Pittsburgh, PA
We pick up my brother-in-law David in DC after he spent the last four days biking 184 miles along the C&O Canal. This is the continuation of the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) which we are biking next. We had heard the C&O Canal was not as maintained and if it rained, which it did all week, it could be very muddy. What we didn’t realize is that it would be impassable – except for my brother-in-law.
The second day on the trail he biked through rain the whole way, the fourth and final day he biked from near Harper’s Ferry to DC with the Potomac at record high conditions. He literally was up to his chest wading through flood waters over the trail. He found out he could bike through water that was ‘only’ 3 feet high, just up to his seat and his top bar. We offered to pick him up along the way, but he was already in so far, he was determined to finish the ride. Fortunately, he did make it and he was all in one piece. He was exhausted and his bike may need a lot of help after being submerged for several miles. That evening we learn that several people needed to be rescued from the flood waters, he was grateful not to be among them.
We put his muddy, waterlogged bike on top of the car and head straight to Pittsburgh just in time to enjoy DC commuter traffic. We arrive at the Airbnb in the now popular Southside Flats just in time to drop the bikes and luggage and head to the airport to pick up our last team rider, Mike, my old college roommate and good friend.
The next morning David takes a much needed day off after first finding a bike shop that will attempt to clean and repair his bike for tomorrow’s ride. Mike and Siri check out the views after climbing 500 Church steps while I rest my sore foot (plantar fasciitis has sidelined me a bit).
Later in the afternoon we reconnect with some long-term friends that we have known before we were married when one was a co-worker. They are one more of our amazing friends that should have their own podcast or movie. In between being a local deacon, working in local governments and colleges, and repairing old homes, they have been supporting their very high needs child, now an adult, through some very difficult issues.
They take it all in stride and work to make sure they can be supportive of their child as possible, but also still live their own lives. It is understatement to say that it has been extremely difficult. They could write a book – and actually she has already done that – just waiting to get it published. They also provide some great history of their adopted neighborhood, like the 1892 Homestead steel workers strike where 16 people were killed as they fought for better working conditions. We also pass a “Mother Jones” plaque honoring her efforts to secure worker protections while among many things, she was jailed for exercising her free speech rights.
We finish the day with some good hearty German food at the Hofbräuhaus, hoping that sausage and sauerkraut will be just the thing we need to get ready for our bike adventure.
Well, OK, we share some tasty local ice cream just to be sure we have the right nutrition before heading to bed for our long day tomorrow.
Siri and David Adventures 