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