a few mud puddles on the trail tobremind you if recent rains ... But they were easily avoided ... You're never too far away from the rivers but the tree lined paths obscure a full view outside of a spot here or there ... I went over countless bridges ... I understand that the real breathtaking views are on tomorrows ride...
I'm posting some of the photos I took on the way ... I have more but these are the ones I took with my phone...
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