Great Allegheny Passage, Day 1

 Connellsville, Pennsylvania.   May 12, 2025

I am Connellsville because: 1.  It is on the Great Allegheny Passage Trail.   2.  The Comfort Inn will drop me and my bike about 20 miles away, tomorrow morning, so I can do all 20 miles one way, instead of having to double back.

I got to the hotel early this afternoon.   When the ad says the hotel is on the river, and on the trail, they were not kidding!  So far, this trail follows the Youghiogheny River, which flows Northwest, to the Monongahela just south of Pittsburg, which then flows into the Ohio.

The Great Allegheny Passage is an incredible hike and bike trail along the former Pittsburg and Lake Erie Railroad.   The trail runs from Cumberland, Maryland, to Pittsburg, about 150 miles.   I plan to cover about 25 of that.   From Cumberland, the C & O Tow Path Trail can take you on into Washington D.C.   What I like is that there is a lot of support here, I can stay in a hotel and get shuttle bus to drop me off along the trail.   I also passed a very civilized-looking campground, and there is drinking water and occasionally restrooms.

I headed Northwest this afternoon and went about 6 miles before turning back to the hotel.   I passed an old railroad bridge that has been converted to an observation deck over the river.

A sign pointed to Coke Ovens.   On the way back, I saw a very well-done trail sign describing the coke ovens, which many years ago were all along both sides of the river.    I saw remnants of ovens, dug into the hillside, about every 15 feet.   Coal was sealed in these ovens and burned until all that remained was almost pure carbon, which was then loaded onto trains and taken to Pittsburg where it was added to iron to produce quality steel.   The sign was researched and made 30 years ago as an Eagle Scout project!

This trail is well traveled.   What I have seen is mostly crushed and compacted gravel.   As a former railroad roadbed, it is fairly level.   I saw families walking and biking, runners, bikers, and even a recumbent three wheeler.   I felt like I was seeing a piece of cycling Heaven!

This artwork is across from the hotel, as the trail enters town.   It is titled "From Coke to Spokes" showing how the area's function has changed.

Frank Lloyd Wright's "Falling Water" is somewhere in the area, I may try to find it.

CSX trains run along the other side of the river, as does Amtrak, but I have yet to see it.    

The Great Allegheny Passage is what is called Rails to Trails.   Abandoned Rail lines are repurposed into linear parks, some stretching hundreds of miles.   Houston has several, including the Katy trail that goes through The Heights, and the Columbia Tap Trail which goes through Houston's Third Ward, ending at the soccer stadium.    Anyways, some people bike the entire distance over a period of days, camping along the way.   Others, like me, just want to bike about 20 miles.   This is recreation, everyone should do it they way they like!    

Stay tuned.