SEA TO SHINING SEA: Headed for the Allegheny mountains

DAY 73 – July 25, 2013 – Between yesterday's 54 miles and today's 42, our trip total has now hit 2,958 miles. Lots and lots of long bike rides every day start to add up. (PS - I'm finishing this blog Saturday morning.  At the campground in the gorge Thursday night, poor connection.  Couldn't stand watching that wheel go around any longer.)

We headed out of Pittsburgh, up the south side of the Monongahela River, and past the last working steel mill in the area: the Edgar Thompson Works. Pedaling on the Great Allegheny Passage, I reflected on how much of this nation's infrastructure was manufactured with steel produced in Pittsburgh plants. Mike, a trail volunteer, speculated that thousands and thousands of feet of natural gas pipeline stockpiled along the railroad tracks – destined to carry gas from the Marcellus shale formation in Pennsylvania to Texas processing and distribution facilities – are being manufactured with steel from the plant. I started thinking about skyscrapers and bridges and automobiles and everything else made of steel. Pittsburgh was a very busy place.

Tomorrow we'll continue pedaling along the Youghiogheny River toward Ohiopyle, a great outdoors town and home to two nearby Frank Lloyd Wright residences including the internationally famous Falling Water.

Yes, I love architecture. Pictures to come.

Tonight our architecture is back to the three-person Kelty tent. Camping in the Cedar Creek Campground along the Great Allegheny Passage and beside the Youghiogheny. Just over the river are train tracks. Active train tracks. I don't get excited about tractor trailer rigs rolling down the highway but there's something about trains that fascinate me. Maybe by morning, when 10 or 15 more trains fill this river valley with the powerful sound of their big diesel electric engines, rumbling through the gorges, couplings cranking and their steel wheels on iron rails screeching through the night, I won't be so intrigued.

The forecast is for rain on Saturday.  A gray day, in contrast to the brilliant sunshine of the last few days after the weather system brought in cooler weather. Eugene's disposition was that way.  Met him at a stop along the trail today and he was beaming.

"Isn't this the most beautiful trail in the world? I've bicycled on the Emerald Island and this rivals anything there. Isn't it great?"

The trail is beautiful.  Fine surface, plenty of restrooms along the way, and it passes through lots of tiny towns and bigger towns.  The people of Pennsylvania have invested a lot to make the trail an important attraction for tourists and residents.

"My wife called a little while ago and asked where I was," said Eugene.  "I told her I was taking a mental health day on the trail.  This day's too nice to be inside.  I'll pay for this when I get home."

"I guess you're going out to dinner tonight."

We met Eugene again an hour later, further along the trail.

"You know, I wasn't taking anything away from Ireland when I was talking about this trail.  The people there are wonderful, but this is so green and beautiful too. I am a son of Pennsylvania!" (Sylvania.  Penn loved the endless trees, the lush green, of his newfound country.)

Then the magic sifted into our conversation.  I could just hear the faintest notes of an Irish jig - and they grew louder.  "The leprochauns are listening - saying 'Be careful what you say.' You might end up with a spell cast on you."

Then I realized it was an ice cream truck announcing its arrival in the little town.  But the song coming from its speakers was Turkey In The Straw which I'm sure has its roots in an Irish jig. It reminded me of the tin whistle Chris gave me for the trip. The whistle has a beautiful tone. I played O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing on it and the creatures of the woods didn't scatter.  Charles Wesley hymn.

If you consider how powerful a beautiful little melody can be, especially connected to a sunshiny disposition like that of Eugene, just think about the power of a cathedral, reaching to the clouds. We should build more cathedrals.

On to Fallingwater.

Yins be good! Talk with you tomorrow.