Yesterday began with an early start into a fog-covered morning. Fog condensed on my glasses for several hours. Long rolling hills and a cloud-covered sky continued until noon. Glorious.
Then the clouds went away. The hills steepened. I stopped to research my camping options only to learn that today (Saturday) was a big Jeep Gathering, consuming most of the accomodation for the area. Several calls later a campground had a place for me. An expensive place for me. The remainder of the day I struggled to get there, at 124 km.
Nearing the campground, a gentleman mowing his lawn waved me over to offer water. That was nice. As I approached the campground, several drivers of Jeeps chose to roar their engines right next to me, or shout at me. That was less nice.
I dragged myself into the campground to find that my primitive camp site (no water, no elec, which is fine) was a mud pit. Bear Run Campground had the second-worst site I’ve ever camped in (the first being my campsite just outside of Avignon).
The shifting on my bicycle hasn’t been quite right for a few days, after repeated minor attempts to adjust it. I haven’t been willing to pull everything apart in the middle of nowhere. With the flat paths I’ve been on I mostly haven’t cared, but the day of hills prompted me to study the issue instead of just tweaking things. The problem was not the rear derailleur, nor the shifter. Instead, the housing for the shifter cable had been pulled up into the shifter. I didn’t have the parts to fix it. Most bicycle shops are closed on Sunday. The REI in Pittsburgh wouldn’t be, and it’s directly on the Great Allegheny Trail. Anything open along the way I could check, with REI as the last stop.
This morning I woke early, and decided to pack up and head out. A quick check of the weather forecast showed heavy rain in the next 15 minutes. I waited. A hour of heavy rain thundered down. Packing up and heading out, OSMAnd routed me … oddly. Digging deeper, instead of the recent up and down, the route was entirely descent for the next 20 km, following Yellow Creek Road.
While the next 30 km were back to up and down in the blazing sun, the last 30 km into Pittsburgh also followed a creek, gloriously down. I stopped at one bike shop along the way who offered water but no help with my shifting.
At the REI, they didn’t sell the part that I needed, but could sell me a more basic solution, which was my planned alternative. I sat outside REI, with my gear scattered around me, to rebuild my rear shifting.
Usually by 4:30 pm I hope to be at my destination. That provides time to deal with things not working out. I left REI at 4:30 pm. But I knew where I headed, the first (or last, depending on your perspective) campsite on the GAP. Marked and flat, 20 miles away.
Well outside of Pittsburgh I met Tim, another cyclist headed my way. He was on a return trip, having made it to Pittsburgh that day already. We talked for a while. He planned to wild camp soon instead of pushing on. When a light rain began to fall he stopped to waterproof everything, and I pressed on.
Until McKeesport. I rounded a trail corner to find a railway track. With a trail. Stretching out of sight in both directions. At a complete, dead, stop.
I found a overhang, and settled in to wait. Tim caught up. Realizing we had no idea just how long the train would be there, not blocking any traffic but us, I decided to explore. And, wandering about, I found a bridge by cutting through the abandoned business there. Tim and I happily informed the cyclists waiting on the other side of the alternative.
Heavy rain pursued us, and by the time we arrived at Mile Marker 122 Dravo’s Landing, the rain had soaked us both. We waited under a shelter for the rain to stop. Someone warned us about leaving food out, as the sites racoons are aggressive. I unpacked my food and hung it in the shelter. I set up the tent under the shelter. When the rain stopped, I moved it to a nearby area and unpacked.
As I write this I heard a snuffling outside my tent. Looking up I found two eyes gleaming back at me! Some shouting and throwing things and he’s gone. For now.
Raccoons!