Day 9: Thunderstorms, Bagels, and 20 Miles at Night
Posted on 30. May, 2009 by carlos in Touring
We were 20 miles away from our destination when we pulled over to grab some extra fuel. About 2 hours of light left had us with heads in the air; things were going to work out. While I was deciding whether or not to buy bars or trail mix at a local shop, Joe had the bright idea of looking at a television. The warning band said severe thunderstorms ahead. It seems to be our theme for the week.
Within 15 minutes, we were sprinting to a pavilion for fear of starting another campaign called ‘Washed Across PA 2009.’
We were stuck under a pavilion for the next 2 hours with a few rafting instructors our age. Under the pavilion the spirits were high. We were meeting great people, and the storms would bring them work .
It was either bike 80 miles the next morning to be in Pittsburgh by 2:30pm, or…
I strapped on a $5 LED headlamp, and we biked 20 miles on the Alleghany Trail to Connellsville PA. Each fog patch would blind me, and I would call out, “Fog!” Joe would push ahead and act as the guide while I acted as his light. The 20 miles was a huge team building excercise. I had to push trust in Joe’s cycling for my own safety.
At the end of our 20 miles, we met Brian and Angel whom were out for a night-time stroll. I guess things did work out.
We slept 4 hours in their garage:
Thanks Brian for the bagels and good luck on your training at Wilderness Voyageurs!
Bike stop along the trail. Super kind of them!
Stats
Miles today: 73.97
Total miles: 438.5
Flats today: Carlos – 0, Joe – 1
Total flats: Carlos – 3, Joe – 1
Crashes: Carlos – 0, Joe – 0
Trees that needed moving: 2
Heather Hollaway
30. May, 2009
Wow this sounds like a challenging day! I’m glad you two somehow manage to look on the bright side of everything and continue to find and harness your own strengths. =)