Day 43 and more

I owe Pennslyvania an apology.  I'm having lots of fun here.  Between poor internet connections, lack of power, busy days, fatigue, and an attitude that I just want to finish (survive) I've not been keeping up the blogsite.  I'm sorry about that.  I made it to Gettyburg on Wednesday after a really tought 102 mile ride with 6500' of vertical, and in 85 degreee, high humidity heat.  I passed the final, but I chose to spend time seeing Gettysburg rather than blog.  Effectively, the ride is complete, and we just have two easy rides to make DC.  I'll upload my pics later this week.  I miss you all and can't wait to see you.

Day 42

Hills, whores, and liquor stores.  That was the description of Pennsylvania given to me by another rider.  I didn't see much of the latter two, but there sure were plenty of hills.  We have 3 more days of Pennsylvania.  The crew said these hills are just quizzes, the final exam comes on the century on Wednesday.  I hate 12% quizzes.

We entered Pennsylvania on a steep downgrade early in the morning after following the eastern Ohio border.  We we told that there was no state sign on the border so we backtracked on Hwy. 39 to find one. What we found a short ways off the described route was an important piece of U.S. surveying history.

While my fellow riders mocked my excitement, I couldn't believe the luck. Without the detour, we would have missed this spot by only one-quarter mile.This is the point from which a rectangular-grid land survey system was established under the Ordinance of 1785 for western U.S. which provided for administration and subdivision of land in the Old Northwest Territory. The Ordinance stipulated that all public lands were to be divided into townships six miles square.


This monument is not on the actual location because it is covered by water from a dam downstream on the Ohio river.

Interestingly, had we continued south on this route and crossed the Ohio river to get back on course we would have crossed through the NE tip of West Virginia and added another state to our journey.

This monument is not on the actual location because it is covered by water from a dam downstream on the Ohio river. 

Interestingly, had we continued south on this route and crossed the Ohio river to get back on course we would have crossed through the NE tip of West Virginia and added another state to our journey. 

After leaving the monument we rode into Midland.  Midland is a Pennsyvania town with an odd mix of old/new steel mills juxtaposed with nuclear power plants.  The town itself looks pretty depressed.

As I rode by the nuclear power plant I snapped a few pictures.  I was yelled at by a guy in a security truck that pictures weren't allowed.  I don't believe that anyone can prevent you from shooting picture from a public highway, and anyway, they weren't that interesting.  I still have them. If any U.S agency like Homeland Security wants me to delete them let me know.  I'll happily comply.

The remaining miles of the ride were still devoid of whores and liquor stores, but still had no shortage of hills.  Furthermore, the roads are really narrow here and many drivers have little patience for bikers.  If I lived in this part of Pennsyvania I wouldn't own a bicycle.

Tomorrow we go over the 3000 mile mark.  One biker is out of the ride now and is in a hospital in Pittsburg.  A couple of other riders have sagged part-time but should be back riding full-time soon.  The Big Ride hasn't so much as created the medical conditions bothering these riders, it's more like the stresses of the endurance riding has aggravated pre-existing conditions.  Most of the riders are healthy are anxious to get to D.C.